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Pokémon (anime)
Encyclopedia
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series
, which has since been adapted for the North
and South
American, Australian and Europe
an television markets. It is based on the Pokémon video game series and a part of the Pokémon
franchise.
Originally a single series, Pokémon, it has since been made into four series, the original series, then Advanced Generation, subsequently Diamond and Pearl and Best Wishes, which sequentially continue the story of Pokémon, while its spin-off
Pokémon Smash! (formerly Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station and Pokémon Sunday) has broadcast a series of stories revolving around some of the recurring characters, Pokémon Chronicles
or, as it is known in Japan
, Pokémon Side Story. The series are further divided into seasons, which currently consists of fourteen.
and his friends (human and Pokémon) that he makes on the way as he travels the world catching new Pokémon, battling Pokémon trainers, winning Gym Badges to enter tournaments, and thwarting the attempts of criminal organizations. The anime adapts a fair amount of video game logic from the original games, such as multiple lookalike characters
in different regions and Ash being unable to carry more than six Pokémon with him at a time.
has just become a Pokémon trainer in the Kanto region. He picked Pikachu as his starter because, after breaking his alarm clock
, Ash was late for his appointment and all the conventional starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur
, Charmander
and Squirtle
) were gone. He has a childhood rival, named Gary . Ash accidentally destroys a bike belonging to a girl, named Misty
; she starts to follow him to get her bike back, but soon becomes his friend. Misty endeavors to be a great water Pokémon master. Shortly thereafter, Ash battles Brock
, the leader of the Pewter City gym. Ash initially loses to Brock's Onix, but wins the Boulder Badge in a rematch. Brock then turns over his Gym Leader duties to his estranged father and accompanies Ash and Misty on their journey with the goal of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Breeder.
Ash's journey in the Kanto region culminates with him collecting the necessary eight badges to compete in the Indigo League Pokémon Tournament held annually in the Indigo Plateau, near Viridian City. He passes through all qualifying matches, and qualifying for battling in the Indigo Stadium. There, he loses in his fifth match to Richie, a new rival and friend, who happens to use many of the same Pokémon as Ash, including a Pikachu named "Sparky".
After the Indigo League, Ash returns briefly to Pallet Town before setting out on a new journey to the Orange Islands, where he will compete in the Orange League. Brock eventually parts company with Ash and Misty to pursue Pokémon research with Professor Ivy. At this point, a new character, Tracey Sketchit joins Ash. Ash collects four badges and competes against the Orange League champion, Drake, an experienced trainer who uses a Dragonite. Drake's first 5 Pokémon do not cause much trouble to Ash, the battle coming down to 4 Pokémon for Ash and Drake's Dragonite. However, Dragonite defeats Ash's Charizard, Squirtle and Tauros. The battle comes down to Drake's Dragonite and Ash's Pikachu. After a short battle, Pikachu knocks out Dragonite with a devastating Thunder attack, giving Ash the victory and earning him a spot in the Orange League Hall Of Fame.
In the fifth season, after Ash collected the 8 required badges from Johto, he competed in the Silver Conference. He made it through the qualifying matches, getting into the Victory Tournament. He made it to the Top 8, defeating his childhood rival Gary in the way, but lost to a trainer named Harrison from the Hoenn region. Ash decides to head there next after a brief visit home. Before arriving in Pallet Town, Misty receives a message from her sisters requesting that she return to Cerulean City to take over the Gym Leader duties. Brock then decides that he has been away from home too long and must return to help his father take care of his many brothers and sisters.
In Hoenn, Ash meets May and her younger brother Max , who join him on his journey. May is excited by the Pokémon Contests that take place in Hoenn, while Max joins the group to gain experience so that one day he will have his own Pokémon and become a Gym Leader like his father Norman, the Gym Leader of Petalburg City. Having solved his family issues, Brock returns to accompany Ash. This season, Gary leaves his promising career as a Pokémon Trainer to become a Pokémon researcher, like his grandfather. Misty shortly visits the group and takes Ash, Brock, May and Max to the Togepi Kingdom. Meanwhile, Team Rocket has been sent by their boss to try and establish a branch of the organization in Hoenn. Along their journeys, Ash and his friends also come into contact with the villainous teams that are in Hoenn, Team Aqua and Team Magma. Finally, Ash participates in the Hoenn League and May in the Grand Festival.
Also, in Season 8, after Ash completes the Hoenn League and places in the Top 8, he returns home to Pallet Town, as do May and Max to Petalburg City and Brock to Pewter City. Ash meets up with Misty, Tracey, Professor Oak, and his mother at his homecoming celebration. Professor Birch and Max arrive in Pallet Town that same evening, and May and Brock arrive the next day. Ash and May learn of the Battle Frontier and the new contests in the Kanto region and decide to travel together again to compete. Brock, Max, and Misty decide to join them on their new journey. Season 8 ends with Ash, May, Max, Brock, and Misty setting off to participate in the Battle Frontier.
After Ash defeats the Battle Pyramid Frontier Brain, Brandon, and declines the offer of becoming a Frontier Brain, May reveals that she and Max are returning to Hoenn, but she decides to travel to the Johto region for the Johto Pokémon Contests alone.
May and Max have left the group, and Brock returns to Pewter City, leaving Ash alone again. Ash learns of a new region called Sinnoh, where he embarks on a new journey. Ash planned to bring only Pikachu, but his Aipom snuck on the boat. Brock comes back a few days later in Sinnoh and they both meet Dawn , a new Trainer who hopes to become a great Pokémon Coordinator, like her mother. Ash meets a new rival, Paul , who prefers to capture the strongest Pokémon, leaving the weak who are released, in strong contrast to Ash's methods. During the journey, Ash encounters the Elite Four of Sinnoh in different places respectively, he carries on battles with them, and also receives their instructions about battle techniques. Ash, Dawn, and Brock encounter Ash's old rival Gary several times throughout the series, and even run into May, who are visiting Sinnoh, at the Wallace Cup competition.
Ash and his friends also come in contact with Team Galactic, an evil organization that wants to control the Pokémon universe. Team Galactic has also recruited an evil Pokémon Hunter, known only as J, to help them capture powerful Legendary Pokémon to advance their goals. With the help of the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, as well as a detective named Looker, Ash, Dawn, and Brock manage to defeat Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic.
After the Sinnoh League, the gang prepares to go their separate ways; Brock is returning to Pewter City to become a Pokémon Doctor, Dawn is returning to Hearthome City to model Buneary in a photoshoot, and Ash has decided that to become a Pokémon Master, he will continue training and someday enter the Champion League, and become the Champion Master. Ash and Brock wave goodbye to Dawn and Piplup as they take a ship home to Kanto. When reaching the familiar crossroad, Ash and Brock shake hands one last time, and split up; Brock goes back to Pewter City, and Ash goes home to Pallet Town.
During the airing of the Best Wishes! series, there are two special episodes focusing on Dawn and Brock respectively. Dawn is seen continuing her journey to become a top Pokémon Coordinator in the Hoenn region and Brock's younger brother Forrest is officially made the Pewter City Gym Leader to allow Brock to continue his studies to become a Pokémon Doctor.
, at his hometown in Kanto. He then headed off to the Unova region, located far away from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, with his Pikachu
, his mother, and Prof. Oak. After he meets up with the new Trainer and rival Trip and the region's Professor Juniper, he gains new traveling companions; Iris , a girl from a town known for its Dragon Pokémon, and Cilan , a Pokémon Connoisseur and the Grass Pokémon specialist of the three Striaton City Gym Leaders.
On September 23, 2010, a new series, based on the Pokémon Black and White
video game series, began airing in Japan, with the Japanese title of . The first season of this series, known as the Black & White season started airing in the United States on February 12, 2011.
and one feature length TV broadcast (released outside Japan as a direct-to-video movie titled "Mewtwo
Returns"). The plot of every movie has involved an encounter with a Legendary Pokémon, although some may not conform to a strict definition of the word. The movies are also used to promote new Pokémon that appear in new versions of the game and series.
, as well as sold by DVD exclusively. In addition, two 3D shorts were shown during the tour of Japanese theme park Poképark
.
Pokémon Chronicles, also known in Japan as , where it is aired as part of is a closely related spin-off
series that aired with the beginning part of Pokémon: Advanced Generation. The main episodes are stories that star various recurring characters that appeared in Pokémon, some of which account for discontinuities of the plot of Pokémon: Advanced Generation. However, instead of new episodes each week, as is the case with Pokémon: Advanced Generation, other things may air during Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station such as reruns of Pokémon episodes, television airings of the Pokémon movies, cast interviews, and live action footage.
on October 3, 2004. The show is the successor to the Pocket Monsters Encore and the Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station
. Like the shows before it, Pokémon Sunday is a sort of variety which featuring reruns of old episodes as well as a number of 'Research' episodes involving live-action elements.
.
and Pioneer Entertainment for the TV series, Warner Bros.
and Nintendo
for the first three movies, the thirteenth movie, and the first television special, Miramax Films
, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment
for the fourth movie through the seventh, Viz Media
for movies eight to ten, and Universal Studios
for the eleventh and twelfth films. The series and all feature films are directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, with English adaptations originally written by Norman J. Grossfeld
and Michael Haigney for the first eight seasons. However, starting with the ninth season, The Pokémon Company International (operating as Pokémon USA at that time,) and TAJ Productions
, who worked with 4Kids on the show before taking leave after Season 5, replaced 4Kids as the show's non-Japanese producers and distributors. Most of the original voice cast was also replaced by TAJ for budget purposes, causing controversy among fans who admired the original voice actors. When TAJ closed their doors, they were replaced by DuArt Film and Video
for the tenth movie and Season 11 of the anime series onward. In Canada, Pokémon first aired and has been airing on YTV since late 1998. YTV has been airing Pokémon longer than any other English network and is Subsequently YTV's longest running show. In the UK, Pokémon first aired on Sky1, then it was followed by airings on GMTV
and CITV
in the summer of 1999 including their Saturday morning show SMTV Live
and proved to be extraordinarily popular, to the point were segments and sketches of the show itself were based around Pokémon (e.g. the Pokérap). As part of their relaunching of their internet site, the full first season of the anime is being shown on the Pokemon.com web site in the USA.
The show (as of September 23rd, 2010 in Japan) has premiered the "rebooted" series, Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes! on TV Tokyo Thursday nights at 7:30 PM JST. The metaseries had been airing on Tuesday nights in the earlier seasons. In the United States
(as of February 12, 2011) the series is airing its first season of Black & White, with episodes premiering Saturday mornings at 9 AM ET/PT. An English version of Pokémon Side Story has now been made, titled Pokémon Chronicles
which premiered in the UK on Toonami
on May 11, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. BST
, and is currently airing the 13th season on YTV in Canada
. Each season also brings forth a Pokémon feature-length film, and each film up until the seventh is preceded by a Pokémon animated short. Pokémon CDs
have been released in conjunction with the anime. The tracks feature songs that have been shown in the English dubbed version of the anime. However, some CDs have been released to promote and profit the anime.
Cartoon Network's India and Pakistan
services, along with their Toonami UK service, also carries Pokémon episodes. As of October 9, 2006, Cartoon Network's online service, Toonami Jetstream
, featured Pokémon episodes starting at the Orange League episode "The Pokémon Water War". As from 16 November 2009 Cartoon Network India is going to air the dub of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl while Cartoon Network Pakistan is going to air it from 9 November 2009.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl began airing in Japan on September 28, 2006 with a three-episode arc introducing the new series' main female character Dawn (known in Japan as Hikari), based on the playable female player in the Diamond and Pearl games. The new series aired with a sneak preview on April 20, 2007 in the USA. The sneak preview aired on May 5 in Canada. A dubbed version of the 90-minute preview done in Japan, Diamond and Pearl takes place in the Sinnoh region, based on the new Diamond and Pearl
games. The new series aired in prime time on Cartoon Network starting June 4 at 7:30 PM ET/PT as part of the Cartoon Network Summer 2007 programming promotion. The summer run was confirmed in the Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea DVD released on April 2 of 2007. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl has also been airing on YTV in Canada since September 8, 2007. Ash and Brock are joined by a new coordinator named Dawn, and the trio travel through Sinnoh, collecting gym badges and ribbons. Gary returned in this series.
Diamond and Pearl came to an end on September 9, 2010, and two weeks later was replaced by a new series based on the games, Pokémon Black and Pokémon White
. On June 9, 2010, a blog posted by the storyboard writer revealed that the first four episodes of the Pokémon: Black & White series were finished and confirmed Ash returning. Two new characters would be traveling with Ash. On July 1, 2010, the official title of the 4th series - Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes! - was revealed. The series introduced two new characters traveling with Ash - Iris, whos Axew travels in her hair, and Cilan, a "Pokémon Connoisseur
" ("Sommelier
" in Japan) who is a Gym Leader and specializes in relationships with Pokémon and their trainers. In addition, a new rival, Trip, was introduced as well.
In the UK, the first eight series were aired on multiple channels, ITV1
, ITV2
, Channel 5 and Sky1. Battle Frontier and Diamond and Pearl were aired on Cartoon Network. The CITV Channel and ITV4
recently broadcasted the Battle Frontier episodes for the first time on free TV, on everyday as part of Action Stations!. Battle Dimension started airing in the UK on September 6, 2008, on Disney XD (née Jetix), which is advertised confusingly as "the new home for Pokémon in the UK", however episodes airing on Jetix/Disney XD have also aired on CITV and ITV4, with ITV4 sometimes premiering new episodes. Jetix/Disney XD's various European channels also started including Pokémon in their schedules from late 2008, making it the only channel to air the newest Pokémon series in some regions. The show will air on Pop soon.
In Germany the series was shown for the first time on 1 September 1999. As collecting main the USA version serves and simply with Germans dialogues was provided. In Germany so far 12 Seasons was shown from RTL2
.
In Australia Pokémon airs 14 Seasons from 2000 to present on Network Ten
part of Cheez TV
(2000-2005) then later Toasted TV
(2005-present) now currently Pokémon Black & White on 10 September 2011, also aired on Cartoon Network
from 2001 to present.
or the rest of the world. The most infamous of these episodes was . The episode made headlines worldwide when it caused 685 children to experience seizures and seizure-like symptoms caused by a repetitive flash of light. Although the offending sequence was caused by Pikachu
's actions, the episode's featured Pokémon, Porygon, has never been seen again in the anime except for one brief cameo appearance in the movie, Pokémon Heroes
and in one scene-bumper later in season 1. Its evolutions Porygon2 and Porygon-Z have never appeared either. On September 1, 2006, China
banned the series from prime time broadcasting (from 17:00 to 20:00), similarly to Western animated series such as The Simpsons
, to protect its struggling animation studios. The ban was later extended by one hour.
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
, which has since been adapted for the North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
American, Australian and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an television markets. It is based on the Pokémon video game series and a part of the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise.
Originally a single series, Pokémon, it has since been made into four series, the original series, then Advanced Generation, subsequently Diamond and Pearl and Best Wishes, which sequentially continue the story of Pokémon, while its spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
Pokémon Smash! (formerly Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station and Pokémon Sunday) has broadcast a series of stories revolving around some of the recurring characters, Pokémon Chronicles
Pokémon Chronicles
Pokémon Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.It first aired in Britain on Toonami, where the initial run has now finished. The only places where episodes are currently airing for the first time are the...
or, as it is known in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Pokémon Side Story. The series are further divided into seasons, which currently consists of fourteen.
Summary
The series follows Ash KetchumAsh Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
and his friends (human and Pokémon) that he makes on the way as he travels the world catching new Pokémon, battling Pokémon trainers, winning Gym Badges to enter tournaments, and thwarting the attempts of criminal organizations. The anime adapts a fair amount of video game logic from the original games, such as multiple lookalike characters
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
in different regions and Ash being unable to carry more than six Pokémon with him at a time.
Seasons 1-2 (original series)
Ash KetchumAsh Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
has just become a Pokémon trainer in the Kanto region. He picked Pikachu as his starter because, after breaking his alarm clock
Alarm clock
An alarm clock is a clock that is designed to make a loud sound at a specific time. The primary use of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they are sometimes used for other reminders as well. To stop the sound, a button or handle on the clock is pressed; but...
, Ash was late for his appointment and all the conventional starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, their name is a combination of the words "bulb" and "dinosaur." First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue as a Starter Pokémon, they later appeared in subsequent sequels,...
, Charmander
Charmander
Charmander, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charmander first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
and Squirtle
Squirtle
Squirtle, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
) were gone. He has a childhood rival, named Gary . Ash accidentally destroys a bike belonging to a girl, named Misty
Misty (Pokémon)
Misty, known as in Japanese versions, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise. She has appeared as a Gym Leader in the Pokémon video games, several seasons of the Pokémon anime, The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the Ash & Pikachu manga, toys, books, and other media.-Design:Misty's...
; she starts to follow him to get her bike back, but soon becomes his friend. Misty endeavors to be a great water Pokémon master. Shortly thereafter, Ash battles Brock
Brock (Pokémon)
Brock, known as in Japanese versions, is a video game character in the Pokémon franchise. In the Pokémon video games, he is the Gym Leader of Pewter City and mainly uses Rock -type Pokémon; in the anime series, he left his position as a Gym Leader to travel alongside Ash Ketchum and become a...
, the leader of the Pewter City gym. Ash initially loses to Brock's Onix, but wins the Boulder Badge in a rematch. Brock then turns over his Gym Leader duties to his estranged father and accompanies Ash and Misty on their journey with the goal of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Breeder.
Ash's journey in the Kanto region culminates with him collecting the necessary eight badges to compete in the Indigo League Pokémon Tournament held annually in the Indigo Plateau, near Viridian City. He passes through all qualifying matches, and qualifying for battling in the Indigo Stadium. There, he loses in his fifth match to Richie, a new rival and friend, who happens to use many of the same Pokémon as Ash, including a Pikachu named "Sparky".
After the Indigo League, Ash returns briefly to Pallet Town before setting out on a new journey to the Orange Islands, where he will compete in the Orange League. Brock eventually parts company with Ash and Misty to pursue Pokémon research with Professor Ivy. At this point, a new character, Tracey Sketchit joins Ash. Ash collects four badges and competes against the Orange League champion, Drake, an experienced trainer who uses a Dragonite. Drake's first 5 Pokémon do not cause much trouble to Ash, the battle coming down to 4 Pokémon for Ash and Drake's Dragonite. However, Dragonite defeats Ash's Charizard, Squirtle and Tauros. The battle comes down to Drake's Dragonite and Ash's Pikachu. After a short battle, Pikachu knocks out Dragonite with a devastating Thunder attack, giving Ash the victory and earning him a spot in the Orange League Hall Of Fame.
Seasons 3-5 (original series)
Victorious in the Orange League, Ash again returns to Pallet Town where he and Misty are reunited with Brock, who earlier left to Professor Ivy's lab to take care of Pokémon. Tracey decides to stay in Pallet Town to work with his idol, Professor Oak, while Ash, Brock, and Misty head west to the distant land of Johto. Pokémon: The Johto Journeys marks the introduction of a new series of Pokémon beyond the original 151 named and frequently seen throughout the Kanto and Orange Islands regions.In the fifth season, after Ash collected the 8 required badges from Johto, he competed in the Silver Conference. He made it through the qualifying matches, getting into the Victory Tournament. He made it to the Top 8, defeating his childhood rival Gary in the way, but lost to a trainer named Harrison from the Hoenn region. Ash decides to head there next after a brief visit home. Before arriving in Pallet Town, Misty receives a message from her sisters requesting that she return to Cerulean City to take over the Gym Leader duties. Brock then decides that he has been away from home too long and must return to help his father take care of his many brothers and sisters.
Seasons 6-8 (Advanced Generation series)
Back to Pallet Town, Ash receives a more modern-looking outfit from his mother and sets out for the Hoenn region with only Pikachu, choosing to leave his other Pokémon with Professor Oak, like Gary, going for a "fresh start".In Hoenn, Ash meets May and her younger brother Max , who join him on his journey. May is excited by the Pokémon Contests that take place in Hoenn, while Max joins the group to gain experience so that one day he will have his own Pokémon and become a Gym Leader like his father Norman, the Gym Leader of Petalburg City. Having solved his family issues, Brock returns to accompany Ash. This season, Gary leaves his promising career as a Pokémon Trainer to become a Pokémon researcher, like his grandfather. Misty shortly visits the group and takes Ash, Brock, May and Max to the Togepi Kingdom. Meanwhile, Team Rocket has been sent by their boss to try and establish a branch of the organization in Hoenn. Along their journeys, Ash and his friends also come into contact with the villainous teams that are in Hoenn, Team Aqua and Team Magma. Finally, Ash participates in the Hoenn League and May in the Grand Festival.
Also, in Season 8, after Ash completes the Hoenn League and places in the Top 8, he returns home to Pallet Town, as do May and Max to Petalburg City and Brock to Pewter City. Ash meets up with Misty, Tracey, Professor Oak, and his mother at his homecoming celebration. Professor Birch and Max arrive in Pallet Town that same evening, and May and Brock arrive the next day. Ash and May learn of the Battle Frontier and the new contests in the Kanto region and decide to travel together again to compete. Brock, Max, and Misty decide to join them on their new journey. Season 8 ends with Ash, May, Max, Brock, and Misty setting off to participate in the Battle Frontier.
Season 9 (Battle Frontier)
After passing Mt. Moon, Misty returns to Cerulean Gym to continue training. Ash, May, Max, and Brock travel around the Kanto region, with Ash defeating 7 Frontier Brains and May competing in the Kanto Pokémon Contests.After Ash defeats the Battle Pyramid Frontier Brain, Brandon, and declines the offer of becoming a Frontier Brain, May reveals that she and Max are returning to Hoenn, but she decides to travel to the Johto region for the Johto Pokémon Contests alone.
Seasons 10-13 (Diamond & Pearl series)
Ash and his friends also come in contact with Team Galactic, an evil organization that wants to control the Pokémon universe. Team Galactic has also recruited an evil Pokémon Hunter, known only as J, to help them capture powerful Legendary Pokémon to advance their goals. With the help of the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, as well as a detective named Looker, Ash, Dawn, and Brock manage to defeat Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic.
After the Sinnoh League, the gang prepares to go their separate ways; Brock is returning to Pewter City to become a Pokémon Doctor, Dawn is returning to Hearthome City to model Buneary in a photoshoot, and Ash has decided that to become a Pokémon Master, he will continue training and someday enter the Champion League, and become the Champion Master. Ash and Brock wave goodbye to Dawn and Piplup as they take a ship home to Kanto. When reaching the familiar crossroad, Ash and Brock shake hands one last time, and split up; Brock goes back to Pewter City, and Ash goes home to Pallet Town.
During the airing of the Best Wishes! series, there are two special episodes focusing on Dawn and Brock respectively. Dawn is seen continuing her journey to become a top Pokémon Coordinator in the Hoenn region and Brock's younger brother Forrest is officially made the Pewter City Gym Leader to allow Brock to continue his studies to become a Pokémon Doctor.
Seasons 14- (Best Wishes! series)
As with both the Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl series before it, Dawn and Brock have left the series, and the Best Wishes! series begins with only AshAsh Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
, at his hometown in Kanto. He then headed off to the Unova region, located far away from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, with his Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
, his mother, and Prof. Oak. After he meets up with the new Trainer and rival Trip and the region's Professor Juniper, he gains new traveling companions; Iris , a girl from a town known for its Dragon Pokémon, and Cilan , a Pokémon Connoisseur and the Grass Pokémon specialist of the three Striaton City Gym Leaders.
TV series
Like many anime metaseries, Pokémon: The Original Series, Pokémon: Advanced Generation Series and Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Series episodes are split up into smaller season for the English release, usually to denote the areas and adventures going on. Because of this, seasons are identified by the opening animation used for the episode, rather than a run of a fixed number of episodes. In certain places, the different seasons are considered different shows altogether, although they involve the same storylines and characters. To date, there are 14 total seasons, 13 of which have finished airing in the United States. The 13th season concluded the Diamond and Pearl series.On September 23, 2010, a new series, based on the Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
video game series, began airing in Japan, with the Japanese title of . The first season of this series, known as the Black & White season started airing in the United States on February 12, 2011.
Movies
During each season of the main series, a starring the main characters from the TV series has been released. , there have been 15 moviesFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and one feature length TV broadcast (released outside Japan as a direct-to-video movie titled "Mewtwo
Mewtwo
is a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise...
Returns"). The plot of every movie has involved an encounter with a Legendary Pokémon, although some may not conform to a strict definition of the word. The movies are also used to promote new Pokémon that appear in new versions of the game and series.
| Movie # | Japanese title | English title | Released | Featured Pokémon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mewtwo Strikes Back Pokémon: The First Movie Pokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise... |
July 18, 1998 (Japan) November 10, 1999 (North America) |
Mewtwo Mewtwo is a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise... , Mew Mew (Pokémon) is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from Nintendo's and Game Freak's multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri... |
|
| 2 | The Power of One Pokémon: The Movie 2000 Pokémon: The Movie 2000, originally released in Japan as , is a 1999 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the second Pokémon feature-length film, complementing the Orange Islands saga of the series and featuring several new Pokémon, including Lugia and Slowking... |
July 17, 1999 (Japan) July 21, 2000 (North America) |
Articuno Articuno Articuno, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise. Articuno is one of the three winged mirages, along with Zapdos and Moltres. It is a large bird, noted for its ability to control cold. Articuno was one of many designs conceived by Game Freak and finalized by Ken... , Zapdos Zapdos is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Zapdos is one of the three winged mirages along with Articuno and Moltres. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori... , Moltres Moltres is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Moltres first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and later in subsequent sequels. Moltres is one of the three winged mirages, along with Articuno and Zapdos... , Lugia Lugia is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lugia first appeared as a central character in the film Pokémon: The Movie 2000, and later serves as the version mascot of the video game Pokémon Silver and its remake, Pokémon SoulSilver, appearing on the... |
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| 3 | Spell of the Unown Pokémon 3: The Movie Pokémon 3: The Movie, originally released in Japan as , is a 2000 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the third feature-length Pokémon film. It was released in Japanese theaters on July 8, 2000, and the English adaptation, entitled Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unknown was released... |
July 8, 2000 (Japan) April 6, 2001 (North America) |
Entei Entei is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Entei first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles, animated adaptations, and printed adaptations of the... , Unown Unown is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Unown first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and in subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise... |
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| 4 | Celebi: Voice of the Forest Pokémon 4Ever Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest, originally released in Japan as , is a 2001 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and based on the television series Pokémon. It is the fourth official Pokémon film. It was released in Japan on July 14, 2001. The film was directed in Japan by... |
July 7, 2001 (Japan) October 11, 2002 (North America) |
Suicune Suicune is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Suicune first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles, animated adaptations, and printed adaptations of the... , Celebi Celebi (Pokémon) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise... |
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| 5 | Heroes: Latios and Latias Pokémon Heroes Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias, originally released in Japan as , is a 2002 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It is the fifth film in the Pokémon series, complimenting Pokémon: Master Quest... |
July 13, 2002 (Japan) May 16, 2003 (North America) |
Latias, Latios | |
| 6 | Jirachi Wish Maker | July 19, 2003 (Japan) June 1, 2004 (North America) |
Groudon, Jirachi | |
| 7 | Destiny Deoxys Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, originally released in Japan as is the seventh film in the Pokémon series, complementing the seventh season . It is the second film released under Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation in Japan. The original Japanese version was released in theaters on July 17, 2004... |
July 22, 2004 (Japan) January 22, 2005 (North America) |
Rayquaza Rayquaza is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Rayquaza first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated, printed, and film adaptations of the franchise. Rayquaza also appears on the cover... , Deoxys Deoxys is a fictional species of Pokémon from Nintendo's and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. The result of an extraterrestrial virus's exposure to a laser beam, Deoxys frequently appears around auroras. It is recognized as a Legendary Pokémon of the third generation... |
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| 8 | Lucario and the Mystery of Mew Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, originally released in Japan as , is an anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the eighth film in the Pokémon franchise. It was released in theaters in Japan on July 16, 2005, followed by the Japanese DVD release on December 22, 2005... |
July 16, 2005 (Japan) September 19, 2006 (North America) |
Mew, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Lucario Lucario is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lucario first appeared as a central character in the film Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and later appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and subsequent sequels, also appearing in... |
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| 9 | Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea | July 15, 2006 (Japan) March 23, 2007 (North America) |
Kyogre, Manaphy | |
| 10 | The Rise of Darkrai | July 14, 2007 (Japan) February 24, 2008 (North America) |
Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai | |
| 11 | Giratina and the Sky Warrior | July 19, 2008 (Japan) February 13, 2009 (North America) |
Regigigas, Giratina Giratina , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Giratina first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, but gained prominence in the remake, Pokémon Platinum, which it was made the mascot of. It later appeared in various merchandise,... , Shaymin, Dialga |
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| 12 | Arceus and the Jewel of Life | July 18, 2009 (Japan) 6 November 2009 (Australia) |
Heatran, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus Arceus is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Arceus first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.-Concept and... |
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| 13 | Zoroark: Master of Illusions | July 10, 2010 (Japan) February 5, 2011 (North America) |
Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Celebi, Zorua, Zoroark Zorua and Zoroark and are two fictional species of Pokémon creatures, linked by evolution, in Nintendo's and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. They are two Dark-type Pokémon resembling foxes... |
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| 14 | Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom | July 16, 2011 (Japan) December 3, 2011 (North America)(Theaters) |
Victini Victini is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Victini first appeared in the video games Pokémon Black and White, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.-Concept and... , Zekrom |
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| Pokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram | July 16, 2011 (Japan) December 10, 2011 (North America)(Cartoon Network) |
Victini, Reshiram |
Specials
Except main series and movies, the anime has also shown various specials and TV shorts. In English-language broadcast, these have been played or are playing as the Pokémon Chronicles or Pokémon Sunday series, alongside The Legend of Thunder! special and several Pikachu shorts, Many of these specials centered around legendary Pokémon or one or more of the main characters that is separate from the main cast during its corresponding series, while the sporadically-made later side story episodes typically air as special episodes. Another 8 additional OVAs were broadcasted on numbered All Nippon FlightsAll Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
, as well as sold by DVD exclusively. In addition, two 3D shorts were shown during the tour of Japanese theme park Poképark
Poképark
Pokémon The Park 2005 or was a traveling Japanese theme park based on the Pokémon franchise. It has existed in two locations previously, both currently closed. It was in Japan in 2005, and in Taiwan in 2006. There has been a talk about Poképark coming to the USA, possibly Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,...
.
Full-length TV specials
- An animated adaptation of the "Birth of Mewtwo" radio drama, which was later attached to the beginning of the first movie for the JapaneseJapanese popular cultureJapanese popular culture not only reflects the attitudes and concerns of the present but also provides a link to the past. Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, manga, and music all developed from older artistic and literary traditions, and many of their themes and styles of presentation...
video release. A small 3 minute heavily edited version was released on the US version DVDs, while the full uncut version was made available on the Mewtwo Returns DVD.
- A made for television special that followed up on Mewtwo after the events of the first movie.
- A made for television special that showcased the legendary Raikou, as well as brand new trainers. It became the first three episodes of Pokémon ChroniclesPokémon ChroniclesPokémon Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.It first aired in Britain on Toonami, where the initial run has now finished. The only places where episodes are currently airing for the first time are the...
. This was based on the release of Pokémon Crystal and is called as such in the Japanese title.
Normal-length TV specials
- An hour-long TV special commemorating the tenth-anniversary of Pokémon in the United States.it aired on Kids' WBKids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
the sister station of Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
that Had It features a variety of Pokémon as artificial and stronger "mirages", including a supposedly "most powerful" Pokémon creation. Pokémon shown to be mirages were MewMew (Pokémon)is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from Nintendo's and Game Freak's multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri...
, Kabutops, Omastar, Armaldo, Aggron, AerodactylAerodactylAerodactyl, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Aerodactyl first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Houndoom, Absol, Mightyena, Machoke, Machamp, Ursaring, Magnemite, Entei, ArticunoArticunoArticuno, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise. Articuno is one of the three winged mirages, along with Zapdos and Moltres. It is a large bird, noted for its ability to control cold. Articuno was one of many designs conceived by Game Freak and finalized by Ken...
, ZapdosZapdosis a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Zapdos is one of the three winged mirages along with Articuno and Moltres. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
, and MewtwoMewtwois a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise...
.
- A special anime based on the new video games which was shown on Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
in the USA September 8, 2006. The main characters in this special are a boy who was turned into a SquirtleSquirtleSquirtle, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
, who formed a team with a naturally born CharmanderCharmanderCharmander, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charmander first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
and Chikorita.
- A sequel to the anime special based on the new video games prior to the Japanese release. The English version was shown on Action Stations! in the UK on July 18, 2008. The USA airing was on September 1, 2008 (Labor DayLabor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
in the U.S.) on Cartoon Network. This special opens with Grovyle stealing a Time Gear - a circular object that controls time. The story then switches to the main characters Piplup (who is really a boy turned Pokémon) and Chimchar. Together with Chimchar, they become the exploration group Poképals and work at helping Pokémon who are in need of rescue along with exploring dungeons for treasure. After completing their first mission, to help a Shinx's sister who is very sick, the show ends with an announcement that the Time Gear has been stolen again. Piplup decides to stay with the team in order to help rescue other Pokémon; recover the Time Gear; and find out why he has been turned into a Pokémon. The last scene includes the message "to be continued", as do all other episodes of Pokémon. Which seemed as if it was implying there would be a full series, but such a series was never created.
- A follow-up to Explorers of Time & Darkness, this anime special sees the Poképals teaming with Grovyle to battle with Dusknoir in the Hidden Land to save the world. This was available with the DSi game on a DVD for advance purchases at GameStopGameStopGameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
in the USA, and also premiered on October 9, 2009 on Cartoon Network in the USA and the following day on YTV in Canada.
- A set of five-minute-long special episodes based on the DS game Pokémon Ranger: Guardian SignsPokémon Ranger: Guardian Signsis an action role-playing game video game for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel of Pokémon Ranger and Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and third installment of its series. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2010, North America on October 4, 2010, and Europe on November 5, 2010. Gameplay revolves...
which aired as part of Pokémon Sunday, it divided into two parts (Part 1 was aired on February 28, 2010, and Part 2 was aired on March 7, 2010). It shows in Oblivia Region, a Pokémon Ranger named Natsuya, receives a mission of head for the archipelago to stop a villainous team - Pokémon Pinchers' misdeeds from poaching and selling Pokémon which tasked by Professor Hastings. During his mission, he meets Ukulele Pichu and captures it.
Winter Vacation
is a series of winter themed Pikachu-centered shorts that went directly to video. The first two were part of the Pokémon Chronicles series. This was the only Pokémon DVD not released by Viz Video but rather 4Kids' normal way of releasing DVDs, being released by 4Kids and Funimation.ANA flights shorts
- The first short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2004.
- The second short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2005.
- The third short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2006 and was released in the Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea DVD in the USA.
- The fourth short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2007.
- The fifth short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2008.
- The sixth short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2009 and was released in the Pokémon Ranger: Locus of Light DVD in Japan.
- The seventh short premiered on ANA flights on August 1, 2010.
3D shorts
- The first Pokémon 3D short that was shown as the PokéPark in Japan in 2005.
- The second Pokémon 3D short, shown when PokéPark was in Taiwan in 2006.
Pokémon Chronicles
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series that aired with the beginning part of Pokémon: Advanced Generation. The main episodes are stories that star various recurring characters that appeared in Pokémon, some of which account for discontinuities of the plot of Pokémon: Advanced Generation. However, instead of new episodes each week, as is the case with Pokémon: Advanced Generation, other things may air during Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station such as reruns of Pokémon episodes, television airings of the Pokémon movies, cast interviews, and live action footage.
Pokémon Sunday
debuted on TV TokyoTV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
on October 3, 2004. The show is the successor to the Pocket Monsters Encore and the Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station
Pokémon Chronicles
Pokémon Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.It first aired in Britain on Toonami, where the initial run has now finished. The only places where episodes are currently airing for the first time are the...
. Like the shows before it, Pokémon Sunday is a sort of variety which featuring reruns of old episodes as well as a number of 'Research' episodes involving live-action elements.
Pokémon Smash!
is the successor to the Pokémon Sunday series. It debuted on TV Tokyo on October 3, 2010. Like its predecessors, Pokémon Smash! is a variety show that features live-action segments and reruns of old anime episodes. The theme song is "Endless Fighters" by AAAAAA (band)
, and also known as Attack All Around, is a Japanese pop band signed to the label Avex Trax which debuted in September 2005. The group originally consisted of five young men and three young women who had all acted in commercials and had been dancers for other Japanese stars, such as Ayumi Hamasaki...
.
Airing and production
The English adaptation of the series was produced by 4Kids Entertainment and video distribution of the series was handled by Viz MediaVIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
and Pioneer Entertainment for the TV series, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the first three movies, the thirteenth movie, and the first television special, Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Buena Vista Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is a motion picture and television feature distribution company owned by Disney Enterprises, Inc. Buena Vista International was the international distribution arm, Buena Vista Home Entertainment was the firm's video and DVD distribution arm, and Buena Vista...
for the fourth movie through the seventh, Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
for movies eight to ten, and Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
for the eleventh and twelfth films. The series and all feature films are directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, with English adaptations originally written by Norman J. Grossfeld
Norman J. Grossfeld
Norman J. Grossfeld is an American television producer and screenwriter and executive. From February 1994 to December 2009, he was the president of 4Kids Productions, a subsidiary of 4Kids Entertainment. He produced the English adaptations of the first eight seasons of the Pokémon TV series and...
and Michael Haigney for the first eight seasons. However, starting with the ninth season, The Pokémon Company International (operating as Pokémon USA at that time,) and TAJ Productions
TAJ Productions
TAJ Productions was an audio post production facility located in New York City. They have provided their services for Japanese Anime, Manga, animation, live action, video games, and audio books. They have also provided their services toward the script writing of Anime...
, who worked with 4Kids on the show before taking leave after Season 5, replaced 4Kids as the show's non-Japanese producers and distributors. Most of the original voice cast was also replaced by TAJ for budget purposes, causing controversy among fans who admired the original voice actors. When TAJ closed their doors, they were replaced by DuArt Film and Video
DuArt Film and Video
DuArt Film & Video is an American film and recording studio founded by Al Young in 1922. DuArt has been involved with a number of films over its history, such as Dirty Dancing, The Cider House Rules and Forrest Gump, pioneering in a number of filmmaking technologies...
for the tenth movie and Season 11 of the anime series onward. In Canada, Pokémon first aired and has been airing on YTV since late 1998. YTV has been airing Pokémon longer than any other English network and is Subsequently YTV's longest running show. In the UK, Pokémon first aired on Sky1, then it was followed by airings on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
and CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
in the summer of 1999 including their Saturday morning show SMTV Live
SMTV Live
SMTV Live , also written SM:TV Live and in early promotional material SMTV://live, was a British Saturday morning children's television programme, first broadcast on ITV on 29 August 1998 and last broadcast on 27 December 2003.On the surface, the programme did not seem to stray away from the format...
and proved to be extraordinarily popular, to the point were segments and sketches of the show itself were based around Pokémon (e.g. the Pokérap). As part of their relaunching of their internet site, the full first season of the anime is being shown on the Pokemon.com web site in the USA.
The show (as of September 23rd, 2010 in Japan) has premiered the "rebooted" series, Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes! on TV Tokyo Thursday nights at 7:30 PM JST. The metaseries had been airing on Tuesday nights in the earlier seasons. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(as of February 12, 2011) the series is airing its first season of Black & White, with episodes premiering Saturday mornings at 9 AM ET/PT. An English version of Pokémon Side Story has now been made, titled Pokémon Chronicles
Pokémon Chronicles
Pokémon Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.It first aired in Britain on Toonami, where the initial run has now finished. The only places where episodes are currently airing for the first time are the...
which premiered in the UK on Toonami
Toonami
Toonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
on May 11, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. BST
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
, and is currently airing the 13th season on YTV in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Each season also brings forth a Pokémon feature-length film, and each film up until the seventh is preceded by a Pokémon animated short. Pokémon CDs
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
have been released in conjunction with the anime. The tracks feature songs that have been shown in the English dubbed version of the anime. However, some CDs have been released to promote and profit the anime.
Cartoon Network's India and Pakistan
Cartoon Network (Pakistan)
Cartoon Network Pakistan is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner which primarily shows animated programming. The channel officially launched on April 2, 2004. Cartoon Network Pakistan follows Pakistan Standard Time for its programming...
services, along with their Toonami UK service, also carries Pokémon episodes. As of October 9, 2006, Cartoon Network's online service, Toonami Jetstream
Toonami Jetstream
Toonami Jetstream was an ad-supported online broadband service and a remake of Toonami's previous video streaming service Toonami Reactor provided by Cartoon Network and Viz Media....
, featured Pokémon episodes starting at the Orange League episode "The Pokémon Water War". As from 16 November 2009 Cartoon Network India is going to air the dub of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl while Cartoon Network Pakistan is going to air it from 9 November 2009.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl began airing in Japan on September 28, 2006 with a three-episode arc introducing the new series' main female character Dawn (known in Japan as Hikari), based on the playable female player in the Diamond and Pearl games. The new series aired with a sneak preview on April 20, 2007 in the USA. The sneak preview aired on May 5 in Canada. A dubbed version of the 90-minute preview done in Japan, Diamond and Pearl takes place in the Sinnoh region, based on the new Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
games. The new series aired in prime time on Cartoon Network starting June 4 at 7:30 PM ET/PT as part of the Cartoon Network Summer 2007 programming promotion. The summer run was confirmed in the Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea DVD released on April 2 of 2007. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl has also been airing on YTV in Canada since September 8, 2007. Ash and Brock are joined by a new coordinator named Dawn, and the trio travel through Sinnoh, collecting gym badges and ribbons. Gary returned in this series.
Diamond and Pearl came to an end on September 9, 2010, and two weeks later was replaced by a new series based on the games, Pokémon Black and Pokémon White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
. On June 9, 2010, a blog posted by the storyboard writer revealed that the first four episodes of the Pokémon: Black & White series were finished and confirmed Ash returning. Two new characters would be traveling with Ash. On July 1, 2010, the official title of the 4th series - Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes! - was revealed. The series introduced two new characters traveling with Ash - Iris, whos Axew travels in her hair, and Cilan, a "Pokémon Connoisseur
Connoisseur
A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
" ("Sommelier
Sommelier
A sommelier , or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching...
" in Japan) who is a Gym Leader and specializes in relationships with Pokémon and their trainers. In addition, a new rival, Trip, was introduced as well.
In the UK, the first eight series were aired on multiple channels, ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
, Channel 5 and Sky1. Battle Frontier and Diamond and Pearl were aired on Cartoon Network. The CITV Channel and ITV4
ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
recently broadcasted the Battle Frontier episodes for the first time on free TV, on everyday as part of Action Stations!. Battle Dimension started airing in the UK on September 6, 2008, on Disney XD (née Jetix), which is advertised confusingly as "the new home for Pokémon in the UK", however episodes airing on Jetix/Disney XD have also aired on CITV and ITV4, with ITV4 sometimes premiering new episodes. Jetix/Disney XD's various European channels also started including Pokémon in their schedules from late 2008, making it the only channel to air the newest Pokémon series in some regions. The show will air on Pop soon.
In Germany the series was shown for the first time on 1 September 1999. As collecting main the USA version serves and simply with Germans dialogues was provided. In Germany so far 12 Seasons was shown from RTL2
RTL II
RTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993. It quickly became infamous for its perceived "trash programming", comprising lots of soft porn as well as shows such as Peep and many...
.
In Australia Pokémon airs 14 Seasons from 2000 to present on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
part of Cheez TV
Cheez TV
Cheez TV was an Australian children's cartoon show, created by Bill McQueen, that aired on weekday mornings on Network Ten. It began broadcasting on 2 July 1995 and it ended on 31 December 2004 with the presenters leaving. After eight months of being without presenters, it officially ended on 20...
(2000-2005) then later Toasted TV
Toasted TV
Toasted TV is the successor to the children's television program Cheez TV, and airs Monday to Saturday on Australia's Network Ten. The show is hosted by Kellyn Morris and Seamus Evans...
(2005-present) now currently Pokémon Black & White on 10 September 2011, also aired on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (Australia)
Cartoon Network is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner which primarily shows animated programming.The Australian version is available on Pay TV...
from 2001 to present.
Controversy
Pokémon has had several anime episodes removed from the rotation in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
or the rest of the world. The most infamous of these episodes was . The episode made headlines worldwide when it caused 685 children to experience seizures and seizure-like symptoms caused by a repetitive flash of light. Although the offending sequence was caused by Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
's actions, the episode's featured Pokémon, Porygon, has never been seen again in the anime except for one brief cameo appearance in the movie, Pokémon Heroes
Pokémon Heroes
Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias, originally released in Japan as , is a 2002 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It is the fifth film in the Pokémon series, complimenting Pokémon: Master Quest...
and in one scene-bumper later in season 1. Its evolutions Porygon2 and Porygon-Z have never appeared either. On September 1, 2006, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
banned the series from prime time broadcasting (from 17:00 to 20:00), similarly to Western animated series such as The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, to protect its struggling animation studios. The ban was later extended by one hour.
See also
- List of Pokémon characters
- List of Pokémon episodes
- List of Pokémon special episodes
- List of Pokémon theme songs
- Pokémon ChroniclesPokémon ChroniclesPokémon Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.It first aired in Britain on Toonami, where the initial run has now finished. The only places where episodes are currently airing for the first time are the...
- Banned episodes of PokémonBanned episodes of PokémonThere are hundreds of episodes of the Pokémon anime; however, for various reasons, some have been taken out of the rotation of reruns in some countries. Pokémon is aimed at young children, which required some episodes to be altered...
- List of television shows based on video games
Japan
- Pokémon JP official website
- Pokémon anime website at TV TokyoTV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
- Pokémon: Advanced Generation website at TV Tokyo
- Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl website at TV Tokyo
- Pokémon TV Anime at Pokémon JP official website
United States
- Pokémon US official website
- Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl website at Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
- Archive of the 4Kids corporate page about Pokémon anime
- Archive of the KidsWB content about Pokémon
- Bulbapedia: The Pokémon Encyclopedia