Okay Google, play Nobody by Mitski

In pretty much every form of Pokémon media available, it’s not only normal for people to talk to their pokémon, it’s expected. It’s clear that pokémon understand humans even if humans can’t speak the pokémon language (N Harmonia is the exception, not the rule), and both the games and the anime emphasize how important it is that humans not only love and respect their pokémon, but also form strong bonds and partnerships with them, and what better way is there to do that than by conversing?

As far as game examples go, in any games where you have a pokémon following you (e.g. Yellow Version, HeartGold/SoulSilver), you can turn and speak to your partner pokémon, who then responds based on how they’re feeling / what the situation is around them. Some NPCs, such as Mr Briney in the Hoenn games, have partner pokémon that they’ve named and talk to (in Mr Briney’s case, it’s his wingull, Peeko). In fact, the only characters in the games who look down upon talking to pokémon are villains, such as Gen V’s Ghetsis, who calls N a “freak without a human heart” for being able to talk to pokémon. Since Ghetsis is clearly villainous, and since good characters talk to pokémon with warmth and love, it’s clear that talking to pokémon is expected and normal within the universe of the games.

And it’s the same in the anime, if not emphasized even more greatly. The main protagonists are always talking to their pokémon. Pikachu and Ash communicate regularly, and their communication is shown improving over time; while Ash had a lot of trouble understanding what Pikachu was trying to say early in the series, as time goes on he usually aces Pikachu’s charades on the first try, and has no trouble understanding him. Misty is constantly asking Togepi’s opinion on things and conversing with him. James gives a full explanation to his growlithe, Growlie, when he has to leave him behind at his parents’ manor. It’s Bonnie talking to and being able to communicate with her Zygarde core companion (whom she named Squishy) that ends up breaking through Lysandre’s mind control later on. Alan is regularly shown conversing with Lizardon, sometimes to the point where words aren’t even needed.

Pokémon are, for the most part, sapient beings. It’s encouraged and expected to talk to them and form partnerships with them. Having been a fan for twenty-one years, one thing that struck me about the Detective Pikachu movie is the insinuation early on that regions such as Kanto don’t encourage partnerships with pokémon (and battle “instead”), which is simply not true. The way I’ve taken to explaining that and keeping it consistent with the rest of the worldbuilding in the franchise as a whole is to think of it as Ryme City propaganda put forth by the main villain. The main villain needed everyone to keep their pokémon out of their ‘balls for his plan to succeed, so he created a city where that was practically mandatory at all times, and also touted the city as a utopia for people and pokémon in order to make people want to stay there and follow the rules. Other regions value the human-pokémon partner bond just as much, but telling that to the residents of the city wouldn’t exactly be conducive to the villain’s ultimate goal.