Summary
- Only 18 Generation 1 Pokemon have Alolan forms, including Raichu, but Pikachu never received one.
- Alolan forms were inspired by Hawaii’s climate in Generation 7 games.
- Pokemon fans create custom regional forms for other regions like Galar and Paldea.
A Pokemon fan designed an Alolan form of the franchise’s beloved mascot Pikachu and shared the original concept online. Many artists have created custom regional forms of Pokemon characters.
Introduced in the seventh generation games, Alolan forms are special Pokemon variants that are found in the Alola region. Only 18 characters have ever received such an alternative design, all of them being Generation 1 Pokemon. Among these is the Electric-type Raichu, the evolved form of the Pokemon franchise’s iconic Pikachu. While the latter character has no Alolan form, a new piece of fan art has provided a glimpse of what this variant of Pikachu could have looked like had it ever been released.
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In a recent post on the Pokemon subreddit, user HertzBurst showed off their Alolan Pikachu concept. This version of Pikachu, much like the official Alolan form of Raichu, noticeably features a different color scheme, with HertzBurst’s design swapping out the usual bright yellow of Pikachu’s fur with a much darker brown. The fan creation, which shares Alolan Raichu’s Electric/Psychic attributes, also has different secondary colors and more rounded features. Plenty of artists have shared similar original designs in the past, including Reddit user SayuriKoopa, who made custom regional Pokemon forms of Larvitar, Tinkatink, and Vanillite, among many others.
Pokemon Fan Designs Original Alolan Form for Pikachu
Longtime Pokemon series developer Game Freak previously explained that Hawaii, with its abundance of sunshine and clear nights, inspired the tropical setting of the Generation 7 releases. According to Game Freak director Shigeru Ohmori, the studio considered during development the possible living conditions of the Alolan forms had they existed in real life. He pointed out that Alolan Exeggutor was designed with a significantly longer neck than its regular counterpart due to greater sunlight exposure.
Aside from Alola, other Pokemon regions also have their own special variants. Generation 8’s Galar has Galarian forms, while the current ninth generation’s core region of Paldea has Paldean forms. Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which is set in a past version of Sinnoh known as Hisui, introduced Hisuian forms. All in all, there are currently 57 regional Pokemon variants, with Meowth and Tauros receiving two and three such forms, respectively.
Many fans expect the franchise’s next game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, to introduce new evolutions or regional variants. The upcoming title, which is scheduled to be released on the Nintendo Switch sometime next year, will bring fans back to the sixth generation games’ setting of Kalos. Rumors suggest that a trailer for Pokemon Legends: Z-A could drop before the Pokemon franchise celebrates its 29th anniversary in February 2025.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
- Created by
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Satoshi Tajiri