Have you always wondered what Pikachu might sound like? Turns out you can find it out as your favourite Pokémon has just been given a voice.
In a scene in the latest 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!', Pikachu is seen abandoning its usual "pika pika" and speaking in a human language. For viewers in Japan, it is Japanese. For others, it is a surprising English sentence.
If you don't know what 'Pokémon' is already, it is a popular animated franchise from Japan, spanning video games, movies and TV series. In its universe, fictional creatures, called Pokémons, generally cannot speak the human tongue, instead repeating their own name as a form of communication.
Now, after years of hearing Ash Ketchum's Pikachu express all emotions through a single word, fans have been treated to its human voice. However, this has evoked extremely mixed reactions.
The adorable yellow pokémon has been the brand's most known face since its launch in the late 1990s. Fans have several sentiments associated with its journey along with the protagonist Ash. But none of them had hoped to hear Pikachu speak English.
A video of the movie's screening emerged on Twitter, which has captured the reaction of the viewers to the talked-about scene. In it, Pikachu tells Ash that it always wants "to be with you." Viewers have shown wildly varied reactions to the dialogue, some applauding it and some shouting out "no" and cursing the scene.
As for the intent of the scene, it can be interpreted as a dream sequence or Ash's imagination in a perilous situation. "I think the literal circumstances under which Pikachu is 'speaking' are up to interpretation. I saw it in Ash's mind. But it's up to anyone. And it's OK to think it's super weird," says Kate Bristol, Pikachu's voice actor in English, to Guardian Australia. She added that the other cast members also considered it 'bizarre'.
The movie depicts the first meeting of Ash and Pikachu and the beginning of their special bond. Voice actor Ikue Otani gives voice to Pikachi in the Japanese version, which did not create such a hyper reaction among fans.
Check out the trailer for 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You' below:
