M05
Pokémon Heroes (Japanese: 水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス The Guardians of Altomare) is the fifth Pocket Monsters movie. It features Latios and Latias.
It was released in Japan on July 13, 2002. Distributed on limited release by Miramax, it opened in select American theaters on May 16, 2003.
In Latin America, it was the last Pokémon movie to be dubbed to the Spanish language; the series continued to be dubbed in México, however.
Film Synopsis
Two agents of Team Rocket, Annie and Oakley are sent by Giovanni to the water-based city of Altomare to retrieve the Soul Dew, said to contain the spirit of a Latios, a Legendary Pokémon. The main reason for obtaining it is to power a special machine called the Defence Mechanism of Altomare, or D.M.A. for short. Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum and his companions, Pikachu, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon are visiting Altomare during their travels in the Johto region. Ash and Misty participate in a water chariot race through the city's canals, the Tour de Altomare. Ash, Misty and the champion Ross mostly lead the race, but the interference of two invisible Pokémon causes Ash to lose. Misty wins by an inch with her Corsola against Ross' Wailmer. Ross congratulates Misty by giving her and the others a tour across the city on his gondola, telling them the legend of the city's protectors, Latios and Latias.
Team Rocket are also in the city but are there on vacation, but upon seeing Annie and Oakley, they decide to stalk them. The two spies are actually tracking down Latias, who can shapeshift into a human girl. The two trap her with their Espeon and Ariados, but the timing arrival of Ash and Pikachu allows Latias to escape with them, outrunning Annie and Oakley's Pokémon. Latias in return leads Ash to safety but she suddenly vanishes. Ash, Misty and Brock later visit the city's museum where they meet the curator, Lorenzo who explains the city's history, where an evil Pokémon Trainer tormented the civilians with his Aerodactyl and Kabuto. But the original Latios brought water to the city, drowning the fossil Pokémon, leaving only their remains which are implanted into the museum's floor. Lorenzo shows the D.M.A. to the trio, but Ash spies a girl who looks remarkable similar, if not identical, to Latias in human form. Ash and Pikachu pursue the girl across the city, losing her, and then running into Latias, who leads them to her home hidden in the depths of the city - a beautiful garden.
However, Latios and the other girl, Bianca are hostile towards the intruders, until Lorenzo appears. Lorenzo is revealed to be Bianca's grandfather and calms everyone down. Latias reveals herself to Ash as a Pokémon and they, Pikachu and Latios play together. Lorenzo and Bianca finish the story about Altomare's history, explaining that the original Latios died when he saved the city, and left behind Latios and Latias. The Soul Dew contains his soul and is actually in that very garden, kept in a hidden pool. Lorenzo explains if it is removed, it could be used to destroy the city. Ash and Pikachu leave with Bianca, but that night, Annie and Oakley invade the garden, capturing Latios and the Soul Dew. Lorenzo and Bianca follow them to the museum where Oakley plans to use the D.M.A. to destroy the city. Latias finds Ash and alerts him of the situation. Ash, Pikachu and Latias head to the museum, escaping the city-wide lockdown but are nearly killed by the revived fossil Pokémon. Upon arriving at the museum, they find the D.M.A. out of control and Latios being used as its source, but in immense pain. Misty and Brock show up later to lend a hand as Latias uses her psychic powers to free her brother and stop the machine. However, the Soul Dew explodes and causes all the water to leave the city.
Heading outside, the group discover that a giant tidal wave is heading for the city. Latios and Latias race to stop it and use their combined psychic abilities to destroy it. However, Latios gives his life to save the city and dies after a brief farewell with Latias. Latios' soul becomes the new Soul Dew and is placed back in the garden. The next day, Ash, Misty and Brock are departing Altomare and say farewell to Lorenzo. On their way out, they spot Bianca or Latias in human form waving to them. Ash meets her at the dock where she hands him a drawing of himself and Pikachu, and then shocks both him and his friends by kissing him. Misty and Brock are left puzzled on who actually kissed Ash, Latias or Bianca. The group leave the city, Ash and Pikachu spying what looks like two Latios and Latias flying overhead.
Annie and Oakley, meanwhile, are later freed from the D.M.A. after being trapped in its control seat and sent to prison where it appears they are still scheming. Team Rocket's role was limited in this film, as they are in the next several films.
Characters
Human
Pokémon
Movie guide
Character introductions
Important events
Pokémon debuts
Trivia
- This movie uses the same intro from Pokémon 4Ever before the movie begins
- Director Kunihiko Yuyama looked to Venice, Italy for inspiration when designing Alto Mare.
- In a throwback to Pokémon 2000, Annie and Oakley are reading about Lawrence III during the credits of the movie.
- Images of Mewtwo, Lugia, Entei, and Celebi were hidden in the movie as a reference to the major Pokémon in the previous movies.
- This is the first movie to feature the death of a Pokémon.
- At the end of the movie, Latias flies by with a baby Latias and Latios.
- In the background of the cover there are a couple of gondolas in the water, the fact that nobody is in means that they must floating loosely around the city using the canals.
- This is the fourth Pokémon movie to air on Toon Disney. The first three were Jirachi: Wish Maker, Destiny Deoxys, and Pokémon 4Ever.
Errors
- In the scene before the movie where Brock tells how Ash got Pikachu, Ash is pictured fully clothed - in the episode in question, Ash was still in his pajamas. Also, Pikachu is pictured like he and Ash already were friends. In the episode however, Pikachu hated Ash and it was first in the end they become friends.
Dub edits
The entire backstory of the movie was changed in the dub. A segment of approximately two minutes, which told the story of the origin of the Soul Dew in Alto Mare's ancient history, was cut. This cut also removed the reference to the fact that many Latios and Latias came and went to and from Alto Mare frequently, causing some confusion to dub watchers when two Latios and a Latias appeared in the credits. Replacement backstory was added in the form of dialogue telling about an evil trainer who once attacked the people of the city with a Kabutops and Aerodactyl, until Latios brought water to the town, drowning the evil Pokémon and turning the streets to canals.
Also, in the American DVD release of the movie, an intense blue tint was applied, making most of the colors much darker than in the original.