List of banned and skipped episodes

Some episodes of Pokémon have been removed from rotation or, as commonly referred to, banned from the original lineup of episodes.
The episodes that never aired were withdrawn due to natural disasters occurring in the real world that have similarities with content in the episode.
The 4Kids Entertainment episodes were withdrawn from syndication due to stereotypes that may offend a certain ethnicity, religion, or culture. Alternatively, some episodes were banned due to inappropriate content so prevalent that 4Kids most likely believed that no amount of selective editing could ever make these acceptable for distribution on TV or home video, while "TB038" was withdrawn due to strobe light effect problems.
==Globally==
Episode 	Information 	Air Date
Cyber Soldier Porygon 	This episode is infamous for causing many seizures when it first aired. In the part where the seizures were caused, Pikachu, in order to stop some missiles, uses a Thunderbolt attack. This leads to a very large and quick sequence where lights flash at 12 cycles per second and vividly on screen. Some of these lights were strobe lights being flashed at speeds exceeding 12 cycles per second. Many viewers reported dizziness and nausea consequently of this part. 685 people were taken to be hospitalized, although only 150 were kept overnight for observation. Despite rumors, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the viewers suffered lasting injury. The episode has never been shown again and has set guidelines for flashing lights in anime. To remove the infamous episode from the public mind, the character Porygon and its evolutions never again have had roles in the series, but they have made a number of cameo appearances.
When this episode was banned around the world, OLM quickly decided to edit every rapid flashing scene from earlier episodes of the TV series to remove them, and make them darker and slower, to reduce the risk of seizure for epileptic audiences. This was also applied to future episodes.
Veronica Taylor has denied that an unreleased English dub was ever made. However, Maddie Blaustein and Eric Stuart have said otherwise. If this dub exists, it remains unaired and is a big part of the Pokémon franchise tying into lost media.
This led to the production of "Pikachu's Goodbye" in order to resume the series, following the hiatus and the postponing of the following episodes:
*"Holiday Hi-Jynx" - → 
*"Snow Way Out! - → 
*"The Battling Eevee Brothers - → 
*"Wake Up Snorlax! - → 
*"Showdown at Dark City - → 
*"The March of the Exeggutor Squad - → 
*"The Problem with Paras - → 
*"Princess vs. Princess (chronologically occurs between "A Chansey Operation" and "Holy Matrimony!"http://www.city.odawara.kanagawa.jp/__filemst__/5449/sudou.pdf, Pocket Monsters Encore) - → 
*"The Purr-fect Hero (chronologically occurs between "The Breeding Center Secret" and "Riddle Me This") - →	December 16, 1997
Shaking Island Battle! Barboach VS Whiscash!!	This episode revolves around a bunch of Whiscash causing an earthquake. It was removed and never aired anywhere, including Japan, due to its relation to the Chuetsu earthquakes of .	Unaired
Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma! Parts 1 and 2 	Part 1 was set to air in Japan on with Part 2 being scheduled for , however both parts were delayed as a result of an earthquake and tsunami and its relation to the scenes in which Castelia City is being destroyed. By the time Team Plasma finally appeared almost two years later, the episodes had been retconned out of continuity. Despite this, TV Tokyo still said that it planned to air these episodes from its website statement on however this statement was removed in late 2018. According to Tom Wayland, these episodes were sent to the United States to The Pokémon Company International and DuArt to be dubbed into English, however the former had decided against dubbing them as a result of never airing in Japan to date. Many sources have stated that before the episode was going to air, it was banned due to the amount of violence and war like images in the episodes.
As a result, the following announced episode was moved ahead of schedule:
*"Battling for the Love of Bug-Types!" - → March 17	Unaired
==Banned in Japan==
Episode 	Information 	Air date
Pikachu & Pichu	Being the only banned episode/short exclusively banned in Japan, the short was pulled from air after the original narrator, Sakai Noriko, was arrested in 2009 after possession of drugs.	(JP) (US)
===Temporary===
Episode 	Information
A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!	Originally scheduled to air on as the 26th episode of the series between BW025 and the former BW027 (which became the new BW026). This episode was temporarily banned in Japan as it had depicted multiple instances of tragic or unfortunate events including water. This ban was made due to the recovery of the Tohoku Tsunami and Earthquake. The episode featured many forms of water, Ash even falling into a river and almost drowning in one scene. The episode was later put on air at a different time and the episode title and plot in the episode were changed to no longer take place in Castelia City.
As a result, the following announced episode was moved ahead of schedule:
*"Emolga the Irresistible!" - → March 24
An Undersea Place to Call Home! 	Originally scheduled to air as the 24th episode of the series on April 24, 2014, this episode was temporarily banned in both Japan and internationally as it had depicted multiple scenes of ships and submarines. This ban was made due to the sinking of the MV Sewol Ship in South Korea. Ironically, this episode was not changed or put on hold in South Korea, as it made its world debut there in its original order between XY023 and the former XY025 (which became the new XY024). As episodes with short time gaps between airing in Japanese and English are generally dubbed long before they air in Japan, this episode was already dubbed in its original order and temporarily listed on Cartoon Network's listings for season 17 in May 2014 before being replaced with "Climbing the Walls!" the next day. It eventually aired as the 50th episode of the series and in the 18th dub season.
As a result, the following announced episodes were moved ahead of schedule:
*"Climbing the Walls!" - → April 24
*"A Battle by Any Other Name!" - → May 8
*"To Find a Fairy Flower!" - → May 15
*"The Bonds of Evolution!" - → May 22
"Heroes—Friends and Faux Alike!" was originally intended to air on alongside "The Bonds of Evolution!" as a one hour special but ended up airing as a one-hour special with "Mega Revelations!" on the aforementioned date instead.
===Episodes delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic===
While not necessarily considered "banned" episodes due to the reason for their postponement lacking any connection to the content within the episodes, these episodes were temporarily delayed due to the .
Episode 	Information
Panic in the Park! 	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. A rerun of "Enter Pikachu!" was aired instead on that date.
Legend? Go! Friends? Go! 	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. A rerun of "Legend? Go! Friends? Go!" was aired instead on that date.
Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower! 	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. A rerun of "Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower!" was aired instead on that date.
Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown! / Slowking's Crowning!	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. A rerun of "Settling the Scorbunny!" was aired instead on that date.
Toughing It Out! 	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. A rerun of "Mind-Boggling Dynamax!" was aired instead on that date.
Sobbing Sobble! 	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. A rerun of "Working My Way Back to Mew!" was aired instead on that date.
There's a New Kid in Town! 	The episode was originally scheduled to air on , however it was postponed, along with the entire anime, due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. This ended up being the real date !Panic in the Park!! aired.
==Banned in the United States==
Episode 	Information 	Air date
Beauty and The Beach 	This episode revolves around all the female characters entering a swimsuit competition, including James, who, in order to enter, buys a pair of inflatable breasts. The episode is notable for one scene where James is waving his fake breasts in other's faces for comedic effect in order to win the swimming contest. It was eventually dubbed into English with that scene removed during the season break between the broadcast schedules of seasons 2 and 3. It aired as a special that is not part of any of the 52-episode season packages Kids' WB! ordered and for licensees to buy, and therefore is not included on any DVD releases, nor was it shown on any other channel or in any other country.	
The Legend of Dratini 	This episode is banned due to Kaiser (and others) pointing an excessive amount of guns in Ash's face and threatening to shoot him and because of Jessie, James, and Meowth firing several missed shots at Kaiser to catch the Dratini. An English dub was never made because on-the-air networks have to inspect any TV series for anything inappropriate. This left a giant plothole in the series as, in this episode, Ash had caught 30 Tauros, leaving western viewers confused of how he had obtained them.https://www.facebook.com/drew.s.hemmerich/videos/vb.100000054400177/1253089991369469/?type=3&theater 	Unaired
Holiday Hi-Jynx 	This episode was put on hold in the US due to the racial stereotyping of Jynx at the time, in which the episode featured a lot of Jynx together. When Cartoon Network picked up the series, the episode returned to rotation. The episode was previously never banned in other western countries either, as it was aired as part of season 2 as the 10th episode of the Pokémon: Indigo League portion of the season and was available for all licensees who purchase season 2. However it was removed and banned from season 2 in 2014 along with the other two Jynx episodes, shortening it to 49 episodes, and re-releases as of late 2016 that use an expanded version of the season that runs for 60 episodes to the end of Pokémon the Series: The Beginning (including the season 3 portion of the Orange Islands) don't include it either.
The Japanese services of Amazon Prime and Netflix have an edited version that change Jynx's skin color to purple, unlike Hulu Japan and Kids Station reruns which use the black colored skin, however this version was never dubbed in English.	
Stage Fight! 	This episode was banned in the US retroactively as of 2014 due to the small cameo of Jynx. The episode is not mentioned on any form of Pokémon media including Pokémon.com and other sources. 	
The Mandarin Island Miss Match	Similar to TB092: Stage Fight!, the episode was banned in the US retroactively as of 2014 due to the small cameo of Jynx. In spite of the Japanese Amazon Prime service using an edited version that changes its skin color to purple, the version used in the dub has the skin color as black. 	
The Ice Cave! 	The first banned episode in 4 years. This episode is banned because of Jynx's racial stereotype appearance which appears to have offended people in the United States who were African-Americans. In response to an email in 2003 from AK2 on the Serebii forums asking questions about the English dub of the series, 4Kids replied with "No, this episode will never air. The character of Jynx happens to be a controversial Pokemon [sic] here in America that some find offensive." Because of this, no English dub was produced for this episode and was also skipped in most countries around the world whose dubs are based on the English version of the series. 	Unaired
A Touchdown for the Team! 	This is the first episode since "The Ice Cave!" and the first one in the TPCi dub to remain un-dubbed due to inappropriate content, rather than being skipped by TPCi or 4Kids for being a clip show or anything deemed extra, out of the way, and unnecessary for the English version. The most likely reason for this agreed upon among fans is that Ash put on dark face paint reminiscent of the blackface stereotype, which is the same issue that resulted in Jynx episodes being pulled or un-dubbed, while imitating the appearance of Passimian.
This is the only episode never aired in the dub to receive an official English title, with the title "A Touchdown for the Team!" being used by The Pokémon Company in Asia, as can be seen on Netflix in South Korea.	Unaired
===Temporary===
Episode 	Information
Tentacool & Tentacruel	This episode was temporarily withdrawn by Kids' WB! specifically and temporarily in the United States due to the 9/11 attacks, and because the episode features destruction of buildings. However, it is still part of the 52-episode season 1 package for licensees to purchase, and has been shown as a completely standard episode everywhere else, including on US and foreign home video releases, and later channels that would buy the series, such as Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and every other western channel, including POP in the UK. The ban was later lifted in 2005
The Tower of Terror 	This episode was temporarily withdrawn by Kids' WB! specifically and temporarily in the United States due to the 9/11 attacks, and because of what the episode's title implies. However, it is still part of the 52-episode season 1 package for licensees to purchase, and has been shown as a completely standard episode everywhere else, including on US and foreign home video releases, and later channels that would buy the series, such as Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and every other western channel, including POP in the UK. The ban was later lifted in 2005
==Banned in other countries==
Episode 	Information
The Song Of Jigglypuff	This episode was banned in Turkey for unknown reasons. However, this may have been done due to depictions of gambling in the city scene.
The Bicker The Better 	This episode aired normally in the US, but was banned in other countries such as France due to it being based on "A Battle Of The Sexes" kind of theme. Most of the plot is made up of men vs. women (Ash and James V.S May and Jessie) and also features one of the most famous gender-exclusive Pokémon, Nidoking and Nidoqueen. Ironically, this is the only Advanced Generation episode to be banned.
===South Korea===
Various episodes have been skipped by the Korean dub, mainly due to Japanese cultural references. Historically, Japan and Korea had very poor relationships with each other, and Japanese media was banned in South Korea from the time of independence after World War II, until the gradual easing of restrictions between the late 1990s to the mid-2000s. Every episode that has been banned either had overt references to Japanese culture or were also banned in Japan. However, the removal of these episodes usually resulted in continuity errors due to the episodes featuring important plot events such as Ash obtaining Gym Badges. "A Crowning Achievement" through "Hoenn Alone!" were never aired, which caused a major continuity error regarding what happens at the end of Johto, however they are not considered banned as they were skipped for convenience, rather than for content.
Episode 	Information
Challenge of the Samurai 	This episode was banned due to the appearance of a samurai. This is the episode in which Ash's Metapod evolves into Butterfree, resulting in a plot hole.
The Ghost of Maiden's Peak 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Pokémon Scent-sation! 	This episode was banned because Erika was wearing a .
The Ninja Poké-Showdown 	This episode was banned due to the appearance of ninjas.
Riddle Me This 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Bad to the Bone 	This episode was skipped in South Korea.
The Fourth Round Rumble 	This episode was banned because Jeanette Fisher was wearing Japanese clothing.
A Bout With Sprout 	This episode was banned because Sprout Tower resembled traditional Japanese architecture.
Fighting Flyer with Fire 	This episode was banned due to Falkner's traditional Japanese clothing.
Wired For Battle! 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Ariados, Amigos 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
A Ghost of a Chance 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
From Ghost to Ghost 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Trouble's Brewing 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Ring Masters 	This episode was banned because it was focused on .
Doin' What Comes Natu-rally	This episode was skipped in South Korea.
Espeon, Not Included 	This episode was banned because of the frequent appearances of the Kimono Sisters.
For Ho-Oh The Bells Toll! 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Poetry Commotion! 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
Going, Going, Yawn 	This episode was banned due to frequent references of Japanese culture.
==References==
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