Produced by 4Kids Entertainment in collaboration with TAJ Productions. This era is defined by the original voice cast and iconic localization choices, such as "jelly donuts" for rice balls (onigiri).
While Sarah Natochenny eventually became beloved and voiced Ash for much longer than the original cast, many fans still hold nostalgia for the "charismatic" performances of the 4Kids era. Major Differences: Dub vs. Sub Pokemon (Dub)
The Pokémon Company International (formerly Pokémon USA) took over production to cut costs. This transition led to a controversial complete recast of the main characters, moving production to DuArt Film and Video and later other partners. Key Voice Cast Transitions Produced by 4Kids Entertainment in collaboration with TAJ