Pokémon Chronicles
Spin-off tales from the Pokémon world beyond Ash.
Pokémon Chronicles is a Japanese anime television series that serves as a spin-off of the main Pokémon anime, focusing on characters other than Ash Ketchum. The series is notable for its unconventional opening format and its limited DVD availability in certain regions.
Quick Facts
- First aired in japan
- December 3, 2002
- Concluded in japan
- September 28, 2004
- U.s. premiere
- June 3, 2006
- Number of episodes
- 22
- Original network (japan)
- TV Tokyo
- U.s. network
- Cartoon Network
Facts from the source article.
Soundtrack
When broadcast on Shūkan Pokémon Hōsōkyoku, the episodes lacked a musical opening; instead, they opened with Brock and Misty talking, except for Team Rocket episodes where those characters spoke. Typically, Misty would hit Brock with a mallet, fan, or water gun for misbehavior. The endings focused on the episode's featured character. These sequences were omitted from DVD releases. Because the Japanese episodes were treated as specials, they had an unconventional opening, but the English dub required a musical opening since it was presented as a new series. A new opening was created using scenes from the Japanese Legend of Thunder opening and from episodes, totaling 42 scenes in 36 seconds. The ending repeats the opening on the left side of the screen with credits scrolling on the right. Variations exist: the DVD version and the first two parts of The Legend of Thunder show footage from the battle at the start of Part Two; the DVD ending for Pikachu's Winter Vacation rolls over a full-screen picture from the episode. The original theme tune is a modified version of the G/S Pokérap, with an instrumental section where a narrator describes Chronicles as offering old friends, new adventures, and never-before-seen stories from the world of Pokémon. Starting with the second U.S. episode, the intro was changed to a montage of scenes from The Legend of Thunder with more intense music. The original Legend of Thunder also features a cameo by the Johto rival, and later in another episode.
DVD releases
The episodes have been released on DVD in Regions 2 and 4, but not in Region 1. In the UK, Contender Entertainment Group released the complete series in four volumes between 2005 and 2006. The first volume included a feature-length version of The Legend of Thunder, the first Pikachu's Winter Vacation part, and A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!. Volumes 2 and 3 each contain five episodes, and Volume 4 has seven episodes. A boxset of the first three volumes was also released with different packaging. The DVDs lack subtitles and special features beyond episode and scene selection.
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