The production of the Pokémon anime TV series has been temporarily shut down due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The official Twitter account for Pokémon’s anime announced the hiatus on April 19. The tweet states that production has been suspended indefinitely in line with safety protocols after Japan declared a nationwide state of emergency in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
＜番組からのお知らせ＞
新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大にともなう「緊急事態宣言」の発出を受け、
安全に十分配慮した上での番組制作を行うため、
一時的に、一部の制作作業を見合わせることにいたしました。
これに伴い、来週以降の「ポケットモンスター」は再放送となります。— アニメ「ポケットモンスター」公式 (@anipoke_PR) April 19, 2020
Anime News Network has confirmed that the planned schedule of new episodes will be replaced by reruns of past episodes for the foreseeable future, with the team expected to announce the anime’s return at a later date.
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The latest season premiered in Japan with a one-hour special in November of last year. It is not yet known how the current delay may impact the English language release of the long-running series, which has been on air since 1997.
The new episodes follow Ash, Pikachu and new companion, Go, on their globetrotting adventures, from the Kanto to the Galar region, as Ash embarks on a journey to become a Pokémon Master after his surprising Pokémon League championship win in the last series.
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The Pokémon anime TV series joins a growing list of movie and TV productions affected by COVID-19, including Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series, which originally suspended production for two weeks, Netflix’s The Witcher Season 2, which paused filming in London, and FX’s Fargo Season 4, which was put on hiatus, and as a result, the show’s April 19 premiere date was also pushed.
As we continue to update you on all of the latest industry shifts and delays, please take a look at our resource guide of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Pokémon Anime Put on Hold Due to COVID-19