Differences from Diamond and Pearl

The game features Giratina as its mascot and introduces its Origin Forme (オリジンフォルム, Orijin Forumu^?), as seen in Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Shaymin. Its initial form is referred to as its Another Forme (アナザーフォルム, Anazā Forumu^?).^[4][11] The storyline involves a disturbance atop Mt. Coronet, as a portal to the “Distortion World”^[3] (やぶれたせかい, Yabureta Sekai^?) is opened and Sinnoh’s climate becomes colder. The trainers have been given new outfits to suit the colder climate. The Distortion World is a strange place in another dimension. The normal laws of gravity and physics do not apply here.^[12]

Shaymin, which was distributed as part of admittance to the aforementioned film, has a new form known as its “Sky Forme” (スカイフォルム, Sukai Forumu^?), a dual Grass and Flying-type Pokémon. When traded to Diamond or Pearl from Platinum, Shaymin will transform from its Sky Forme back to its Land Forme (ランドフォルム, Rando Forumu^?)^[13] with the use of a new item in Platinum.^[14] When the special Regigigas that is given out with a pre-order ticket for Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Shaymin is traded from Diamond or Pearl to Platinum, it activates an event that makes Regirock, Regice, and Registeel available in Platinum.^[15][16]

Prior to the game’s release, silhouette images of five unknown Pokémon were shown on the official website. These Pokémon were later identified as different forms of Rotom.^[17][18] An item called the Secret Key^[17] was distributed over the Wi-Fi connection beginning on September 28 to change Rotom’s forms.^[19]

The Battle Frontier, which was first introduced in Pokémon Emerald, appears again in Platinum. In the Wi-Fi Plaza^[3], an arcade area, the player can play minigames with other people over the Wi-Fi connection.^[20]

Reception

In a hands-on preview of Pokémon Platinum, Kat Bailey of 1UP.com praised the game’s many new features as well as its improvements in interface and graphics. “Pokémon fans probably won’t be found wanting with Platinum. Even after you finish up the main quest, stop messing around with the Battle Recorder, and clear out the Battle Frontier, you’ve still got side quests and contests to keep you busy. And once you venture back down the Pokémon rabbit hole, you won’t be coming up again for a while,” wrote Bailey.^[18] Famitsu gave the game a score of 9/9/9/9 for a total of 36 points. “From the new story elements to the addition of the Battle Frontier, there’s a ton of neat stuff, and you’re getting a lot for your money here,” they remarked.^[10]

Pokémon Platinum sold 1 million copies in its first two days on the Japanese market.^[21] According to Media Create, the game has sold 2 million copies in Japan as of December 7, 2008.^[22] Thus, it is the fastest-selling Nintendo DS title as of late.^[23]

^{Here is the japenese trailer}

The movie was officially announced in a teaser trailer attached to the end of the previous film, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai. In it, Regigigas was shown appearing from beneath the ground. This is the only teaser since Pokémon 3: The Movie to feature anything beyond a title and a release date. The theme song for the film is “ONE”, by Crystal Kay.

The US title was first announced by Sarah Natochenny (Ash’s current voice actress) on her resume^[2],

In addition to Regigigas, Dialga and Palkia were shown in both the teaser trailer and on the first poster for the film. Giratina’s appearance and the current working title of the film were revealed in a second teaser trailer towards the end of 2007. In the March issue of CoroCoro Comic, it was revealed that Giratina has two forms: “Another Forme,” the form seen in the Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl games as well as on the film’s first poster; and “Origin Forme” (オリジンフォルム, Orijin Forumu^?), which is seen in the final poster. The Origin Forme is the form Giratina takes when it travels between dimensions. Shaymin was also confirmed to appear in the March issue of CoroCoro Comic. In another trailer, it is shown that Giratina can travel through dimensions by a strange purple wind that look like streaks of power. One of Giratina’s dimensions is shown in a trailer as a foggy place with floating islands, covered with a strange green thing like moss or grass. A middle island is covered in moss/grass.

In one of the teaser trailers it was said that “the battle of the gods is not over yet!”, implying a direct connection to the previous film. The final poster for the film does not contain images of either Dialga or Palkia, although Dialga is shown battling Giratina in a trailer released in March 2008, on the official website for the film. The Origin Forme of Giratina is shown on the final poster with the tagline: “Pokémon will follow the new light.”

In a new trailer released on April 18, 2008, it is shown that Shaymin is able to communicate by Telepathy, and it befriends the group. In the same trailer, it shows Shaymin glowing while floating in the air. Just recently it was confirmed in the June Issue of CoroCoro that its new form is actually a Sky Forme.

People who bring their Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games and Nintendo DS to theatrical showings of the film are able to download a level 50 Shaymin to their game cartridge via wireless connection.^[3] Those who pre-ordered their film tickets are also able to download a level 100 Regigigas into their games. This special Regigigas unlocks two events in the game: one, the original Regis appear in three separate locations, and two, the new item “The Glacidea Flower” which allows Shaymin to change formes (these events are only for Platinum).

Story

The film begins with Shaymin by an oasis, as Dialga appears. It drinks from the water, before being attacked by Giratina from the Reverse World ( rumored to be the “Torn World”), in Another Forme. Giratina comes through a portal, grabbing Dialga and dragging it into the Reverse World. Shaymin gets caught in a whirlwind and is sucked through the portal, too. Dialga and Giratina fight, while Shaymin tries to survive – unnoticed by the giants – the battle. A advenurous-looking man with a Shieldon watches the battles from afar, spotting Shaymin. There are also glimpses of a computer simulation observing the battle, on the ship of Zero. Zero is the film’s villian, who seems to be watching Giratina with the aim of capturing it.

As the battle progresses, Shaymin absorbs a dark gas, and then does what looks like to be exploding. The explosion causes a portal back to the real world to form, sucking Shaymin through. Dialga escapes through the portal, but it closes before Giratina can get through. Giratina keeps hitting the same spot over and over, in what the computer calls a “time loop”. Dialga then flies off. Shaymin is thrown into a river, and goes out of control down a huge mountain to a small seaside town. We find Ash, Brock and Dawn in the town, with their Pokemon, enjoying Brock’s cooking once more. Ash is scolded for not washing his hands before eating. As everyone is preoccupied with the Pokemon eating, a grey Shaymin starts eating “hot cakes” from the table. Piplup attacks Shaymin, causing a barbecue to be knocked over in the chaos. Shaymin absorbs the smoke and then explodes as before. Dawn saves Shaymin from being attacked by all the angry Pokemon, washing her under a tap. Its revealed that Shaymin can talk telepathically, and it talks of “that place”, which irritates Ash as he can’t understand. Shaymin teases Ash a lot about being stupid, but befriends Dawn.

They take Shaymin to a Pokemon Center, where Brock hits on Nurse Joy until his Croagunk punches him and drags him away (as ushal when he hits on girls in the Diamond and Pearl saga). Shaymin says that it’ll lead them to “that place”, sitting on Ash’s head and making him move where it wants to go as he complains. Team Rocket watch in the Pokemon Center, and decide to try to steal Shaymin. In a garden full of strange isometric and rectangular statues, the sides of some start to ripple and Giratina appears briefly. Team Rocket pick up Shaymin and run off, but are then sucked into a statue, which has become a portal to the Reverse World. Everyone except Brock is sucked through, where Ash, Dawn, Pikachu and Piplup battle Giratina while rescuing Shaymin. Running from Giratina, they bump into the man who watched the earlier battle, who introduces himself as Mugen Graceland, a “genius scientist”. Ash and Dawn comment on him introducing himself as a “genius scientist”, and Shaymin mocks him. He leads them to a portal back to the real world, while explaining that Dialga and Palkia’s battle (in the 10th film) caused a black smoke to fill the Reverse World. This infuriated Giratina, explaining its attack on Dialga in the beginning of the film. Pikachu, Piplup, Shaymin, Ash, and Dawn return to the garden, where Brock is waiting. Team Rocket appear too late, and are left behind with Mugen in the Reverse World.

Back in the garden, Ash and Dawn attempt to explain about the Reverse World and Giratina, but are stopped by the appearance of Magnemites and Magnetons. Zero comes down on a hover-board, with Magnezone as his side-kick. They disable the Magnemites long enough for them to flee into the streets of the town, chased by Zero’s Magnemites, Magnetons and the Magnezone. Escaping onto a train leaving town, they talk with people on the train, and Shaymin transforms into its Sky Forme when exposed to the Glacidea Flower. It is explained that Shaymin transforms when exposed to Glacidea Flowers, found at the top of the mountain, where all the Shaymin live. It is then decided to help Shaymin return home. The train is attacked by Zero’s Pokemon, who are fought off by Pikachu, Piplup and Shaymin. Magnezone smashes the side of the train, but is repelled just before the train enters a tunnel, leaving all Zero’s Pokemon to smash into the side of a hill.

On a boat, the group are going up a river to reach Shaymin’s garden. They play around, and Shaymin teases Ash more, until Zero appears again. A portal opens in the water, sucking Shaymin and the others in, and Zero and his Pokemon follow. Ash, Dawn and Brock battle Zero’s Pokemon, and find Mugen, who leads them into a cave. Giratina and Shaymin battle, until Shaymin’s Sky Forme transformation wears off. It’s saved by Pikachu on Staravia, who rejoin with the group. Shaymin causes another explosion by absorbing the dark gas, allowing them to escape, and Giratina and Zero follow. With everyone in the real world, a gigantic airship appears in the valley which Zero flies to with his Pokemon. Giratina changes to its normal form, and sits on the bank of the river. A gun from Zero’s ship shoots Giratina, who flies up to attack the ship, but is caught in a giant trap that begins sucking Giratina’s energy away.

Everyone except Brock board a hover-board and fly up to the ship, where they battle Zero’s Pokemon, and Mugen enters the ship to disable to computer. It is revealed in a flashback that Zero used to be Mugen’s pupil, studying the Reverse World, until he became obsessed with Giratina’s power and decided to catch and take his power. Mugen disables the computer and the trap, freeing Giratina who collapses unconscious inside the trap, but also accidentally turns off the ship’s engines. The trap falls apart, dropping Giratina into the river, and the ship begins to come down. Everyone escapes on the hover-board, except Zero who stays on his ship. Just before the ship crashes, a smaller ship separates from it. The larger ship crashes into the forest, as Pokemon flee from it. Giratina climbs out of the water, then drops down and seems to be dead. He starts to breathe gently, though, so everyone and all the Pokemon from the forest gather around. Shaymin heals Giratina, just before Zero reappears in his small ship. Giratina chases Zero through a portal into the Reverse World, where Zero smashes towers of ice. In the real world, this disturbs a glacier on the mountain, which begins to slide down the mountain, toward the town. As Giratina and Zero fight, everyone tries to think of a way to stop the glacier destroying the town. The disturbance uncovers Regigigas’ temple, awaking him and causing him to come out and stop the glacier, with the help of a herd of Mamoswine.

Shaymin turns into its Sky Forme and creates a portal, allowing Ash into the Reverse World, where Giratina is being defeated by Zero. Team Rocket watch, admitting they would like to help but can’t think how they could. Ash jumps on the ship and tries to persuade Zero to stop. He refuses, closing up his shields as a dark cloud covers everyone. Ash covers his face to protect himself, as Shaymin absorbs it all. The explosion opens a portal back to the real world, sucking the ship through. Zero refuses to let the ship return, however, until Giratina fires a ball of energy which shoots it through. Team Rocket and everyone is sucked through the portal, leaving the Reverse World, with enough time to allow Giratina to leave. Zero’s ship crashes down next to Regigigas, before it is covered in ice by Piplup and other Pokemon with ice beam. Everyone rejoices stopping the glacier, then find the Shaymin garden nearby. It is full of other Shaymin, who can change forms at will. Shaymin says goodbye, admitting that it actually likes Ash, and leaves with tears in its eyes. All the Shaymin turn into Sky Forme, and fly away. Giratina is seen flying off too, to continue its attack on Dialga.

In the closing credits sequence, Zero’s ship is recovered, and he is arrested by Office Jenny and helped out of his ship by Mugen. Ash, Dawn and Brock leave the town to continue their Pokemon Journey.