The Fake Trailer for Pokémon: The Horror Movie Shows a Darker Side of Ash Ketchum

Is Pokémon a harmless fantasy world of adorable critters kicking ass, or is it a dystopian version of zombie critter cock fighting? YouTube celebrity Ryan Higa has made a new fake trailer for Pokémon: The Horror Movie that argues in favor of the latter. The trailer follows the story of a young Pikachu living an idyllic life in the forest with his mother. They are enjoying a fairy tale-style existence until an evil Pokémon Trainer captures Pikachu and takes him to the city.

Pikachu’s journey quickly turns into a Black Mirror episode, where he is trapped inside the claustrophobic Poké Ball, alone and scared, before being forced to fight other captured Pokémon in darkly lit warehouse. Every time Pikachu is about to die, he gets healed by the pink-haired nurse before starting the nightmare all over again. Eventually, Pikachu is forced to battle his mother, and turns on her to experience a few moments outside his Poké Ball prison.

The trailer is a fun parody of Pokémon and horror movie tropes (creepy kids singing? check), but it also got us wondering just how unsettling the whole Pokémon/Trainer relationship is. Basically, it’s a bunch of humans trying to become Masters (#problematic) by enslaving these adorable super-powered monsters to endlessly fight one another. And when they’re not fighting, they’re trapped in a little magic ball of solitary confinement. That’s all kinds of messed up. It’s The Hunger Games with squirtles.

Although, retconning the Pokémon franchise to be a Prison Break-style escape movie sounds kind of promising. Or why not have a Planet of the Apes-style alternate dimension where the Pokémon capture Trainers and force them to do battle with each other? I’m now on board with a Pokémon POV story where critters take control and start a revolution against their Trainers and Masters. Viva la Pokémon revolution!

(via Nerdist, image: screengrab)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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