All together now: Who’s. That. Pokémon!!!
Ryan Reynolds just dropped one of our best looks yet at a bunch of Pokémon as they appear in Detective Pikachu’s realistically-rendered style, embodying that incredible mix of petrifying and adorable.
There’s stalwarts from the past trailers like the titular electric mouse himself, Psyduck, Snubbul, and even Mewtwo — and better looks at blink-and-you’ll miss ‘em Pokémon like Pancham and Loudred.
But there’s also a bunch of new Pokémon on display here, from Magikarp to Eevee (so cute!), from Venasaur to Pangoro, to even surprisingly “obscure” Pokémon — as in, ones really beyond the nostalgic remembrance of the first generation of 151 — like Purrloin, Torterra, and Sneasel.
Which, frankly, is a great thing. While Detective Pikachu is heavily trafficking in the nostalgia of those original Pokémon designs that fans have loved for two decades, part of the beauty of Pokémon is how its generational evolution and expansion has united legions of fans across all ages with that innate desire to get out there and catch ‘em all — regardless of whether they started out with Pokémon Red and Blue or with Pokémon Sun and Moon.
This movie could have very easily just constrained itself to catering to the nostalgia of that initial generation — and it’s clearly trying to go for nostalgia bait with all the retro pop hits in the trailers. But I’m glad it’s chosen to embrace the wider, weirder, and more wonderful world that Pokémon has grown into over the years…if only because it means that Ludicolo is