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Raichu has always been my favorite since Ash's Pikachu got it's ass beat in the anime, I thought damn anything that can whip the main mascot pokemon is pretty legit.
That being said, Pikachu fits nicely as the mascot, it's easily recognizable even by people who have never played the games or watched the series. I'm not sure I could see it as any other pokemon since Pikachu has had the top spot for so long.