The new Pokémon movie I Choose You details how Pikachu and Ash became friends, but two important characters are missing—and fans are not happy.
The upcoming film is a reimagining of the classic series, with its release coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon anime. It also capitalizes on a franchise that has seen a recent resurgence thanks in part to the popular mobile game Pokėmon Go.
The movie’s official site lists the primary characters and their voice actors, but Misty and Brock are noticeably absent from the lineup. This has many fans of the original series up in arms.
https://twitter.com/77Bowman/status/884499343390248960
wait i'm late on this but the new pokémon movie is overwriting brock and misty? what kind of bullshit
— liana. (@lianacrouton) July 11, 2017
https://twitter.com/coreyseville/status/884478043624026112
The removal of two fan-favorite characters is a hard pill to swallow, but it does not mean that the movie will be bad. Replacements for Ash’s original teammates come in the form of two new characters, Souji and Makoto. Little is known about the new additions other than their starter Pokémon, a Piplup for Makoto and a Lucario for Souji. Some fans are disappointed to see that without Brock there do not appear to be any Poké-heroes with varying skin tones apart from Ash’s usual tan.
Let’s hope that these new kids will be as much help as Misty and Brock, because Ash would never have made it far without his original crew.
The trailer teases at a sweet story about a boy and his Pokémon forming a close bond and braving the dangers of a world full of pocket monsters. The new team has the potential to form a brand new fan base, but the creators may lose some old fans with their decision to ditch the originals.
H/T Kotaku