The Pokémon anime, often referred to as just "the anime" by many Pokémon fans, is a collective term referring to currently 1,232 main series episodes, 23 movies, and a number of side stories, all focusing on Pokémon. The anime debuted on April 1, 1997 in Japan; the English dub debuted on September 7, 1998 in North America.
The anime until Pokémon Journeys: The Series focused on the story of Ash Ketchum, a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, and his journey toward his ultimate goal of being a Pokémon Master, his many friends, and most especially his Pokémon, whom he considers his partners and friends. Though the anime is ultimately based upon the games and draws heavily from them, many concepts which are only touched on the games are spun in a unique way, and expanded on. The following series, Pokémon Horizons: The Series, features an all-new cast of characters and focuses on the story of two young Trainers named Liko and Roy.
As of the end of March 31, 2024, the anime has aired in 192[1] different countries and regions in over 30 languages. It is available on Netflix in 217 countries with different dubs and subtitles, and all countries except Japan and South Korea have at least English audio.[2]
The Pokémon Company International usually refers to the anime as the "Pokémon animated series" or "Pokémon television series". Some event Pokémon based on Pokémon from the anime have their location set as "the Pokémon cartoon" in the English version of the games. The television series is referred to as Pokémon the Series (Japanese: テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」シリーズ TV Anime "Pocket Monsters" Series), although this typically does not include the Pokémon movies.
Overview
For the first 26 years of the anime, Ash was the central character, making his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master known to all he meets. Though initially, he only became a Pokémon Trainer with the goal of beating his rival, Gary Oak, the many Pokémon Ash met over his journey showed him what being a Pokémon Master really is. Unlike most Trainers from Pallet, and indeed, unlike players of Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Ash did not start his journey with Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, as he arrived late to Professor Oak's lab to receive his first partner Pokémon. Instead, Ash was given the only Pokémon Oak had left to give, a Pikachu that did not enjoy being inside his Poké Ball. From there, Ash learned to treat his Pokémon as partners, earning Pikachu's trust by keeping him safe from a flock of Spearow he angered.
During his time as a protagonist, Ash journeyed across all eight of the regions that appear in the core series Pokémon games, as well as the Orange Archipelago, a region he visited before beginning his journey in Johto until it was closer in time to the real-world release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. In the regions outside of Galar, he battled against the local Gym Leaders for their Badges, just like the players of the core series games, to compete in the regional Pokémon League, a championship tournament, rather than five battles straight against the Elite Four and Champion. While his initial strategy was to continue using the same party over the course of his journey, letting some Pokémon go when they were required to do something or wanted to train, beginning with his journey in Hoenn, he changed his strategy and used only those Pokémon which he has caught in the region, alongside Pikachu, to battle against Gym Leaders, with his explanation to Dawn being that he wanted to prove to the young, unevolved Pokémon he meets in each new region that they can win if they try.
Over the course of his run as the protagonist of the series, Ash had several friends who traveled with him, typically across one region, and assisted him in his journey as much as he assisted in theirs. Misty, the Gym Leader from Cerulean City in the games, joined him in the original series, as did Brock, Pewter City's Gym Leader, in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Tracey Sketchit, an amateur Pokémon Watcher, joined Ash during his Orange Archipelago journey, but left him on Ash's return to Pallet to become an assistant to Professor Oak, his hero. May and Dawn, rookie Coordinators, joined Ash for the duration of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, respectively; in these series, he mentored them much as Brock and Misty did him, while Max, May's brother, who is too young to own Pokémon, looked up to Ash for the duration of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire. Iris and Cilan traveled with Ash in Pokémon the Series: Black & White. Inventor Clemont, his sister Bonnie, and Ash's childhood friend Serena traveled with Ash in Pokémon the Series: XY. Like Max, Bonnie is too young to own Pokémon, but cared for her brother's Dedenne. In Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Ash attended the Pokémon School instead of traveling around the Alola region. As such, his new friends—Lillie, Mallow, Kiawe, Lana, and Sophocles—were not traveling companions but classmates. In his last series as the protagonist, Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Ash's sole new traveling companion was Goh, a Trainer aiming to catch every Pokémon species in the world, with his ultimate goal being to catch the Mythical Pokémon Mew.
Pokémon Horizons: The Series does not feature Ash as the protagonist, unlike the previous series, instead focusing on new protagonists named Liko and Roy.
The anime is produced in Japan by OLM in association with ShoPro and JR Kikaku and airs on TV Tokyo nearly every week, with the exception of a four-month hiatus after the Porygon incident and a seven-week hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the Porygon incident, the show aired every Tuesday at 6:30 PM. The show returned afterwards at 7 PM on Thursdays. From April 7, 2016, to September 13, 2018, it instead began five minutes earlier at 6:55 PM on Thursdays. Since October 7, 2018 to September 29, 2020, the show aired each Sunday at 6 PM. From October 9, 2020, the show airs each Friday at 6:55 PM. Many fans consider the dialogue and events mentioned in the Japanese version to be the "true canon", while the various dubs are regarded to be overridden if something stated in them differs from something said in a Japanese episode.
In Japan, the anime is divided into eight series: Pocket Monsters, Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation, Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl, Pocket Monsters Best Wishes, Pocket Monsters XY, Pocket Monsters Sun & Moon, Pocket Monsters, and Pocket Monsters. Outside of it, it has been divided into nine series: Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, Pokémon the Series: Gold & Silver, Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon the Series: Black & White, Pokémon the Series: XY, Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon, Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and Pokémon Horizons: The Series. The episodes are also further divided into seasons spanning roughly 52 episodes, and currently numbering 26. This concept of a television season was first embraced by the Japanese source with the inclusion of an explicitly second season to Best Wishes.
The show is mainly aimed at children, and as such, mature topics such as death are not often brought up, though sometimes they appear in some episodes, and most notably in movies. Many Pokémon that are implied to be violent or sinister in the games are also made to be less aggressive. There are generally some references meant for adults, though these are kept to a minimum especially outside of Japan.
Television series
Original series
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Pokémon the Series: XY
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Side stories
Movies
- Main article: Pokémon movie
Since 1998 in Japan, and since 1999 in the US, a Pokémon movie has been released annually, most often focusing on a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon. These films are almost always a large success in Japan, and remain at least somewhat successful in the United States and other countries, having been aired on television as a special since the ninth movie, with the first five movies receiving wide releases and later films occasionally receiving limited releases.
The movies are not considered by all people to be canon to the show, with some preferring to think of them occurring in an alternate timeline. This theory comes from the fact that Ash and his friends do not seem to be profoundly affected in the show by the events of the movies, which tend to have a lot of peril and drama. Others, however, see the movies as being akin to filler episodes, as none of their parties change, and no Gym Leaders are defeated nor Pokémon Contests won. This is presumably the correct interpretation, as not only have most of the events of the movies been referenced at least peripherally in the show, but also, several of the events of even major episodes have been forgotten by the writers of later episodes.
Original series
| Japan | Pikachu Project | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese title | Release date | English title | Release date | |
 ミュウツーの逆襲 Mewtwo's Counterattack | July 18, 1998 |  Pikachu Project 1998 |  Mewtwo Strikes Back | November 12, 1999 |
 幻のポケモン ルギア爆誕 Phantom Pokémon: Lugia's Explosive Birth | July 17, 1999 | Pikachu Project 1999 |  The Power of One | July 21, 2000 |
 結晶塔の帝王爆誕 Emperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei | July 8, 2000 | Pikachu Project 2000 |  Spell of the Unown: Entei | April 6, 2001 |
 セレビィ時を超えた遭遇 Celebi: An Encounter Through Time | July 7, 2001 | Pikachu Project 2001 |  Celebi: The Voice of the Forest | October 11, 2002 |
 水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス Guardian Gods of the City of Water: Latias and Latios | July 13, 2002 | Pikachu Project 2002 |  Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias | May 16, 2003 |
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Pokémon the Series: XY
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
| Japan | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese title | Release date | English title | Release date |
 ココ Koko | December 25, 2020 (Originally July 10, 2020) |  Secrets of the Jungle | October 8, 2021 |
Other anime series
As the franchise progressed, other animated features, set outside the main series' canon, have been produced. These are often made to promote a new generation or game.
Miniseries
Core series tie-ins
| Feature | Japanese run | English run |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Origins | October 2, 2013 | November 15–22, 2013 |
 Pokémon Generations | December 9, 2016 - February 2, 2017 | September 16 - December 23, 2016 |
 Pokémon: Twilight Wings | January 15 - August 6, 2020 (TW01 - TW07) November 5, 2020 (TW08) | January 15 - August 6, 2020 (TW01 - TW07) November 17, 2020 (TW08) |
 Pokémon Evolutions | September 9 - December 23, 2021 | September 9 - December 23, 2021 |
 Pokémon: Hisuian Snow | May 18 - June 22, 2022 | May 18 - June 22, 2022 |
 Pokémon: Paldean Winds | September 6, 2023 - December 13, 2023 | September 6, 2023 - December 13, 2023 |
Spin-off series tie-ins
TCG tie-ins
Misc
| Feature | Japanese run | English run |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Shorts | November 22, 2016 - June 16, 2021 | November 22, 2016 - June 16, 2021 |
 POKÉTOON | June 4, 2020 (PT01) May 5, 2021 - December 28, 2021 | June 17, 2022 - August 5, 2022 |
 The Adventures of Snorlax & Cubone | December 8–29, 2023 | December 8–29, 2023 |
 Pokémon Concierge | December 28, 2023 | December 28, 2023 |
 Pokémon Animated Encyclopedia | N/A | N/A |
Standalone specials
Mystery Dungeon
Other spin-offs
Hoopa's Surprise Ring Adventures
Misc
Animated trailers
Core series tie-ins
Other spin-offs
Misc
Animated music videos
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 GOTCHA! | September 29, 2020 | September 29, 2020 |
 Pokémon 25 Virtual Concert | February 27, 2021 | February 27, 2021 |
 Piplup Step | November 3, 2021 | N/A |
 It'll be fine! | January 14, 2022 | N/A |
 Celestial | September 29, 2022 | September 29, 2022 |
 One and Only | July 12, 2023 | July 12, 2023 |
 Pokémon Party | August 4, 2023 | August 4, 2023 |
 Ghost Dive | September 20, 2023 | N/A |
 The Pokémon Inside My Heart | October 20, 2023 | N/A |
 Biri-Biri | November 18, 2023 | December 4, 2023 |
 You're sleeping soundly, Snorlax! | February 16, 2024 | N/A |
 POKÉDANCE | February 27, 2024 | February 27, 2024 |
 Glorious Day | March 9, 2024 | N/A |
Variety shows
These are Pokémon variety shows that air on Japanese television.
| Japanese name | Run |
|---|---|
 ポケットモンスター アンコール Pocket Monsters Encore | October 19, 1999 — September 17, 2002 |
 週刊ポケモン放送局 Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station | October 15, 2002 — September 28, 2004 |
 ポケモン☆サンデー Pokémon Sunday | October 3, 2004 — September 26, 2010 |
 ポケモンスマッシュ！ Pokémon Smash! | October 3, 2010 — September 29, 2013 |
 ポケモンゲット☆TV Pokémon Get☆TV | October 6, 2013 — September 27, 2015 |
 ポケモンの家あつまる？ Meet Up at the Pokémon House? | October 4, 2015 — March 27, 2022 |
 ポケモンとどこいく！？ Where are We Going With Pokémon!? | April 3, 2022 — present |
Trivia
- Animator Masāki Iwane 岩根正明 once stated that the anime was originally slated for a 1½-year run, which corresponds approximately to the length of the Kanto region saga (had it not been delayed due to the Porygon incident).[3] Due to its popularity during the run, however, the show was extended and continues to be one of the longest running video game-based anime series.
- During the early episodes of the original series, Japanese text was seen quite frequently on signs and buildings as well as objects. This usually resulted in the English dubbed version (and thus, foreign dubs based on it) painting out the text or converting it to English.
- During the Johto saga, the animators acknowledged the practice of painting out the Japanese text in the English dub. As a result, they used made-up symbols slightly similar to the Latin script instead of Japanese text, so it would be universal to all languages and would not have to be edited for the English localization.
- During Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, the animators used a new style of symbols that appear to be blocky letters without a resemblance to any alphabet. However, most of these were still edited out for the English dub until Pokémon: Battle Frontier.
- From Pokémon the Series: Black & White and onward, a full writing system was specifically created for the anime. This language consists of three different fonts: a font used for titles, big signboards, etc.; another font used as less remarkable text accompanying the title font; and another font used only occasionally as a minor text filler. Each font has 26 unique symbols, and each one of those symbols represents a letter from the modern Latin script.
- This text usually has meanings, as the symbols converted from the Latin script are written as romanized Japanese; sometimes its meanings are related to the context in which it is used, but sometimes the text contains hidden messages, like mentioning Wobbuffet in a magazine seen in BW001.
- This writing system would start being used occasionally in the games as part of the scenario, starting from Pokémon Sun and Moon.
