Pokémon Apokélypse is a fan-fiction trailer “responding to the common trend of ‘dark and gritty’ reboots of popular franchises.”  But when it first “leaked” on the Internet fans of the popular trading card game (that also enjoyed a short stint on TheWB), rabid fans were led on to believe that this was actual footage from an upcoming live action Pokémon movie.  It turns out the leak was staged and the production team behind it revealed that this was simply a side project.  From the live incarnations of Ash, Misty, and Brock to the super cool CG Pokémon, the trailer is pure win.  Read the synopsis and mash play!

Celadon City hasn’t been the same since the Gyms closed down. Pokémon fighting has gone underground, and the sport has gotten a taste for blood. Ash, Misty, and Brock have been forced deep into the city’s seedy underbelly to keep training, but the Pokémon aren’t the only ones in danger. Now, Ash must choose to either become a master in the grim world of illegal pokémon fighting, or make a desperate stand to free them all from the criminal grip of Rocket Industries.

Interested in learning more about how this trailer came to be?  Head over to ShogunGamer to read an interview with director Kial Natale and exec producer Lee Majdoub.