Plot hole: After Ritchie tells Misty that he never talked to them through a phone, Misty could have put two and two together and realised that Ash was told to go somewhere by someone impersonating Ritchie and that he might be in serious danger. However, she does absolutely nothing to help Ash, she doesn't even inform Brock about it.
Continuity mistake: When the phone rings, it is six centimetres away from the lamp, but in the next shot, it is fourteen centimetres away. Also, the cabinet is three centimetres away from the top of the planks directly above it, but in the next shot, it is six centimetres away. (00:04:34)
Answer: There are a lot of fan theories around this, but the most common theme is that Pikachu had another trainer before Prof. Oak, who gave him to Ash. Pikachu didn't appreciate being handed over.
Ssiscool ★