If Pikachu didn't exist who would be the main Pokémon?

Clefairy was originally supposed to be the mascot iirc, so I'd say she'd be most likely.

Hmmm, yes, Clefairy probably would have been the main one, but who should be is a different matter... No offense to Clefairy, it's just... seriously, Clefairy?

Magikarp... Eh, I think being the main Pokémon would take away a bit of its charm. You know, underdog and all.
It's quite possible it should be one of the starters, though since there are three and it's meant to be equal, that'd be a little difficult of a decision, and it couldn't just be one of them. Perhaps Mew?

I guess one of the starters would be the main pokemon. It works in the Manga, so why not in the Anime? Gary would just pick some other starter instead of having an Eevee.

I dunno, I always thought that if Pikachu was not the main one, it would be Charmander

Like it has been said before, Clefairy was intended to be the main mascot of Pokémon originally, but it was changed to Pikachu to make it easier to market to boys.
Other than that, I'd say Eevee would be a good mascot for the franchise, considering its branched evolution line whose members are all of different types.

^^Agreed! Eevee would be a good mascot, but Pichu is cuter!

I need to happily agree with Eevee. If I were to picture an Eevee on every Pokemon toy, game, etc... it would look just about right.

I thought that Pikachu became the mascot due to it's popularity in being related to the original Anime. So honestly, the way marketing executives think would be to probably include a different Pokemon from the Anime to make it more noticeable. I would think they'd actually pick Togepi in that case. (Which would be a poor decision.)

If it were up to 4kids, they'd pick Jelly Donuts.

Simple, Clefairy would be the new mascot as originally intended by the creators. That or a pre-evolved form of a Pokemon currently in the OU tier list to appeal to competitive players.

I actually see a lot of potential for making Cleffairy Ash's starter.

Here's how I imagine the story going, from a good way, with Ash's opening being the same. Ash is late and Proffessor Oak has run out of all the Pokemon that he is giving away to trainers. But because he knows Ash and knows how desperate her is to be a trainer, he takes Ash up to Mt. Moon with him in his car to learn about the Cleffairy. He promises Ash that by the end of the journey, he will have his Pokemon. When they get there, neither of them can find any Cleffairy, or even how to get into the Mountains. that is, until Ash and Oak find a Cleffable flying over their camp site, letting sparkling stars glitter all around.

Ash and Oak find their way to the hidden village of the Cleffairy and Cleffable able discover the giant moon rock and are taken in by the Pokemon as guests to their festival, showing just how magical the Pokemon are, with their glitter dances and everything. But Team Rocket are there as well, who smoke out the cave and try to steal as many Cleffairy as they can. One of the Cleffairy uses its Metronome power to use Teleport, escaping Team Rocket and getting ash and oak to follow and help out in rescuing the Pokemon.

Oak wants to call the Police, but ash heads straight on, not thinking. Lucky for them, this Cleffairy wasn't the only one to use Metronome, and the trio are scattered all around, trying desperately to gather up the Cleffairies everywhere. Ash tackles them, but Jessie and James release their Pokemon again, Koffing and Ekans. Proffessor Oak shows up though with his Charizard and scares off the Pokemon. Ash asks why he wanted to get the police involved when he had a Charizard with him, but Oak says that Charizard is too old to fight anymore, like him, and that if Team Rocket had fallen for his bluff, he would have been at their mercy.

The episode ends (it could even have been a two parter) with the Cleffairy wanting to join Ash on his journey and the two of them setting off to challenge the Pokemon League. And later, the success of the game would inspire the release of Pokemon Pink, where you travel around the land with a Cleffairy traveling behind you.

That is a very good way to look at it. I like it

And we could introduce a Gengar as a mischievous Pokemon that belongs to Gary. The Gengar, being the darker version of ClefFABLE, not Cleffairy would look down on it, just as Gary looks down on Ash.

When Ash goes to defeat Brock, he finds that every time they use Metronome, the move gives them crappy moves like splash or Growl. Misty gives him a lecture about how thety're a one trick pony and that Metronome is a move based on Lick, and that their luck just ran out. This pushes Ash to try new tactics besides the obvious one, hoping that the two will grow from it. And the two do, using Cleffary's small, light body to deftly avoid Brock's Onix. Brock has Onix go underground and uppercut him, but they use Metronome one last time, which becomes teleport, getting Cleffary just out of the way in time, which makes Onix crab into the ceiling, causing it too collapse on top on him, and rain water, it had begun raining like all intense fights, to come pouring down on Onix, crippling him. But Ash looks at the destruction to the Gym and how hurt the Onix is, that he takes Cleffairy and runs off, unable to accept the victory. Brock chases him down and gives him his badge, saying that it was his own fault for loosing his cool and giving Onix the command in the first place. He then joins Ash on their quest and they have a whole line of adventures with Misty tagging along.

It will also be that Misty's bike was actually blown up when Cleffary's Metronome used explosion to defeat Team Rocket.

This also gives a better reason for Team Rocket coming after Cleffairy. Cleffary are rare and they can no longer find the passage to Mt. Moon anymore, so nthey try to steal Cleffary from Ash instead.

Clefairy.

Well, ether that or Eevee. One of the two.

In my view I still reckon it's Charmander (Is that how you spell it?).

After Pichu, Pikachu and Raichu, Charmander is my next fav Pokemon.

I think if Pikachu is not the mascot, Charmander will be one.

I have to say Victini!!!!!! But after that i would say Eevee, It can branch out to almost all types and i wouldnt doubt it eventually branching out to all types

I like the sound of Eevee as the mascot if it were to be replacing Pikachu. As LBJ stated, Eevee can evolve into many different types, and it would most probably have evolutions to all 16 types. It would make a good representation for the many diverse types of Pokemon.

I'd say Starters or Eevee, they're strong enough to be the main Pokémon, and not overpowered.

Yeah a few do seem to have overkill on the powers even at high levels.

If Pikachu never existed, my beloved Oshawott would be the mascot. Duh.
You know me and my Oshy attitude, he's too cool.

But seriously, I'd pick Eevee due to all the Pokemon it can evolve into.