Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions

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 and the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro Comic 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.

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. 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. 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.

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. A sweepstakes also took place on the official Pokémon website as a promotion for the movie.

Plot

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

Meanwhile, famous businessman Grings Kodai, his henchman Goone and secretary 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. 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. The next day, Celebi appears in town and makes 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.

Kodai then 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. Kodai looking for something called the Time Ripple to gain the power of foresight, 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 befriend 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; how the Time Ripple is created after Celebi time-travels and will linger for a day. Kodai planning to absorb its power again to replenish his fading foresight, that will cause destruction of the town's plant life in the process, like Kodai did twenty years previously.

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. Rowena recounts Kodai's vision that the Time Ripple is near a countdown clock, having checked them all, Joe reveals one other countdown clock in the local stadium and where the location of the Time Ripple; 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, the others 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.

Guest characters