History MythologyGag / PokemonDetectivePikachu

** The R Drug seems to be based on an ingame item called the Berserk Gene, left behind by Mewtwo near the collapsed Cerulean Cave in ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver''. The effects of the item are even similar to the drug, boosting attack but causing confusion.

* On the informational video about Ryme City on the train that Tim watches, [[Series/KamenRiderDrive Ryoma Takeuchi of Kamen Rider fame]] makes a cameo as Pokémon trainer that looks a lot like Red.

** Funnily enough [[spoiler:Ditto]] only having BlackBeadEyes while disguised as [[spoiler:Ms. Norman]] illustrates how SkintoneSclera like Cilan's would look in real life.

* Lucy tries to catch the attention of a blond news reporter who wears a black suit with two gold bands around her waist. Her name is [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Cynthia]].

* A Jigglypuff is shown holding the same sharpie/microphone that [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} its anime counterpart]] is known to have, while also pouting next to some guy it seems to have made fall asleep with its singing, again just like its anime counterpart. This is hammered home by the fact that said Jigglypuff is voiced by Creator/RachaelLillis, its original English VA. It also sings the same melody as in the anime.
* Pikachu tries to hop on Tim's shoulder just like Ash Ketchum's in the Anime, but Tim refuses. He eventually warms up to it.

* [[spoiler:A Ditto unable to change its beady dot eyes despite its perfect imitations is reminiscent of [[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Dupli]][[MasterOfDisguise ca's]] first Ditto. Although "Ms. Norman" is at least able to get the rest of the face right.]]

* When Tim quickly goes over the strategy for beating the Charizard, he lists Quick Attack, Discharge, Electro Ball, and Volt Tackle as the best moves Pikachu can use, who eschews them in favor of Thunder Bolt before realizing he's forgotten how. This is a reference to how Pokemon only know four moves and must forget one in order to learn a new move.

** Blastoise, Charizard, and Pikachu are also all Box Pokemon for the first generation of games in the US, and Gengar is the opponent's Pokémon in the original ''Red and Blue'' intro.

* There's a news story in the movie about firemen working with Squirtles to put out fires. In the [[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon anime]], Ash's Squirtle and the Squirtle Squad also worked with firemen to put out fires on at least three different occasions, including the episode where it was PutOnABus.

* Some people were confused by Pikachu finding solid shuriken-like objects at the scene of Harry's crash from the Greninjas' Water Shurikens. But remember that Water Shuriken is a Physical Water-type move, not a Special move, so it makes perfect sense seeing as Greninja throws shurikens coated with water[[note]]At least originally. By the time of the movie's release, it was the tail end of Generation VII, when the move was changed from Physical to Special [[BalanceBuff to better fit the more Special-oriented Greninja]][[/note]].

* The end credits open with [[spoiler:a recreation of the classic black-and-white battle screen from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue''. Naturally, Detective Pikachu is the player's Pokémon]].

** The remark from Tim which upsets the Cubone is that it likes wearing the skull of its dead relative. Insensitive though this may be, it's also accurate to several Pokédex entries which state that Cubone wears the skull of its deceased mother (e.g. ''Pokémon Yellow'', ''Pokémon Silver'' and ''Crystal'', or ''Pokémon Fire Red'').

** [[spoiler: And then there is the spinoff manga Manga/PokemonReBURST, which plot centers around characters with the ability to merge with their Pokémon to do battle.]]

* Every single frame of the film is full of Easter eggs for diehard fans to find — [[http://web.archive.org/web/20190804081655/https://www.detectivepikachumovie.com/ there was even a game on the official website to spot the Pokemon on the film poster!]] The minigame was originally set around finding the references to the games [[http://web.archive.org/web/20181112173257/http://www.detectivepikachumovie.net/ on the teaser poster]].
* On the informational video about Ryme City on the train that Tim watches, [[Series/KamenRiderDrive Ryoma Takeuchi of Kamen Rider fame]] makes a cameo as Pokemon trainer that looks a lot like Red.
* Once again, police in this universe rely on dog-type Pokemon, as seen with the beat cops walking with Growlithes and of course, Yoshida and his Snubbull.

* When Tim refuses to carry Pikachu on his shoulder, Pikachu says he's trying to achieve his step count anyway. The old tamagotchi-type Pokémon Pikachu toy required you to accumulate steps in order to feed your Pikachu. Similarly, the Pokéwalker made for VideoGame/PokemonHeartGoldAndSoulSilver was a pedometer, which you could transfer Pokémon to, and encounter wild Pokémon and pick up items with. Pokemon Go also includes a pedometer element, with incubated eggs that hatch once you've walked far enough.

** [[spoiler: And then there is the spinoff manga Pokémon RéBURST, which plot centers around characters with the ability to merge with their Pokémon to do battle.]]

* [[spoiler:For some viewers, this may not be the only time they've seen a Pikachu and a Mewtwo fight on top of [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Pokemon-shaped parade floats.]]]]
* [[spoiler:One of the main plot points revolve around orange glowing headbands that allow a Pokemon and human to link minds, very similar to VideoGame/PokkenTournament.]]
* Pikachu refuses to use Volt Tackle in the cage match, saying it'll knock him out - a reference to how Volt Tackle delivers recoil damage to the user. [[spoiler:Later in the film, when he uses it to knock Mewtwo through a building, he's visibly dazed and winded afterwards.]]
* Pikachu trying, then failing, to use a move in battle could be a reference to moves with less than 100% accuracy in the games.
** Actually, Detective Pikachu can't use Moves in his game.

* When facing against the R-enraged Charizard, Pikachu tries kicking a Magikarp so it can evolve into Gyarados and wipe the floor with Charizard. This is similar to the anime episode "Pokémon Shipwreck", where James kicks a Magikarp, causing it to evolve into Gyarados.

** Later on, when investigating the PCL, Lucy wears an outfit similar to the female trainer's default outfit from VideoGame/PokemonGo.

** The R Drug seems to be based on an ingame item called the Berserk Gene, left behind by Mewtwo near the collapsed Cerulean Cave in VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver. The effects of the item are even similar to the drug, boosting attack but causing confusion.
* There are Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus statues in Howard's office, similar to the statues that would have been in Eterna City in Diamond & Pearl. [[spoiler: It's a hint to which character is trying to [[StealthPun play God]].]]
** But wait, what happened to Giratina? [[spoiler: Compare the position of Palkia and Dalgia to where they are when Giratina appears at the Spear Pillar in Platinum. In the center between the two... where Howard's desk currently is. Can you guess who the villain is yet?]]

** Blastoise, Charizard, and Pikachu are also all Box Pokemon for the first generation of games in the US, and Gengar is the opponent's Pokemon in the original Red and Blue intro.
* Pokéballs are outlawed in Ryme City and Pokémon live among humans, but it's still common for all humans to have a partner Pokémon they live and work with, forming an empathic bond with them. This is not all dissimilar to how ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'' worked, with "catching" Pokémon happening by bonding with them instead of using a Pokéball. It's also a light shout-out to the intro speeches most of the professors in the main games give, namely the first part about pokemon being "Pets and friends".

* The phones everyone uses are shown to have buttons in a similar arrangement to the original Game Boy, which the original Pokémon games were released on. The device itself appears to be an evolution of the Game Boy design, which reflects the in-universe trend of the series' Pokédexes being based on the consoles they're played on.

* The some of the first Pokémon we see are a group of Pidgey, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot flying over Leaventown, like in the opening scene of VideoGame/PokemonHeartGoldAndSoulSilver.
* The Pokéball Tim uses to attempt to catch the Cubone works the same way it does in the anime-- once the Pokemon is inside, it shakes and flashes yellow until either it fails, or the light turns green and the capture is confirmed.

* Tim follows his friend, Jack, to catch a pokémon, unaware that Jack is setting ''him'' up to catch it. Where do they find this wild pokémon? In the tall grass.

* Ever since breeding was introduced to the Pokemon games, the majority of players got into the habit using Ditto to breed with their other Pokemon by using its Transform ability to become a compatible mate. [[spoiler: The Ditto that Tim has to fight transforms into Lucy and he admits that he's attracted to the real one.]]
* There are nods to unofficial material too: the underground arena fight scene between Detective Pikachu and a Charizard looks like it was lifted from WebVideo/PokemonApokelypse, a DarkerAndEdgier reimagining of the Pokémon world that prominently featured a fight to the death between those two same Pokémon.

* Some people were confused by Pikachu finding solid shuriken-like objects at the scene of Harry's crash from the Greninjas' Water Shurikens. But remember that Water Shuriken is a Physical Water-type move, not a Special move, so it makes perfect sense seeing as Greninja throws shurikens coated with water.

** [[spoiler: There's also her name, Ms. Norman, which references Norman, the Normal-Type Gym Leader from [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Gen III]] [[VideoGameRemake and its remakes.]] This one can also double as some subtle foreshadowing.]]