Who is the human protagonist of the 2019 film Detective Pikachu?

Tim Goodman is the human protagonist of the 2019 film Detective Pikachu.

Played by Justice Smith, Tim is a former aspiring Pokémon Trainer who works as an insurance agent. He travels to Ryme City after learning that his father, police detective Harry Goodman, has disappeared. There he encounters a talking Detective Pikachu who can be understood only by Tim.

Tim and Pikachu investigate Harry’s disappearance while uncovering a larger plot involving Mewtwo, the city’s powerful Clifford Industries, and the experimental substance known as R. Their partnership drives the film’s mystery and gives the story its emotional focus.

Tim Goodman is not Ash Ketchum, the protagonist of the long-running Pokémon anime. The film is based on the Nintendo 3DS game Detective Pikachu, but it tells a different story with a new human lead. The character’s surname also connects him directly to Harry, whose disappearance begins the film’s central investigation.