Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias[a] is a 2002 Japanese animated fantasy film, the fifth in the Pokémon series, the first to use digital ink and paint, and the last to feature the main cast from the first five seasons until the CGI remake of the first Pokémon movie. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and produced by OLM, Inc., the film stars the regular television cast of Rica Matsumoto, Yuji Ueda, Mayumi Iizuka, Megumi Hayashibara, Shin-ichiro Miki and Ikue Ōtani. The English adaptation was produced by 4Kids Entertainment and distributed by Miramax Films and saw a limited release in the United States on May 16, 2003, before being released to video and DVD in January 2004.[1] The English version stars the regular television cast of Veronica Taylor, Eric Stuart, Rachael Lillis and Maddie Blaustein. The events of the film take place during the fifth season of Pokémon: Master Quest.
Pokémon Heroes focuses on the main characters, Ash, Misty and Brock, continuing their journey through the Johto region; the main location of the film is based on Venice, Italy. The name given to the city in the film is Alto Mare, meaning "high sea" in the Italian language. Although it is part of the group's adventure in Johto, the film takes place on an island off of the mainland.
Optimum Home Entertainment re-released the movie on DVD in the UK on May 9, 2011. StudioCanal released the film along with Pokémon 4Ever on Blu-ray in the UK as a double feature pack on April 2, 2012, just one day before Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom came out on DVD on April 3, 2012. Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray in the United States along with Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys on May 15, 2011.
