Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior

Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior
File:Giratina & The Sky Warrior Japanese Poster.jpg Japanese theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kunihiko Yuyama
Produced by	Mikihiko Fukazawa Takemoto Mori Junya Okamoto Choji Yoshikawa
Screenplay by	Hideki Sonoda
Based on	Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl by Satoshi Tajiri Junichi Masuda Ken Sugimori
Starring	see below
Music by	Shinji Miyazaki
Cinematography	Takaya Mizutani
Edited by	Toshio Henmi
Production company	OLM, Inc. OLM Digital
Distributed by	Toho
Release dates	July 19, 2008 (2008-07-19) (Japan)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	¥4.8 billion

Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior is a 2008 Japanese animated adventure film produced by OLM, Inc. and distributed by Toho. The film was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama from a screenplay by Hideki Sonoda. It is the 11th animated film in the Pokémon film series created by Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda and Ken Sugimori, and serves as a direct sequel to Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai (2007).

In the film, a researcher called Zero seeks to sacrifice and absorb the interdimensional abilities of a Pokémon known as Giratina, which has surfaced in Zero's world following the events of the previous film, so that Zero can become the ruler of Giratina's world. Meanwhile, the Pokémon trainers Ash Ketchum, Dawn, and Brock escort a flower-bearing Pokémon called Shaymin, which is being followed by Giratina, to reunite it with other Shaymin at a flower garden.

It was released in Japan on July 19, 2008. A sequel, Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, was released in 2009. The theme song for the film is "One" by Crystal Kay.

Plot

Five years ago, Newton Graceland, a researcher of a world exactly opposite to the world of reality called the Reverse World, built a device to absorb the abilities of the Pokémon Giratina, the ruler of the Reverse World, to travel freely between the two worlds. He canceled the project upon learning that the process would kill Giratina. The blueprints were deleted but Newton's assistant Zero never forgot them.

Later, time and space, two dimensions that should never have been in contact, collided and unraveled. Dialga, the Pokémon which rules over time, and Palkia, which controls space, then fought each other in Alamos Town, both believing the other to have violated their territory. The distortions in time and space have defiled the Reverse World with pollution, angering Giratina.

Giratina captures Dialga and drags it into the Reverse World. Shaymin, a hedgehog-like Pokémon which bears flowers, gets caught on Dialga’s back when the portal opens. A frightened Shaymin uses its powers to escape through a portal back to the world of reality. Dialga follows Shaymin after it disables Giratina's ability to venture to the world of reality by trapping it in an infinite time loop.

Shaymin runs into the Pokémon trainers Ash Ketchum, Dawn, and Brock, who agree to take Shaymin to the Flower Garden in the mountains, so it and others of its kind can migrate and grow a new garden, through a process called flower bearing. A portal to the Reverse World opens and swallows Shaymin, Ash, and Dawn.

In the Reverse World, Ash and Dawn encounter Giratina but are rescued by Newton. Giratina, who wants to use Shaymin's power to come into the world of reality, targets Shaymin, prompting Newton to send Shaymin, Ash, and Dawn back to the world of reality. Zero, who is also seeking Shaymin's power, attacks the kids with his army of Magnemite, Magneton and Magnezone, forcing them to escape onto a departing train. On the train, Shaymin makes contact with a Gracidea flower and transforms into its Sky Forme, altering its appearance to a deer-like state and allowing it to fly. Ash, Dawn, and Brock board a ferry to the Flower Garden, but are sucked into the Reverse World again, followed by Zero and his Pokémon. Giratina attacks the group after Shaymin provokes it. When night falls, Shaymin transforms back to its normal form. Zero captures Shaymin, forcing it to open a portal for Giratina to return to the world of reality, freeing it from the time loop. Shaymin panics, opening a portal which sends Ash and his friends to the Flower Garden in the world of reality.

Giratina returns to the world of reality and is captured by Zero. Zero uses Newton's device to absorb Giratina's abilities with the intention of becoming ruler of the Reverse World. Newton shuts down the device, releasing Giratina. However, Zero has already absorbed all of Giratina's abilities and Girantina collapses from exhaustion. Shaymin heals Giratina. Zero flees to the Reverse World to cause damage to the world of reality, causing the mountain's glacier to start moving towards the Flower Garden. The Pokémon Regigigas is awakened and along with a herd of Mamoswine, slows the glacier down.

In the Reverse World, Shaymin opens a portal, dragging Zero back to the world of reality. Zero's ship crashes into the glacier. Dawn's Buneary and Swinub freeze the ship, causing the Zero to lose all of the data about Giratina's abilities. Giratina restores the damage caused by Zero, and gives Ash a ride back to the world of reality. It then leaves on its own to track down Dialga. Shaymin and the others of its kind perform flower bearing, before migrating. During the end credits, Newton rescues and reconciles with Zero who is then arrested, whilst Ash, Dawn and Brock send bouquets of flowers to their respective families as an expression of gratitude.

Cast

Main cast

Character	Japanese	English
Ash	Rica Matsumoto	Sarah Natochenny
Dawn	Megumi Toyoguchi	Emily Bauer
Brock	Yuji Ueda	Bill Rogers
Newton Graceland	Koichi Yamadera	Marc Thompson
Zero	Shido Nakamura	Parker Anderson
James	Shinichiro Miki	Billy Beach
Jessie	Megumi Hayashibara	Michele Knotz
Layla	Akina Minami	Amy Palant
Magnezone	Golgo Matsumoto	Bill Rogers
Meowth	Inuko Inuyama	Billy Beach
Mousse	Red Yoshida	Tom Wayland
Pikachu	Ikue Otani
Shaymin	Vanilla Yamazaki	Amy Palant
Regigigas	Yukito Soma
Infi	Shoko Nakagawa	Bella Hudson
Narrator	Unsho Ishizuka	Rodger Parsons

Release

Theatrical run

The film was released in Japan on July 19, 2008 by Toho.

Broadcast airing

Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior was aired in United States on February 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network.

Home media

This was the first Pokémon film to be distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in North America. It was also the first anime film that Universal has ever distributed in the country. The home media rights holders for the Pokémon anime, Viz Media would later re-release the film on July 7, 2015, with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment acting as the distributor. Universal Studios Home Entertainment also released the film in several European countries, including the United Kingdom. Then it was later re-released by Manga Entertainment in the UK on May 21, 2018, as part of the Diamond and Pearl 4 film collection. It was later re-released again separately by Manga UK on April 15, 2019.

Reception

Box office

It took the second Japanese box office, beaten by Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea during the July 19–20 weekend, when Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Shaymin saw 982,000 viewers spending ¥1,018,770,000 ($9,463,400) to see the film. It eventually raked in just 10% less than the previous year's film, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai.

Critical reception

Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior got generally positive reviews. Kidzworld gave it a positive review saying that "In summary, it's a fine movie, and definitely worth watching, whether you’re a fan of Pokemon or not"

External links

• Official site at the Wayback Machine (archived April 28, 2008)
• Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior at IMDb
• Pokémon: Giratina & The Sky Warrior at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Movie #	Japanese title	English title	Released	Featured Pokémon
1	Mewtwo Strikes Back (ミュウツーの逆襲, Myūtsū no Gyakushū)	Mewtwo Strikes Back	July 18, 1998	Mewtwo, Mew
2	Revelation Lugia (幻のポケモン ルギア爆誕, Maboroshi no Pokemon Rugia Bakutan, Mirage Pokémon: Lugia's Explosive Birth)	The Power of One	July 17, 1999	Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Lugia
3	Lord of the 'UNKNOWN' Tower: Entei (結晶塔の帝王 ENTEI, Kesshōtō no Teiō ENTEI, Emperor of The Crystal Tower: ENTEI)	Spell of the Unown	July 8, 2000	Entei, Unown
4	Celebi: A Timeless Encounter (セレビィ 時を超えた遭遇（であい）, Serebyi Toki o Koeta Deai, Celebi: The Meeting that Traversed Time)	Celebi: Voice of the Forest	July 7, 2001	Suicune, Celebi
5	The Guardians of Altomare (水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス, Mizu no Miyako no Mamorigami Ratiasu to Ratiosu, Guardian Gods of the Capital of Water: Latias and Latios)	Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias	July 13, 2002	Latias, Latios
6	Wishing Star of the Seven Nights (七夜の願い星 ジラーチ, Nanayo no Negaiboshi Jirāchi, Wishing Star of the Seven Nights: Jirachi)	Jirachi Wish Maker	July 19, 2003	Groudon, Jirachi
7	Deoxys The Visitor (裂空の訪問者 デオキシス, Rekkū no Hōmonsha Deokishisu, Visitor from the Sky-Splitting: Deoxys)	Destiny Deoxys	July 17, 2004	Rayquaza, Deoxys
8	Mew and the Wave Hero (ミュウと波導（はどう）の勇者 ルカリオ, Myū to Hadō no Yūsha Rukario, Mew and the Aura Hero: Lucario)	Lucario and the Mystery of Mew	July 16, 2005	Mew, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Lucario
9	The Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea (ポケモンレンジャーと蒼海（うみ）の王子 マナフィ, Pokemon Renjā to Umi no Ōji Manafi, The Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy)	Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea	July 15, 2006	Kyogre, Manaphy
10	Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai (ディアルガVSパルキアVSダークライ, Diaruga Tai Parukia Tai Dākurai)	The Rise of Darkrai	July 14, 2007	Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai
11	Giratina and the Bouquet of the Frozen Sky: Shaymin (ギラティナと氷空（そら）の花束 シェイミ, Giratina to Sora no Hanataba Sheimi)	Giratina and the Sky Warrior	July 19, 2008	Regigigas, Giratina, Shaymin, Dialga
12	Arceus: To Conquering Space-Time (アルセウス 超克の時空へ, Aruseusu Chōkoku no Jikū e)	Arceus and the Jewel of Life	July 18, 2009	Heatran, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus
13	Phantom Ruler: Zoroark (幻影の覇者 ゾロアーク, Gen'ei no Hasha Zoroāku)	Zoroark: Master of Illusions	July 10, 2010	Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Celebi, Zorua, Zoroark
14	Victini and the Black Hero: Zekrom (ビクティニと黒き英雄ゼクロム, Bikutini to Kuroki Eiyū Zekuromu)	White: Victini and Zekrom	July 16, 2011	Victini, Zekrom, Reshiram
	Victini and the White Hero: Reshiram (ビクティニと白き英雄 レシラム, Bikutini to Shiroki Eiyū Reshiramu)	Black: Victini and Reshiram	July 16, 2011	Victini, Reshiram, Zekrom
15	Kyurem vs. the Sacred Swordsman: Keldeo (キュレムVS聖剣士 ケルディオ, Kyuremu tai Seikenshi Kerudio)	Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice	July 14, 2012	Kyurem, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Keldeo
16	ExtremeSpeed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens (神速のゲノセクト ミュウツー覚醒, Shinsoku no Genosekuto: Myūtsū Kakusei)	Genesect and the Legend Awakened	July 13, 2013	Mewtwo, Genesect
17	Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (破壊の繭とディアンシー, Hakai no Mayu to Dianshī)		July 19, 2014	Xerneas, Yveltal, Diancie
18	The Archdjinni of the Rings: Hoopa (光輪の超魔神 フーパ, Ring no chōmajin Hoopa)	Hoopa and the Clash of Ages	July 18, 2015	Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Hoopa
19	Volcanion and the Ingenious Magearna (ボルケニオンと機巧のマギアナ, Volcanion to karakuri no Magiana)	N/A	July 16, 2016	Volcanion, Magearna