Pokémon 4Ever Pikachu’s PikaBoo Pokémon seen: Pikachu, Togepi, Totodile, Psyduck, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Corsola, Wailmer, Yanma, Granbull, Kecleon, Larvitar, Bulbasaur, Sunkern, Oddish, Sunflora, Sandshrew, Donphan, Azurill, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Chinchou Story: The Pokémon play and relax on a beach and in the water when Togepi wanders off (underwater to follow some Corsola), a Wailmer and Yanma return it to land. The Pokémon find a huge mansion garden where a Granbull, Kecleon and Larvitar guard and keep it organised. Togepi angers Larvitar briefly by knocking a stone out of place but the others greet the Pokémon and call for others to play with the guests. They play a game of Hide and Seek and Pikachu is ‘it’, the other Pokémon hide around the garden and some inside the mansion. Meowth and Wobbuffet have a job mowing the lawns but when the mower breaks down they use it as an excuse to resign from this task. Pikachu finds Sunflora within a group of sunflowers and Sandshrew trying to conceal itself by camouflaging in a brick wall. Totodile tries to mimic a fountain underwater but is spotted, Larvitar meanly pushes a rolled up Donphan near some tyres down a hill at Pikachu, it misses and Pikachu considers Donphan found and out of the game. Pikachu heads inside the mansion and finds Togepi near a cushion of similar colouring, and Cyndaquil in the fireplace. Meanwhile Larvitar is stomping around and a kicked rock to the mower sends it driving randomly at a high speed. Some Sunkern, Sunflora and other Pokémon are endangered, Bulbasaur’s leaves have no effect and even Donphan rolling into it fails. When it chases Pikachu and a group of others, Pikachu shocks it but this somehow sets up another feature and it drives forward with two chainsaw attachments and Totodile’s and Cyndaquil’s contribution to attacking it also fails. Meowth and Wobbuffet are going to sweep the chimneys when the Pokémon run past them and the lawnmower chases the two across the pond, their defence does away with the saws but they are blasted into the chimney. The mower continues to chase the Pokémon around the garden and through the hedge maze, Larvitar guides them out and knocks the mower into a dead end, but circular blades activate and it’s soon on the loose again. Refuge in a tree is useless but only Pikachu, Togepi and Larvitar are chased out of the garden as a result, they dash to the end of a small jetty and the mower goes hurtling into the ocean, and still that doesn’t stop it. Bayleef is awakened on the beach and the other Pokémon led by Larvitar gather small logs and set up a trap, the blades are severed and the logs keep its direction restricted within a set path. It escapes this and Psyduck is put in danger but Bayleef lifts and swings the mower with her vines and puts it back onto the path where it’s guided up a hill and into the shed where it crashes and finally stops and falls to pieces. Meanwhile Kecleon has avoided the whole incident with its ability to camouflage. Together the Pokémon clean up the logs and Bayleef does a little hedge- clipping to put some Pokémon designs in it. Meowth and Wobbuffet finally exit the chimney, and Larvitar now wants to play Hide and Seek with Pikachu and the others (as does Bayleef), Larvitar ends up having to be ‘it’ and the Pokémon run away as the next game begins... My favourite Event: When Pikachu tickles Togepi in hiding who then leaps into its arms, call me soft but it’s adorable to watch. Things I’d like to point out: Now that’s not nice, using Water Gun on Cyndaquil who’s physically weak against it, Totodile seriously needs to learn how to be considerate towards its friends. Where is Bulbasaur at the start? Each other Pokémon of Ash’s (plus Psyduck) are shown doing something on the beach, but Bulbasaur doesn’t seem to appear at all until the group introduce themselves to the garden Pokémon. Methinks the animators forgot all about it until the garden scene. Several new Pokémon are introduced; Wailmer, Kecleon and Azurill are a bonus since most won’t be seen until the series enters the Hoenn area. Sadly, this mini-movie was not shown in the cinemas nor included on the UK DVD, so I’ve actually only saw it very recently and only because my VCR has NTSC Playback and now a copy of this on VHS. Why does Sunflora cry when it’s found, it’s its own fault for saying a word, even if Pikachu hadn’t pretended to leave, one second isn’t enough for it to be out of range of its voice. The Chinchou is clearly left with its original voice as its Japanese name is “Chonchii”, exactly what it says here. The lawnmower must have a mind of its own; an evil mind. There’s no other way I’d believe it could dodge Cyndaquil’s Flamethrower attack so many times or leap over the stepping stones in such a precise way so as not to fall in the water while chasing Meowth and Wobbuffet. This goes double for the fact it takes the exact same route as the Pokémon through the hedge maze even though they curve and zigzag their way through it. There’s some obvious Computer Animation thrown into the ending when the lawnmower goes into the shed and its activity somehow causes it to shift and twist about. I won’t even bother complaining the implications of that since it’s only a bit of cartoon stretchiness and fun being used. The obvious winner of the first Hide and Seek game is clearly Kecleon, even with its visible stripe problem it wasn’t found (although I’d have hidden somewhere red to match the stripe). However, how did it not even realise all the stuff with the lawnmower was happening? Why did Bayleef cut a design of Pikachu and the Pichu Brothers in the hedges? After everything that’s happened wouldn’t she rather put herself in it? Also, she doesn’t know the Pichu Brothers (nor has she seen a Pichu in the time she’s been with Ash), I think considering it helped out, at least Larvitar should have been put alongside Pikachu. Celebi: The Voice of the Forest Pokémon seen: Celebi, Houndoom, Scyther, Furret, Bellossom, Oddish, Rattata, Pidgey, Nidoran Male, Nidoran Female, Sneasel, Nidoking, Spearow, Piloswine, Sandshrew, Tyranitar, Golem, Venonat, Rhyhorn, Togepi, Crobat, Pikachu, Croconaw, Pichu, Suicune, Meowth, Hoothoot, Ledyba, Heracross, Butterfree, Stantler, Pinsir, Venomoth, Tangela, Bellsprout, Spinarak, Paras, Wobbuffet, Weezing, Scizor, Charmeleon, Bayleef, Ursaring, Teddiursa, Parasect, Skiploom, Caterpie, Mankey, Weedle, Rhydon, Sentret, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Nidorino, Nidorina, Pidgeotto, Sandslash, Remoraid, Quagsire, Magikarp, Seaking, Gyarados, Raticate, Jumpluff, Metapod, Onix Story: In a thick forest 40 or so years ago, Celebi is chased and pursued by various Pokémon like Houndoom and Scyther. A boy called Sammy wanders through but is warned by a girl called Otilla about the legendary ‘Voice of the Forest’ and of its guardian, she also gives him a loaf of bread to take on his journey. A Pokémon Hunter appears on a motorcycle but Celebi evades capture from a special trapping device and is restrained near Sammy, he defends Celebi who is then able to free itself but falls weakly into his arms. The hunter confronts him and Sammy runs away with Celebi whose scream awakens the voice of the forest before warping them into the future... In the present time the hunter is forced by the Iron Masked Marauder to give any information on his near catch of Celebi. He reveals a device called a Dark Ball, upon containing the hunter’s Tyranitar it turns it into an evil Pokémon and raises its level to the highest point. It’s ordered to cause chaos with Hyper Beam until the hunter gives in and accepts to show Iron Mask where he found Celebi. Not too far away, a ferry is due to leave, and Ash is busy being challenged by a trainer called Dundee with his Croconaw. Pikachu dodges several attacks but is hurled away and its Thunderbolt fails, Pikachu dodges some bites and knocks the opponent into its trainer and shocks the both of them by accident. Ash checks on his foe before Crobat alerts him to the boat preparing to leave, and rushes through town, but a long cargo transport holds him up and he must leap from the jetty onto the boat, he’s saved from missing the jump by a fellow passenger who later guides the group towards his home where rare Pokémon reside. A Suicune briefly appears and vanishes which leads Ash to talk to Professor Oak about it, he confirms it’s a legendary Pokémon and that he once saw one, but the conversation is cut short as the man from the boat calls them away, and Oak briefly wonders if he should have told Ash something important... Team Rocket watch the group from overhead but are soon blown out of control, the man’s boat transforms into a high tech flying blimp and soars over the treetops, it soon reaches its next destination: Arbourville; a village built at the tops of trees. The group reach a path but are warned by an old lady and her granddaughter Diana about the Voice of the Forest. The group carries on regardless and enters the forest; there Brock ponders what the Voice of the Forest could be when a light aura flushes across the trees. This is at the same time that Celebi and the boy from the past suddenly appear, Celebi floats away dazed, weakened and confused. Ash and the group bring the boy back to Arbourville, this surprises the old lady Otilla who recognises him from the past as the little boy who disappeared, and she returns the sketchbook he left behind. The rumours of the Voice of the Forest/Celebi being able to drag a person through time is confirmed as is its home; The Lake of Life, meanwhile a huge machine trudges through the forest. The group introduce themselves to Sammy and offer to help look for Celebi, and Team Rocket again continue to follow them. A group of Pokémon are gathered together and Ash and Sammy climb to this location with Sammy feeling responsible for not being able to protect Celebi before. There they find it but in its damaged state it fends them away with psychic abilities and nature flailing tree vines, the two convince it that they’re its friends so that it stops and Sammy can retrieve it and carry it to where it can be healed. Team Rocket block off their route with smoke bombs from the trees above but Wobbuffet brings them crashing down and the group hastily move on past them. They are quickly blocked off again, but by the Iron Masked Marauder who unleashes his new Tyranitar, causing the group to flee and Team Rocket to interfere, they soon assist him after recognising him as a member of Team Rocket. His Scizor and Sneasel give chase after the group and Misty has twisted her knee at some point in the encounter, the Pokémon soon catch up and Ash battles them with Bayleef and Sammy with a Charmeleon from an old model Pokéball. Charmeleon fares well against Sneasel but Bayleef fights defensively and the Scizor is too fast for it with Double Team, once Bayleef concentrates and locates the real one, she defeats it, followed by Charmeleon’s defeat over Sneasel. Iron Mask plods his way forward and finds his two Pokémon tied up, but only sees this as a worthy challenge rather than a loss for him. The group end up in a foggy area and are led by various Pokémon to the Lake of Life which heals Celebi immediately. It flies around happily and plays with Ash and Sammy, giving them the ability to fly briefly and even heals Misty’s knee. The group wander around with it and find some tasty berries, the group snacks on them and Ash saves some for later. Team Rocket are also hungry and reach out for a peach tree which results in them taking a fall and losing their ride. Night comes and while the others sleep, Sammy is awake and sketching Pikachu and Celebi resting together, he likes to sketch any new Pokémon he sees, but is a little saddened that he’s stuck outside of his time and being missed by his family. Ash and Sammy eat the bread that Otilla once gave him, and with Pikachu and Celebi they watch several Metapod evolve into Butterfree and fly off leaving a beautiful twinkling trail behind them as the sun begins to rise. They return to the shrine close to the village but are surrounded by Team Rocket and Iron Mask, Pikachu’s electricity is useless and several trees are felled before Celebi is caught and electrocuted, leaving it victim to a Dark Ball. Ash scales the machine as Pokémon distract Iron Mask and the machine goes out of control, Ash escapes but his grasp on the ball is cruelly crushed under Iron Mask’s boot until he lets go. Several Pokémon appear to defend Celebi but it’s too late, Celebi is released and it obeys Iron Mask’s command to blast the Pokémon away and several more trees and smashed in the process. Iron Mask commands to see more power and Celebi surrounds itself with the elements of the forest and Jessie is sucked inside. The sight can be seen from Arbourville and the two females head out to see what the disturbance is, the man escorts them on his flying vehicle to the group soon enough. Meanwhile, the Suicune makes its way down mountainous terrain into the forest and the group riding the blimp (as do James and Meowth) follow the shell around Celebi. Jessie is tangled up and is kept as a witness to tell the leader of Team Rocket Giovanni of the power that Iron Mask now commands and soon goes on to reveal Celebi will not be handed over, and that Iron Mask has the power to destroy the Boss, rule Team Rocket and the whole world if he so chooses. Celebi transforms the forest shell into a monstrous form which continues to level the forest and even the lake with powerful beams of psychic energy. Its attack is directed at the group who crash land in the lake and continue to get shot at, James and Meowth manage to crawl towards land and worry about Jessie’s safety. Pikachu attacks and Iron Mask leaps aside, and soon another blast is directed at Ash and Sammy but Suicune grabs them and moves them out of harm’s way, before confronting Iron Mask. He attempts to capture it with his Tyranitar but Brock has his Onix intervene and battle it while Suicune climbs the monster to where Celebi resides. Suicune is forced to back off but finishes Tyranitar off with a powerful Bubblebeam, and Onix catapults it into the lake before collapsing from fatigue. Suicune attacks Celebi but isn’t a match and is restrained by vines and shocked with energy; Ash and Sammy take a fall but are saved by Jessie and make their way up to the core where Celebi is. They try to remind Celebi that it’s the forest’s guardian; it momentarily stops but Iron Mask’s control takes hold as Ash and Sammy climb up the interior of the monster. They remind Celebi of its friendship with Ash and Sammy but flashes of good memories are mixed with black bolts of mind control. Ash and Sammy make contact with Celebi and hold on as the monster trudges through the lake, and finally Celebi breaks free, its Dark Ball shatters, followed by the huge monstrous body. Celebi guides Ash and Sammy out safely but Celebi is weakening, Ash and Sammy return it to the land where the group and Suicune greet them but Celebi starts to rot away and is sadly dying. The Lake of Life fails to heal it because of the damage done to the forest and the lake, Suicune uses its power to purify the lake and Ash tries again to heal Celebi. Ash continues to try reviving Celebi, using the berries he kept, but they have no effect at all. The group grieve at the apparent loss of Celebi and Sammy is angered that this happened since it wasn’t Celebi’s fault. But as the Pokémon scream out for Celebi, something happens, a light shines from the sky and the Voice of the Forest aura showers down right before several Celebi from different times fly down to help their friend, they raise Celebi into the air before a green light shines through and revives Celebi. Afterwards, they return from the light portal back to the own times, and Celebi happily flies around the lake and towards the group... but the Iron Masked Marauder rises up and grabs it suddenly. He rises up via a jet pack but Ash grabs and hangs on to a high altitude, he climbs and clings to the hunter and Pikachu delivers a massive shock, destroying the jet pack and causing all to plummet. Ash grabs Pikachu and Celebi quickly slows Ash’s descent, while Iron Mask falls, crashes into several tree branches, and yet survives. His mask falls off and he is confronted by the residents of Arbourville and several of the forest Pokémon, he’s without his own Pokémon to defend him and several Bug Pokémon tie him up. Suicune is bid farewell before it bounds away into the distance, which leaves one last thing to take care of; Celebi prepares to go back to its time and take Sammy with it, he and Ash make a promise that they’ll always be friends, Sammy says goodbye and before he disappears he hopes to see Ash again someday. Ash is saddened even while the group confirm their latest adventure and the Pokémon seen to Oak. Oak questions him over this before Ash explains his friendship with Sammy, but Oak ensures Ash that true friendship withstands the test of time and that Ash will surely be friends with Sammy forever. The group rushes to the boat and promise to talk more about it the next time they are in Pallet Town, before they leave though, the group realises that they never mentioned Sammy’s name to Oak. Meanwhile in Pallet Town, Oak flicks through a familiar sketchbook before muttering “It seems like it happened only yesterday...” and viewing his picture of Pikachu and Celebi. James and Meowth reunite with Jessie and wind up peacefully floating in the Lake of Life, while Iron Mask’s Pokémon, free of his control, freely leave the forest. My favourite Quotes: Iron Mask: “Who are you three?...” Jessie: “Look at that mask; I’ve seen him before...” Meowth: “Yeah, wasn’t he in that Mexican wrestling movie?” James: “No Meowth, he’s from Team Rocket!” All Three: “The Iron Masked Marauder!” James: “As you can tell from the uniforms we’re Also members of Team Rocket.” Meowth: “Me too but Pokémon get ta go naked.” (Iron Mask stands on the Celebi monster’s arm with Jessie ensnared inside the beast) Jessie: “I’m very impressed. You and Celebi are Extremely powerful, now just get me down from here and I’ll recommend you for a Big promotion when you give Celebi to the Boss!” Iron Mask: “Ha ha ha ha ha!... I control the most powerful Pokémon in the world!...” Jessie: “Huh?” Iron Mask: “Why would I want to something That valuable to the Boss?” Jessie: “What do you mean?...” Iron Mask: “Now the Boss has to be afraid of Me, because Celebi gives me the power to destroy him. With Celebi I can Rule Team Rocket, and the Whole World if I want to! Ah Hah hahahahahahahahahahahaha!...” Meowth: “We’re no match fer that big twig monster.” James: “I know... Poor Jessie...” When this takes place: Bayleef has evolved, and for that reason this takes place after “Current Events” and probably after “Turning over a New Bayleef” since Ash and her battle as a team. I’d say this happens before “Got Miltank?” and “Fight For The Light!”, since the landscape in the former is right next to Olivine City and as from that landmark, the team head straight to Cinnabar, and aside from the fact they go the Whirl Islands and all afterwards (where the forest being there is highly unlikely), the theme song is replaced by the latest one (and each film so far takes place within the length of the series it matches the theme song with). Things I’d like to point out: I’m not counting the intro narrated by Brock in the Pokémon Count since it has been used before and is subject to be used again in future movies. Although Totodile and Cyndaquil appeared on one of the movie posters for this film, they are not present in the movie (only in the later added mini-movie). The forth movie breaks a couple of traditions like the lack of a mini-movie in theatres and UK releases and the lack of featuring in a UK cinema as do the films that follow. The fact a trainer with an Aussie accent is called Dundee and owns a Croconaw makes it painfully obviously he was named after the famous film character “Crocodile Dundee”. Ash doesn’t comment once on the fact he saw a Suicune on his first day in Johto, as a result, it’s not revealed whether this Suicune and the series Suicune are one in the same. Unlike the series, the quality of video phone screens appear to be slightly pixelated. Again Ash doesn’t know something he should, and can’t seem to recognise Double Team and Sammy has to tell him that he has to find the real Scizor, Sammy is from a time 40 years ago so this attack should be historically documented and well-known. The only difference is that the visualisation makes it seem it’s a faster Double Team than ever seen before plus the illusions travel clockwise and anti- clockwise simultaneously and the real Pokémon can reappear suddenly to deal a big hit. Still Ash should have at least recognised the attack because he and Chikorita managed to overcome Teddiursa’s Double Team back in the episode “UnBEARable”, and Bayleef is the evolved form of that same Chikorita. If Iron Mask meant his Dark Balls raise the captured Pokémon to the highest level (Level 100) then I find it hard to believe that Ash’s Bayleef could have defeated Scizor in two moves, especially since it’s a Steel-type (not to mention Bug-type) with a severe resistance to Grass attacks, that and after the big hits it dealt, Bayleef shouldn’t be left standing. Charmeleon however is believable in winning a battle like this seeing as it’s not only got the type advantage, but given Sammy’s future it’s safe to say he knows how to train Pokémon and probably has done for some time. I’ll leave the Scizor out since it’s got awkward large claws to think about, but surely the Sneasel could free itself if it just bent its arms at the elbows and sawed away at the ropes one at a time with its claws. When Sammy takes Celebi into the lake, he goes below waist height, but when he climbs out, his trousers are only wet from below the knees. The berries that the group eat must be hard despite being tasty, that or the crunching sound effect heard shouldn’t have been there at all. We discover that Oak is or at least was something of a Pokémon Watcher as well; I guess this is why Tracey was so obsessed with meeting him. I’m surprised Oak still has his sketchbook considering he lost it when he was pulled through time and was given it back in the future (but now 40 years older) and then at the end of the adventure when he presumably took it back with him into the past and so the present Oak would have had it for 40 years since the adventure, that makes the sketchbook at least 80 years old. I think this is the first time that knowledge of the Boss’s name; Giovanni, is revealed to any member of Team Rocket (as in Jessie, James and Meowth). I’m unsure whether or not it’s because the Boss has chosen not to give out his name to his lackeys unless they’re trustworthy or successful (this is how it works in the fanfic what with the Elite Rocket members, Junior Rocket and the Screwloose Brothers referring to him as the Boss like Jessie, James and Meowth do and only the Executive Rockets and the Lunar Crew getting to call him by his name Giovanni so far) or if Jessie and James are simply not allowed to call him by that or simply choose not to. Oh come on! Iron Mask shouldn’t have been able to survive that fall! If it was dangerous to Ash it should have been fatal for him. Looks like he’s developed the Team Rocket syndrome in that no matter how high he falls, he’ll survive. Disney movies have no trouble killing off their villains at the end of some of their movies, and since Iron Mask isn’t seen again, it would have served him right to perish if the writers weren’t so damn kid friendly, not that kids don’t watch said Disney films. The only good in his survival is for his appearance in my side story regarding his knowledge of the Celebi. The images of the group’s progress shown in the credits are slightly out of sync with the storyline, showing their leaving of Arbourville now rather than before. Other relevant events are Tracey (getting a brief cameo) discovering Oak’s sketchbook while cleaning with a particular picture inside and giving Oak a suspicious look before placing it back in the shelf. The rest comprises of the group peacefully sitting in another location, the forest regrowing and Suicune dashing onwards before more scenes of the group moving on and getting up to their usual activities (including one of them snacking on the same or similar berries as Celebi briefly glimpses them before moving on). Now that the revelation of Sammy and Samuel Oak being the same person has come to pass, what does this mean for the future, as in, how does the experience affect Oak’s choices throughout his life? Did he realise who Ash was the day they were originally meant to meet for the first time? Did he know he was destined to come across a Pikachu and introduce it to Ash? Did seeing future Pokéballs and gaining knowledge of the Pokédex affect his choices and interaction with them as they were being built? Did seeing Johto-based Pokémon like Sneasel, Scizor and Bayleef affect his research at all? Did seeing Meowth, a Pokémon talking like a human and learning of Team Rocket affect choices and what he would say to them upon meeting them? All the above questions are relevant if Sammy grew up to become the Professor Oak of this timeline and kept his memories as what Professor Oak says to the group plus the existence of his sketchbook suggests. Time travel plotlines all have consequences, and we only see the differences in Oak shine through in this movie alone. Cameos in Pokémon Journey: Big yes: Tetsubo embarks on a time travelling quest alongside some other trainers with potential, including Ash Ketchum in a big crossover that takes place in very much the same location. Pokémon: The First Movie Pokémon the Movie 2000 Pokémon the Movie 3 Pokémon Heroes: The Movie Back to the Movie and Mini-movie Guide Episode Guide Back to the Pokézone