Uncovered: The Untapped Potential of a Pokémon World Filled with Human-Talking Pokémon+

The CEO of the Pokemon Company has announced that the original plan for the Pokemon anime included additional Pokemon capable of conversing in human language. However, this concept was eventually abandoned, leading to the development of the Detective Pikachu project.

In the Pokemon anime, Meowth from Team Rocket stands out as one of the rare Pokemon who possesses the ability to communicate in both human and Pokemon languages. It is worth mentioning that a handful of other Pokemon, including Gastly from the first season and Mewtwo from the original movie, have also displayed this extraordinary talent. On the contrary, the majority of Pokemon are limited to only being able to utter their own name.

Meowth acquired the skill of human speech by imitating human behavior, whereas certain Pokemon rely on telepathy to communicate with humans. The prevailing belief is that most Pokemon are incapable of learning the intricacies of the human language, although the exact reasons behind this remain unexplained.

The Pokemon anime nearly had more talking Pokemon

The CEO of The Pokemon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, discussed Detective Pikachu Returns in an interview with Famitsu. He mentioned that the anime initially had plans for multiple talking Pokemon, but these ideas were later adapted for the Detective Pikachu franchise. Ishihara stated, "At one point during the TV anime, we were considering a future where different Pokemon, not just Meowth, would be able to communicate in human language."

He persisted, "Ultimately, we opted for inaction, but I couldn't shake off my curiosity about finding a solution. Initially, the concept of having an 'elderly gentleman' on the inside seemed implausible, yet I sensed its latent promise. Following numerous trials, I eventually conceived of Detective Pikachu."

The Pokemon anime experienced a significant change as Ash Ketchum relinquished his role as the series protagonist. While this transition provided an opportunity for the introduction of more conversing Pokemon, there were larger issues at hand that extended beyond the anime.

Pokemon is an extensive media franchise with numerous interconnected components. Introducing a plethora of talking Pokemon in the new anime series would have had significant repercussions on other aspects of the franchise, including the video games. Such a late introduction of this major change would have disrupted the established dynamics of the franchise.

In spin-off media like the Mystery Dungeon games and Detective Pikachu, the idea of Pokemon speaking human language has been explored. This aspect plays a significant role in the narrative. However, if this concept was introduced into the main franchise after such a long time, it would feel unsettling for fans. Therefore, it is not surprising that this idea was ultimately abandoned.