The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon

{| style="float: right; clear: right; margin: 0 0 0.5em 1em;" class="toccolours" border=0 cellpadding=0 align=right width="300"
-
colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#EAEAEA" | Previous special
"The Search for the Legend"
-
colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#EAEAEA" | Next special
"Pokémon Mystery Dungeon"
-

nihongo|"The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon"|戦慄のミラージュポケモン|Senritsu no Mirāju Pokemon|lit. "The Terrifying Mirage Pokémon" is a special hour-long episode of the Pokémon anime series created for the tenth anniversary of the franchise. This special premiered on Kids' WB! on April 29, 2006. It became available on DVD in the United States on September 19, 2006 as a special feature on the 2-disc ' release. In Japan the special was available for download as 戦慄のミラージュポケモン"' on the official site from October 13-October 31, 2006.

This special marked the first time English-language production was handled by Pokémon USA and TAJ Productions rather than 4Kids Entertainment, who were responsible for all Pokémon licensing except video games, and the trading card game outside of Asia from 1998 until 2005. As a result of this change, the English-language version of the special featured an all-new voice cast, replacing the 4Kids-based actors, many of whom had worked on the show for eight years. The one exception was Rodger Parsons, who returned at the narrator.

This change has caused controversy among some fans. It was announced at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con that the version available on DVD would be improved from that aired on TV, with dialogue being re-recorded after the new voice cast were more used to their roles and after Ash was given another new voice actor Sarah Natochenny.

ynopsis

The storyline centers around Dr. Yung, an enigmatic Pokémon scientist who has developed a new technology called the "Mirage System" to resurrect extinct Pokémon like Kabutops and Armaldo. Ash, Brock, May, Max, Professor Oak, and Misty show up at the Mirage Mansion at Dr. Yung's invitation, and watch a demonstration of the machine's capabilities. In the middle of a battle between Dr. Yung's Mirage Pokémon and Ash, the machine goes haywire and a Mirage Aerodactyl swoops in and kidnaps Dr. Yung. The Mirage Master appears out of nowhere and announces to everyone that the Mirage System can be used to create Pokémon with absolutely no weaknesses. He threatens them, and they make their escape from the mansion. Unfortunately, Dr. Yung does not make it out, and it's up to Ash and friends to save the day.

Production

Companies

* ADR Production: TAJ Productions
* Release Studio: Pokémon USA, Inc (also known as PUSA)
* Translation: Z Pang America
* Video Services: Chromavision
* Audio Facility: Sound 1 Korp
* Audio Post Production:
**Betelgeuse Productions
**TAJ Studios ,Inc
* Digital Effects: Betelgeuse Productions

English Staff

* Director:
**Armen Mazlumian
**Larry Juris
*Producer:
**Armen Mazlumian
**Larry Juris
* Character Design:
**Ken Sugimori
**Tokuhiro Matsubara
**Toshiya Yamada
* Music Composition: Ryan Dantello
* Creative Director: Chris Brixey
* Video Editor: B. Scott Dempsey
* Engineers:
**Armen Mazlumian
**Jeff Pustynsky
* Assistant Producers:
**Kaori Brand
**Maya Nakamura
* Executive Producer: Akira Chiba
* Closed Captions: Peter Vaughan
* Script Adaptation:
**Carter Cathcart
**Eric Grossfield
* Script Consultant: C.J. Cathcart
* Dubbing Supervisor: Eric Grossfield
* Editing:
**Armen Mazlumian
**Jeff Pustynsky
* Co-Producer: Randy Woodcock
* Support Staff:
**John Hershberger
**Katherine Fang
**Kristina Naudus
**Phaedra Kaufman
* Voice Direction:
**Eric Grossfield
**Armen Mazlumian
**Larry Juris

Cast

* Ash Ketchum - Kayzie Rogers (a/k/a Jamie Peacock) (TV), Sarah Natochenny (DVD)
* Max - Jamie Peacock
* Misty, Jessie, and May - Michele Knotz
* Brock, Corphish, Combusken - Bill Rogers
* James/Meowth/Professor Oak - Jimmy Zoppi (a/k/a Billy Beach)
* Doctor Yung/Mirage Master - Bill Timoney (a/k/a Billy Regan)
* Nurse Joy - Diane Stillwell
* Officer Jenny - Kayzie Rogers
* Narrator - Rodger Parsons
* Pikachu - Ikue Ohtani
* Mew - Satomi Korogi
* Mewtwo - Katsuyuki Konishi
* Squirtle Eric Stuart (archive audio)
* Entei Paul St. Peter (a/k/a Dan Green and Paul St. Peter)

ources

* Cast and crew list provided by [http://www.crystalacids.com/database/title/1067/pokemon-the-mastermind-of-mirage-po/ Crystal Acids] & [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6258 Anime News Network]
* [http://www.tajpro.com TAJ Productions official site]

External links

* [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/The_Mastermind_of_Mirage_Pok%C3%A9mon The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon at Bulbapedia]
* [http://www.tv.com/pokémon/the-mastermind-of-mirage-pokémon/episode/708206/summary.html The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon at TV.COM]
* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6258 The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon at Anime News Network]