Television

050Diglett.png This article is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Missing sections within shows in the Pokémon world, HGSS

TV redirects here. For the video service providing episodes for the Pokémon animated series, see Pokémon TV.

Television, or TV, refers both to systems typically used for broadcasting programs for the purposes of entertainment, education, and information, as well as the devices that receive television signals and display them as audio and video on a screen, often seen as part of the furniture in houses or other buildings in the Pokémon world. TV sets debuted in Generation I, and while they have always been interactable, they were merely decorative setpieces until Generation III, in which they provide more in-game uses. They have also appeared in the Pokémon animated series.

Johanna watching television

In the games

Prior to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the games featured non-widescreen CRT TVs. Diamond and Pearl replaced them with widescreen CRT TVs, and a widescreen flat-panel TV can be found at the Villa in Pokémon Platinum. Flat-screen TVs became the standard model starting in Pokémon Black and White.

Kanto and Johto

Television in Red and Blue

In the Generation I games and their Generation III remakes, according to the player's Mom, it was said on TV that all boys leave home someday (if the player is male) or that all girls dream of traveling (if the player is female).

The TV in the player's house displays a movie. Other televisions in these games were merely for decoration purposes. Televisions normally appeared in residential houses. In Generation I, televisions are in the middle of the room.

In Johto, the Goldenrod Radio Tower broadcasts radio programs.

Games Player Quote Movie
RBY Red "There's a movie on TV. Four boys are walking on railroad tracks. I better go too." Stand by Me[1]
GSC Ethan or Kris "There's a movie on TV: Stars dot the sky as two boys ride on a train... I'd better get rolling too!" Night on the Galactic Railroad
FRLG Red "There's a movie on TV. Four boys are walking on railroad tracks. ...I better go, too." Stand by Me
Leaf "There's a movie on TV. A girl with her hair in pigtails is walking up a brick road. …I better go, too." The Wizard of Oz
HGSS Ethan or Lyra "The TV is playing a movie! Two boys are in a cave searching for treasure! I better get going..." The Goonies
SMUSUM Elio or Selene "They are showing a movie on TV. The scene is showing four boys walking down a set of railroad tracks... But it's time you get going!" Stand by Me
PE Chase "They are showing a movie on TV. The scene is showing four boys walking down a set of railroad tracks... But it's time you got going!" Stand by Me
Elaine "They are showing a movie on TV. The scene is showing a girl with her hair in pigtails walking up a brick road... But it's time you got going!" The Wizard of Oz

Alternate versions

These are the movies seen at the TV in other languages, whenever they are different from English.

Games Language Player Quote Movie
RBY French Red "Un dessin animé! Un petit garçon avec une queue de singe."
("An animated cartoon! A little boy with a monkey tail.")
Dragon Ball
FRLG French Red "Y'a un gars cool dans un taxi."
("There's a cool guy in a taxi.")
Taxi
Leaf "C'est le Seigneur des Agneaux."[sic]
("It's the Lord of the Lambs.")
The Lord of the Rings
The Silence of the Lambs
PE French Chase "Un garçon aux cheveux brun brandit une baguette magique."
("A brown-haired boy brandishes a magic wand.")
Harry Potter
Elaine "Une jeune femme se bat avec un sabre bleu."
("A young woman fights with a blue saber.")
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Teachy TV

Bag Teachy TV Sprite.png
Main article: Teachy TV

The Teachy TV, which exists only in FireRed and LeafGreen, airs the Poké Dude Show, where a character called the Poké Dude instructs the player on basic gameplay elements like how to catch Pokémon and how to battle.

Hoenn

Generation III

See also: Hoenn TV

Television returned in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, replacing Generation II's radio broadcasts and served a purpose, unlike the Generation I TVs. They were present in most houses in Hoenn, but had a limited function, only showing programs when an event occurs, such as swarming Pokémon, or when the player changes a Pokémon's nickname at the Name Rater. They may also show interviews with the player character, who answers by selecting words from a drop-down list. When a program is airing, the television screen will flash, and will not cease flashing until the program has been watched. If an event has not happened to activate a television program, the screen will remain blank and the phrase "Mom/Dad might like this program... better get going!" will be played. The programming is organized by Hoenn TV.

Player's house

The following program only displays on the lower floor. The TV does not flash for this program in Emerald.

There is a movie on TV. Two men are dancing on a big piano keyboard. Better get going!

This is a reference to the movie Big.

Generation VI

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check if some are only unlocked after a certain point (such as entering the Hall of Fame)

All programs that were shown on televisions in the Generation III games are now shown on the BuzzNav by TV Mauville. Televisions instead show programs similar to those seen in Unova and Kalos.

Shows that are broadcast include:

  • KOUKAN TALK
  • PokéQuiz
  • I-See News
  • The Ability Warrior: Poké Ranger!
  • Items with Nadia (this show is not given a title)
  • What's That?
  • Unova Sports Spectacular!
  • The Pokémon Whisperer
  • Best of Sinnoh TV
  • Trouble Talk
Shows
For information on the other shows, please check their respective headings below this section.
What's That?

What's That? follows a reporter and a Watchog named Watchy Watchog as they find and identify held items.

Lady: Hello! It's time for the "What's That?" show, where we talk about wonderful items! Today we are talking about the <item>! Watchy Watchog, have you heard of the/do you know about <item>?
Watchy: Tch tch cha! (...<Watchy's translated answer>...)
Lady: Amazing! You do* know it!/Don't spill it! OK, well, I'll explain it anyway! <Explanation>
Watchy: Tch tch cha! (…<Watchy's translated reaction>…)
Trouble Talk

Trouble Talk is a program hosted by Roman mainly for giving advice to teens who send in troubles. In response to each letter, Roman would mention a Gym Leader to support his answer.

Roman: ‘Suuuuuup, y’all! It’s time for me to help all y’all troubled teens with your traumas, like totally! It’s Trouble Talk time! Lessee…

Decorations

Main article: List of decorations in Generation III
Main article: List of Decorations in Generation VI
The Cute TV

Toy TVs are sold at Lilycove Department Store during their Clearance Sale and can be used to decorate Secret BasesRSE or Super-Secret BasesORAS.

Image Name Price
RSE ORAS
TVSprite.png TV VI.png TV $3,000
RoundTVSprite.png Round TV VI.png Round TV $4,000
CuteTVSprite.png Cute TV VI.png Cute TV $4,000

Sinnoh

Main article: TV programming in Sinnoh → Jubilife TV programs
Television in Diamond and Pearl
The Villa TV

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, television screens flash constantly. Jubilife TV produces many television programs broadcast all around the Sinnoh region, including the Trend Tracker show, Trainer Research, and Sinnoh Now. Each program includes information about events happening around Sinnoh, including swarming Pokémon and weather affecting different routes. They may also contain information about the player which can be customized by speaking to a number of interviewers which can be found scattered around the region. Like in the previous generation, the answers to the interviewers' questions are limited, but more answers can be added by learning trendy phrases in Snowpoint City. At the conclusion of each program, a series of advertisements can be watched.

The events of the main storyline in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are encouraged by a television program, The Search for the Red Gyarados. Later, at the Survival Area, the player will encounter the cameraman responsible for this story. In Pokémon Platinum, this person can be found blocking the entrance to Lake Valor hoping to see Azelf before Team Galactic detonates the Galactic Bomb there.

There is also a TV in the Old Chateau which contains a wild Rotom at night (after obtaining the National Pokédex in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and at any time in Platinum).

Additionally, a toy TV can be used to decorate Secret Bases in the Underground. In Pokémon Platinum, a TV can be purchased as furniture for the Villa.

Unova

In Pokémon Black and White, televisions show a variety of different programs. The type of television shows that are broadcast at any particular instance depend on the in-game time.

For the first ten minutes of every hour, documentaries and a cartoon focusing on the player character are broadcast. Each program acts as a view of in-game statistics, telling the player how many times they have had a Pokémon flee, how much money they have spent at shops, how many Trainers and Pokémon they have defeated, and so on.

From ten minutes past to thirty-five minutes past each hour, educational shows are broadcast. These are "The Waving Weaving Walk", which describes various Abilities; "Moves for Living", which describes various moves that are new to the game; and "What's That?", which inspects held items that are new to the games.

For the last twenty-five minutes of each hour, other shows such as human interest pieces are broadcast; these include "Eyes on Unova", "Your Pokémon", "Personality Assessment and Horoscope", "National Gymquirer", and "Unova News". Other programs shown at this time are "Koukan Talk", which teaches Japanese in the North American games; and "PokéQuiz", which quizzes three kids on the Japanese names of Pokémon. There are even infomercials advertising overpriced items.

In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, all the previous shows are retained, and new shows, such as "The Pokémon Whisperer" and "The Pokémon Live Sports Broadcast" have been added. Instead of airing programs based on the hour, the player can choose from three channels to watch: Celebrity, Battle, and Variety.

The flat-screen TV Décor

In Pokémon Dream World, a flat-screen TV based on the one in the player's house in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 was available as Décor from April 4 to May 28, 2013 to Japanese users who input a password.

x:00–x:09

During the first ten minutes of the hour, the TV shows are about various statistics about the player, such as how many times they have used the move Struggle.

Pokémon Trainer <player>
It's the cartoon "Pokémon Trainer <player>"
It’s the success story of the rookie Pokémon Trainer, <player>, who set out on a journey to become the Champion a year ago!
It's the cartoon "Pokémon Trainer <player>"
<episode number>: <episode name>
Our story begins...and then things happen...
And a year later, <statistic>
The Best Day
The Number One

x:10–x:34

For the next 25 minutes, shows on Abilities, moves, and items are broadcast.

Moves for Living

Moves for Living is a program that explains what a move introduced in Generation V does and how it can be used in everyday life. The Professor is Dr. Technic Al'Machine, a professor at Castelia University.

The Waving Weaving Walk

The Waving Weaving Walk show, known as Wawalk for short, is a program that focuses on Abilities.

What's That?

What's That? follows a reporter and a Watchog named Watchy Watchog as they find and identify held items introduced in Generation V.

Lady: Hello! It's time for the "What's That?" show, were we talk about wonderful items!
Today we are talking about the <item>!
Watchy Watchog, have you heard of the <item>?
Watchy: Tch tch cha! (...<Watchy's translated answer>...)
Lady: Amazing! You do know it!/Don't spill it!/Hm... Maybe you don't know it? OK, well, I'll explain it anyway!
<Description>
<Host's extra comment>
Watchy: Tch tch cha! (...<Watchy's translated reaction>...)

x:35–x:59

Eyes on Unova

Eyes on Unova is a program about a certain resident of Unova.

Host: Today, on “Eyes on Unova,” we will introduce you to:
KOUKAN TALK

KOUKAN TALK is a program hosted by Azusa or Toru that explains how to use the Japanese language on certain occasions.

The National Gymquirer

The National Gymquirer collects gossip about Gym Leaders.

Personality Assessment and Horoscope
Main article: Horoscope

Personality Assessment and Horoscope is a program that talks about horoscopes and what they mean. It also mentions what item the person should hold, presumably for good luck.

PokéQuiz

PokéQuiz is a television program that asks three kids to identify the Japanese equivalent of a Pokémon's English name.

Host: Welcome to “PokéQuiz,” where we quiz kids who love Pokémon, but don’t like language lessons, on the Japanese names of Pokémon! <Pokémon introduction with hint>
Quill: Oh! It's <guess 1>!
Ill: I know! It's <guess 2>!
Zill: Oh yeah! It's <guess 3>!
Host: <Answer>

In the Japanese version of the games, the show is titled (Japanese: ポケQポン Poké-Q-Pon), and the host instead asks the kids to identify the English equivalent of a Pokémon's Japanese name.

Unova News

Unova News is a news program that brings stories of numerous kinds.

Your Pokémon

Your Pokémon is a program about Pokémon who have unique traits, such as eating lots of food.

Advertisements

These are infomercials that try and offer up overpriced items to the viewer watching.

Kalos

In Pokémon X and Y, televisions show a variety of different programs. Unlike in Generation V, the television shows that are broadcast do not depend on the in-game time and are completely random (though the player will never watch the same program twice in a row). If the player watches the same television and does not exit the room, repeats of an episode they have already watched won't reappear. If all episodes of a program have been watched, the television broadcast will skip that program entirely and move on to another un-watched program; these cannot be viewed again until the player exits the room.

Shows that are broadcast include:

  • KOUKAN TALK
  • PokéQuiz
  • Gym Freaks
  • I-See News
  • The Ability Warrior: Poké Ranger!
  • Items with Nadia (this show is not given a title)
  • What's That?
  • Unova Sports Spectacular!
  • The Pokémon Whisperer
  • Best of Sinnoh TV

Shows

Gym Freaks

In Gym Freaks, the Gym Leader that the host April reports on will always be rotated around in a certain order every time, moving in Badge order from the beginning. Each Gym Leader has two different possible commentaries, and after one of these is watched the other one can be viewed after cycling though the other Gym Leaders until the player returns to the same Gym Leader they started with.

April: Hello! It’s time for Gym Freaks, your source for the hottest news about hot Gym Leaders in Kalos.
That’s all for the on-site report. Good-bye for now, everyone.
I-See News

I-See News is a program that explains and comments on certain moves.

Thank you for tuning in to I-See News. James Movesworth reporting. Today, let's/we'll learn about <move>.
  • For most moves:
First, let me explain what kind of move <move> is. <Description>
  • For False Swipe and Retaliate:
Let’s start by looking at what kind of move <move> is. <Description>
  • For Grass Knot, Mystical Fire, Spiky Shield, U-turn, and Water Shuriken:
First, let’s take a look at what kind of move <move> is. <Description>
Guest: <Question>
James Movesworth: Good. That's a very good question…/Wooah— ♪ Good. That's a very good point… <Answer>
Guest:
  • For most moves:
It seems we can use it in everyday life, doesn't it?
  • For False Swipe:
Would you say we can use it in daily life?
  • For Grass Knot and U-turn:
Would you say there’s any way we can use it in everyday life?
  • For Retaliate:
Would you say it’s something we could use in everyday life?
James Movesworth: That's right./Indeed! For example… <Example> That's all for today. See you next week!* Until then, good-bye.
The Ability Warrior: Poké Ranger!

The Ability Warrior: Poké Ranger! is a superhero program that talks about Abilities as embodied by villains.

Items with Nadia

This program talks about items and their effects. No formal title is given for this program.

Nadia: Ciao! My name is Nadia. I'm a Rising Star! What I have in my Bag today is a/an* <item>. A/An* <item> is a/an <praise> item!/Safety Googles are very useful! <Description> I wish it/they had the same effect on me, too*… <Reason> Let's have a great day, everybody!
Unova Sports Spectacular!

Unova Sports Spectacular! is a program about sporting events between or with Pokémon in the Unova region.

The Pokémon Whisperer

The Pokémon Whisperer is a program about a Pokémon Breeder named Paul and the Pokémon he takes care of.

Best of Sinnoh TV

Best of Sinnoh TV broadcasts The Diary of a Poké Romantic, a telenovela program documenting the romances and adventures of an unnamed girl.

Best of Sinnoh TV

Kitakami

Television in The Teal Mask

In The Teal Mask expansion of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there is a television monitor in the Mossui Town community center lounge that displays a video showing scenes from around the land of Kitakami.

In animation

Pokémon the Series

Television has been present in Pokémon the Series since the beginning of the first episode, in which Ash saw a Pokémon League battle and Professor Oak's pre-journey lecture on television. Ash and his traveling companions have met several television interviewers and film producers on their journeys, but televisions remained largely unseen until Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire.

In Spell of the Unown, a TV news crew reported live as Greenfield was gradually enveloped in crystal.

When he first met Ash in There's no Place Like Hoenn!, Max mentioned watching the Silver Conference on television and thus learned a lot about him. Several characters mention watching Pokémon Contests and Grand Festival tournaments on TV. Pokémon League Conferences and Pokémon Showcases are also popular events. In addition, several smaller Pokémon competitions are broadcast on television, such as battles against the Champion, the Pokémon Dress-Up Contest, the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, the Pokémon Baccer World Cup, and Pokémon Base games.

Like in the games, Sinnoh Now is broadcast in the Sinnoh region. Marian also hosts a TV show about Pokémon Contests. In When Pokémon Worlds Collide!, Dawn reveals Professor Oak hosts a poetry show. The game show Sinnoh Pokémon Hustle is also very popular in the region.

Alola broadcasts its Battle Royal matches to audiences across the region. The Masked Royal, as well as the Revengers crew, including Mad Magmar and Mr. Electric, are often featured in the coverage. Jessie and James sometimes host the events.

Alola TV has been providing television service to all four Alolan islands for 55 years. Laki stars in the popular Alolan Detective Laki series. The show was revealed to have begun filming for its fifth season in Bright Lights, Big Changes!. George Charino is its producer. In This Magik Moment!, Sophocles was a contestant in an episode of the game show Alola Pokémon Quiz. Charino also produces shows such as Little Magikarp Melody and Thirst-Three, also known as The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols, a magical girl superhero show whose leads were unavailable to film an episode so Mallow, Lana, and Lillie filled in.

Trivia

  • At the start of the GOTCHA! animated music video, four characters resembling the protagonists of Stand by Me are seen walking along a railroad. This is a reference to the film played on TV in the Generation I games and their later remakes.

In other languages

Language Title
France Flag.png French Télévision
Germany Flag.png German Fernsehsendungen
Italy Flag.png Italian Televisione
Portugal Flag.png Portuguese Televisão
Spain Flag.png Spanish Televisión

References

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Mortality: IllnessDeathGhosts
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