Dr. Zed

Leadership

Manipulation

### Goals

Get the secret of the healing spring water in the Great Tree of Forest of Okoya (failed).

### Crimes

CorruptionAnimal cruelty

Murder

Theft

Illegal deforestation

**Dr. Zed** is the main antagonist of *Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle*. He is a researcher who is obsessed with obtaining the secret of the Forest of Okoya and the archenemy of Koko and the murder of his parents.

He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version, and Billy Kametz (whom also voiced Rui from *Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba*) in the English dub.

## Description

### Appearance

Dr. Zed appears as a middle-aged man with gray hair along with a straight white bang and zig-zag like ponytail, as well as a beard. He wears sunglasses, a yellow suit with black stripes, a red shirt and a green tie with a blue pendant.

In the flashback of the events, he still looks the same, but was younger and he wore a white lab coat.

### Personality

At first, Dr. Zed presents himself as a calm and reasonable man, but is in truth a maniacal scientist who is obsessed with getting what he wants, no matter the cost. He has no regard for the environment and is fully willing to sacrifice people and Pokémon if it meant obtaining his goal.

### Abilities and Powers

As a researcher, it is assumed that he has great knowledge. He also has access to advanced weaponry such as a powerful tank mech.

## History

### Psychotic break

Ten years prior to the events of the movie, Dr. Zed worked for Chrome and Phossa Molybdenum at the Biotope Company. They researched the mysteries of the healing spring water in the Forest of Okoya, seeking to locate its source. Chrome and Phossa eventually managed to acquire a sample of the spring water and were able to find its source, the Great Tree hidden somewhere deep in the jungle. However, when they realized the tree was a sacred place to the troop of Zarude living there, they decided to put their research on hold until they could find a way to approach the matter in a way more respectful to the tree's residents. This enraged Zed, who was unable to persuade Chrome to change his mind. Returning to his office, Zed recorded a video log about the project's postponement, only to suffer a psychotic break during the recording, trash the office and decide that he should lead the Biotope Company instead.

### The Deaths of Chrom and Phossa Molybdenum

Zed then pursued Chrom and Phossa in his car, running them off a road and causing a fiery wreck, leaving Chrom and Phossa wounded. Before Zed could reach them, they sent Al down a nearby river in a cradle to protect him with their research contained in Phossa Molybdenum's pendant, Zed stole their sample of the spring water along with the research of the Great Tree and left Chrom and Phossa to die in the subsequent explosion when their wrecked car exploded, swearing he would rebuild their work from scratch. Al Molybdenum was later found by one troop member of Zarude, who named him Koko and raised him as a son.

### Present

Dr. Zed assumed leadership of the Biotope Company as he had planned, and over the next ten years, sent research teams led by his aide Sharon to survey the Forest of Okoya. One day, Ash Ketchum arrived at the Biotope Company's headquarters with Koko accompanying him, having discovered the feral boy's apparent connection to the organization via an old photograph of Chrome and Phossa wearing lab coats with the Biotope Company's logo on them as they held the infant Koko. Zed was surprised by the presence of Koko, who he quickly realized was actually the long-believed-deceased Al Molybdenum. After explaining Koko's parents' background to him, Zed admitted that they had died in an accident ten years prior and proved Koko's identity by scanning the boy's pendant. This scan produced a partially corrupted data file from which an image of the Great Tree was recovered, and when Koko reacted to the photograph, Zed realized that he knew where the Great Tree was. He asked Koko to tell him its location, but Koko pushed him away and fled.

### True Colors and Defeat

However, Zed had covertly placed a tracking chip on Koko's shoulder, and he used this information to follow Koko to the Great Tree with his research team, several trucks and a giant spider tank in tow. As he started causing destruction to the jungle, he was confronted by Ash and Koko, who tried to stop his actions. He restrained them in his Ariados's String Shot and imprisoned them in one of the trucks, leaving them in the custody of Team Rocket, who had disguised themselves as researchers to infiltrate the Biotope Company. Zed then led his team to the Great Tree, and upon confirming the presence of an enormous energy source within the tree itself, ordered the tank's pilot to fire missiles into it. This act enraged the Zarude troop and led to their staging a counterattack. The resistance of the Zarude coupled with the unexpected cruelty and violence of Zed's plot caused Sharon and the rest of the team to begin doubting their leader. He broke down again, initially pleading with them that his decisions were correct but soon realizing they would not agree with him. When Ash and Koko caught up with them, Zed ejected the tank's pilot and took control of it himself, confessing his role in the deaths of Chrome and Phossa and calling Koko's survival unplanned but convenient for his cause. Ranting that he would prove his choices to be correct, he piloted the mech to engage in a fierce battle Ash, Koko, and the Pokémon of the jungle, whom he derided as weak.

Although he was able to hold out against his enemies for a lengthy period of time, Zed was ultimately defeated when Pikachu destroyed the mech's control system using Iron Tail. He tried to flee from the scene of the battle, but was spotted by Koko, who gave chase and cornered him on a fallen tree overlooking a river. He and Koko got into a physical struggle and Zed tried to escape by jumping into the river, only for Koko to ensnare him with a vine, leaving him trapped hanging over the water.

### Arrested

Later, while the Biotope Company worked to restore the Forest of Okoya and restructure in the wake of the incident, Dr. Zed was arrested based on his confession and other evidence leaked to the public by Team Rocket. He was last seen on a television broadcast as he was led into a police van by Officer Jenny, glaring angrily at the cameras as the doors were closed.