Pikachu inspired by a squirrel, not a mouse

TOKYO - The design for Pikachu, one of the main characters in the popular game Pokemon, was based on a squirrel, developers of the game at the time of its 1996 debut have told The Yomiuri Shimbun.

This is the first time the designers have revealed the story behind Pikachu's origin. The Pokemon Co, the Tokyo-based brand management company for Pokemon, will add the information to its website this month.

Pikachu has been a fixture of the franchise since the first Pokemon game debuted in February 1996 for Nintendo Co's Game Boy handheld game console.