Detective Pikachu was an unexpected treat for Pokémon fans. Of all the Pokémon intellectual properties, such as Ranger, Colosseum, and the numerous main series games, fans wouldn't have expected the first live-action Pokémon movie to be based on Detective Pikachu. The basis for this film was a 2016 video game of the same name. Although the film was released to a mixed reception, it still turned enough profit at the box office to warrant a sequel. And so on this note, fans have been wondering where the good detective's adventures will take him next.
While the 2019 film was completely isolated to the confines of Ryme City, it's clear that an effort was made to still make it exist within the familiar Pokémon world. Detective Pikachu's (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) human companion, Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), was once an aspiring Pokémon trainer, an occupation that is firmly established to exist in the world of the film. With this in mind, it's not unreasonable to think that Detective Pikachu and Tim could venture into familiar territory and see the sights and faces that longtime fans of the video game franchise would be intimately accustomed to. In fact, setting Detective Pikachu 2 in a region already established in the games may work to the movie's benefit.
It Would Play Off the Popularity of the Games
It would be no surprise to anyone, not even someone who doesn't play Pokémon, to say that the main series of Pokémon games are immensely popular and lucrative. Even though plenty of common criticisms are thrown at them, especially in recent years, the games have remained a profit-churning juggernaut of the video game world. It would then stand to reason that having a direct connection to the games would allow a Detective Pikachu sequel to get a bigger piece of the proverbial pie.
Of course, it would have to be done so as not to alienate viewers who perhaps are not familiar with the setting while also being blatant enough about the setting that it can satiate more hardcore fans. It's definitely a balancing act. However, if nothing else, making the setting a region from the games would allow for a background with immense personality without rehashing Ryme City. For example, if the film were set in the Johto region from Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, the rural Japanese culture-inspired backdrop to the film would create an entirely different atmosphere to the previous more New York-inspired Ryme City. And in this hypothetical situation, setting the movie in the Johto region would cause fans of Gold/Silver/Crystal to flock to the theater.
In the past year going into this year, the Pokémon franchise has become saturated with new releases. Towards the end of 2021, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were released. And at the beginning of this year, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was released, and new entries into the main series, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, were announced for release later this year. Releasing all these games so close together has ensured that Pokémon remains consistently fresh in the collective public consciousness. Now more than ever, a Detective Pikachu sequel can take full advantage of the franchise it spawned from by placing itself geographically in a familiar and beloved location.
It Would Allow For a Plethora of Easter Eggs
On the topic of a balancing act, to help make the game familiar to longtime Pokémon fans while still accessible to new and casual fans, Easter eggs come to mind. Movies from enormous franchises such as Marvel or DC employ this tactic in many of their films. For instance, they may hide a reference to another hero that doesn't appear in that movie or an object in the background that will come into play in a future film. Either way, this is Pokémon's chance to employ that same maneuver.
While in the original Detective Pikachu, there was plenty left in the backdrop for Pokémon fans to notice, setting the sequel film in a region from the main series games would allow for more obscure Easter eggs, ones that even fans may have to work to understand. Doing this would certainly provide a reason for repeat viewings and perhaps incentivize new fans to purchase whatever game the region in the film is emulating.
A specific example of this would be hiding Easter eggs pertaining to the legendary Pokémon deities in the background if the new movie were set in the Sinnoh region of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Said Pokémon wouldn't have to necessarily appear in the film. However, acknowledging their existence and contributions to the overall Pokémon lore would allow the Easter eggs to ground the film well within the canon of the games, which would be an incredibly pleasing move for fans.