In a touching scene that moved the audience, Pikachu speaks directly to Ash in Japanese and tells him I want to be with you forever. The line of dialogue that Pikachu says in Japanese is Itsumo issho ni itai kara. This appears to be the first time in two decades that Ashs Pikachu has said something other than pika or Pikachu. This is a bit of history rewriting, I know, but this bit of dialogue might help explain why the character isnt put in a Pokball later in the Pokmon anime. Theres also that the character initially doesnt want to get in one. This could be the motivation as to why this line of Pikachu dialogue is in the film, even if its surprising to hear. When recently asked why Pikachu isnt put in a Pokball, Pokmon anime direct Kunihiko Yuyama replied, Initially, there wasnt any special reason. Simply, that we wanted Pikachu to be out. Whats more, we also wanted to depict whats called the always together. Because the scene takes place with Ash in an alternative reality, that could also explain Pikachus sudden ability to use the Japanese language. There is a precedent Great Detective Pikachu showed a talking Pikachu, but it wasnt Ashs Pikachu, and nearly every human in the game heard the character saying pika. Its still surprising to hear this Pikachu speak Japanese after twenty years of pika pika. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.