What even IS a Pikaclone?

I've been arguing with some people about how neither Marill nor Mimikyu count as Pikaclones for not being Electric type, but really, what do we consider a Pikaclone, and why do we even use the term? In my opinion Pikaclones have to be electric types with a friendly appearance, but for some reason some people think that just being "like" Pikachu in appearance is enough, what do you think?

Thinks of a few things.
1. Similar stats, Electric typing, and moves.

Compared all the stats of Pokemon who may be considered Pikaclones.
Favors Speed. Tends to have fairly balanced stats otherwise. Varies a little, due to some not evolving.

Tends to have some similar moves. Notes Quick Attack, Charm, Nasty Plot, Agility, and mainly electric level-up moves on several.

2. Appearance and species. Points to the cheek circles. Appears on very few other Pokemon (maybe none?).

Pulls Marill in here, as the "Aquamouse Pokemon". Lacks the cheeks. Retained the jagged tail. Remembers it being called "Pikablu" before release. Makes Generation 2 the only generation without a Pikaclone if you exclude it, also.

Likely places Mimikyu in here from this too. (Personally does not count it.) Looks like Pikachu. May not realize the main Pokemon is underneath the costume.
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Puts two reasons forward for the "why":

• May be used for arguments about lack of creativity and/or a focus on marketing.
• Knows what to expect, in-game, at a glance. Tends to be weak, much like a Pikachu (in earlier times, at least). Treats other Pokemon kind of similarly too, such as the regional rodent (Rattata, Bidoof, Skwovet...), the regional bug (Weedle/Cateripie, Scatterbug, Grubbin...), and the regional bird (Pidgey, Hoothoot, Starly, Pidove...).

As I understand it it's generally just meant the electric rodent that comes with every new generation (except Gen 2) and that's usually how most people use the term.

Though I get why some might want to consider Marill and Mimikyu pikaclones. People called Marill "Pikablu" prior to release given that it is also a rodent and has the red cheek pouches. Mimikyu's thing is how it wants friends and so it figures that the best way to do that is to make itself look like a relatively popular/well-known Pokemon. Mimicry isn't cloning, but the idea more or less works here.

A "Pikachu clone" is basically described as members of the "Electric Rodent" family that came after the Pikachu line but have many similar characteristics nonetheless. Mimikyu is not a Pikachu clone by any means. The best way to determine if a Pokémon is a "Pikaclone" is by noting that it fits all of the same criteria simultaneously:

1. The Pokémon in question are Electric-type and based on rodents. Just as Pikachu is based on a mouse, Plusle and Minun are based on mice (with some rabbit features, even though rabbits aren't rodents). Pachirisu and Emolga are based on squirrels, while the ladder is more specifically based on a flying squirrel. Dedenne is based on a gerbil; Togedemaru is based on a porcupine; Morpeko is based on a hamster; and the entire Pawmot line is based on marmots, which are rodents that are very closely related to squirrels. Mimikyu is not a rodent but rather a ghostly abomination that is simply wearing a Pikachu costume. It is also not Electric-type but rather Ghost/Fairy.

2. The Pokémon in question have cheek pouches similar to Pikachu that store electricity. Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne, Togedemaru, Morpeko, Pawmi, Pawmo, and Pawmot all have Electric cheek pouches on their faces. Most of the time, their Pokédex entries or descriptions in whatever media they appear in would even reference the check pouches in some form or fashion, or sometimes even the Ability Cheek Pouch. Mimikyu simply has fake cheek pouches on the costume. Whether or not Mimikyu's true form has cheek pouches is unknown, but also very unlikely.

3. The Pokémon in question must belong to the Field and/or Fairy Egg Group. According to the lore, Pikachu clones are all said to be closely related, even though they are different species. By including them in the same Egg Groups, this ensures that every Pikachu clone can breed with one another. Plusle and Minun are part of the Fairy Egg Group only. Emolga and the Pawmot line are in the Field Egg Group only. Pachirisu, Dedenne, Togedemaru, and Morpeko are all part of both the Field and Fairy Egg Groups. Mimikyu is part of the Amorphous Egg Group, which is characterized by Pokémon that lack a body shape. Thus, it isn't related to Pikachu at all and is most related to other ghosts and blobs, not rodents. Note that its Fairy typing is not the same as being part of the Fairy Egg Group.

4. The Pokémon in question must be able to learn the move Nuzzle by leveling up and must have had this as a signature move before Generation VIII. Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne, Togedemaru, Morpeko, Pawmi, Pawmo, and Pawmot all naturally learn the move Nuzzle. Sure, a few other Pokémon also learn Nuzzle, such as Hattenna, the Boltund line, and the Toxel line, but they don't fit the other criteria I listed previously. Also, before they were able to learn this move, Nuzzle used to be a signature move for all Electric rodents, proving that they are meant to be related. Mimikyu can't learn the move Nuzzle at all. In fact, Mimikyu can only learn three Electric-type moves via TM, which are Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, and Thunder.

Notes: Sometimes, the fandom would consider Pichu a "Pikachu clone." I disagree with this because Pichu was created to evolve into Pikachu, which makes it part of the same evolutionary family rather than a "clone" meant to be based on Pikachu. If anything, Pichu is best described as literally a baby Pikachu or Raichu rather than a Pikachu clone. Even more outlandish, some fans would even attempt to say the Marill line are Pikachu clones when, despite being based on rodents, they fit none of the criteria listed. Mimikyu can sometimes be featured in artwork with the Pikachu clones. I think this is done to show that Mimikyu is "related" to Pikachu and friends based on its attempts to be Pikachu, but it otherwise fits none of the criteria of an electric rodent, meaning that it is not a Pikachu clone by any means. Lightning shaped tails are also not a criteria, as this doesn't apply to Dedenne, Pachirisu, Plusle, or Minun. Base stats, while they used to be reliable criteria, considering that the first Pikachu clones consistently had 405 base stats, Emolga broke the trend with a BST of 428. Afterwards, the BST only increased and the current Pikachu clone, Pawmot, has the highest BST at 490, which is even five points higher than the Raichu that it's based on. As for evolutionary stages, the Pawmot line seems to be the only family of Pikachu clones that actually has more in common with Pikachu by having a three-stage evolutionary line. The rest don't evolve at all.

Nah said:

People called Marill "Pikablu" prior to release given that it is also a rodent and has the red cheek pouches.

Click to expand...

Does not have the red cheek pouches. Crystal sprite:


Also just learned something new. Looked around to see what beta Marill looked like. (Pinker and bigger ears, for the record.) Found information about Topps Trading Cards given away at a movie event...or something. Called it "Pikablu" on the first printing of several cards. Changed them in the second printing to Marill.

As soon as Togepi is asleep, trouble approaches. Tromping down the road and laughing loudly as if they owned the place, comes Buru, Raichu, Cubone and Pikablu. These loud-mouthed Pokémon walk past Togepi, while Pikachu tries its hardest to get them to quiet down, but they don't listen and go right on talking. What happens? They wake up Togepi of course!

Click to expand...

(Buru = Snubbull.) Recalls seeing these cards. Might actually own one of these cards. Will check tomorrow.

Edit: Found them. Owns the "A Great Day" card. Says "Pikablu" on it.

Sweet Serenity said:

4. The Pokémon in question must be able to learn the move Nuzzle by leveling up and must have had this as a signature move before Generation VIII. Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne, Togedemaru, Morpeko, Pawmi, Pawmo, and Pawmot all naturally learn the move Nuzzle.

Click to expand...

Cannot learn Nuzzle on Morpeko, actually.

A "Pika clone" (fanon term) are a classification of Pokemon by the fans for small, electric rodent Pokemon with circular cheek pouches like Pikachu. They are, in some way, related to the Pikachu family, maybe.

Mimikyu isn't a clone, moreso it's just copying Pikachu. Probably doesn't look like a Pikachu at all without the decoy body.

Marill isn't either. It's just a mouse that... Evolves into a rabbit. (Weird).

This isn't even the only fandom classification.
There's regional bird, bug & rodent (early route is another common term) which also is pretty universally used to describe entire groups of Pokemon.

Pikaclone is blatant recycling of the 'cute electric rodent that stores electricity in its cheeks' theme, which is a concept heavily associated with the Pikachu line.

The Marill family isn't Electric, nor does it have anything special on its cheeks. And Mimikyu is just a sad soul disguising itself as a popular Pokémon to pretend being something it really isn't.

Pachirisu is the GOAT. I used it in BDSP and I'm serious when I say it was the mpv of the team during the rematches

"Pikaclone" is not a tightly defined term; rather, it defines a trend relative to an overall Pokédex. Similar to how for example (most of) every generation has a Regional Caterpie, a Regional Pidgey, a furry bait, and eventually, well, a Regional Pikachu.

To the best of my understanding the closest definition of a Pikaclone is post-facto: it's a Pokémon that is *perceived as* or slotted in for being there mostly to remind people of Pikachu, or to make use of tropes and callbacks associated to Pikachu. Bonus points for having actually a Pikachu-like appearance or a gimmick that gives some sort of unicity - like Pikachu itself has because of the Light Ball. Because much of what makes a Pikaclone is filling a sort of copycat role, the term is sometimes used derisively — and with just reason, but the derisive connotation is not actually needed for a definition.

Examples of Pikaclones, for example:

* Pichu in G2 is the most Pikachu-looking of them; built as a Pikachu Copycat, they literally evolutionarily tied it to Pikachu, and basically used it to pre-cut any potential for Gorochu advancing the evolutionary like that would make Pikachu even less truly valuable as a (back then) first-level evo than what it already is.
* Marill is a special case, what with all the Pikablu stuff.
* Plusle and Minun in G3 are built on the "gimmick representative" factor. They are Pikachu, but for Double Battles! Later gens would follow this same model for example by giving Charizard two Megas in G6.
* Pachirisu in G4 is a Pikaclone in functional design terms, such as having gimmick moves, but differentiates itself in terms of graphic design. The fandom differentiated it mostly thanks to the meta with Ray Park's play in 2014.
* Emolga and vaguely arguably Victini in G5. Victini even goes as far as having a "special" 'Dex number. Emolga avoids most of the derisive connotations of being a Pikaclone thanks to its co-starring role in Gates to Infinity IMO, where it's quite well developed as a character for Nintendon't standards.
* Dedenne in G6 is IMO a pretty well designed Pikaclone that to me doesn't recall any negative connotation of the term, in fact I tend to forget that it technically counts as a Pikaclone.
* Togedemaru in G7 is an example that tries to differentiaite itself, unfortunately its portrayal in the anime and external games doesn't really help its case (eg.: Smash).
* Mimikyu is a special case in G7 since technically the Pikaclone spot is taken; much like Pichu, it's designed fully for the Pikachu Copycat factor, but doesn't follow any of the mechanical facets that make most Pikaclones recognizable, not even the typing.
* Morpeko in G8 is built on being basically "Pikachu but graphically ugly", quite an interesting reversal but doesn't do anything to save it from being a Pikaclone.
* The Pawmi line in G9 arguably are Pikaclones. They at least don't look anything like Pikachu and don't depend on a gimmick to be defined (as far as I know), so other than being the "Electric shoved-as-adorable critter of the generation", I'm not sure it qualifies as a Pikaclone.

The fact that canon already recognizes the term, by featuring most of these Pokémon together in some stickers, indicates there's hopefully a stricter definition of what counts as a Pikaclone, but fandom-wise, it's mostly the intent to imitate Pikachu to force-shove more of it to the consumers what matters.