The final episode (episode 11) of Pocket Monsters: Mezase Pokémon Master, the anime that depicted the final chapter in the story of Satoshi and Pikachu, aired on March 24th, 2023. It's been decided to show the 1 hour music special "Pocket Monsters Anime Music Festival" on the 31st in order to commemorate the closing of the curtains on the 26 year long history of Satoshi and Pikachu's story since the series started airing in April 1997.

The music special will be an hour of raising the roof with Pokémon and music, where the extravagant artists that have sung theme songs in the past will be appearing in the studio one after another. In addition, the opening theme of the new series starting April 14th will be unveiled.


The singers appearing in the special will be Fumie Akiyoshi, asmi, After the Rain, Hiromi Iwasaki, Taiiku Okazaki, Shoko Nakagawa, Asuca Hayashi, Rica Matsumoto and ЯeaL. Guests will be Yuki Iwai (from Haraichi), Ken Koga, Nagisa Saito, Chinozo, the Tosa Brothers, Toshiya Miyata (from Kis-My-Ft2) and Yuriyan Retriever. It will be hosted by Kotaro Koizumi and Rika Adachi.


In addition, the opening theme for the new series, "Dokimeki Diary (asmi feat. Chinozo)" will be sung by asmi and produced by the unparalleled creator Chinozo, who's active in the online scene. This is a song that depicts Liko's adventurous spirit through pop music, made by a special unit created specifically for this show.

『ポケモン』音楽祭が31日放送 松本梨香、岩崎宏美…歴代歌手が続々登場

　サトシとピカチュウの物語の最終章を描いたアニメ『ポケットモンスターめざせポケモンマスター』（テレビ東京系 毎週金曜 後6：55～）最終回（11話）が24日に放送された。1997年4月のシリーズ放送開始から、サトシとピカチュウの物語が26年の歴史に幕を下ろしたことを記念して、31日に音楽特番『アニメポケットモンスター 音楽祭』が1時間放送されることが決定した。

音楽特番は、ポケモンと音楽で盛り上がる1時間となり、スタジオには、これまでのテーマソングを歌う豪華アーティストたちが続々登場。さらに、4月14日放送スタートの新シリーズのオープニングテーマもお披露目される。

出演歌手は、あきよしふみえ、asmi、 After the Rain、岩崎宏美、岡崎体育、中川翔子、林明日香、松本梨香、ЯeaL、ゲストは岩井勇気(ハライチ)、こがけん、齊藤なぎさ、Chinozo、土佐兄弟、宮田俊哉 (Kis-My-Ft2)、ゆりやんレトリィバァ。MCは小泉孝太郎、足立梨花が務める。

なお、新シリーズのオープニングテーマ『「ドキメキダイアリー」 asmi feat.Chinozo』を歌うのはasmi、プロデュースするのはネットシーンで活躍する稀代のクリエイター・Chinozo。本作の為に結成されたスペシャルユニットが贈る、リコの冒険心をポップに描いた楽曲に仕上がっている。

Pokémon the Orchestra: In the Land of Myth (신화의 땅에서), a newly arranged orchestra performance promoted by Pokémon Korea for the new year, will be held for the first time in South Korea at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. Performances will be held on Saturday, January 28th, 2023 at 7pm and Sunday, January 29th, 2023 at 1:30pm and 5pm. Ticket reservations are available starting on January 11th, 2023 at 15:00.

The performance features pieces from the soundtracks of Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl, which was released in South Korea in 2008 and gained great popularity, and Pokémon Legends Arceus, which drew great attention as an action RPG game. This performance will invoke memories and impressions to fans who have enjoyed the Pokémon games for a long time, and will be a thrill to new fans who are just embarking on their new Pokémon adventure.

Under the direction of Conductor Chin Sol, the FLASIC Game Symphony Orchestra boasts a rich performance experience and presents beautiful melodies. In addition, the game music was newly arranged by FLASIC. The following are the tracks that will be played at the performance.

SECTION 1: Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl

Opening Demo
Opening
Twinleaf Town (Day)
The Lake
Route 201 (Day)
Sandgem Town (Day)
Jubilife City (Day)
Floaroma Town (Day)
Eterna Forest
Eterna City (Day)
Bicycle
Hearthome City (Day)
Route 209 (Day)
Canalave City (Day)
Snowpoint City (Day)
Sunyshore City (Day)
Battle! Wild Pokémon
Battle! Dialga/Palkia
Victory over a Wild Pokémon!
Champion Cynthia
Battle! Champion
Room of Glory
Congratulations on Entering the Hall of Fame!
Ending

SECTION 2: Pokémon Legends Arceus

Encounter in Hisui
Professor Laventon
Jubilife Village
Galaxy Team Headquarters
Obsidian Fieldlands 1-1
The Heartwood
Courage
Clefairy at Moonlight
Coronet Highlands
Alabaster Icelands
Battle: King/Queen
Battle: Wild Pokémon
Case Solved!
Dawn
Night
Late Night

Items:

Related merchandise will be available to purchase at the venue. MD items can also be purchased by those who do not have a ticket. Purchase hours for MD products vary by day: January 28th, 2023: 5:30pm - 9:00pm and January 29th, 2023: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM.


Pokémon Legends Arceus Acrylic Stand - 26,000 won
Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl Acrylic Stand - 26,000 won
Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl Badge Case - 75,000 won
Pokémon Legends Arceus Pillows - 400mm x 400mm - 25,000 won
Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl Pillows - 400mm x 400mm - 25,000 won
Pokémon Legends Arceus Poster A2 - 16,000 won
Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl Poster A2 - 16,000 won
Pokémon Legends Arceus Sticker Pack - 10,000 won
Pokémon DP Diamond and Pearl Sticker Pack - 10,000 won
Acrylic Magnets - 8,000 won each

Seating:

Ticket prices are different for each seat class, and the price for each class is as follows.
- Master Ball R seat - 110,000 won
- Ultra Ball S seat - 80,000 won
- Great Ball A seat - 60,000 won
- Great Ball A seat (restricted view seat) - 48,000 won
- Monster Ball B seat - 40,000 won
- Monster Ball B seat (restricted view seat) - 32,000 won


Source: https://www.pokemonkorea.co.kr/orchestra/

On Monday, February 20th, 2023 at 2pm at the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Rica Matsumoto will be performing. Free tickets are available at the box office starting December 15th, 2022, with a limit of two per person.

"NEW & JAPAN": Japan-Foreign Culture Interexchange Event

Aiming to promote intercultural communication, world peace, and cultural development, this charity event is a Japanese American cultural exchange that features Pokémon songs, a Japanese sword dance, traditional dancing, a kimono show, and guest appearances by New York performers.

Performers

Rika Matsumoto, Singer
Kohei Sasaki, Piano
Hanae Koreto, Dancer
Yuji Tukahara, Dancer
Haruka Aoi, Shinobue
ATz, Dancer
Kenshiro Watase, Dancer
Rakiamaru, Dancer
Tamon Sakigake, Dancer
KiN, Dancer
YaM@you, Dancer
Yuka Taniwaki, Producer

Update: Monday, February 20th, 2023

Tickets for the event were sold out but it wasn't revealed until people were about to see Rica perform that she wasn't in attendance and had not traveled to the event. Rica apparently came in contact with someone with COVID-19 but Rica had a PCR test which was negative and said she was healthy. A video of Rica was provided to people privately at the event that explained the situation. Unfortunately for those that had come to see her, they didn't tell people as soon as it was known she couldn't attend so they could cancel travel and accommodations.

Source: https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2023/02/20/new--japan-japanforeign-culture-interexchange-event-0200pm

Pokémon and NHK Symphony Orchestra Members will hold a series of mini-concerts called the Recovery Support Pokémon Mini Concert (復興支援 ポケモンミニコンサート) to help in the reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku region. One of the concerts will be lived streamed on the Pokémon Kids TV Japan YouTube channel on December 18th, 2022 from 12:15 to 13:00 JST.

A performance will be held as part of the activities of My First Pokémon Project, a project of The Pokémon Company that aims increase the exposure of Pokémon with children. With the cooperation of NHK Symphony Orchestra, one of Japan's leading orchestras, the performance will include the Pokémon music and Christmas songs. The first event will be held at Namie Roadside Station where there is a Lucky Park, which is celebrating its first anniversary since its opening.

Flyer:

Concert Details:

Appearance by: Fukushima support Pokémon Lucky and Pikachu
Violin: Tsutomu Yamagishi (山岸 努), Kirara Tsuboi (坪井きらら)
Viola: Gentaro Sakaguchi (坂口弦太郎)
Cello: Shunsuke Yamanouchi (山内俊輔)

Tickets for the Concert:

Advance registration required for tickets. Please apply from the Pokémon Mini Concert special site. If there are too many applications, a lottery will be held.

Application period: Thursday, December 1st, 2022 at 13:00 thtorugh Sunday, December 11th, 2022 at 23:59
Notification of Selection: Tuesday, December 13th, 2022

Priority seating for this concert is reserved for children up to elementary school age (12 and under) and their parents or guardians. Please understand this in advance.
*Only the winners of the lottery will be notified by e-mail regarding the results of the drawing. Please note that the event may be changed or cancelled without prior notice due to various reasons.

Sources: https://www.pokemon.jp/special/pokemonminiconcert/ and https://www.nhkso.or.jp/about/member/

YouTube Clip - Recovery Support Pokémon Mini Concert - December 18th, 2022

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

After you pre-order Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in Japan, register on the Pre-order de Get Campaign website to be entered into a drawing for original goods by inputting the provided serial code that you received! The third prize is a 12-inch vinyl record set with special pictures on them!

PRESENT 1

Nyahoja, Hogator and Kuwassu Bookends (ニャオハ・ホゲータ・クワッスブックエンド)
Total Number of Presents: 100
Application period: Thursday, August 4st, 2022 to Thursday, December 1st, 2022

PRESENT 2

Map of the Paldea Region Jigsaw Puzzle 1000 pieces (パルデア地方のマップのジグソーパズル1000ピース)
Total Number of Presents: 30
Application period: Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 to Thursday, December 1st, 2022

PRESENT 3

12-inch Analog Record (12インチアナログレコード)
Total Number of Presents: 150
Application period: Thursday, October 6th, 2022 to Thursday, December 1st, 2022

* You must link your Nintendo Japan account to enter the drawing.
* Drawing will be held for those who have purchased this product and received My Nintendo Gold Points by 23:59 on December 1st, 2022 using a linked Nintendo account. Gold Points will be automatically received for the downloadable version.
* Product shipment is scheduled for December 2022. The records are scheduled for January 2023.
* Item will be shipped only within Japan.
* The images are for illustrative purposes only.
* Record player is not included.
* Only the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet main theme is included, and each vinyl contains the same track.

Source: https://sv-yoyaku.pokemon.co.jp/

The Pokémon Company has teamed up with Ed Sheeran on a new track! Celestial will be featured in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet! Lyrics and details on the Celestial (Limited Signed CD Edition) available in the United Kingdom have been added to our database.

YouTube Clip - Ed Sheeran, Pokémon - Celestial [Official Video]

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23g5HBOg3Ic

YouTube Clip - Ed Sheeran × Pokémon | Celestial (Official Behind the Scenes)

Take a peek at what went down behind the scenes when we teamed up with Ed Sheeran on a new track! ‘Celestial’ will be featured in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4TogkBl-gs

Credits:

Produced by Genki Kawamura
Director: Yuichi Kodama
Character Design: Yu Nagaba
CG Animation Production: MORIE Inc.
VFX Production: Khaki
Production: AOI Pro.
Animation Production: ENISHIYA inc.

Press Photo

Press Release - ED SHEERAN TEAMS UP WITH POKÉMON FOR NEW SONG AND VIDEO

“Celestial” Recorded for Upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Video Games

Bellevue, WA – September 29, 2022 – The stars have aligned as Pokémon mega-fan and international music superstar, Ed Sheeran, has collaborated with The Pokémon Company group on a new song, “Celestial”. His special track will appear in the highly-anticipated video games, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, launching November 18 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. Fans can get an early listen and enjoy the music video for the song which launches today on Ed’s official YouTube channel.

The “Celestial” video is inspired by Ed’s childhood fascination with the franchise and features some of his favorite Pokémon such as Pikachu, Squirtle, Machamp, Snorlax, and more. It follows a typical day in Ed’s life with a Pokémon twist and was directed by the award-winning Yuichi Kodama. Featuring a unique ‘sketch’ themed art direction from Yu Nagaba, whose style is reminiscent of the doodles that Ed drew of his Pokémon as a child, the video is full of surprises for fans to discover and transports viewers back to a simpler time in their childhood when the sky was the limit.

“I’ve played Pokémon since I was in primary school,” commented Ed. “Me and my brother used to have different versions of the games and would trade Pokémon together ‘til we each completed our Pokédex. I loved the cards but the games are what I lost myself in. I loved the whole world they created; it kept me distracted if there was negative stuff happening in my life/school that I wanted to avoid. It was a world I could escape into and I’ve played it ever since. Even though I'm 31 now, I still own the same Game Boy Color and play Pokémon Yellow or Pokémon Silver on planes and trains when I'm on tour. It’s such an honor to add a song into a Pokémon game and shoot a nostalgic video too. I hope you guys enjoy the song and video - it was a blast to film!”

“Working with a superstar like Ed has been a dream come true for us at Pokémon,” added Kenji Okubo, President of The Pokémon Company International. “We are all such big fans of his and, not only was he a joy to work alongside, his authentic love of everything Pokémon really shines through. Yuichi Kodama has done a fantastic job of capturing a feeling of pure childlike joy and sense of adventure within the video too. Both of their genuine adoration for Pokémon makes this a truly special collaboration and we can't wait to see Pokémon fans and music fans singing along to Celestial. I hope everyone is also looking forward to enjoying the track later this year in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games.”

The Pokémon Music Collective, a music project that "brings new music to the world based on the sounds of the Pokémon series of games", has been announced. The first song, Sing (Utau うたう) by imase, will be released on September 14th, 2022.


The song Utau is said to be based on imase's "love for Pokémon" as he played the Pokémon series, including Pokémon Diamond and Pearl which released in 2006, with great enthusiasm. Names of Pokémon are hidden throughout the lyrics, such as Hitokage.

Prior to its release, Utau will be aired for the first time on J-WAVE (81.3 FM) SONAR MUSIC on September 13th, 2022. Starting with this song, the Pokémon Music Collective plans to release songs produced by various artists on a regular basis.

IMASE Comments

When defeated by a strong opponent, before challenging a Gym Leader, or the Pokémon League, there was always a Pokémon Center nearby. I created this song so that listeners can imagine the Pokémon Center, which holds such a special place in my heart. I hope that the Pokémon Center will be in everyone's hearts as well....... (There are various Pokémon hidden in the lyrics, so please look for them!)

強敵にやられたとき、ジムリーダーに挑む前、負けられないポケモンリーグ、いつもそこにはポケモンセンターがありました。そんな思い入れのあるポケモンセンターを、聴いてる人がイメージできるよう楽曲を制作しました！ みんなの心にもポケモンセンターを……。 （歌詞の中にいろんなポケモンが隠れているのでぜひ探してみてください！）

Source: https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000224445

imase - うたう [Official Audio] / Pokémon Music Collective

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R4EkwUQIHA

The Pokémon Sound Library official website has posted the full score sheet music with each instrument parts for the Main Theme of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet for the Nintendo Switch! Downloads are region locked to Japan though. A video of a performance of the Main Theme was also posted to the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel being performed by an ensemble of mainly wind instruments.

Performed by: Tokyo Wind Symphony Orchestra (東京吹奏楽団)
Conductor: Keita Matsui (松井慶太)
*Performance is different from the actual version in the game.

Source: https://soundlibrary.pokemon.co.jp/sv-score

YouTube Clip - Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Main Theme

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEtfH5P0PSk

Sony Music has officially announced the TV Anime "Pocket Monsters" Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 will be released in Japan on June 22nd, 2022. The Blu-spec CD features more BGM from the Pocket Monsters 2019 anime, composed by Yuki Hayashi. Like the previous volume, a full color booklet is included featuring pictures and character information. The first press version included a sticker sheet. The CD costs 2,750 yen (tax included). Details of this CD have been added to our Audio Database.


Composer Yuki Hayashi comments:
Once again, there is lot of music, like we had turned a toy box upside down! I tried to make the second bunch more energetic and more grandiose. May the songs of their adventures also be the songs of the adventures of all who listen to them. As this is the last soundtrack release, it was an honor to get to do more arrangements of some wonderful songs this time as well!

Sources: https://www.110107.com/s/oto/page/pokemon_anime_vol2?ima=1721 and https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/MHCL-30727

Pocket Monsters anime composer Shinji Miyazaki has released a pre-production version of the fan favourite track Oración, from Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai. This version features accompanying vocals, previously unheard in any media. Mr. Miyazaki is planning to editing more recorded scores to make them playable in a live performance.

YouTube Clip - Canciones de Oración

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

Announcement:

I have been involved in composing the original soundtracks for 23 Pokémon movies. (21 films with director Kunihiko Yuyama, 2 films with director Tetsuo Yajima).

When I look back on those 24 years, I feel a little disappointed now. This is because I rarely had the opportunity to enjoy concerts in the same time and space as the soundtrack fans.

So I'm thinking of picking up the major recording scores and editing them little by little. (Editing here means to make the total score playable in a live performance.)

I hope this weel meet the needs of soundtrack fans, even if only a little. If there is any concrete progress, I will let you know.

I also plan to create the following scores
"Canciones de Oración”
This is a tribute to the 2007 movie "The Rise of Darkrai"

Some soundtrack fans may say, "I don't like music with lyrics because they limit the image!" However, I myself was composing with vocals in mind (at the time), and if Director Yuyama had requested music with lyrics, this is what I would have done.

Source: https://twitter.com/dora6669/status/1512743517067825157