Before a movie can start, several artists are brought in to try and illustrate the world of the film. They try their best to bring the idea to life using their talents to develop the world and the characters for the movie studio to later put into the film. While their artwork doesn't often transfer perfectly, they still provide the needed inspiration to all those that work on it.

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This is especially the case for a film like Detective Pikachu. Bringing the world of Pokémon to life is no easy task, and several video game movies before it have tried and failed. Thankfully, they had a team of skilled artists to help facilitate its success. Though you may find a few of the early pieces shocking when compared to what showed up in the film.

10 Venusaur

The concept art version of Venusaur looks nowhere near pocket and completely in the realm of monster. This might make more sense in a horror movie compared to the monstrous, but kid-friendly version that appears in the film.

Geez... even the flower on top of Venusaur seems to have teeth. RJ Palmer is the artist responsible for bringing this monstrous version of Venusaur to life. The artist set to remind all those that stumble onto their artwork that Pokémon are still, in fact, monsters.

9 Detective Pikachu

Is it just me... or does RJ Palmer's Pikachu look a lot like Danny Devito? As it turns out, this artwork may have been leaning towards that during the early stages of the film when they tested the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor's voice for the main role.

Though Ryan Reynolds did a more than admirable job voicing the cute yellow Pokémon detective, for some fans it would have been a dream come true for Danny Devito to voice the little detective. At the very least, according to a change.org petition, 50,000 people seem to think so.

8 Charizard

RJ Palmer's Charizard looks almost entirely unchanged when compared to the film. The red beast looks just as ferocious and frightful here as he does in the finished project on the screen. The Pocket Monster is the set piece of one of the bigger scenes in the film, where Detective Pikachu is set to fight Charizard at an underground Pokémon Battle.

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Honestly, the most shocking fact here is that the design didn't change much. Every piece of concept art must go through several people before they settle on a finished product and, amazingly, Charizard made it through almost completely unscathed.

7 Arcanine

Look at this good boy! Like a mixture between the actual Pokémon and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, RJ Palmer once again uses his talents to bring this majestic beast to life. Just like the Charizard before, Arcanine seemed to have survived the vetting process mostly in one piece.

The real shame here is that Arcanine wasn't used nearly enough on screen. With such a great design the "little" pup was mostly relegated to being in the background in a movie that certainly could have used more "good boy" representation.

6 The Cityscape

Undoubtedly, the Pokémon are the main attraction here. The movie would not sell without the realistic representations of the monsters we all grew up with. Though what is just as important is that the city they all live in is a real living and breathing place.

Ryme City is just that. A living and breathing place where Pokémon and people coexist to the best of their abilities. The city filled with believable interactions between regular old folks and the Pocket Monsters that inhabit the world. And that city would never be as believable without this artwork to get the ball rolling.

5 Torterra

Speaking of larger and life, check out this gigantic Torterra. RJ Palmer is back with his preliminary designs for one of the biggest Pokémon in the franchise. This art seemingly plucked out of an awesome landscape piece if it wasn't for the fact that the landscape was, in fact, a character from Pokémon.

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Needless to say, there was clear ambition in this project even in its early stages. Not only were they prepared to present the Pokémon in a fully realized world, but even the creatures that barely fit onto the screen had a place in the film.

4 Squirtle

Far be it from be to criticize anyone's work, but I think this Squirtle has seen better days. This water turtle took it too far into the realm of realism and stepped into something similar to the uncanny valley. There is just something that just seems a bit off about this realistic version of the starter Pokémon.

But, don't let that discourage you from checking out the rest of the artist's work. Stephen Molyneaux does some excellent creature, anthropomorphic, and other work. Their version of Arcanine is particularly good and is a good reflection of his other artwork.

3 Pangoro

This Pangoro looks like it wants to steal your lunch money and that's the best compliment I can give this work of art. Pangoro is the Pokémon equivalent of an old school Japanese delinquent with a heart of gold. He may look menacing on the outside, but inside lies a creature that absolutely abhors bullying in any way, shape, or form.

Arnaud Valette seems to get that just right in his concept art. Pangoro is one part utter badass and another part stereotypical anime character. It all comes together wonderfully in this concept art for the movie.

2 Rayquaza

WHY WASN'T THIS IN THE FILM! This is simply a gorgeous rendition of the legendary Pokémon and it is a shame that it couldn't be featured in the film somehow.

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Unfortunately, RJ Palmer's art has to remain as just that for now. I'm sure there were plenty of ideas floating around when they were first coming up with the plot of this movie, and this concept art just happens to be one that just didn't make the final cut. Though, there is always a chance for it if it manages to get a sequel!

1 Charizard Vs Gyarados

At the risk of sounding like a broken record... WHY WASN'T THIS IN THE FILM! Sure we got a small scuffle between the two ferocious beasts in the film but this takes the battle to a whole city level. The city is leveled, the main characters are caught in the crossfire, and everyone else runs for cover as the two titans clash over who is stronger.

But alas... this just has to be another part of RJ Palmer's art that had to be left on the cutting room floor. For now, we'll just have the recreate this battle in our heads.

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