Pikachu is a fictional character and the official mascot of the Japanese franchise Pokémon, having been featured numerously in manga, anime, and especially the collectable trading card games and video games. Pikachu is one of the most well-known variety of Pokémon, largely due to him being a central character in the franchise's anime series where he is the first Pokémon obtained by Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in Japan) on his journey, given to him by Prof. Samuel Oak that travels outside his Poké Ball. Outside the franchise's trading card game and video games, Pikachu has also been featured as a playable character in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series where he is one of the most notable fighters in the games. Pikachu has become a major icon of Japanese pop culture in recent years.