Summary
One of the most iconic elements of thePokémonanime is Ash and Pikachu’s relationship, but in the earliest versions of the anime, Pikachu was very different from how he eventually turned out. In fact, it was actually considered at one point to have Pikachu speak human language, like Team Rocket’s Meowth, which would’ve radically altered the entire tone of the series.
One of the things that makesAsh and Pikachu’s relationship so specialis the fact that they are able to understand one another, despite not speaking the same language. While it took them some time to reach that level of understanding with one another, it became a key element of both of their characters, to the point where other characters will occasionally comment on how unusually close their relationship is for a human and a Pokémon.
Had Pikachu been allowed to speak, this aspect of thePokémonanime would’ve been functionally nonexistent, and the series would’ve lost some of what makes it special.
Why Pikachu Didn’t End Up Speaking in Pokémon
Pokémon’s Creative Team Realized Pikachu Was Better Off As He Was
This fact about Pikachu’s history was first revealed inan interview with series director Kunihiko Yuyama from 2023, as translated by Serebii.net moderator Dephender.Yuyama says that they toyed with the idea of having Pikachu speak like Meowth, but ultimately decided against it. Yuyama felt that it was “both more realistic and more interesting if they had to communicate non-verbally,” a fact which the series clearly demonstrated. He even seemed to feel like words might get in Ash and Pikachu’s way more than it would help them, as their relationship is deeper than words.
This was clearly the right call for a variety of reasons. One of thePokémonanime’s most endearing and relatable aspects is the simplistic “A Boy and His Pet” setup that the story uses. Giving Pikachu the ability to speak at will would immediately get rid of that vibe, as Pikachu would no longer feel like a pet, but more like a human character. It’s almost difficult to imagine what the series would even be like if Pikachu spoke, as their lack of communication and getting past that is so integral to the earliest episodes of the series. Ash and Pikachu being so in sync with one another would be a lot less impressive if Pikachu could just state how he’s feeling, after all.
Of course, the idea of Pikachu speaking did eventually come back in the 2017 moviePokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, wherePikachu speaks to Ash in human languageduring what is arguably a hallucination. Yuyama was the director for this movie as well, so it does seem like they were revisiting the idea of having Pikachu speak, at least once, just to say the words that Ash needed to hear in that moment.
Overall, it was definitely a good decision to keep Pikachu as an ordinary Pokémon, incapable of human speech, as this ultimately led to one of the most iconic elements of the series. It helped to makePokémonstand out from other similar series, and being unable to speak never kept Pikachu from becoming a full character alongside Ash.
Pokémon
Cast
Pokémon follows Ash Ketchum on his journey to become a Pokémon Master, accompanied by his loyal Pikachu. Released in 1997, the series explores Ash’s travels through various regions, where he encounters new friends and challenges, underscoring the themes of adventure and teamwork.
