Even if you’ve never played any game from the Pokémon franchise, chances are you know who Pikachu is. This adorable electric mouse became known the world over thanks to his position as Ash Ketchum’s main partner in the original anime, and was even the starter Pokémon in Pokémon Yellow. Nintendo and Game Freak have also done their part to promote Pikachu, such as items like the Light Ball to increase its power, and making the yellow mouse a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. franchise.
Pikachu’s popularity resulted in a sub-genre known as the Electric Rodent Pokémon, or “Pika-Clones” by fans. While none of them will ever be as popular (or powerful) as the electric mouse, they all have their charm, and some of them are more than worth considering for a team slot.
Plusle and Minun—Pokédex Number 311 & 312: The Cheering Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pok-mon-plusle-minun.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
Generation III introduced a lot of new mechanics to the franchise, including double-battles, which have since become the standard format for the Pokémon World Championships. Game Freak created some new Pokémon to help show off the new battle style, like Plusle and Minun. This pair of electric rabbits love to cheer on their teammates with electric pom-poms, and their Plus and Minus abilities mean that, if their teammate has one of those abilities as well, they get a boost to their special attack.
Unfortunately, while Plusle and Minun are very cute, they’re also terrible to use in double battles. Having two Electric-types out at once is just a recipe for disaster, and since their abilities need one another to activate, it does nothing for them in singles battles, which is the vast majority of fights in any Pokémon game. They do a lot better in the anime, where they get to be a proper duo together, and the animators make sure to highlight how adorable they are.
Pachirisu—Pokédex Number 417: The EleSquirrel Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pok-mon-pachirisu.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
The first of the Electric Rodents not to be a mouse was Pachirisu, introduced in the Sinnoh region in Generation IV. This white and blue squirrel is found nesting in the tops of trees, often sleeping on its tail like a pillow, or chasing its tail when awake. Pachirisu is also known to use its shed fur to hide its food, as the static electricity will shock anyone who tries to touch it.
Pokémon fans all over the world remember in 2014 when Sejun Park from South Korea won the Pokémon World Championship with a Pachirisu, which tanked a Draco Meteor from a Salamence that was meant for its partner Garchomp. While it’s unlikely to perform as well in your battles, Pachirisu isn’t the worst Electric-type out there, since it mixes up the usual stereotype of speedy but frail Electric-types who spam Thunderbolt and little else. Both of its abilities are also nice for a journey: Run Away guarantees fleeing from a tough wild encounter, while Pickup means the little guy can occasionally find useful items for its trainer.
Morpeko—Pokédex Number 877: The Two-Sided Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/pokemonswordshield_feature.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via Game Freak</figure>
There have been many gimmick-Pokémon revealed over the years — Pokémon that have some ability or play style unique only to them. One example is Morpeko, an Electric and Dark-type with a very small stomach, forcing it to eat near-constantly. If it ever gets hungry, Morpeko transforms into its Hangry mode, becoming hyper-aggressive until its hunger is sated, turning it back into its agreeable Full Belly mode.
Morpeko’s gimmick is a little more usable than Plusle and Minun’s, as it will shift between Full Belly and Hangry mode each turn. Depending on which mode it is in, its signature move, Aura Wheel, will be an Electric- or Dark-type attack, which can be both fun and frustrating to use depending on your opponent. The gimmick also injects a lot of personality into Morpeko that helps keep it from becoming too forgettable, and led to some good comedic moments in the anime when one became a hangry nuisance for Team Rocket.
Dedenne—Pokédex Number 702: The Antenna Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pok-mon-dedenne.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
Generation VI saw the introduction of the Fairy-type, which has since become one of the most powerful for its ability to handle Dragon, Dark, and Fighting-types. It also tends to have some of the cutest Pokémon designs, such as Dedenne. This little mouse loves to sneak into people’s homes to feed on electricity, and uses its antenna-like whiskers to communicate with others of its kind over vast distances.
Dedenne is pretty fast with a base 101 Speed stat, meaning that it has a very good chance of paralyzing its opponents with Nuzzle or Thunder Wave, though its poor defenses mean it likely won’t get a second attempt. Still, it’s worth considering for a single-player experience thanks to its Pickup ability, though if you get one with Cheek Pouch, you might be able to increase its survivability. Fans of the anime will also remember Dedenne as the main companion Pokémon of Bonnie, younger sister of Lumiose City’s Gym Leader, Clemont, and one of Ash’s companions from the Kalos region.
Togedemaru—Pokédex Number 777: The Roly-Poly Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pok-mon-togedemaru.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
Not all members of the Electric Rodents are actually rodents. Case in point: the Electric and Steel-type Togedemaru, based on a hedgehog. It only has fourteen quills on its back instead of thousands, which it uses as lightning rods to draw electricity to itself to protect itself from attackers.
The Steel-type does a lot for Togedemaru, granting it a lot of resistance at the cost of a quadruple weakness to Ground-type attacks. Its abilities further help make it a durable Pokémon: Lightning Rod gives it immunity to Electric while also boosting its Special Attack when hit by Electric moves, and Iron Barbs hurts any Pokémon that makes physical contact with it. During the Sun and Moon run of the anime, Togedemaru was the main partner Pokémon of Sophocles and had a habit of showing a little too much affection towards Ash’s Pikachu.
Emolga—Pokédex Number 587: The Sky Squirrel Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pok-mon-emolga.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
Generation V was a bit of a soft reset for the franchise, with the Unovan Pokédex containing many mirrors to the Kantonean one. They had fun with their Electric Rodent, however, by choosing a flying squirrel for Emolga’s inspiration. A dual Electric and Flying-type, most Emolga spend their days discharging electricity in the treetops to scare away Bird Pokémon, and use whatever is left over to grill their food before eating it.
With 103 base Speed, Emolga is one of the fastest non-legendary Pokémon in Unova, and being a Flying-type means that it doesn’t have to worry about Ground-type attacks. It does have to be careful about prolonged combat due to its low defenses, but between its Static ability that can paralyze anyone who makes physical contact with it, and the move Volt Switch that lets it swap with one of its teammates, it has enough tools to punish opponents and get out of battle. The most famous Emolga from the anime was a female owned by the Dragon-type enthusiast Iris, and proved to be quite the team diva, which led to plenty of moments of her clashing with human and Pokémon characters alike.
Pawmot—Pokédex Number 923: The Hands-On Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pok-mon-pawmot.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
Generation IX saw the franchise try out true open-world mechanics, and the results were pretty hit-or-miss. Naturally, some Pokémon were created to take advantage of the new features, like Pawmi, a little Electric-type who evolves into the dual Fighting-type Pawmo through regular leveling, but then needs to walk alongside its trainer for one thousand steps to reach its final form, Pawmot. Its fluffy fur acts as a battery, allowing it to store lots of electricity, which it unleashes in battle to strike with lightning-fast movements.
Being a third-stage evolution compared to the single-stage Pika-clones before it, Pawmot has the advantage of stronger stats and better distribution. It is a fast, hard-hitting physical attacker with the signature attack Double Shock, which deals massive damage before removing Pawmot’s Electric-type — pretty handy to avoid Ground-type moves. As for its abilities, it has three great ones: Volt Absorb lets it heal if hit by Electric attacks, Natural Cure removes status conditions when it swaps out, and its hidden ability, Iron Fist, improves its punching attacks.
Raichu—Pokédex Number 26: The Mouse Pokémon
<<img src="https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pokemon_raichu.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image via The Pokémon Company</figure>
With how prominent Pikachu is, it can be easy to forget that it’s not a fully evolved Pokémon. If you give a Pikachu a Thunder Stone, it evolves into Raichu, though even the games acknowledge that this isn’t done too often because people prefer the look of Pikachu. Still, Raichu is a tough little fella, capable of storing up to one hundred thousand volts, and can discharge excess electricity by planting its tail in the ground.
For a while, Raichu was overshadowed by its younger sibling, especially once the Light Ball was introduced and made Pikachu stronger than Raichu in some regards. However, Generation VII gave Raichu a dual Psychic-type Alolan Form with a love for pancakes, and most recently, Pokémon Legends: Z-A gave it two Mega Evolutions. While these additions aren’t going to see Raichu supplant Pikachu anytime soon, it’s nice to see the orange mouse get some love.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
