The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

It has a chubby little body, a big head and floppy little limbs. It has high, babylike voice, a button nose and a little mouth. It has big bright eyes and rosy cheeks. It giggles and squeals. But unlike a human baby, it is also bright yellow and makes a springing noise when it hops.

Of all the “pocket monsters” that people can hunt in Pokémon Go, the popular mobile game that has swept the world, the most universally beloved is Pikachu, the yellow “rodent Pokémon” that is the franchise’s mascot. Pikachu’s popularity is no accident. With its squishy body and squeals of joy, Pika...