Mewtwo Strikes Back
Plot I - Pikachu's Vacation:
is a 21-minute short film that is shown before Mewtwo Strikes Back in both the theatrical,
VHS and the DVD version of the main film. It is the first of the "Pikachu shorts" in what would be a traditional process of hosting a 20+ minute mini-movie before the main Pokémon feature that would last up until the sixth that would follow, focuses primarily on an action-packed affair involving solely the Pokémon seen from the anime as they take part in a scenario that eventually illustrates a moral.
In Pokémon fan communities, Pikachu's Vacation was noted for introducing the never-before-seen Pokémon character Snubbull, as well as the first primary anime appearance of Marill. This became a tradition for all Pikachu shorts, as they were used to introduce new Pokémon from the upcoming "generations" of Pokémon games, cards, and anime material.
When Ash and his friends stumble upon a Pokémon-only vacation resort, they decide to let their Pokémon have a day of fun and relaxation and let all their Pokémon out as the trainers go relaxing on their own. Pikachu and the Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, Geodude, Onix, Vulpix, Zubat, Staryu, Goldeen, Psyduck, and Togepi) go off into the resort and immediately contend with an unhappy Togepi, which they succeed in doing. Soon, a group of border-ruffian Pokémon — a Raichu, Cubone, Snubbull, and Marill — come along and immediately cause trouble for Pikachu's group. The ensuing standoff soon becomes a series of competitions such as a swimming race. Their increasingly passionate rivalry soon comes to a standstill when Pikachu's companion Charizard finds its head stuck. Putting aside their squabble, Pikachu and Raichu's groups join together to release Charizard, and they soon find themselves as friends for the rest of the day. At the end of the day, Pikachu and his fellow Pokémon leave the resort with fond memories and new friends and rejoin their trainers.
Plot II - Mewtwo Strikes Back:
The Pokémon Mewtwo was created in an island laboratory from the DNA of Mew, a rare Pokémon believed to be extinct, recovered from fossilized remains. Displeased with the concept of being nothing more than a mere lab experiment, Mewtwo destroys the laboratory.[2] Shortly afterward, he meets Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, who proposes a partnership with the Pokémon in exchange of helping it control its powers. Mewtwo is "trained" over the next few months, being pitted against challengers in Giovanni's gym and restraining Pokémon for Team Rocket to capture. Mewtwo eventually realizes that Giovanni is merely using him as a tool and destroys his headquarters. Mewtwo flies back to the island where it was created and begins plotting revenge against humanity.
Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum and his friends Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and all their Pokémon companions receive an invitation to a party hosted by the world's "greatest Pokémon Master" on New Island.Ash and his friends are excited and rush to the docks in an attempt to catch a boat to New Island, but a storm is mysteriously formed and all boat rides to the island are canceled. Undeterred, several trainers make their way out to the island by riding their Pokémon, though neither Ash nor his friends have any Pokémon of their own that can help them safely navigate the stormy sea. In their latest plot to steal rare Pokémon, Team Rocket offers the trio a lift to the island, disguised as a pair of Vikings, but their small wooden boat is destroyed by a wave. Ash and his friends manage to reach the island with their aquatic Pokémon, and are escorted inside the palace on the island.
Mewtwo reveals itself to Ash, his friends, and three other trainers who braved the storm battle as the "World's Greatest Pokémon Master," and that it had created the storm with its powers to test the trainers' wills. After being berated by Mewtwo for the relationships they share with their Pokémon, Ash and some of the other trainers challenge Mewtwo after witnessing Mewtwo's confession of having kidnapped Nurse Joy for his own personal purposes, the trainers pit their Pokémon against clones of Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard. The clones easily defeat the trainers' Pokémon. Mewtwo proceeds to steal all the Pokémon present, including Ash's Pikachu, with a special set of Poké Balls. Ash pursues his Pokémon as they are taken deep into a cloning facility on the island and rescues them while they are being cloned. The clones join with Mewtwo and the cloning machine explodes, releasing all the captured Pokémon. Mewtwo announces its intentions to overthrow humanity with its army of Pokémon and rule the world.
Enraged, Ash lashes out at Mewtwo, who repels and blasts him away with its psychic powers. Ash is saved by Mew, the rare, playful Pokémon having appeared periodically before, who is engaged by Mewtwo. A brutal battle between the trainers's Pokémon and their clones erupts, although Pikachu refuses to fight with its own clone resorting to slapping it (Meowth's clone also seems to refuse to fight, causing the original Meowth to ponder on what the two sides have in common).
The trainers are unable to bear this senseless violence, even while the two sides grow fatigued and Mew and Mewtwo continue fighting. In an attempt to put an end to the ordeal, Mew and Mewtwo sum up all their remaining powers for one final duel. As they open fire however, Ash runs to the center of the arena in a brave but desperate attempt to stop the fight with both blasts killing him and as he sinks to the floor. Ash, now dead, turns to stone just as Pikachu runs to Ash's side, calling Ash's name.
After trying to get him off the floor with little success, Pikachu attempts again using Thunderbolt, but in vain as the other Pokémon and Brock, Misty and Nurse Joy look on. In its grief, Pikachu starts crying for its fallen master, the other Pokémon in the arena doing the same. The tears all gather together and eventually reach Ash, their mystical healing powers bringing him back to life. Overjoyed, Pikachu leaps into Ash's arms as the two embrace, happy to be reunited once again.
As everyone rejoices, Mewtwo, taken aback by Ash's act of selflessness to save all the Pokémon, has an epiphany over the relationship between humans and Pokémon, and realizes that the circumstances of how one is born should not be allowed to divide anyone. It leaves the island with Mew and the cloned Pokémon, erasing everyone else's memory of the horrifying incident, knowing it is for the best.
Ash and his friends find themselves back on the docks with no idea how they got there. Ash looks up to the sky and spots Mew flying past, and recounts to his friends how he saw a rare Pokémon on the first day of his journey.
The Power of One
Plot I - Pikachu's Rescue Adventure:
As with before, the faces of the main human characters are unseen. When Togepi falls down a dark hole, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Marill, Venonat, and Psyduck give chase and find themselves in a giant tree that once was Pikachu’s old home. With help from Pikachu’s old friend, Elekid, the Pokémon find Togepi but she has been mistaken for an Exeggcute egg. The Pokémon head off into the depths of the tree to find the missing egg, meeting a trio of dancing Bellossom along the way. A severe storm hits the area and Pikachu and his friends try to protect the Exeggcute eggs from being blown away. The grass Pokémon lend a hand and Snorlax[2] saves everyone with his great strength.The storm fades when a Dragonair appears and calms the storm and a Chansey appears, revealing she had the missing egg all along. The eggs are reunited. Exeggcute suddenly evolves into Exeggutor with the assistance of a Leaf Stone. Pikachu and his friends say farewell to Elekid and the others and head back to their trainers. Meanwhile, Meowth tries to find his way to a campsite but ends up getting caught on Pikachu’s mishaps and gives up.
Plot II - The Power of One:
Lawrence III, a Pokémon collector, strives to make a legendary prophecy occur. His plan to capture the legendary birds Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno will ultimately lead to the capture of the "Beast of the Sea" Lugia. Lawrence sets out in his flying hovercraft to the heart of the Orange Islands to capture the three legendary birds, referred to as the Titans of Fire, Ice and Lightning. He successfully captures Moltres, but the balance of powers the birds have over the world's climate begins to collapse, causing all sorts of weather phenomena across the world, alerting countless Pokémon to the change. Ash Ketchum and his companions Misty and Tracey Sketchit get caught in a freak storm, and are washed ashore Shamouti, set in the centre of the Orange Islands. Learning the island festival celebrating the legend is about to begin, Ash is selected as the festival's chosen one by a girl named Melody, the festival maiden.
At the festival's banquet, Melody explains to Ash he must retrieve three glass balls from each of the legendary birds' islands and take them to Shamouti's shrine, guarded by a talking Slowking, where Melody will end his task by playing the festival's song, actually the song of Lugia. Ash immediately sets out, led by the troubled Pikachu. Taken to Fire Island by sea captain Maren, Ash and Pikachu find Moltres' treasure, but are interrupted by Team Rocket. Misty, Tracey and Melody arrive via Melody's multi-purpose boat, followed by Zapdos who attempts to conquer the island. Lawrence appears overhead, absorbing Zapdos' electrical energy and captures it along with Ash and co. accidentally. Meanwhile, Professor Oak, Professor Ivy, and Ash's mother Delia Ketchum fly to the islands but their helicopter crashes on Shamouti. Lawrence frees Ash and the others, but as he goes to catch Articuno, they free Moltres and Zapdos who escape and bring down Lawrence's hovercraft.
Meanwhile Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres have engaged in all out war, they unleash all of their powers trying to destroy each other. Ash and co. manage to escape, gaining Zapdos' treasure, and are transported back to Shamouti by a mysterious water spout revealed to be Lugia. Lugia at first tries to stop the battle himself, but is outmatched by the birds powers combined against him. Telepathically he then explains the birds and the weather can be stopped by the legend's Chosen One, actually Ash in reality. Ash agrees to go to Articuno's island to get the final treasure, but his progress is halted by the legendary birds. Team Rocket arrive on a speedboat made from a dingy and the helicopter's discarded propeller, wishing to save the world in order to continue their villainy. The group race up to Articuno's shrine and retrieve the treasure. The birds appear, Articuno destroying the speedboat but is knocked out by Moltres and Zapdos. Lugia rescues Ash and Pikachu, but Team Rocket heroically fall into the sea upon realising they are slowing Lugia down. Lawrence tries to catch Lugia, but Lugia uses its Aeroblast attack to destroy his airship and take out Moltres and Zapdos before collapsing into the sea.
Misty and Tracey rescue Ash and Pikachu, who venture to Shamouti's shrine and place the final treasure with the others. Melody plays Lugia's song, ending the storms and bringing peace to the legendary birds. Lugia rises from the sea, bringing the true Beast of the Sea with him, an underwater current that has been altering the climate. Later, after the birds returned to their islands, Lugia departs after thanking Ash. Delia and the professors arrive, Delia having witnessed her son's actions but asks him to be more careful which he complies with. Lawrence laments on his decisions, deciding to start his collection again. Team Rocket reach the island a day later, and are told by Slowking that the audience saw their heroics, the trio contemplating changing their ways.
Spell of the Unown
Plot I - Pikachu and Pichu:
The film comes accompanied by a short mini-movie featuring Pikachu. In this mini-movie, Pikachu and his friends are left on a skyscraper in Big City by their trainers, who go off to prepare an unknown surprise for the Pokémon. Pikachu meets the Pichu Brothers, saving the younger one from falling off an opposite building. A group of Murkrow chase Pikachu off a flagpole, and he uses a group of Hoppip to reach the other side, sending Meowth who is window-cleaning, flying into a billboard. The Pichu Bros. assist Pikachu to return to his friends but they end up going on a journey across the city to the Pichu Bros' playground. On the way, they get chased by a Houndour who they later encounter again. The angry Houndour chases the three around until he nearly knocks the playground over. Pikachu, the Pichu Bros., Houndour and their assortment of friends manage to save the playground. Pikachu realizes it is nearly six o'clock and he must return to his friends before Ash, his trainer, does. Pikachu and the Pichu Bros. use a tire to get to the building, sending Meowth flying again. The three arrive in the nick of time, the Pichu Brothers departing. Ash, Misty and Brock arrive and take the Pokémon into a room where a party has been laid out for them in celebration of the first anniversary of Ash and Pikachu's meeting.
Plot II - Spell of the Unown:
The feature film focuses on the beautiful town of Greenfield. A resident of the town, the research scientist Professor Spencer Hale, conducts research on the elusive Unown. He and his assistant, Skyler, discover a site of ruins, but Hale is sucked into the dimension of the Unown.
His disappearance leaves his young daughter Molly alone, her mother having disappeared previously. Molly finds a box of tablets containing Unown images and begins assembling the letters, which summons the Unown themselves. The Unown use their powers to make Molly's wishes come true, transforming her manor house into a crystal-like palace which spreads across the town and cuts her off from the world. Entei is created to represent Molly's father. Various people come to help sort out the Unown, including Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum (Ash's mother).
Meanwhile, Ash and his friends meet and befriend a trainer named Lisa and come into Greenfield in the process and agree to join in the rescue mission to save young Molly. However, Entei kidnaps Delia, following Molly's request for a mother as well. Through Entei's powers, Delia is hypnotized into thinking she is Molly's mother. Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon head out to the mansion to save Delia, communicating with Professor Oak and Skyler thanks to a PokéGear device given to them by Lisa. Team Rocket try to investigate the mansion, only to be blasted out of the air by Entei into the depths of the mansion. Molly watches Ash and the others through a television and falls asleep, imagining herself being a Pokémon Trainer. Entei then creates a dream version of Molly as an adult and takes her to battle the three. She first fights Brock, but her dreamed-up Pokémon are stronger than his; she then has a more friendly fight against Misty in an underwater battle, but the winner is not shown.
Ash manages to locate Molly and Delia, but Molly refuses to leave with him and the mansion transforms. Entei refuses to allow Ash to leave with his mother, and fights his Pokémon. He then blasts Ash and Pikachu off a cliff, but they are saved by the arrival of Ash's Charizard. Charizard, with Ash on his back, battles Entei until he is knocked out of the sky. Entei nearly kills Charizard until Molly commands him to stop and begs that no more fighting happens, which manages to stop Entei. Ash and his friends convince Molly to leave with them, Entei revealing he was created by the Unown to be her father.
The Unown suddenly lose control of their powers and start to seal the group in the mansion. Ash, Pikachu, Charizard, Misty, Brock, Delia, Molly and Team Rocket escape down to the hall where the Unown are. Pikachu and Charizard attempt to break the forcefield protecting the Unown, but they are unsuccessful—until they are joined by Entei, combining their powers to destroy the shield with Molly's support. Entei sacrifices himself and the Unown return to their dimension, reversing all of their effects on the world and returning Professor Hale to the ruins where he originally vanished.
The group ventures outside, where Professor Oak, Skyler, Lisa and others meet them. Team Rocket hides in the mansion upon seeing all of the police outside and vow they will succeed or fail in their next scheme. In the end credits, Charizard and Lisa depart from Ash's company, and Molly is seen with her own Teddiursa and reunites with her father—and later, with her mother.
Celebi: Voice of the Forest
Plot I - Celebi: Voice of the Forest:
The film focuses on Celebi, who travels to the future with a boy named Sam while being chased by a hunter. Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu are on their way to the next gym in their Johto journey and get a lift from a man named Maki, who takes them to his hometown of Arborville. They see a Suicune (who was actually the first Pokémon Ash saw in Johto). When they plan to enter a forest that is claimed to have many unusual and rare Pokémon, they are warned by an elderly lady about the "Voice of the Forest", which may carry a person off to a different period in time unless those hearing it stand still.
Ash finds Sam alone in the forest, as Celebi has fled. Sam awakens and discovers he is forty years in the future from when he was. He, Ash, and the others search for Celebi and they find it in a tree. After some convincing, the gang manage to gain Celebi's trust. They run into a high-ranking member of Team Rocket, the Iron Masked Marauder, who has been trying to capture Celebi. Jessie, James, and Meowth also team up with the Iron Masked Marauder to capture Celebi.
The heroes take Celebi to its home, the Lake of Life, where it is healed by the water. The group spend the night in the forest. The next day, Celebi is captured by the Iron Masked Marauder and is turned evil by the Dark Ball, a ball with special powers that turns the captured Pokémon evil, and immensely strengthen and magnify all of their abilities to the highest power level. Ash attempts to save Celebi by climbing the Marauder's robot, which falls over and throws them both out. Ash lands on the ground, but the Marauder begins to step on his hand; it keeps doing this until Ash falls unconscious. The Iron Masked Marauder orders Celebi create a giant monster from parts of the forest. The heroes chase after Celebi in Maki's flying boat, but are brought down by the evil Celebi's attacks. The Iron Masked Marauder tries to kill Ash and Sam, but Suicune saves them. Brock sends out his Onix, and it and Suicune do battle with the Masked Marauder's evil Tyranitar, while Ash, Sam, and Pikachu clamber into Celebi's creature and manage to get Celebi to remember its memories, successfully bringing Celebi back to normal, and destroying the Iron Masked Marauder's Dark Balls in the process, releasing his Scizor, Sneasel, and Tyranitar.
With the collapse of the giant monster, the Iron Masked Marauder falls into the lake. The other heroes rush to the lake's edge and find Ash and Sam with Celebi, who suddenly falls limp. Ash and Sam realize Celebi is dead and everyone weeps, while the Pokémon of the forest howl in grief. However, the Voice of the Forest materializes in the sky and numerous of Celebi appear and resurrect Celebi. The Iron Masked Marauder suddenly appears and kidnaps Celebi and flies up with a jetpack, but Ash and Pikachu hold onto him as he flies away. Pikachu destroys the Masked Marauder's jetpack with a "ThunderBolt" attack and they fall to Earth, but Celebi saves them. The Iron Masked Marauder falls down to the forest floor (losing his mask in the process) and is confronted by the old woman, her granddaughter Diana, Maki, and all the Pokémon of the forest.
Celebi prepares to bring Sam back to his own time. He has an emotional farewell with Ash and departs with Celebi. Before Ash leaves the town into his next journey, he talks to Professor Oak about what happened, and muses about the story. Professor Oak tells a sad Ash that he and Sam are going to be friends forever as true, strong and close friendships can withstand the test of time.
Ash, Brock, and Misty realise they never told Professor Oak Sam's name, but are soon distracted by the departing boat. Professor Oak is then shown with the sketch-book from earlier in the film, revealing that Professor Oak (whose first name is Samuel) is the grown-up Sam. He finally reveals it happened like it was only yesterday, after musing on a sketch he drew of a sleeping Pikachu and Celebi.