With the 23rd Pokémon Movie, Secrets of the Jungle, set to release in Japan on December 25th, fans old and new alike are excited to finally see this long-delayed story hit the big screen. This movie features a whole pack of new mythical Pokémon Zarude, though one individual Zarude with a pink scarf clearly stands out as different from the others.
In the movie, Ash and Pikachu meet Koko, the second Pokémon Tarzan, who's been raised by a kindly older Zarude. Koko believes the Zarude be his father, calling him "Dada." It looks like Ash will introduce Koko to the human world, teaching him that not only that humans can be good, but that the bonds between people and Pokémon are something that can never be broken -- just like Koko's bond with his adoptive father.
However, Dada here is the exception, not the rule. Zarude is a Dark-Grass type, an exceedingly rare combination that alludes to nature's more unforgiving qualities, such as trees falling without warning, poisonous plants and the fact that while the forest hides you, it also hides those who hunt you. In that vein, as revealed through data-mined Pokédex entries, Zarude travel in packs, just like real monkeys, aggressively defending their territory from outsiders and terrifying the other Pokémon.
Instead, while Dada shares in his brethren's aggressive nature, he puts that nature to good use by using it to defend Koko as seen in the trailer. When Koko isn't in danger though, Dada seems like a pretty agreeable guy, as evidenced by Koko's friendship with the forest Pokémon, who certainly wouldn't have approached the boy if Dada was of the same temperament as his peers.
This dual nature is highly reflected in Zarude's signature move in-game. Jungle Healing is a recovery move that allows the user to heal some of its hit-points and remove status conditions -- the catch? Zarude needs to hit Level 90 to unlock it. While this isn't as extreme as other mythicals (Mew only learns Psychic at Level 100), the point is, if Dada uses it in the movie, we'll know that his experience is a key component of why he's able to live apart from the pack. It also sends the message that it takes strength to heal.
According to some key art, it looks like most of the movie's Zarudes are going to be adversaries, not friends. Whether they feel Dada betrayed them by leaving to care for a human or because they're getting pushed into conflict by expanding human infrastructure, the wild Zarudes' aggressive nature tells the audience to expect conflict whenever they're onscreen.
Zarude isn't the first mythical Pokémon to appear in multiples, with the anime showing many Shaymin and games being able to breed Phione. Even so, Dada is most certainly unique for choosing to live alone so as to care for his son. This should make for a great story worth the wait.
