Pokémon Live (2000) Review

Hello everyone: with the 25th anniversary of Pokémon upon us, I thought I would do another bizarre, yet surprisingly intriguing take on the series in live-action: the stage musical Pokémon Live! Only running briefly onstage in the year 2000, this play has never been officially released on home media, so that adds another layer of interest. I would also like to thank Chris Mitchell before I get started for his footage of the play. So, let's open it up.

The curtain hasn’t even been raised yet, and I’m amused by the announcer saying to power down your cell phones and pagers. For those who are unaware or just were not around in that time, it was basically that generation’s version of instant messaging.

So, the first song is the Orange Islands intro, “Pokémon World,” followed by an advert for the latest gym challenge for the “Diamond Badge.” Are there Pearl or Platinum ones as well?

The ad continues to say that it’s the hardest badge to win, and that diamonds are the hardest substance on earth. Clearly, they’ve never fought Whitney, or seen a Ponyta’s hooves. The way this ad sounds is almost as over the top as the ad for that old Crossfire game.

The ad ends on a prompt for their website, and to download the map to their location. Ah, that takes me back. Downloading info on a dial-up modem for games and TV airings: now I can stream footage and episodes any time I want. A Dodrio crows, and Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum come to wake up Ash. This is already going to be insane, I can tell. As for Ash telling the professor not to bring his mother home too late: hold that thought for later. Same with Delia’s comments about Team Rocket.

So, Ash turns on his stereo; and as the Pokémon theme blares as it has many times for me, I can’t even begin to tell you how many fan arts there are of him doing scissor kicks in his boxers like a discount Risky Business dance. Brock and Misty enter, and while the play may not have the best characterization, we’ve got the basic archetypes of a hot-blooded hero, a Casanova wannabe and redheaded short-tank, so we’re good there. 

Ash then awkwardly suits up in quasi-Schumacher Batman fashion, and Misty and Brock reaffirm how widespread the ad is, even on PBS! Yeah, that kind of insane battling is made possible by viewers like you; and brought to you by the number 151! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Pikachu then appears in a flash of sparks, and I must say, the suit actually isn’t that bad for the time. Also, the onstage effects are actually pretty impressive.

Anyway, their banter segues into the next song; “One World,” which is actually a pretty good track. I’m more familiar with the version they did in the fifth movie, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

More Pokémon hit the stage, and  the costuming is surprisingly on point. Some people may be weirded out by this, but it’s at least not as odd as Spider-Man fighting to a soundtrack from Bono and the Edge of U2.

Team Rocket enters the scene, hammy as ever; and I can tell the actors they cast for Jessie and James sure like their ham. I definitely miss Maddie Blaustein as Meowth too. I don’t know how Danny Devito would have fared as Pikachu, but he’d definitely make a good Meowth; even more flexible for Always Sunny in Philadelphia edits. Apparently, they’re also not fans of Wisconsin audiences; since this copy is from the Milwaukee performance. For reasons I shall address later, the copy from the performance at Radio City Music Hall in NYC has yet to surface as of this writing. This leads to the curtain opening to Giovanni’s song, “It Will All Be Mine.” Even in a series like this, I wasn’t expecting that. Anything someone might have against the Sun and Moon series’ artwork and tone; it’s nothing compared to Team Rocket grunts dancing in front of Giovanni’s plan: Mecha-Mewtwo!

After Team Rocket is dispatched, a trainer enters to challenge for the Diamond Badge; sending out Alakazam in a puff of smoke and pyrotechnics. Again, the attention to practical details also gives off the influence of tokusatsu as well. The special move of Mecha-Mewtwo is “Learn,” which lets it take the abilities of its attack and reflect them back at them!

The next challenger is Venusaur, and even though I never saw this play or even heard of it when I was younger; this is some pretty creative costuming and onstage FX work for the time. Though I admit I do have to call “HAX” on Venusaur being defeated by its own Poison Powder attack. The last one uses an Electrode and its Self-destruct; and I’m just glad Michael Bay isn’t handling the live-action Red and Blue movie.

Back with Ash, Misty and Brock; everyone is still searching for the gym, and hilarity ensues as a result. It’s all very strange, but not as strange as Jim Carrey as Dr. Eggman.

Just as well,  the banter of the three leads into the track “My Best Friends” from the 2BA Master album. I never had it when I was younger, but that was a catchy tune whenever it was on the show’s “Pikachu’s Jukebox” segments.

After that, Team Rocket sets up their old reliable pitfall trap; and I wonder if Tom Nook had those on sale. Ash, Brock, and Misty are able to elude the trap; and Jessie and James end up falling in themselves after James pulls out the supports. It’s a fair cop, as Meowth gets a rope.

Psyduck walks across the stage, and we then see Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum heading to their lecture; and they realize they’ve been had in a “bombed-out back alley.” I would say this is like PCL Labs, but at least they wouldn’t come up with Aipom and Greninja for a while. This leads into the song “Everything Changes,” a surprisingly emotional track from the 2BA Master album. This play may not be Tony Awards material, but I can’t deny these people are dedicated to their parts.

After the song ends, they’re ambushed by Giovanni and his grunts! If it was anymore of a trap, you could hear Admiral Ackbar. Now, comes the part that makes this play so infamous: apparently, Giovanni and Delia have some history together, and they apparently used to date! More on that later, as Giovanni whisks them both to his chopper and we get a darker refrain of “Everything Changes.”

Back with Ash, Brock and Misty, they’re still trying to find the gym; and they run into a deaf mute who knows the way; and agrees to show them if they can beat him in a battle. Jigglypuff is sent out, and cue everyone being put to sleep with Sing.  This leads into the ballad “Misty’s Song,” and it’s only slightly as campy as most other given ballads in my collection of songs from the ‘80s and ’90s. Everyone wipes the marker off their faces; and they’re able to find the way from the deaf-mute trainer’s directions. 

Meowth returns with the rope, and Jessie and James are able to crawl out of the pitfall trap. Again, I’m very surprised how spot on the live actors have their mannerisms down. As they bemoan their status as villains, this leads into the next song; “The Best at Being the Worst.” So, basically in the same boat as Snidely Whiplash, Wile E. Coyote and Sheldon J. Plankton, et al.

Ash, Brock and Misty have reached where the gym is; leading to the song “Pikachu, I Choose You.” Again, I’m more familiar with the version used in the fifth movie and the short-lived Karaoke -Mon segments on the show. 

It also turns out that Pikachu has been taken, and even the Pokédex program gets a song; in a rendition of “What Kind of Pokémon Are You.” I guess if Roto in the Sun and Moon series likes detective shows; this works too. This is also a catchy song, even if they had to edit some lyrics because of some people misunderstanding them. To be fair, we’re still having this problem; if that editorial about the Persona music in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is any indication. As our heroes split up to look for Pikachu, this leads to “The Time Has Come” from the episode “Pikachu’s Goodbye.” That’s definitely my favorite episode of Kanto, which puts it in the running for my favorite of the entire series.

Delia and Oak are still being held hostage in cages in Giovanni’s compound, and Delia then reveals they used to date when they were younger; going their separate ways when she met Ash’s father. However, this has contributed to many fan theories about Ash’s parentage; though since this play was made without the direct involvement of anyone involved with the series’ canon; I am not at liberty to confirm or deny anything about that.

Giovanni unveils Mecha-Mewtwo to Delia and Professor Oak, and we get a dark reprise of “One World” with an industrial metal sound to it. … Anyone else having flashbacks to when Neo met Trinity?

Jessie and James enter the space, and cue another great track: “Team Rocket’s Rockin’!” Every time that was on the Pikachu’s Jukebox segments, I thought it was a fitting villain song. It turns out that Pikachu is the last piece they need to complete Mecha-Mewtwo’s move pool! Huh. It took me days to get the 7-Eleven app to work for the Detective Pikachu promo.

Yet, Pikachu is able to free Delia and Oak in a flash of sparks; and it turns out that Pikachu won’t comply without Ash! So, they go to find him as the next stanza of “Team Rocket’s Rockin’” plays.

Back with Brock and Misty, they’re still trying to find Ash and Pikachu; which leads into the song “Two Perfect Girls,” which I’m again more familiar with the version on the Karaoke-Mon segments.

Oak and Delia are still searching for Ash and Pikachu, and Oak encourages Delia to tell him about her and Giovanni. Misty’s unrequited love also leads these two into our next song, “I’ve Got a Secret.” Ash also joins in, and this almost sounds like one of those soft rock compilations they used to advertise on late-night TV.

Before Ash goes to rejoin Pikachu and face Giovanni, Delia tells him the truth about her past; and Team Rocket comes rolling up on Razor scooters. If this was any more 2000, they’d be doing it while wearing Sketchers and listening to Creed. Even funnier, Ash doesn’t even bat an eye at their threats; since he wants to fight! Guess this play can add how used to this scenario everyone is to the list of things in newer versions. The curtain is drawn, and we get another somber verse of “Everything Changes” from Delia. 

Giovanni then refers to Mecha-Mewtwo as a “Mechanical Marvel,” which happens to be the subtitle for the Volcanion movie… probably a coincidence. Ash confronts Giovanni, and I do like the way he demands Team Rocket “shut up and leave us alone.” Guess that’s also why he sends them away to other regions; so they can stay out of his hair.

Giovanni returns Pikachu, and now the time has come for their final battle; set to the song “You Just Can’t Win.” It’s pretty silly, but it still makes more sense to me than the finale of Ready Player One.

Then, the real Mewtwo takes the stage; and showing this overblown Tinkertoy who’s boss! With a single stroke, Mewtwo overloads Mecha Mewtwo and makes it self-aware! The mech self-destructs in a flash of pyrotechnics; and we close on Ash winning the Diamond Badge; giving it to Misty for her birthday. Huh, for a play that the Pokémon Company doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge and had no direct hand in; it did inspire an awful lot of Pokémon moments even today.

Supposedly, there was going to be a TV airing and home media release of the play; but even though there is supposedly an HQ copy of the play, to this day; it has yet to see an official release. In age of digital streaming, home media releases and being able to download your favorite shows; this play has become another fascinating piece of lost media. There are also versions made for audiences in Latin America and India; but that’s a whole other can of Wurmple. Still, with the 25th anniversary upon us; this is definitely fascinating as a longtime fan and someone who has been known to seek out the strange and the obscure in even the most mainstream series and genres. Regardless of whether or not this play ever gets an official release; this and other lost media will continue to be the subject of fascination.

I look forward to what lies ahead, and I will bring you anything else as it's ready. That will be all for now, later.