Pokémon Chronicles

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Pokémon Chronicles is a spin-off of the Pokémon anime that follows characters other than Ash Ketchum. It aired in Japan from December 3, 2002, to September 28, 2004. The series has 16 episodes in Japanese and 22 episodes in English.

In the United States, it premiered on Cartoon Network on June 3, 2006, after many other countries had finished airing. Four DVDs were released in the United Kingdom, while a U.S. release never came out. In Australia, all episodes were released as extras on the first six-season Pokémon box sets (the newer 6-DVD sets don’t include Chronicles, but older 14-DVD sets do). A box set containing all 22 episodes was also released in Australia.

Opening and ending details differ by region. The original Japanese broadcasts had no traditional opening song; instead, Brock and Misty would chat (except in Team Rocket episodes) and then the ends featured episode-specific scenes. When released on DVD, these sequences were removed, and the show was treated as special episodes. For the English version, a new musical opening was created, featuring scenes from The Legend of Thunder and other episodes, with 42 scenes in 36 seconds. The ending typically repeats the opening sequence with credits sliding by. The English version’s intro was later altered in the U.S. from the second episode to a newer, more intense montage.

The theme music is a modified version of the G/S Pokérap, with an instrumental section where the narrator explains what Chronicles is about. There was also a Johto rival cameo in The Legend of Thunder in some versions.

DVD releases vary by region. There was no Region 1 release; English releases were limited to Regions 2 and 4. In the United Kingdom, Contender Entertainment Group released Chronicles in four volumes between 2005 and 2006. Volume 1 included a feature-length version of The Legend of Thunder plus Pikachu’s Winter Vacation and A Family That Battles Together Stays Together! Volume 2 and Volume 3 were each released as combined sets with five episodes, and Volume 4 contained seven episodes. A box set of the first three volumes was also released with different packaging. The DVDs do not include subtitles or many extra features beyond episode and scene selection.