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Pokemon, abbreviated from Pocket Monsters, is an ongoing Japanese animated series, which has since been adapted for the North American and European television market. It is somewhat based on the Pokemon video game series and a part of the Pokemon franchise.

Originally a single series, Pokemon , it has since been made into three series, including Pokemon : Advanced Generation and subsequently Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, which continue the story of Pokemon , while its spin-off Pokemon Chronicles or, as it is known in Japan, Pokemon Sunday (formerly Shukan Pokemon Hosokyoku) is a series of stories revolving around some of the recurring characters.

The English adaptation of the series was produced by 4Kids Entertainment and video distribution of the series was handled by Viz Media for the TV series for the younger generation as well as the eighth movie forward, Warner Bros. and Nintendo for the first three movies and the first special, Miramax Films, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment for the fourth movie through the seventh. The series and all feature films are directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, with English adaptations originally written by Norman J. Grossfeld and Michael Haigney for the first eight seasons. However, starting with the ninth season, the American branch of The Pokemon Company, Pokemon USA, and TAJ Productions, who worked with 4Kids on the show before taking leave after Season 5, replaced 4Kids as the show's non-Japanese producers and distributors. Most of the original voice cast was also replaced, causing controversy among fans who admired the original voice actors. TAJ was replaced by DuArt Film and Video for the tenth movie and Season 11 of the anime series. In the UK, Pokemon first aired on Sky One, followed by the Saturday morning show SMTV Live and proved to be extraordinarily popular, to the point were segments and sketches of the show itself were based around Pokemon (e.g. the Pokerap).

Known in Japan as Shukan Pokemon Hosokyoku ("Weekly Pokemon Broadcast"), Pokemon Chronicles is a spin-off series of the Pokemon anime that aired in 2006 in the US. The special episodes, which previously aired only in Japan (2005), are English dubbed, and revolve around characters other than Ash.

Pokemon has had several anime episodes removed from the rotation in Japan, the Western World, or the entire world. The most infamous of these episodes was "Dennou Senshi Porigon" (translates into "Electric Soldier Porygon"). The episode made headlines worldwide when it caused 685 children to experience seizures and seizure-like symptoms caused by a repetitive flash of light. Although the offending sequence was caused by Pikachu's actions, the episode's featured Pokemon , Porygon, has never been seen again in the anime except for one brief cameo appearance in the movie, Pokemon Heroes. Its evolutions Porygon2 and Porygon-Z have never appeared either. On September 1, 2006, China permanently banned the series, as well as western animated series such as The Simpsons, to protect its struggling animation studios. (See China Bans 'Simpsons' From Prime-Time TV)