>>35665005They didn't at first, but the anime convinced them
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/08/17/pokemons-creators-on-the-anime-we-werent-really-sure-about-it.aspx>Our discussion began with a simple question: why is Pikachu so popular? "Probably thanks to Pikachu being in the anime and being Ash’s partner," Masuda says. It wasn't Game Freak's decision to make Pikachu the face of the brand, he just sort of fell into it. It was the production company, OLM Inc., that made the anime who recognized the adorable electric rat's potential. "That was a decision, or rather a suggestion, from the company that made the anime," Masuda says, "They originally came to us with the idea that they wanted to feature Pikachu, because Pikachu at the time was really popular amongst kids in school. It is a hard-to-find Pokémon, so kids knew about it."The anime staff chose Pikachu because its rarity made it really it popular among school kids
Like they said, Pikachu becoming the face of the franchise wasn't Game Freak's decision, he just naturally fell into the role.
