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| Pokémon Heroes
水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス Guardian Gods of the City of Water: Latias and Latios
| Premiere
| Home video
| English themes
| Japanese themes
| Ratings
Pokémon Heroes (Japanese: 水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス Guardian Gods of the City of Water: Latias and Latios; Official: The Guardians of Altomare) is the fifth Pokémon movie and the final original series movie. It features Latios and Latias.
It was released in Japan on July 13, 2002. Distributed on limited release by Miramax, it opened in select American theaters on May 16, 2003. It was released on VHS and DVD on January 20, 2004.
Pokémon Heroes was shown with the Pikachu Short movie Gotta Dance!!.
Other posters and DVD covers
|Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Act I
The film starts out with a montage of shots, showing off the Pokémon world and then the main protagonist of the Pokémon TV series and this film, Ash Ketchum. It shows a flashback of sorts towards his beginnings as a Pokémon trainer: receiving Pikachu from Professor Oak, being chased by wild Spearow through a thunderstorm, Ash stealing Misty's bike and using it to transport Pikachu over to the Pokémon Center while still being chased by the flock of Spearow, Ash falling off the bike and crashing into a ditch, and Pikachu defeating the Spearow with an extremely powerful ThunderShock. It then cuts to the very first scene ever seen in the Pokémon series- the Agatha/Bruno fight between Gengar and Onix, then cuts to his friends Misty and Brock walking with him, and the scene fades to black.
(Note: The following scene was only in the Japanese version. The sections in bold is what is only in the Japanese version.) The scene fades back and we see a shot of a small stone carving of Alto Mare, the film's setting. This storybook-like scene tells a backstory of an old couple who lived there eons ago. One day they found two wounded children (a boy and a girl) on a beach. The couple's medical knowledge helped the children get better. Then suddenly, an evil monster appeared and attacked the city, and meteors come down on Alto Mare like drops of rain. As the meteor shards strike the city, the buildings and walkways of the city begin to take color of the monster. We then see the elderly couple about to meet their doom, but then all of a sudden; a mysterious, enigmatic light protrudes from the children - in front of the elderly couple's eyes. The two children start to levitate and they both transform. It is now revealed that the two children were actually Pokémon - the boy was a Latios and the girl was a Latias, both classified as the Eon Pokémon. The Latias and Latios, with the mysterious light surrounding them, rise up even higher. They call their friends, and a whole bunch of Latias and Latios appear on screen, and together, they form a power to defeat and destroy the evil monster. The power the Latias and Latios conjured was the Soul Dew, which is given to the elderly couple in the form of a glowing, transparent blue orb. Alto Mare became peaceful again, and the Latias and Latios left the city. It is revealed that the Latias and Latios will appear where the Soul Dew is present, and that the city was never attacked again by the evil monster. The camera moves out and a page turns. We then see an intense circle of light on a floor and hear then see footsteps. The book then closes, and a wide shot shows that we are in the present time in a library, during the night. Two women are hiding behind a bookshelf, with a security guard closing in on them. They then scale a wall and jump out an open window. The security guard looks around in the darkness with his flashlight and walks alongside the bookcase, finding a missing slot where a book should have been, with a rose in its place. The books come together and the rose is forced out, flying off into the security guard's hands, with a card with a metallic red background that lands on the floor with two kissmarks (one red, one purple) on the bottom-right hand corner.
The scene cuts to an exterior of the roof of the library, where the two women grab on to a white rope and slide down it on a pulley, hopping into their car that looks like a cross between a train and a Ferrari. We then see the two women in close-up - the driver, Oakley, book in hand, waiting for the passenger - Annie, her older sister, to strap in. Annie gives Oakley the book, and she starts to wonder if it is a legend, with Oakley assuring her that it is. Oakley steps on the gas, then they head towards the edge of a cliff. Annie pushes a button, and a rocket booster launches the car off the cliff. The car then changes to a rocket-propelled aircraft. As they fly through the night, Oakley also tells Annie that once they get to Alto Mare, they can find out more about the legend. Annie says that she doesn't care, all she wants to see is the Soul Dew. Oakley remarks that there are many more amazing things about the Dew. As the aircraft files over the ocean, they come across a strip of land- and both Annie and Oakley identify it as Alto Mare. They both chuckle menacingly.
After the title sequence display, we cut to Alto Mare in its present form, and it is a beautiful, sprawling ancient island city; full of canals, tourists, museums and old buildings. We see a bridge over a large canal and a number of people in rafts with their Water-type Pokémon, as a flock of Pidgey fly overhead the competitors and the bridge. An announcer speaks over a megaphone that the Tour de Alto Mare, a water race through Alto Mare, is about to start. We also see Ash with his Totodile, and Misty with her Corsola as competitors. They look at each other determinedly. We then see Brock holding Togepi, with Pikachu standing on the railing of the bridge, cheering. Then the announcer announces that the race is about to start. Three Natu, standing one on top of the other, raise their small wings then and the Pokémon supporting the Natu, a Xatu, opens its wings, and the competitors are off! Ash takes the lead, but up on the bridge, Brock is distracted by a pretty girl and while Pikachu is jumping up and down, it falls off the bridge and coincidentally lands on Ash's head. (As this sequence progresses, the opening credits roll.) As a few racers including Misty pass Ash, he speeds up and catches one before the first corner, and by then, a competitor named Ross and his Wailmer are in the lead with Misty in second, Ash in third and another competitor in fourth who catches air off the waves, falls off his raft and crashes into a boat at the first corner, all while Ash rockets by. We see the race going with Ash and Misty battling and while doing so, they catch Ross, and Ash goes by between Misty and Ross, then through another turn, all three are side by side. After a shot showing the island city's location in comparison with the Johto region, Ross is back in the lead. We then see two cloaked, mysterious Pokémon flying around the city. As they fly by, an Aipom detects them, and the two Pokémon fly overhead the racers in the canal. Ash, Misty and Ross are still dueling. As they approach a restaurant, where we see Team Rocket members Jessie, James and Meowth scarfing down spaghetti with meatballs, the trio are all drenched by the water the racers' rafts are kicking up. We then see Brock watching the race on a television screen, and thinking the pretty girl is still there, he points out his friends, but turns his head to see an old woman standing there instead. He hangs his head in depression. As the three leaders still duke it out, Ash attempts to take the lead by slowing down very late for a corner, but overshoots it, flies off his raft and is about to go into a wall - when the smaller of the two cloaked Pokémon comes out of nowhere and saves Ash and Pikachu from being hurt. They then fall into the canal, and fall several places behind. As other racers go by, Ash and Pikachu swim quickly to the raft and Totodile pulls them back into the race. Then the smaller mysterious Pokémon picks up the end of Ash's teather handle tied to Totodile, and they pick up a considerable amount of speed. Ash, Pikachu and Totodile blast by other racers and a boat. (At this point, the title sequence has ended.) We then hear a tower bell ringing, and the announcer speaking over his megaphone. The crowd waits for the first racers to come under a small bridge and out of the narrow canals. Ross and Wailmer then appear, with Misty and Corsola close behind.. The race is down to these two people but then out of nowhere Ash, who is going much faster than everyone else (thanks to the cloaked Pokémon), blasts by Misty and Ross, with Ash surprised at how fast his Totodile is. Then, the bigger cloaked Pokémon picks up the smaller one and Ash, Pikachu and Totodile go even faster. But the larger Pokémon pulls them off the course and through another route. Ash is terrified as to how fast he is going, and then his raft crashes into a concrete sidewalk. At the same time, both cloaked Pokémon let go of the teather. Ash jumps out of the raft, runs up some stairs, jumps over a ledge and falls into the water again. The race is lost for Ash - but not for Misty, as she and Ross battle down to the line. They go under the bridge, neck and neck and appear to cross the finish line at the same time. After crossing the finish line, Misty fails to stop and she falls into the water. The race marshals check to see the winner with a frame-by-frame replay showing Corsola just touching the line before Wailmer. The announcer announces Misty as the winner of the race. Brock cheers for and waves at Misty, with half the crowd shocked and speechless and the other applauding Misty's performance. Misty embraces her Corsola, and to celebrate her victory, Ross offers Misty a ride in his boat. As Brock cheers, he then starts to wonder where Ash is. Ash is kneeling on the concrete sidewalk he crashed into earlier, checking the condition of his raft. Totodile hangs its head in depression, but Ash consoles it, telling it everyone makes a wrong turn once in a while. Totodile's spirits are immediately cured and it embraces Ash. We then see the two mysterious Pokémon, still cloaked, looking down on Ash and his Pokémon. They then fly away through a narrow alleyway and as they go through a light passing through a window, they are seen both uncloaked as they fly separately through the light for about a quarter of a second each.
The scene cuts to Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu on a gondola, with Ross steering. Our heroes are awed at the awesome, magnificent sight of the city of Alto Mare. They are also enjoying sailing on the gondola. Misty thanks Ross for talking her and friends into a ride, but Ross says that it is him who should be thanking her for letting him take the Water Race Champion. Misty is flattered, and she looks at the medal she was given for the race. Ross asks her if she likes it, as it is a glass medallion with two Pokémon on it. Misty then sees two statues on top of pillars and she asks Ross what they are. Ross recognizes them and points out that one to the right is Latios and the one to the left is Latias. He tells them that according to legend, those two Pokémon saved the city from disaster and that they protect Alto Mare from danger. Brock wonders if they really exist, and Ash says that he would like to see the real Latias and Latios. Misty then looks at her medal, identifying the two Pokémon on there as Latios and Latias. Ross tells them that they never see them because it is always very peaceful in Alto Mare.
The scene cuts to a flock of Pidgey flying upwards and then their shadows. Out comes a flying spy-camera of sorts, and it lands on a surface, with four legs protruding from its base. It gets a very good view of all the people in the main square. This recording is being shown on a computer with Annie and Oakley watching the screen. Annie asks Oakley if she is sure that Latias and Latios are in the crowd of people, but Oakley reminds her that both Pokémon can disguise themselves as people, and that Pokémon have a lower body temperatures than humans. A person with blue (instead of red) is walking around in the square. Oakley is sure that person is either Latias or Latios. They take off in their boat, driving through the buildings, determined to catch this person. We then see Jessie, James and Meowth about to have some ice-cream, who soon gets drenched as Annie and Oakley speed past. Jessie yells at them, but James catches a glimpse of the two thieves, and identifies them as Annie and Oakley. (In the dub, they are spies for Giovanni.) Jessie has never heard of these two, and James says they are some of the best thieves there are. He also says if they are here, then there must be something going on. Jessie gets up, with Meowth soon rising too and says that they would become the #1 thieves.
The scene cuts to Ash, Misty and Brock who are getting off Ross' gondola. He tells them about certain places to eat around Alto Mare. They say their goodbyes and Ash, Misty and Brock run off to eat. Pikachu is behind, but it stops to see a tap through a distance and an arch. There is a woman there soaking her Vaporeon, and they walk off. Pikachu runs up to the water tap, but is saddened when there is no water coming out. Then water suddenly starts to run from the tap and Pikachu looks up to see a pretty, short brown-haired girl. Pikachu is happy, and it drinks from the fountain and soaks itself in the running water. Ash then appears, wondering if Pikachu has made new friends. Ash thanks the girl for helping Pikachu, then the girl walks up to Ash, bends forward and circles Ash strangely. Ash nervously moves back while the girl circles Ash. She then runs off, much to the dismay and confusion of Ash, over a small stream and through a tunnel, out of sight. Pikachu then continues to soak itself under the running water.
The scene cuts to three children running along a canal, and the strange girl appears through the tunnel. She starts walking along the canal in the opposite direction the children were running. We then see Annie and Oakley in their boat, and they see that the Pokémon has taken the form of a girl, and they figure out that the girl is actually Latias. Annie looks through a pair of special glasses and sees that the girl is indeed a Latias. Being a fashion freak, Annie wonders what brand of clothes the girl is wearing. Annie and Oakley start to go alongside the girl, then Annie asks "I love that shirt... where did you get it, Latias?" The girl starts to become scared and runs away from the two antagonists. Annie sends out her Espeon and Oakley sends out her Ariados. The two Pokémon chase after the girl and while Pikachu is enjoying itself under the tap, it senses what is happening between the Latias and the antagonists' two Pokémon. It runs off in that direction, calling Ash to come with it who turns off the tap and runs after Pikachu. We then see the girl/Latias running away from Ariados, onto a bridge, but Ariados scales the side of the bridge and cuts off the girl/Latias. She tries to run in the opposite direction, but is cut off and surrounded by Espeon. It then uses Psychic on Latias and Ariados uses String Shot, bounding the girl/Latias. Annie and Oakley, sitting in their boat, come up to the bridge and Annie asks Latias in an intimidating manner why she ran away from them, saying they hadn't done anything to her. Ash and Pikachu arrive, and Ash shouts at Annie and Oakley, wondering what they are doing to the girl/Latias. Annie sarcastically remarks that they were giving her "fashion advice" while Ash pulls away at the String Shot the girl/Latias is covered in. While tearing away at the String Shot, Ash remarks that she doesn't want it. Oakley asks Ash if he would like to give her tips on fashion, but Ash gives them a tip, telling them to leave the girl/Latias alone. Annie and Oakley, classy as ever, act sarcastically scared to Ash's threatening comments and Annie orders her Espeon to "punish" Ash with Psybeam, which it does. Ash shouts again at Annie and Oakley, and retaliates with Pikachu chasing after Espeon. Espeon hops onto their boat. Ash commands Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, and the attack hits the boat. Annie, Oakley and Espeon are all affected by the attack and Annie falls into the water. Ash grabs the girl's hand and they run off. Pikachu then shocks Ariados. Annie's hair is ruined and she and Oakley send Espeon and Ariados after Ash. Ash, the girl and Pikachu run through a series of alleyways while Espeon and Ariados chase after them. They then run over a bridge, and after a few hundred feet Ash is lost. But then the girl/Latias grabs Ash's hand and runs up some stairs past an elderly woman and her Vulpix. At this point, Espeon and Ariados have lost Ash, the girl/Latias and Pikachu. She leads them up some more stairs, and we then see Ash and Pikachu on a balcony overlooking where they started. He then sees his friends Misty and Brock and they call to him, saying his food is getting cold and that they are heading over to a museum later. He then turns and starts to ask the girl who those two women were - but the girl has vanished. Ash wonders where she went.
The scene cuts to a shot of the ocean as the camera moves away from it, revealing the Latios statue on the right. We then see Ash, Misty and Brock, awed at the sight of the museum of which they are about to enter. Ash describes it as looking more like a palace than a museum. We then see the same spy camera we saw earlier, which zooms in on Ash. Annie and Oakley look on at their screen.
Act II
The scene fades into the inside of the museum, as we see Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu awed at the museum they are in. They walk up to a reconstruction of a Pokémon skeleton, and a large, elderly man named Lorenzo walks up to them and reveals that it is the skeleton of an Aerodactyl. He also tells them that there are many different fossils to look at. Ash sees another one, and Misty identifies it as a Kabutops. They walk further into the museum. Brock steps into an intense ray of light coming through a window, and becomes hopeful that he will definitely find a girl in Alto Mare, but Misty disagrees. Lorenzo sheds light on the fact that the museum temple and the two pillars were built in gratitude to the Latias and the Latios who protected their city from being destroyed. We then see a huge machine, and Lorenzo explains it is the Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare (DMA), and he explains that the citizens never had to use this devastating weapon because the city was never attacked on a huge scale again. While Lorenzo fills in our heroes with this backstory, Ash notices a pretty girl wearing a white beret painting on a higher level, and it appears that it is the same girl as he saw before. He becomes intrigued by and walks forward about 10 steps and touches the DMA, much to Lorenzo's chagrin. He shouts at Ash not to touch it. Ash apologizes, while Pikachu, standing on Ash's left shoulder, is still looking at the girl. Ash is curious about this girl, and he tells Misty and Brock to meet him at the Pokémon Center, as he has something to do. Misty, Brock, and Lorenzo are all left standing there in total surprise.
The scene cuts to the museum exterior, showing Ash and Pikachu running through a walkway who then stop abruptly. Ash looks around, and sees the girl again, her painting/drawing equipment and sketch board in hand. He and Pikachu run down some stairs, through a garden where we see the girl walking over the bridge. Ash and Pikachu cross this bridge and follow the girl, while that same spy camera we saw earlier is honing Ash and Pikachu, all while the diabolical Annie and Oakley watch. We do not see them, only their shadows. Ash and Pikachu finally catch up with the girl, and Ash calls out to her, while she is on the other side of a waterway. He asks why she disappeared earlier like she did. The girl has no idea what he is talking about, and walks off. Ash shouts at her not to go, and runs after her. He crosses the bridge and runs into an alleyway. He is at a four-way intersection- and a revolving shot shows his situation - which way should he go? He walks ahead, walks and stops on a bridge (and we see some Murkrow), hesitates and runs forward again. He comes across another canal, where we see a few passing gondolas and a Yanma taking off. Ash realizes that they are lost, and that the city is like a maze. Pikachu shouts towards the bridge, Ash turns his head and sees the girl again. She runs off, Ash chases after her again and he follows her through a series of alleyways. He then gets to a pathway that leads through an archway with plants and vines covering it. He then gets to the end of the archway, and he sees two Pidgey drinking from a fountain, enjoying themselves. They notice Ash, and get back to their enjoyment. Ash then sees the mysterious girl at the end of a walkway, and she runs towards a wall, then through a mysterious portal. Ash is surprised. Pikachu then runs through the portal, and Ash follows Pikachu's example. He walks through a short, dark tunnel and reaches the end of it. He sees Pikachu, and runs through two pillars and comes upon a Secret Garden. It is a vast, sprawling place; with statues, grassy fields, ponds, fountains and large trees. It is home to Butterfree, Yanma, Wooper, Poliwag and other Pokémon. Ash and Pikachu walk down the stairs, and Ash wonders where he is. He then looks ahead, and sees the mysterious girl standing in front of a fountain. She then runs off. Ash and Pikachu follow her, and they see her on a swing next to a pond. They walk up to her and nearby stationary objects starts to spin ominously. Ash and Pikachu notice this. Then, all of a sudden, a winged, cloaked creature comes blasting out of a manmade pond and files at a very high speed, swooping dangerously close to Ash and Pikachu. It comes back again and Pikachu tries to hit it with an electric attack, but misses, so the winged creature successfully hits Pikachu. Ash goes to check Pikachu, but Pikachu gets up; it has taken little damage. The creature comes back to strike Ash and Pikachu, but the girl runs in front of Ash and Pikachu, holds her arms out, preventing the winged creature from attacking. The creature then uncloaks itself. Ash gets up, completely flabbergasted, while the girl still blocks Ash from any further harm. Then Ash immediately recognizes the blue and white creature as the legendary Pokémon Latios. Latios roars at the girl, telling her to move, but the girl shakes her head at Latios. Ash wonders why Latios is mad, and all of a sudden another girl wearing a white beret who is exactly identical in appearance (minus the beret) to the girl blocking Latios appears. She asks Ash how he got into the Secret Garden, and then accuses him of being a thief. Ash introduces himself, but this is not enough to convince the beret-wearing girl and she commands Latios to attack, when all of a sudden Lorenzo appears. He stops the fighting, and tells the girl, who is his granddaughter, that Ash is telling the truth. She is still not convinced, but Lorenzo hushes her, and says to the girl without the beret "Latias, would you like you play with your new friend?" Ash is confused as to why Lorenzo is calling the girl "Latias", but nevertheless the girl nods, and she takes Ash's hand and runs over to the swing she was swinging on earlier. She seats Ash on the swing and runs back, pushing off on the swing and stands on it behind Ash. He asks that isn't Latias the name of a Pokémon, and then, the girl transforms into a red and white colored creature that is none other than the legendary Pokémon Latias. Ash, shocked by this transformation, falls off the swing and faceplants on the ground. Latias flies over and helps Ash up, and he assures her that he is okay. Latias is happy, and flies in quick circles around him. Lorenzo observes that Latias has taken a liking towards Ash. Pikachu agrees, and Latios appears, with Pikachu becoming scared of Latios. It then licks Pikachu and Pikachu's fear is wiped clean. A short montage of shots show Pikachu climbing a tree and hopping onto Latias, then hopping over to Latios. While the Pokémon play with each other, the beret-wearing girl introduces herself as Bianca. She apologizes for what happened before, and Lorenzo explains that their family has protected the Secret Garden for generations. Bianca also says that Latias likes to shapeshift into her, because they are best friends. Bianca also reveals that Latias and Latios are siblings - Latios is the older brother and Latias is the younger sister. Latias then flies towards Ash with Pikachu on her back and Pikachu jumps and lands on Ash. Latias then takes Ash's hat, and Ash chases after it and jumps up, trying to get the hat from Latias. He succeeds in doing so, but Latias tries to get the hat back. Then, Latios faces Latias and its eyes start to glow light blue. Latias's eyes then start to glow a light blue also. Latios roars, then flies straight into the pond and Latias comes down to Ash, Bianca and Lorenzo's level. The entire scenario appears to have changed - Ash, Bianca, Lorenzo and Latias are surrounded by a mystical light as the area they appear to be standing in is underwater, yet they are still standing stationary as before. As Ash and Pikachu try to figure out what is going on, they go through a tunnel and at the end is a bright light - they go through it, make a right turn, and then we see Latios do the same thing. Ash asks what is going on, and Bianca explains that Latias and Latios are showing them the underwater world, by telepathically projecting what Latios is seeing. Lorenzo explains this is called "Sight Sharing". As Latios flies underwater through the canals, past a school of Remoraid, Bianca says that this rare privilege is Latios' way of showing that he likes his new friends. As Latios goes through numerous turns, past a school of Chinchou and then past a group of Quagsire, Ash is awed at his experience of sight sharing.
The scene cuts back to the Secret Garden. Bianca tells Ash of the legend of Latias and Latios and how they saved the city that was explained in the previous backstory. After the Soul Dew resided on Alto Mare, Latias and Latios visited quite often. Ash figures that the current Latias and Latios' ancestors protected this island. Ash catches a glimpse of the DMA, and the tiles they are standing on is actually a diagram of how to use the DMA and the Soul Dew's true powers. They then walk up to a small body of water. Under the water there is a magnificent spherical orb with a transparent blue color and a bright light protruding from the center. This is the Soul Dew. Lorenzo explains that his ancestors created the DMA to release the immense power within the Soul Dew with the help of Latios. The Soul Dew also contains the soul of a deceased Latios. It was only done to protect the island. Lorenzo also explains that the location of the Soul Dew must be kept a secret from everyone. Latias then comes out of nowhere up behind Ash, and picks him up, holding him above the main fountain, then dropping him into the fountain. Just as he is about to fall in, the larger Latios swoops down and catches Ash on his back. Latios flies up back to Bianca and Lorenzo's level and Ash gets off Latios. Latias goes up to Ash and starts rubbing and hugging him intimately, as if she has a crush on Ash. Bianca explains that Latias wants to play with Ash some more, but Ash has to head back to the Pokémon Center to find Misty and Brock. He tells Latias that he will come back and play later with her. Latias is saddened by Ash having to leave, and they exit, with Latias following Latios, as they fly off into the depths of the secret garden. As they fly together, we see that Annie and Oakley's spy camera has been in the Secret Garden the whole time Ash was there...
The scene cuts to Lorenzo's gondola shed/workshop. It is now dusk. As they walk through the workshop, Lorenzo explains his occasional work as a tour guide in Alto Mare's canals and in the museum. He then asks Bianca to take Ash back to the Pokémon Center.
The scene cuts to the Alto Mare canals, and we are treated to an incredible sight of Alto Mare at sunset. We then see a boat motoring past, with Bianca taking Ash and Pikachu back to the Pokémon Center. Ash then asks if it was Bianca who was attacked by Annie and Oakley earlier, or Latias. Bianca does not know what he is talking about, so Ash then figures it must have been Latias who was attacked earlier. Bianca starts to worry about this.
Act III
The scene cuts to an alleyway, and it is now nighttime. We see the villains Annie and Oakley hopping over rooftops and gaps. We then see Meowth, then Jessie and James. Meowth says that they have to follow them over those rooftops, and James remarks that he used to be a skilled gymnast. Jessie starts to become over confident and revs up James and Meowth. As Annie and Oakley are scaling rooftops; Jessie, James and Meowth are clumsily following them. As Annie and Oakley both jump over a wide gap, all three slip on an arched roof, wipe out, fall down and land on top of each other onto a suspended wall light below. They all say at the same time, "that was a close one." Then, to make matters worse for them, Wobbuffet appears and stands on top of James. The weight now is too much for the street light and it breaks, and all four fall to the ground.
The scene cuts back to Lorenzo's workshop, and Lorenzo is hard at work. Then an Espeon walks in to Lorenzo's workshop. Lorenzo sees Espeon, and asks it where it came from. Then suddenly, Espeon attacks Lorenzo and knocks him out with Psychic. Annie and Oakley appear, and Annie compliments her Espeon.
The scene cuts back to the Secret Garden, where we see Latias and Latios sleeping next to each other. The revolving objects we saw earlier start to rotate again. Latios wakes up, noticing this and gets up. We then see Annie and Oakley, who have entered the Secret Garden. Latios charges at the two villains, but they dodge Latios by cartwheeling. As the two women make time with classy banter, Latios continually charges at Annie. Latias and Latios then disappear, though the use of cloaking. Annie and Oakley are surprised by their abilities which they did not know about before. Latios charges at Annie again, who somehow manages to dodge again. Annie and Oakley then put on the special glasses that allow them to see the near-invisible Latias and Latios. They see Latios, and Annie commands her Espeon to use Swift. Espeon manages to hit Latios, but is then struck from the side by Latias. Oakley then commands her Ariados to use Night Shade, but then Latios flies in front of the attack, taking it for Latias. Oakley then pulls out an electronic sticky net and throws it at Latios. The net wraps itself around Latios, shocks him, and drains most of his energy. Latios comes crashing down to the ground. Latias flies around getting ready to attack, but Annie commands her Espeon to use Psybeam and successfully hits Latias, sending it crashing into a hill. Espeon is about to finish Latias with Tackle, but Latios in its near-incapacitated state slides across Espeon, stopping it from causing any further harm. Latias calls to Latios, but he shouts at her, presumably telling her to run and get out of the Secret Garden. Annie then commands her Espeon to use Psychic again and Oakley commands Ariados to use String Shot, both attacks on Latios. Both hit Latios, but just as Latias is about to attack, Latios stops her, and shouts at her to run and get help. Latias reluctantly starts to escape, but Annie and Oakley chase after it. Latios shouts at it again to run and Latias flies away from them, but Annie and Oakley both throw nets at Latias. Luckily Latios jumps in front of the nets and saves Latias from being captured. Latias escapes through the fountain and the secret tunnel Latios used earlier. Annie and Oakley look over the balcony at the fountain through which Latias escaped, and they declare that one Pokémon is enough. They then walk up to the Soul Dew. Oakley initially struggles to pull it out, but eventually she succeeds. Oakley is awed at the sight of the marvelous jewel. Annie is anxious to see it, and she is even more hypnotized at the sight of the Soul Dew. She declares it to be the most beautiful jewel she has ever seen. Oakley then sees the diagram of how to use the DMA on the stone tile floor. She explains that if the Soul Dew were to be used for evil, the Soul Dew would be destroyed, resulting in water from the ocean swallowing Alto Mare. Oakley declares that she has solved the puzzle, and she will go ahead with their plan, thinking that the warnings about evil-doing with the DMA is just a joke. The last shot is a shot of the water ceasing to flow in the Secret Garden.
The scene cuts to a canal and a bridge and Latias dives frantically out of the water and cloaks itself. The scene cuts back to the Secret Garden, where we see Bianca and Lorenzo running up to the body of water that contained the Soul Dew. They discover that it is missing, and Bianca figures that it is the work of the two women Ash told her about before. The scene then cuts to an exterior shot of the museum, and then inside of the museum, where Annie and Oakley are transporting the captured Latios to the DMA. Oakley's Ariados carries the unconscious Latios to a certain spot with a circle with triangles around it, with three rings surrounding the spot. The circle glows with light, and the three rings protrude up along with Latios. The rings start to spin in formation around Latios. Red creases in the floor start to illuminate. Then, the oddly-shaped pillars start to open up and come down, unveiling the DMA. The pillars start to disappear through the floor. Bianca and Lorenzo appear and Lorenzo asks Annie and Oakley what they have done. The sisters once again make time with classy banter. Annie then commands her Espeon to use Psychic on Bianca and Lorenzo, incapacitating them. As Annie waves "good night" to them, Oakley walks up to the DMA and goes to "test" it out. She places the Soul Dew in the receptor, and the DMA becomes under Oakley's control, much to her pleasure.
The scene cuts to the Pokémon Center where a cloaked Latias is looking for Ash, Misty and Brock's room. She finds it, and sees them through the opened doors. While Pikachu is sleeping next to Ash, it senses Latias' presence and wakes up. In front of Pikachu's eyes Latias transforms into human form, identical to Bianca. Ash is woken up by this and at first thinks Latias is Bianca. Latias runs up to Ash, visibly scared. Ash immediately figures out that it is actually Latias in human form, so he explains it to Misty and Brock, who are now awake. He tells Latias that she doesn't need to be afraid; these people are his friends. Latias hangs her head, Misty waves awkwardly and Brock smiles towards Latias. Ash nods his head and Latias stands up and transforms back into its normal self, much to the surprise and shock of Brock and Misty.
The scene cuts back to the museum, where Bianca and Lorenzo are tied up by Ariados' Spider Web. As they struggle, Bianca calls to Latios, telling him to wake up and snap out of his possession. Latios is asleep, but then wakes up. As the DMA is warming up, the main controls are presented with stairs appearing from the floor. Annie remarks that it looks uncomfortable to sit in. Latios attempts to break out, but is unsuccessful thanks to a force field set up around the rotating rings. It keeps trying, but to no avail. It then uses its sight sharing power, where the scene transitions to Ash's Pokémon Center room, with Latias. Ash, Misty and Brock immediately see what Latios is seeing, that is, the DMA in action and Bianca and Lorenzo tied up. Misty and Brock are confused, but Ash fills them in on what is happening. They then see the Soul Dew being used. The scene then cuts back to the museum, where Oakley steps into the control unit. Annie looks on at Oakley nervously. Lorenzo shouts at them not to use it, but Oakley has already started. First she regenerates the fossilized Kabutops and Aerodactyl through a transparent blue cloud of particles, and the two ancient Pokémon appear. Through sight sharing, Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu witness all of this. Lorenzo is confused as to what Oakley is doing. Oakley then commands Kabutops and Aerodactyl to find Latias and bring her back to the museum. Latios stops the sight sharing, as both Pokémon have lost energy from it. The scene cuts back to the Pokémon Center and Ash asks Latias if it is okay. Misty and Brock ask what is going on, and Ash replies that he doesn't know, but that it's something bad. The scene cuts back to the museum where Oakley, now completely obsessed with her powers, declares "the city is all mine!"
The scene cuts to Jessie, James and Meowth; walking through an alleyway and wondering where they are. They realize that they need to get to a waterway and run towards one. But then Oakley starts seals off the entire city with prison-like bars. Before they can get to the waterway, Jessie, James and Meowth are thwarted by the bars sealing off the alleyways. They attempt to escape, but the next intersection is also blocked off by appearing bars. A series of shots, including one of Oakley with the machine, show bars of all forms sealing off every passageway, every alleyway and every house in Alto Mare. Then, we cut back to the Pokémon Center, where Ash and Latias are witnessing the city lockdown. He then sees a few nearby balconies being closed with bars and immediately he, Pikachu and Latias jump off the balcony into the water, before they are trapped behind it. Misty and Brock, who are now trapped, are worried for Ash, but he surfaces from the water and tells them that he is going to the museum to rescue Latios, Bianca and Lorenzo. He then swims off down the canal. As more alleyways are being sealed off, Ash and Pikachu climb into a Venetian boat and Ash grabs an oar in the back. He tells Latias that he is going to rescue her friends at the museum, and that he needs her to guide him there.
The scene cuts back to the museum, where Latios is in considerable pain. The red crease are taking Latios's energy and using it to power the DMA. As Oakley operates it; Bianca, Lorenzo and even Annie start to become nervous. The scene cuts to a canal where Ash is rowing the boat whilst following Latias' lead. As he goes under a tunnel, the Aerodactyl brought back to life by Oakley swoops down right under Ash and grabs Latias with its feet. Ash drops the oar, jumps off the boat and grabs onto Aerodactyl's foot. Ash then commands Pikachu, who is standing on the tip of the boat to use Thunderbolt, which it does. The thunderbolt squarely hits Aerodactyl, Latias and Ash; and all are clearly affected by the attack. Aerodactyl drops Latias and Ash and is clearly shaken by the Thunderbolt. Ash surfaces and Latias flies off in fear, cloaking itself. Aerodactyl swoops down and launches a Hyper Beam at Ash and Pikachu. The ferocious attack destroys the boat Ash was using. Pikachu manages to dodge the attack but the Hyper Beam grazes Ash. It kicks up water, and Ash is plunged back into the water, in pain. Latias, hiding from Aerodactyl, uncloaks itself and dives into the water, saving the unconscious Ash. She picks him up and lifts him to the surface. He is still conscious, but is coughing and spluttering. Pikachu swims to them and Ash thanks Latias for saving him. As Latias slowly moves with Ash partially in the water Ash sees Aerodactyl and he knows he has to figure out how to get away from it. Ash then catches a glimpse of two rafts. He tells Latias to stop and he climbs up onto the dock where the two rafts are located. The scene then cuts to Latias pulling Ash, who is on the raft, with the teather cord; like when Ash was pulled by Latias in the Tour de Alto Mare. They are going fast but Aerodactyl is catching up to them. While Latias swiftly navigates sharp turns at a fast speed, Ash is having trouble holding on. Aerodactyl is getting closer and closer, until Latias speeds up and suddenly makes a fast turn into a narrow canal between two close buildings. Aerodactyl goes after them, but crashes into the two buildings. Ash and Pikachu are relieved and compliment Latias' quick thinking. Meanwhile, Misty and Brock are having trouble getting through the bars that have sealed off the buildings. Brock tries to open the bars using his own strength, but to no avail. They decide to help Ash, as he has left all of his Poké Balls behind. Brock sends out his Crobat and Misty sends out her Politoed and Corsola. They tell them to go lend Ash a hand and that they will meet up with them later. Crobat flies off, while Politoed and Corsola dive into the canal. Brock has lost his patience and decides to climb the fence. We then cut back to the Ash and Latias chase. While they are going, the Kabutops Oakley summoned earlier has now caught up with them. It slashes at Ash and is able to catch up to Latias' speed. It hops from object to object, boat to boat, dock to dock and scales a wall briefly. While Ash attempts to outrun Kabutops, he slides wide at a left turn and crashes into a concrete dock. He manages to hop off in the nick of time and Kabutops' Slash attack misses him by inches. Pikachu has fallen into the water and Kabutops is about to stab Ash with its sword-like claws. Then Crobat arrives and tackles Kabutops. Politoed and Corsola finish it off with Water Gun and BubbleBeam, respectively.
The scene cuts back to the museum, where Latios is taking damage from the energy used by the DMA. Oakley then pulls up a monitoring system on the DMA and sees Ash, Pikachu and Latias. Lorenzo shouts at Oakley and tells her that if the Soul Dew were to be used for evil, it would become irreversibly broken. Oakley does not take him seriously and is now completely consumed by the powers of the DMA. Annie starts to fear for Oakley. Oakley then starts to manipulate the canal and ocean water with the DMA. Latios is being severely affected by this and the bright light that was protruding from the Soul Dew has ceased. We cut back to Ash, Pikachu and Latias, who are traveling quickly to the museum. Oakley manipulates the water in such a way that it comes out of the ocean and appears to be in the shape of the bottom of a tree trunk. It moves towards the museum. Ash, Pikachu and Latias are shocked at the sight of this. They arrive at some stairs, Ash hops off the raft and runs towards the museum. Oakley makes the water come down like a tsunami. Then it forms a rectangle around Ash, Latias and Pikachu. The water rises up in front and behind them, swirling down and crashing on them. The water traps Ash and Pikachu, attempting to drown them. Latias is also struggling but all of a sudden she activates a power that expels the water and destroys the screen on the control board, rendering the DMA useless. After using this tremendous power, Latias falls to the ground from a long height. Ash and Pikachu run over to Latias. Latias gets up and is fine. After the DMA has been overwhelmed by Latias, the machine starts to go out of control. The Soul Dew is now forever corrupted and Latios is suffering even more. Ash, Pikachu and Latias make it to the museum. Annie sees them, but before she can order her Espeon to attack, Ash commands Pikachu to use Thunderbolt which lands a clean hit on Annie and Espeon, who are now incapacitated. Ash and Pikachu run off to help Bianca and Lorenzo. Ash attempts to free Bianca first from the Spider Web, but to no avail. Ash has Pikachu use ThunderShock and it succeeds; the web comes off Bianca. Latias attempts to free Latios from the rings. Lorenzo is now free as well and says that the machine is out of control. Annie starts to worry for Oakley, who is still in the rampaging machine. While Latias attempts to free Latios from the DMA, Bianca says that if Latios is not freed from the machine it will die. Ash orders a Thunderbolt from Pikachu, who hits the forcefield around the rings but the attack rebounds. Latias still can't penerate the forcefield, so Ash decides to run into the forcefield with Pikachu. They do not succeed so Latias uses its mysterious power again to breakthrough the forcefield, jamming the rings for just long enough. Ash, Bianca and Lorenzo manage to pull Latios out of the rings and the DMA finally shuts down. Latios is in bad shape but Latias goes up to him and he wakes up, much to everyone's relief. Bianca hugs Latios and Annie hops up to where Oakley is, who has one arm hanging out of the DMA. Oakley asks what happened, and Annie tells her that she got carried away. Misty and Brock then enter, happy that Ash is okay. Annie says that she will take the Soul Dew this time. Oakley is disappointed with what happened. Annie walks up to the corrupted Soul Dew, and she is disgusted by the colors of it - red, black and purple all swirling around. Annie reaches out for it but Lorenzo shouts at her not to touch it. When she does attempt to pick it up, it protrudes light, blows Annie back into the cockpit and explodes into a million red pieces. Then red energy surrounds the DMA and it starts to operate again. The control panel shuts with Annie and Oakley inside and the protective pillars come up again. Lorenzo re-tells the legend of the Soul Dew, and water then starts to surround Alto Mare.
The scene cuts to Team Rocket who have finally managed to climb the bars, and they see the very fast current washing away boats and rafts. A montage of shots show boats and other objects being washed out to sea, with the water going out too. The entire ocean and the canals of Alto Mare have been completely drained. Latias and Latios fly over to the Sun Tower and begin circling it. They then face the ocean. Latios is still not in very good shape. A giant tsunami then rises out of the ocean, destroying some ancient ruins. Lorenzo says that at this point, the city will be destroyed. Latias and Latios decide to take action: they both fly towards the tsunami at high speed, much to the surprise and shock of Ash, Misty, Brock, Bianca and Lorenzo. Latios emits a beam of energy from itself and Latias does the same. Their whole bodies glow white and they combine themselves together to form a ball of energy. The ball of energy gets larger and larger and starts to separate the tsunami, causing a better flow of water. The spherical beam of light shows Latias and a transparent, blue Latios. He extends his arm out to Latias, and then lets go. Latios emits a blue light and separates from her. As this happens, a blue wave of light forms a single beam of light, going up into the sky. Bianca wonders what just happened and Misty points to the ocean. The ocean water is calmly filling up again, along with the canals. We cut to Jessie, James and Meowth, who have gotten over the bars and to the canals. Once they stop to rest, Jessie wonders what is wrong with Alto Mare. Then the water flows back into the city, which washes them into the canal. They are helpless in the fast current and get swept down Alto Mare's canals. A montage of shots then shows the lockdown bars finally disappearing. The Kabutops disintegrates into blue particles, and we then see the Aerodactyl while a resident comes out of his balcony. The Aerodactyl flies by the resident and it too disintegrates into blue particles. We then see the Kabutops particles going back to the fossil, while Annie and Oakley bicker while they are locked inside the DMA.
The scene cuts from black, and it is now sunrise. Ash, Misty, Brock, Bianca and Lorenzo call Latias while in a boat. Pikachu then sees something, and calls to Ash. Latias is on top of a Mantine escorted by two Chinchou. She is unconscious. Mantine brings Latias over to the boat, where Ash, Brock and Bianca pick her up and haul her into the boat. While Ash hangs onto Latias, she wakes up and is okay. Bianca then asks her where Latios is. Latias looks up to the sky. Then Bianca and Lorenzo figures out that the beam of light before was Latios sacrificing itself to save the city. Everyone is saddened by this. Latias then activates her sight-sharing powers, and Latios, now in a spherical form, is in space above the Pokémon world. It starts to move farther away from the planet. They look on at their world and Misty says that is very pretty. Then, the sight sharing is gone. A light then protrudes from the sphere as Latios is now reborn as a new Soul Dew. The orb comes from the light and falls into Bianca's hands. Bianca holds the new Soul Dew closely while Ash holds Latias as it mourns the death of its sibling.
The scene fades to the Secret Garden, and it is now morning. We see the main characters at the Soul Dew fountain where Lorenzo places the new Soul Dew in place of the original one. The water then starts to flow out of the fountain. Bianca says, "Keep watching over us, will you, Latios?" Then the fountains start to flow normally again. It then fades to two ringing church bells, then to a magnificent establishing shot of Alto Mare. The scene then fades to black.
The scene fades from black to Lorenzo outside his workshop. A boat comes up, and it stops. Ash waves to Lorenzo and thanks him for all his help. Lorenzo is surprised they are leaving already, so he calls Bianca down. He calls again, but there is no response. Then we get a view of Bianca's room, and someone or something grabs a drawing off Bianca's sketch board. Her beret is shown hanging on the wooden stand. Ash and his friends are about to leave Alto Mare, but Ash catches a glimpse of a girl running on a bridge, identifying her as Bianca. He asks the driver to stop the boat. They stop at a wooden dock, where Ash gets off and Bianca arrives. She is holding a rolled up piece of paper. She then looks at Ash intimately. She gives him the drawing, and then plants a long kiss on his cheek. Misty is so shocked that she drops Togepi and stares at them. Brock, too, is surprised and he does a 360 degree turn. He also stares at Ash and Bianca. Bianca then runs off, without saying a word. Misty wonders whether if that was Bianca or Latias, as she was not wearing the beret. Brock is extremely jealous. Ash unrolls the paper which turns out to be a sketch of him and Pikachu on his shoulder. He smiles on a final note that ends the film.
END CREDITS MONTAGE: The boat takes Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu back to the Johto mainland and we see Latios with another Latios and Latias; Lorenzo leads the reconstruction and rebuilding of the DMA; Annie and Oakley are arrested by the police; Bianca continues her drawings; and Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu continue their journey through the Johto region.
- Pikachu (Ash's)
- Meowth (Team Rocket)
- Togepi (Misty's)
- Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
- Totodile (Ash's)
- Politoed (Misty's)
- Corsola (Misty's)
- Crobat (Brock's)
- Latios (anime)
- Latias (anime)
- Espeon (Annie's)
- Ariados (Oakley's)
- Wailmer (Ross's)
- Aerodactyl
- Butterfree (multiple)
- Chinchou (multiple)
- Kabutops
- Mantine
- Murkrow (multiple)
- Oddish (multiple)
- Pidgey (multiple)
- Poliwag (multiple)
- Quagsire (multiple)
- Remoraid (multiple)
- Vaporeon
- Vulpix (Old lady's)
- Wooper (multiple)
- Yanma
Intro only
- Beedrill (multiple)
- Caterpie
- Dewgong (multiple)
- Diglett (multiple)
- Electrode (multiple)
- Gengar
- Geodude (multiple)
- Graveler
- Golem
- Jigglypuff
- Lapras (multiple)
- Onix
- Porygon (multiple)
- Rapidash (multiple)
- Rhyhorn (multiple)
- Scyther
- Seel (multiple)
- Slowbro
- Spearow (multiple)
- Starmie
- Voltorb (multiple)
- Weezing
Tour de Alto Mare only
Pokémon debuts
|Veronica Taylor
|Rica Matsumoto
|Ikue Ohtani
|Ikue Ohtani
|Rachael Lillis
|Mayumi Iizuka
|Satomi Kōrogi
|Satomi Kōrogi
|Eric Stuart
|Yuji Ueda
|うえだ ゆうじ
|Rachael Lillis
|Megumi Hayashibara
|Eric Stuart
|Shin'ichirō Miki
|Maddie Blaustein
|Inuko Inuyama
|Lisa Ortiz
|Fumiko Orikasa
|Megumi Hayashibara
|Megumi Hayashibara
|Megumi Hayashibara
|Masashi Ebara
|Megan Hollingshead
|Uno Kanda
|Lisa Ortiz
|Yumiko Shaku
|Wayne Grayson
|Yūzō Gucci
|Michael Sinterniklaas
|Koichi Yamadera
|Rodger Parsons
|Unshō Ishizuka
- This movie debuted in Japanese theaters between the episodes Just Add Water and Lapras of Luxury.
- This film uses the same intro from the dub of Celebi: Voice of the Forest, but that sequence was animated specifically for this film, and Celebi: Voice of the Forest was released internationally after this film was released in Japan.
- In this movie, as in Celebi: Voice of the Forest, Jessie, James and Meowth land on a protruding object that only breaks when Wobbuffet comes out of its Poké Ball.
- Director Kunihiko Yuyama looked to Venice, Italy for inspiration when designing Alto Mare.
- This explains why the characters say "Ciao" and "Arrivederci", as well as the names Bianca and Lorenzo.
- In a throwback to The Power of One, Annie and Oakley are reading about Lawrence III during the credits.
- Images of Mewtwo, Lugia, Entei and Celebi are hidden in this movie, referencing Pokémon featured in the previous films.
- This is the first movie not to feature a remixed version of the season's theme song during the opening credits, instead an extended version of Believe in Me is played.
- This is the first movie to feature the permanent death of a Pokémon (Latios).
- This is the fourth Pokémon movie to air on Toon Disney. The first three were Jirachi: Wish Maker, Destiny Deoxys, and Celebi: Voice of the Forest.
- Like the previous films, this one briefly displays Porygon at the beginning of the movie.
- The characters appearing on the right side of Oakley's computer screen while she is deciphering the code on the stone plates are Russian.
- This is the first movie in which Team Rocket does not influence the plot and has no contact with the main characters.
- Ash continues his habit of ramming obstacles, this time throwing himself into a barrier shielding Latios.
- The English dub of this movie mentions that an Aerodactyl and Kabutops drowned. Though it is possible that Aerodactyl (a Rock/Flying type) drowned, it is highly unlikely that Kabutops (a Rock/Water type) would have.
- Misty refers to the Pokémon world as Earth during Latios's final sight sharing.
- In the opening scene where Brock explains how Ash met Pikachu, Ash is pictured fully clothed. However, in the episode in question, Ash was still in his pajamas. Also in the opening scene, Pikachu is portrayed as having been friendly with Ash as soon as they met, yet in the episode Pikachu was not friendly with Ash at first.
Dub edits
- The entire backstory of the movie was changed in the dub. A segment of approximately two minutes, which told the story of the origin of the Soul Dew in Alto Mare's ancient history, was cut. This cut also removed the reference to the fact that many Latios and Latias came and went to and from Alto Mare frequently, causing some confusion to dub watchers when two Latios and a Latias appeared in the credits. This scene is very unique, because the animation in this scene was done in a storybook-like fashion, something that had never been before in the Pokémon anime and has not been repeated again so far.
- A replacement backstory was added in the form of dialog telling about an evil trainer who once attacked the people of the city with a Kabutops and Aerodactyl, until Latios brought water to the town, drowning the evil Pokémon and turning the streets to canals.
- The dub also makes Annie and Oakley members of Team Rocket; however, in the original, the two are working independently and no mention is made of a relationship between themselves and Team Rocket or Giovanni.
- Latios does not keep its Japanese voice in the dubbed English version, and it sounds almost like Latias as a result.
- Also, in the American DVD release of the movie, an intense blue tint was applied, making most of the colors much darker than in the original.
In other languages
|水都的守護神 拉帝亞斯和拉帝歐斯
|水都的守護神 拉帝亞斯和拉帝歐斯
|Pokémon Heroes Filmen: Latios og Latias
|Pokémon 5: Helden
|Pokémon Heroes - Latias ja Latios
|Canadian French
|Pokémon - Les Héros
|Pokémon Heroes: Der Film
|Pokémon: Bohaterowie
|Brazilian Portuguese
|Heróis Pokémon
|Latin America
|Héroes Pokémon
|Héroes Pokémon
|Pokémon Heroes: Latios och Latias
External links
|This movie article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.


text:
Notes: Rangers make Eyre starter
Team places Loe on DL, has reliever make spot start
By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com
Following Friday night's game against the Blue Jays, Texas announced it was putting Saturday's scheduled starter, Kameron Loe, on the 15-day disabled list with tightness in his lower back. In his place, the Rangers recalled right-hander Mike Wood from Triple-A Oklahoma.
Wood was expected to be Saturday's starter, but when the lineup was announced just prior to the game, his name was noticeably absent. Instead, the Rangers decided to give the spot start to right-handed reliever Willie Eyre.
Rangers manager Ron Washington said the decision to switch starters was made because Wood had thrown 81 pitches in a start for Oklahoma on Wednesday and the Rangers didn't want him pitching for an extended period of time on such short rest.
"We didn't want him to start just after having just two days," Washington said. "We figured we could get more out of Willy starting. Then, Woody can come in and give us a few innings in between."
Eyre last pitched on Wednesday, as well, but he entered Saturday's contest with a chance to pitch deeper into the game because in that outing against the Indians, he threw just 31 pitches. Eyre was given a pitch count of 65-70 pitches, which the Rangers had hoped would get him through five innings.
Unfortunately for Texas, Eyre was roughed up by the Blue Jays in the first inning. He allowed the first five batters he faced to reach base and when he was finally able to record three outs, Toronto had already scored six runs. Eyre got through just 2 1/3 innings and finished with seven earned runs on six hits while walking two batters.
Loe isn't eligible to come off the DL for another week, but since Texas has a day off on Aug. 9 and another on Aug. 13, he won't have to miss another start. Instead, Washington has said that his regular turn in the rotation will be skipped over until he can be activated.
On Saturday, Loe said that his injured back was already starting to feel better and that he would only need to spend the minimum 15 days on the DL. He's scheduled to throw off flat ground on Sunday, with a bullpen session to follow on Monday.
Cutting it close: There are only 11 days remaining for Rangers general manager Jon Daniels to sign his 2007 First-Year Player Draft selections. Texas loses the rights to its picks if they are not signed by Aug. 15, because of a new rule in the collective bargaining agreement.
So far, 25 of Daniels' 54 picks are under contract, but that does not include the Rangers' first overall selection, right-handed pitcher Blake Beavan.
Beavan, a recent high school graduate from Irving, Texas, was taken with the 17th pick in the first round, but has yet to come to terms on a deal. He's threatened to attend Navarro Junior College in the fall and re-enter next year's Draft if he isn't offered a contract he finds suitable.
If the Rangers are unable to reach a deal with the 18-year-old, they will be awarded a first-round pick in 2008 as compensation.
While Daniels is still hopeful to get more players under contract before the deadline passes, he also realizes that since some of his picks have already sat out almost out the entire summer, they may choose to wait and re-enter the Draft next year.
"At this point, I think players and agents are sitting back and saying, 'We've waited this long,'" Daniels said, "'We've already wasted the summer and haven't played -- we might as well play it out the rest of the way.'"
Before any deals can be made official, the players involved must undergo physicals and the paperwork must be filed to the league office prior to the Aug. 15 deadline. As a result, Daniels said it's unlikely any deals will be reached at the last minute.
"It probably won't be an 11th-hour thing if something gets done," Daniels said.
Harrison's on the mend: Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison has received some good news on his injured shoulder. Harrison, who was a part of the seven-player trade for Mark Teixeira, was examined by team physician Dr. Keith Meister this week and was told his shoulder should be fine after some rest.
Harrison had a case of "turf toe" that he tried to overcompensate for, which led to the shoulder issue. He's receiving treatment for his shoulder in Surprise, Ariz., and is expected to be cleared to resume throwing in approximately three weeks, once his toe is completely healed.
Wounded Cat: Texas left fielder Frank Catalanotto can't seem to catch a break. For the past week, Catalanotto has been suffering with a sore Achilles tendon in his left foot. Then, on Friday night, he was hit on the top of his right foot by a Roy Halladay fastball. The impact caused one of his right toes to become infected and he'll likely lose the toenail.
Despite now having issues with both of his feet, Catalanotto says it's not going to be something that forces him to miss any time.
"Hopefully somehow it'll get better while playing," Catalanotto said. "As long as I'm treating it -- I can manage it."
Lineup changes on the way: Washington said that Jarrod Saltalamacchia would get the start on Sunday behind the plate, while Sammy Sosa would either give Jason Botts a day off at designated hitter or would see some time in right field.
Did you know? When Ian Kinsler stole second base during the second inning of Friday night's game against Toronto, he set a career high in stolen bases with 12.
Coming up: Brandon McCarthy (5-7, 5.18 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for Texas when the Rangers close out a three-game series against the Blue Jays at 12:07 p.m. CT on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre. Toronto will counter with right-hander Dustin McGowan (7-5, 4.36).
Gregor Chisholm is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Breaking his glasses gave nearsighted Irvine resident Yash Gupta, 16, the clarity to see how he could help millions of others in need.
The fateful event and the blurry week thereafter spurred him to create the nonprofit Sight Learning to collect lightly used eyeglasses for patients around the world – a move that's earned him a first-place win and a $3,500 check in the Kids Who Give contest.
Sponsored by Farm Rich, the national competition recognizes kids 7 to 17 who give back to others and donates money to the top three winners' chosen charity. All winners are also eligible to win $10,000 more in an online voting competition that wraps up Feb. 5.
Gupta, a junior at Northwood High School, has donated more than $150,000 worth of eyeglasses and has traveled to clinics in Tijuana, Honduras and India, with plans to visit Haiti. But this isn't the first accolade Gupta has picked up for his philanthropic accomplishments: Last year, he also won $10,000 and the title Huggable Hero from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation.
We asked him a few questions about his charity, and what he'll do with the prize money.
Q: So where did the idea for Sight Learning come from?
A: I actually broke my glasses doing taekwondo, and after that I couldn't get my glasses made right away, so I had to go to school without glasses for a week. I was sitting in the back of the classroom, and I realized how dependent I was on glasses. Glasses had always been an afterthought for me. I didn't think of the consequences of not having them. I learned that there are 300 million people around the world who need glasses but can't afford them. A lot of these people are students, and they're not able to get an education because they don't have glasses.
Q: What has your organization done so far?
A: We've collected more than 5,000 pairs (of used eyeglasses). We have several ways of donations – our primary way is we work with local optometrists in Irvine and just put a collection box in their office, and when their patients come and get a new pair of glasses, they can just drop off their old glasses. … There's really two main ways we distribute glasses: I just mail them to the organization, and the other way is when I personally go on the trips and deliver these glasses to the people who need them. For some of these students, it's the first time in their lives they've received a pair of glasses. You can just see how much this means to them, and people don't really think about it.
Q: What's been your favorite memory so far?
A: The first time I went to a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico – this is only a few months since we'd started – we went with another organization called Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity that had been doing a similar deal for a long time. This one little boy, you could see he was a little bit lost without his glasses, (but when he got them) you could see his face light up.
Q: What will you do with the prize money from the Kids Who Give contest?
A: More clinic trips – we've done several trips to Third World countries, and we've helped a lot of people. Since we're not a nonprofit, we're not established as a 501(c)(3) organization, we don't have the means to actually go on more trips. With $3,500 so far with the possibility of $10,000 more, that would go a long way to cover the cost of organizing clinic visits.
Q: You must be busy with school and extracurricular activities. What keeps you motivated?
A: It's definitely tough, but I think the main thing that keeps me going is my passion for the cause. … At the end of the day every time I go on one of these trips, every time I get an email or letter it just motivates me to keep doing more. As we start building more and more, the organization will start become more stable and sustainable. In college I'll definitely be even busier, but it's definitely something I want to keep doing for a long time. Just one organization is not going to suddenly take away that problem.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7944 or email@example.com


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"Melissa texted me, giving me a little pump-up," Baldoni said. "I responded, 'Mel, you're such a huge part of this team and I want to be able to hear you in the stands. You're always with us.' It's so great, because they've come to more than just this tournament. They're at every game they can possibly be at, which is great for our team and I'm so excited to have them back next year."
So excited that they were invited to join in the postgame celebration on Sunday at San Diego State. And both obliged, even though they were in street clothes.
Stanford loses four seniors from its two-time NCAA championship team next year, including Menon, the Sacred Heart Prep grad who scored the critical goal for the Cardinal with just over a minute remaining to play.
Alyssa Lo, Monica Coughlan and Cassie Churnside also played their final game for Stanford. But, the program will not be lacking for talent next year.
In addition to Seidemann and Dries, who were both finalists for the Peter Cutino Award last year, which eventually went to Dries, there's Maggie Steffens, who delayed coning to Stanford for a year to work with the national team. Her older sister, Jessica, also sat out a year to play in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"They are always in the back of our minds," Menon said. "We miss them so much. But to be able to share this championship with them was incredible. I can't wait to watch them when they are Stanford students again next year."
Menon thinks the Cardinal can still improve, too.
"They're only getting better," Menon said. "They're going to flourish. There is so much talent, the freshmen coming in next year, the freshmen this year who will be sophomores next year, and with Kate in the goal and her confidence, they'll really be unstoppable."
Before talk of a three-peat, though, UCLA also missed an important player this season in goalkeeper Sami Hall and it was the Bruins who handed Stanford both of its losses this year. USC was also a young team with plenty of potential.
There's an interesting photograph that came out of the celebration, showing Stanford assistant coach Kyle Utsumi and Menon near by, both smiling and both very, very wet.
Utsumi, a former Menlo School coach, was Menon's first water polo coach with the Stanford club team.
"This group has an incredible spirit about them," Stanford coach John Tanner said. "They were relentless. Kate did a phenomenal job and Menon scored that last goal to finally give us some breathing room. It's a great way to finish off a wonderful season."
It was the biggest shot of Menon's water polo career and she was trying to set up a teammate, only taking the shot when it became necessary.
Menon's shot across the goal bounced off the far post and into the cage, sealing the victory.
"When I turned around the first person I saw was Kate and she was up to her waist out of the water she was so excited," Menon said. "I was looking for Kiley (Neushul) and maybe to work it to the other side. The first shot we got a tip out and to me that was just as important as the goal because we had the shot clock reset and had another possession. That second shot I just fired it as hard as I could."
The Cardinal (26-2) earned its third women's water polo national championship and the 103rd NCAA title overall for Stanford Athletics. The Cardinal also won in 2002.
The Cardinal defense, anchored by Baldoni, was remarkable the entire tournament while allowing nine total goals. Baldoni recorded a combined 29 saves in the three tournament games, 15 in the title match. She was named tournament MVP.
"It's been a great four years," Menon said. "I've known JT since I was nine years old. The only water polo I know is JT water polo. To finish off my years with a win here just means so much."
Stanford's two leading scorers this year were freshmen. Neushul scored once against USC to give her 57 for the season. Ashley Grossman finished with 50. And sophomore Kaley Dodson, who scored twice against USC, finished with 34.
"Hats off to our senior group," Tanner said. "The four of them have been amazing and have just taken this team over and turned it into a special environment with their vitality. Usually seniors are looking at grad school, they're thinking about the career, and the freshmen add the energy. Our freshmen have added a whole lot of energy, believe me, but the seniors are every bit as exuberant. It really is uncommon to have a group that is uniformly energized day in and day out."
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Extension Agent Phil Sims said the reception was not only to recognize those who support the program, but also to let the public know what services are offered.
"Each year, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture here at the Pope County Extension Office hosts a reception, and we basically host this reception to not only thank our supporters, volunteers, 4-H, master gardeners, county extension councils, but also our elected officials who give us funding," Sims said.
"... Basically it's just a meet and greet event, just an opportunity for folks that might be less familiar with our programs to put names with faces and ask specific questions about our programs and what we're offering."
The reception will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Pope County Cooperative Extension Office at 105 W. B St.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture. With offices in all 75 counties, our faculty and staff provide educational programs and research-based information to the people of Arkansas. From agricultural programs to family financial management to youth education, they offer educational programs that have immediate and practical applications.


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BERLIN – Progress has been made in cleaning up the Hudson Farm poultry operation targeted by national and local environmental organizations for violating the national Clean Water Act, those agencies announced this week, but improvements are still needed.
The Waterkeeper Alliance and Assateague Coastal Trust put Hudson Farms poultry grower Alan Hudson and Hudson Farms' contract holder Perdue Chicken on notice in mid-December that they would face a lawsuit over farm run-off polluting local waters leading to the Chesapeake Bay if the farm did not clean up the problem.
The Hudson Farm, a confined animal feeding operation with 80,000 birds on site, was polluting state waters and threatening human health by allowing the run-off into the drainage ditch, the environmental groups contended.
The notice of intent to file a lawsuit came in the wake of scientific testing of waters in a ditch leading off Hudson Farm to Franklin Branch, which empties into the water quality-impaired Pocomoke River, which empties in turn into the Chesapeake Bay.
Tests on water in the drainage ditch showed fecal coliform bacteria levels 100 to 200 times higher than federal Environmental Protection Agency standards, as well as high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous.
In the last four weeks, the fecal coliform levels have fallen below those numbers, but bacteria levels are still high enough to damage water quality, according to the Waterkeeper Alliance and Assateague Coastal Trust.
"We sampled it again on Dec. 29 and they were significantly lower but they're still high, still way above the legal limit for that farm," said Assateague Coastkeeper Kathy Phillips. "There has been some movement in the right direction. We're going to continue to sample."
Aerial photographs show changes on the property since the notice of intent was sent four weeks ago.
The apparent manure pile, once though to be chicken waste but later identified by the farm owner as treated human sewage sludge from Ocean City, has been moved. The pile of waste material has been moved away from the drainage ditch and is covered with a tarp. The trenches dug from the pile directly to the ditch have also been filled in, according to an aerial survey.
The clean up happened, Phillips noted, after a Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) inspector visited the farm in response to the notice of intent to file a lawsuit.
"It goes without saying that none of these actions would have been taken by MDE or Perdue in the absence of a real pollution problem. As such, the proof of the validity of our concerns is not just in the water samples, but also in the fact that the parties apparently felt compelled to take such immediate action," Phillips said.
Controversy continues over the farm, with the Waterkeepers recently filing a Public Information Act request for all MDE records on Hudson Farm.
The Waterkeepers have questions over unclear statements made by MDE on the extent and results of sampling and testing done on the Hudson Farm drainage ditch. The Waterkeepers are also seeking information on whether the waste pile near the ditch was removed from Hudson Farm entirely or whether it was relocated to a position on the farm without easy access to the ditch.
"The Public Information Act request was necessary because MDE will not disclose to us voluntarily what is going on at the Perdue site, how long the state knew about it, what if any testing was done, and what kind of pressure the state faced from the federal EPA to clean this up and related problems," Phillips said.
Scott Edwards, director of advocacy for the Waterkeeper Alliance, said that MDE might not have done any sampling of the materials on site to determine levels of bacteria of composition.
Edwards said he was told an MDE inspector visually inspected the site, then sent someone out to sample materials, but someone reportedly on the Hudson Farm refused to let that MDE employee onto the farm.
"That was pretty shocking for us," said Edwards. "It's been confirmed to us by folks at MDE."
Edwards also said that reports that the pile of material discharging to the drainage ditch, said by Hudson Farm to be treated sewer sludge, has not been sent to a landfill, but is still on site, despite recent MDE reports to the contrary.
"It's still sitting on that farm," said Edwards. "It hasn't been removed."
The issue at stake, however, is not so much what that pile of material was composed of, but the effect of farm run-off on water quality.
"There's nothing I would like more than to see no pollution in that ditch at the end of 60 days," said Edwards. "Our goal is to stop pollution. If a notice of intent stops pollution, than no one is happier than we are."


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Too Few Master Credit Card Basics
Despite widespread recognition of their importance to an overall loan portfolio, credit cards remain far too mysterious to far too many credit unions, according to consultants that work with credit unions on credit card management.
Too few credit unions have a grasp on such basic concepts as being aware of what makes their card portfolio profitable, how to adequately but not excessively account for risk, how to manage and set credit lines and how to best understand and plan for fraud losses, the executives explained. They added that while none of these faults were sufficient to drive an otherwise healthy portfolio in the red, they were enough to keep them from performing as well as they could.
In order to make credit card portfolios more profitable, the executives agreed, more credit unions need be sure they understand how their card programs make money and to make sure that someone at the executive level has responsibility for overseeing and growing the portfolio.
"I think many credit unions, most credit unions, have a staff member who is assigned to the credit card program for the day-to-day," explained Brian Scott, vice president with The Members Group, a payments CUSO affiliated with the Iowa Credit Union League. "They can answer member questions about the cards and perform daily card management tasks, but that's not the same thing as having someone regularly take a look the portfolio from the 30,000-foot level with an eye towards improving profitability."
Consultant Ondine Irving made the same point, though she added that the fight to get credit unions to assign someone at the executive level to the card program is an ongoing effort.
"As I have said for over 10 years, a credit card program must be properly managed and measured," Irving said in an email response. "A product champion is required to allow for accountability and ownership. It is not enough for the card program to be 'part' of someone's responsibility. The highest profit-making product deserves its own owner."
Scott largely agreed, adding that he was often surprised at how few credit unions really understand how much money their credit card programs make for them. This is a key gap in knowledge because, without that perspective, credit union executives can wind up making decisions about a portfolio without enough information.
"Sometimes executives will tell me they have pulled back on a portfolio because they took fraud losses of $10,000," Scott said by way of example. "But I will point out that the same program, even with those losses, made them $190,000. Executives have to have the complete picture to make decisions," he added.
That plays into the second broad credit card area that the consultants believe too few credit unions adequately understand, risk in their credit card portfolio and how best to manage it.
"Understanding risk is key, because not adequately controlling or pricing for risk in the origination of a card account can lead to ongoing problems that can take a long time to work out," said Chris Joy, director of Advisers Plus, a credit card consultancy that is an affiliate of PSCU. But with that said, he added, he believes too many credit unions remain unreasonably risk averse in their card programs.
Just as Scott noted that card fraud losses need to be seen in a perspective of total card income, Joy observed that misunderstanding card profitability leads many credit unions to be too risk averse, declining applications for credit card loans that they probably should make. Or they keep credit lines so low that they leave cardholders vulnerable to offers from competing issuers that might offer a more generous line.
Irving said that credit lines have a direct impact on balances.
"The single most important factor is credit line," she wrote. "The average credit union line is less than $5,000. With average credit lines so low, average balances will follow suit. And balances are key to profitability of a card program. The majority of card program revenue, up to 70%, should be derived from finance charge income. Credit unions with average credit lines in the $10,000 range have more profitable programs. No amount of marketing or dollars spent on activation or acquisition campaigns will work if the credit lines do not support the efforts."
Barney Moore, senior portfolio consultant for Card Services for Credit Unions, advised credit unions to re-score their card portfolios at least annually. And, he added, credit unions should pay attention to credit score guidelines when pricing their card loans.
"We're still seeing credit union that only charge one price for their credit card loans, and we really believe all credit card loans need to be priced on risk," Moore said. Not only will this leave riskier credit lines priced too low, he explained, but it will again leave the lower cardholder with too high a price that they could be stolen away by another issuer.
The last too often overlooked area in credit card management has to do with understanding and using card data and marketing.
"Too many credit unions don't understand how much they can learn from a cardholder's transactions and card behavior," Scott said. "Not only can they get clues about other products and services their members might need, but I could point to cardholder behavior to predict cardholder bankruptcy."
Scott explained that an analysis of card behaviors such as reduced payment amounts and using the card to purchase basics like groceries and gas can signal a cardholder undergoing financial stress in time for the credit union to step in with an offer to help in time to prevent a bankruptcy.
He also said many credit unions have too limited a view of credit card rewards, seeing them only in terms of merchandise or airline miles and less in terms of, for example, allowing cardholders to use their rewards to lower rates on other loans.
Joy also cited rewards programs as potential pitfalls for profitability but laid the blame on credit unions neglecting to check how their card programs accrue reward point liability and managing that sufficiently. "Credit unions should track their reward point accrual and redemption rates to remain confident that they are not building up a large accrual liability that might become an unwelcome surprise later," he added.


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Jane's_reflection wrote:DumBumm wrote: I agree with you there, I think if anyone gave him a reason to go off, he would, and it would have to do with his sister, like if Jane died, he would leave The Volturi, and destroy the person who killed Jane... even the persons loved ones... anyone. i think he will be out of control, at first Aro will kill the person responsible, cause Aro would want revenge, but after that Aro would let go and think Jane's been revenged. but were as Alec would keep on going and i don't think Aro or anyone could stop him. In the end Alec wouldn't want to live anymore, i would hate to see Alec like Marcus., And no one will ever see it coming... Alec out of control.
I think that Alec would be worse off than Marcus because he has always been with Jane. Not once has he had to go without her. It is in my opinion that Alec would stop at nothing or he would intentionally get himself killed. Thing is, I CAN'T imagine him without her. It is like a packaged deal!
I never thought like that, I guess they are a packaged deal, (Hehee)
I would feel so sorry for Alec if that did happened, but the same as you i cant see him without her.
Do you think Alec could have a girlfriend? I wonder how Jane would take it?
Jane's_reflection wrote:WhenTheSunGoesDown wrote:Team Edward Girl wrote:When they said what Alec's power was it creeped me out. (Good thing Bella can make herself and everyone she loves immune to it whenever needed! ) I hate Jane more than Alec but it's still pretty close. P.S ALEC SCARES ME! Peace out!
I'm not tht big of a jane fan i hate her power i really hate alec's power but i like his character.
I disagree with you both! I love the Witch Twins! They are my favorite twilight characters of all!
I have to disagree too, Alec and Jane are great "the Witch Twins", they are great twilight characters...
Alec & Jane are my Second favorite twilight characters....


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© 2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Phillips, Votto need rally in All-Star vote
Pair dips below fifth place; balloting runs through July 2
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- If Reds fans want to see any of their players have a chance to start next month's All-Star Game, they will need to rally. This week, Cincinnati had no players in the top five in vote-getters among infielders or the top 15 among outfielders. Last week, second baseman Brandon Phillips was in fifth place.
Phillips is batting .279 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs this season. Votto hasn't played since May 30 and is on the disabled list with a stress-related issue but could return soon. He is currently on a Minor League rehab assignment.Fans can cast their votes for starters up to 25 times with the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot at MLB.com and all 30 club sites until July 2 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Balloting ended at Great American Ball Park on Saturday. Starting rosters will be announced during the 2009 All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevrolet on TBS on July 5. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote at MLB.com. And the voting doesn't end there. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet at the Midsummer Classic via the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint MVP Vote at MLB.com. The July 14 All-Star Game from Busch Stadium in St. Louis will be televised nationally by FOX and around the world by Major League Baseball International. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio play-by-play, while MLB.com will offer extensive online coverage.
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Clarence Fanto: Dickens' tale still strikes right chord
Conjuring up the Spirit of Christmas has been especially difficult this year, what with the atrocity in Newtown and the disturbing, disappointing breakdown of the fiscal cliff negotiations in Washington.
But as good luck would have it, a previously scheduled visit to the Colonial Theatre for the seventh annual viewing of the Berkshire Theatre Group's production of "A Christmas Carol" turned out to be the ideal balm for the soul and spirit.
When first seen at the Berkshire Theatre Festival's intimate Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge -- before BTF merged with the Colonial and became the BTG -- I was impressed by the authenticity of director Eric Hill's adaptation (very faithful to the novel) and his well-crafted on-stage interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Hill sees the old miser as the quintessential cynic whose gruff manner conceals a long-ago broken heart. Though avaricious and hopelessly stingy, Scrooge was a prime candidate for spiritual redemption through the visits of four Spirits because beneath that cold, bitter veneer, he still possessed the essential humanity that enabled his transformation.
In 2007, Hill described to me his view of the story's enduring appeal: "Dickens touched a nerve that catches all of us. Inside all of us is this desire to do good, to do right, in a world that encourages us to make money and to persevere at the capitalistic endeavor. There's still a human side that reaches beyond that, particularly at times of the year like this when we emphasize charity and kindness. Dickens has found at the core of human experience a kind of soulfulness, how we ultimately have to be concerned with the less fortunate among us. That's what people respond to, year-in and year-out."
Hill and his team have freshened the production annually, especially since the show relocated to the much larger Colonial Theatre last year. Special effects, visual and audio, are enhanced, but the heartfelt spirit that drives the performances is due to the acting skills of the adults and the dedication of the area children who give the show such resonance.
I decided to seek an appraisal through the eyes of the 9-year-old who lives under my roof. In the theater, he sat in the second row, mesmerized, and for this column offered the following.
"If you can, get some free time to go and see the wonderfully performed 'A Christmas Carol,' the righteous tale that has been with us since 1843. We went on opening night. The music is sung beautifully and the acting was right on the spot. Some of my school friends performed in it. The Colonial now shows us one of the most favorite tales we all know. This is definitely a must-see performance directed by Eric Hill, who also plays Scrooge. Continuing his act for all seven years, Eric Hill collects all the joy, love and Christmas spirit, and brings it to the Colonial's A Christmas Carol!"
"Magical" is the way to describe the wide range of emotions (including plenty of humor) aroused by the show.
As Dickens wrote of Scrooge's redemption: "He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. ... It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!"
To contact Clarence or Jacob Fanto: email@example.com.
On Twitter: BE_cfanto
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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"Despite significant challenges in our coal business, we delivered solid results for our shareholders," Moorman says. "From an operations perspective, the railroad ran extremely well, setting all-time highs for most of our service and velocity metrics.
"We also continued our strong record of reinvesting in the company, with more than $2.2 billion in capital spending, including completion of some key projects to drive future growth, the CEO says.
Repeating his take on the industry's coal haulage slump, something Moorman cited last June, Moorman says, " While the coal business will continue to be a wild card for the immediate future, it traditionally has been a mainstay for Norfolk Southern, and we continue to believe in it long-term."
But, he adds, "We see exciting opportunities in emerging energy markets, such as transporting crude oil by rail, and sand, pipe, and other materials for shale gas production. We are positioned equally well for growth in many of our other businesses, supported by our continuing focus on operating efficiency and productivity."


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Janssen seeing fewer opportunities
By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com
Right-hander Casey Janssen was Toronto's primary setup man during the second half of last season, but he entered play on Tuesday having not pitched since April 14. However, Janssen pitched a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday evening, striking out two batters.
A right shoulder injury to Sergio Santos could open the door for Janssen to receive more innings, but compounding matters has been the performance of left-hander Luis Perez.
Perez, who was originally slated for long relief, hasn't allowed an earned run in 11 1/3 innings this season. He also has limited opponents to a .111 average (4-for-36) in seven appearances.
"He has to get back into a game first and foremost," manager John Farrell said of Janssen. "How Luis Perez has evolved, I'm not going to say has supplanted him or replaced other guys, he's done one [heck] of a job for us, Casey's fully ready to go and he will be in the mix."
Janssen has allowed four runs in 7 1/3 innings this season. Last year, he went 6-0 with a 2.26 ERA while striking out 53 and walking 14 in 55 2/3 innings.
Santos out at least four weeks
BALTIMORE -- Sergio Santos will be out for at least the next four weeks due to inflammation in his right throwing shoulder.
Santos was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday for precautionary reasons and was then sent to be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum in southern California.
The test results did not reveal any structural damage, but he was told not to throw for the next two weeks. The lack of activity during that time means Santos will have to go through rehab once he is given the green light and should miss at least a month.
"Ten to 14 days of no throw, and as we've used the typical rule of thumb, it's going to be at least the same number of days to get back to where he left off," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "That's going to take us right up to, probably, a four-week period."
Santos first experienced the soreness while recording a save in Friday's victory over the Royals. The pain still lingered the following day and there was a fear that Santos may have suffered a serious injury.
The level of concern was greater than normal because Santos had not experienced that type of soreness since being converted to a pitcher in 2009. Those worries were quickly alleviated, but the club isn't going to take any chances with something as serious as a right shoulder.
"He felt nothing last year, he felt nothing at any time while he's been converted to a pitcher and yet it showed up in that one outing and that's why we were concerned," Farrell said.
"If he didn't have this in Spring Training, and he didn't have anything leading up to that, then all of a sudden in one outing you have that kind of inflammation. We were concerned to the point of not questioning it, putting him on the disabled list and having him evaluated totally."
Santos, who was acquired from the White Sox during theoffseason, is 2-for-4 in save opportunities this year. He is being temporarily replaced by veteran Francisco Cordero at the back end of Toronto's bullpen.
Encarnacion moved to cleanup full-time
BALTIMORE -- Blue Jays manager John Farrell officially named Edwin Encarnacion the club's new cleanup hitter on Tuesday afternoon in Baltimore.
Encarnacion had started out of the No. 4 spot in the lineup six times this season, but all of those games came against left-handed pitchers. Those starts are now expected to expand to pitchers from both sides of the mound.
Toronto's designated hitter has been one of the most consistent hitters on the team during the first three weeks of the season, which prompted the move to push Adam Lind down to No. 5.
"He has emerged as our four-hole hitter for right now," Farrell said of Encarnacion. "The fact that he and Adam are one slot apart in the lineup, it's not that big of a deal, but whether it has been against right-handers or left-handers, Eddie has swung the bat very well and has provided more consistent protection behind Jose [Bautista] ... That's the way we're going to go right now."
Encarnacion entered Tuesday's game in Baltimore tied for the team lead with four home runs, while also posting a .303 average and 13 RBIs. He has gone 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position and 20 of his hits this year have resulted in extra bases.
Encarnacion went 0-for-4 against the Orioles on Tuesday.
Lind, who opened the year as the Blue Jays' No. 4 hitter, has gotten off to somewhat of a slow start. He is batting just .222 with one homer and six RBIs in 14 games this season.
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.