The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City–a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world–they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.

Tim Goodman’s dad goes missing and is believed to be dead, murdered in an explosion. We find out Tim lost his mother to an illness when he was younger. Tim chose to not live with his father after the death of his mother. Tim has to deal with losing another parent but is determined to find out how it occurred with the help of Pikachu. It later turns out his father was not murdered but his being was transferred into the mind of the Pikachu. Although the father is brought back to life this doesn’t happen in real life and may cause issues for some viewers.