Se Jun Parks Pachirisu

2014eventclassic

Se Jun Park's Pachirisu is the unlikely competitive Pokémon that Korean player Se-jun Park used to win the 2014 Pokémon World Championships, sparking years of fan art and memes celebrating the electric squirrel's surprise viability. The moment Pachirisu tanked a Rock Slide and a Draco Meteor in the finals became a defining scene in VGC history.

pokemongamingesports memesfan art memesmid 2010s memes

Overview

Se Jun Park's Pachirisu refers to the unassuming electric squirrel Pokémon that Korean player Se-jun Park rode to victory at the 2014 Pokémon World Championships1. Pachirisu was almost never seen in serious VGC play before or after this run, which is what made its appearance on a world-winning team so shocking to the competitive scene2.

The meme centers on the visual gap between Pachirisu's cute, harmless design and the fact that it out-lasted top-tier threats like Mega Salamence and Tyranitar on the biggest stage of the year3. Fan artists and VGC fans latched onto that contrast, producing years of drawings, jokes, and reaction images about the little rodent that outplayed the metagame.

How It Spread

Fan art started appearing within a day of the win. On August 18, 2014, Redditor MBArceus posted a drawing of Park and his Pachirisu to r/pokemon, which pulled in over 2,600 upvotes2. The next day, Tumblr user 1212m posted two pieces of fan art referencing the finals, one showing Pachirisu casually shrugging off an attack and another with Garchomp, Salamence, and Tyranitar reacting in fear, and the post picked up more than 212,000 notes4.

The win also fed a wave of jokes tied to the classic Pokémon quote from the character Karen about winning with the Pokémon you love best, framing Park as living proof of the line, even though his pick was more strategic than sentimental3. In South Korea, Park's home country, eight victory parades were planned, but the first drew such large crowds that later events had to be canceled for safety reasons5.

The reference stayed alive well past 2014. At the 2022 Pokémon World Championships, Park's Pachirisu was featured in the tournament's official intro video, a nod that showed how firmly the moment had stuck in VGC history3.

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically shows Pachirisu paired with dialogue or imagery that plays up its harmless look against the idea of it demolishing a serious threat. Common conventions include reaction images of powerful Pokémon looking terrified of it, art restaging the Follow Me tank moment, and captions echoing the Karen "win with the Pokémon you love" quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Se Jun Parks Pachirisu

2014eventclassic

Se Jun Park's Pachirisu is the unlikely competitive Pokémon that Korean player Se-jun Park used to win the 2014 Pokémon World Championships, sparking years of fan art and memes celebrating the electric squirrel's surprise viability. The moment Pachirisu tanked a Rock Slide and a Draco Meteor in the finals became a defining scene in VGC history.

pokemon gaming esports memes fan art memes mid 2010s memes

Overview

Se Jun Park's Pachirisu refers to the unassuming electric squirrel Pokémon that Korean player Se-jun Park rode to victory at the 2014 Pokémon World Championships1. Pachirisu was almost never seen in serious VGC play before or after this run, which is what made its appearance on a world-winning team so shocking to the competitive scene2.

The meme centers on the visual gap between Pachirisu's cute, harmless design and the fact that it out-lasted top-tier threats like Mega Salamence and Tyranitar on the biggest stage of the year3. Fan artists and VGC fans latched onto that contrast, producing years of drawings, jokes, and reaction images about the little rodent that outplayed the metagame.

How It Spread

Fan art started appearing within a day of the win. On August 18, 2014, Redditor MBArceus posted a drawing of Park and his Pachirisu to r/pokemon, which pulled in over 2,600 upvotes2. The next day, Tumblr user 1212m posted two pieces of fan art referencing the finals, one showing Pachirisu casually shrugging off an attack and another with Garchomp, Salamence, and Tyranitar reacting in fear, and the post picked up more than 212,000 notes4.

The win also fed a wave of jokes tied to the classic Pokémon quote from the character Karen about winning with the Pokémon you love best, framing Park as living proof of the line, even though his pick was more strategic than sentimental3. In South Korea, Park's home country, eight victory parades were planned, but the first drew such large crowds that later events had to be canceled for safety reasons5.

The reference stayed alive well past 2014. At the 2022 Pokémon World Championships, Park's Pachirisu was featured in the tournament's official intro video, a nod that showed how firmly the moment had stuck in VGC history3.

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically shows Pachirisu paired with dialogue or imagery that plays up its harmless look against the idea of it demolishing a serious threat. Common conventions include reaction images of powerful Pokémon looking terrified of it, art restaging the Follow Me tank moment, and captions echoing the Karen "win with the Pokémon you love" quote.

Frequently Asked Questions