Pokémon in South Asia

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Pokémon in South Asia
Pokémon logo English.png
Pokémon logo Hindi.png
Pokémon logo Urdu.png
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South Asia Flags.png
Flags of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Language Hindi
Urdu
Tamil
Telugu
Bengali
English
Continent Asia
Original anime airdates
EP001 May 12, 2003[1]
May 19, 2014
AG001 May 9, 2006
September 16, 2015
DP001 November 9, 2009
November 16, 2009
November 12, 2018
BW001 June 17, 2013
November 3, 2014
July 3, 2021
XY001 May 9, 2015
SM001
JN001 2021
October 29, 2021
HZ001 March 8, 2024

The Pokémon franchise (Hindi: पोकेमॉन (formerly पोकेमोन), Tamil: பொகெமொன், Telugu: పోకీమాన్, Bengali: পোকেমন, Urdu: پوکيمون) made its debut in the Indian subcontinent in 2003, with the broadcast of the first anime episode in both English and Hindi on Cartoon Network India and Cartoon Network Pakistan. CN India and its sister channels also dubbed the anime into Tamil and Telegu.

Since 2014, a second production of new Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, and Bengali dubs has aired on Hungama TV and its various sister channels. These dubs are also available on the official Indian YouTube channels.

Localization

Main article: List of Hindi Pokémon names

The Pokémon games are mostly available in English. Pokémon Smile, Pokémon UNITE, and Pokémon GO are the only Pokémon games to be localized into Hindi. With the launch of Hindi-language support in Pokémon GO on September 15, 2023, many Pokémon were given new names, rather than simply writing the English names in Devanāgarī as had been done previously.[2][3]

The Pokémon anime has undergone dubbing into Hindi and Urdu, as both languages are phonetically indistinguishable, differing primarily in their written scripts. Additional dubbing has taken place in Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali. Furthermore, the English dub of the anime is also accessible. Since the local dubs of the anime were produced before the games were localized, they mainly use the English names for Pokémon. However, they inconsistently switch between the English names and direct translations for other Pokémon-related terminology, such as names of moves, abilities, and items.

Most official Pokémon merchandise is available in English, as it is imported from Europe or the Americas rather than being localized.[citation needed]

Pokémon games

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Pokémon games and some Pokémon merchandise, as well as other Nintendo products such as consoles and games, are available on online retail stores.

In the past, most games in Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were sold by the Japanese Nintendo division. In Afghanistan, Nintendo Europe dealt with sales[4] until 2021, when distribution halted in that country due to the ongoing invasions of the Afghan capital Kabul.

Samurai Electronics sold NES in India from 1987 to 1994 under the name Samurai, with support from Active Boeki. Next Nintendo consoles like SNES, Game Boy or Nintendo 64 were also distributed officially by Active Boeki but with smaller effort and big competition from gray market. Around mid-2000s, they began to care more for Indian, starting from Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance. From September 30, 2008, they planned to sell the Wii and Nintendo DS with help of Samurai Electronics and HCL[5] but it didn't happen. In late 2000s, they eventually released both consoles with help from Sunder Electronics, who also delivered the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in 2012.[6] Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were available in India just a week after its release in the United States.[7] Sunder ended operating in 2017 and Nintendo Switch wasn't released in India but third-party publishers have distributed games officially for this platform in this country.

Pokémon anime

The Pokémon anime is available in the following South Asian territories: Afghanistan (until 2021), Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Seasons

Season Debut Network
Pokémon: Indigo League May 12, 2003[1] Cartoon Network India
May 19, 2014 Hungama TV
August 7, 2016 Disney XD
Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands Late 2003 Cartoon Network India
September 11, 2014 Hungama TV
December 19, 2016 Disney XD
Pokémon: The Johto Journeys 2004 Cartoon Network India
October 30, 2014 Hungama TV
April 4, 2017 Disney XD
Pokémon: Johto League Champions 2004 Cartoon Network India and Pakistan
January 2, 2015 Hungama TV
July 23, 2017 Disney XD
Pokémon: Master Quest May 18, 2005[8] Cartoon Network India and Pakistan
March 31, 2015 Hungama TV
October 2, 2017 Disney XD
Pokémon: Advanced May 9, 2006 Cartoon Network India and Pakistan
August 31, 2015 Hungama TV
December 31, 2017 Disney XD
Pokémon: Advanced Challenge November 6, 2006[9] Cartoon Network India and Pakistan
February 15, 2016 Hungama TV
February 12, 2018 Disney XD
Pokémon: Advanced Battle 2008 Cartoon Network
May 7, 2018 Disney XD
Pokémon: Battle Frontier November 2008 Cartoon Network
November 12, 2018 Disney XD
August 31, 2019 Hungama TV
Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl November 9, 2009 Cartoon Network Pakistan
November 16, 2009 Cartoon Network India
November 12, 2018 Disney XD
Pokémon DP: Battle Dimension 2010 Cartoon Network India
May 13, 2019 Marvel HQ
August 10, 2019 Hungama TV
Pokémon DP: Galactic Battles Early 2011 Pogo
August 1, 2011 Cartoon Network Pakistan
July 8, 2019 Disney International HD (English only)
November 2019 Hungama TV
October 31, 2020 Marvel HQ
Pokémon DP: Sinnoh League Victors October 3, 2011 Pogo
February 1, 2012 Cartoon Network Pakistan
September 2, 2019 Marvel HQ
Pokémon: Black & White June 17, 2013 Pogo
July 2, 2014 Cartoon Network India
November 3, 2014 Cartoon Network Pakistan
July 3, 2021 Marvel HQ
Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies September 18, 2021 Marvel HQ
Pokémon: BW Adventures in Unova and Beyond June 3, 2022 Disney Channel India
August 15, 2022 Super Hungama
Pokémon the Series: XY May 9, 2015 Hungama TV
March 20, 2021 Marvel HQ
Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest May 2, 2023 Super Hungama
September 6, 2023 YouTube
Pokémon Journeys: The Series 2021 POP
October 29, 2021 YouTube (Hindi)
January 14, 2022 YouTube (Tamil/Telugu/Bengali)
Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series November 25, 2022 YouTube
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series August 25, 2023 YouTube

Cartoon Network and Pogo TV

Cartoon Network India and Pakistan logo

Pokémon: Indigo League premiered on Cartoon Network India on May 12, 2003 as a part of its Toonami block.[1] Following the first season, Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands made its Indian debut in late 2003 and ended its run in mid-2004. In the same year, Pokémon: The Johto Journeys and Pokémon: Johto League Champions premiered on Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network sold DVDs of Pokémon in Hindi dub middle in 2004. A separate Cartoon Network feed affiliated with Cartoon Network India was launched for the Pakistani audience in 2004, and was also later made available in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Due to this affiliation, both channels broadcast the anime simultaneously. With Pokémon: Master Quest, Cartoon Network India introduced two additional dubs, Tamil and Telugu.[8] The original series concluded its first complete run in mid-2005.

The first two seasons of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon: Advanced and Pokémon: Advanced Challenge, made their South Asian debut in 2006.[9] While 2008 marked the first run for Pokémon: Advanced Battle and Pokémon: Battle Frontier in the respective territories. Unlike its predecessors, the ninth season aired on Cartoon Network Pakistan two weeks after its Indian debut.

Furthermore, Cartoon Network introduced a one-hour block, Dastaan-e-Pokémon, that aired reruns from the first seven seasons.

The first season of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl premiered in Pakistan on November 9, 2009, making it the first season to air on the network before its debut on Cartoon Network India, which aired it a week later. Cartoon Network Pakistan skipped 23 episodes, from O'er the Rampardos We Watched! to A Stand-Up Sit-Down!, due to unknown reasons and wrapped up the season in mere five weeks. However, the episodes were aired in their correct order during reruns. In early 2011, after an eight-year run on Cartoon Network India, the channel dropped Pokémon anime after finishing Pokémon DP: Battle Dimension's first run.

Pogo TV logo

Later on, the anime was picked up by Cartoon Network India's sister channel, Pogo. The channel aired Pokémon DP: Galactic Battles and Pokémon DP: Sinnoh League Victors in 2011. However, The Fleeing Tower Of Sunyshore! and Teaching the Student Teacher! were skipped and aired later during reruns. After Pokémon Season 13's first run pogo removed tamil audio feed in Pokémon in October 25, 2011. In 2013, Pogo premiered the fourteenth season of the anime and some creative changes were made along with it, including new voice actors for the narrator and Delia Ketchum and several moves retained their English names. The Dragon Master's Path! and Cilan Versus Trip, Ash Versus Georgia! were skipped, but they were later broadcast during reruns.

Alternate logo for the BW series

On June 27, 2014, Cartoon Network India announced through its official Facebook page that Pokémon would be returning to Cartoon Network. The channel began airing Pokémon: Black & White until Meowth's Scrafty Tactics, from July 2 to August 6, 2014. Pokémon: Black & White premiered on Cartoon Network Pakistan in the same year. During 2014, Cartoon Network India introduced several blocks like PokéHours, Poké-New Year, Karo Haasil to promote Pokémon: Black & White to audiences. It later finished the season's run by airing it at a late-night time slot. CN India also introduced an alternate logo for the series, which was used for promos but not within the episodes themselves.

Disney India

Hungama TV logo

Around the beginning of 2014, Disney bought the rights to Pokémon. However, Disney did not acquire the rights for the anime's previous dubs, so the anime was re-dubbed. The re-dubs have more Hinglish words and sentences that the Cartoon Network dub, mirroring the recent trends in spoken Hindi in urban India.

Red Pokémon logo used for some seasons

With Pokémon, I Choose You!, Hungama TV began airing the original series on May 19, 2014. Unlike Cartoon Network and Pogo, since Hungama TV has no English audio feed, the anime aired only in Hindi. Starting with the second season, the channel began to include the Who's That Pokémon? segment in episodes. As with the Cartoon Network airings, several episodes were skipped or aired out of order. Starting from the third season, the channel also started using a red logo for Pokémon, instead of the yellow one used internationally. Some episodes of the third season were aired with additional Tamil and Telegu dubs, but not all episodes were dubbed in those languages until Johto League Champions started. From Two Hits and a Miss to The Joy of Water Pokémon, Hungama TV often skipped parts of the episode before the title card, which were later restored during reruns on Disney XD. With the fifth season, Hungama TV aired the anime continuously until You're a Star, Larvitar in June 2015. Disney XD began airing reruns of episodes that had already aired on Hungama TV with the first 10 episodes of Pokémon: Indigo League on August 7, 2016.

Disney XD logo

The remaining original series episodes would later be aired as part of the sixth season starting on August 31, 2015, while the Hoenn portion of Pokémon: Advanced aired on Hungama TV from September 16, 2015 to November 18, 2015. From February 15, 2016 to April 28, 2016, episodes from Pokémon: Advanced Challenge premiered on Hungama TV. In addition, throughout the anime's run on Hungama, a number of new blocks were introduced that were dedicated exclusively to the series, including PokéThon, PokéVaar, and PakdoThon. Although Disney XD India had previously aired the first seven seasons after Hungama TV, new episodes moved to Disney XD India with episodes of Pokémon: Advanced Battle until Like a Meowth to a Flame from May 7, 2018 to May 31, 2018. Although Disney XD has an English audio feed unlike Hungama, the anime aired in Hindi on both the English and Hindi audio feeds. The channel later completed the season's first run in October 2018.

Marvel HQ logo

On May 24, 2017, Prasad Barve announced that he will reprise his role as Ash for the tenth season.[10] Disney XD aired episodes from two new seasons, Pokémon: Battle Frontier and Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl starting from the same day, November 12, 2018. For unknown reasons, Disney XD wrapped up both the seasons together in just one week, skipping Home is Where the Start Is! which was aired later during reruns. The tenth season had a complete cast change comprising of completely different voice actors in the Hindi version while the Tamil and Telugu versions continued using their old cast. In spite of the changes to the cast, every main character except Ash has been voiced by similar-sounding actors in the re-dubs and the Cartoon Network dub. Beginning on January 20, 2019, Disney XD was rebranded as Marvel HQ in India, although the channel continues to air the Pokémon anime. From May 13, 2019 to May 24, 2019, Marvel HQ aired episodes from the eleventh season Pokémon DP: Battle Dimension until Fighting Fear with Fear, from where they used their old voice actors in the Hindi dub and changed the voice actors in the Tamil dub. Starting from this season, the channel stopped using the red logo for Pokémon and now uses the original yellow logo. The season re-aired on Hungama TV from August 10, 2019 to August 30, 2019, thus marking the return of the anime on the channel since 2016, and it completed the remaining episodes of the season, which didn't air on Marvel HQ.

Disney International HD logo

On July 8, 2019, the English dub of the twelfth season, Pokémon DP: Galactic Battles, started airing on Disney International HD, while Hungama TV and Marvel HQ continued to air the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubs of the previous seasons of the anime. The thirteenth season, Pokémon DP: Sinnoh League Victors, aired on Marvel HQ from September 2, 2019 to September 13, 2019, in all three regional dubs. From November to December 2019, Hungama TV aired the Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu versions of Pokémon DP: Galactic Battles till A Rivalry to Gible On. The season re-aired on Marvel HQ from October 31 to November 27, 2020, and the remaining episodes, which didn't air on Hungama TV, were completed in the overnight slot.

Super Hungama logo

The fourteenth season, Pokémon: Black & White, premiered on Marvel HQ on July 3, 2021. The channel completed the initial run of the season on 4 July within 2 days by airing episodes back-to-back on the "Pokémon Overnight" programming block and started reruns of the season weekdays in the morning slot from 5 July. The title card and Who's That Pokémon? segments of all episodes were skipped, which were later restored during reruns on Super Hungama. Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies premiered for the first time in South Asia on Marvel HQ on September 18, 2021 with Enter Elesa, Electrifying Gym Leader and Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym. Unlike previous seasons, this time the English dub aired on the English audio feed and the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubs on their respective audio feeds; although initially, this was the case only till The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue, the remaining episodes of the season were also aired in English audio during reruns on Super Hungama. Title cards were aired this time but not Who's That Pokémon? segments. The season resumed airing on the channel with the remaining episodes from September 27, 2021 and completed its initial run on October 28, 2021. In the mid of the season run, Marvel HQ introduced a block, Pokémon Season, in which they promoted, the reruns of the previous seasons in the morning and evening slots named as Super Mornings and Super Evenings respectively, the airings of the fifteenth season as New Episodes and also teased the upcoming movie premieres on the channel, like the seventeenth and the eighteenth movies.

Disney Channel India logo

On March 1, 2022, Marvel HQ was rebranded to Super Hungama. The channel continues to air the anime.[11] Pokémon: BW Adventures in Unova and Beyond premiered on Disney Channel on June 3, 2022 with Beauties Battling for Pride and Prestige, A Surface to Air Tag Battle Team and A Village Homecoming. The channel continued airing the season from June 10, 2022 and completed its initial run on July 14, 2022. The season started re-airing on Super Hungama from August 15, 2022 to October 14, 2022. Starting from November 2022, the English dub of some episodes of the previous seasons aired in the English audio feed of Super Hungama.

Pokémon XY logo used in India

The first two episodes of Pokémon the Series: XY, Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin and Lumoise City Pursuit, debuted on Hungama TV on May 9, 2015 without a prior announcement. The network announced more new episodes from Pokémon the Series: XY, which later aired alongside the channel's first run of the earlier seasons. Similar to previous instances, the episode title cards were skipped and a new logo was used for the series. After a month-long hiatus, Hungama TV resumed airing new episodes on August 1, 2015, skipping A Conspiracy to Conquer and Breaking Titles at the Chateau which were aired later during reruns on Marvel HQ. It completed the initial run of the season on November 14, 2015. The season re-aired on Marvel HQ from March 20 to March 31, 2021, and some of the episode titles cards were restored during the re-runs.

In March 2023, the premiere of the eighteenth season, Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest, was teased by Super Hungama in a promo of their new segment Summer Squad. The same premiered on the channel on May 2, 2023 and completed its initial run on July 14, 2023.

POP

POP logo

The English dub of Pokémon Journeys: The Series began airing on Mondays, Thurdays, and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. on POP in Pakistan starting in 2021.

Voot/JioCinema

Voot logo

In India, the Disney dubs of the anime episodes and the first 21 movies were available on Voot, a streaming service by Viacom 18, making it the first time the anime has been available through a streaming service in India. Episodes from the first and second season were available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu; while episodes from the third to eighth seasons were only available in English and Hindi. The Hindi dub of the last episodes of the eighth season premiered on the service before it aired on Disney XD. Scenes such as recap of previous episodes, Who's That Pokémon? and Pokémon Trainer's Choice segments and "To Be Continued" shots are skipped, although the scenes deleted during TV airings are restored on Voot. In November 2019, Voot split its children content from the main service into a separate service called Voot Kids, which requires a separate subscription and has only kids content and additional parental control features. A number of titles, including the Pokémon anime, were available on Voot Kids.

Voot Kids logo

Earlier, only the first eight seasons were available to stream on Voot Kids. However, starting from October 15, 2021, episodes from the ninth, tenth and eleventh seasons were also made available on Voot Kids in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Starting from April 2022, seasons three to eight are also made available in Tamil and Telugu audio feed in Voot Kids with few episodes one by one every few days.

JioCinema logo

In September 2023, Voot announced that the Voot and Voot Kids services will be merged with the Viacom 18 and Reliance-owned platform JioCinema.[12][13] All the Voot Kids content, including the Pokémon anime, is now streaming exclusively on JioCinema.[14] In November 2023, JioCinema announced that it will start streaming new season every Thursday. The twelfth season started streaming from November 16, 2023.

YouTube

YouTube logo

The English dub of Pokémon Journeys: The Series was released on the Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel on Feb 19, 2021, which is available in the South Asian territories, and also other Asian territories such as Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, to name a few. The English dubs of Pokémon the Series: XY and Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl were also released on the same YouTube channel on April 4, 2021 and May 23, 2021, respectively.

A Hindi dub of Pokémon Journeys: The Series premiered on Pokémon Asia Official (Hindi) YouTube channel on October 29, 2021, which was previously named as Pokémon India. The original cast from Disney was mostly retained. However, voices of many of the appearing Pokémon were redubbed from the English dub for the first few episodes. The Tamil, Telugu and Bengali dubs of Pokémon Journeys: The Series premiered on their respective YouTube channels, Pokémon Asia Official (Tamil), Pokémon Asia Official (Telugu) and Pokémon Asia Official (Bengali), on January 14, 2022.

The Disney dubs of Pokémon the Series: XY and Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest were released on the Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu YouTube channels on September 30, 2022, and September 6, 2023, respectively.

Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series and Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series premiered in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali on the respective channels on November 25, 2022, and August 25, 2023, respectively.

The English dub of Pokémon Horizons: The Series premeired on the Asia ENG YouTube channel on March 8, 2024. However it is currently unavailable in territories other than Afghanistan.

Pokémon movies and specials

On November 14, 2006, Cartoon Network India aired Mewtwo Returns as a part of its Children's Day programming.[15]

Cartoon Network began airing Pokémon Chronicles on June 11, 2009. That year, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew also premiered on both Cartoon Network India and Pakistan. Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea premiered on Cartoon Network Pakistan in 2009, but would not debut on Cartoon Network India until the following year. Cartoon Network India has aired several Pikachu shorts; however, they were not aired alongside their accompanying movies. Christmas Night and Kanga Games were aired together as Pikachu's Winter Vacations. Winter Games and Pikachu & Pichu were also aired together.

In 2011, Cartoon Network and Pogo TV aired The Rise of Darkrai. Starting in 2014, the movie aired on Tata Sky's CN+ service. That year, Cartoon Network Pakistan also aired Giratina and the Sky Warrior and Arceus and the Jewel of Life, as well as Zoroark - Master of Illusions in 2012. However, that dub has not been released in India, with those three movies being aired later as a part of the Hungama/Marvel HQ dub run.

Hungama TV has so far aired the first eight movies and the tenth through sixteenth movies, with Marvel HQ airing the seventeenth and eighteenth movies. Seventeenth movie was the first one to premiere on Marvel HQ before Hungama. Many scenes, including the opening and ending themes, are often skipped. Despite the fact that Hungama TV airs material provided by TPCi for the anime episodes, the Hindi dub for the first eight movies used footage from the Japanese version. While Cartoon Network and Pogo used to keep the name of the movie the same as the English dub, Disney India come up with dub names for the movies and new logos. Marvel HQ (formerly Disney XD India) and Disney Channel India also airs the Hungama dub of the Pokémon movies. Zoroark: Master of Illusions was due to air on Hungama TV on December 22, 2019, with promos for the Hindi dub being aired, but the premiere was cancelled for undisclosed reasons. The movie, however, later premiered on the channel on January 25, 2020.

Black—Victini and Reshiram premiered for the first time in South Asia on Hungama TV on June 20, 2020. Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice premiered on Hungama TV on June 27, 2020. Genesect and the Legend Awakened premiered on Hungama TV in India on 7 November 2020.[16]

Mega Evolution Special I aired on November 21, 2015 on Hungama TV and on March 30, 2021 on Marvel HQ as the part of the seventeenth season. Mega Evolution Special II, Mega Evolution Special III and Mega Evolution Special IV aired on Super Hungama on July 19, 20 and 21, 2023 respectively, as the part of the eighteenth season.

Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction premiered on Marvel HQ on October 15, 2021, with the channel previously teasing the release of the movie in the promo of Pokémon Season. For the first time, both the opening and ending themes were kept intact for this movie and although Marvel HQ aired the promo of the movie in English as well, the movie aired only in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Hoopa and the Clash of Ages premiered on Marvel HQ on November 4, 2021.

The Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubs of Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel premiered on Voot Kids on October 2, 2022. Also, Hungama TV premiered it on January 8, 2023.

I Choose You! was listed for released in Indian cinemas in 2019,[17][18] which would have made it the first animated Pokémon movie to be released in theaters in India. However, it was ultimately not released in Indian theatres. Its Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubs eventually premiered on Voot Kids on October 2, 2022 and then on Hungama TV on March 18, 2023.

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu was released in Indian cinemas in both English and Hindi on May 10, 2019.[19]

Starting from October 15, 2021, the first 21 movies of Pokémon anime were made available for streaming on Voot Kids. The first through eighth and tenth movies were available only in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, movies eleventh through eighteenth were available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu while the ninth and the nineteenth through twenty-first movies were available only in English. The Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubs of the eighteenth movie premiered on the service even though the movie was yet to be premiered on TV at that time. All the deleted scenes, including the opening and ending themes from the earlier movies, are restored. Following the merger of Voot Kids and JioCinema, the 21 movies of the Pokémon anime previously available on Voot Kids are now streaming exclusively on JioCinema.[14]

Netflix logo

Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution released on Netflix India on February 27, 2020 in English, Hindi, and Japanese making it first time a Pokémon movie premiered on a streaming service. The Hindi dub of the movie used the Disney dub voice actors.

Secrets of the Jungle premiered on Netflix India on October 8, 2021 in English and Hindi. It was removed from the Netflix library sometime around September 2023. The English dub of the movie received a special screening in Mumbai at PVR ICON Infiniti Andheri, on February 11, 2024.[20][21][22]

Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles was released on the official Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, and Bengali Youtube channels on August 18, 2023, as a special episode of Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series.[23]

To celebrate the release of Pokémon GO in the Hindi language, the Chinese animated short The Journey of One Dream was released in India on YouTube in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, and Bengali, on September 15, 2023, before its Japanese or English debut.[3][24] The Hindi dub of the short is the first animated work to use the localized Hindi Pokémon names; the Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali dubs continue to use the Pokémon's English names.

Detective Pikachu & the Mystery of the Missing Flan was released on YouTube on October 25, 2023, the same day as its worldwide release.[25][26]

Pokémon Concierge was released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu on Netflix on December 28, 2023, alongside the worldwide release.[27][28]

The Chinese New Year short Homecoming was released on all four YouTube channels on February 9, 2024.[29]

The Project Snorlax short The Adventures of Snorlax & Cubone was released on all four YouTube channels on February 14, 2024,[30]

Movie Debut Network
Mewtwo Strikes Back April 18, 2015 Hungama TV
May 4, 2016 Disney XD
The Power of One August 22, 2015 Hungama TV
May 4, 2016 Disney XD
Spell of the Unown: Entei April 16, 2016 Hungama TV
June 5, 2016 Disney XD
Celebi: The Voice of the Forest May 28, 2016 Hungama TV
April 19, 2017 Disney XD
Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias July 31, 2016 Hungama TV
April 19, 2017 Disney XD
Jirachi: Wish Maker November 6, 2016 Hungama TV
April 19, 2017 Disney XD
Destiny Deoxys January 22, 2017 Hungama TV
April 19, 2017 Disney XD
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew 2009 Cartoon Network India and Pakistan
July 9, 2017 Hungama TV
August 15, 2017 Disney XD
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea 2009 Cartoon Network Pakistan
2010 Cartoon Network India
October 15, 2021 Voot Kids (English only)
The Rise of Darkrai 2011 Cartoon Network and Pogo TV
September 29, 2017 Hungama TV
October 22, 2017 Disney XD
Giratina and the Sky Warrior 2011 Cartoon Network Pakistan
December 23, 2018 Hungama TV
January 2019 Disney XD
Arceus and the Jewel of Life 2011 Cartoon Network Pakistan
November 17, 2019 Hungama TV
November 24, 2019 Marvel HQ
Zoroark: Master of Illusions 2012 Cartoon Network Pakistan
January 25, 2020 Hungama TV
August 26, 2020 Marvel HQ
Black—Victini and Reshiram June 20, 2020 Hungama TV
November 25, 2020 Marvel HQ
Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice June 27, 2020 Hungama TV
December 16, 2020 Marvel HQ
Genesect and the Legend Awakened November 7, 2020 Hungama TV
April 21, 2021 Marvel HQ
Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction October 15, 2021 Marvel HQ
Hoopa and the Clash of Ages October 15, 2021 Voot Kids
November 4, 2021 Marvel HQ
Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel October 15, 2021 Voot Kids (English only)
October 2, 2022 Voot Kids (Hindi/Tamil/Telugu)
January 8, 2023 Hungama TV
January 9, 2023 Super Hungama
I Choose You! October 15, 2021 Voot Kids (English only)
October 2, 2022 Voot Kids (Hindi/Tamil/Telugu)
March 18, 2023 Hungama TV
June 10, 2023 Super Hungama
The Power of Us October 15, 2021 Voot Kids (English only)
Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution February 27, 2020 Netflix
Secrets of the Jungle October 8, 2021 Netflix
February 11, 2024 Theaterical release (English only)
POKÉMON Detective Pikachu May 10, 2019 Theatrical release
Special Debut Network
Mewtwo Returns November 14, 2006[15] Cartoon Network India
Pokémon Chronicles 2009 Cartoon Network India
Mega Evolution Special I November 21, 2015 Hungama TV
March 30, 2021 Marvel HQ
August 30, 2023 YouTube
Mega Evolution Special II July 19, 2023 Super Hungama
Mega Evolution Special III July 20, 2023 Super Hungama
Mega Evolution Special IV July 21, 2023 Super Hungama
Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles August 18, 2023 YouTube
The Journey of One Dream September 15, 2023 YouTube
Detective Pikachu & the Mystery of the Missing Flan October 25, 2023 YouTube
Pokémon Concierge December 28, 2023 Netflix
Homecoming February 9, 2024 YouTube
The Adventures of Snorlax & Cubone February 14, 2024 YouTube

Cast and crew

Hindi dub

Character Voice actor
CN dub Disney dub
Ash Prasad Barve[31] Nachiket Dighe[31][32] (S01 - S09, S11 - present)
Prasad Barve[10] (S10)
Pikachu Sonal Kaushal[33] (some episodes)
Misty Neshma Chemburkar (S01 - S04)
Radhika (S05 - present)
Rucha Dighe
Brock Prithvi Sankhala Uplaksh Kochhar
Tracey Sumeet Pathak (S02)
Nachiket Dighe (Chronicles)
Anshul Chandra
May Urvi Ashar Neshma Chemburkar
Max Prachi Save Sathi
Tirthankar Mitra (some episodes)
Amit Diyondi
Dawn Unknown Neshma Chemburkar (S10)
Sayuri Haralkar (S11 - present)
Iris Unknown Merlyn James
Cilan Saumya Daan Ketan Kava
Serena Sayuri Haralkar
Clemont Viral Shah
Bonnie Nilufer Middey Khan
Goh Lohit Sharma
Chloe Sanchari Bose
Jessie Nandini Sharma Shagufta Baig (S01 - S09, S17)
Natasha John (S11 - present, M23)
James Kishore Bhatt[34] Rajesh Shukla
Meowth Damandeep Singh Baggan (S01 - S02)
Sandeep Karnik (S03 - S14)
Saumya Daan (S01 - S09, S17)
Sanchit Wartak (S11 - present)
Professor Cerise Manikant Sarbhoy
Narrator Darpann (S01)
Anup Shukla (S09 - S12, S14)
Sanjay / Sourav (S13)
Vinod Sharma (S01 -S18)
Manikant Sarbhoy (S23 - S25)
Pokédex Unknown Rajesh Kava
Nurse Joy Unknown Sabina Malik Mausam
Officer Jenny Unknown Sabina Malik Mausam
Gary Unknown Rajesh Kava
Mewtwo Unknown Sanket Mhatre (M01)
Arvind Mehra (M22)
Detective Pikachu Sanket Mhatre (movie)
Tim Goodman Pushkar Vijay (movie)
Opening theme singer Allwyn D'souza (S01) Sumeet Pathak (S01)

Tamil dub

Character Voice actor
CN dub Disney dub
Ash Raghuvaran[35] Kathir Gani Khan (S01 - S10, S17, M11)
Sai Abjith (S11 - present)
Brock Sathya Dhanraj
Misty Yojishwari
Tracey Bharani
May Sowmya
Max Bharani
Dawn Monica
Serena Yamuna
Clemont Bala Krishnan
Bonnie Sowmya
Iris Jai Sri
James Karthikeyen
Jessie Sulochana (S01 - S10)
Anjali (S11 - present)
Meowth Kannan Ruthrapathy Shyam Kumar (S01 - S09, S17)
Dinu Vairapathi (S10 - present)
Narrator Sathish
Goh Prasanna
Opening theme singer Karthik[8][36] (S05-S08)

Telugu dub

Character Voice actor
Disney dub
Ash Sai Venkat (S01 - S10, S17)
Sai Teja (S11 - present)
Brock Raja
Delia Ketchum Udaya Sri (S01 - S10, S17)
Priyanka (S11 - present)
Dawn Bhavanambika
Iris Satya Vaani
Bonnie Prasanna
James Banu Chander (S01 - S10, S17)
Jessie Anjali
Meowth Vishweshwar Rao
Narrator Raju
Professor Oak Krishna Kumar (S01 - S10, S17)
Paul Banu Chander (S10 - S11)
Siva Prasad (S11 - S13)

Bengali dub

Character Voice actor
Ash Sumit Bera[37]

Music

Main articles: List of Hindi Pokémon themes, List of Tamil Pokémon themes, and List of Telugu Pokémon themes

Like most dubs based on the English dub, the Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu dubs under both Cartoon Network and Disney generally dub the original English openings into the respective language. Some songs used in episodes have also been dubbed.

From the middle of the second run of the season, Cartoon Network replaced the opening Black and White with an original Hindi opening. Cartoon Network and Pogo also created original songs for promos.

Hungama TV has made a PokéRap as an ending theme for the initial seasons and movies. Similar PokéRaps were also created as promos for upcoming seasons, including four live action raps made to promote the show as a whole.

Hungama TV normally skips the opening and ending themes of the movies entirely. In a few instances, the instrumental version of the theme is retained, for example, a portion of Battle Frontier (Movie Version) on a loop served as the opening theme for its dub of the eighth movie and an instrumental version of This is a Beautiful World as the ending theme to the eleventh movie.

For the release of the first 21 movies on Voot Kids on October 15, 2021, all deleted scenes, including the opening and ending themes from the earlier movies, were restored. Since some movies under Disney use the Japanese version as the source instead of the English version, the themes for those movies are based on the Japanese themes instead. The Japanese openings and endings of the first and second movies are dubbed into Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, while the themes for the remaining movies are all left undubbed, with some of them using an instrumental version of the respective themes, and others keeping the Japanese or English themes intact.

The Hindi version of the seventeenth movie released on Voot Kids used the Hindi versions of We Will Be Heroes, Battle Cry - (Stand Up!) and We Will Carry On! as the opening theme, while the Tamil and Telugu versions used an instrumental version of Pokémon Theme (Version XY) as the opening. However, the version of the movie aired on Marvel HQ had an instrumental version of Pokémon Theme (Version XY) as the opening theme for the Hindi dub as well.

For the Hindi dubs of movies released on Netflix, the the twenty-second movie had the themes dubbed into Hindi while the the twenty-third movie had themes left intact in English. The Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali dubs of Pokémon Journeys: The Series released on YouTube Channels, the opening themes were left intact in English as well.

The Pokémon Kids TV YouTube channel has released Hindi versions of various Pokémon songs aimed at younger children.

Pokémon manga

English-translated Pokémon manga was distributed in India by Chuang Yi. It is also available on online stores such as Amazon.

Pokémon merchandise

  • Pokémon was an instant hit in India and was one of the number one kids shows on TV. Due to its huge popularity, many pirated Pokémon products are sold in India.[38]
    • In fact, a popular belief among fans in the early 2000s was that original trading cards are not available in any store in India.
  • Pokémon Rakhis were available in India, with Pikachu and the first partner Pokémon of Unova region.
  • Pokémon Tazos collectibles were available for free in Cheetos snack packs.[39]
  • On the Toonami block, Cartoon Network hosted a contest titled "Toonami-Game On Video Game Championship" in 2006, with Pokémon merchandise given out as prizes.[9]
  • Pokémon toys were available as toy gifts of McDonald's Happy Meals. These toys were spoons featuring Pikachu and other first partner Pokémon.[40] Different set of small figures of Pikachu, Meowth, Psyduck, Torchic, Totodile, Squirtle, Magikarp, and Vulpix were made available in Happy Meals in November 2018. Unlike the previous promotion, it was advertised by McDonald's.[41]
  • Pokémon Black and White merchandise was available in India from Reliance Home video and games.[42]
  • Pokémon XY merchandise is launched in India by Dreamtheatre, available in physical stores and online sites such as Flipkart and Snapdeal.
  • Pokémon merchandise like books, toys, etc are available on on-ground shops as well as online sites.
  • Holi Pichkaris (Water Guns) were available during 2014 and 2015.[43]
  • Pokémon Kites were available for sale.[44]
  • A Pokémon contest was held by Hungama TV in 2015, which gave out Pokémon merchandise as prizes.[45]
  • Pokémon XY Products/toys with the original logo were distributed by Funskool India.[46]
  • Pokémon Evolution Cards and 3D figurines of Pikachu, the Kanto first partner Pokémon, and Jigglypuff were distributed with the breakfast cereal Chocos.
  • Pokémon cards and cutouts are distributed with Cadbury Gems and other products.

Events

  • A Pokémon Mela (lit. Pokémon Fair) was held in Delhi on three occasions in 2023: November 17–19, 2023, December 2–3, 2023, and December 9–10, 2023. The events included a Pokémon quiz and dance show, Pikachu meet and greet, a photo panel with Pokémon Christmas tree decorations, a coloring and craft corner, a screening of the Pokémon anime, and a Pokémon GO rally and PvP area. Free goodies were also given out at the events, including sunvisors, Pokémon Funbooks, and stickers. Additionally, a social media campaign included plushies of Pikachu, Eevee, Riolu, and Yamper as prizes.[47]
  • Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle had a special screening in Mumbai at PVR ICON Infiniti Andheri, on February 11, 2024. The movie had four showtimes and was screened only in the English dub. Moviegoers could participate in a "meet-and-greet" with Pikachu, and received special goodies.[20][21][22]
  • On March 19, 2024, Pokémon India was announced as one of the official partners of the Indian Premier League cricket team Mumbai Indians for the 2024 season.[48][49]

External links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cartoon Network to increase viewer cachet with Pokemon - Indian Television (archived)
  2. Hindi language support for Pokémon GO! Celebrate with special events! (archived)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Pokémon Goes Desi, Celebrates India by Launching Pokémon GO in Hindi with Niantic (archived)
  4. Nintendo - Distributors (archived)
  5. Nintendo Wii and DS to launch in India on September 30 (archived)
  6. Want to Buy the Nintendo Switch In India? You Need to Read This First (archived)
  7. Pokemon Fans Helpless in India as Nintendo Keeps Away - NDTV Gadgets (archived)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Cartoon Network to kick off 'Pokemon - Master Quest' in Tamil & Telugu - Indian Television (archived)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Cartoon Network to host 'Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship'; re-freshed Toonami block starts 6 November - Indian Televison (archived)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Prasad Barve's return to Pokémon anime (archived)
  11. Disney Kids Network is set to launch kids’ channel Super Hungama on 1 March. (archived)
  12. Voot-JioCinema merger nears completion (archived)
  13. Voot, JioCinema merged; users now free to switch from one platform to other (archived)
  14. 14.0 14.1 Pokemon Anime and Films Are Streaming on JioCinema - IGN (archived)
  15. 15.0 15.1 Cartoon Network to join 'Barbie' and 'Pokémon' on Children's Day - Indian Television (archived)
  16. Premiere of Pokémon The Movie : GENESECT AUR MEWTWO EK SHAANDAR KAHANI ! on Hungama TV. - Anime News India (archived)
  17. Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You - PVR Cinemas (dead link)
  18. Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! premiers in India at PVRCinemas on February 2[sic] (archived)
  19. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Release Date in India, Cast, Trailer, Tickets, and More - Gadgets360 (archived)
  20. 20.0 20.1 Instagram post by @pvrcinemas_official and @_pokemonofficialindia - Don’t miss the special screening of Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle in Mumbai. (archived)
  21. 21.0 21.1 @_PVRCinemas on Twitter - Calling all Pokémon fans! 🌈 Don’t miss the special screening of Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle in Mumbai. (archived)
  22. 22.0 22.1 POKEMON THE MOVIE: SECRETS OF THE JUNGLE | PVR (archived)
  23. Pokémon Asia Official YouTube announcements: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali
  24. ✨ "Pokémon - The Journey of One Dream" is now available on Pokémon Official YouTube Channels! ✨ - Pokémon India on Facebook (archived)
  25. Pokémon Asia Official YouTube announcements: Hindi (archived),Tamil (archived), Telugu (archived), Bengali (archived)
  26. Watch the animated short to uncover the mystery! #DetectivePikachu - Pokémon India on Facebook (archived)
  27. Pokémon Concierge | Official Trailer | Netflix India (archived)
  28. [Official] Pokémon Concierge Trailer - Netflix | Pokémon Asia Official (Hindi) (archived)
  29. "Pokémon Original Short Animation: Homecoming" is out now! - The official Pokémon Website in India (archived)
  30. "The Adventures of Snorlax and Cubone" is out now! - Pokémon India on Facebook (archived)
  31. 31.0 31.1 7 Indian Voice-Over Actors You'll Recognize Just By Hearing Once (archived)
  32. Two voices of Ash Ketchum are appearing together!!! - @sarahnatochenny on Twitter; retweet by @Nachiketdighe (archived)
  33. From Shin-chan to Doraemon, here are the Hindi voice actors behind popular cartoons. (archived)
  34. Dubbing a success story - Indian Television (archived)
  35. Raghuvaran: The Dubbing Maestro (archived)
  36. Karthik, singing sensation of South India, lends his voice to Pokemon's title track on Cartoon Network - Afaqs (archived)
  37. Voicing ASH KETCHUM in the movie 'Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles' in Bengali - @sumitbera742 on Instagram (archived)
  38. Pirates make a killing out of Pokemon craze - Indian Television (archived)
  39. Shh... it's Pokemon time - The Hindu Business Line (archived)
  40. Pokemon BW Movie Version《电影版:神奇宝贝-超级愿望》 - Toysaffair.com (archived)
  41. Happy Meal Toy - McDonald's India - Facebook (archived)
  42. Reliance Toys & Games :Pokemon (archived)
  43. Modi, Kejriwal pichkarais flood markets - Nyooz.com (archived)
  44. Modi-Obama kites to dot the Jaipur skyline - Times of India (archived)
  45. Pokemon Contest Entry Terms - Hungama TV (archived)
  46. Pokémon Products - Funskool India (archived)
  47. 2023 Pokémon Mela in Delhi NCR - The official Pokémon Website in India (archived)
  48. Instagram post by @mumbaiindians and @_pokemonofficialindia (archived)
  49. Pokemon and Mumbai Indians Announce New Partnership for IPL 2024 Season - IGN India (archived)


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