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Rare mutated golden Australian possum is named Pikachu

This golden possum may look as close as we may come to Pikachu, but it thankfully doesn't have any of the Pokemon's abilities.

Charles Singletary Jr
Charles Singletary Jr
4

Pokemon has surely become a powerful force in entertainment, so much so that fans have certainly pondered what it'd be like to live in that world. It's not happening, but there are some real-life creatures in the world that can give us the same feels as our favorite Pokemon. One such creature in Australia, a possum with a mutation that gives it a unique hue, has been named Pikachu in honor of the most popular Pokemon around.

The golden possum has a mutation that affects its melanin production, giving it its golden color. Unless there are additional mutations that we're unaware of at this time, the golden possum cannot weaponize electricity like the Pokemon Pikachu, but it's pretty cool to pay homage to a character that has become a pop culture icon.

Not only is Pikachu a mainstay in a long-running, legendary gaming series that has extended into other entertainment mediums, but the creature is also having its star elevated in a huge way with the upcoming Detective Pikachu movie. In the film, which features an English-talking Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds, a former Pokemon trainer arrives in Ryme City and learns that his detective father mysteriously disappeared while on a case.

Tim, the former trainer, then encounters a talking Pikachu that he can understand, much to the surprise of them both, and the two start working together to figure out what happened to Tim's father. It's an interesting take on the Pokemon lore, especially visually. The film features realistic versions of the creatures we know and love, some of them translating perfectly while others are absolutely mind-boggling.

Detective Pikachu hits theaters in the US on May 10, 2019, and features Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, and Ken Watanabe. Stay tuned to Shacknews for additional gaming and tech updates.

News Editor
News Editor

Charles Singletary Jr keeps the updates flowing as the News Editor, breaking stories while investigating the biggest topics in gaming and technology. He's pretty active on Twitter, so feel free to reach out to him @The_CSJR. Got a hot tip? Email him at Charles.Singletary@Shacknews.com.

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