Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel

Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion
Theatrical release poster
Japanese	ポケモン・ザ・ムービーXY&Z ボルケニオンと機巧のマギアナ
Hepburn	Pokemon Za Mūbī Ekkusu, Wai ando Zetto: Borukenion to Karakuri no Magiana
Literally	Pokémon the Movie XY&Z: Volcanion and the Exquisite Magearna
Directed by	Kunihiko Yuyama
Produced by	Satoshi Shimohira Susumu Matsuyama Kenichi Arai
Screenplay by	Atsuhiro Tomioka
Based on	Pokémon: XY&Z by Satoshi Tajiri Ken Sugimori Junichi Masuda
Starring	Rica Matsumoto Mayuki Makiguchi Yūki Kaji Mariya Ise Megumi Hayashibara Shin-ichiro Miki Inuko Inuyama Unsho Ishizuka Ikue Otani
Narrated by	Unshō Ishizuka
Music by	Shinji Miyazaki
Cinematography	Aya Aoshima
Edited by	Toshio Henmi
Production company	OLM, Inc.
Distributed by	Toho
Release date	July 16, 2016 (2016-07-16) (Japan)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	$20.2 million[1] ¥2.07 billion

Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion, known in Japan as Pokémon the Movie XY&Z: Volcanion and the Exquisite Magearna (ポケモン・ザ・ムービーXY&Z ボルケニオンと機巧のマギアナ, Pokemon Za Mūbī Ekkusu, Wai ando Zetto: Borukenion to Karakuri no Magiana) is a 2016 Japanese anime film produced by OLM, the third and final film in the Pokémon: XY series, and the nineteenth Pokémon film overall. This film is written by Atsuhiro Tomioka with Kunihiko Yuyama as the director.^[2] It was released in Japan on July 16, 2016. It was scheduled for release in some North American and European territories later that year.^[3] The movie premiered in the US on Disney XD on December 5, 2016.^[4] The movie premiered in the UK on CITV on November 19, 2016.^[5] The movie was released on DVD in the United States on March 21, 2017.^[6] The movie was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK on May 15, 2017.^[7]

Plot

Aboard an airship, Levi and Cherie, a man and woman from the Azoth Kingdom, are transporting an unseen cargo when they come under attack from Volcanion, a Mythical Pokemon of fire and steam. They counterattack and attach a metal band to Volcanion's leg before sending him falling to the forest below, where Ash Ketchum and his companions are camping out. Volcanion lands in their vicinity, and when they recover, Ash finds a second band attached to himself. Clement discovers the bands emit an electromagnetic force that binds Ash to Volcanion like a chain. Volcanion accosts the children and runs off, dragging Ash along with him.

Levi and Cherie arrive in the Azoth Kingdom and present their cargo, a strange, robotic-looking Pokemon, to their boss, Cabinet Minister Alva, and young Prince Raleigh. Volcanion arrives with Ash in tow, and during a confrontation, Raleigh explains the Pokemon is Magearna, an artificial Pokemon created in the Azoth Kingdom centuries ago. Ash's Pokemon arrive and help him and Volcanion escape with Magearna. They rendezvous with Serena, Clement, and Bonnie, who are fascinated by Magearna, but are unable to remove the chain binding Ash and Volcanion. Reluctantly, Volcanion allows the group to accompany him and Magearna to their home, Nibel Plateau. On the way, they are attacked by Team Rocket, who have been hired by Alva to recover Magearna, but the group is able to drive them off with help from Raleigh's sister, Princess Kimia. During their stay at Nibel Plateau, Clement and Kimia have the resident Pokemon break the electromagnetic bands. Finally free, Volcanion orders the humans to leave, but they refuse. Volcanion explains that the Nibel Plateau Pokemon have all been abused by humans, making him distrustful of the latter.

The next day, Alva and his henchmen attack and recapture Magearna. He removes Magearna's "Soul-Heart", which he plans to use to activate a mechanism in the Azoth Castle that turns it into a flying fortress. Raleigh tries to stop him, but is knocked unconscious; Alva also abandons Jessie and James and captures Meowth, who can hear and translate Magearna's spirit inside the Soul-Heart. Volcanion, Kimia, and the trainers give chase and battle Levi and Cherie, who use unique Mega-Stones to brainwash an army of Mega-Evolved Pokemon. As the castle takes to the skies, Ash and Pikachu storm the fortress with Volcanion, Kimia, and Greninja, but are trapped by Alva, who attempts to break Magearna's spirit by firing at Nibel Plateau. However, the resident Pokemon repel the attack with help from Squishy the Zygarde. Volcanion frees himself and the trainers, and Ash jams Alva's staff into a gear mechanism, breaking the stone that keeps his Pokemon army under his control. Alva sets the fortress on a collision course with the plateau and tries to escape with a jet pack, but Greninja disables it, causing him to fall to his apparent death. Ash returns the Soul-Heart to Magearna, but her spirit is gone.

To prevent the fortress from crashing into the plateau, the group resolves to destroy it. Ash, fearing for Volcanion's life, tries to dissuade him, but Volcanion uses his power to destroy the fortress, seemingly sacrificing himself. Later, at Nibel Plateau, Magearna is mourned by her friends and even Team Rocket. However, she regains her spirit when Volcanion appears, having survived. Volcanion, now considering the humans friends, tells Pikachu to take care of Ash, and the group rejoices.

During the credits, Alva is revealed to have survived is arrested by Kimia using the same magnetic bands used to shackle Ash and Volcanion. Levi and Cherie are arrested as well. Later, the Nibel Plateau Pokemon unceremoniously bury the remains of the Alva's fortress, while Kimia proudly watches as Raleigh, as per Ash's advice, sets off on a Pokemon journey of his own. Ash and his friends run toward the horizon, continuing their own journeys.

Cast

Guest characters:

• Volcanion is the Steam Pokémon, who watches over the Nebel Plateau and is distrustful of humans. He is voiced by Somegoro Ichikawa in Japanese and Mike Pollock in English.
• Magearna is an artificial Pokémon created in the Azoth Kingdom, which she fled to prevent misuse of her power. She is Volcanion's best friend. She is voiced by Yuka Terasaki.
• Alva is a sadistic councilor of the Azoth Kingdom and the main antagonist, who desires the power of Magearna's "Soul-Heart" for his own ends. His main Pokémon is a Shiny Gengar. He is voiced by Koichi Yamadera in Japanese and Billy Bob Thompson in English. In the English dub trailer, he was voiced by Sean Schemmel.
• Kimia is the Princess of the Azoth Kingdom, who prefers to look forward rather than behind. She is skilled with a variety of machinery. She is assisted by an alternate-colored Gardevoir, who can Mega Evolve. She is voiced by Mayu Matsuoka in Japanese and Riley Joseph in English.
• Raleigh is the Prince of the Azoth Kingdom and Kimia's younger brother. He is friendly and well-meaning. He is naive due to his fixation with history. He is accompanied by a Slurpuff. He is voiced by Shoko Nakagawa in Japanese (who also celebrated her tenth anniversary in the film series and the franchise) and Laurie Hymes in English.
• Nikola is a scientist of the Azoth Kingdom half a millennium in the past who created Magearna. He is the ancestor of Kimia and Raleigh. He is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in Japanese and Scottie Ray in English.
• Levi and Cherie are Alva's henchman and henchwoman, who control his Mega Evolved Pokémon army.
• Flamel is Kimia's personal assistant.

Production

A teaser of the film was first revealed after the screening of Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages in Japan. Its temporary title and featured Pokémon was later revealed in the January issue of the CoroCoro Comic on December 15, 2015. It was temporarily titled Pokémon the Movie XY&Z. In the March 2016 issue of the CoroCoro Comic, the 7th Generation Pokémon Magearna was revealed and announced as another one of its stars.^[8] As part of the promotions for the film, The Pokémon Company hosted a general election for fans to vote which of the 720 Pokémon is their favorite Pokémon, which ran from April 16, 2016 to May 8, 2016.^[9]

Music

The movie's ending song is titled "Post ni koe o nageirete" (ポストに声を投げ入れて, Posuto ni koe o nageirete, lit. Mailing out My Voice) by YUKI.^[10][11]

Box office

This film ranked 4th on the Japanese box office grossing ¥323,901,600 ($3.09 million) in its first weekend on 366 screens with 289,971 admissions. On its third day of release (Marine day), it grossed a total of ¥475,547,600 ($4.6 million) with a total of 430,987 admissions. This film grossed second lowest in the opening weekend in its film franchise.

References

External links

• Japanese movie website
• Pokemon.co.jp movie website
• Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel on IMDb
• Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel at Anime News Network's encyclopedia