The forest boy raised by Pokémon is the only premise that flips the franchise's entire foundation upside down. Coco doesn't want to catch Pokémon or bond with them as a trainer, because he already is one, and that collision between his world and Ash's is where the movie actually lives. It's not about training or mastery. It's about a kid who has to choose between the only family he's ever known and the human world trying to claim him.

Deep within Okoya Forest, a troop of the Mythical Pokémon Zarude guards its home with a strict rule that keeps outsiders away. Coco grew up in this jungle, raised by a lone Zarude who left the troop and treats him as a son. Coco has never doubted that he is a Zarude himself. When Ash and Pikachu cross his path by chance, he gains his first human friend and begins to wonder whether he is truly a Pokémon or a human. When danger approaches the forest, the bonds between people and Pokémon, and the love between parent and child, are put to the test. Rather than centering on a trainer and their partner, this action fantasy adventure turns to the story of a human raised by Pokémon.