Different countries pronounce it differently. I for one when listening to the new Battle Fronteir theme tune didn't hear a difference in pronounciation. Maybe because I always pronounce the way they do even when 4kids were in control I pronounced Pokemon that way. To be honest I must not understand the American accent that well due to living in Australia because from listening to 4kids VA's I still hear "Pok-eh-mon".=/
There are some words in America that sound different to me. Like when my mum heard other words said one way and I've heard it differently. Though sometimes I'm the one who hears it right and my mum hears it wrong.=P
I can understand Australian shows perfectly but American stuff seem to have have some strange pronunciation of things to me. It's just how it works and really you can call this a debate similar to (tom-ay-to and tom-ar-toe or y-oh-gurt and yog-et or c-ar-stle and c-a-stle). These are things I've seen debated in Australia from people of different cultures.
Now I can debate to my Japanese friend about the pronunciation of Pikachu. You get what I mean.=P
I've had a English teacher once that was so Australian proud that she stated that how the Americans pronounced the words were wrong and Australia pronounced them right. She wouldn't even let us spell some words the American way even when most English teachers ( I've had after that) allow you either way now days.
I didn't like her anyway because she was too strict and really didn't know much about the course in the end. I learnt more from the other teachers.=P
Also as for Pikachu. the Amercan VA's (4kids) do pronounce it differently. It's hard to tell but they do. I do understand what the American Ash says clearly and now imitate the pronounciation of Pikachu from that.
How I know is that I have a Japanese friend who came here straight from Japan to do a course. I help her with her English at times. Though when I mentioned about Pikachu she told me that it's interesting that I pronounce Pikachu differently. She repeated what my pronounciation was and said hers. Practically the pronounication I said was the pronounciation that I've been hearing the character say for years.=P
So pronounciation doesn't bother me anymore. I don't care how Pokemon USA pronounces it as long as it sounds close to what the name is.
