The Pikachu Talk smart device app invites a babbling Pokémon into your home

It’s Pokémon Day, and the franchise has gifted us all with something we may or may not want. Amazon Alexa- and Google Home-compatible smart devices can now speak to you with Pikachu’s voice, courtesy of the free Pikachu Talk app.

We’ve seen this in action before, as the app first launched in Japan last fall. But now that Pikachu Talk is available stateside, we had to know: What’s it like to have an actual Pikachu talk back to you? I had managing editor Chelsea Stark put her Pikachu-voiced Amazon Echo through the paces, and the results are — let’s just say, they’re something to behold.

I’m surprised by how invested Pikachu was in telling its totally inscrutable story, but it’s nice to know that Pikachu can get passionate about something. As for the song it sang, nothing will beat its ode to ketchup.

I asked Chelsea for a brief review of the Pikachu Talk app.

“I was confused on how it worked and why it existed,” she said.

Well, there you have it. It seems like using Pikachu Talk makes your household companion into something totally useless. But letting the electric mouse enter our homes to share a little conversation with us is the least we can do on this, the franchise’s 22nd anniversary.