PE 0

…not Pikachu?!?

Like many people, when the Pokémon General Election was first announced, I just sort of assumed Pikachu was going to walk away with it. Even though there were 720 Pokémon candidates in the running, how could any of them hope to stand a chance against the franchise mascot?

But as it turned out, there was a wrinkle to the election that made it more than just a simple popularity poll, a bit of graft that would make 19th-century political bosses proud. Fans who go to the theater to watch this summer’s Pokémon movie will be able to download the winning character for use in the Pokémon X, Y, Omega Red, and Alpha Sapphire Nintendo 3DS games, and while Pikachu may be the most recognized and widely loved Pokémon, he’s not necessarily everyone’s preferred battle partner.

The polls have now closed, so let’s take a look at the top 12.

PE 1

● 12th place: Eevee
● 11th place: Mewtwo
● 10th place: Meloetta
● 9th place: Charizard
● 8th place: Zygarde
● 7th place: Rayquaza

In this block, we see that much like with human politicians, a certain level of age and experience can be a boon for Pokémon, with series old-timers Mewtwo and Charizard both having impressive showings. On the flipside, relative newcomer Rayquaza, who only joined the franchise in 2014, probably got a little help from the publicity he’s been earning as the Legendary Pokémon representative for the soon to open Pokémon Center megastore at Tokyo’s Skytree.

PE 2

● 6th place: Genesect
● 5th place: Sylveon
● 4th place: Pikachu
● 3rd place: Mew
● 2nd place: Arceus

In the end, Pikachu could do no better than fourth-place in the polls, where he received less support than Mew and Arceus, Pokémon with higher combat potential.

▼ Though no one has more hugging potential.

PE 3

So in the end, who was chosen as the top Pokémon?

PE 4

Water/dark-type Pokémon Greninja. While his extremely long, constantly exposed tongue (which he wraps around himself like a scarf) is pretty gross, it’s hard to argue against the coolness on a ninja, especially one that can make shurikens out of water to toss at your foes.

With his victory in the election still so fresh, Greninja is yet to announce any sweeping Pokémon policy reforms. Likewise, there’s no word as to whether Pikachu has called his rival to congratulate him, or is instead meeting with fellow electric-types Dedenne and Raichu to plot a coup.

Follow Casey on Twitter for more important Pokémon political developments.

Source: Pokémon the Movie XY&Z
Top image: Pokémon the Movie XY&Z
Insert images: Pokémon the Movie XY&Z
Pikachu photographs ©RocketNews24