The Pokemon Reboot Anime Movie Won’t Feature Brock or Misty

The upcoming Pokemon movie is supposed to be a retelling of when Ash first met Pikachu. Previously reported, the first trailer only featured two characters: Ash and Pikachu. But we now have a second trailer and it looks much less familiar. Not only are Brock and Misty absent… they've also been replaced by new characters.

Retelling the origins at the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon anime in a condensed form is a great idea for younger fans to get the gist, but for returning fans, the fact that some details have been blatantly changed may rub some the wrong way.

The movie, titled I Choose You, shares some new details. It features the classic Team Rocket goons Jessie and James, but Brock and Mister are nowhere to be found. Instead, we see new characters: Makoto and Soji.

Adding a new flair to an old story isn't bad on its own, but replacing beloved characters may not bold so well. It may be that Brock and Misty are less well-known in Japan, but they still seem integral to the original story, considering their roles as Ash's friends.

I Choose You opens in Japanese theaters on July 15.