I Choose You! | The Power of Us | Secrets of the Jungle
Characters from the 23rd Pokémon movie, Secrets of the Jungle. For Ash and Team Rocket, see Pokémon: I Choose You!.
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Koko
"I am a human, aren't I?"
Voiced By: Kimlinh Tran (English), Moka Kamishiraishi (Japanese)
Koko is the protagonist and titular character of Secrets of the Jungle. Originally known as "Al Molybdenum", Koko was recovered and raised by a colony of Zarude after his parents were killed by the insane Dr. Zed. As the years passed, he turned into a feral child, protecting all of the Zarude and never knowing the world outside the jungle.
- Action Hero: He's one of the most athletic Pokémon protagonists out there and a very proficient fighter.
- Adoption Angst: He was raised by Dada Zarude after his parents were killed; although he has a positive relationship with his adoptive father, he initially struggles to integrate himself with the troop until Ash and Pikachu enter the picture.
- All-Loving Hero: He cares deeply about his adoptive father and friends and is willing to risk his life to save them. He has also been known to be willing to rescue his enemies; an example of this is when Dr. Zed tries to flee. What does he do? Hang him by a log. He doesn't even call the man out for killing his parents, let alone beat him to a pulp.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Downplayed. He is accepted and loved by most of the forest's community and shares a close relationship with his adoptive father Dada, but he's still regarded as an outsider by some.
- Badass in Distress: Following the ambush at, Dr. Zed's crew manages to lock him and Ash up in a van with no possibility of escaping, and they would've gotten away with it if it wasn't for Team Rocket coming to the rescue.
- Beware the Nice Ones: He's a pretty affable guy until you threaten him, or worse, his family.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: Thanks to living in the jungle all his life, Koko was able to develop skills no other human can have. This includes being able to speak fluent Pokémon, which Ash and Pikachu use to their advantage.
- Child of Two Worlds: He was born in human society, but raised in the jungle through the rest of his life.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Downplayed. Al's parents were killed while he was present, but since he was only an infant, he doesn't remember it.
- Eloquent in My Native Tongue: He's fluent when talking to Zarude and Skwovet, but uses You No Take Candle when talking to humans. This is clearly a Translation Convention, as the Zarude and Skwovet use Animal Talk and the humans speak Japanese (or whatever language the movie was localized to).
- Experienced Protagonist: By the time he is ten years old, Koko is fully skillful and experienced when handling the daily chaos of the jungle.
- Good Is Not Dumb: Koko is a benevolent and peaceful boy, and while he may be ignorant about human ways due to being raised by Zarude, he's not stupid in the least. He's learned a variety of skills from his life in the jungle, is able to mimic any sound he hears, and picks up on what Ash and Pikachu teach him about humanity very quickly (including a broken but still decent grasp of their language).
- Hairstyle Inertia: Has the same dreadlock hairstyle from his childhood.
- Happily Adopted: By Dada, and he grew as happy and loved as any child.
- Humble Hero: His ego never grows despite how much of a badass he is.
- Interspecies Adoption: Koko (human) was raised and loved by Dada (Zarude).
- Le Parkour: Takes this to new heights, especially with his "tree-surfing".
- Loincloth: His only clothing throughout most of the film, save for the outfit that Ash gives him.
- Meaningful Rename: Justified. Koko was given said name by Dada due to still being a baby when the latter found him, not long after his birth parents' deaths.
- Nature Hero: He is basically the Pokémon version of Tarzan.
- Never Learned to Talk: The Pokémon hear Koko speak perfect human language, but this is because he Speaks Fluent Animal. Humans can't hear him speak their language and just hear him speaking Pokémon Speak. Koko eventually learns how to talk to humans thanks to Ash.
- Nice Guy: Despite being a Wild Child, Koko is one of the sweetest, bravest, thoughtful and humble boys you'll ever meet in the Pokémon universe.
- Raised by Wolves: Adopted by a Zarude he calls his Dada.
- Save the Villain: Succeeds at apprehending Dr. Zed and tying him to a log at the climax of the film.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Koko speaks fluent Pokémon Speak. However, for all his skill, there are some Pokémon who just aren't interested in talking — like Skwovet.
- Strong and Skilled: Koko is not only amazingly strong for a human, but thanks to living in the jungle, he is able to adapt to changes and use them to his advantage.
- Strong Family Resemblance: He looks almost identical to his birth father.
- Token Human: Before Ash came, Koko was the only human living in the Forest of Okoya.
- Tragic Keepsake: He wears a pendent necklace which belongs to his mother Phossa.
- Vine Swing: He often travels around the jungle like this ala Tarzan.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: For the majority of the movie he wears nothing but a Loincloth.
- Wild Child: In the first act of the movie, Koko is shown as a child and how it was for him growing up different than the Pokémon around him.
Dada Zarude
Voiced By: Nakamura Kankurō, Edward Bosco (English dub)
Dada is Koko's adoptive Zarude father.
- Action Dad: He often gets in fights to protect his family; first with the local Pokémon, and then with Dr. Zed.
- Animal Eyes: He has red sclerae and green irises like the rest of the Zarude, giving him a ferocious look.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He is a large, imposing primate-like creature with ash-black fur and red eyes, but he is without a doubt a righteous individual.
- Disney Death: Just when you think the movie would be brave enough to have Koko lose both his fathers, the boy himself revives him with the untapped power of healing that lay within him all along.
- Expy: Of Tublat and his wife Kala from the Tarzan stories.
- Face Death with Dignity: Near the movie's end, he gets fatally wounded by Dr. Zed's robot. However, he accepts his fate while apologizing for being an insecure parent to Koko, only to be revived by the boy not long afterwards.
- Good Parents: When not being zealous over the boy's safety, Dada was an absolute softie towards Koko.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He loves Koko, but sadly, they get into arguments over what is right for him.
- Large and in Charge: Subverted. He's the biggest Zarude, but the subversion is that the honor of leader goes to the elder.
- Maniac Monkeys: Subverted. He often gets in fights, and immediately attacks any threat when they get close to the Zarude, but he only does this to defend his family.
- Mighty Glacier: Dada is incredibly strong but when it comes to faster, more agile opponents, he's at a disadvantage.
- Papa Wolf: He shows this protective side to Koko throughout the movie.
- Perpetual Frowner: He's a pretty serious character, but he does smile when Koko gets on his good side.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Dada is cold, aloof, and does his best to hide the fact from Koko that he was a human. However, he always puts his family's safety first.
- Top-Heavy Guy: His muscled forearms and torso are massive, being slightly wider than the lower half of his body.
Elder Zarude
Voiced By: Kellen Goff (English dub)
The Elder is the leader of the Zarude tribe.
- Expy: Of Kerchak from the Tarzan stories. Though the one thing they do have in common is that they are both leaders of their respective tribes.
- Old Master: He is the wisest after all.
- Voice of Reason: Acts as one to the younger Zarude.
Dr. Zed
Voiced By: Billy Kametz (English), Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese)
Dr. Zed is the main antagonist of Secrets of the Jungle.
- Beyond Redemption: To the point where none of his fellow scientists even reprimand him for his actions, if only because they now realize that he's so selfish and unpleasant that any attempt at a "Reason You Suck" Speech at this point would just be a waste of time and breath.
- Big Bad: He's the biggest threat towards the Zarude, with an army of robots to boot.
- Can't Take Criticism: He absolutely cannot stand being wrong at anything. When one of his scientists rightly questions his plan to mine the tree's minerals with no regard to the Zarude, Zed goes on a tirade about how "his way" is the correct way. Zed also disregards anyone in his company and those who dare to voice opposing opinions or provide data showing that his plan is a horrible idea.
- Create Your Own Hero: His actions lead to Koko becoming a feral child who ends up saving the jungle.
- Disney Villain Death: Subverted. His fall is stopped by a vine that Koko uses to apprehend him.
- Dirty Coward: When his mech was destroyed by Pikachu, he tries to escape and it is implied that he intended to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff.
- Evil All Along: He acts as a chivalrous guide for Ash, Koko and his fellow scientists, but he was planning all along to betray them and use them to lead them to the sacred tree.
- Evil Old Folks: He's a lot older than the 10 year old protagonists, that’s for sure.
- Fatal Flaw: In Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle, Zed's main flaws are his ego and greed. He refuses to accept any criticism of being wrong and reacts with violence. This leads him to kill both Chrom and Phossa Molybden in retaliation. He made the foolish mistake of recording what he did, allowing the Team Rocket Trio to obtain the evidence required to ensure his arrest. Second, his desire to destroy the Sacred Tree for its healing powers encouraged the humans and Pokémon to unite and stop him.
- Foil: Unlike Koko, he was born in civilization but is actually far more of a savage barbarian than Koko. Ironically, he was the one who made Al a feral child in the first place.
- Greed: His main personality flaw and villainous motivation, though it's strongly implied that he believed in the greater good of the spring water's benefits. Unfortunately, the Zarude standing in his way drove him insane.
- Hate Sink: Pokémon fans can't hate Team Rocket due their comedic quirks, their amazing mottos and even extremely fashionable disguises, but they can hate Zed for being the insane monster that he is: He cares for no one but himself, snaps at even the slightest change of plan, verbally and emotionally abuses his fellow employers, has no regard for any of the Zarude. On top of this, he killed Al/Koko's parents by inaction, making him one of the very few Pokémon villains with a visible body count. But the karma gods have seen to it that he will end up at the mercy of justice.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: The true monster of the movie.
- I Reject Your Reality: He believes in his way and his way only.
- Knight of Cerebus: He's the first human antagonist among the 'reboot' Pokémon movies and a very dark one at that. He's committed onscreen murder of two of his colleagues, which left Koko as an orphan, and he's made it clear he's a heartless, egocentric psychopath who's willing to do anything to achieve his own goals, no matter who gets hurt, whether they are people or Pokémon.
- Mad Scientist: He is a completely insane scientist leading other scientists to seize the sacred tree's waters, though he obviously does not see himself as this.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Zed insists he's doing what's best for humanity, but at the same time he just wants power for himself, the Zarude gone and never to be questioned.
- Psychotic Smirk: Gives off a menacing grin quite a lot, showing he takes clear pleasure in the cruel things he does.
- Put on a Prison Bus: He is last seen on a television screen being escorted into a police van by Officer Jenny. His Death Glare indicates that even after all he has been through, he still insists "his way" to be the one and only.
- The Sociopath: And how! He doesn't even show the slgihtest bit of remorse for his actions.
- Surrounded by Smart People: His fellow scientists are arguably a lot more reasonable-minded than he is.
- Token Evil Teammate: The only one of the scientists who truly has bad intentions. The others are just misguided and turn against Zed after he is revealed to left Al’s parents to die.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Doubles for a 0% Approval Rating. While his men and underlings greatly trust and admire him, they turn against him when his true colors are revealed.
- Villainous Breakdown: He suffers an unhealthy amount of these during the climax, such as running away from justice, and calling out his subordinates.
- Would Hurt a Child: The very instant he reveals his true colors and uses his mecha to cut down the tree, he shows very little qualms in potentially killing either Ash or Koko alongside the Zarude or his fellow scientists.
