Spoilers: Something huge happens between Ash and Pikachu in Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!

The new film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! ditches Brock and Misty, but there’s something that might be even more surprising. This article contains spoilers, so continue reading at your own risk. Up until now, Ash’s Pikachu has communicated by saying variations of “pika” and “Pikachu.” However, in the recently-released film, however, Ash’s Pikachu says more than the standard “pika pika,” speaking Japanese at a climatic point. Here’s how this particular scene plays out in the movie:

In a move resembling the Spearow scene from episode 1, as well as the Mewtwo movie, Ash blocks the hit to protect Pikachu and appears to die.

Ash’s body vanishes, leaving just his hat. Pikachu fires a huge Thunderbolt at Marshadow and mourns for Ash, who in the meantime has appeared in an alternate reality (like the afterlife). Ash sees Pikachu back in their world and tries to run toward him, but to no avail. In a touching scene that moved the audience, Pikachu speaks directly to Ash in Japanese and tells him “I want to be with you forever.”

Source: Kotaku