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, abbreviated from the Japanese title of and currently branded in English as , is a Japanese
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series, part of
The Pokémon Company The Pokémon Company (株式会社ポケモン, '' Kabushiki gaisha Pokemon'') is a Japanese company responsible for brand management, production, publishing, marketing, and licensing of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, which consists of video ga ...
's ''Pokémon'' media franchise, which premiered on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...
in April 1997. The anime franchise consists of seven sequential series in Japan, each based on a main installment of the ''Pokémon'' video game series. In the international broadcasts, these series are split across 25 seasons, with the 25th season, '' Ultimate Journeys'', streaming on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
in the United States (with additional episodes to be released quarterly). Each of the series follows
Ash Ketchum Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise owned by Nintendo. He is the protagonist of the ''Pokémon'' anime and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. I ...
, a young trainer of fictional creatures called
Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of what each of thos ...
. Joined by his partner Pokémon
Pikachu is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which w ...
and a rotating cast of human characters, Ash goes on a journey to become a "Pokémon Master", travelling through the various regions of the Pokémon world and competing in various Pokémon-battling tournaments known as the Pokémon League. The anime series is accompanied by
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
programming; including ''
Pokémon Chronicles ''Pokémon Chronicles'', partly known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the original ''Pokémon'' anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum. It first aired in Japan on October 15, 2002 on TV Tokyo and concluded on Septembe ...
'', a series of side stories; and the live-action variety and Pokémon-related news shows; such as ''Pocket Monsters Encore'', ''Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station'', ''Pokémon☆Sunday'', ''Pokémon Smash!'', ''Pokémon Get☆TV'' and ''Meet Up at the Pokémon House?'' The ''Pokémon'' anime series was largely credited for allowing anime to become more popular and familiar around the world, especially in the United States, where many ''Pokémon'' films are among the highest-grossing anime films. It is also considered to be one of the first anime series on television to reach this level of mainstream success with Western audiences, as well as being credited with allowing the game series to reach such a degree of popularity and vice versa. ''Pokémon'' is regarded as the most successful video game adaptation of all time, with over 1,200 episodes broadcast and adapted for international television markets, concurrently airing in 192 countries worldwide and one of the most widely watched shows on Netflix, as of 2016.


Plot and characters


Original series (1997–2002)

Ash Ketchum Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise owned by Nintendo. He is the protagonist of the ''Pokémon'' anime and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. I ...
, a young boy from Pallet Town, comes of age and gains the right to train Pokémon; trainers receive their first Pokémon from Professor Oak, the town's foremost authority on researching Pokémon. Ash dreams of becoming the Pokémon Master. Though Ash oversleeps and arrives late to Professor Oak's lab, he receives a Pikachu, who is initially uncooperative. On their way to Viridian City, Ash earns Pikachu's friendship by selflessly shielding him from a group of angry Spearow. While Pikachu's injuries are treated in Viridian City's Pokémon Center, Ash is confronted by Misty, a girl whose bike he desperately stole and wrecked in his attempt to escape the Spearow; she declares that she will not leave Ash's side until she is properly compensated. Suddenly, a trio of criminals from the organization Team Rocket — Jessie, James, and Meowth — appear to steal Pokémon from the Center. Pikachu overpowers them, which convinces the trio of his value and inspires numerous subsequent attempts to steal him. To compete in the Pokémon League tournament, Ash must defeat Gym Leaders and earn badges as evidence of his victories. Ash earns his first badge in Pewter City by defeating the Gym Leader Brock, who decides to venture with him. Together with Brock and Misty, Ash travels across the Kanto region, defeating Gym Leaders, collecting their badges, and capturing new Pokémon. After collecting all eight badges, Ash participates in the Indigo League; he reaches the top 16 before losing to his friend Richie. Upon Ash's return to Pallet Town, Professor Oak asks him to go to Professor Ivy in the Orange Islands to collect a GS Ball, a mysterious Poké Ball that cannot be opened. Brock stays with Professor Ivy as an assistant, and Ash decides to defeat the Gym Leaders of the Orange Islands and qualify for the local tournament. Ash and Misty are joined by artist
Tracey Sketchit Tracy, Tracey, or Tracie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tracy (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname, also encompassing spelling variations Places United States * Tracy, ...
, who dreams of meeting Professor Oak. Ash faces and defeats the tournament champion Drake before returning to Pallet Town. Tracey stays with Professor Oak as an assistant and Brock reunites with his friends. Ash goes to the Johto region after learning that Gary has gone there as well. Ash defeats the Gym Leaders of Johto and competes in the Johto League. Ash defeats Gary and causes him to reconsider his purpose in life. After advancing to the quarter-finals, Ash loses to a trainer named Harrison, who informs Ash of the Hoenn region. As Ash goes back to Pallet Town, Misty receives word from her sisters that they are leaving on a world tour and have entrusted the Cerulean City Gym to her. Brock's family has also asked him to return. Ash leaves all his Pokémon (excluding Pikachu) in Professor Oak's lab, and he travels to Hoenn alone.


''Ruby and Sapphire'' (2002–2006)

Brock follows Ash to Hoenn and Ash gains two new companions, a Pokémon Coordinator May and her younger brother Max. Together, they go on another adventure. May collects five ribbons to participate in the Hoenn Grand Festival, but she loses to Drew in the Hoenn Grand Festival, placing her in the Top 8, and Robert takes the Hoenn Grand Festival Ribbon Cup. Ash defeats all eight Hoenn gym leaders and participates in the Hoenn League, but he loses to Tyson, in the quarterfinals, placing him in the Top 8. Tyson becomes the Winner in the Ever Grande Conference. Ash continues his journey with Brock, May and Max in Kanto. Ash gets seven frontier symbols and wins the Battle Frontier. However, Ash declines the offer to be a Frontier Brain, and decides to continue his Pokémon journey. May collects five ribbons to participate in Kanto Grand Festival but she loses to Solidad in the Kanto Grand Festival, placing her in the Top 4, and Solidad takes the Kanto Grand Festival Ribbon Cup. Afterwards, Ash battles with his rival, Gary. After seeing Electivire, a Pokémon from the Sinnoh region he has never seen before, Ash decides to travel to Sinnoh.


''Diamond and Pearl'' (2006–2010)

Upon arrival in Sinnoh, Ash and Brock meet
Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's ...
, another Pokémon Coordinator, who travels with them as they go through the Sinnoh region in another adventure. Dawn earns five ribbons to participate in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. There, Dawn loses to Zoey, placing her second, and Zoey takes the Sinnoh Grand Festival Ribbon Cup. Ash defeats all eight Sinnoh gym leaders to participate in the Sinnoh League, Paul loses to Ash in the quarterfinal, then Ash loses to Tobias in the semifinals, placing him in the Top 4 and Tobias became winner of Lily of the Valley Conference.


''Black & White'' (2010–2013)

Afterwards, Ash, his mother Delia and Professor Oak take a holiday to the far-off Unova Region, where he meets and travels with would-be Dragon Master Iris and Striaton City Gym Leader, Pokémon Connoisseur, and sometimes detective Cilan. After winning all eight Unova badges and thwarting the sinister Team Plasma, Ash, Iris, and Cilan travel throughout the eastern side of Unova to prepare for the Unova League, but Ash loses to Cameron, in the quarterfinals, placing him in the Top 8. But also, Cameron loses to Virgil in the semifinals, placing him in the Top 4. Afterwards, Ash, Iris, and Cilan travel through the Decolore Islands before Ash makes his way back to Pallet Town and meets the investigative reporter Alexa, who is from the distant Kalos Region. Having arrived back in Kanto, Iris and Cilan travel to Johto whilst Ash and Alexa head to Kalos.


''XY'' (2013–2016)

Ash and Alexa arrive in the Kalos region and Ash is itching to get started in earning his Gym badges. But after Alexa informs Ash that her sister, a Gym Leader, is currently absent, Ash travels to Lumiose City where he meets boy-genius Clemont and his younger sister
Bonnie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
, unaware that Clemont is, in fact, Lumiose City's Gym Leader; a fact he tries his best to hide. Ash also reunites with Serena, a girl from Vaniville Town whom Ash had met in his childhood. Serena earns three keys to participate in the Pokémon Showcase. Serena loses to Aria, placing her runner-up. After traveling with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie to prepare for the Kalos League by defeating all eight Kalos gym leaders, Ash competes and advances all the way to the finals, where he loses to Alain, placing him runner-up. Alain was a temporary member of the evil Team Flare due to them misleading him. Once he discovers their true intentions, Alain reforms and joins Ash and his friends to stop Team Flare's plans. Bidding farewell to his friends in Kalos, Ash once again returns to Pallet Town.


''Sun & Moon'' (2016–2019)

Ash, Delia and her Mr. Mime are on vacation in the Alola region when Ash has an encounter with Tapu Koko, the guardian Pokémon of Melemele Island, who presents him with the Z-Ring, a device that, when paired with a special crystal, allows a Pokémon to unleash a powerful move when synchronized with its trainer. This leads him to stay in Alola and enroll at the local Pokémon school. When he decides to undertake the trials necessary to master the power of the Z-Ring, Ash's new classmates Lana, Mallow, Lillie,
Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...
and Kiawe decide to accompany him. Ash takes part in the island challenges, and finally gains his first official league victory at the Alola League.


''Journeys'' (2019–present)

Pikachu's backstory as a Pichu, Ash's story of when he was 6 years old missing Professor Oak's camp, Goh's backstory when he was 6 years old and attended Professor Oak's camp and saw a Mew, are all told. Ash and Pikachu travel to each of the regions, accompanied by Goh as Research fellow. Ash wants to defeat Leon and Goh wants to catch each and every Pokémon including Mew. Supporting cast includes a girl named Chloe Cerise, who is close to her father's Yamper. Chloe sometimes joins Ash and Goh on their adventure with her newly caught Eevee, who is incapable of evolving. One theory of her inability, is that she is hesitant on what path to take. Goh took part in trail missions of a research project "Project Mew" to be a Chaser and find Mew. Ash defeated Leon in the final round of Pokémon World Coronation Series: Masters Eight Tournament and became Pokémon World Champion. Goh and other members of Project Mew travel to Faraway Island to find Mew, they encountered Mew but couldn't catch it.


Episodes

In Japan, ''Pocket Monsters'' is currently broadcast as seven sequential series, each based on an installment of the main video game series. The anime is aired year-round continuously, with regular off-days for sporting events and television specials. In its international broadcast, ''Pokémon''s episodes have currently been split up into 25 seasons, as of 2022, running a fixed number of episodes, using a specific opening sequence and sporting a different subtitle for each new season. The seventh and current installment of the anime series is titled in Japan and ''Pokémon Journeys: The Series'' internationally; ''Pokémon Journeys: The Series'', its first season, first ran from November 17, 2019 to December 4, 2020 in Japan, the next season ''Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series'', first ran from December 11, 2020 to December 10, 2021 in Japan. The third and final season, ''Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series'' premiered its first episode in Japan on December 17, 2021.


Specials

In addition to the main series and the movies, the anime series has also shown various full-length specials and TV shorts. Many of these specials centered around legendary Pokémon or one or more of the main characters that are separate from the main cast during its corresponding series, while the sporadically-made later side story episodes typically air as special episodes.


Movies


Spin-off


''Pokémon Chronicles''

''Pokémon Chronicles'' is a label created by 4Kids which is used for a collection of several as yet undubbed specials, which were first broadcast in English between May and October 2005 in the UK, and in the US between June and November 2006. The vast majority of the episodes making up ''Chronicles'' were taken from what was known in Japan as , which aired as part of ''Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station''. The remaining portions of ''Chronicles'' consisted of a TV special called ''The Legend of Thunder'', and installments from ''Pikachu's Winter Vacation'', originally released on video.


Japanese variety shows


''Pocket Monsters Encore''

was broadcast on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...
from October 19, 1999 to September 17, 2002. It ran during the second part of the original series. ''Pocket Monsters Encore'' is a variety show featuring reruns of old episodes, including Japanese and English audio tracks, except for EP035 and EP018, which were broadcast in stereo. EP022 and EP023 broadcast together. EP018 was taken out of sequence and inserted between Holiday Hi-Jynx and Snow Way Out!, which were broadcast in the place of EP038 and EP039. EP052 aired between EP047 and EP048 and EP053 between EP057 and EP058. The ending song is the English version of Type: Wild performed by Robbie Danzie, and it was produced for Pocket Monsters Encore and aired. was a segment at the end of Pocket Monsters Encore used to teach Japanese children simple English words and phrases. All of the segments where later compiled into three volumes and later released. ''Pokémon de English'' uses a mixture of unedited Japanese and painted-over English video. New English lines were also recorded for this release by the original voice actors from both Japan and the United States. ''Pokémon de English'' was later released as rental only VHS and DVDs in 2002 and 2007, respectively, including English audio, as well as closed captioning in both English and Japanese. On September 17, 2002, it was replaced by ''Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station''.


''Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station''

is a closely related
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
series that aired during the final part of the original series, and continues during the beginning part of ''Pokémon: Advanced Generation''. The show was presented as an animated variety show, and showed clip shows, reruns of ''Pokémon'' episodes, television airings of the ''Pokémon'' movies, cast interviews, and live action footage, in addition to the previously mentioned ''Pokémon'' side story episodes. The hosts were Mayumi Iizuka as Kasumi (Misty) and Yūji Ueda as Takeshi (Brock). They were regularly joined by
Kaba-chan , born on June 19, 1969, in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, is a transgender woman who is a Japanese tarento and choreographer. After studying dance in New York City, she returned to Japan and was a member of the musical group Dos with Taeco Nishikawa and As ...
, Manami Aihara,
Bernard Ackah Bernard Ackah (born April 9, 1972) is a Japanese-based Ivorian taekwondo practitioner, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and comedian. Biography Martial arts career and background Ackah was born in Bonn, Germany to Ivorian parents and moved to ...
and Rex Jones as the comedy team "Shio Koshō",
Megumi Hayashibara is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for ...
as Musashi (Jessie),
Shin-ichiro Miki is a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo.Doi, Hitoshi.Miki Shinichirou. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 13, 2010. He is a member of 81 Produce. Miki is known for his distinctively smooth voice and often calm delivery in the roles he has landed. He often ...
as Kojirō (James), and Inuko Inuyama as Nyāsu (Meowth). The show ran from October 15, 2002, to September 28, 2004, when it was replaced by ''Pokémon☆Sunday''.


''Pokémon☆Sunday''

was broadcast on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...
from October 3, 2004, to September 26, 2010. The show is the successor to the ''Pocket Monsters Encore'' and the ''Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station''. It ran from the second part of Pokémon: Advanced Generation to Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl. Like the shows before it, ''Pokémon☆Sunday'' is variety show featuring reruns of old episodes as well as a number of 'Research' episodes involving live-action elements. Regular guests include Golgo Matsumoto and Red Yoshida of TIM; Hiroshi Yamamoto, Ryūji Akiyama, and Hiroyuki Baba of
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...
; Becky (through September 2006), and
Shoko Nakagawa is a Japanese media personality, actress, voice actress, illustrator, and singer. Also known by her nickname , she is best known as the presenter of '' Pokémon Sunday'', and as the performer of the opening theme from the anime '' Gurren Lagann ...
(starting October 2006).


''Pokémon Smash!''

is the successor to the ''Pokémon☆Sunday'' series. It aired from October 3, 2010, to September 28, 2013. Like its predecessors, ''Pokémon Smash!'' is a variety show that features live-action segments and reruns of old anime episodes. It ran during ''Pokémon: Best Wishes'' Season 1 and Season 2. The theme song is "Endless Fighters" by AAA. Regular guests include Golgo Matsumoto and Red Yoshida of TIM; Shoko Nakagawa; and Hiroshi Yamamoto, Ryūji Akiyama, and Hiroyuki Baba of
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...
.


''Pokémon Get☆TV''

is the successor to ''Pokémon Smash!'' It aired from October 6, 2013 to September 27, 2015. Shoko Nakagawa remains as a host, and is joined by Yukito Nishii and comedy team Taka and Toshi. Just like its predecessors, it is a variety show featuring reruns of previous anime episodes and special live-action segments. It ran during ''Pokémon: XY''.


''Meet Up at the Pokémon House?''

''Meet Up at the Pokémon House?'' (ポケモンの家あつまる? Pokémon no Uchi Atsumaru?), more commonly known as ''Pokénchi'' (Japanese: ポケんち) or ''Pokémon House'' (Japanese: ポケモンの家), is the successor to ''Pokémon GET☆TV'', it aired from October 4, 2015 to March 29, 2022. It is hosted by Shōko Nakagawa, Rinka Ōtani,
Hyadain , also known as , is a Japanese composer, lyricist, and musician. His primary work is composing anime theme songs and for J-pop musicians. He contracts through Supalove, a Japanese record label. He has released a number of anime and video game m ...
, and Abareru-kun, making it the first variety show not to have reruns of previous anime episodes, unlike its predecessors. It ran during ''Pokémon: XY'', ''Pokémon: Sun & Moon'' and ''Pokémon: The New Series''.


''Where are we going with Pokémon!?''

''Where are we going with Pokémon!?'' (ポケモンとどこいく!?, Pokémon to doko iku!?), more commonly known as ''Poké Doko'' (ポケどこ, Poké Doko), is the successor to ''Meet Up at the Pokémon House?'', which premiered on April 3, 2022 during ''Pokémon: The New Series''. It is hosted by Shōko Nakagawa, Ryōgo Matsumaru, Abareru-kun, and Hikaru Takahashi, and it will focus on their travels.


Airing and production

''Pokémon'' premiered in Japan on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...
on April 1, 1997. The series is broadcast on the TX Network family of stations first on Thursday evenings; it is then syndicated throughout the rest of Japan's major broadcasters (
All-Nippon News Network , or ANN, is a Japanese commercial television network run by TV Asahi Corporation. The network's responsibility includes the syndication of national television news bulletins to its regional affiliates, and news exchange between the stations. ...
, Fuji Network System,
Nippon Television Network System Nippon Television Network System (; NNS) is a Japanese television network A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides prog ...
) on their local affiliates as well as on private
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...
and cable networks on various delays. Production in Japan is handled by TV Tokyo, MediaNet (formerly TV Tokyo MediaNet and Softx), and ShoPro (formerly Shogakukan Productions). Kunihiko Yuyama has served as the series' chief director since the original series. The previous series, '' Pokémon: Sun & Moon'', began broadcast in Japan on November 17, 2016, with Tetsuo Yajima serving as director and Atsuhiro Tomioka as head screenwriter. The anime had made millions of dollars in Japan when it first aired. An average ''Pokémon'' episode costs about $100,000. Internationally,
The Pokémon Company International ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
handles production and distribution of the anime with Iyuno Media Group and Goldcrest Post and published by VIZ Media, who was VIZ LLC, but merged with ShoPro. The anime currently airs in 192 countries. In the United States, the anime aired on
Kids' WB Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming service and brand of The WB that aired on the network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW (a result of the merger of Time Warner's The W ...
as a
Saturday morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...
in 1999. In its first week under the Kids' WB umbrella, ''Pokémon'' would manage to hit a 3.9 rating (a percentage of how much a specific demographic of people is watching), reaching viewers by September, and Nielsen stating that "half the boys (ages 6-11) watching TV (at 10 a.m.) are seeing Pokémon" by that November. Beginning in 2020,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
gained the exclusive rights to stream new episodes in the United States; the twenty-third season, titled '' Pokémon Journeys: The Series'' debuted on June 12, 2020 and ended on March 5, 2021 with its fourth twelve episode batch., and continues with the twenty-fourth season, titled '' Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series'', debuted on the service on September 10, 2021. The series has previously aired in syndication, with new episodes premiering on
Kids' WB Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming service and brand of The WB that aired on the network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW (a result of the merger of Time Warner's The W ...
,
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
, and
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...
. In the US, library episodes also aired on Cartoon Network in the Kids' WB years starting in 2002 and Boomerang in the Cartoon Network years starting in 2010 and have aired in Spanish on
TeleXitos TeleXitos is an American Spanish language digital multicast television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a subsidiary of the NBCUniversal Filmed and Entertainment division of NBCUniversal (itself a division of Comcast). Aime ...
and
Discovery Familia Discovery Familia (previously stylized as DFamiİia) is an American Spanish-language family-oriented specialty television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network launched on August 9, 2007. The channel airs preschool-intended pr ...
. ''Pokémon'' was originally licensed in the United States by
4Kids Entertainment 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as Leisure Concepts, Inc. and later known as 4Licensing Corporation) was an American licensing company. The company was previously also a film and television production company that produced English- dub ...
, who produced a localized English adaptation that was syndicated by
The Summit Media Group The Summit Media Group Inc. was an American New York City based subsidiary of 4Kids Entertainment, and formerly of Leisure Concepts. This subsidiary served print and broadcast media–planning and buying services for clients in the children's t ...
. The localized version premiered on September 8, 1998, twenty days before the North American release of '' Pokémon Red and Blue''. ''Pokémon'' was distributed on VHS and DVD by
Pioneer Entertainment (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distribution of anime within Japan. The ...
and Viz Video, which sold 25million units of the series in 2000. Following the eighth season in 2005, the series' dub production was taken over by The Pokémon Company. Beginning with twelfth film, '' Arceus and the Jewel of Life'', DuArt Film and Video became the production studio, which lasted until the twenty-second season. OLM, Inc. served as producer. Until episode 259 (episode 262 in Japan), during the fifth season, the series was animated using cel animation. Beginning with episode 260 (episode 263 in Japan), titled "Here's Lookin' at You Elekid!", all subsequent seasons are digitally animated. In a 2018 interview, the creators of '' Detective Pikachu'', which features a talking
Pikachu is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which w ...
, revealed that the original intention for the anime was to have the Pokémon talk, but OLM, Inc. was unable to come up with a concept that Game Freak were accepting of. The following table lists the annual content revenue from ''Pokémon'' anime media in Japan, as reported by market research firm
Hakuhodo is a Japanese advertising and public relations company. It is headquartered at Akasaka Biz Tower in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. History Hakuhodo is one of the oldest advertising agencies in Japan and was founded by Hironao Seki at Nihonbashi-Hon ...
.


Streaming and digital

''Pokémon'' is currently available for streaming on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
in 216 regions and countries with different dubs and subtitles; all countries have at least English audio. ''Pokémon'' was globally one of the most widely watched shows on Netflix, as of 2016. It is also available on
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
(in the United States and Japan), and
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...
(in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and Austria). From when the series made its home on Disney XD, as much as every in-circulation episode was available on Watch Disney XD and later DisneyNOW in the United States until February 2022. Netflix removed the ''Sun & Moon'' series, '' I Choose You!'', and '' The Power of Us'' at the end of March 2022, leaving only the first season and the seasons and movies they exclusively released. Content is also available on the Pokémon TV app and website.


Reception


Critical reception

In a February 2008 review for IGN, Jeffrey Harris gave the ''Indigo League'' series a score of 2 out of 10, saying: "Ultimately, the show's story is boring, repetitive, and formulaic. The show constantly preaches about friendship and helping others. ... Nearly every episode features
Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
, Misty, and Brock on a trip. Team Rocket tries the latest scheme to catch Pikachu or whatever else, and fails miserably." He concluded: "at the end of the day, this franchise feels more like crass marketing trying to preach the importance of friend and companionship." In an April 2008 review,
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
gave the series 3 out of 5 stars, saying: "Over the years, the energetic, imagination-filled, Japanese-inspired fantasy series has cut across cultural, gender, and age barriers to captivate a global audience of girls, boys, and even adults", but added: "Folks may also find the franchise's massive commercial appeal disturbing, especially since the show is mainly geared towards kids." Carl Kimlinger, in an August 2008 review of the '' Diamond and Pearl'' series for
Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ...
, gave the dubbed series an overall grade of C. He wrote: "The formula has been set in stone … Ash and buddies wander around, meet a new or trainer, fight, make friends, and then use their newfound Power of Friendship to stave off an attack by the nefarious Team Rocket", and added: "even the tournaments are a relief, a blessed pause in the cerebrum-liquefying formula as Ash and company square off against destined rivals for an episode or two." However, he stated that it would be enjoyed by its target audience, saying: "It's colorful, silly and lively (if insanely simplistic and cheap)" and added: "Parents will appreciate the absolute lack of objectionable content (aside from the promotion of
animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning ' breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather syst ...
) and the series' impeccably PC message of friendship, cooperation and acceptance". He criticized the series' soundtrack as "tin-eared" and "bad video game music". Kevin McFarland, in a 2016 binge-watching guide of the ''Indigo League'' series for ''Wired'', described the series as "a kids program that emphasizes the value of hard work, the importance of family and close friendship, and the ideals of love, trust, and honor. But it's also a largely silly show with slapstick comedy and colorful battle sequences, making Ash's
Sisyphean In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos (; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος ''Sísyphos'') was the founder and king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). Hades punished him for cheating death twice by forcing him to roll an immense boulder up a hill ...
task to become the world’s best Pokémon trainer continually entertaining." ''Paste'' ranked the series at 44th place in its October 2018 list of "The 50 Best Anime Series of All Time", with Sarra Sedghi writing: "To the joy of ’90s kids everywhere, ''Pokémon'' helped solidify anime (and, hopefully, good punnery) in the West". She added: "''Pokémon'' may not be high artistry (because, you know, it’s for children), but the show’s pervasiveness is a testament to the power of nostalgia." IGN ranked the series at 70th place in its list of "Top 100 Animated Series", saying that the series "had clever writing and a golden marketing formula designed to spread Nintendo's Pokémon videogames into new, lucrative territory."


Controversies

''Pokémon'' has had several anime episodes removed from the rotation in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
or the rest of the world. The most infamous of these episodes was . The episode made headlines worldwide when it caused 685 children to experience seizures and seizure-like symptoms caused by a repetitive flash of light. Although the offending sequence was caused by
Pikachu is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which w ...
's actions, the episode's featured Pokémon, Porygon, has rarely been seen in future episodes, with appearances limited to one brief cameo appearance in the movie ''
Pokémon Heroes ''Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias'' is a 2002 Japanese animated fantasy film, the fifth in the ''Pokémon'' series, the first to use digital ink and paint, the last to receive a North American theatrical release until '' Pokémon the Movie: I C ...
'' and in one scene-bumper later in season 1. Its evolutions Porygon2 and Porygon-Z have only appeared in a brief part of the opening sequence of '' Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice''. Several other episodes have been removed from broadcast in Japan due to contemporary disasters that resemble events in the program; the
2004 Chūetsu earthquake The occurred in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, at 17:56 local time (08:56 UTC) on Saturday, October 23, 2004. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) named it the .
, the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peni ...
, and the 2014 Sinking of MV ''Sewol'' all have caused cancellations or indefinite or temporary postponements of episode broadcasts. In the United States, the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
in 2001 as well as 2005's
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
led to the temporary removal of two episodes from syndication. On September 1, 2006,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
banned the series from prime time broadcasting (from 17:00 to 20:00), as it did Western animated series such as ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'', to protect its struggling animation studios. The ban was later extended by one hour. On August 18, 2016, the '' XYZ'' episode (''Down to the Fiery Finish!'' in the English dub) faced criticism from fans when Ash lost the Kalos League against Alain. The fans specifically criticized the episode due to the misleading name and trailers that suggested that Ash would win the battle and because Ash had lost all of the Pokémon Leagues in past seasons. Fans also disliked the outcome because they believed Ash's
Greninja is a List of Pokémon, Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise, introduced in Pokémon X and Y, ''Pokémon X'' and ''Pokémon Y'', that has since appeared across a wide variety of Pokémon media. It is the final evol ...
had many advantages over Alain's
Charizard Charizard (), known in Japan as , is a Pokémon in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise. Created by Atsuko Nishida, Charizard first appeared in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' ( ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' in Jap ...
, including the fact that Water-type Pokémon resist Fire-type Pokémon attacks, and that the rare Bond Phenomenon Ash's Greninja was subject to was said to be far more powerful than a conventional Mega Evolution. Several animators of the series also expressed disappointment that Ash had lost.
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...
's
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
upload of the teaser of the next episode received an overwhelming number of dislikes as a result of the outcome.


Influence

The series is considered to be one of the first anime series on television to reach this level of mainstream success with Western audiences. It has also been credited with allowing the game series to reach a high degree of popularity, and vice versa.


See also

*
List of television programs based on video games This page is a list of television programs based on video games, technically both computer and console games based on. ''The Witcher'' and its spinoff '' The Witcher: Blood Origin'' were not included as a basis of video game adaptation due to bein ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* - Displays the dubbing process done by Sarah Natochenny


External links


Official website

''Pokémon'' seasons

''Pokémon'' anime website
at
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...

''Pokémon'' TV Anime
at Pokémon JP official website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pokemon (anime) Pokémon anime 1997 Japanese television series debuts Adventure anime and manga Animated television series about children Animated television series about teenagers Anime television series based on video games Comedy anime and manga Cryptozoological television series Fantasy anime and manga Japanese children's animated adventure television series Japanese children's animated comedy television series Japanese children's animated fantasy television series Netflix original anime TV Tokyo original programming Viz Media anime Television censorship in the United States