Detective Pikachu Artist Reveals Rayquaza, Fossil Pokemon Designs

Detective Pikachu is in theaters for all to see, but there are pieces of the film that were left on the cutting room floor. Like with every movie, the live-action Pokemon venture had to cut out footage for the sake of story, but that does not mean those moments are gone forever.

No, thanks to one artist who worked on the film, fans can get a look at one scene Detective Pikachu pursued which starred the legendary Rayquaza.

Over on Twitter, RJ Palmer showed off how Rayquaza was designed to look in the Pokemon film. As it turns out, the creature was meant to show up in a museum exhibit rather than in person, but the space Pokemon had to get a live-action design either way.

“This is one of my favorite pieces I got to work on for Detective Pikachu. I did a chunk of concept art to try and pitch a museum set piece. Although admittedly it was mostly so I could try and get my favorite Pokemon, Tyrantrum, into the movie. I really like this piece,” Palmer described the scene.

As you can see above, the shot shows Tim Goodman and Detective Pikachu walking through a museum after hours. Tim appears to be scared by the museum’s massive Rayquaza replica, and they are surrounded by Pokemon fossils on all sides. Not only does a skeleton of Tyrantrum show up but there are also fossils of Kabuto and Omanyte found. Plus, a stray Aerodactyl prop can be seen scoping out the museum!

While this scene did not make it into the film’s final cut, fans can imagine what could have been with this concept artwork. Now, here’s to hoping a sequel manages to fit in a sequence such as this down the line.

So, do you wish this scene had made it into Detective Pikachu? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is now out in theaters, and you can read our 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.”