It's almost cliche to mention the foreign versions of music for animation on the Crowner pages, but one must mention just how wonderfully over the top the German Team Rocket is. Yes, James CAN get even campier.
As its lyrics say, the anime's ninth opening theme, Battle Frontier, certainly does overflow with rising power. Full version given for maximum awesome.
No love for its third ending? Nanairo no achi is the most heartwarming ending this troper has seen so far. It's a pleasant reminder that the anime aims to show the main characters' journies together with their pokemon, and having fun and spending time together with them.
"Pokémon - I Choose You!", the Kanto/original series anime variant of the classic title screen theme from the main series games (specifically, Red and Blue's title theme). There have been other similar and amazing anime arrangements of the same theme, such as:
The second and third title variants of the original series.
The first generation had its music reserved for awesome scenes, too. Basically the regular Gym theme with better guitar licks. Always accompanied a Big Damn Heroes moment.
It has a remix, Pokémon Gym (Version 2). Say what you will about the series, but with music like this you can't deny that it has its awesome moments.
The original Team Rocket Motto Theme, maybe not before the Villain Decay set in (that happened very quickly) but certainly from when they were threatening at least. And it shows in the music.
This anime version of Route 1 is short, but to-the-point. This take on the first generation's credits theme too.
Any time the anime used a remixed version of the game music. Listen to the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh wild Pokémon battle themes.
Namida, Nochi Hare/Tears After the Cloudy Weather. Not to mention it always accompanies a Crowning Moment that normally manages both Heartwarming and Awesome at once. Notable examples are Pikachu charging through the lightning to defend Ash in the first episode, the Pokemon breaking out to save Ash's life in "Snow Way Out," and Charizard waking up to see Ash massaging him out of an Ice Beam in "Charizard Chills."
After an extremely long wait, a badly needed BGM set has come out with some new anime arrangement tracks that were never released:
Special mention goes to the outstandinginstrumental version of "OK!", which was used as background music during the epic showdown between Ash's Charizard and Gary's Blastoise in the 271st Pokémon episode, Playing with Fire!, as well as other Johto-era episodes. The fandom was practically in tears when this track finally got an official release on CD.
I Got a Victory Badge. Especially after the 50-second mark. Three guesses as to what point that's used in.
Every single Elite Four battle theme:
Kanto - also does double duty as the Gym battle. *
This theme was only used for the Elite Four in the games in FR/LG, but it still counts for this section.
No mention of the BGM for Best Wishes/Black & White yet? The remix of the Gym Leader's Last Pokemon theme is particularly epic; especially noteworthy is it's use during Ash's fifth gym battle.
It was actually changed from the Japanese version which is stunning too.
The whole thing is amazing, but it's the solo flute at the end...
Tears of Life from the first movie. Perhaps the most well-done instrumental piece in Pokémon history.
That music was only in the dub version of the movie, and apparently it actually made the original Japanese developers of the film tear up. You know you've made dub music history if that happens!
"Brother My Brother", another great dub-song-change/Tear Jerker. Some people think it's unfitting since it plays during a fight to the death, but one has to actually listen to the lyrics. It's not a song about brotherly love, it's a song about how there should be brotherly love instead of what's actually happening: a war in which brothers kill each other. In that light, it is very fitting for the moment, particularly when it comes to Pikachu's train of thought.
Chiisaki Mono. Made even more awesome when you factor in that Asuca Hayashi was 14 years old at the time the song was released.
They even adapted it into English as Make a Wish, including transitioning in and out of the original seamlessly. Wow. We seriously need more bilingual songs like that.
Search for the Girl from Pokemon: Heroes. You normally have to be Weird Al to sound this awesome with an accordion.
