Follow TV Tropes

Following

Anime / Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pokemon_ranger_and_the_temple_of_the_sea.png
The seas 'cross over' with the Ranger of Pokémon.

Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, or known in Japan as Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation the Movie: The Pokémon Ranger and Prince of the Sea: Manaphy, is the 9th Pokémon film to be released, and is the last film for Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire of the series. It was also the first and only Pokémon film to be based on a spin-off, until Detective Pikachu came out. It was also the first movie to be dubbed by The Pokémon Company International.

A Pokémon egg is obtained by a pirate known as Phantom. Working undercover is Jack "Jackie" Walker, a Pokémon Ranger who retrieves the egg and flees. Meanwhile, Ash, May, Brock and Max meet up with Lizabeth, one of the descendants of the "People of the Water." Later, they team up with Jackie as they attempt to keep the egg safe from Phantom and his crew, and a Manaphy hatches from the egg. The little Pokémon sees May as its mother.

With a feature running for 1 hour and 45 minutes, it is currently the longest Pokémon: The Series movie made-to-date.


This movie provides examples of:

  • The Ace: Jack Walker. The guy's a skilled Ranger with plenty of great feats of acrobatics and strength, he manages to infiltrate the headquarters of a notorious pirate and get away, and go toe-to-toe with said pirate numerous times with nary a scratch. They don't just let anyone be a Pokémon Ranger, and Jack proves it.
  • Adapted Out:
    • Judy, Ship's Shipmates, and Kyle are absent in the manga adaptation of this movie.
    • The manga adaption also removes the scene where the group goes swimming in the ocean.
  • Anachronic Order: A dub-only example: the film premiered in America in April 2007, a month after the Advanced Generation series had concluded on Cartoon Network.
  • All Animals Are Dogs: The performing family's Buizel, which is seen licking Max once and also repeatedly plays with the Manaphy egg before it hatches.
  • Ambiguous Gender: Manaphy, despite it being named "The Prince of The Sea," is genderless in the main series; although this specific Manaphy could be a male.
  • Ambiguous Situation: The film brings up the possibility of May (and Max by extension) being descended from the People of the Water because of her dream of the Sea Temple and Manaphy with Lisbeth even giving May her own crystal bracelet but it's never directly confirmed.
  • Animation Bump: Many of the scenes in the movie are animated with greater fluidity and detail than they are in the actual series, on account of having a larger budget.
  • Ax-Crazy: The Phantom is a bit more restrained during the beginning, but his grip on sanity begins to slip a little bit as his attempts at stealing the Sea Crown are foiled. He even slaps Manaphy into the ground at one point.
  • Bad People Abuse Animals: During Phantom's attempt to steal the sea crown, Manaphy tries to stop him but ends up being tossed to the floor. May is reasonably upset by this.
    • In the Manga, he straight up smacks Manaphy away.
    • When May, Manaphy and Pikachu escape the capsule, Phantom sneaks up on them and snatches Manaphy before speeding away. Manaphy is seemingly in pain by his tight grip.
  • Bare Midriffs Are Feminine: Lizabeth, the youngest of her family and the most feminine, wears an outfit with a Navel Window. Likewise, May, the only girl in Ash's group, wears a bikini during the swimming scene.
  • Big Bad: The Phantom acts as this one for the film, being a pirate who seeks to steal Manaphy so he can plunder the titular sea temple and steal its riches within.
  • Big Brother Instinct: One of Ash's fiercest instances towards May during the climax, placing her, Pikachu and Manaphy into a sealed airtight tank so he can reactivate the temple alone.
  • Big Brother Mentor: Jackie develops this kind of relationship with Ash over the course of the movie.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Samiya is saved and the Phantom is arrested, but May and Manaphy still have to say goodbye.
  • Book Ends:
    • The film opens with Jackie Walker stealing the Manaphy egg onboard the Phantom's submarine. The film ends with Jackie arresting the Phantom over what remains of his ship, with Phantom buried in the wreckage.
    • Our heroes are crossing a scorching wasteland before they run into Lizabeth's family, and are treated to their water show (even getting to participate in it). The film ends with everyone getting to participate in a "second" show of sorts, as The Sea Crown gives them the power to swim through the ocean with great power and speed.
  • Borrowed Biometric Bypass: A G-rated magical version. There are certain locked doors that can only be opened with a bracelet owned by "The People of the Sea", but the Phantom has a discarded one that still works.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: In the dub, Meowth says that Diamond and Pearl would be great names for games. Later on, when Jessie repeats "Diamonds and Pearls", Meowth says they should get through this season first.
  • Break the Cutie: May gets put through the emotional wringer in this movie when she finds herself caring for an infant Manaphy, only to be given the harsh truth that she can't keep it and has to let it go to allow her child to fulfill its destiny. When Jack tells her this, she starts bawling with heartbreak at the prospect.
  • Brick Joke: When Jack climbs on a boulder while fighting Phantom, Phantom proceeds to toss the boulder like it's made out of styrofoam. Jack, understandably impressed, asks Phantom if he takes vitamins. When Phantom's Super-Strength is revealed to be because of some sort of power suit, Jack comments that he "didn't think a guy like that took vitamins."
  • But Now I Must Go: Manaphy is forced to leave so it can fulfill its destiny as "The Prince of the Sea".
  • Call-Back:
    • When Manaphy hatches and imprints itself onto May, Brock notes that when eggs hatch, most Pokémon imprint themselves onto whoever they see when they first hatch as their mother. Misty's Togepi did the same thing when it hatched.
    • May's mother/son dynamic with Manaphy isn't all that dissimilar to Misty's and Togepi's, complete with both having to part.
  • Card-Carrying Villain: The Phantom is a plundering pirate of the seas and proud of it, especially with his "There Are Two Kinds of People in the World" speeches always putting himself as the powerful person in them.
  • Catchphrase: Phantom repeatedly tells his Mooks that "There Are Two Kinds of People in the World".
  • The Cavalry Arrives Late: Officer Jenny shows up to arrest the Phantom after Ash defeats him.
  • Chekhov's Gun: The capsule that Team Rocket uses to hide from Phantom while they were following him to the Temple of the Sea.
  • Chekhov's Boomerang: Heart Swap. It becomes a defibrillator of sorts when Ash drowns, and later snaps The Cavalry Water-types out of their confused states.
  • A Child Shall Lead Them: Manaphy is prophesied to be the "Prince of the Sea", and is introduced in the film as an egg before it hatches in May's arms.
  • Compressed Adaptation: The manga Adaptation of this movie is compressed into 4 chapters total.
  • Continuity Cameo: Attila, Hun and Marina (from The Legend of Thunder), Solana, Rebecca and Brendan.
  • Contrived Coincidence: Ash and his friends get lost in a wasteland and end up bumping into Lizabeth's family's traveling water show, where they happen to be practicing. By extra coincidence, Jack is there undercover to protect Manaphy's egg from The Phantom, and the group gets involved in the plot from there.
  • Covers Always Lie: The film's poster shows Ash piloting some sort of vehicle. He never does so in the film proper.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Jackie manages to escape the Phantom's forces without breaking a sweat, and even their Pokémon don't get a chance to lay in a hit on him.
  • Cue the Sun: Right after Ash saves the Temple, it rises out of the water, at the same time as the sunrise.
  • Cute, but Cacophonic: Manaphy's shrill crying and shrill voice throughout, including the scene where Manaphy cried/threw a tantrum over May's absence before it uses Heart Swap of course.
  • Crying Critters: Manaphy is prone to crying, usually when it's separated from May, or getting hurt.
  • A Day in the Limelight: May, as the movie focuses on her friendship with Manaphy, similar to how the sixth focused on Max and Jirachi.
  • Damsel in Distress: May gets saved by Ash Ketchum at the end of the Manga.
  • Desperate Object Catch: While May and the Phantom are struggling over the container holding the Manaphy egg, its lid is pulled open and the egg flies into the air. May runs after it and dives to catch it, ending up face down on the ground.
  • Deus Exit Machina: Why Corphish was at the Blue Lagoon during the temple's discovery. Ash saving the temple would have been a lot easier if he had the aquatic Pokémon at his beck and call at the time. The same could be probably be said for Jackie, who deserts the temple when he thought everyone else has gotten out of it safely.
  • Disney Death: Ash drowns, but he gets revived by May and Pikachu's prayers (heard through Manaphy's Heart Swap) and saves the Sea Temple. For a moment the three are convinced Ash's actions were a Heroic Sacrifice, then a freaky spark appears...
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Chatot, Buizel, Mantyke, and Manaphy, all of whom are Sinnoh Pokémon.
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: The Buizel acts more dog-like and less anthropomorphic then any Buizel shown afterwards.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Jack is introduced infiltrating the Phantom's submarine and managing to effortlessly steal the Manaphy egg from him and get away, all to establish him as The Ace.
  • Fanservice: At a later point in the film, while the group is out at sea and decides to take a dip in the ocean, May is shown wearing a revealing pink and red bikini, while Ash and Brock are both in swim trunks. Ash and May then decide to swim underwater with Manaphy, getting a liberal amount of Ship Tease in for good measure.
  • "Freaky Friday" Flip: Manaphy's Heart Swap ability causes whoever it uses it on to switch bodies. It uses it on Team Rocket when they try to swipe it as an egg (much to their confusion), then it becomes a Chekhov's Skill when it uses it on Ash and Jack to force the latter to let May and the others come along.
  • Gondor Calls for Aid: Like Pokémon 2000, only it's limited to Water-type Pokémon, including Kyogre. At least this time they participated in the final battle. Yeah, Phantom's crew is screwed, especially once Ash and pals smash the sonar weapons that had been keeping the Water-types at bay.
  • Heroic Second Wind: While reactivating the temple, Ash almost loses consciousness from lack of oxygen, until Manaphy channels May and Pikachu's concern for him, waking him up to place the final crystal.
  • Imprinting: May was the first thing that Manaphy saw when it hatched (especially since she happened to be holding the egg when it hatched)—as a result, Manaphy assumes that May is its mother. May quickly becomes attached to Manaphy, treating it like it actually is her child.
  • Invisibility Cloak: The Sea Temple is protected by a spherical barrier which, among other things, renders it invisible.
  • Ironic Nickname: Manaphy is ironically called "Prince of the sea" throughout the movie when it's technically not royalty at all.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: At one point, May overhears Jack talking to Ash and asking her to keep her away from Manaphy, not wanting the Pokémon to get too close to May out of fear it will want to stay with her and not fulfill its destiny. As harsh as Jack's words are, May solemnly accepts that he's right, even if she breaks down crying about it shortly after.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: The Phantom spends the entire film trying to steal Manaphy for himself so he can plunder Samiya for the Sea Crown. He loses his entire fleet, he and his men are arrested, and the source of his "strength" (alias his mech suit) is destroyed.
  • Last of His Kind: Lizabeth, one of the descendants of the "People of the Water", and her family, are among the few left that hail from that lineage. It's discussed May and Max (which could also mean Norman and Caroline) might be as well, but it's never spoken.
  • Le Parkour: Ash inexplicably knows how to pull this off when he was trying to save the sinking temple.
  • Lighter and Softer: The manga Adaptation of this movie is a lot more child-friendly than the original movie of the same name.
  • Little "No": May gives one during the climax when she thinks Ash drowned saving the temple.
  • Mama Bear: Once she gains a "son" in the form of Manaphy, May is extremely protective of it, and helps to calm it down when it starts crying.
  • Magic Music: Manaphy's singing has the ability to calm water Pokémon, and allows access to the Temple of the Sea.
  • Merchandise-Driven
    • This movie advertises the Manaphy event in Pokémon Ranger and, subsequently, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
    • Considering its title and content, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that, like the animé episodes with Solana, this movie advertised the first Pokémon Ranger game itself.
  • Mood Whiplash: May's final words go from emotional to very happy in the end: "No, I'm not alright, but I will be."
  • Mythology Gag:
    • In order to stop Team Rocket from escaping with the Manaphy egg, Jackie captures a Fearow, alluding to one of the leaders of the Pokémon Rangers in the first game, who has Fearow as his signature Pokémon.
    • Among other things, Jackie's flashback shows him wearing Gold's/Ethan's clothes.
  • Navel Window: Lizabeth's outfit has a decent sized cut on her shirt that shows off a good chunk of her stomach.
  • Non-Indicative Name: Compared to popular belief, Manaphy isn't technically royalty at all to begin with. Many Humans in the Pokémon universe call Manaphy "Prince of the Sea", likely because it was rare.
  • Noodle Incident: The Phantom having possession of a People of the Water's bracelet. The group is shocked he even has one, though he only says he went through a lot of trouble to get it and doesn't reveal how he came by it.
  • Parrot Pet Position: Where the Phantom's Chatot is usually found, rather appropriately playing into the Pirate Parrot stereotype. It later leaves him for Jack.
  • Performer Guise: While staying with the Marina Group family circus in order to protect the Manaphy egg, Jack "Jackie" Walker wears a clown costume disguise to fit in with the other performers.
  • Pet Baby Wild Animal: May winds up in the care of a Manaphy who's supposed to fulfill its duty as the Prince of the Sea, but chooses to raise it like she's its mother.
  • Pirate Parrot: As it typical for the stereotype, The Phantom has a Chatot (the closest Pokémon equivalent to a parrot) that rides on his shoulder.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: Once at the Temple, the Phantom halts his pursuit of Manaphy, and he even lets the kids accompany him to the treasure room. None of the heroes there ever thought of trying to stop him from pilfering the Sea Crown (the only one who tried to was Manaphy). Once the Temple is saved from sinking a little later, the Phantom goes back to trying to kidnap Manaphy again.
  • Promoted to Parent: The crux of this film deals with May becoming a mother to Manaphy after she hatches its egg, with the group even referring to her as a Mom.
  • Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Team Rocket hijacks the Phantom's mini-sub to try and hightail it out of the sinking Samiya, but their new boss just throws open the hatch and they get washed away by the flood.
  • Running into the Window: Manaphy smacks itself on the glass of the boat's underside view port when it sees May, and starts crying until May calms it down.
  • Sailor's Ponytail: This film is more sailing-oriented than the rest of the Pokémon films, and Jack Walker sports this kind of ponytail.
  • Seize Them!: At the beginning Jack Walker reveals himself aboard the Phantom's submarine and obtains the Manaphy egg that the Phantom just acquired. The Phantom tells his pirate minions to "Seize him."
  • Ship Tease: This movie tends to be a favorite of Advanceshippers (Ash/May) due to the sheer number of hints present. The most notable scene in this film is where the two swim with Manaphy, gazing at the sea life while looking on at each other.
  • Swallowed Whole: The Team Rocket trio survives drowning when a Wailord swallows them. The Pokémon then ejects them through its blowhole during a post-credits scene.
  • The Starscream: Team Rocket offer their services to the Phantom, but they make no secret in their intention to double-cross him.
  • Submarine Pirates: The Big Bad is a pirate named Phantom who travels around in a giant submarine.
  • Super-Strength: Phantom seems to have this, but it's revealed in the end that he's just wearing a strength-enhancing suit. Which then shorts out. While he's trying to hold up a pillar so that it doesn't crush him. He lives, but still!
  • There Are Two Kinds of People in the World: The Phantom likes to say this oh so often, changing the actual contrast based on the current situation.
  • Twinkle in the Eye: While Jack Walker is apparently trapped aboard the Phantom's submarine, he has one of these just before his daring escape.
  • A Twinkle in the Sky: While Team Rocket is fleeing on a bicycle-powered balloon, a Fearow controlled by Jack Walker pierces their balloon with its beak and sends them zooming away into the sky.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The family Buizel is curious about Manaphy's egg and accidentally opens the hatch covering it, leading Team Rocket to call the Phantom and let him know about its location. From there, the Phantom unleashes his fury to get the egg back, and nearly sinks Samiya and almost gets Ash killed trying to repair the damage.
  • Visual Pun: the light show that Ash and friends perform over the Sea Temple happens to take the shape of a crown.
  • Voices Are Mental: One of the indications that Manaphy had used its Heart Swap ability, as Team Rocket in delivering their motto has Jessie, James, and Meowth's voices all swapped around between the three (specifically Jessie's voice comes out of Meowth, James' comes out of Jessie, and Meowth's comes out of James). Later, when it uses it on Ash and Jack, Ash's voice comes out of Jack's body and vice-versa.
  • Would Hurt a Child: The Phantom does not care about Manaphy's feelings, and would happily kidnap it for his own ends if it means he would get to steal the Sea Crown.
  • Wrong Turn at Albuquerque: Ash's group makes their debut in the movie lost in the middle of a hot wasteland, out of water, and having gotten lost yet again.


 
Feedback

Video Example(s):

Top

May catches the Manaphy Egg

While fighting over the Manaphy egg in the container, the container pops open, and May jumps to catch it.

How well does it match the trope?

5 (8 votes)

Example of:

Main / DesperateObjectCatch

Media sources:

Report