Quick Links
The originalDetective Pikachulaunched on the3DSin 2018, and after five years and a live-action film adaption, the caffeine-fueled mouse is back to investigate more mysteries. With five new cases to solve, Detective Pikachu and his partner Tim are back and better than ever, and they have some new friends who will help them on their adventure.
The game is full of twists and turns, and while most of them are pretty predictable, it’s hard not to be engaged with Detective Pikachu and Tim’s journey to find their missing partner and father — Harry. While each case has its own mystery to deduce, they are all connected to the bigger plot that finally reveals itself during the final chapter.
This article spoils the events of the first two Detective Pikachu games. It’s recommended that you finish at least Detective Pikachu Returns before reading any further.
Where Is Harry?
Harry Goodman is Tim’s father and Pikachu’s partner, but he suddenly vanishes one day and leaves the two alone and confused.
When Tim and Pikachu finally run into each other for the first time,they are shocked to discover they can talk to and understand each other. The duo decides to team up to unravel what happened to Harry and uncoverthe truth behind a chemical known as R.
The first game concludes with Tim and Detective Pikachu saving Ryme City from R, butthey still don’t have any answers about where Harry could be.
Detective Pikachu Returns begins two years after the events of the original title and follows the dynamic duo as theycontinue their search for him.
The resolution finally arrives in"Memories of the Bamboo Forest,“the second to last case in the game.
After multiple hints, it’sfinally revealed that Harry’s consciousness was put inside Pikachu’s bodyby Mewtwo after he was severely injured in a car accident.
Mewtwo then brought Harry’s body back to its cave to recover.Unfortunately, Harry’s consciousness is now starting to overtake Pikachu’s, and if they don’t find his body, Pikachu could be lost forever.
After finishing the third case, “Detainee Pikachu”, Detective Pikachu, Tim, and their friend Rachel witness a mysterious group make off with Harry’s body.
By the end of the game, all the clues lead toan abandoned laboratory that has become the base of operations for an organization known as Unitas. With a little help from their friends, the trio breaks into the building and uncovers the truth behind Harry’s disappearance.
A Confrontation With A Mastermind
After reaching the bottom floor of the laboratory, they finally findCharles Merloch, an eccentric scientist who has been pulling the stringsfrom behind the curtain the entire time.
He had beenmanipulating the Mayor into approving his experimentsunder the guise of protecting people and Pokemon to gain access to the lab for his own secret, nefarious plan.
His ultimate goal was to merge with the legendary Pokemon Deoxys, and he plans to use the energy from Harry and Pikachu’s bodies to do so.
Unfortunately, the team is too late andMerloch goes through with his plan, capturing Pikachu and fusing his own consciousness with Deoxys'.
As he is about to escape, however, Mewtwo appears and battles Merloch to hold him back from causing any more harm. AsMewtwo fights Deoxysin the background,Tim must deactivate Merloch’s machinery to save his father and Pikachu.
Even after turning all the machines off, Merloch remains fused with Deoxys and seems nearly unstoppable. That is, until Detective Pikachu decides to stay back andrisk his life to separate the two consciousnesses by unbalancing their energy levels.
Tim, Rachel, and everyone else escape the building as it crumbles behind them, unsure of the fates of those they left behind.
Finally, A Happy Ending
After spending the last couple of years searching for his father and finally finding him, it seems that Tim has now permanently lost him.
Suddenly, an explosion from the lab launches a metal container into the air which then crashes in front of them, and as the door slams open,Harry walks out — back in his own body, and holding Pikachu safely in his arms.
They both made it out alive and arefinally back to being in control of their own bodies. Tim doesn’t hesitate and quickly embraces his long-lost father.
Now that Merloch’s plan has been foiled, it seems like everyone is finally back to normal and ready for a fresh start. The Goodman’s can finally be reunited, andRyme City is no longer in danger of the Control Cube.
Post-Credits Scene
After the credits roll, there is a short cutscene that followsTim, Harry, and the rest of their family as they leave the Hi-Hat Caféin good spirits after finally being reunited.
As they walk away,Detective Pikachu stays behind and sniffs the sidewalk. He then looks up and utters one last “Pika?” before the screen finally fades to black.
This doesn’t hint at anything significant, butfor Detective Pikachu, there is always another case waiting to be solved.
The greatest mystery at the moment is what that case will be, and how long we are going to have to waitbefore the unlikely hero finally returns. Hopefully, it’s not as long as last time.
