Pokémon Chronicles

Pokémon Chronicles, partly known in Japan as Pocket Monsters Side Stories (ポケットモンスタ- サイドスト-リ-, Poketto Monsutā Saido Sutōrī), is a spin-off series of the original Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.

Pokémon Chronicles
Logo from the Pokémon Chronicles series
Anime television series
StudioOLM, Inc.
Licensed byViz Media
Original networkTV Tokyo (TXN)
English network
Cartoon Network
Toonami
Original run October 15, 2002 – September 28, 2004
Episodes22

It first aired in Japan on October 15, 2002 on TV Tokyo and concluded on September 28, 2004. An English adaptation dub was later produced and first aired in Britain on Toonami, where it ran between May 11, 2005 and October 5, 2005. The show aired in India on Cartoon Network in 2009. The series made its U.S. premiere on Cartoon Network on June 3, 2006, after it ended in most other countries.[1]

Four DVDs have been released in the United Kingdom, with a U.S. release still non-existent. All of the episodes have been released as extras on the first six-season box sets of Pokémon in Australia (the newer 6 DVD box sets do not have the Pokémon Chronicles episodes, while the older 14 DVD sets do). A box set containing all 22 episodes has also been released in Australia.

Characters
Main article: List of Pokémon anime characters

Main characters
  • Ash Ketchum (サトシ, Satoshi): Ash is rarely seen. In the Winter Vacation episodes he is joined by Pikachu and some of Misty and Brock's Pokémon and meet a group of "Snow Snorlax."
  • Brock (タケシ, Takeshi): Brock travelled around the Kanto region and the Johto region with Ash but between "Gotta Catch Ya Later" and "You Can Never Taillow", he visited his Pokémon Gym in Pewter City. There he found that his mother has taken over the gym, turning it into a Water Gym.
  • Casey (ナナコ, Nanako): Casey was introduced in Johto, where she met Ash. They met a few times after that, although Casey only got 4 badges in the time it took Ash to get 8. When she is not training Pokémon, she is a big fan of the fictional Electabuzz baseball team. Her Pokémon are Meganium (her starter), Pidgey, Rattata, Beedrill (given by Ash), Elekid, and the dub says she has a Magmar and Rapidash. Casey owns two of the Pokémon that Ash failed to catch.
  • Gary Oak (オ-キド・シゲル, Shigeru Ōkido): Gary Oak is Professor Oak's grandson. He was very stuck-up and traveled with his female cheerleaders around Kanto. He eventually matured after losing in the Indigo Plateau a round before Ash. He re-appeared in Johto, and after losing to Ash in the Silver Conference, decided to become a Pokémon Professor.
  • Jimmy (ケンタ, Kenta): Jimmy is on his way to become a great Pokémon Master with his Typhlosion, so that he can help the kids in New Bark Town. He is based on the player character Ethan from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. He first appears in the first three episodes of the Pokémon Chronicles, called Raikou: The Legend of Thunder.
  • マリナ, Marina: Marina is an old friend of Jimmy's, and she battles to entertain, always making sure she puts on a good show. She also performs in dance routines with her Pokémon. Marina is based on the female character from Pokémon Crystal. Her favorite Pokémon are her Misdreavus (nicknamed "Little Miss") and Croconaw (nicknamed "Wani-Wani"). Marina also appears in episode 10 of Diamond & Pearl as the poster girl for the Poketch, on the back of a magazine Dawn was reading. She later appears in episode 41 of Diamond & Pearl in a video of her doing a double contest appeal.
  • Vincent (ジュンイチ, Jun'ichi): Vincent battled Ash in the Silver Conference, although he was known there as Jackson. Vincent's favorite Pokémon is his Meganium. Vincent also was seen in the three parts of The Legend Of Thunder, as Marina's somewhat love interest, even going as far as calling himself Fabu-Vinny. He seems to get a little paranoid when it comes to Marina, getting jealous when Marina fell in love with Eusine (Who at that time, was dubbed as Eugene), because he wore a cape, just like Lance, the first known person that Marina actually likes (Fan-girl style), others being Jimmy and Eusine/Eugene.
  • Misty (カスミ, Kasumi): Misty has travelled everywhere with Ash since he broke her bike, as well as with Brock and Tracy in the Orange Islands. But at the end of Johto saga of the Pokémon anime, her sisters went on a World Tour, and she had to become the official Gym Leader of Cerulean City. She is the major character in "Cerulean Blues".
  • Professor Samuel Oak (オ-キド・ユキナリ博士, Yukinari Okido-hakase): Professor Samuel Oak is the world's foremost authority on Pokémon. When Trainers such as Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak begin their Pokémon Journey, Professor Oak gives them their starting Pokémon - Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, (or Pikachu in Ash's case) When he is not looking after all the Pokémon that Trainers do not have with them at the time - (each trainer may carry up to six on his or her person) - he is studying them and upgrading the Pokédex.
  • May (ハルカ, Haruka): May is rarely seen.
  • Ritchie (ヒロシ, Hiroshi): Ritchie and his trusty Pikachu, Sparky, battled Ash at the Indigo Plateau, and they have been friends ever since, even though they only met once again (in the Whirl Islands.) Ritchie does decide to go and meet Ash in Hoenn, but he apparently decides against it, because he is later seen in the Sevii Islands.
  • Tracey Sketchit (ケンジ, Kenji): Tracey Sketchit travelled with Ash and Misty in the Orange Islands, and is now a lab assistant for Professor Oak. He loves drawing, and has produced many accurate sketches of Pokémon. He is also good friends with Brock.

Minor characters
  • Delia Ketchum (ハナコ, Hanako): Delia is Ash's mother. She really misses him while he is away, but she is happy at home with her Mr. Mime for company. She is also good friends with Professor Oak and Tracey.
  • Gilbert (ハジメ, Hajime): Gilbert is a new Pokémon trainer (and the mayor's son in the English dub). He dislikes the Kanto starters and wants stronger Pokémon like Torchic rather than the ones that Professor Oak has to offer, but in the end, he chooses a Bulbasaur.
  • サクラ, Sakura: Sakura is one of the Kimono Sisters from Ecruteak City. She originally intended to join Ash, Misty, and Brock on their Pokémon Journey, but decided to stay at home and learn more first. She is now collecting badges in Kanto with her trusty Espeon and her new Beautifly.

Team Rocket villains
  • Atilla & Hun (ブソン & バショウ, Buson & Basho): Atilla & Hun are also members of Team Rocket, and are out to capture Raikou. Their names were derived from Atilla the Hun. (Hun is male in the Japanese version).
  • Cassidy & Butch (ヤマト & コサブロウ, Yamato & Kosaburo): Cassidy & Butch do not follow one Trainer around like Jessie & James do. They pick random worthwhile things and Pokémon to steal. Unfortunately for them, they usually choose people linked to Ash in some way. They are the main villains in Pokémon Chronicles. Their names are derived from the outlaw Butch Cassidy. In the anime, all of the characters, including Cassidy (though not as often) forget Butch's real name and calls him by a similar name, after which he gets into a fit.
  • Dr. Namba: ナンバ博士, Dr. Namba (unseen, but seen with a silhouette) appears after the first couple of minutes in various episodes when Cassidy and Butch are sent for trouble. He orders the 2 rocket members to do all sorts of stunts via satellite chip (well placed usually in various foods), but his plans always fails some way or the other. This is another Rocket member to constantly forget Butch's name.
  • Jessie & James (ムサシ & コジロウ, Musashi & Kojiro): Jessie & James are starting up the Hoenn branch of Team Rocket (along with their talking Meowth partner). When they aren't trying to capture Pikachu, they are spreading the name of Team Rocket for their boss. Their English names were derived from the outlaw Jesse James.
  • Professor Sebastian (シライ博士, Dr. Shiranui): Professor Sebastian appears in several episodes in the anime. He orders Atilla & Hun to capture Raikou.

Opening and ending

When shown on Shūkan Pokémon Hōsōkyoku, the episodes did not have a musical opening. Instead, they open with Brock and Misty talking (except for the Team Rocket episodes, where said characters would talk instead). Normally, it would result in Misty hitting Brock with a mallet, fan, or water gun for acting out of line. The endings would normally deal with that episode's character. When released on DVD these sequences were omitted entirely. The Japanese episodes were seen as special episodes, hence the unconventional opening. However, it was dubbed as a completely new series, so a musical opening was required. While the openings from the main series interlink scenes from the related Japanese opening with scenes from the episodes, there was no Japanese opening for Pokémon Chronicles, A new opening was created. Some of the scenes in the opening are taken from the Japanese Legend of Thunder opening, the rest are taken from episodes. There are 42 scenes in 36 seconds.

The ending is a repeat of the opening on the left of the screen, with the credits rolling past on the right. There are a few variations, however. The DVD version and first two parts of The Legend of Thunder shows footage from the battle at the start of Part Two. The ending for Pikachu's Winter Vacation on the DVD rolls over a full screen picture taken from the episode.

The original theme tune is a modified version of the "G/S Pokerap". However, there is an instrumental in the middle, where the narrator basically says what Chronicles is about:

Old friends!
New adventures!
Never before seen stories from the world of Pokémon!

When the series aired in America, starting with the second episode, the intro sequence was changed to a newer version, consisting of a montage of various scenes from "The Legend of Thunder" with more intense music. In the original of "The Legend of Thunder", it also features a cameo by the Johto rival, and later in another episode.

Episode list
EP#TitleOriginal air dateEnglish air date
1"The Legend of Thunder (Part 1)" (ライコウ 雷の伝説, Raikou – Ikazuchi no Densetsu, Raikou Legend of Thunder)December 30, 2001June 3, 2006
A three-part episode. On his Pokémon Journey, Jimmy meets his old friend, Marina, at a Pokémon Center. The two of them, later teaming up with Vincent, discover and attempt to foil an attempt by Hun and Attila to steal Raikou.
2"The Legend of Thunder (Part 2)" (ライコウ 雷の伝説, Raikou – Ikazuchi no Densetsu, Raikou Legend of Thunder)December 30, 2001June 10, 2006
A three-part episode. On his Pokémon Journey, Jimmy meets his old friend, Marina, at a Pokémon Center. The two of them, later teaming up with Vincent, discover and attempt to foil an attempt by Hun and Attila to steal Raikou.
3"The Legend of Thunder (Part 3)" (ライコウ 雷の伝説, Raikou – Ikazuchi no Densetsu, Raikou Legend of Thunder)December 30, 2001June 10, 2006
A three-part episode. On his Pokémon Journey, Jimmy meets his old friend, Marina, at a Pokémon Center. The two of them, later teaming up with Vincent, discover and attempt to foil an attempt by Hun and Attila to steal Raikou.
4"Pikachu's Winter Vacation"December 22, 2000June 17, 2006
This episode is split into two parts:
  • "Delibird's Dilemma" (デリバードのプレゼント, Deribādo no Purezento, Delibird's Present): Ash's, Misty's, and Brock's Pokémon must find Santa's missing presents before midnight.
  • "Snorlax Snowman" (ホワイトストーリー, Howaito Sutōrī, White Story): A retelling of Frosty the Snowman, starring the same Pokémon and featuring a Snorlax-shaped snowman.
5"A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!" (タケシ！ニビジムをすくえ!, Takeshi! Nibi Jimu wo Sukue!, Takeshi! Save Nibi Gym!)December 3, 2002June 24, 2006
Brock returns to Pewter City, but is shocked to discover that his mother has returned, and has turned the Pokémon Gym into a Water-type Gym. He now has to battle to save the Gym for his brother, Forrest.
6"Cerulean Blues" (ハナダジムのリベンジマッチ!, Hanada Jimu no Ribenji Matchi!, Revenge Match at Hanada Gym!)December 10, 2002June 24, 2006
Misty returns home to become the leader of the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym, but has to deal with a number of problems that have cropped up during her absence, including a rampaging Gyarados and her rivals the Invincible Brothers seeking control of the Gym.
7"We're No Angels!" (がんばれ！前向きロケット団, Ganbare! Maemuki Roketto-dan!, Tough Battle! Stay Positive, Team Rocket!)December 17, 2002July 1, 2006
Team Rocket lands in a village where they are mistaken for Team Righteous (a vintage TV superhero duo wearing identical uniforms), and face a dilemma deciding between building a robot army or living up to the high expectations of the villagers.
8"Showdown at the Oak Corral" (オーキド邸だいけっせん!!, Ōkido-yashiki Daikessen!, Epic Battle at Okido's Lab)January 14, 2003July 8, 2006
Butch and Cassidy of Team Rocket break into Professor Oak's lab and steal all of the Poké Balls, so Ash's Pokémon have to get them back.
9"The Blue Badge of Courage" (カスミ！ブルーバッジをゲットせよ!, Kasumi! Burū Bajji o Getto se yo!, Kasumi! Get the Blue Badge!)February 25, 2003July 22, 2006
Tracey and Sakura visit Misty at the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym, so that Sakura can battle Misty for a Gym Badge. Misty is out of Gym Badges, however, so the three of them travel to the home of the badge maker.
10"Oaknapped!" (ポケモン捜査網！オーキド博士をさがせ!!, Pokémon Sōsa! Ōkido-hakase o Sagase!!, Pokémon Investigation! Search For Professor Okido!)April 8, 2003July 29, 2006
Butch and Cassidy kidnap Professor Oak in order to learn about Pokérus for Professor Nanba's evil plans, and Tracey and Ritchie have to rescue him.
11"A Date With Delcatty" (カスミ真剣勝負！命かけます!?, Kasumi Shinken Shōbu! Inochi Kakemasu!?, Kasumi Fights For Real! Risking A Life!?)September 2, 2003August 5, 2006
Casey visits Cerulean City to visit Misty and watch a baseball match with the Electabuzz. Meanwhile, Butch and Cassidy receive orders to steal the Delcatty of a trainer who also happens to have a crush on Misty and tickets to see the Electabuzz.
12"Celebi and Joy!" (もうひとつのセレビィ伝説, Mō Hitotsu no Serebī Densetsu, Another Celebi Legend!)October 7, 2003August 12, 2006
Ritchie arrives in a town where the Mayor plans to demolish the Pokémon Center, but an old Nurse Joy does not want to lose the memories it contains. Celebi sends Ritchie back in time to make things right.
13"Training Daze" (ロケット団 愛と青春の原点, Roketto-dan Ai to Seishun no Genten, Team Rocket! Origin of Love and Youth!)September 30, 2003August 19, 2006
Jessie recounts how she met up with James and Meowth, and how they became members of Team Rocket. Notable for the one of only three times that Butch is called by his proper name.
14"Journey to the Starting Line!" (マサラタウン、ポケモントレーナーの旅立ち, Masara Taun, Pokémon Torēnā no Tabidachi!, Masara Town, A Pokémon Trainer Sets Off)October 14, 2003August 26, 2006
Ash's Tauros stampede through Professor Oak's lab causing a baby Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander to run away on the same day that the mayor's son, Gilbert, is about to start his Pokémon Journey.
15"Putting The Air Back In Aerodactyl!" (ポケモン研究者シゲルと復活のプテラ, Pokémon Kenkyūsha Shigeru to Fukkatsu no Putera, Pokémon Researcher Shigeru & The Revived Ptera!)March 16, 2004September 2, 2006
Professor Oak and Tracey visit Gary, who is researching prehistoric Pokémon. They have successfully brought an Aerodactyl to life, but must gain control of it before anyone is endangered (or before Butch and Cassidy can steal it).Notable for the one of only three times that Butch is called by his proper name.
16"Luvdisc Is A Many Splendored Thing!" (カスミとラブカス！ラブバトル!, Kasumi to Rabukasu! Rabu Batoru!, Kasumi and Lovecus! Love Battle!)September 14, 2004September 23, 2006
Misty and Daisy each have a new Luvdisc, but only one loves the other. To make matters worse, Butch and Cassidy steal them for Professor Nanba, who plans to use them to rid the world of love forever. Notable for the one of only three times that Butch is called by his proper name.
17"Those Darn Electabuzz!" (ナナコとリザードン！炎の猛特訓!, Nanako to Rizādon! Honō no Mōtokkun!, Nanako & Lizardon! Intensive Fire Training!)September 21, 2004September 23, 2006
Casey meets the pitcher for her favourite baseball team, the Electabuzz. He left due to a shoulder injury, but has lost the fire to perform, while his Charizard has literally lost its fire and ability to fly. She must restore the fighting spirit to both of them.
18"The Search for the Legend" (天駆ける伝説 ヒロシとファイヤー!, Amakakeru Densetsu Hiroshi to Faiyā!, Galloping Sky Legend – Hiroshi & Fire!!)September 28, 2004September 30, 2006
While taking a voyage on the SS Anne, Ritchie meets a trainer called Silver, who is on his way to battle Moltres with two Professors from the Bogus Fake University of Science. However, the "professors" are really Butch and Cassidy, and they want to capture Moltres for Team Rocket.
19"Of Meowth and Pokémon" (出会いのミレニアムタウン, Deai no Mireniamu Taun, The Millennium Town Encounter!)September 14, 2005October 7, 2006
Meowth takes a break from trying to capture Pikachu to spend time in Big Town. But his dream project to build a golden statue gets off to a bad start when he loses his picnic basket in a series of mix-ups. And then to pay for it he gets some jobs, but makes the Pichu possé to do the work. This story is continued in "Trouble In Big Town."
20"Trouble in Big Town" (ぼくたちピチューブラザーズ·風船騒動, Bokutachi Pichū Burazāzu – Fūsen Sōdō, We're The Pichu Brothers: Balloon Disturbance)December 22, 2000October 14, 2006
When playtime turns into a fight, the Pichu Brothers get separated. Compounding this, Pichu Little is soon miles above the ground with only balloons on a string keeping him up, and a wild Murkrow bent on popping the balloons is flying around. This story is continued in "Big Meowth, Little Dreams."
21"Big Meowth, Little Dreams" (迷探偵ニャース参上!, Meitantei Nyāsu Sanjō!, Calling Great Detective Nyarth)June 17, 2003October 21, 2006
With two days left in Big Town, Meowth gives up on his statue, and just wants to eat his tuna fish sandwich, which then mysteriously runs away from him. Then, the next day, he tries to woo a Skitty while the Pichu Brothers chase after an Azurill.
22"Pikachu's Winter Vacation"December 22, 1998November 25, 2006
This episode is split into two parts:
  • "Christmas Night" (クリスマスであそぼ!, Kurisumasu de Asobo!, Let's Play at Christmas!): Pikachu, Togepi, and more of Ash, Misty and Brock's Pokémon cause havoc on Christmas Eve.
  • "Kanga Games" (雪であそぼ!, Yuki de Asobo!, Let's Play in the Snow!): The Pokémon go exploring the mountain.

DVD releases

The episodes have been released on DVD in a number of markets, excluding Region 1. English language releases are limited to Regions 2 and 4. If bought as standalone Volumes, Volume Three is available packaged in with Volume Two as a "bonus Volume". This is likely because the covers of Volumes One, Two and Four depict the evolutions of Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, respectively. A box set is also available with Volumes One, Two and Three, though Volume Four is only available as a single disk Volume. Unusually, the box set packages Volume Three in its own case with the Bulbasaur cover, leading to two near-identical Volume covers. Also unusually, an image on Play.com depicts a completely different cover for Volume Four, though this cover is used on the outer case of the box set.

The DVDs do not contain any subtitles, or special features besides episode and scene selection.

Cast

Japanese cast
  • Ikue Ōtani as Pikachu
  • Rika Matsumoto as Satoshi
  • KAORI as Haruka
  • Inuko Inuyama as Nyarth
  • Mayumi Iizuka as Kasumi
  • Megumi Hayashibara as Musashi
  • Shinichiro Miki as Kojiro
  • Satomi Koorogi as Togepi
  • Tomokazu Seki as Kenji
  • Minami Takayama as Hiroshi
  • Unshou Ishizuka as Okido-Hakase
  • Masami Toyoshima as Hanako
  • Yuji Ueda as Takeshi
  • Yuko Kobayashi as Shigeru
  • Takehito Koyasu as Kosaburo
  • Unshou Ishiduka as Narrator
  • Chinami Nishimura as Junsa

English cast
gollark: Does anyone have description-writing advice, also? I eventually want to describe all my dragons, but that will obviously take a while, and it takes me ages to generate ideas.
gollark: On salt infernos: it sounds unrealistic, but if you get enough salt it might undergo gravitational collapse and fuse.
gollark: But Suggestions/Requests is very exciting. Drama round every corner.
gollark: Site Discussion? Mostly quite boring.
gollark: Forum Games? Pretty quiet.

See also

References
  1. Zeus, Maxie (2006-05-16). "Cartoon Network Acquires Pokémon Series for June 3 Premiere". Toon Zone. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  • Dogasu's Backpack Dogasu does original to English dub comparisons. Out of the Pokémon Chronicles episodes, 1-21 are finished.
  • Serebii.net Long descriptions and pictures for each episode.
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