Special episode, a sequel to the events in Pokémon: The First Movie (while it was aired as a side-story episode in Japan, it was given a direct-to-video release in America)Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, has caught a clue to the location of the powerful Pokémon Mewtwo and has sent an agent to find him. In the meantime, Ash & co. are passing through the Johto region when they encounter a woman who told them about the vitalizing water of Purity Canyon...coincidentally, Mewtwo's new location. Soon, an all-out battle between Mewtwo's clone Pokémon "family" and the forces of Team Rocket breaks out, with Ash and his friends caught in the middle.
This special provides examples of:
Aesop Amnesia: "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth is irrelevant". That was Mewtwo from the first movie. Here, he's wangsting about how he and his family "don't belong in this world" because they were cloned instead of born naturally.
Not necessarily. The first movie has Mewtwo realize that everyone should be allowed to live, whether they be born naturally or cloned. Here, he's trying to figure out where clones belong in the world. If anything, it's more along the lines of Mewtwo's ongoing quest to find a purpose in life rather than him forgetting the moral of the first movie. It's like someone saying, "Well, I'm content with the fact that my life matters regardless of how I was born, but I still wish I knew where I belong."
A Glass in the Hand: Giovanni does it twice, first with a glass he's drinking from, and to a walkie-talkie (!) near the end of the movie.
A Glass of Chianti: Or what looks like whiskey, in this case. Surprisingly untouched by 4Kids for the dub.
Mewtwo: I would sooner leave this world than serve you.
Giovanni: I suggest you reconsider your opinion. If you choose to defy me, your fellow creations will all be used in our experiments and will certainly leave this world.
Also, at one point Domino looks directly into the camera, winks and says (apparently to the audience) "You just never know! It may look innocent, but a friendly face could be hiding our fiercest foe!"
Cuteness Proximity: Domino can't help but find the baby clone Pokémon adorable.
Darker and Edgier: Mewtwo Returns was rated PG, presumably for the aforementioned whiskey, the philosophical themes, and generally having the same dark and serious tone as Mewtwo Strikes Back.
Epic Fail: Domino fights her way past a trio of Scyther and then flawlessly flips over them...only to slip on a wet floor and get her head stuck inside a pail.
Frothy Mugs of Water: Actually part of the story in this case—Purity Canyon's water makes people and Pokémon oddly happy...
Also averted with Giovanni, as explained above.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: "Let's find someplace quiet where we can line up and find out if we're a match!"
Green Aesop: Don't pollute water, or you'll be attacked by hordes of angry insects.
Improvised Umbrella: Early on when Ash and company get caught in the rain, Brock does this with a frying pan (thus making it a drying pan.)
Brock: "I know! I'll use my trusty frying pan... as a drying pan!"
Kick the Dog: Giovanni actually snaps at his precious Persian to be quiet.
Pet the Dog AND Kick the Dog in a row: Domino thinks the baby clone Pokémon are cute and even holds and pets one...then she has no qualms knocking out their parents with electric tulips.
Love Redeems: Sort of. He was actually one of the good guys, but Cullen Calix was obsessed with studying the spring of Purity Canyon, even if it meant harming it. But once Mewtwo wipes his memory, he realizes that he's in love with Luna and that this is more important than research, so he settles down with her rather than pursue his ambitions.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: A massive battle undoubtedly takes place while Ash is taking Mewtwo to the spring between Brock and Misty vs what looks like every Team Rocket operative. It's going to start up and...we cut to Ash dragging an injured Mewtwo up the stairs. We NEVER see any of the battle.
Parental Substitute: Mewtwo acts much like an anxious father regarding the other clones, and debates whether he should let them set out on their own or if he should make them stay where he can guard them.
Does it count if Mewtwo technically is one of their parents?
No, since he isn't biologically related to them. He's their creator, but not their father.
Perky Goth: Domino, sort of. She's perky and wears black, but isn't exactly a Goth.
Pragmatic Villainy: Domino advises Giovanni not to continue torturing Mewtwo because Mewtwo is valuable and it would be a waste to kill him. Giovanni doesn't care.
The Slow Walk: Mewtwo as he submits and walks into the capture/torture machines. The real shocker, though, is the reveal that Mewtwo is capable of walking in the first place.
Valley Girl: Domino speaks like this in the dub before The Reveal that she's part of Team Rocket.
What the Hell, Hero?: A subtle one; Ash needs to save Mewtwo's life by throwing him into the spring. Cullen then tells him not to, because it might contaminate the spring, which he's obsessed with studying. Ash's response is to look pissed at Cullen's selfishness and throw Mewtwo in anyway.
Zerg Rush: By various Bug-type Pokémon after Team Rocket occupies Mewtwo's island home. By the way, Bug is super-effective on Psychic. Until the Psychic gets its turn.
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