To celebrate that the Pokémon the Movie: Coco was a big hit in Japan and to continue its promotion for theater viewership, the Number One Pokémon Movie Contest vote was held on the official Pocket Monsters movie website from January 26th, 2021 until February 4th, 2021. The official Pocket Monsters anime Twitter account reminded people about the vote during that period. Screenshots and images from this special have been added to an Imageboard thread.


Viewers were asked to vote for the number one most popular movie of the series. The first place winner of each series was broadcast on a special live stream on the official Toho MOVIE Channel on YouTube starting at 12:00 on Sunday, February 7th, 2021! The stream was region locked to Japan and was a live only broadcast, so it was not archived on the channel.

The special stream was hosted by Koichi Yamadera (山寺宏一), and a special segment was held in-between each movie to announce which movie won that series era vote and to also briefly give a summary of that movie. Also a cast or staff member from the Coco movie would discuss their role in the newest Pokémon the Movie: Coco film.

The winners of the vote were as follows:

• Original Series: Short 5 - Pikapika Starry Sky Camp and Movie 5 - The Guardian Gods of the Water Capital Latias and Latios
• Advanced Generation: Movie 8 - Mew and the Hero of the Wave - Lucario
• Diamond and Pearl: Movie 10 - Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai
• Best Wishes: Short 16 - Pikachu and its Eievui Friends and Movie 16 - Extremespeed Genesect: The Awakening of Mewtwo
• X and Y: Short 18 - Pikachu and the Pokémon Musicians and Movie 18 - The Archdjinni of Rings: Hoopa

Moka Kamishiraishi (上白石萌歌), Coco voice actress briefly talked about her character after movie 5. Tetsuo Yajima (矢嶋哲生), the Director of the Coco movie also talked about the Coco movie after movie 8 aired. Shoko Nakagawa talked about her role as Karen (カレン) during a segment after movie 10. Taiiku Okazaki (岡崎体育), the music producer for the Coco movie talked about the songs in the Coco movie in a brief segment after movie 16. Finally at the end of the stream, Koichi Yamadera, as a 'surprise', had a couple of minutes segment talking about the new Coco movie and thanked the viewers for watching and making it that far into the long broadcast. The special had a running time of about 8 hours and 10 minutes.

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXia-WLV9N8 and https://www.pokemon-movie.jp/tohyo/

A special Max Raid Battle event is coming to Pokémon Sword and Shield! Starting February 3rd, 2021 at 4 p.m. PST, work together with your fellow Trainers to defeat Cramorant in Max Raid Battles and help unlock rewards that’ll help in your adventures!

Zarude can play an active role in Pokémon Sword and Shield Max Raid Battles

From Thursday, February 4th, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. JST to Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 at 8:59 a.m. JST, Max Raid Battles in the Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Sword and Shield will feature: Nuoh, Flygon, Goloog, Uu, and Yessan (Female Form), which are all Pokémon that are featured in the hit film Pokémon the Movie: Coco, and they are now more likely to appear.

The Mythical Pokémon Zarude's Jungle Heal move works wonders against the powerful all-out attacks these Pokémon use! A Zarude that knows the move Jungle Heal was distributed via a serial code to everyone who has seen the film Pokémon the Movie Coco at movie theaters nationwide in Japan.

Also, if Trainers work together to win the Max Raid Battle against Uu more than 500,000 times during this period, they will receive useful items for their adventures, such as a Flame Orb, via the Internet starting on Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.! Furthermore, if Trainers win a total of one million times or more, they will receive additional items for their adventure, such as the Gold Bottle Cap.

Items for winning more than 500,000 times:

・Flame Orb (かえんだま)
・Toxic Orb (どくどくだま)
・Light Ball (でんきだま)

Items for winning more than 1 million times:

・Gold Bottle Cap (きんのおうかん)
・3x Bottle Cap (ぎんのおうかん)
・3x Pearl String (おだんごしんじゅ)

Sources: https://twitter.com/playpokemon/status/1355049463560032258 and https://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2021/01/210129_gm01.html

Iyuno Media Group, a market leader in localization services to the media and entertainment industry, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Imagica Group Inc. to acquire 100% of SDI Media, the world's leading media localization provider, offering dubbing, subtitling, and media services for international content owners worldwide. Iyuno currently dubs the Pokémon anime in the United States while, SDI does the dubbing for the series everywhere else around the world, besides certain Asian markets.

Iyuno Media Group Enters Agreement to Acquire SDI Media

Iyuno Media Group, a market leader in localization services to the media and entertainment industry, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Imagica Group Inc. to acquire 100% of SDI Media.

This transaction, which is subject to review and approval from relevant authorities, brings together two companies with the shared mission of supporting, innovating and leading the art of global storytelling. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“SDI Media is a great fit for Iyuno,” said Shaun Gregory, CEO, Iyuno Media Group. “We are well-aligned in our quality standards, complementary strategies and compatible service offerings. As a combined company, we will continue to deliver best-in-class services and technology innovations to our industry. We are certain that new and existing clients will benefit from the collective experience and capabilities of the combined company.”

“The media and entertainment industry has been growing rapidly in recent years with the rise of video streaming services and we have seen media companies merge to create and deliver more content to more diverse audiences around the world,” said David Lee, Executive Chairman, Iyuno Media Group. “Now, more than ever, viewers are watching internationally produced programs localized in their language. This creates an increased demand to produce the breadth of languages needed, delivered at the scale and speed that our customers require."

Consumer spending on content is predicted to double from 2019 to 2024; this explosive growth brings with it a parallel increase in demand for high quality localized content.

“As two of the leading media and entertainment localization service providers in the world, together we will provide an unprecedented solution to the market,” continued Mr. Lee. “Both companies are perceived as leaders of quality services, global coverage and innovation. By combining the two, our goal is to effectively support the rapidly growing need from media businesses around the world – not only by offering scale, global coverage and end-to-end capabilities across our worldwide operations – but also by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies such as AI to bring true best-in-breed support for the industry.”

“We are excited to join Iyuno and become part of the industry’s leading localization services company,” said Mark Howorth, Chief Executive Officer, SDI Media. “We believe that the increasing global content distribution needs of the industry can only be served by a complementary service provider that can scale with them in support of their needs.”

Iyuno was supported in this transaction by Altor, Shamrock Capital and SoftBank Ventures Asia, its primary financial partners. The three investors are pleased to see this sustained momentum in the expansion and diversification of the Iyuno Media Group portfolio. The completion of this transaction remains subject to review and approval from relevant authorities.

ABOUT IYUNO MEDIA GROUP

Iyuno Media Group (www.iyunomg.com) is a market leader in media localization with leading-edge technology providing dubbing, subtitling and media engineering services in over 80 languages. An innovative trailblazer with grounded core values in an ever-changing industry, Iyuno Media Group uses its sophisticated in-house technology for all of its product and service offerings. Today, the company operates 35 local facilities globally, spanning a network of fully owned sites across 30 countries in Europe, Asia and The Americas – offering end-to-end solutions for broadcasters, all major film studios, OTT and streaming platforms.

ABOUT SDI MEDIA

SDI Media (www.sdimedia.com) is one of the world’s leading media localization providers offering dubbing, subtitling and media services to content owners, broadcasters and multi-platform distributors. SDI Media offers a complete end-to-end localization solution for theatrical releases and episodic series, using one of the most comprehensive suites of customizable localization software applications in the industry. Its network of 33 owned and operated dubbing facilities in Asia, EMEA and the Americas boast over 150 recording rooms and 85 mixing rooms globally.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Iyuno’s strategy to provide enhanced localization and translation solutions utilizing SDI Media’s assets, the expected completion of the acquisition and the timeframe in which this will occur, and the expected benefits to Iyuno and its customers of completing the acquisition. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including, among other things, that conditions to the completion of the transaction may not be satisfied or such completion may be delayed, the potential impact on the business of SDI Media due to the uncertainty about the acquisition, the retention of employees of SDI Media and the ability of Iyuno to successfully integrate SDI Media and to achieve expected benefits, business and economic conditions and growth trends in relevant markets and various geographic regions, global economic conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment, and other risk factors. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on limited information currently available to Iyuno, which is subject to change, and Iyuno will not necessarily update the information.

Sources: https://www.iyunomg.com/news/press-releases/iyuno-media-group-enters-agreement-to-acquire-sdi-media and https://twitter.com/iyunomedia/status/1352672469119766528

Takara Tomy has revealed the Pocket Monsters Mini Mini Gacha Poké Machine (ポケットモンスター ミニミニガチャポケマシン) and it is now available for purchase in Japan. There are 5 different mini machines and they each cost 1400 yen including tax. The machines are branded with the Pocket Monsters 2019 logo and features Satoshi and Go's Pokémon.

Product Description:

There are 5 different machines to collect:

• Pikachu Version (ピカチュウver.)
• Lucario Version (ルカリオver.)
• Aceburn Version (エースバーンver.)
• Strinder Amped Form Version (ストリンダー(ハイなすがた)ver.)
• Strinder Low Key Form Version (ストリンダー(ローなすがた)ver.)

Each machine includes:

• 1 x Gacha Poké Machine
• 1 x Eye-catching Plate (アイキャツチプレート)
• 1 x Eye-catching Tool (アイキャツチツール)
• 1 x Monster Ball Figure (モンスターボールフィギュア)
• 1 x Logo Handle Mini Tool (ロゴハンドルミニツール)
• 1 x Logo Plate (ロゴプレート)
• 1 x POP Tool (POPツール)
• 5 x Mini Capsules (ミニカプセル)
• 5 x Mini Plate (ミニプレート)

Product Details:

• Manufacturer: Takara Tomy Arts
• JAN: 4904790890031
• Size: Gacha machine: approx. 60mm, Plate: approx. 35mm
• Material: ABS, MABS, PS, PP, Paper, PET

Source: https://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000154068/

The 51st Next-Generation World Hobby Fair was held online for the first time ever. Exhibitors from Shogakukan's Corocoro Comics, Shonen Sunday, Chao and other magazines gathered together to present games, hobbies, character bios and the latest information from various franchises.

Two Pokémon Stage segments were held on day 1 which was Saturday, January 16th, 2021, Pokémon Stage by Pokénchi and a Pokémon Mezastar stage panel. The stream was only available live on YouTube for the Pokénchi segment but Mezastar stage panel was also posted on the official MezastarTV YouTube channel after its live broadcast. High resolution pictures of the Pokénchi panel have been added to an Imageboard thread.

Pokémon Stage by Pokénchi (ポケモンステージ by ポケモンの家あつまる？)

The Pokémon Stage by Pokénchi panel featured Pokénchi hosts Shoko-tan, Rinka and Abareru-kun and they were joined by MC Kajisac Onashas. Hyadain was not in attendance.


To promote the Pokémon the Movie Coco, they started off by introducing the Coco TV Commercial (Theme Song Collection) which began being broadcast on Japanese television just before the movies premiere in December 2020. It is available on YouTube on the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel as of December 24th, 2020.

YouTube Clip - Official Pokémon the Movie Coco TV Commercial (Theme Song Collection)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN3m4DjhuM4

Abareru-kun then transitioned to promoting the Pocket Monsters 2019 anime by showing the latest trailer for the series that showcased upcoming scenes in 2021. The VTR video didn't play exactly on cue, which got him a laugh as he kept repeating himself for the video to start. The trailer originally aired as part of Pocket Monsters Christmas Special: "Battling & Getting! Mewtwo Comes Back" special on December 25th, 2020.


The stage show featured two Get a Flash of Inspiration! Let's PokéRiddle quizes which Abareru-kun presented and Shoko-tan, Rinka and Kajisac tried to solve along with the viewers watching the stream. The first hint to the puzzle was to use Flamethrower 「かえんほうしゃ」を使おう！ After a few seconds to figure out the hint, it was revealed that by melting the ice letters with Flamethrower and reading the remaining letters as they fell like Tetris pieces, it would reveal the answer. (「かえんほうしゃ」で氷の文字を溶かして残った文字を読んでみましょう)

Answer: Lizardon (セイカイハ リザードン)


The second puzzle was more difficult than the first one and they were given a board to write their answers down. Read the letters in order from the top left and follow the instructions to read the letters there. (左上から順番に文字を読んで指示に従いそこに書かれた文字を読もう). The Pokémon is hidden in the box third from the right, first from the top. (みぎからみっつめうえからひとつめにかくされているポケモンがにたえ).

Answer: Karakara (からから　カラカラ)


They then switched over to games where they announced that New Pokémon Snap would be available in Japan on April 30th, 2021. They showed the latest trailer to highlight their talking points. This trailer was also available on the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel as of January 14th, 2021.

YouTube Clip - New Pokémon Snap PV

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKzYOCXlR9s

To finish off the stage show, they highlighted the ICHIGEKI Master and RENGEKI Master TCG set and played a brief game to highlight the new Single Strike Style and Rapid Strike Style Battle Styles gameplay mechanic that will debut in the set.

Pokémon Mezastar Special Live Stage

Viewers on this event got a first-hand look at the Pokémon Mezasta Set 3 and got to hear Naomi Tamura (田村直美) and Tomohiro Hatano (幡野智宏) sing "Visit! Pokémon Mezastar! (見参!ポケモンメザスタ!!)" in a special live performance! The four Mezastar Navigators: Masato (マサト), Sakura (サクラ), Ai (アイ) and J where the hosts of the event which took place on January 16th, 2021 from 11:00 to 11:30.

YouTube Clip - Pokémon Mezasta Special Live Stage

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF02STw8mPs

Pokémon the Movie: Coco premiered in Japanese theaters on December 25th, 2020. On May 13th, 2020, it was announced that the movie would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


For the weekend of December 26th and 27th, 2020, first place in that box office was Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train, which is now highest-grossing film ever in Japan. Pokémon the Movie: Coco placed second though making 276 million yen in the box office.

Source: https://eiga.com/ranking/jp/ and http://www.kogyotsushin.com/archives/topics/t8/202012/28162318.php

Takara TOMY has announced that the Pokémon Dynamax Band (ポケモン ダイマックスバンド), which can be used with Pokémon Mezaster, will go on sale in Japan on February 11th, 2021 for 1,980 Yen. An Imageboard thread has been created with high resolution product pictures.

Product Description:

The Dynamax Band works in conjunction with Pokémon Mezaster to ensure that Dynamax is activated. Get an advantage in battles and get powerful Pokémon tags! It comes with a special Dande's Lizardon Dynamax tag that can be used in Pokémon Mezastar.


In addition, when you shake the Dynamax Band, character voices will sound in response to the vibration, and you can experience Dynamax with sound effects, cheering background music, and light effects. It has two modes: "Dynamax Mode" where you can experience the process of activating a Dynamax move, and "Cheering Mode" where 14 different cheering voices of Satoshi, Go and Dande are played.

In order to activate Dynamax in Pokémon Mezaster, you will need Dynamax Tag.

Product Details:

Price: 1,980 Yen
Release Date: February 11, 2021
Battery: LR44 button x 2 included
Item Number: 4904810129110
Manufacturer: TOMY
Brand: Pocket Monsters
Package Size: W100 x H120 x D60mm
Target age: 6 years old and up

Sources: https://takaratomymall.jp/shop/g/g4904810129110/ and https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/pokemon/daimax_band/

YouTube Clip - Takara TOMY - Pokémon Dynamax Band Commercial

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc4IUIqtF98

The Broadway community and fifty Pokémon cast members are hosting a fundraising stream for The Brick Theater in Brooklyn, New York, United States, which is a non-profit venue that had to postponed all shows back in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. They will be holding this free virtual event on Sunday, December 20th, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. EST via Twitch. This is not an official Pokémon event and donations are encouraged.

Pokémon Voice Actors To Raise Funds For The Brick Theater With Virtual Event

This Sunday, Anna Roisman and Audie Award Winner Barrett Leddy are hosting a spelling bee benefit with dozens of voice actors behind the most beloved Pokémon characters of all time.

Special guests include Voice Arts Awards winner Sarah Natochenny (voice of "Ash Ketchum" in Pokémon), Emily Cramer (Broadway's School of Rock and LES MISERABLES) and Todd Haberkorn (Fairy Tail, Fullmetal Alchemist).

"I'm doing this because Theresa is an unwavering supporter of emerging artists," Natochenny said. "I was so lucky to get to know her as my director on Pokémon. She is a joy to work with and I am so honored to be able to help her keep The Brick Theater alive."

"I want The Brick to survive with every bit of my being, because space and time to create and connect are vital," former Pokémon director and artistic director of The Brick Theater Theresa Buchheister said.

Event Link: http://www.twitch.tv/outofcaution

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS:

· Luis Alfonso (Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!)
· Justin Anselmi
· Christian Banas ("Ben" in Genshin Impact, "Sota" in Shimajiro and "Aidan" in Rainbow High)
· Emily Bauer
· Simona Berman ("Vikavolt" and additional voices in Pokémon.)
· Laurie Hymes ("Lillie," "Popplio," "Brionne," "Primarina," "Pelipper," "Prince Raleigh," "Kellie" and "Mable" in Pokémon)
· Francesca Calo (Pokemon: Sun and Moon)
· Tiana Camacho ("Bea" in Pokémon)
· Ray Chase
· Neo Cihi
· Nicholas Corda ("Oliver" in Pokémon Journeys and "Ulu" in Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Emily Cramer ("Togedemaru" in Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Ryan William Downey ("Hoopa," "Unbound," "Wimpod," "Golisopod," "Heliolisk," "Ippei" and More Pokémon characters )
· Jessie Gill (Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Jason Griffith
· Todd Haberkorn
· Brittney Lee Hamilton ("Georgia", "Millis," and "Hapu" in Pokémon )
· Billy Kametz
· Sean Kenin ("Professor Rowan," "Chatot" and "Abe" in Pokémon)
· Brian Kim (Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Michele Knotz ("Jessie" and "Misty" in Pokémon)
· Danny Kramer ("Raihan" in Pokémon Journeys)
· Brittany Lauda
· Eddy Lee ("Gladion" in Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Mike Liscio ("Clemont" and "Inkay" in Pokémon XYZ, "Llima," "Lycanroc" and "Magikarp" in Pokémon Sun&Moon/Journeys)
· Jamie McGonnigal ("Barry" in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, "Trip" and "Grumpig" in Pokémon Black & White)
· Daman Mills ("Kasukarp" and "Silicobra" in Pokémon Journeys)
· Rob Morrison
· MOZIAH ("Rock Hunter" in Pokemon Sun and Moon)
· Samara Naeymi ("Malva" and "Mina" in Pokémon)
· Lisa Ortiz
· Jake Paque
· Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld ("Nurse Joy," "Bonnie" and "Sophocles" in Pokémon)
· Alejandro Saab ("Leon" in Pokémon Journeys)
· Tara Sands
· Erica Schroeder ("Eevee," "Wobbuffet," "Nurse Joy", "Sylveon" and 50+ Pokémon characters.)
· Lipica Shah ("Sima" and various voices in Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Rachel Slotky ("Young Kikui" in Pokémon: Sun and Moon)
· Eileen Stevens ("Iris," "Aria" and others in Pokémon)
· Marc Thompson
· Cristina Vee
· Cedric Williams Jr.
· Allen Winter ("Kenichi" in Pokemon)
· Oliver Wyman ("Drew" and various Pokémon characters and "Aster Phoenix" in Yu-Gi-Oh!)
· Jenny Yokobori

Sources : https://www.broadwayworld.com/amp/c.php?url=Pokmon-Voice-Actors-To-Raise-Funds-For-The-Brick-Theater-With-Virtual-Event-20201218 and https://twitter.com/sarahnatochenny/status/1339701679659372547

The official Pokémon website has announced that Pokémon the Series, the Pokémon movies as well as Play! Pokémon tournament moments will be rebroadcasting on the official Pokémon Twitter account. Content will change weekly so be sure to check the official schedule.

Stream Pokémon the Series and Play! Pokémon Matches on Twitch

Tune in for weekly Pokémon programming, including Pokémon the Series, movies, and Play! Pokémon matches.

Starting December 8, 2020, it's going to be easier than ever to dive into the world of Pokémon thanks to weekly Pokémon programming on the official Pokémon Twitch channel. You'll be able to tune in throughout the week to catch some of your favorite Pokémon content—including episodes of Pokémon the Series and Pokémon movies. Additionally, some of the best Play! Pokémon tournament moments will be rebroadcasting, allowing you to see some of the world's top Pokémon players in action.

New content will air each week, so follow the official Pokémon Twitch channel to see when the shows go live. You can follow the official Pokémon Twitter account for a weekly schedule.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/stream-pokemon-the-series-and-play-pokemon-matches-on-twitch/

Official Pokémon Twitch Channel Schedule for December 6th, 2020 to December 12th, 2020

The next batch of episode for Pokémon Journeys: The Series is now available to watch on Netflix and it covers episodes 25 to 36.

New Episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series on Netflix

Research, battle, and catch Pokémon with Ash and Goh in episodes 25 to 36 of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, now available on Netflix.

Ash and Goh's adventures across the vast Pokémon world continue with 12 new episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, now available on Netflix. It's a big, big world, but Ash and Goh are ready to face any challenges they might encounter in episodes 25 to 36—whether in the form of Team Rocket shenanigans, research tasks at the Cerise Laboratory, or battles with their fellow Pokémon Trainers.

In the first 24 episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Ash and Goh become research assistants at the Cerise Laboratory in Vermilion City and find themselves traveling the Pokémon world studying and training Pokémon. The two discover the wonders of Gigantamax Pokémon, explore Galar's Wild Area, and even find some common ground with Team Rocket. And while Ash continues his journey to become a Pokémon Master, Goh catches his first Pokémon and discovers that Pokémon battles can be fun. Be sure to check out our full recap of the first half of Pokémon Journeys: The Series before diving into the new episodes!

What adventures await our heroes in episodes 25 to 36? Will Goh ever catch the elusive Mew? Is it possible for Ash and Pikachu to become even better partners? The only way to find out is to stream Part 3 of Pokémon Journeys: The Series on Netflix.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/new-episodes-of-pokemon-journeys-the-series-on-netflix/