Misdreavus

Sure, Pikachu kinda fits the criteria for being The Pokémon Company's mascot, and the mascot of the Pokémon franchise to that extent. It has a color palette that appeals to the boys (yellow body, red electric pouches, etc.) and a cute factor that appeals to the girls.

However, it got me thinking - since the requirements needed to be in the franchise's prestigious role of mascot are a lot more simple than people think, who do you think would have fit the role of the Pokémon series' mascot rather well?

For me, I personally - without being biased towards the Ralts line - think it would be Misdreavus.

My reasoning for this is rather simple - it's got a color palette that's incredibly varied with five differing shades of blue (with those being Patina, Catalina Blue, Gum Leaf, Casper, Martinique... the more you know), plus touches of Mamba, Cod Gray and Emperor, making it an obvious stand-out to the boys. And also... look how cute it is. Look at Misdreavus and try telling me with a straight face that it won't appeal to girls faster than you can say "calamitous clam sauce."

Plus, fun fact: the blemishes of pink that are on Misdreavus'... hair, I guess? No joke, that shade of pink is called My Pink. I'm not kidding - look up Hex Code Number #d48786, put it into this site, and thank me later.

That aside, what are your personal picks on what the mascot for the franchise would be if Pikachu didn't make the cut?