Detective Pikachu Makes Sneaky Reference To First Pokemon Movie

Detective Pikachu is ready to expand the Pokemon canon a good bit, and the live-action venture has got the interest of millions. As for anime fans, they are rather curious to learn whether or not the film ties into the anime. And thanks to an aside comment, it seems the two are indeed tied.

So, you've been warned! There are major Detective Pikachu spoilers below:

For those who've seen Detective Pikachu, they will know how big of a role Mewtwo plays. Despite being positioned as a villain in the beginning, audiences come to learn Mewtwo is a victim more than anyone else. The poor Pokemon is used by Howard Clifford, the man who designed Ryme City, but the man was not the first.

After all, it sounds like Detective Pikachu makes a sly nod to 1999's Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back.

Fans will remember the original Pokemon film was the venture that introduced Mewtwo. The film followed the psychic-type Pokemon as he was experimented upon by scientists under the orders of Team Rocket's leader. Confined to a pod, Mewtwo grew to hate his captors, but he escaped New Island the Kanto region peacefully before the film wrapped.

In Detective Pikachu, these new Pokemon Genetics Lab makes it clear they did not create Mewtwo. In fact, one scene detailing the Pokemon and its history confirms he was located by Clifford Enterprises after escaping a different region 20 years ago.

Of course, this note caught the attention of fans. Not only did Mewtwo have to come from somewhere, but the other region mentioned could very well by Kanto. In the first movie, it was said scientists discovered Mew 20 years prior in Guyana, so it would make since for Mewtwo to surface on a similar time line. And, if you're looking at a real world timeline, 2019 does mark the 20th anniversary of Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back.

So, is that a coincidence? Well, that is up for you to decide, but Mewtwo may care to fight anime naysayers.

So, did you catch this quick anime reference? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is out in theaters now. You can read out spoiler-free review of the film here. The official synopsis for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu reads as such, "The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry's former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself.

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