Pokéstar Studios

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Pokéstar Studios ポケウッド
Pokéwood
"Wild Missingno. appeared!"
Map description: Pokéstar Studios, where great movies are produced.
Location: North of Virbank City
Region: Unova
Generations: V

Location of Pokéstar Studios in Unova.
Pokémon world locations

Pokéstar Studios (Japanese: ポケウッド Pokéwood, formally called ポケウッドムービースタジオ Pokéwood Movie Studio) is a film studio featured in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. It is located north of Virbank City.

Pokéstar Studios allows the player to take part in making films involving Pokémon. The films feature a scenario chosen by the player and a number of Pokémon battles. Pop Roxie, Brycen and Sabrina have co-starred in films produced in the studio.

The facility is run by an elderly man named Stu Deeoh (Japanese: ウッドウさん Mr. Wood).

In the games

Location

Pokéstar Studios is found in southwest Unova. It is connected to Virbank City from the south and can only be accessed after the player has defeated the Virbank Gym Leader Roxie.

Making films

A Typhlosion takes on Mecha Tyranitar

To make a film, the player must first choose whether to use a rental Pokémon or a Pokémon from their own party. However, the player is not allowed to use their party Pokémon in a film until they have filmed a Good Ending for it at least once using the rental Pokémon; and Pokémon that know Transform, Torment, or Metronome, or that have the Imposter Ability, are banned from participating in films. After a team has been chosen, the player goes to a room with a green screen and faces a person in a Pokémon battle.

During the battle, several dialog options are shown before specific turns. The player is supposed to choose the option that best matches the movie script. Choosing different options will change which move the opponent attempts to use, and in some cases, choosing the wrong option can force a Bad Ending even if the battle is otherwise completed successfully.

Battles at Pokéstar Studios use a slightly different battle engine than usual. There is no random variation step in the damage formula, equivalent to having all attacks forced to the maximum random roll (though effect chances for moves to cause side effects like paralysis or flinching, and chances for critical hits, still exist with their usual randomness). Opponents will only ever attempt to use the move called for by the player's most recent dialog option (or, prior to the first dialog option, a random move). If this move has no PP left, or has been hit by an effect such as Disable, they will still attempt to use the move anyway, as long as they have at least one other move that could have legally been chosen if it weren't for such adherence to the script--this is the Impossible move selection glitch. If the opponent would have been forced to use Struggle in a standard battle, though (such as by running out of PP on all their moves), they will still do so here.

Once the filming is complete, the player can watch the movie in the theater, which causes the recorded battle to be replayed with various effects added: the Trainer's name is changed; health bars (including the Pokémon's name and level) do not appear on screen; the green screen background is replaced by an image fitting for the movie's setting; dialog between the Trainers is interspersed with turns of the battle, sometimes including comic-book-style overlay panels; and movies that feature "Prop" opponents, or Trainers wearing green suits, will have them digitally edited into other forms. The theater can hold up to eight films simultaneously. If all eight are occupied, the player will have to choose between either deleting an existing film or not releasing the new film at all (the box office sales records do remain even after a film is removed from its screen).

There are three types of endings that a movie can get:

  • Good Ending - Generated by following the script. Creates a good, if predictable, ending. Getting the good ending on each movie for the first time usually unlocks the next movie in the series, and unlocks the ability to attempt the same script using party Pokémon. The player can tell they are getting the good ending based on the pleased reactions of the director, and the audience will applaud at the end.
  • Bad Ending - Generated by deviating from the script, such as acting out of character (acting scared when playing a superhero, not acting scared when a zombie appears, etc.) or not completing the battle puzzle properly. Directors have an aggravated response when triggering a bad ending, some audience members will leave before the credits, and the film will lose money at the box office.
  • Strange Ending (Japanese: カルトエンド Cult Ending) - Generated by deviating from the script a certain way, causing a puzzled response from the director. Strange endings change the nature of the movie entirely, generate a shocked reaction, and produce more box-office income than a good ending. However, if the player earns a strange ending on their first attempt at a movie (using rental Pokémon), this does not unlock the next movie in the series or the ability to use party Pokémon.

If the player manages to create a strange ending (or good endings eleven times) with their own Pokémon, that Pokémon will become a star and will be given a special entry animation, much like when a Shiny Pokémon is sent out. The entry animation will be removed if the player then creates a bad ending using the same Pokémon, though it can be restored with another strange ending, or two good endings. Using a star Pokémon in a movie causes it to earn more money.

Star level

After releasing a movie, the player receives star points based on what type of ending it achieves. If the player produces the same movie script multiple times, star points earned for each of them are cumulative.

Ending Star Points
Good +3
Bad +1
Strange +15

The man at the door to the soundstage will inform the player when their star level increases. The table below shows the requirements and rewards for each star level.

Level Requirement Unlocks Audience size Added lobby fans
1 None 5-9
2 20 total star points 7-12
3 40 total star points The Giant Woman! Series 10-18
4 70 total star points Everlasting Memories Series 16-21
5 95 total star points 22
Complete all the movies with a good ending
(excluding Brycen-Man Strikes Back Harder)
Brycen-Man Strikes Back Harder movie;
Trainer Card level increase
Complete Brycen-Man Strikes Back Harder
with a good ending
Access to the dressing room;
bronze statue of the player outside

Fans that are added to the lobby with a given rank will continue to appear in all later ranks. If a film earns enough star points for the player to reach the next star rank, the number of members in the audience is determined based on the old rank, but the fans that stick around in the lobby afterward are based on the new rank.

Scenarios

Series Genre # of Movies Unlock criteria Dominant type(s)
Brycen-Man Action 4 1st movie: —
2nd & 3rd movies: Enter the Hall of Fame
4th: Get a good ending on every other movie
and talk to Brycen at the Icirrus Gym
Dark
Full Metal Cop Action 4 Earn at least $500 billion on a single movie Fighting Bug
Invaders Science fiction 4 Complete the first Brycen-Man movie Psychic
Big Monster Science fiction 4 Enter the Hall of Fame Steel Rock
Timegate Traveler Science fiction 3 Complete the first Brycen-Man movie Steel Fighting
Love and Battles Fantasy 3 Enter the Hall of Fame Normal
Mystery Doors of
the Magical Land
Fantasy 3 Complete the first Brycen-Man movie Psychic
The Giant Woman! Fantasy 4 Reach star level 3 Normal
Red Fog of Terror Horror 3 Complete the first Brycen-Man movie Normal Dark
Everlasting Memories Horror 4 Reach star level 4 Steel Normal
Ghost Eraser Horror 4 Enter the Hall of Fame Ghost

Items

After watching a newly produced movie for the first time, some fans from the audience will stick around in the lobby afterwards; there will be more fans as the player's star level increases. Some of these fans will give the player items if spoken to, depending on which movie was made and what ending it had, according to the table below. When multiple fans from the same listed row are in the lobby, the player can talk to each of them separately to obtain additional instances of the item.

Fans Item set 1:
Bad ending on movie
#1, 2, or 3 in a series
Item set 2:
Bad ending on movie
#4, or good ending
on movie #1, 2, or 3
Item set 3:
Good ending on movie
#4, or strange ending
on movie #1 or 2
Item set 4:
Strange ending on
movie #3 or 4
These fans do not give out any items
Fresh Water Fresh Water Lemonade Lemonade ×5 Lava Cookie Lava Cookie ×5 Pretty Wing Pretty Wing
Potion Potion Berry Juice Berry Juice Hyper Potion Hyper Potion ×5 Max Revive Max Revive
Favored Mail Favored Mail Escape Rope Escape Rope Moomoo Milk Moomoo Milk ×5 Nugget Nugget
Sweet Heart Sweet Heart Rage Candy Bar RageCandyBar Old Gateau Old Gateau ×5 Star Piece Star Piece
Energy Powder EnergyPowder Energy Root Energy Root Big Pearl Big Pearl Full Restore Full Restore

Layout

Version Plaza Movie theater Studio Film room Dressing room
Black 2
White 2
 

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Artwork depicting Pokéstar Studios is seen in Brycen, Brycen-Man, and Bellelba's mindscapes.

Brycen & Cryogonal
Brycen-Man & Zoroark
Bellelba & Swoobat

In animation

Pokéstar Studios in Pokémon the Series: Black & White

Pokémon the Series

Pokéstar Studios are rich with movie history, with old props and movie posters on display. The Pokémon Walk of Fame features the footprints of the many Pokéstars past and present, including Brycen's Beartic.

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

Pokéstar Studios appeared in An Epic Defense Force!. The president of Pokéstar Studios is Mr. Gold, who has also directed many successful movies. Ash, Iris, and Cilan starred in their friend Luke's movie for the Film Competition held at the Studios.

The Studios were later mentioned in Celebrating the Hero's Comet! by Jessie.

Pokémon the Series: XY

The Studios were mentioned again in A PokéVision of Things to Come! by both Clemont and Meowth.

Gallery

Movie posters Pokémon Walk of Fame Theater

In the manga

Pokéstar Studios in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Black 2 & White 2 arc

Pokéstar Studios first appeared in Movie Panic, where Cheren took his Aspertia Trainers' School class to visit the studios. Whitley got to act in a Brycen-Man movie, but in the middle of the shooting, Mecha Tyranitar appeared due having accidentally been left on and started attacking everyone. The mecha was stopped by Blake and his Dewott, and the scene was added to the movie. After watching the movie, the class left the studios.

During the class's visit, it was revealed that Sabrina was working as an actress there, and that White had been involved in creating the studios.

In Choir Tournament, Blake and Whitley's movie was revealed to have been published on DVD. Roxie thanked the two for what they had done, as their success had convinced her father to abandon his dream of becoming an actor at Pokéstar Studios after seeing how tough the competition was, and return to his work as a sea captain.

In Epilogue, Whitley visited Pokéstar Studios again. White offered her a career as an actress there, but she declined the offer. In her and Blake's place, Yancy and Curtis were casted to act in a movie, which was released sometime later.

Gallery

In the TCG

The following is a list of cards featuring or mentioning Pokéstar Studios in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Related Cards
Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.
Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
Emolga Lightning Legendary Treasures Uncommon 49/113 EX Battle Boost   041/093
 

Trivia

  • Its name in Japanese, Korean and European languages, Pokéwood, is based on the name Hollywood.
    • This might also be a reference to how different countries add the suffix -wood to a local name or phrase in order to produce an informal metonym of that country's film industry. Examples of this include Bollywood (Mumbai, India), Wakaliwood (Uganda), and Hallyuwood (Korea).
  • The film directors are all named after real-life Hollywood directors. "Sydney Pokémet", credited as director in the movies, is a reference to Hollywood icon Sidney Lumet. Likewise, "John Pokénter" and "David Pokénch" pay homage to John Carpenter and David Lynch, respectively.
  • A Janitor in the theater (in English) says "Movies are wonderful! They get two thumbs up!", referencing the signature phrase of American film critic Roger Ebert.
  • If a Shiny Pokémon with the star animation is sent out, the Pokémon's Shiny animation will not play. However, it will still retain its Shininess. This also applies to any of N's Pokémon.
  • It is possible to Surf in the furthest tree tile to the right outside the theater building at Pokéstar Studios due to a glitch.
  • Pokéstar Studios is the only place in the main series games in which the player character is shown speaking, unless the debatable Copycat dialogue and answers to questions are counted.
  • Pokéstar Studios films do not use random damage rolls in damage calculation, instead always using maximum damage rolls. Presumably, this was done as to not cause desyncs when rewatching films (for instance, if in the original filming, a hit were to KO a Pokémon, but in a subsequent viewing, it gets a lower damage roll and does not knock it out).
  • If the player starts a new game with a save file already present, they will not be able to progress past filming the first Brycen-Man film. This is because saving the game is mandatory in order to have a film appear in the theatre (which is needed to progress to Castelia City), and saving over another already present save file is impossible in Generation V.
  • In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Poké Maniacs wear a shirt with the Pokéstar Studios logo on it.

Origin

Pokéstar Studios was created to justify expanding the range of visual environments in the games.[1]

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 寶可夢好萊塢 Pokémon Hóulòihwū *
小精靈荷里活 Síujīnglìhng Hòhléihwuht *
Mandarin 寶可夢好萊塢 / 宝可梦好莱坞 Bǎokěmèng Hǎoláiwù *
神奇寶貝好萊塢 Shénqí Bǎobèi Hǎoláiwù *
Finnish Pokéstar-studiot
European French Pokéwood
German Pokéwood
Italian Pokéwood
Korean 포켓우드 Pokéwood
Polish Studio Pokégwiazdy*
Pokéwood*
Brazilian Portuguese Estúdios Pokéstar
European Spanish Pokéwood
Vietnamese Pokéwood

References

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