Just when you think you have seen it all, you realize there is more going on behind-the-scenes you never realized. When it comes to Pokemon, that sure seems to be the case thanks to one Adi Shankar. The Castlevania showrunner has reignited his Bootleg Universe with a new entry, and you guessed it!
Videos by ComicBook.com
This time, it is Pokemon that is getting raunchy, and fans will have to see the explicit video to believe.
As you can see above, the short is titled “The End of Pokemon”, and it gets real dark real quick. Fans are introduced to a world where Ash Ketchum is an adult who has lost it all after catching them all. Once crowned a Pokemon Master, Ash has turned his back on the world after Pikachu’s death, and he decides it is time to free all Pokemon from their trainers who have forced them to fight for so long.
The short continues with plenty of blood and gore as Pokemon violently fight one another. There are some particularly distressing scenes featuring a Ninetails and Venasaur, but the moment is just one of many. “The End of Pokemon” isn’t afraid to kill off pocket monsters when called to do so, and even trainers like Brock are bloodied up before Ash is forced to ask himself whether his new goal is for the very best. And as expected, things all take a turn when Mewtwo shows up to remind humanity who is the real boss.
This is not Shankar’s first dive into the world of R-rated content. The producer and filmmaker first came into fame with his first entries of the Bootleg Universe. He oversaw the creation of the now-notorious Power Rangers short film which reimagined the classic series as an adult affair. Other entries like Dirty Laundry and In Service of Nothing have followed, so now it is Pokemon‘s turn to give the universe a try.
As for Pokemon, this R-rated take is far different from anything the franchise has pursued officially. Earlier this year, Hollywood got its hands on the series when Detective Pikachu brought the franchise into live-action. Pokemon’s animated pursuits will return this summer when Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution goes live, but none of these films have anything on this Bootleg Universe addition.
Still, there is no telling where The Pokemon Company could go. It seems highly unlikely an official R-rated project will ever get a thumbs up from executives, but Detective Pikachu star Ryan Reynolds has admitted he recorded some NSFW lines while working on the film.
“You know, some things would come out a little PG-13, bordering on rated R. So, that stuff didn’t make it, but the great thing about this role is that you can be totally edgy and push it but still stay within the boundaries of a movie you can take little kids to,” Reynolds told ComicBook.com earlier this year.
So, what do you make of this new Bootleg Universe addition? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is now out in theaters, and you can read our spoiler-free review of the film here. The official synopsis for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu reads as such, “The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokรฉmon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself.”
