On October 3th, 2004, TV-Tokyo debuted a program called Pokémon Sunday (Japanese: ポケットモンスター ポケモン☆サンデー). The show, which airs on TV-Tokyo Sundays at 8:00am, is the successor to the Pocket Monsters Encore and Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station (Shuukan Pokemon Housoukyoku) series that preceded it. Like the shows before it, Pokémon Sunday is a sort of variety show featuring reruns of old episodes as well as a number of 'Research' episodes involving live-action elements.

Unlike the Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station, the live action episodes of Pokémon Sunday actually have a sort of common structure among them. Pokemon Sunday features a group of people called the Pokémon Research Team. During each non-rerun episode, the team goes out and investigates questions submitted to them through the show's website.

Pokémon Sunday was also used to help promote PokéPark 2005 in Japan. The second Pokémon Sunday opening has similar rides in the background to rides at PokéPark and Becky's Hello! Thank you! is blatant advertising with lyrics stating "HAPPY COMECOME POKéPARK".

Opening animations

Synopsis

The original opening animation was about 24 seconds long and only lasted a few episodes. It featured Ash throwing a Poké Ball which would then transform into two film strips showing episode clips. Pikachu stands on the horizontal film strip with pom-poms and acts like a cheerleader. Plusle and Minun then replace the cheerleading Pikachu. It then transitions to clouds and the Pokémon Sunday logo.

The Second opening was a lot more elaborate and completely done in CGI. It starts off with the announcer shouting, "Are you ready?" and what looks to be the Kanto region in the background. The Pichu Brothers Rascal Railway PokéPark locomotive crosses the screen and it then transitions to a Pikachu ride with one of the positions as a car. Pikachu, Wobbuffet and Treecko are in the car which motors off the screen and then transitions to another ride. A ferriswheel and three hot-air balloons featuring Skitty, Mudkip and Pichu are shown while the train reappears and crosses the screen again. Finally, it transitions to clouds and the Pokémon Sunday logo.

Characters

Human

• Ash Ketchum

Live Action

Pokémon

• Pikachu
• Plusle
• Minun

Second Opening

• Wobbuffet
• Treecko
• Charmander
• Bulbasaur
• Meowth
• Totodile
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Squirtle
• Loudred
• Chikorita
• Ludicolo
• Whismur
• Skitty
• Pichu

Trivia

• The structure of the Research episodes:
  1. Opening theme
  2. Part A
  3. Sponsor listing & commercials
  4. Part B
  5. Ending theme
  6. Next Pokemon Sunday episode teaser
  7. Next AG episode preview
  8. Pokémon Trivia Quiz question
  9. Pokémon Trivia Quiz answer
  10. Sponsor listing & commercials

• The structure of the anime reruns episodes:
  1. Opening theme
  2. Anime Episode Part A
  3. Sponsor listing & commercials
  4. Anime Episode Part B
  5. Pokémon Trivia Quiz question
  6. Next Pokemon Sunday episode teaser
  7. Next AG episode preview
  8. Next reseach episode teaser
  9. Ending theme
  10. Pokémon Trivia Quiz answer
  11. Sponsor listing & commercials

Closing animations

Variants