Summaries

Synopsis

The film takes place in the centre of the Orange Islands Archipelago, on the island Shamouti and neighbouring islands occupied by the Legendary Birds, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno, who are said to keep the balance of nature in check. An eccentric collector named Lawrence III arrives in the Orange Islands to fulfil an ancient prophecy, now deemed a legend by the locals. The legend is as follows:

Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning,Lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash.Though the waters great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,Alone its song will fail, thus the Earth will turn to ash.OChosen One, into thine hands bring together all three.Their treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea.

Lawrence believes the Beast of the Sea is the fourth Legendary Bird, Lugia, which dwells in the ocean near the three islands. Lawrence plots to capture Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno in order to lure out Lugia and add it to his collection. Setting out in his enormous flying fortress, Lawrence approaches Fire Island where Moltres lives and bombs it with blasts of ice. Moltres emerges but is quickly captured by Lawrences unique aerial, electric rings that double as cages.

After the opening titles, the story catches up with protagonists Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Tracey as they travel by boat through the islands. They decide to release their Pokémon, but a powerful storm kicks up, sending them miles off course and find themselves off the coast of Shamouti. Team Rocket, a trio of criminals who follow the children to capture Pikachu, are also caught in the storm and crash their Magikarp-shaped submarine into a cliff face. Numerous Pokémon including Pikachu are disturbed by the odd weather and start travelling to the Orange Islands. In Pallet Town, Ashs mother Delia and scientist Professor Oak, also encounter a flurry of bizarre weather patterns.

Ash and co. dock on Shamouti and are quickly approached by the locals who are celebrating their annual festival related to the legend. One of the locals Carol recognises the captain of the kids boat Maren, being old friends. Carol was once the festival maiden, which has been taken over by her younger sister Melody, who is not interested by the traditions of the island. When the locals learn Ash is a Pokémon trainer, they celebrate, and an island elder approaches Ash and selects him to be the festivals chosen one as per the legend. Melody gives Ash a welcome kiss, much to Mistys jealousy.

Ash and co. attend a party at a temple where Melody appears in her role as the maiden and plays a signature tune on an ocarina. Melody approaches Ash and informs him of his role in the festivities he is to travel to the islands of the Legendary Birds, also referred to as Titans, and collect three glass balls that represent the birds power. He then brings them to the islands shrine where Melody celebrates by playing the song from before, which is associated with Lugia. Ash is eager to go, but Melody tells him to relax and do it the next day. Pikachu has other ideas, stealing Ashs hat and runs out to the dock, followed by Ash and Maren.

Team Rocket sail the remains of their submarine to shore but watch Ash and Pikachu race by on Marens boat. Meanwhile, Delia and Professor Oak watch a news report which describes the climate and weather are being effected worldwide and the disturbances centre around the Orange Islands. Oak receives a phone call from fellow scientist Professor Ivy who informs him the Pokémon in her care are acting strangely. Concerned for Ashs safety, Melody decides to go and find him, and is accompanied by Misty and Tracey, with Team Rocket sneaking onboard Melodys boat. Ash, Pikachu and Maren are caught in an ocean storm but manage to make it to Fire Island in one piece. Pikachu races on ahead and Ash follows. Melodys boat is also thrown around in the storm and Team Rocket are sent flying to Fire Island by the strong winds.

Ash and Pikachu find the islands shrine in the middle of the dormant volcano, where Pikachu points out the ancient sphere Ash needs, which glows red when Ash pulls it from the shrine. Team Rocket appear, but their motto is interrupted when Melodys boat flies through the air and lands in the volcano. Zapdos suddenly appears and lands in the volcano. Pikachu uses some form of electrical communication to speak with Zapdos, and Meowth translates, with Zapdos proclaiming that he intends on ruling Fire Island in Moltres absence. Lawrences airship arrives and drains Zapdos of its electrical power, capturing it, along with our heroes.

Lawrence is surprised but charmed to find he has captured Ash and co., and frees them within the lower half of the ship whilst he goes to capture Articuno. Melody notices an ancient ruin describing the legend and realises it is actually happening. Ash and co. decide to free Moltres and Zapdos to avert the prophecys continuation, using their Pokémon to blow up the cages containing them. However, Moltres and Zapdos attack each other than bring down Lawrences airship, which crashlands on Lightning Island. Ash and co. escape, collecting the second sphere in the process. As the three Legendary Birds clash overhead, Ashs group escape on Melodys boat and are carried across the ocean to Shamouti by a water spout. The boat is flung onto the island, but the children escape before it falls down the cliff face.

The children find themselves on the islands shrine where they meet its guardian Slowking, who speaks English. He points Ash to the shrines centre where he places the first two treasures. The Legendary Birds approach the shrine only for the water spout to rise again and reveals Lugia. Lugia battles the other Birds but is defeated and plunges into the ocean. Delia, Professor Oak, and Professor Ivy travel to Shamouti via helicopter with a news crew. Oak explains the theory that because the balance of power between the Legendary Birds has been disrupted, an underwater current has formed and could ultimately flood the planet, revealing that it is the Beast of the Sea rather than Lugia. Ivy comments that the Pokémon are reacting to the climate change and are heading to the Orange Islands by instinct. The helicopter eventually is caught in the storm and crashlands on Shamouti, though the passengers survive.

Ash and co. watch the Pokémon gather around the island, and Slowking reveals that the prophecys line about the world turning to ash is not literal but rather the Chosen One is none other than Ash, which everyone. Ash backs away, believing saving the world is beyond him, but Misty, Tracey and Melody encourage him to try anyway. Melody realises the song from the legend is connected to Lugia and plays it on her ocarina, reviving Lugia, who telepathically speaks to them. Lugia tells Ash that he must retrieve the third sphere from Ice Island to end the chaos. Ash is reluctant but his Pokémon rally to his side to aid him. Ash sets off, using a part of Melodys wrecked boat to act as a sleigh, using his Pokémon to pull him safely across the frozen sea with Lugia escorting him.

However, Ashs journey is threatened by the Legendary Birds who block his path. Team Rocket utilise a rubber dingy and part of the helicopter to create a hovercraft and pick Ash and Pikachu up, commenting they dont want to the world to end since there would be no one left to steal from. Ash and Team Rocket race across Ice Island until they arrive at the shrine where Ash finds the third treasure. Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno attack, with the first two rendering Articuno unconscious. With their hovercraft destroyed, Ash, Pikachu, and Team Rocket down the side of the island and are rescued by Lugia.

Pursued by Moltres and Zapdos, Team Rocket realise they are dragging Lugia down and sacrifice themselves to let Ash get to Shamouti, but land in the ocean safely. Lawrence sends more of his flying rings to capture Lugia, who uses its Aeroblast attack to defeat Moltres, Zapdos, and Lawrences rings but plunges into the ocean and falls unconscious. Worried about Ash, Misty swims out into the sea and rescues her friends with help from Tracey. Misty and Tracey awaken Ash who makes his way up to the shrine where he is greeted by Melody and Slowking. Ash places the third treasure into the shrine, causing the shrines pillars to crystallise and glowing water to spill out of it.

Realising the song is required, Melody joins Ash on the shrine and plays the tune on her ocarina. Accompanied by a full orchestra rendition of the theme, the green water spreads out across the ocean, reviving Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno, and Lugia, and ends the storms. Lugia takes Ash and Pikachu on a flight around the islands with the other Birds, until the underwater current rises from the ocean, taming it as per the legend. As the song ends, the current sinks back into the water and the Birds return peacefully to their islands. Melody collapses to her knees in exhaustion, now embracing the traditions of her island.

At sunset, Lugia bids farewell to Ash, complimenting that the fate of the world couldnt have been in better hands before diving into the sea. Delia, Professor Oak, Professor Ivy, and the news crew arrive, with Delia scolding Ash for getting into trouble again. Misty tells her of Ashs heroics, but Delia admits her worries about Ash, particularly with what has happened, but acknowledges he is a Pokémon Trainer and asks him to save the world a little closer to home. Ash agrees and thanks his mother for her support.

Elsewhere, Lawrence finds a card of Mew that started off his collection, and he decides to abandon his goals and begin again with just the card. The next day, Team Rocket make it back to the shrine but lament that even though they were heroes, no one saw what they did. Slowking appears, telling them that many people saw what they did, breaking the fourth wall and acknowledges the audiences presence. Team Rocket are thrilled they are not evil after all but fall into bickering about whether or not they should remain in Team Rocket or start a new syndicate, only to realise they would have to steal money to fund one to begin with.