5-act anime starring many Pikachu to debut on Thursday

TV Tokyo has confirmed that a new Pikachu one-hour television special will premiere on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The Pocket Monster XY Pikachu the Movie 1 Jikan Special (Pokémon XY: Pikachu the Movie 1-Hour Special) anime will feature a "big outbreak" of Pikachu.

The special will feature five acts: "Pikachu wa Star!? Eiga Debut!!" (Pikachu's a Star?! Movie Debut!), "How to Pikachu the Movie! Yo-i! Action!!" (How to Pikachu the Movie! Reeeady! Action!!), "Jinrai no Hero! Super Pikachu!!" (Thunderclap Hero! Super Pikachu!!), "Pikachu no Doki Doki NG Taishō" (Pikachu's Heart-Pounding No Good Prize), and "Chōsen Pokémon Sky Relay! Tobe Onbat!!" (Challenge Pokémon Sky Relay! Fly, Noibat!!).

The Pokémon Company describes one act of the special:

A big outbreak of Pikachu?! A movie of Pikachu by Pikachu for Pikachu is finally complete! The evil organization Black Pikachu Corps approaches Pikachu Land! Will Super Pikachu really be able to protect the peace of the area?!

TV Tokyo describes two more acts of the special:

"Chōsen Pokémon Sky Relay! Tobe Onbat!!

An aviation race with Pokémon who fly in the sky, and Ash will enter the Pokémon sky relay! Ash contends with Fletchinder, Hawlucha, and Noibat, but Noibat doesn't seem good at flying yet. Will Noibat really be able to fly well?

"Pikachu wa Star!? Eiga Debut!!"

An old man who loves Pikachu is making a movie and chooses Ash's Pikachu to be the leading actor! Ash and friends get super excited when a lot of Pikachu are on set! But because there's insufficient staff and they aren't able to make the story, there's a crisis! Ash and friends rise to the challenge of this crisis!

Atsuhiro Tomioka (Pokémon XY, Inazuma Eleven) is in charge of "series" composition. Kunihiko Yuyama and Tetsuo Yajima are also returning from the Pokémon XY television anime to serve as chief director and director, respectively.