Studio Chromato and Studio Colorido Release New POKÉTOON Short About Wartortle
The short marks Yamashita's return to the Pokémon franchise after his directorial film debut with Cosmic Princess Kaguya, and it is the first POKÉTOON entry from the newly formed Studio Chromato in collaboration with Studio Colorido.
Key Facts
- The POKÉTOON short "Kameil to Natsu no Tsuzuku" premiered on the official Pokémon YouTube channel on August 12.
- Shingo Yamashita directed the short at Studio Chromato and Studio Colorido.
- The cast includes Sayaka Senbongi as Rikuto, Kana Hanazawa as Wartortle, and Tasuku Hatanaka as Gaku.
- The Wartortle in the short has a differently colored tail and a moss-covered shell, and it was friends with Rikuto's father 30 years earlier.
- Yamashita previously directed Pokémon: Twilight Wings in 2020 and the 2021 POKÉTOON episode "Yume no Tsubomi."
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner.
The Pokémon Company released a new POKÉTOON short titled "Kameil to Natsu no Tsuzuku" (Wartortle and the Ongoing Summer) on its official YouTube channel on August 12. Shingo Yamashita, known for his opening direction on JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 1 and Chainsaw Man Season 1, directed the short at Studio Chromato and Studio Colorido. The story follows a boy named Rikuto who visits his grandmother on an island at the end of summer and meets a Wartortle with a differently colored tail and a moss-covered shell. The Wartortle turns out to have been friends with Rikuto's father 30 years earlier. Aya Satsuki wrote the script, Riiki Miura designed the characters and served as chief animation director, and Kyosuke Kagawa composed the music. The cast includes Sayaka Senbongi as Rikuto, Kana Hanazawa as Wartortle, Tasuku Hatanaka as Gaku, Akiko Hiramatsu as Shuri, Natsumi Haruse as Leafeon, and Michiyo Murase as Bellsprout. Yamashita previously directed Pokémon: Twilight Wings in 2020 and the 2021 POKÉTOON episode "Yume no Tsubomi," both animated by Studio Colorido.
The short premiered as part of the POKÉTOON series, which has previously featured works from various studios. Yamashita's involvement brings a track record of high-profile opening sequences, including work on URUSEI YATSURA. The storyboard and episode direction were handled by Glens Sou, also known as Miyazaki Sou, with prop design and animation direction by Yoshifumi Hagano. Art direction came from Kunihiko Inaba, color design from Natsuko Otsuka, and photography direction from Junko Sakai. Akane Maeda served as sound director. The short's narrative centers on Rikuto's summer visit, where the Wartortle's unusual appearance and its connection to his father's childhood create a family link across three decades. The Pokémon Company has been expanding its animated output, including a Dragonite-focused short by CoMix Wave Films released on Pokémon Day in 2025. The new short is now streaming on the official Pokémon YouTube channel.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.