Pocket Monsters: The Animation - Table of Contents

[2bamaster]

Hey there! Here on this blog, I plan to provide translations of the obscure "Pocket Monsters: The Animation" novels, written by Takeshi Shudo, head writer of the original Pokémon TV series. Anyway, I hope you please enjoy these novels and feel free to provide feedback in the comments sections.


Pocket Monsters: The Animation
Volume 1: Departure


Writer: Takeshi Shudo
A resident of Kanagawa prefecture. Despite being a terrible writer made his screenwriting debut at the age of 19. Has done various work since. Eventually worked on anime, novels, plays, etc. Notable works include “Warring States Demon GoShogun” and “Magical Princess Minky Momo” among others. Further details may be divulged at a later opportunity.

Illustrator: Sayuri Ichiishi
From Kanagawa prefecture. Character designer and lead animation director on anime including “Pocket Monsters” and “Wedding Peach DX”. She's a water loving animator whose hobbies include body boarding. Works for OLM, inc.

Translator: Amanda R. Sato
Not from Kanagawa prefecture. Began watching the Pokémon anime when she was around Ash's age and is now closer in age to Delia. Enjoys translation as a hobby and would one day like to make a profession of it. Other translations she currently has publicly posted include some “Ace Attorney” novels and the PSP game “The Reminiscences of Haruhi Suzumiya”.

Japanese Terminology
Prologue
Chapter 1: Departure in Pajamas
Chapter 2: An Electrifying Meeting With Pikachu...
Chapter 3: Onisuzume on the Day of Departure
Chapter 4: Nyarth Attack
Chapter 5: Getting Through the Forest...
Chapter 6: Butterfree Soars!

English Terminology
Full book in PDF format

Prologue
Chapter 1: Departure in Pajamas
Chapter 2: An Electrifying Meeting With Pikachu...
Chapter 3: Spearow on the Day of Departure
Chapter 4: Meowth Attack
Chapter 5: Getting Through the Forest...
Chapter 6: Butterfree Soars!



Pocket Monsters: The Animation
Volume 2: Friends


Writer: Takeshi Shudo
A resident of Kanagawa prefecture. Despite being a terrible writer made his screenwriting debut at the age of 19. Has done various work since. Eventually worked on anime, novels, plays, etc. Notable works include “Warring States Demon GoShogun” and “Magical Princess Minky Momo” among others.

Illustrator: Sayuri Ichiishi
From Kanagawa prefecture. Character designer and lead animation director on anime including “Pocket Monsters” and “Wedding Peach DX”. She's a water loving animator whose hobbies include body boarding. Works for OLM, inc.

Japanese Terminology
Prologue... The Start of Volume 2
Chapter 1: The Iwark of Nibi City
Chapter 2: Get the Grey Badge
Chapter 3: The Four Sisters of Hanada City
Chapter 4: Showdown at Kuchiba Gym

English Terminology
Prologue... The Start of Volume 2
Chapter 1: The Onix of Pewter City
Chapter 2: Get the Boulder Badge
Chapter 3: The Four Sisters of Cerulean City
Chapter 4: Showdown at Vermilion Gym

Comments

[toukos]

This is amazing! Thank you so much for translating! I've always wanted to know more about Shudo's novelization and it's so great you are doing this. Please continue this project.

I look forward to The Four Sisters of Cerulean City chapter! Misty is my favorite and it's incredibly wonderful to finally know translations of this book so far. It's baffling this book never got an official translation but either way, I'm very glad to see this! I wish you the best of luck! :D

[2bamaster]

You’re welcome! Yeah, totally planning to keep going right through to the end this, even if progress is a little slow right now. I’m currently learning some juicy info about the history of the Pewter Gym. I’m interested to see what new information can be gleaned about the Cerulean Sisters in the relevant chapter as well! It’s a shame that there was never a volume 3 (or 4, 5, etc.) of these, it’s fascinating how much stuff never made it into the actual show.

As for never getting an official translation, I think it’s probably a case of Pokémon being seen as a children’s franchise and some of the content in these books can get a little heavy. Delia got pregnant as a teen and had to raise Ash alone and run the family business after her mother passed away? Poké Ball transfer technology was built on the sacrifice of Pokémon’s lives? The existence of extremist groups who consider Pokémon to be unholy creatures that should be exterminated? The incorporation of Pokémon into the Genesis creation myth? I’m not sure this stuff would have flown with American parents back in the day. Plus translating all the puns is really hard. Plus it was probably easier to get Tracey West to write her own novelisations. (She doesn’t measure up to Shudo’s work though!)

[toukos]

Awesome, thank you again! It'll be really interesting to see how Shudo comments on Brock's parents especially if we were to compare them to Brock's Chronicle episode. I'm really looking forward to what information we can learn. :)

Most likely, yeah! Delia's past is pretty unfortunate. The extremist part kind of reminds me of Black and White's plot in the games, so it makes me wonder if that drew inspiration from Shudo's novelization. (And very true!)

[2bamaster]

I just got through some details about Brock’s family last night, and... some of it is contradictory to the show itself. Like, Brock is the eldest of twenty kids instead of ten (including eight sets of twins), and Lola went through nine different husbands, so they aren’t all Flint’s kids.

[toukos]

Oh wow, poor Brock. Geez.

Still looking forward to the rest! Thank you again for translating! :D