Why Does Pikachu Never Speak?
It's one of the most iconic elements of Pokémon! Ash and Pikachu, they understand each other, even though their pet can't talk! But that could have been super different if an early Pokémon Anime idea took hold.
So Could Pikachu Have Spoken in the Pokémon Anime?
- Get this! Way back in the early days of Pokémon, it was thought of to let Pikachu talk like the Team Rocket Meowth! This could have messed up everything. But Pikachu's relationship with Ash - it would've felt totally different if they were talking to each other!
- Pokémon anime directors actually changed their minds. The show was best with those super heartwarming interactions that we see, as Ash and Pikachu make eye contact and get that deep understanding. The directors felt that words would get in the way - like the way that communication sometimes messes things up with our own pets!
Would That Change Everything?
It would have been a total disaster, and we might not have the super-awesome "A Boy and His Pet" vibe! Imagine Pikachu just saying everything they think out loud, they wouldn't have felt like Ash’s best friend. It also wouldn’t have given those early Pokémon episodes the extra layer of fun when they had to figure out how to connect!
It also probably would've been way harder to make that Pokémon feel real. It was the idea of a talking, walking, electric mouse - but instead, director Kunihiko Yuyama (and you can thank him!), made Pikachu more unique than the other Pokémon - this really made it special!
What Was the Inspiration For "I Choose You"
It's a bit confusing, right? We had one instance, in the Pokémon movie, where Pikachu talks in "Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You." If you're a fan, this is kinda one of the best Pikachu history details in the series. Yuyama was the director for this movie - which is also part of Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You history, - and it sounds like it was just one time where they wanted Pikachu to say something, especially those lines that Ash was longing to hear.
The Pokemon fandom is super thankful! That simple move in the Pokemon anime helped make Pikachu one of those really special Pokemon characters. We wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s no way we would have missed the bond between Ash, this ten-year-old who wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer, and Pikachu who came out of that Poké Ball for the very first time!
