Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions



Zoroark: Master of Illusions was the 4th and final movie in the Diamond and Pearl saga of Pokémon.

A new sports game called 'Pokémon Boccer' is having its world cup tournament held in a place called Crown City. Excited, Ash and his friends decide to travel to Crown City to watch. Everyone is very excited to see the game, especially because the three Legendary Beasts of Johto are going to be playing, led by businessman Grings Kodai. However, everything falls apart with that idea, since the evil Pokémon Zoroark stowed away on Grings Kodai's ship, controlling the beasts and making them wreak havoc across the city, causing everyone to evacuate.

At least until Ash finds out that Zoroark is Zorua's mother, and that she's only doing these things for Zorua's sake. Ash takes it upon himself to return Zorua to Zoroark, and to find out just what it is that Grings Kodai is up to. Which is further complicated by the appearance of the real Legendary Beasts that have come to stop Zoroark.

""I guess there's no more time left for me...""
 * Accidental Pervert: Piplup the second time Zorua takes Dawn's form. Dawn does not approve.
 * Action Mom: Zoroark, full stop.
 * Adorably Precocious Child: Zorua.
 * Adult Fear: Zoroark knows her child is in danger, Both times, she just can't get to him.
 * Badass Adorable: Zorua tries to be this, he really does. Unfortunately, he is very small and only knows one move, and hasn't actually been able to prove his worth yet.
 * Despite that, he still ultimately ends up setting off Kodai's downfall Probably not on purpose, but still.
 * He was also able to hold his own for a brief moment against Kodai's Shuppet and Mismagius by transforming into a Tangrowth. He only lost that time because of Kodai's illusion canceller.
 * Beneath the Mask: The Big Bad Grings Kodai tries to present himself as an honest rich businessman trying his 'honest best to stop the "evil" Zoroark' from destroying Crown City. In reality, he's a greedy, sadistic Complete Monster who's coercing Zoroark to attack the city by threatening to kill her baby.
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 * Berserk Button: Kodai decides it's a good idea to hurt poor little Zorua right in front of Zoroark. Zorua ends up crying out for his 'Meema' before getting knocked out.
 * Big Bad: Grings Kodai. In terms of evil, he's up there with Hunter J and the Iron-Masked Marauder for being the most monstrous Pokémon [anime] antagonist ever.
 * Big Badass Fox: Zoroark.
 * Big Damn Heroes: There are several. First in the opening scene, Zorua finds himself cornered against a cliff by a mob of angry Vigoroth he accidentally angered while escaping from Kodai, but thankfully the group manage to arrive just in time to bail him out. Next, Later, Kodai finally catches up with him and Celebi and Zorua, despite his best attempts, is powerless to stop him, but thankfully Ash and company arrive in time to rescue them. The last two belong to
 * When both Zorua and Celebi have been taken down by Kodai, they're saved by Pikachu and Piplup, who are then set on by Goone's Scizor and end up being rescued by Togekiss and the rest of Ash's group.
 * Big Friendly Hyena: The Mightyena that Carl's grandpa owns.
 * The Cameo: Team Rocket is in the movie for spans of about five minutes with absolutely no purpose.
 * A shitton of minor characters from the Diamond & Pearl anime appear during the credits. Good luck naming them all - you'll need it.
 * The Cavalry Arrives Late: The real Legendary Beasts show up to stop Zoroark...after she stopped tearing the city apart and is now only looking for her injured son.
 * Blackmail: Kodai forces Zoroark to wreak havoc among the citizens of Crown City in exchange for Zorua's safety. He doesn't hold up his part of the deal at all.
 * Character Tics / Catch Phrase: Zorua's mischievous giggle. Heeheeheeheehee!
 * Chekhov's Gun: Zorua, which seems completely useless;
 * Clear My Name: Subverted, kind of. Zorua averts Poor Communication Kills by quickly explaining to Ash and company that Zoroark is his mother just trying to protect him and Kodai is the real Big Bad. Everyone else still seemed to blame Zoroark though. Played straight with the Legendary Beasts, who have to be convinced that Zoroark is the good guy.
 * Continuity Nod: Subverted. It was believed that Jimmy had made a cameo dressed up as HGSS Ethan. Sadly, it wasn't.
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: Kodai is the founder and owner of a huge company...who is secretly a murderous and extremely selfish villain. Really.
 * Crazy Prepared: Kodai seems to be this, having a gadget for nearly anything. Makes sense, as he is able to see the future and is a Manipulative Bastard.
 * Cross-Dressing Voices: Eileen Stevens as Zorua.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Almost any battle Zorua is in ends up this way, though it's mainly because, despite him trying as hard as he can, he's still just a baby and only knows one real move, plus his illusions were pretty much useless against Kodai because of the villain's illusion canceler. However, Zoroark delivers one in a Big Damn Heroes fashion by
 * In spite of being a legendary Pokémon, Celebi gets defeated once after one attack by a regular Pokémon, and a second time by a human using only his bare hands.
 * Darker and Edgier: Compare this movie to many of the movies before it. The antagonist Grings Kodai is so evil that he strangles Celebi, tries to kill Ash and his friends, and near the end,
 * It Gets Worse. In the English Dub,
 * It Gets Worse. In the English Dub,

"Ash: Stop, Kodai! All the trees and flowers will die! Kodai: What do I care? So long as my visionary powers grow, it's all worth it!"
 * And if you've had some practice at filling in the blanks about what Pokemon say, you can practically hear Celebi crying "STOPITSTOPITICAN'TBREATHE!"
 * Another thing to add is the previous two films had Well-Intentioned Extremist who at least thought they were doing the right thing. Kodai's a Selfish Evil Complete Monster only out for himself.
 * Darkest Hour:
 * Dark Is Not Evil: Zoroark and Zorua are both Dark Types, and Zoroark is rather frightening looking, but they're both rather heroic.
 * Death by Irony: Kodai's defeat is the direct result of
 * Death Glare: Kodai gets a mass Death Glare
 * Decoy Protagonist: Usually Ash is the one who pulls all the Big Damn Heroes and Deus Ex Machinas to Save the World. This time,
 * Defeat Means Friendship:
 * Deleted Scene: In the Cartoon Network premiere of this movie, the beginning sequence before the title card is cut out entirely. There really isn't any information cut out that the viewers don't get later, barring one exception.
 * Later airings of the movie included this scene.
 * Despair Event Horizon:
 * Determinator: Zoroark, even more so than Ash in this movie, made better by the fact that the only noises she makes are screams, and they sound just like another well known determinator due to sharing the same seiyū.
 * Must run in the family, kind of. Zorua isn't nearly as strong and gets beaten much more easily, but the little guy just keeps trying until he's finally
 * Disney Death: Happens to, then is quickly followed by a Tear Jerker
 * Disney Villain Death: is tricked by Zoroark's illusions to trip off and fall from a balcony in the stadium, a rather large height, and lays motionless on the ground below. However, he was just knocked out, not killed.
 * The Dragon: Goon pretty much takes that role for Kodai's Big Bad.
 * Dub Name Change: Zorua's pet name for his mother changes from 'Maa' to 'Meema' between dubs.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: Starring Zorua and Zoroark, who appear in Pokémon Black and White. A very subtle one is shown on Karl's cap. The silhouette on it looks very much like a Woobat.
 * Earn Your Happy Ending: Zorua and Zoroark, big time. Unlike in some other movies where Ash and company do all the work, they end up being the primary characters instead.
 * Edited for Syndication: The broadcast debut of the movie in the US cut out the first ten minutes before the title sequence. TPCi was not happy.
 * Electric Torture: Kodai's method of choice, though he only uses it like this once on Zorua to get his mother to back down. And it actually subverts Harmless Electrocution, as Zorua is clearly badly injured from it and in agonizing pain.
 * Engineered Public Confession: Kodai's downfall.
 * Evil Gloating
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Kodai has a Mook named Goon. Though said Mook is actually his Dragon.
 * Family-Unfriendly Death: is absolutely brutal.
 * For the Evulz: Just to prove what a Complete Monster he is, He then quips that he thoroughly enjoyed it.
 * Glamour Failure: Zorua's human guises all show his tail. It doesn't happen when he turns into fellow Pokémon. He is just a baby, though, so he probably hasn't had enough practice with it yet. Zoroark has no such problem.
 * Maybe because she has no tail?
 * Glass Cannon: Kodai's Pokémon both are. They're very powerful but both go down extremely quickly once someone actually gets a shot at them.
 * Go Through Me: the collective Pokémon of Crown City
 * Zorua tries his hardest to . At least he tried, though.
 * Go Out with a Smile:
 * Genre Savvy: Kodai has shades of this. He was smart enough not to risk his entire plan on a Pokémon battle (despite having quite powerful Pokémon) and even He was also Genre Savvy enough to assume that Zoroark had broken out at some point and is on her way,  However, he's stopped from being Dangerously Genre Savvy by his choice to go into Evil Gloating after seemingly winning and not
 * Harmless Electrocution: While electric attacks play this straight as always, this is subverted HARD by Kodai's weapons. No one he uses his wrist claw's shock on recovers quickly, and it even
 * Hero Antagonist: The real Legendary Beasts to Zoroark when they show up to protect the city...after she's stopped attacking it, and is only trying to reach her injured son and take revenge on Kodai for making her attack the city in the first place..
 * Averted in the manga,
 * Heroic Resolve: For once, not Ash; Zoroark gets this after spending a few hours trying and failing to free herself from her prison (cage encased in an outer coating of steel that badly shocks her whenever she touches it). Then she hears Zorua cry out for help and proceeds to tear her way out. After that, she's completely unstoppable, proceeds to pull two Big Damn Heroes moments (One by, then another by ), and fight to a draw against three Olympus Mons. By the time she's finally saved her son,
 * In-game, Zoroark's defensive stats are sub-par at best, so that makes this Zoroark's rugged determination even more impressive.
 * He's Dead, Jim:
 * Hey, It's That Voice!: Romi Park as Zoroark, Rie Kugimiya as Celebi, Koichi Yamadera as Goon, and Shoko Nakagawa as Proof.
 * In the dub, we have Sean Schemmel as Kodai, Bella Hudson as Rowena, and Wayne Grayson as Karl.
 * Hoist by His Own Petard:
 * Humiliation Conga:
 * An even more humiliating fact about it;
 * I Have Your Son: The entire reason Zoroark does anything Kodai says is that she believes he's got her son and will hurt him if she doesn't.
 * Infant Immortality: Zorua is a little baby, so he's in line for this, right? Wrong! Zorua gets the living tar beat out of him by Grings Kodai and his cronies, and Kodai even electrocutes the poor guy.
 * It's All About Me: Grings Kodai's philosophy. He even comes right out and says it.
 * It's All About Me: Grings Kodai's philosophy. He even comes right out and says it.

""I knew you were strong, Meema!""
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Zorua is rather mean and brash, but then again, he's just a baby.
 * Karmic Defeat:
 * Lack of Empathy: Grings Kodai.
 * Made of Iron: Zoroark is pretty darn sturdy.
 * Please note, she manages this trope compared to other Pokémon, who by their nature are Made of Iron.
 * She also manages this trope compared to her species in particular (read: a bunch of Glass Cannons.)
 * Mama Bear: Zoroark. Enough to break out of her prison all on her own, fight the Legendary Beasts to a standstill, and even foil the Big Bad's Evil Plan. In fact, she has such a defined motherly instinct, she can feel her son getting pushed around! Zorua even points it out near the end.


 * Manipulative Bastard: Kodai again.
 * Master of Illusion: Zoroark transforms into Entei, Raikou, and Suicune during its search for Zorua, and also Pikachu at the end. Zorua, on the other hand, changes into a number of creatures.
 * Medieval Stasis: Averted. Twenty years ago, Kodai's extendible claw was clunky and glaringly obvious. Now it's merely a string with a claw at the end of it that can be hidden in his sleeve.
 * Missing Trailer Scene: EVERYTHING. The very first teaser of Ho-Oh and Lugia, as well as Zoroark transforming into a darker version of Ash. Zorua does that, but it's in a different scene, which is brief and has no real plot relevance.
 * A later trailer included a scene where Zorua wakes up all alone in the middle of a forest in front of the Time Ripple, different scenes for the destruction of Crown City by the Legendary Beasts, a scene where Kodai is talking to himself behind a window, a scene where Celebi is chased by Ninjask, and finally a scene where Zorua shouts "maa~" on top of an old building and summons Zoroark. This trailer once again showed Zoroark turning into a dark version of Ash, this time in front of the real Ash, Brock, and Dawn before taking her real form.
 * Moment Killer: Almost literally. Zoroark and Zorua are moments away from finally reuniting
 * Monster Is a Mommy: Zoroark.
 * Monster Clown: Zoroark has a very clownish look about it due to its facial markings.
 * Mood Whiplash: See Disney Death entry.
 * Morality Kitchen Sink: If it weren't for, this movie would be full-on White and Gray Morality.
 * Eucatastrophe: Possibly the closest call of the movies so far.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Legendary Beasts, who are the guardians of Crown City, but believe that Zoroark is attacking the city (which she was, when they started off towards the city) and attack her...stopping her from reaching her injured baby who is in dire need of help.
 * Nothing Can Stop Us Now: After given his huge ego, cannot resist going on about how he's won and there's nothing Ash or anyone else can do about it.
 * Off-Model: A minor case, but the animators never can seem to make up their mind whether or not Zorua's hind legs have ankle joints.
 * Oh Crap: Goon gets a delightful one when he sees Zoroark, in a full on Mama Bear Roaring Rampage of Revenge, running straight at him. Later on, Kodai gets his own when
 * On a less fun, more tragic note,
 * One Pokémon Army: Zoroark, though mainly when her Mama Bear side kicks in. She was powerful enough to take on the three Olympus Mons guarding Crown City, who themselves probably fit in this trope, singlehandedly, and.
 * Note too that she fought several Bug Pokemon, which Dark-types are weak against, and stomped them all. Of course, they kept attacking with Ghost moves, which she resists.
 * The Password Is Always Swordfish: In the Japanese version, the password to Kodai's files about the Time Ripple is..."Time Ripple" ("VISION" in the English dub). Rowena lampshades this.
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: Ash and company are normally fine with letting the Big Bad be arrested and being done with it, but Kodai is such a horrible, evil person, they're not letting him off that easy. Did he deserve it? You bet!
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Karl's Bronzor, who's strong enough to psychically levitate Kodai's car into the air and THROW IT AGAINST A TREE.
 * Please Wake Up:
 * Police Are Useless: Subverted at the end.
 * Pokémon Shield:
 * Poor Communication Kills: Par for the course of a Pokémon movie.
 * Actually somewhat less; And as to the Legendary Beasts attacking Zoroark, she did think her son was in danger at the time and may have been too angry and/or not had enough time to explain.
 * The Power of Love: This is what enables Zoroark to be so Badass.
 * Prophecy Twist: Very early in the film, Kodai has a vision of himself absorbing the Time Ripple.
 * Rapunzel Hair: Zoroark. She can even fit her son in it!
 * Reverse Mole: Rowena.
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Zoroark's rampage towards the end is one half this, one half her being one serious Mama Bear.
 * Running Gag: Zorua turning into Dawn and Dawn getting mad.
 * Samus Is a Girl: A lot of people who only take a passing glance at this movie assume Zoroark to be male. She's not.
 * Sequel Hook: Ash promising to meet up with Zorua and Zoroark again whenever he sets up his mind to go to Unova.
 * Shock and Awe: Kodai seems to have a thing for electric power. His Shuppet can use electric attacks, and his two favorite weapons both involve it, an iron cage surrounded by steel which is electrified and a robotic claw that can dish out a deadly electric shock. Worth noting is that, in a rarity for Pokémon, Harmless Electrocution is subverted.
 * Smug Snake: Kodai is extremely smug for most of the film, though he gets progressively less composed the closer to the deadline he gets,
 * The Sociopath: Grings Kodai, through and through.
 * Spanner in the Works: turns out to ultimately be this to Kodai's plan.
 * Say My Name: A positively heartbreaking one from
 * Spot the Imposter: The real Legendary beasts happen to be shiny, wheras Illusionary Legendary Beast Zoroark is not.
 * Taking the Bullet:
 * Taking You with Me:
 * Even more fitting in the manga
 * Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Averted with Zoroark. Nothing about her suggests that she is female except for her son constantly calling her 'Meema'.
 * This Is Unforgivable!: While Zoroark seems to feel this way about him harming her child, everyone seems to feel this way about Grings Kodai's actions by the end.
 * Unstoppable Rage: Kodai hurting Zorua sends Zoroark into one of these. Let's just say that when she gets mad, standing between her and her baby is a very bad idea.
 * Verbal Tic: Zorua ends all of his sentences with the adorable "zo".
 * Villainous Breakdown:  goes through both versions of this. After  behavior becomes far less composed, and he's hysterically screaming that.
 * Villain with Good Publicity: Grings Kodai.
 * Would Hurt a Child:
 * You Can't Fight Fate: Kodai's visions will always come true, though his words imply that if one knows what they're doing, it's possible to Screw Destiny, as he claims that he can remove obstacles he's foreseen from his path.
 * You Shall Not Pass: Brock and Dawn hold off Goone while Ash tries to reach the time ripple.
 * Likewise, the Pokémon of Crown City attack Goone and Kodai while Ash's group escapes with Zorua and Celebi.
 * You Shall Not Pass: Brock and Dawn hold off Goone while Ash tries to reach the time ripple.
 * Likewise, the Pokémon of Crown City attack Goone and Kodai while Ash's group escapes with Zorua and Celebi.