Details about the 5th Pokemon movie and the new Pokemon GBA game have been

announced at a press conference on January 30. Although the press conference

was mainly for the new movie, the new Pokemon GBA game was also briefly mentioned.

The producer of the movie commented, "After the movie opens in Japan, the new

Pokemon GBA game will be released in the fourth quarter. All 350+ pokemon that

appear in the movie will also be in the game." The director also commented that

several new pokemon in the short film (Pika Pika Hoshizora Camp) will also debut

in the GBA game.

The title of the movie is "Mizu no Miyako no Mamorikami," which translates

into The Guardian of the Water City. The movie will be playing this year on

July 13. Similar to previous Pokemon movies, a short film will be attached.

The short film is titled "PikaPika Hoshizora Camp" (Pika Pika Camp under the

Starry Sky), and will feature Pikachu.

Three new pokemon will be unveiled in the movie and the new game: Ratiasu, Ratiosu,

and Sonano. The two main pokemon, Ratiasu (female red pokemon) and Ratiosu (male

large blue pokemon), are brother and sister.

As you can tell from the title, the story will take place in an underwater

city that is based on Venice. The story will revolve around two pokemon siblings

(presumably Ratiasu and Ratiosu). The director, Yuyama, commented this about the

movie, "When a city is hurt, the people living in the city also gets hurt. The city is made by the people. It represents the shape and form of the inhabitants'

hearts. Pokemon is also the shape of the hearts of children in that it realizes

their dreams. So what happens when you meet the true shape and form of your

heart? That is a central theme in this movie."

Want to see the press conference yourself? Click on one of the links below

for a Quicktime movie of the Japanese unveiling. Note: You will need to be able

to understand Japanese.

Part 1 Large

Part 1 Small

Part 2 Large

Part 2 Small

Keep a close eye on Planet GameCube for further updates.