In the early months of 2020, Netflix debuted Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution, a three-dimensional retelling of the 1998 original, Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. Initially released to Japanese theaters the year prior, Evolution arrived internationally on the mainstream streaming platform.
Even with twenty years of hindsight behind the production, there are still slights in the script, plot holes that remain despite decades of fan . Whether due to the nature of the story or just oversight by the production team, numerous inconsistencies prevail. Combing through the details of this Poké-remake, here are ten major plot holes in Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution.
Why Is Mewtwo Different Than The Other Clones?
An important theme throughout Evolution is the prevalence of cloning technology. Mewtwo himself is a clone of Mew, supposedly the only successful one developed, and many of the Pokémon featured in the film receive genetically modified doppelgängers.
Mewtwo believes he is superior to the original Mew; however, the question left unanswered is, why is Mewtwo the only clone who is not an exact double of his predecessor? The various clones Mewtwo creates are all representative of the Pokémon they were derived from, so why is it that Mewtwo is the lone outlier in this pattern?
Did The Other Trainers...Die?
After Mewtwo sends out the invitations for his New Island showdown, the participating trainers are faced with a stormy obstacle crafted by the clone Pokémon. Mewtwo uses his abilities to create a massive storm that shuts down all transportation to the island, a test he devises in order to weed out those he deems unworthy.
The audience views numerous trainers using their Pokémon in an attempt to fly or swim to the island; however, once Ash and crew arrive, only three others have successfully made the journey. This bears the question: Did the other trainers perish in their attempts? And if so, when Mewtwo wipes everyone's memory at the end of the film, did he bring them back to life? Or did he just make everyone forget they ever existed?
Why Did Giovanni Have The Armor Ready?
After Mewtwo destroys the lab he was housed in, Giovanni, the leader of the notorious Pokémon gang, Team Rocket, arrives to enlist the psychic Pokémon into his service. After a brief interaction, Mewtwo agrees to accompany Giovanni back to his home base, where he is outfitted in armor created to help control and suppress his powers.
While Giovanni was clearly aware of the cloned creation, audiences are left to wonder why he already had the armor made and ready for wear, and why Mewtwo wasn't already encased in it originally in order to prevent such destruction.
Togepi Gets Ignored...Because Of A Bag
Once on New Island, Mewtwo reveals his master plan of cloning all of the elite Pokémon the trainers have delivered to his doorstep. An intense scene ensues, where audiences watch each Pokémon ensnared with robotic Pokéballs designed by Mewtwo, aside from one tiny outlier.
Togepi is the sole Pokémon to escape the cloning process by hiding in a bag. An ultimately successful shelter spot, viewers may imagine that a machine that can catch Pokémon even while they're already in a Pokéball would not be so easily deterred by a cotton-polyester blend.
Why Was Giovanni Spared?
At the onset of the film, Mewtwo releases the full brunt of his powers onto the scientists responsible for his existence. A gigantic explosion occurs, the facility is destroyed, and a significant loss of life is attributed to the unstable clone.
In such a state of mental sensitivity, it's improbable that not only would Mewtwo willingly submit himself to Giovanni's servitude, but he wouldn't continue on his path of destruction and eradicate the gang leader as well.
What Happened To Dragonite?
Seemingly the only non-cloned Pokémon in service of Mewtwo, Dragonite appears at the beginning of the film to deliver a New Island invitation to Ash, Misty, and Brock. After a brief interaction with Team Rocket, the dragon type flies away and disappears for the rest of the movie.
As Dragonite is never seen again, including in the post-credits scene that reveals the fate of Mewtwo and his fellow clones, audiences are left to wonder whatever became of this winged messenger.
Giovanni Still Re Mewtwo
When Mewtwo rewinds time at the end of the film, he erases all memory of his existence since the onset of his self-created storm. This day-long traversal of time may not have been sufficient; flashbacks at the beginning of the movie show multiple trainers battling the psychic type, who would inevitably their defeat at the hands of such a powerful Pokémon.
If that weren't enough, Giovanni himself would undoubtedly Mewtwo, leaving the clone with a well-connected and powerful enemy lurking in the world.
Why Did The Harbormaster Have The Story Ready?
Working in a coastal city, especially as the local harbormaster, it seems as if dealing with the forces of nature would be commonplace in the workplace. Yet when a random storm arrives, Officer Jenny introduces the harbormaster to the crowd, who leaps at the opportunity to regale a local legend to the assembled trainers.
While the storm was treacherous, nothing obscenely supernatural was known about it at the time, which begs the question: What made the harbormaster choose this time to tell her story, or does she just do this every time it rains?
Mewtwo's Lack Of Empathy
Throughout Evolution, Mewtwo displays an impressive variety of Godlike abilities. Time travel, supernatural intelligence, and control of the weather are just a sampling of the talents Mewtwo showcases, so viewers may wonder, why doesn't he do more to help the world?
By the end of the film, Mewtwo has revolutionized his outlook on life and humanity, so why does he choose to simply resign himself to a life of solitude? Mewtwo could save countless lives, improve the environment and help facilitate peace among the population. Instead, he takes his army of clones to a mountain and pretends nothing ever happened.
How Did Team Rocket Escape?
Following the climax of the film, Mewtwo abandons New Island, erases the memories of all present, and sends them back to the mainland, everyone but Team Rocket. In a moment played for comedy, viewers see that Team Rocket was subjected to the same memory wipe as the rest, but they have been left behind on the island.
The credits soon roll after, but audiences are left to ponder, how do the three manage to escape an uninhabited island, in the middle of the ocean, with no way of calling for help?
