YMMV / Pokémon Apokélypse

• Fridge Brilliance: Why is Pikachu so skinny? Given the conditions of battling in this world, this may be intended to show that his health is failing.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • The very existence of Pokémon Detective Pikachu makes this short fit into this category by default. But the visual similarities are impressive: aged-up characters (with female lead Lucy even having a Psyduck like Misty), underground Pokémon battles, and of course, the grittier CGI designs. What's also notable, however, is that Detective Pikachu subverted the expected Darker and Edgier Hollywood remake trend and ended up being similar in tone with the rest of the franchise.
  • Ash's actor, Lee Majdoub, would later appear in a real live-action video game film, Sonic the Hedgehog (2020).
• Misaimed Fandom: Some people who liked the short film's Darker and Edgier take on the Pokémon series didn't seem to understand that it was actually meant as a satire about the trend of making dark and gritty movies based on children's cartoons. Others waited for the full movie to come out, not realizing that the trailer was the movie.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • A good amount of the Pokémon qualify.
  • Jessie, James and Meowth actually manage to be threatening for once.
  James: (pulling a gun on Professor Oak) Then prepare for trouble...
  Jessie: (doing the same with an evil smirk) And make it double...
  • There's a brief shot of Meowth sneaking up on an unconscious Pikachu and sharpening his claws while snickering evilly.
  • And an even briefer one of a Squirtle's shell being shattered to pieces.
  • Mewtwo apparently making an Officer Jenny commit Psychic-Assisted Suicide.
• Retroactive Recognition: Ash is played by Lee Majdoub, who also played Agent Stone in a video game movie of another iconic 90's animal mascot.
• The Woobie: Like the trailer or not, it's hard not to feel awful for poor Pikachu.

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