Breaking the fourth wall

"Breaking the " refers to a point at which a character acknowledges that they are fictional. In the Pokémon franchise, several characters appear to break the "fourth wall" in the , , and .
There are several ways of breaking the fourth wall; examples include when characters refer to a particular episode or season, when characters stop others from performing an occult or criminal act by referring to the fact that it is a "children's show", when characters respond to a real world person who is not physically present (such as the narrator), when characters talk to the viewer or player directly rather than to their in-game avatar, or when characters crash into the screen and either slide down from it or cause it to crack from impact.
==In the core series games==
* Trainer Tips signs and message boards provide advice to the player in using the game's control scheme. Similar instructions are also given by NPCs, such as the player's mother, the regional Pokémon Professor, and NPCs telling the player that they are saving.
* In the Generation I games and , there is a sign on that says "Don't throw the game, throw Poké Balls instead!".
* An in-game appearance of Game Freak is a recurring feature in the series, with offices in Celadon City, Castelia City, and Heahea City. The employees will often announce their roles in the development of the game when the speaks to them:
** "I'm the game designer!"
** "I wrote the story!"
** "I'm the graphic artist! I drew you!" or "I'm the graphic designer! I'm a skilled dot artist!"
** "Me? I'm the programmer!"
** In addition, examining the computers gives the message "It's the game program! Messing with it could bug out the game!"
* In the Pokémon Communication Center, a staff member receives an email stating Game Freak's desire of linking at worldwide level without link cable barriers.
* In , and their , a on mentions real life before giving away .
* In , Osanna, found on , says: "You’re definitely the leader type! Like the protagonist of a game or something!"
* In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's The Indigo Disk expansion, when the player battles Kieran in the Area Zero Underdepths and lands their first critical hit on , Kieran will say: "How can you get critical hits, even at a time like this... What are you, the hero of this story?!"
==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon Masters EX===
* Upon reaching his maximum level, will say, "Nothing can stop us now! Not even the writers!"
===Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series===
* In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, both and break the fourth wall at 4th entry of their diaries, mentioning the Y and A buttons, respectively.
* During the post-game of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, senses something and leans towards the screen, indicating he's sensing the player's presence. This is confirmed later at the Hill of Universal Order, where Hydreigon and player's partner turn to look at the screen, realizing that the player has been watching them the whole time.
===Pokémon Ranger series===
* At the beginning of the first game, when explaining the control style of the game, an NPC says that he uses the stylus instead of the D-pad because he is from the "touch generation". This is a reference to Nintendo's line of games for casual gamers, which were brand new at the time of Pokémon Ranger's release.
* During the ending of the first official mission in the first Pokémon Ranger game, Professor Hastings knows the game options exist by saying, "By options, I don't mean fooling with some text settings, I mean consider what we might do!"
* In the mission that introduces Sven in Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia there are many Team Dim Sun goons taking Dark Shards from Chroma Ruins. Sven explains that to make them leave the place, a is needed. Then, he turns to the screen and says "you know what I mean?"
** Also, after capturing the hypnotized Pokémon of a couple of Dim Sun Admins in Almia Castle, said Admins make a comment about how they were not given names, not even "Admin A" or "Admin B".
* At the end of the Mission in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, the Capture Styler breaks the fourth wall, telling the player themselves to wait a moment during Nema's explanation of how Heatran learned .
===Pokémon Rumble series===
* In Pokémon Rumble World, if the Toy Pokémon in use does not have a second move, pressing B will cause it to look up at the screen for a couple of seconds.
** In the castle courtyard, pressing A will cause it to look out at the screen as before, while pressing B will cause it to jump up and down.
===Pokémon Play It! series===
In both Pokémon Play It! and Pokémon Play It! Version 2, often talks directly to the player and explains various aspects of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
==In animation==
In the , the fourth wall has been broken numerous times. Most of these examples are from the English dub. The most common characters to do this are .
===Pokémon the Series===
========
Episode 	Details
School of Hard Knocks 	While breaking up an argument between and , comments that they're running late and have to start the show.
Mystery at the Lighthouse 	The narrator asks Ash to name his Pokémon, which Ash does.
Electric Shock Showdown 	James says "Drat! We wasted this episode cheering the good guys!"
Pokémon Scent-sation 	complains that 's horrible stench must have melted his nose from his face. He then remembers, and points out to the audience, that the show's cartoonist never gave him a nose.
Hypno's Naptime 	Jessie remarks that their early arrival in the episode is based on the half-hour time constraint involving the show.
Hypno's Naptime 	James asks why they didn't just fly away with the Pokémon from the start after their Mirror scheme fails. Jessie responds they have to fill a half-hour.
Hypno's Naptime 	Misty orders the narrator not to congratulate her for "capturing" her .
The Punchy Pokémon 	James tells Jessie "I hate to interrupt your internal dream sequence, but...", meaning that he was aware of her fantasy scene.
Sparks Fly for Magnemite 	When appears with a new mecha without Ash and noticing, Jessie and James introduce their new plan to the audience (Jessie even says, "Tell them, James!"), and Meowth asks who they are talking to.
Dig Those Diglett! 	Team Rocket mentions that their evolved Pokémon are being shown "for the first time on TV".
Pikachu's Goodbye 	After Team Rocket finishes their , James says "We'd like to thank all of our fans for their loyalty and support. This victory is for them."
Showdown at Dark City 	At the end, when the kids were saying good-bye, Ash thought they were asking for his signature, when they were really wanting 's. Ash answers with "Well, Pikachu IS the star."
The Song of Jigglypuff 	The last lines of Team Rocket's theme song are "We want to capture Pikachu we hope to do it soon / and when we do we'll be the new stars of this cartoon!"
So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd 	When tricked Team Rocket by giving them some , Meowth said "He tricked us two times in one episode."
So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd 	During the ending, when the narrator credits Psyduck with saving the rest of Misty's Pokémon from Keith, Psyduck, in its own language, happily replies to him.
Princess vs. Princess 	When Jessie starts to tell James and Meowth about her past of never owning a Princess Doll, James asks if there is going to be a flashback, to which Meowth replies that there might be. (There was none.)
Beach Blank-Out Blastoise 	After Jigglypuff scribbles on the Trainers and Pokémon, Misty complains that she looks like a cartoon character. Ash responds, "A cartoon character? Like that could ever happen!"
To Master the Onixpected! 	When Jessie and James start to say the motto, Meowth uses a remote to fast-forward it.
Pikachu Re-Volts 	When James gets Butch's name wrong, Butch goes out of his screen split to correct it, meaning he knows it's there.
The Crystal Onix 	After Team Rocket runs into Crystal Onix's cave, the screen focuses on Jessie and James catching breath. After a second, Meowth calls "Hey! Down here! I'm down here!", followed by the camera panning down to him, indicating that Meowth was aware of the screen focusing on Jessie and James instead of him.
The Crystal Onix 	When James says that the way they got out of their own traps is a secret, Jessie supports him by saying "The writers can't figure it out, either."
Shell Shock! 	After pointing out the fact that Ash and company are yet again enjoying pleasant, beautiful, tropical weather on the seas, the narrator says "Announcers never get to have any fun!", thus acknowledging his existence as a narrator.
Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?	At the end of the episode, Team Rocket responds to the narrator's comment of "All's well that ends well."
Bound For Trouble 	When Misty tells Ash and Pikachu to come back from the fruit basket, their run towards the basket is simply rewound.
Enter The Dragonite 	Team Rocket acknowledges the existence of a split screen. Jessie also pushes the split screen away.
Viva Las Lapras 	When Team Rocket states that they were attacked by the pirates, Meowth says "It's flashback time."
========
Episode 	Details
The Whistle Stop 	When the bridge is about to collapse, Meowth says "We usually don't wash out this early in the episode!"
The Totodile Duel 	When Ash and Misty are about the throw their Lure Balls to catch , they both push the split screen that's between them when telling each other to back off.
Fowl Play! 	While inside Team Rocket's mecha, Meowth exclaims "And we're gonna capture that colorful right after we get back from the next commercial!"
The Stolen Stones 	While Jessie is escaping via unicycle, she hums along with a few bars of the chase music.
Ring Masters 	After the narrator introduces Rikishii Town as "an intriguing little village", Misty asks the others where they are. Brock quotes the narrator "It's an intriguing little village, Misty!"
The Perfect Match 	James says "For you folks at home, here's a play-by-play."
The Mystery is History 	Jessie and Cassidy are aware that there is a split in the screen between the two of them, as they shove it back and forth.
Throwing in the Noctowl 	Meowth tells Jessie and James to hurry up with the motto, saying "Just give 'em the short version!" "Them" refers to the audience.
Espeon, Not Included 	After Jessie realizes that she is missing an to complete the set of Eeveelutions, she knocks Meowth into the screen and he slides down from it.
For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll 	Jessie, James, and Meowth are off-screen and appear in speech bubbles right next to Misty, who cowers because of them.
A Tyrogue Full of Trouble	When Team Rocket blasts off, they all say "Cue the blast off lights!"
As Clear as Crystal 	Jessie tells James to explain their mecha to the "viewing audience".
Same Old Song and Dance 	When Team Rocket interrupts the show and sing their song, they say that they will "...be the new stars of this cartoon".
Beauty is Skin Deep 	Jessie says to "If you don't cool it, the show's over for all of us!"
========
Episode 	Details
You Never Can Taillow 	and fight for control of the larger portion of a split screen, meaning they are aware of its existence.
Sharpedo Attack! 	While yells at for poisoning the lead with 's , he fights them for control of the larger portion of a split screen, meaning they are aware of its existence.
The Spheal of Approval 	In the dub, James says ""
Zig Zag Zangoose! 	Jessie shatters an image of Cassidy.
All Torkoal, No Play 	Early in the episode, instead of the usual "We're blasting off again", Team Rocket cries, "We're blasting off already!"
Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl! 	When states Butch's name wrong, Butch pushes the split screens featuring and Crystal apart to state his name correctly, meaning that he is aware of the existence of the split screens.
The Bicker the Better 	As Ash, , Jessie, and James argue with each other after their Tag Battle with Oscar and Andi, they constantly push each other's split-screens.
Vanity Affair 	Jessie states that even if she were to write the script it would not be any better.
Berry, Berry Interesting 	Max says "Lucky for this is his fantasy, or he'd be wearing that milk!", meaning that he is aware of Brock's fantasy scene.
Hail to the Chef! 	Max says that Brock's fantasy is now being closed to make way for reality while intruding into Brock's fantasy and yanking Brock's fantasy chair out from underneath him, meaning that he is aware of Brock's fantasy scene.
Sweet Baby James 	turns to the audience and says "...and you guys might want to cover your eyes!"
May's Egg-Cellent Adventure 	Meowth says that James is giving him a pain, but he cannot say where because there are kids watching the show.
Ka Boom with a View! 	Jessie and James ask "We're in reruns already?" when Meowth accidentally trips one of their own traps.
Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys' Crisis! (Part 2)	Upon seeing Solana in action, James comments that maybe Solana should have her own show.
New Plot, Odd Lot! 	At the end, Jessie takes over as the narrator and says "Stay tuned!"
Grating Spaces 	After becoming frustrated in her attempt to explain a plan to James and Meowth, Jessie turns to the audience and says "I'm sure you're all one step ahead of these clowns, so you know that's exactly what we're going to do!"
Aipom and Circumstance! 	Meowth says "Save it for another cartoon show!" and "May I remind you it's not like we're watching reruns?"
Gathering The Gang of Four! 	Team Rocket says they have waited nine seasons to capture . This episode takes place in the ninth season of , Pokémon: Battle Frontier. Meowth also says they'll return in the tenth season.
Home Is Where the Start Is! 	James, upon blasting off, asks if Team Rocket will ever learn. Meowth responds that they'll find out next season.
========
Episode 	Details
When Pokémon Worlds Collide! 	When blasts off, James says "Aren't we supposed to leave our audience wanting more?" responds "You go tell that to the writers!"
Different Strokes for Different Blokes 	Meowth, Jessie and James respectively say "You can't do that!", "The kids are still getting used to our new !", and "Next thing you know they'll think we've been replaced by Butch and Cassidy!"
Gymbaliar! 	Meowth rushes Jessie and James, saying that they "only have three minutes left!"
The Grass-Type is Always Greener! 	When suggests that the group rests, the narrator takes over and says that Brock's idea is great.
An Angry Combeenation 	Meowth speaks directly to the "kids" in the viewing audience.
An Angry Combeenation 	James says "It's not like we're in a cartoon, silly!"
All Dressed Up With Somewhere To Go 	After Meowth gets confused by , he says "First the movie short, then TV, and now this!"
Steamboat Willies 	Team Rocket references the "kids" (viewing audience).
Top-Down Training! 	Meowth speaks directly to the "kids" (viewing audience).
Mass Hip-Po-Sis 	After Jessie realizes she's in a blast-off, she demands a script change and James comments she should go with it or the makers might call in Cassidy.
A Maze-ing Race! 	When Team Rocket gets blasted off by an , Jessie says "But this is only act one!"
A Maze-ing Race! 	During their motto, Jessie states that they "blasted off early".
Once There Were Greenfields 	Jessie says to start up the season in style with the old get-up-and-go strategy. This is the second episode of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Battle Dimension.
Fighting Fear with Fear! 	When Meowth begins to explain his boss fantasy, Jessie says "I'm sensing a scene change."
A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine 	When Team Rocket shows off their mecha, they say "Introduce it to the kids." "The kids" refers to the viewers that are watching the show.
Doc Brock! 	interrupts the narrator's closing speech, shouting that he forgot about .
Sleepless In Pre-Battle! 	As Team Rocket blasts off in the daytime, Jessie says that if they can't let them sleep, at least they could let them get more air time, with they possibly being those who work on the show.
Dealing With Defensive Types! 	As Team Rocket sneaks into the Canalave Gym, Meowth addresses the audience, saying "Look kids, since you know what comes next, let's cut to the chase, so sing along." Also, when enters the screen, Meowth tells him to be quiet as "You'll hurt their ears."
Noodles! Roamin' Off! 	Team Rocket says at the end of the episode after blasts them off with "Hey kids, so dream with us!" Like A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine and Dealing With Defensive Types!, "kids" refers to the viewers that are watching the show.
Sliding into Seventh! 	After Jeremiah's uses its Ability to gas them out and send them running off again, Meowth advises the audience, saying "You kids out there better behave or your folks might get you a Skuntank someday!"
Pillars of Friendship! 	When Team Rocket blasts off for the second time in the episode, James comments that it is "...awfully early for a blast off!"
Beating the Bustle and Hustle! 	When Azure insults Team Rocket, James makes a split in the screen and shoves it at Azure's face.
Regaining the Home Advantage! 	In the dub, Meowth says "" This is the first episode of Pokémon DP: Sinnoh League Victors.
The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore! 	While Team Rocket does the motto, James and Meowth hum along to the background music as Jessie says "Putting the do-gooders in their place!"
Dealing With a Fierce Double Ditto Drama!	When Meowth begins to explain his boss fantasy, James says "I smell a fantasy scene."
Memories are Made of Bliss! 	In the dub, Team Rocket says during their last line ""
========
Episode 	Details
Enter Iris and Axew! 	In the dub, after she gets into the hot air balloon, Jessie says ""
The Bloom Is On Axew! 	and lean away from the split screen divider when is yelling at them.
Minccino - Neat and Tidy! 	waves to the screen after introducing herself.
Minccino - Neat and Tidy! 	In the dub, when Bianca struggles to find her Poké Ball, Ash says ""
Commanding the Clubsplosion Crown! 	At the end of the episode, when the narrator pronounces Stephan's name incorrectly, Stephan cuts in, yelling that he's saying it wrong.
Beauties Battling for Pride and Prestige!	In a scene in which Moira and Iris are arguing, Moira pushes the split screen divider out to chime in.
A Surface to Air Tag Battle Team! 	Twice during the episode, pushes the split screens featuring Soren and Rocko apart from each other.
What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals! 	In the Japanese version, while battling Team Plasma, Jessie says "But we're the true main characters!"
The Path That Leads To Goodbye! 	and Cilan become narrators, recounting over what happened in the island when they arrived. They sometimes face the viewers both directly and indirectly. At one point, Jessie even asks Meowth who he is talking to.
Capacia Island UFO! 	When Ash asked what the were doing, Meowth replies "If I knew the answer to that, this show would be over."
========
Episode 	Details
Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!	When tells that he and will always stand up to them, Jessie tells him that all he will end up with is reruns, implying that the show will end due to them succeeding in capturing Pikachu.
Awakening the Sleeping Giant! 	As the narrator prepares to conclude the episode, pipes up, realizing that they hadn't rescued yet, prompting the others to gasp at her prompt, including the narrator. Upon Clemont's return, the narrator finishes his conclusion, beginning with "As I was saying..."
A Slippery Encounter! 	When Team Rocket is performing comedy for each other, mentions that he is "out of material" because "the writers left me high and dry."
Rivals: Today and Tomorrow! 	When Jessie fantasizes about marrying , James and Meowth tear out Steven and the background respectively.
Rotom's Wish! 	The episode concludes with Weston's smirking and winking at the audience.
Mending a Broken Spirit! 	When James tells Jessie and Meowth how he knows how Serena's Braixen must feel like after having its wand stick broken, he looks at the screen and asks the audience if they know the same feeling too. Jessie and Meowth also turn to look at the screen in confusion of who James is talking to.
A Trip Down Memory Train! 	As Team Rocket blasts off at the beginning of the episode, Jessie yells that she wants more screen time.
Party Dancecapades! 	After Ash, Serena, Miette, and James are chosen to participate in the Tag Battle, Monsieur Pierre says "The battle begins next!" right before it goes to the Who's That Pokémon?.
A Keeper for Keeps? 	In one scene, directly talks to the audience.
========
Episode 	Details
Loading the Dex! 	When asked by James to translate what said, comments that it is a family show.
Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio! 	After criticizes and 's fishing skills, they push in split screens to squish Rotom.
Racing to a Big Event! 	Jessie pushes apart James and Meowth's split screens to make room for her own.
They Might Not Be Giants! 	Lana's Popplio opens up the bubble that it is talking in and then hangs on it with its flippers.
Crystal-Clear Sleuthing! 	A fantasy sequence ends with Ash getting flung at the screen, which breaks on impact, ending the fantasy.
Crystal-Clear Sleuthing! 	Rotom tears through the screen when an outraged is about to use his 's on Ash when he found out the latter had lost his Electrium Z.
A Team-on-Team Tussle! 	looks at the bubble containing 's bubble as he comments that the pose Ash is doing is not an actual pose.
So Long, Sophocles! 	When thinks about getting some malasadas, looks at Sophocles's thought balloon and reaches out for the malasadas inside it, showing that she is aware of the balloon's existence.
Pulling Out the Pokémon Base Pepper!	Oluolu splits two sides of the screen apart when Jessie is getting angry with Ash, , and some of their Pokémon.
Pulling Out the Pokémon Base Pepper!	When Meowth is about to throw his Meowth ball, James speaks directly to the audience to explain it.
Lulled to La-La Land! 	Mallow cuts off Rotom's detective monologue with a director's clapboard while shouting "Cut!" The clapboard has the number 29 on it, referencing the episode's number.
Treasure Hunt, Akala Style! 	Sophocles pushes away a split screen featuring to get the whole screen for himself.
Alola, Kanto! 	Jessie pushes away the thought balloon of Matori when mentioning her.
The Professors' New Adventure! 	When and announce their engagement to Ash and his Pokémon, falls out of Professor Kukui's house in shock and hits the screen, which breaks on impact.
The Young Flame Strikes Back! 	Ash shoos away an image of Viren in the background. Mallow is even looking at the image as Ash shoos it away.
A Young Royal Flame Ignites! 	James mentions that Ash and the Masked Royal's battle against the Revengers will be back after the upcoming messages, right before the commercial break in the show proper.
The Long Vault Home! 	When Ash crashes into the vaulting box, and later into Stakataka, his tears stay on the screen both times.
I Choose Paradise! 	tells the viewers not to jump into hot springs too quickly after her Ride forces her to do so.
Bright Lights, Big Changes! 	In one scene, Ash shoos away Rotom's flashback of himself.
Living on the Cutting Edge! 	slices the background in two at the end of 's .
Living on the Cutting Edge! 	At the end of the episode, as the screen fades to black, Kartana cuts a hole into the black background and appears through it, speaking the line "As the journey continues..." backwards.
SM127 (Poké Problem segment) 	The symbol from 's confusion hits Gladion's Lycanroc on the head.
========
Episode 	Details
Kicking It from Here Into Tomorrow! 	Meowth looks at the audience while explaining the rules of "Evil Things Name Game".
Goodbye, Friend! 	Goh pushes away a thought bubble of two relaxing on a beach, explaining to Ash that they're here to watch the Beautifly migrating, not hydrating.
Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown!	When James gets a in the Rocket Prize Master at the beginning of the episode, he speaks to the audience by mentioning that the episode will be a "double-feature", referencing the fact the episode features two segments.
Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown!	reads the closing lines of the first part of the episode from a script and winks at the audience, while Goh gets frustrated that Ash got to read his lines.
The Cuteness Quotient! 	Chloe squeezes into Ash's split screen to tell him that the Friendship Festival has nothing to do with battling.
Pikachu Translation Check... 	The Rocket Prize Master gives Team Rocket the episode's two titles, and they realize one of them is for the part of the episode that had just ended.
A Pinch of This, a Pinch of That! 	Ash and Goh look and speak directly towards the bubble where the Curator was located instead of talking through the Rotom Phone at the end of the episode.
The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky! 	When Ash and Goh confront Team Rocket, Jessie pushes the split screens featuring Ash and Goh apart to tell them that they've caught Pikachu.
The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky! 	When tries to escape from the Team Rocket trio, who wants to get strong Pokémon from the Rocket Prize Master in order to escape from inside a , Pelipper flies towards the camera and hits it.
The Future is Now, Thanks to Strategy!	After Goh analogically explains to Clemont and Bonnie about being like training wheels on a bike for , his thought bubble of Ash riding a bike without training wheels poofs as Ash walks through it while walking up to Goh.
Radio Lulled the Mischievous Stars! 	During the opening that introduces Ash, Goh, and their goals, Team Rocket interrupts the narrator and pauses the screen, before the screen is pulled away.
Radio Lulled the Mischievous Stars! 	Team Rocket acknowledges the timings of the opening credits and the commercial break. When Jessie says the numbers in the opening theme's name in Japanese, James and correct her by saying them in English. In the English dub, Jessie says "Team Rocket's With You", referencing the name of the opening theme, and James and Meowth count to three before cutting to said opening intro.
Radio Lulled the Mischievous Stars! 	At the end of the episode, Team Rocket interrupts the narrator's closing speech and gives him a mail to read for their radio show.
Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit! 	Goh's speech bubble hides behind Ash's when he gets scared by Paul.
The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! 	Team Rocket shushes the camera as they attempt to sneak up on Ash and Pikachu. This is the last episode for Team Rocket to do that.
====Specials====
Special 	Details
Mewtwo Returns	When talks to its clones about the events of the first movie, James comments "This is like the sequel to a movie I missed"', referring to the fact that Mewtwo wiped everyone's memories at the end of the said movie.
====Movies====
Movie 	Details
The Power of One 	When is saying the for the first time, they proclaim that they're now on the big screen (since they've forgotten the events of the first movie). then makes the quip of saying he'll "catch this on video".
The Power of One 	tells Team Rocket that lots of people saw them risk their lives to save the world. All four of them then look at the audience, and the Rocket trio realizes that it's true.
Spell of the Unown: Entei 	asks Jessie whether or not she thinks they will get a bigger part in the next movie.
Spell of the Unown: Entei 	Team Rocket mentions that they would be "out of show business" if anything happened to Ash while helping to save him near the end of the movie.
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea	When Jessie mentions diamonds and pearls, Meowth says they would be a "good name for a game", a nod to the Generation IV games.
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea	When James mentions diamonds and pearls again, Meowth says they should at least get through this season first. The next season starts the Sinnoh arc.
===Pokémon Horizons: The Series===
Episode 	Details
The Pendant That Starts It All (Part Two)	When Liko finds herself caught in a serious situation in the middle of a thunderstorm, she asks herself, "Am I the main character of this story!?" lampshading her role as a protagonist.
==In the manga==
===The Electric Tale of Pikachu===
* In You Gotta Have Friends, there is a footnote explaining, " has been busy since the last comic."
* In the beginning of You Bet Your Wife, Ash is shown with a pen, as if he drew the title page himself. comments, "Since when are you Toshihiro Ono?"
* In Side Story: Ash vs. Gary, as is saying goodbye to the giant , he adds "The End" into his farewell speech. Ash retorts, "This comic isn't over till I say it is!".
===Magical Pokémon Journey===
* In Tangela's Secret, Grandpa attempts to give a recap of the story thus far, until he finally says, "Oh, just read the story!"
* In The Legendary Articuno, a text box thanks the reader for their "unflagging support in reading this comic."
* In Eevee... Pokémon Genius!, when Coconut appears for the first time with Almond, Hazel exclaims "Who thinks she can share a panel with my Almond?!".
* In Charmander's Peanut, the story so far is explained by "the marketing department" and encourages the reader to buy many copies of Volume 1 to find out what previously happened in the story.
* In Forever Friends ♥, in the section explaining the story thus far, Hazel says to Coconut, "I thought you were a one-time-only supporting character!" As they continue to argue, says, "Well, since our narrator seems to be busy at the moment..." and presents a recap of the story thus far.
* In the "Bonus Bonus 2" chapter of Magical Pokémon Journey volume 2, Hazel refers to , , and as "the people from Volume 1."
** In the same bonus chapter, Ash's Pikachu shows a video of him bouncing a Poké Ball on his head from One Hundred Fifty-One (the lyrics to are used in the English translation).
** Also in the same bonus chapter, Hazel and Misty state that they change their outfits when they aren't appearing in the manga.
* In A Quest of Life or Death!, in the section explaining the story thus far, says, "What's the big idea?! I'm not even in this story!" Below the panel is a note from Hazel: "P.S. Don't let that macho title page fool you! This is still the cute Pokémon comic!"
** In the same chapter, Almond mentions, "it's been a few issues since I got really creamed" after being attacked by a wild .
* In Fun at the...Potato Dig?, after Peanut gives a recap of the story thus far, Charmander says, "Have you been reading this comic or not?!"
* In Eevee in a Jam, Master Ditto gives a cap of the story thus far, saying that Eevee is the star of this chapter.
* In Odd Oddish Out, looks at a previous issue so he can catch up on the story thus far, then realizes there's not enough room left on the page to explain it all.
* In The Terror of...The First Date, is too nervous to give a recap of the story thus far, so the Ekans Brothers fill in for him and one of them says, "We'll just do the synopsis in his place."
* In Hypnotism, when Almond refuses to tell Coconut who he plans to marry, Grandpa says, "He's probably not old enough to think about things like that. Sometimes boys are a bit slow developmentally, you know.", to which Coconut replies, "Th-that's the first time in this series...that you've said anything sensible!"
* In Wal of Power, Walnut says, "It's been months since my last appearance."
* In Never Say Diet!, says, "Since the stupid writer hasn't used me for months, I'm sure many of you have forgotten me..."
* In Hazel's Holiday, Grandpa says, "Good thing comic book characters never age!"
* In Gone Fishing!?, Grandpa appears at the end to promote Magical Pokémon Journey.
* In Vulpix and Cyndaquil, Coconut laments, "Nothing has worked for me since I appeared in this comic."
* In The Exorcist Nurse!!, Charmander tells Peanut that it's been "three years since you've had a starring role."
* In True Identities, Master Ditto says to Walnut, "This comic will never end if you continue to be like this!"
===Pokémon Newspaper Strip===
* Several strips end with a character speaking directly to the reader.
* In , after Pikachu attacks some children who mistake him for someone in a Pikachu costume, Ash says, "Someone should have a little talk with the artist of this comic." 
======
* In PMXY09, shows and a copy of CoroCoro magazine, which is where the manga is serialized in real life.
==In the novels==
===Pocket Monsters: The Animation===
After the Team Rocket trio say their motto in Viridian Forest, they say that the motto was long enough to be wasting pages if they were characters in a novel. Meowth says that the author is cutting corners.
Category:Animated series running gags
Category:Pokémon meta
de:Durchbrechung der vierten Wand
fr:Briser le quatrième mur
it:Rottura della quarta parete