Bi - Lingual

[Ultimate Charizard]

Ok, just something im looking into...

How many pokemon in the films/series could speak 'human'

As far as i know its 5.

Mewtwo
Lugia
Meowth
Gastly
Entei

Im sure there have been more but not as far as ive seen.

[Animelee]

There was a Lapras in Kanto, and Yadoking/Slowking in the second movie, and Jirachi in the sixth movie. I'm sure Deoxys will be able to talk, too.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Bah....how could i forget the Slowking.
And yeah thinking back i remember the Lapras too. Havent Seen Jirachi or anything much of the Advanced so i wouldnt really know.

[Lady Vulpix]

There was one Ninetales as well. In the mist...

[Zak]

Well, if Ninetales would count, so should the following:

Tentacruel (Tentacool and Tentacruel)
Gastly & Haunter (Shipful of Shivers).

They were using Meowth as a puppet maybe, but we kinda heard what the Pokemon's voices would sound like if they were to talk human. Remember Tentacruel's metallic voice?

Of course, same goes for all the Pokemon in Stage Fight. Clefable, Hitmonchan, Machoke, Abra, Mr. Mime, Jynx, and Raichu.

Basically, any Pokemon can "Speak human" by speaking through the body of a human, or a Pokemon that can speak human such as Meowth.

~Zak

[Lady Vulpix]

Of course, same goes for all the Pokemon in Stage Fight. Clefable, Hitmonchan, Machoke, Abra, Mr. Mime, Jynx, and Raichu.

~Zak

Weren't they just moving their mouths while humans spoke for them?

[Zak]

Well, the voices seemed to be the same as the Pokemon's voices, and Pokemn can understand human, but not nescessarily speak it. I dunno if they can read, but I'm assuming an acting script was planned out for them as well. So, I think they somehow combined Pokemon voices with the human speech. *Shrug* I could be wrong though...

~Zak

[PokeLady Jeannette]

What about "The Pokespokesman" episode? In a flashback scene, they had a talking Pidgey, a Rattata and an Oddish.

[Kojiro]

Deoxys probably will be able to talk, because in the Movie Manga, Too'oi is talking to it.

Oh yeah, and Larvitar sorta talked Human in the Unknown Episode.

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

I'm convinced that Wigglytuff said something.

Brock: Hard to believe something so cute can be such a brute!
Wiggly: BRUTE?? (proceeds to beat the living crap out of Brock)

And in Magical Pokémon Journey, there's a talking Squirtle and Clefairy, and humans don't seem to have any trouble understanding Pokémon language.

[Da Fragger]

That Entei was just an illusion, wasn't he? You know from the unown?

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Well yeah. Which means that the Unown may understand human speech but not be able to replicate it directly...

[Animelee]

I'd say all Pokémon could understand human speech, except in that plothole of an episode in mid-Johto with the man who could communicate with Pokémon in their speech. That episode kept stating that Pokémon cannot understand human speech, yet in all episodes (and movies, specials, OVAs) other than that one, they can.

[Jeikobu]

I'd say all Pokémon could understand human speech

I was about to say that too. I think that if Nyarth could teach himself to speak the human language, any other Pokemon could too. Psychics already can because they can communicate telepathically. But I think if any Pokemon tried hard enough, it could learn just like Nyarth did. But it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if every Pokemon spoke the human language, now would it?

[AKA Pokemon Fan]

Well, if Ninetales would count, so should the following:

The Ninetales was basically using telepathy combined with mental illusion. She clearly possessed Hidden Power of the Psychic type which enabled her to move objects with her mind and enhance illusions made by attacks Ninetales can learn such as Hypnosis (which can do more than put things to sleep in the anime).

The human image the Ninetales used was just an extension of herself used to communicate directly with people. It's possible she could have done direct telepathy but may have felt it would be clearer if she created an image that moved its lips with the words.

They were using Meowth as a puppet maybe, but we kinda heard what the Pokemon's voices would sound like if they were to talk human. Remember Tentacruel's metallic voice?

Kind of, but basically the Tentacool just took over Meowth's mind to communicate its thoughts.

Of course, same goes for all the Pokemon in Stage Fight. Clefable, Hitmonchan, Machoke, Abra, Mr. Mime, Jynx, and Raichu.

Basically, any Pokemon can "Speak human" by speaking through the body of a human, or a Pokemon that can speak human such as Meowth.

That was entirely different as far as I can tell. The Pokemon moved their lips while the humans spoke the lines. They of course must have practiced, but the vocies were entirely those of the people, as they sounded the same when they spoke to other people. Any similarity to the real Pokemon's voices was a coincidence or due to how few voice actors the shows uses.

I think that if Nyarth could teach himself to speak the human language, any other Pokemon could too. Psychics already can because they can communicate telepathically. But I think if any Pokemon tried hard enough, it could learn just like Nyarth did. But it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if every Pokemon spoke the human language, now would it?

Certainly all Pokemon can understand human speech to one degree or another, but I'm not so sure all Pokemon could learn to speak verbally human languages. As we saw with Meowth it requires a great amount of time and effort and entails certain sacrifices. For Meowth, learning to talk has apparently used up so much of his mind's power and ability that it has made it impossible for him to learn any more attacks.

[Jeikobu]

TR's Nyarth could probably learn more moves but he doesn't win any battles which means no experience points, and TR never tries to teach him any TMs.

[AKA Pokemon Fan]

TR's Nyarth could probably learn more moves but he doesn't win any battles which means no experience points, and TR never tries to teach him any TMs.

Pokemon don't need to battle to learn new moves. Although it is the fastest and ebst way, Pokemon level up and learn new moves simply by living life as well. A fair number of Pokemon in the anime had never been in a fight and still knew an impressive array of attacks. Therefore, since Meowth expressly said in the Orange Islands that learning to talk has prevented him from being able to learn Pay Day (and likely any more attacks), I think it's best to take him at his word, though Jessie and James continue to hope and wish he'll learn it someday.