Which Pokémon film was the first to receive a live-action Hollywood adaptation?

Detective Pikachu was the first Pokémon film to receive a live-action Hollywood adaptation.

Released in 2019, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was directed by Rob Letterman and based on the video game Detective Pikachu. Ryan Reynolds provided the voice and performance capture for the title character, while Justice Smith played Tim Goodman, a young man searching for his missing father.

The film combines live-action human characters and environments with computer-generated Pokémon. It is set in Ryme City, a place where humans and Pokémon coexist without the traditional Gym-battle structure dominating daily life.

This film differs from Pokémon’s earlier animated theatrical releases, beginning with Pokémon: The First Movie in 1998. It also differs from the 2019 animated remake Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, which was not live action. Those distinctions make Detective Pikachu the specific answer for the first Hollywood live-action adaptation.