Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions

Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions

English language DVD Cover
Japanese 劇場版ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド＆パール 幻影の覇者 ゾロアーク
Hepburn Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo ando Pāru: Gen'ei no Hasha: Zoroāku
Literally Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl the Movie: Phantom Ruler: Zoroark
Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama
Produced by Takemoto Mori
Choji Yoshikawa
Yukio Kawasaki
Junya Okamoto
Shin Fukunaga
Written by Hideki Sonoda
Starring
Narrated by Unshō Ishizuka
Music by Shinji Miyazaki
Cinematography Takaya Mizutani
Edited by Toshio Henmi
Production
company
Distributed by Toho (Japan)
Viz Media (USA)
Release dates
  • July 10, 2010 (Japan)
Running time
 95 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese
Box office $71,143,529[1]

Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions, originally released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl the Movie: Phantom Ruler: Zoroark (劇場版ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド＆パール 幻影の覇者 ゾロアーク Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo ando Pāru: Gen'ei no Hasha: Zoroāku), is a Pokémon anime film, the thirteenth in the meta series franchise history and the fourth in the Diamond & Pearl series arc. It was released in Japan on July 10, 2010. The movie's fictitious setting is based on various locations in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Public Broadcasting's country, and Belgium. Among the locations they visited and that have been used as inspiration for the movie were the Magere Brug, Amstel River, Kinderdijk, and Brussels, the city of Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie and Radio-Télévision belge de la Communauté française.[2] The film's theme song in Japan was "Ice Cream Syndrome" by Sukima Switch.

An American English language release of the film aired on Cartoon Network on February 5, 2011,[3] the same day the DP Saga ended. On February 25, 2011, it aired in the Netherlands on Disney XD; it was released on DVD in May 2011 with a Dutch dub. The film also aired on CITV on February 26, 2011 in the UK, just 3 weeks after the US; this marked the first time a Pokémon film aired mere weeks after the US, and especially marked the first time an exclusively new film premiered on free-to-air TV. It later aired on Disney XD UK on May 5, 2011.[4] Amazon.co.uk and HMV listed Pokémon: Zoroark Master of Illusions for DVD release in the UK on August 29, 2011;[5] this is the first Pokémon DVD release in the UK since Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai in 2008. The film was released by Universal UK with a free limited edition Celebi Trading Card; this is also the first Pokémon DVD released in the UK before the US, as the DVD was released on September 20, 2011 in the US.[6] It made its Pakistani debut in February 2012 on Cartoon Network.

The film was shown at local theaters during the Pokémon Black and White Tour in the United States. Zoroark: Master of Illusions is the sixth film (Pokémon The Movie 2000, Pokémon Heroes, Destiny Deoxys, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea) to introduce Pokémon from a succeeding generation in the main plot.

Promotions

The teaser trailer for the film showed Ho-Oh and Lugia in a battle. In early 2010, information regarding the fifth generation of the Pokémon video game series began to appear. A new Pokémon was announced in February on both Pokémon Sunday[7] and the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro Comic[8] stated to be a central Pokémon to the plot of the film. On February 15, 2010, this character was revealed to be the new Dark-type Pokémon Zoroark (ゾロアーク Zoroāku), which evolves from another Pokémon named Zorua (ゾロア Zoroa), both of which will appear in the film.[9]

As a promotion for this movie, in Japan everyone who pre-ordered their tickets to the movie got to download a special alternate-colored version of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, which, when traded over to the upcoming Pokémon Black and White games activated an in game encounter with a special Zoroark that uses its Illusion ability to transform into the legendary Pokémon with a type advantage to the transferred one. In addition, people who attend a theatrical presentation of the film in Japan will be able to download a special Celebi to their video game, which when transferred to Black or White will activate an encounter with a special Zorua.[10] In North America, this promotion was being implemented through GameStop stores, with each Pokémon given a staggered release. In Europe and North America, the "Crown Beasts" were downloadable over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, also in a staggered set of releases. The distribution method of Europe's event Celebi has not fully been revealed, although in Norway it has been confirmed to be downloadable at Spaceworld stores starting on February 14.[11] Celebi was made available in the US during the Pokémon Black Version & White Version Tour when it began on February 5, 2011 and US Gamestop stores from February 21, 2011 to March 6, 2011.[12]

The second promotion, which was for the US release of the DVD, an exclusive download of the Pokémon Zoroark was made available at US Toys "R" Us stores from September 18, 2011 to September 25, 2011 to the players' version of Pokémon Black and White.[13][14] A sweepstakes also took place on the official Pokémon website as a promotion for the movie.[13]

Plot

Ash Ketchum, Brock and Dawn are at a Pokémon Center watching a Pokémon Baccer match on TV. Ash and crew are intrigued by the match and decide to head to Crown City to watch the Pokémon Baccer World Cup.

Meanwhile, Grings Kodai, his henchman Goone and assistant Rowena are in Unova where they find Zoroark and a sleeping Zorua. They capture the two Pokémon and take off for Crown City. Zorua, who is trapped on Kodai's plane, manages to escape and disguises itself as a Skiploom, and drifts down to the ground unnoticed.

Meanwhile, the protagonists are on their way to the Pokémon Baccer World Cup in Crown City, and encounter and rescue the Zorua from a group of Vigoroth. Zorua is able to speak to humans through telepathy. Zorua wishes to go to Crown City to find its mother Zoroark who it refers to as "Meema". Zorua's shapeshifting skills are compromised by the constant presence of its tail; touching it reverts Zorua to normal. The next day, Celebi appears in town and causes all the flowers to bloom, much to the delight of several townsfolk, who recall a mysterious event that happened twenty years where all the city's flora died.

Meanwhile, businessman Grings Kodai unleashes the imprisoned Zoroark upon the city, pretending to hold Zorua prisoner. Zoroark uses her illusion powers to take the form of Raikou, Entei and Suicune and scare the townsfolk; Kodai edits recorded footage of her to make it look like the fake Pokémon are on the rampage and labels Zoroark as evil.

Ash, Dawn, Brock and Zorua arrive, seeing Zoroark on television, Zorua trying to reach the cut-off town. They meet Karl, a local journalist investigating Kodai, who leads them into town through a hidden passage in a windmill. Kodai is revealed to be able to see into the future, caused by an encounter with Celebi twenty years ago where he touched the Time Ripple, created when Celebi time travels, gaining his powers of foresight, causing the destruction of the town’s plant life in the process. Kodai is looking for the Time Ripple again, and has Goone recapture Zoroark, having a vision that Ash, Dawn, Brock, Karl and an unknown woman will stop him.

The group meet Karl’s grandfather Joe and his friend Tammy, who explain Celebi used to visit the town before the plant life died. Zorua runs off on its own to find Zoroark, finding the other Pokémon are hostile towards it, but Celebi appears and befriends Zorua, Pikachu and Piplup. Ash and co. are captured by Kodai, but Rowena releases them, revealed to actually be Karl’s fellow journalist working undercover to find out Kodai’s plan.

Rowena explains Kodai’s past, and how the Time Ripple will linger for a day after Celebi time travels, Kodai planning to absorb its power again to replenish his fading foresight. Kodai has a vision that Celebi will show him the Time Ripple, and he targets it and Zorua. Zoroark escapes her prison, just as the real Legendary Beasts arrive in town and engage Zoroark in a fight. Kodai harms Celebi, seeing more of the future. Ash and co. arrive, Kodai realizing Rowena is the woman in his vision. The group flee with Zorua and Celebi, meeting up with Joe and Tammy, where it is revealed the location of the Time Ripple is in the local stadium, Kodai eavesdrops on the conversation and races for the stadium. While Karl, Rowena, Joe, and Tammy stop the fighting between Zoroark and the Legendary Beasts, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Pikachu, Zorua and Celebi head for the stadium.

Dawn and Brock fight Goone and his Pokémon, later assisted by Zoroark, who then joins Ash, Pikachu, and the injured Celebi at the stadium. Kodai takes Zorua captive and threatens to kill it unless the heroes back off, before absorbing part of the Time Ripple and replenishing his power, confessing that he has fooled the townsfolk twice with his media manipulations. However, Zoroark soon reveals Kodai's victory to be nothing more than an illusion she created, as Kodai's illusion canceller was destroyed when Zorua bit his wrist. Kodai attempts to kill Zoroark for her trickery using his electrical grappler claw, but she destroys it with her Dark Pulse attack when she uses some of her remaining strength to fight the grappler claw's electricity. Kodai tries to reach the Time Ripple but is blocked by the legendary beasts, and Zoroark traps him in the stadium using her illusions.

Zoroark collapses from exhaustion, but Celebi ventures into the Time Ripple to rejuvenate its own power and revives Zoroark, before departing back to the future. Kodai's confessions are played on television, and he is promptly arrested, with Zoroark's roar announcing Kodai's defeat. At the end of the film, Zorua and Zoroark depart back to their homeland, the Unova region, with Karl and Rowena for company. Ash vows to Zorua that he and Pikachu will reunite with it when they visit Unova some day.

Cast

Regular characters

Character Voice actor (Japanese) Voice actor (English)
Satoshi/Ash Rica Matsumoto Sarah Natochenny
Pikachu Ikue Ōtani
Takeshi/Brock Yūji Ueda Bill Rogers
Hikari/Dawn Megumi Toyoguchi Emily Bauer
Pochama/Piplup Etsuko Kozakura Michele Knotz
Musashi/Jessie Megumi Hayashibara
Kojirō/James Shin-ichiro Miki Jimmy Zoppi (aka Billy Beach)
Nyarth/Meowth Inuko Inuyama
Narrator Unshō Ishizuka Rodger Parsons
Zoroark Romi Park
Zorua Kurumi Mamiya Eileen Stevens

Guest characters

References

  1. ↑ "Japan Box Office 2010". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
  2. ↑ "Animation > Fiche film Pokémon > Le maître de l'illusion Zoroark - sur Pokébip !". Pokébip. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions | Movies | Pokemon.com". Pokemon.com. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "Pokémon 13 on Disney XD at 6:30pm May 5th, 2011". Uk-tv-guide.com. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  5. ↑ Kusaka, Hidenori. "Pokemon: Zoroark - Master of Illusions Plus Limited Edition Trading Card DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  6. ↑ "Pokemon - Zoroark: Master of Illusions". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ Pokémon Sunday, February 7, 2010.
  8. ↑ CoroCoro Comic, March 2010
  9. ↑ "新ポケモン「ゾロア」「ゾロアーク」の姿が判明！2010年ポケモン映画にも登場！ | ゲーム関連 | ニュース | ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト" (in Japanese). 15 February 2010. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Pokémon Sunday, June 20, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Fang den mystiske Pokémon Celebi hos Spaceworld !! - Spaceworld". Spaceworld. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  12. ↑ "Pokémon | HeartGold & SoulSilver". Pokemongoldsilver.com. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "The Official Pokémon Website". Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  14. ↑ "Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version | Find Zoroark at Toys"R"Us!". Pokemonblackwhite.com. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  15. ↑ Rosenfeld, Alyson. "resume". Alysonleighrosenfeld.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.

External links