Pokemon have always been bizarre and outrageous looking digital animals that are certainly out of this world.
However, there are some characters in the Poké-universe that bear a resemblance to creatures that exist on our planet.
One of those is the rare golden possum that exists in parts of Australia.
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It's easy to see the similarities between this little nugget of joy and arguably the most iconic Pokémon of all time: Pikachu.
Sure, the animal is missing the adorable red cheeks and the innate ability to shoot electricity from it's body, but it's probably the closest animal on earth that resembles Pikachu.
Most common brushtail possums are actually brown, however a mutation in the gene has led to some golden ones being found Down Under. Other colour variations are silver-grey and black.
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They went viral in 2018 when Victoria's Boronia Veterinary Clinic And Animal Hospital posted photos of one that was handed in.
The hospital posted onto Facebook, saying: "We recently had a very special possum brought in to the clinic.
"The golden colour occurs due to a mutation which causes a low level of the pigment melanin which gives them their normal colour.
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"They are so rare in the wild as although their bright colour makes them look special to us, they also stand out to predators! Luckily for this baby brushtail she's gone to carers to be raised and then will end up in a wildlife sanctuary so she can live a long happy life."
While the beautiful animal looks as close to Pikachu as humanely possible, Pokémon creators have actually revealed the inspiration for the iconic character.
Nintendo illustrator Atsuko Nishida explained their initial inspiration was 'vertically long daifuku rice confection with ears'. But when they were told that the character needed to be cuter, they made it look more like a squirrel that they always wanted to own.
Featured Image Credit: Boronia Veterinary Clinic And Animal Hospital/FacebookTopics: News, Animals, Australia