Ash Ketchum
Pikachu is the best-known species of Pokémon, largely due to its appearance in the anime series as the starter Pokémon of the protagonist, Ash Ketchum. Pikachu is a major character of the "Pokémon" franchise as well as its mascot, and has become an icon of Japanese pop culture in recent years, as well as one of the major mascots for Nintendo.