By all metrics, Pikachu... kinda sucks.  Its abysmal stats, mediocre movepool and 'meh'-inducing evolution would in any other case, make it a pick in very few teams, from casual playthroughs to hardcore competitors. But when you take into account all the things in the message of Pokemon, Pikachu goes from terrible to one of the very best. This all starts with Trainer that made Pikachu the franchise's face: Ash Ketchum.  From the first episodes of Indigo League to the final battles of his share of the anime, Ash is inherently an underdog.  In fact, he's one of the few anime underdogs who loses fairly often, adding to the realism of his story. And what happens an underdog Trainer with the Pokemon that he got because he showed up late to get a Pokemon at all? You get one of the most well-known protagonist duos of all time. Despite the losses Ash and Pikachu face together, neither gives up on their goal or each other.  And eventually, no matter how long it took, the du