Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys

The seventh theatrical Pokémon film sends Ash and his friends to LaRousse, a gleaming coastal city where a supercomputer manages everything from traffic to defense. But when a crystalline alien Pokémon arrives, the city's automated systems go haywire, turning the metropolis into a maze of traps and barriers. Director Kunihiko Yuyama keeps the action tight as Ash, Pikachu, May, Brock, and Max race to protect a frightened boy named Tory while two legendary creatures, Deoxys and Rayquaza, threaten to tear the city apart.

Released in Japan on July 22, 2004, and in the United States on January 22, 2005, the film earned $34 million worldwide against an estimated $25-30 million budget. It was the first Pokémon movie to feature the Hoenn region's Deoxys, a Pokémon with multiple forms, and marked the anime debut of the sky guardian Rayquaza. While critics found the plot derivative, audiences embraced the colorful animation and the familiar warmth of the Pokémon world. The film holds a 6.6 on IMDb and a 67% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.[edit]

A green crystal meteor crashes in the Arctic, releasing a mysterious Pokémon called Deoxys. The sky guardian Rayquaza attacks it, and Deoxys vanishes, but not before releasing a strange energy that crosses the world. Five years later, Ash Ketchum and his friends arrive in LaRousse, a futuristic city where a central computer handles everything. They meet Tory Lund, a boy who is terrified of Pokémon due to a traumatic event from his childhood. His father, Professor Lund, once studied the Deoxys phenomenon.

While exploring the city, Ash and Pikachu befriend Tory, who lives isolated from the Pokémon-filled world around him. Meanwhile, the original Deoxys arrives in LaRousse, drawn by the energy of a second Deoxys that has been hiding in the city. The two forms of Deoxys, one defensive, one offensive, try to reunite. The city's Defense System mistakes them for threats and activates automated weapons, force fields, and moving walkways that trap citizens and create chaos. Team Rocket, as usual, gets caught up in the mess.

Ash realizes that the key to stopping the conflict is not fighting Deoxys but understanding its true intentions. He encourages Tory to face his fear and communicate with the alien Pokémon. As Rayquaza descends to destroy Deoxys once more, Ash and his friends must navigate the malfunctioning city to protect Tory and find a way to calm all three forces before LaRousse is destroyed.[edit]