Pikachu and Ash are back in an all-new Pok&émon movie next month, and the first trailer has just been released. Called Pok&émon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, the feature pits the two on a new adventure as they encounter the Mythical Pok&émon Zarude and overcome the danger that threatens the jungle. It’s set to be released on Netflix on Oct. 8, and you can check out the official trailer below.
The logline reads: “Deep in the jungle, far from any human settlement, you’ll find the Forest of Okoya-a Pok&émon paradise forbidden to outsiders. In this jungle lives Koko, a human boy who has been raised as a Pok&émon by the Mythical Pok&émon Zarude. Koko has grown up never doubting that he is a Pok&émon. But one day, a chance meeting with Ash and Pikachu leaves Koko with his first human friend. Is he truly a Pok&émon? Or is he, in fact, a human?”
Further describing Koko and Dada Zarude, the official website says of the characters, “Koko is a 10-year-old boy who lives in the Forest of Okoya under the care of Dada Zarude, who found him alone in the jungle when he was a baby. As Koko grows up, he begins to realize he’s not quite the same as the other Pok&émon. Dada Zarude left his troop to raise Koko, who he found as a baby in the jungle about 10 years ago. Dada Zarude and Koko live by themselves in the Forest of Okoya. But when Koko meets Ash, Dada Zarude is forced to acknowledge the truth about Koko’s identity.”
Other key characters are also described. One character, Doctor Zed, serves as the leader of the Biotope Company research team that is searching for a spring with healing powers in the Forest of Okoya. Also part of the main cast of characters is Sharon, a Biotape Company researcher who works under the leadership of Doctor Zed, collecting water samples to analyze their composition for clues about the location of a healing spring.
Tetsuo Yajima directs Pok&émon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle using a screenplay co-written with Atsuhiro Tomioka. It is the 23rd animated Pok&émon movie, and it’s notable for bringing back the traditional 2D style artwork rather than sticking with the CGI animation in the last installment, Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution. Many longtime fans of the franchise still prefer the classic art style.
Dada Zarude will also be made available to collect on the video games Pok&émon Sword and Pok&émon Shield. The character, who uses the trees and branches to its advantage and attacks foes with its sharp claws, comes wearing the pink cape he wears in the movie. Getting him requires signing up for the Pok&émon Trainer Club newsletter by Sept. 25, 2021, then watching for a special email and password to add Zarude to the game. Another new Pok&émon, Celebi, can be obtained the same way.
Pok&émon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle will be available to stream on Netflix on Oct. 8, 2021. It was previously released on Dec. 25, 2020, in Japan, following a delay from its original summer 2020 release.