We were all waiting for this trailer and we definitely got what we wanted – tons of Pokémon, action, and an amazing reveal. This trailer brought up the level of anticipation for Detective Pikachu and made us all want more.
However, you might have already gotten it all. While you were fangirling over Mewtwo, you may have missed all the other Easter eggs, references, and Pokémon hiding out in the trailer. So, let’s catch ‘em all and dive into the Detective Pikachu trailer breakdown.
Why Tim’s Dad Disappeared
During the trailer, we see shots of a mysterious building tucked away in the mountains and a car being blasted off a bridge. These scenes point to the disappearance of Tim’s dad, Harry. The movie’s plot seems to be exploring a merging of the Detective Pikachu video game and Pokémon: The First Movie.
This means that Tim’s dad likely disappeared because he started investigating the disappearance of the Pokémon posted on the bulletin board that Pikachu walks past in the trailer. On his hunt, he probably discovered the lab from Pokémon: The First Movie that was cloning Pokémon and ultimately created Mewtwo. When Tim’s dad got too close to uncovering the truth, the illegal cloners probably “took care of him” to keep their secrets safe.
The Greninja are Part of the Conspiracy
A group of Greninja attacks Tim and Pikachu during the trailer and if you pay attention to their blasts, it looks very similar to the blast that hits Harry’s car. These Greninja appear again in the trailer, coming out of a pod in the scientist’s lab. You can spot their sticky hands coming out of the cloning chamber behind Lucy in one of the trailer scenes. This most likely means that the Greninja are being controlled by the head scientist and were sent to take out Harry when he got too close.
The Legendary Statues Hiding in the Lab
In the trailer, Flareon is blasted by blue light in what looks like the scientist’s lab. If you take a look behind the blue blasts, you’ll find three legendary Pokémon immortalized as statues. There’s Dialga on the left, Palkia in the middle, and Arceus on the right. This could represent the main baddie’s obsession with legendary Pokémon and prove why he decided to create Mewtwo.
These legendary Pokémon are also viewed as gods. Therefore, this scene could also mean that the scientists are part of some type of Pokémon cult.
Pikachu and Tim Uncover Some Evolution Items
After we see Mewtwo in the trailer, Tim says “That’s a twist” and Pikachu responds by saying “That’s very twisty” while looking through a magnifying glass. During this scene, Pikachu is standing on a table with some interesting artifacts on it. The bluish gem on the left is the Ice Stone, used to evolve ice Pokémon. The one in the middle is a Sinnoh Stone, used in Pokemon GO to evolve Generation One and Two Pokémon into their Generation Four evolutions. Then, the stone on the right is an Old Amber, a fossil that holds the DNA of Aerodactyl.
Fan Theory Suggests Detective Pikachu is Actually Tim’s Dad
So, why is Tim able to understand Pikachu and why is Pikachu so connected to Tim and Harry? One theory suggests that Harry and Pikachu were both in close proximity to the lab when Mewtwo was created. When Mewtwo came to life, the psychic powers that emanated from him accidentally merged the Pikachu with Harry. This is why the Pikachu has amnesia and why he seems to have Harry’s hat. It also explains why Pikachu is connected to Tim and how they are able to understand each other.
Joltik Are Using Telephone Wires for Power
At the beginning of the trailer, there are some cute little Joltiks crawling across a telephone wire, right before the shot of Ludicolo in the bar. Joltik is a bug/electric Pokémon that was introduced in Generation V. Since they are some of the smallest Pokémon in existence, they can’t generate their own electricity. Therefore, they need to attach to other electric sources, like the telephone wires, to feed off its electricity.
Ludicolo is a Barista
When Pikachu is drinking tons of coffee, he turns to the bartender and asks for some more, with an extra shot, “black as night”. The barista that answers Pikachu is Ludicolo. Ludicolo evolves from Lombre and is the final form of Lotad. He is apparently a mix between a pineapple and duck and loves to sport a sombrero on his head.
Charizard is the Fighting Champion
Charizard appears once again, looking very dangerous and quite magnificent standing next to his trainer, Sebastian (who has a large tattoo of Charizard on his chest). This Charizard is likely the same one that is fighting in what looks like an underground Pokémon fighting ring. According to the trailers, it seems like he’s a regular and the contender to beat.
The Ryme City Police is Guarded by Pokémon
During the shot where Tim is walking towards the Ryme City Police Department, we catch a glimpse of all the Pokémon guarding the department. Two of the police officers are walking with Growlithes while the other on the far left is with a Charmander. Growlithes are typically seen throughout Pokémon as a police guard dog. Officer Jenny has one in the television series.
We can also see an Arcanine and Squirtle in the background and two huge Golurks guarding the door. Now, the Squirtle standing out front could be a reference to the Squirtle Squad. After defeating Team Rocket in the television show, the Squirtle Squad was given the title of “Town Fire Fighters”.
The Streets Are Full of Pokémon
Right after the shot of the Ryme City Police Department, we get a glimpse of the streets of Ryme City. Here we see a Machamp directing traffic and a Snorlax randomly sleeping on the street. There’s also a Pancham crossing the street in the back, an Emolga on the bus stop stand, a Pangoro behind the Pancham, and a Jigglypuff waiting to cross the street behind Snorlax.
Pancham are generally known as henchmen to Pangoro. Therefore, there’s no surprise that this scene has a Pangoro hanging out in the background. Since Pancham are like henchmen, they tend to get in with the “wrong crowd” and when they make a mistake their leaf is ultimately taken from them.
There are also signs in this scene that point to other Pokémon. One building features a sign of a Jolteon outside its door and another has a picture of a Scraggy. Later on in the trailer, there’s also a neon sign with the image of a Noctowl.
The Angry Snubbull, the Bulbasaur, and the Lickitung
After Pikachu says, “I can talk to Pokémon” in the trailer, we see quick shots of a Snubbull, Bulbasaur, and Lickitung. The Snubbull belongs to Detective Yoshida, who was friends with Tim’s dad. Therefore, he likely plays an important role in attempting to find Harry. The Lickitung, on the other hand, is just creepy and disturbing.
Squirtle and Pancham are Missing
We see a silhouette of Pikachu walking by a bulletin board of missing Pokémon. This is likely in the police department and features two Pokémon in particular – Pancham and Squirtle. These are most likely the Pokémon that Harry went in search for when he discovered an illegal operation and ultimately got himself in trouble.
The Forest is Full of Flower Pokémon
During the trailer, we see Tim and Pikachu walking through a shallow stream of Bulbasaur. Above their heads, you’ll find some Morelull floating around the sky. Morelull are very similar to mushrooms and typically only burst into bright, glittering sparks when they are in danger. Their pretty colors could foreshadow danger for Tim and Pikachu during this particular scene.
In the background, it also looks like there may be some Flabébé hiding out in the hills and some Comfrey crawling through the grass. Flabébé find flowers when they’re born and live in it for the rest of their life. They can also draw power from the flowers and heal with their pollen. This might be a good Pokémon for Tim and Pikachu to have around if they’re potentially about to come in contact with danger.
Psyduck is a Detective?
Lucy’s Pokemon of choice seems to be a Psyduck, which could potentially reference Misty from the television shows.
It seems odd for Psyduck to be Lucy’s sidekick, seeing how he isn’t depicted as the sleuthing type. He’s unable to think clearly because of his constant headaches and doesn’t move very much. However, when his headache becomes extreme, he can release these powers as intense bouts of brain waves. This is likely what happens later in the trailer when we see a blast emanating from the woods.
The Underground Fighting Ring
The scene that features the underground fighting ring is full of many different cameos. Outside the ring, there seems to be a quick shot of a Pidgeot walking in. Then, the DJs for the event look like they’re using Loudreds to amplify their sound. There are also more Loudreds sitting in the stands, potentially being used as speakers.
The first battle we see pits Blastoise against Gengar. According to the battle board, the Gengar used the attack, Double Team, and that’s why there are so many in the shot. There’s also a Magikarp flapping away in a fish tank underneath the Loudreds in the back.
Behind the fence in the arena, there is also a Treecko, Rattata, Rufflet, Pancham, Charmander, Parasect, Lickitung, Braviery, and an Audino hiding out amongst the crowd.
Cubone and Aipom
Although they don’t add much to the trailer, we see a Cubone coming out of a Poké ball, followed by a screaming Aipom. The Aipom is most likely angry because it’s also one of the scientists’ experiments. After Pikachu takes on Charizard in the trailer, there’s a quick shot of Aipoms in a cage. This looks like an army of Aipoms being engineered to become fighters for whoever the villain may be. Aipoms are also featured in the Detective Pikachu video game and they like to cause trouble for Tim and Pikachu.
The Major Reveal: Mewtwo
The biggest reveal from the trailer was definitely Mewtwo. Mewtwo is the ultimate Pokémon, engineered by science. He was created from the DNA of Mew and from the trailer, it looks like the main villain will be the person to head his creation. We see clips of Mewtwo’s experimental pod throughout the trailer and it seems like the experiment went wrong and Mewtwo ultimately broke free. He’s now wreaking havoc on the city and it’ll be up to Tim and Pikachu to solve the clues and take down the mutant Pokémon.