Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

Detective Pikachu is a 2019 urban fantasy mystery film directed by Rob Letterman. Based on the Pokémon franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and serving as a loose adaptation of the 2016 video game of the same name, it was written by Letterman, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit and Derek Connolly, from a story by Hernandez, Samit and Nicole Perlman. The film was produced by Legendary Pictures in association with Toho. It is the first live-action Pokémon film. Ryan Reynolds stars as the voice and facial motion capture of Pikachu, with Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy in live-action roles.

Filming took place from January to May 2018 in Colorado, England, and Scotland. It was released in Japan on May 3, 2019, and in the United States on May 10, 2019, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in RealD 3D and Dolby Cinema. It is the first Pokémon film to be distributed theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. since Pokémon 3: The Movie (2001).

Detective Pikachu received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the visual effects, creature designs, and Reynolds' performance, but criticized the plot and script as formulaic. With a worldwide gross of over $431 million, it is the second highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time. Development of a sequel was announced in January 2019, before the release of the film.

## Plot

In the Pokémon universe, Tim Goodman is a 21-year-old insurance salesman who gave up his dream of being a Pokémon trainer following the death of his mother and becoming estranged from his father, Harry Goodman. Tim is contacted by the police of Ryme City, a city where humans and Pokémon live together in peace and catching and battling Pokémon is outlawed, and told his father has died in a car accident.

While visiting through Harry's apartment, Tim meets a deerstalker-clad Pikachu that is able to talk to Tim and be understood by him. They are attacked by a party of Aipom under the influence of a purple gas that Tim accidentally released, but escape. At a café, Pikachu explains he has amnesia and his only clue to his identity are Harry's name and address on his hat, leading him to believe he was Harry's partner. Because Pikachu survived the car crash, he surmises Harry also survived.

Tim shows the gas vial to an aspiring journalist, Lucy Stevens, and she directs him to Ryme Wharf. They meet an informant of Harry's, a Mr. Mime, who directs them to an illegal Pokémon battle arena. The arena's owner Sebastian recognizes Pikachu, who had injured his Charizard in a previous battle, and demands a rematch. Sebastian doses Charizard with the purple gas, stirring it into a violent rage, and Pikachu is unable to summon his electrical powers to fight back. While attempting to save Pikachu, Tim knocks Sebastian over and breaks several gas vials in his clothing, sending the arena's Pokémon into a frenzy. The arena is raided by the police and lieutenant Hideo Yoshida shows Tim security camera footage of Harry's accident to convince him Harry could not have survived.

Tim and Pikachu are contacted by Howard Clifford, the founder of Ryme City who believes living with Pokémon is beneficial to his ailing condition. Howard shows Tim a holographic recreation of the car crash, revealing Harry survived and was captured by Mewtwo, who erased Pikachu's memory. Howard warns Tim that his son Roger is behind the gas, "R", and tells him if he finds Mewtwo, he can find his father. Tim and Pikachu recruit Lucy and travel to the lab facility Harry was investigating, which had been experimenting on Mewtwo and synthesized R from its genes. They are attacked by genetically enhanced Greninja and Pikachu is gravely injured in the escape. Tim manages to communicate to a Bulbasaur for help, and the Bulbasaur takes Tim to a clearing where they meet Mewtwo. Mewtwo heals Pikachu, but before it can reveal its intentions, it is captured by Roger. Regaining his memory of helping Mewtwo escape, Pikachu believes he had betrayed Harry and leaves Tim to return to Ryme City alone.

Pikachu comes across the area where Harry crashed and finds evidence that it was the Greninja, not Mewtwo, who were responsible. In Ryme City, Howard reveals Mewtwo to Tim and takes control of its body using a neural-link helmet. Howard explains that Mewtwo can fuse humans and Pokémon, allowing humans to evolve as Pokémon can, but this can only be done if the Pokémon's mind is in a confused state, thus the need for the R gas. Howard releases R across the city using parade balloons and uses Mewtwo's powers to begin fusing humans with their Pokémon. Pikachu arrives and summons his electrical powers to battle Mewtwo while Tim fights Howard's bodyguard Ms. Norman, who reveals herself to be a genetically-modified Ditto who had been also impersonating Roger. With help from the real Roger, Tim subdues Ditto and removes Howard's helmet, freeing Mewtwo from his control.

Mewtwo restores the city inhabitants to normal, Howard is arrested, and Roger hires Lucy as a full-time reporter, with Tim congratulating her afterwards by asking her on a date. Mewtwo explains that Harry helped Mewtwo escape but was attacked by the Greninja, and Pikachu volunteered to have himself fused with Harry to save his life, the experience erasing their own memories. Mewtwo separates the two and Harry reunites with Tim in his human body, and Tim decides to stay in Ryme City to learn how to become a detective and spend more time with Pikachu, Lucy and Harry.

## Characters

* Detective Pikachu

Voiced by Ryan Reynolds (English) Ikue Ōtani (Normal Voice) Hidetoshi Nishijima (Japanese)

* Tim Goodman

Played by Justice Smith and Voiced By Ryoma Takeuchi (Japanese)

* Jigglypuff

Voiced by Rachael Lillis (English) Mika Kanai (Japanese)