Why are there Pikachu in the Viridian Forest? The sad Pokémon Red and Blue theory

If you thought it was strange that the funny Pikachu appeared as a wild Pokémon in the Viridian Forest in Pokémon Red and Blue, you’re not alone. One theory suggests that these cheerful electric rodents may have been the victims of neglect by trainers who grew tired of them. The idea is based on how strange it is to find these electric Pokémon in the forest, next to the Power Plant, which is considered their natural habitat. This ties into a very controversial real-life issue: the abandonment of pets and exotic animals after a passing fad. Could the world of Pokémon inadvertently reflect the sad reality of animal abandonment?

Pikachus in the Viridian Forest in Pokémon Red and Blue? Something doesn’t add up, and this ominous theory confirms it

While finding a Pikachu in the Viridian Forest in Pokémon Red and Blue may seem like a mere stroke of luck due to its 5% chance of appearing in tall grass, there’s something strange about its presence in the area. In Red and Blue, the Viridian Forest is filled with Bug-type Pokémon such as Caterpie and Weedle, as well as Pidgey and Pidgeotto, which were introduced in Pokémon Yellow. All of these creatures logically fit into an ecosystem where there are many insects and predatory birds that feed on them. However, Pikachu, an electric Pokémon with a rodent-like morphology, seems out of place in this forested environment. This has led many fans over the years to ask a troubling question: Where did these Pikachu come from?

One theory that painstakingly explains this “glitch in the Matrix” is that these Pikachu are not native to the forest, but were abandoned there by trainers who grew tired of them. In the Pokémon world, when a trainer no longer has interest in one of these creatures, he or she has two options: store it indefinitely in Bill’s PC Box system, or release it into the wild. This playable mechanic, which allows us to free up space or “delete” Pokémon we no longer want, would explain the concept of animal abandonment in this universe. Therefore, previous trainers of these Pikachu would have chosen the second option, taking them to an isolated place like the Viridian Forest and abandoning them in a labyrinthine place from which they could not return home. The description of the forest in various installments of the franchise, where it is defined as “natural maze as many people get lost inside,” would make it an ideal place for unscrupulous trainers to get rid of an unwanted Pokémon.

The hypothesis becomes even stronger when we compare Pikachu’s presence in the Viridian Forest to its appearance rate in the Power Plant, an abandoned hydroelectric plant that is much more in keeping with its nature. In that area, Pikachu has a 25% chance of appearing, while in the Viridian Forest it has a 5% chance. In other words, the higher presence of Pikachu in the abandoned power plant reinforces the fact that it is the only place in all of Kanto where they live and breed naturally, while the few in the Viridian Forest could be considered a species introduced to an alien habitat by human action. This, in turn, could be a reference - intentional or not - to what happens in real life with many exotic pets that are abandoned in the wild when their owners no longer want to care for them, causing serious imbalances in ecosystems due to the fierce competition for resources such as food or nesting material.

As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a clue in the form of dialogue from a girl in the Museum of Pewter City, a metropolis just north of the Viridian Forest. This NPC says, and we quote, “I want a Pikachu! It’s so cute! I asked my Daddy to catch me one!” These dialog boxes reinforce the idea that Pikachu, both as a mascot and as a Pokémon that can be used in battles within the game world, may be experiencing a boom in popularity that will cause many to drop out once it becomes unfashionable.

However, the simplest explanation for Pikachu’s presence in the Viridian Forest may be a design decision by Game Freak. This Pokémon, being the de facto mascot of the franchise and one of the most beloved by fans, would become one of the most coveted by players, who would want to add it to their teams the sooner the better. Therefore, adding it to an area near the beginning of the adventure was a way to give players a chance to capture it without having to go to the Power Plant, a location that is not accessible until the middle of the game. The rarity of Pikachu in the forest, with this 5% chance of encountering it, can also be considered a small easter egg that rewards the most patient or lucky players.

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