Netflix’s upcoming live-action Pokémon show will mean reimagining the franchise’s format again, but it could lead to something it’s never done before. While there have been various shows under the name of the Pokémon franchise over the years, the majority have all shared the same canon. Those that diverged from the main continuity have been reworked versions of the original games, like Pokémon Origins, and standalone projects such as Pokémon Concierge. Pokémon is next to join the long list of Netflix live-action anime adaptations, and it has the chance to push the envelope once again.

Netflix’s live-action contribution to the Pokémon universe isn’t the first of its kind. The first live-action entry into Pokémon canon came in the form of the 2019 movie, Detective Pikachu. The film used real actors and CGI imagery to create the illusion of a realistic view of the Pokémon world. This was the first time the franchise had been addressed in this way, and the Netflix show could not only build on the movie’s success but interact with it in other ways. The fact that Detective Pikachu 2 is confirmed as well means the fictional universe will expand even further.

With Ash’s era of the Pokémon anime over and done, just how many Pokémon did Ash have by the end, and was it even remotely close to catching them all?

Netflix’s Live-Action TV Show Could Eventually Cross Over With The Detective Pikachu Movies

The Detective Pikachu franchise is set within the main Pokémon canon

During an interview with Comicbook, Detective Pikachu co-writer Dan Hernandez confirmed that the story of the Ryan Reynolds movie takes place within the same canon as the anime. Here is Hernandez’s take on the subject: “This is just a different area in their known world where they decided to do things differently.” Therefore, there’s no reason why Netflix’s Pokémon show can’t also fall within the same continuity as Detective Pikachu and the anime that spawned it. In fact, the combination of the two should be encouraged. The anime still has plenty of fans, but live-action adaptations are another beast entirely.

Although Netflix’s live-action Pokémon show will likely want time to establish its own identity, it can still benefit from the groundwork laid by Detective Pikachu. Due to the jump from anime to live-action, the design of the Pokémon need to be altered to look more natural alongside the human characters. This is a feat that Detective Pikachu has already achieved, albeit in an incomplete manner. A TV show focusing on Pokémon more generally will need many more of the fictional beasts to be updated, but the Reynolds movie has made a great start.

Previous Pokémon Movies Have Simply Been An Extension Of The Anime

Most Pokémon movies are embellished anime adventures

Although it could be argued that the Pokémon franchise has already crossed over its TV shows into the realm of movies, it would be more accurate to say that the anime was reworked to suit the feature-length format. What’s been created as a result is much akin to a long episode of the anime, rather than a parallel entity. Detective Pikachu is the first movie from the Pokémon franchise that really moves away from the core of previous stories and introduces a fresh perspective. A huge part of this separation is that the movie wasn’t made to be anime.

Detective Pikachu‘s success didn’t just open the door for direct sequels, but also for crossovers with other live-action properties. If Netflix’s new Pokémon show follows the same framework as Detective Pikachu, then it can directly reference its characters and events as well as those from the anime. The integration of all three corners of the franchise would be a refreshing and exciting move for the long-running property. The decision also doesn’t need to be one-way. That is to say that not only can Netflix’s characters in Detective Pikachu sequels, but the reverse is also true.

Netflix’s Live-Action Pokémon Show Crossing Over With Detective Pikachu Would Be Good For The Franchise

Pokémon TV shows have been going since 1997 and need something new

Since the first episode of Pokémon aired in 1997, the show has added to the canon and constantly generated new ways to keep its audience enraptured. As well as continuing to add new Pokémon and variants of existing Pokémon to the lineup, the human characters have also rotated so that Ash’s traveling companions never got old. What the anime has failed to do effectively is move the story in a direction that’s sufficiently different from previous seasons. Detective Pikachu did this brilliantly, which proves its possible for Netflix’s show to build on the feat.

Ryan Reynolds did his part to help launch the Detective Pikachu movie franchise, but there’s a figure better suited to take the story forward.

By making a live-action Pokémon show, the franchise allows itself to go through a soft reboot while still maintaining the lore of its anime counterpart. Netflix’s entry into the canon will act as a reboot/spinoff hybrid that never truly expunges its past. While it might initially be quite jarring to bring some of the better-known anime characters into live-action, moving newer characters over from Detective Pikachu is the perfect middle ground.

Ash And Pikachu’s Departure From The Anime Has Come At Just The Right Time

The famous Pokémon duo can now move between various installments

Ash’s final Pokémon episode has been and gone. Now that he has left the anime, Ash and his Pikachu have no requirement to make regular appearances on the main show. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t pop up in other areas of the Pokémon franchise. Being untethered from the anime gives Ash and Pikachu free rein to appear in future Detective Pikachu movies as well as Netflix’s live-action Pokémon show. Although there will have been many sad to see Ash and Pikachu go, the flexibility it affords them is a welcome trade-off for not seeing them quite as often.

With a new Pokémon anime series fully ongoing, it’s time to look back and see how the previous ones stack up against each other.

If the duo were still part of the anime’s cast, any appearance in live-action would have needed to have been meticulously planned so that all the relevant parts of the timeline made sense. Now, any live-action stories to feature Ash and Pikachu can simply be set after the events of their adventures in the Pokémon anime. This simplification of proceedings accommodates the most exciting prospect of the live-action entries sharing a canon with the most famous branch of the Pokémon universe.

One of the reasons that Pokémon has experienced so many resurgences in popularity is the fact that the original fanbase has grown up and is looking back fondly on one of the franchises that shaped them. Bringing Ash and Pikachu back in such a vastly different form would not only be exciting for pre-existing fans who’ve been following since the 90s, but also for those newer to the franchise and who are drawn in by the flashy live-action visuals. Either way, the potential narrative freedom that Netflix’s live-action Pokémon show will have is something to be eagerly anticipated.