Ash’s Pikachu was picked up by authorities in the wake of this week’s latest iteration of the Pokémon anime. The crime in question? According to a recap of the episode by, electricity was stolen from various apartment buildings in Vermillion City Kotaku.
Here’s what happened: On the night of the crime, according to police, a Pokémon that resembles a Pikachu was discovered. The only Pikachu without an alibi was Ash’s beloved companion, which made the little guy a prime suspect in the eyes of Officer Jenny and a detective working on the case.
As it turns out, the handcuffs are a little too big for Pikachu’s tiny paws. It looks like Vermillion City law enforcement will have to tweak their gear to be more accommodating if they want to arrest more Pokémon.
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Image: TV Tokyo / The Pokémon Company
Pikachu is brought in for questioning (and bribed with food) and later runs away from the cops, resulting in the investigation reopening and Pikachu’s name cleared – but not before Team Rocket, Meowth and Morpeko (the real criminal?) Get involved.
Ultimately, Pikachu takes revenge on the arrest officer for his lousy police work.
The episode raises questions about how the Pokémon crime system works. Are they getting Pokémon or human lawyers? Do their coaches have to answer for their crimes and misdemeanors? Is the jury made up of humans, Pokémon, or both? We may never know.
