Pokémon Journeys: The Series

----
Pokémon Journeys: The Series (Japanese: ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters) is the seventh series of the Pokémon animated series in Asia (including Japan) and the eighth and final series of in the West. The series is based on all of the core series , including the Generation VIII games . It follows and was succeeded by . It premiered between November 17, 2019 and March 24, 2023 in Japan (although the first episode had a special screening two days earlier) and between June 12, 2020 and September 8, 2023 in .
The series features "double protagonists" Ash Ketchum and Goh, along with their respective partners and . Similar to Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Ash is based in a single location, alongside Goh, and together they travel around the , specifically all regions that have appeared in the core series (from Kanto to Galar), and meet living in each region while pursuing their respective goals. Ash continues his pursuit of becoming a Pokémon Master by entering the World Coronation Series, a competition used to decide the world's strongest Pokémon Trainer, with the hopes of one day having an official match with the reigning Monarch, . Goh, having had a fateful encounter with when he was six, dreams of one day the Mythical Pokémon, and aims to complete his Pokédex while participating in the Project Mew research project in the hopes that they will get him closer to his dream. The series also features as supporting characters a young girl named Chloe, and her father Professor Cerise, who runs the Cerise Laboratory in Vermilion City, which works as Ash and Goh's base of operations for most of the series.
As with the previous three series, this series introduces a new art style. For instance, Ash's eyes (both the irises and the overall eyes) are drawn larger, and 's eyes are drawn sharper than in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Overall, the characters are drawn more similarly based on Ken Sugimori's more recent character art. Characters are also consistently drawn with fingernails, like in . About halfway through the series, many of the Pokémon's colors have been changed to match the colorization in their models in .
Pokémon Journeys: The Series features the return of many characters that have appeared over the course of Pokémon the Series, from main characters (like , , and , for example) to recurring characters (like , , and Paul, among others), far more than any of the previous series. In addition to this, Pokémon Journeys: The Series concludes several storylines created over the years within Pokémon the Series, such as the search for Mohn, Butch and Cassidy's rivalry with Jessie and James, and Ash's desire to challenge .
Pokémon Journeys: The Series is the first series to feature episodes split into two different story segments, something that started in Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown! / Slowking's Crowning! and continued with Pikachu Translation Check... / Up to Your Neck! and A Rollicking Roll… / Eyes on the Goal!. These episodes have a more comical and "loose" plot from the main story. This is also the first series to have special episodes released directly for streaming, with a four-part arc related to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, titled Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles, released directly on Japan's Prime Video service.https://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2022/01/220114_a01.html
After airing the first 136 episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series in Japan, on December 16, 2022, an eleven-episode epilogue miniseries focused on Ash and Pikachu called (Japanese: ポケットモンスター めざせポケモンマスター Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master) was announced worldwide.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_VMGv2kKEI&t=7 In the dub, this miniseries was combined with the special episode Distant Blue Sky! to form the final batch of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, titled Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master. In this miniseries, Ash reunites with his old friends Brock and on a tour to see the world while making new friends and reuniting with old ones.
Episodes in Pokémon Journeys: The Series are numbered with JN on Bulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see the list of Pokémon Journeys: The Series episodes.
==Blurb==
Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!
==Japanese seasons==
Pokémon Journeys: The Series has been divided into multiple parts in the Japanese release:
* Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター) (JN001 - JN136)
* Pocket Monsters: Arceus, the One Called God (ポケットモンスター 神とよばれし アルセウス) (JNS01 - JNS04)
* Pocket Monsters: The Distant Blue Sky (ポケットモンスター 遥かなる青い空) (JNS05)
* Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (ポケットモンスター めざせポケモンマスター) (JN137 - JN147)
Pocket Monsters 2019 logo.png|Pocket Monsters logo
Arceus the One Called God logo.png|Pocket Monsters: Arceus, the One Called God logo
Pokémon The Distant Blue Sky logo.png|Pocket Monsters: The Distant Blue Sky logo
Pokémon Aim to Be a Pokémon Master logo.png|Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master logo
==Dub seasons==
When Pokémon Journeys: The Series came to be dubbed into English and other languages, it was divided into three seasons: 
* Pokémon Journeys: The Series (JN001 - JN048)
* Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series (JN049 - JN090)
* Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series (JN091 - JN147, JNS05)
** Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master (JN137 - JN147, JNS05)
Season 23 logo.png|Pokémon Journeys: The Series logo
Season 24 logo.png|Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series logo
Season 25 logo.png|Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series logo
To Be a Pokémon Master logo.png|Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master logo
==Movies==
* Secrets of the Jungle
==Home video releases==
===Japanese DVD releases===
* List of Japanese language new series home video releases
==Gallery==
:For more images, please see artwork from Pokémon Journeys: The Series on the Bulbagarden Archives.
===Posters===
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster.png|First Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster artwork.png|First Japanese main artwork
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster artwork 2.png|Second Japanese main artwork
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster artwork 3.png|Third Japanese main artwork
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster 2.png|Second Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster 3.png|Third Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster 4.png|Fourth Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster 5.png|Fifth Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster 6.png|Sixth Japanese poster
Master Class Artwork JN.png|Seventh Japanese poster
Ash vs Steven poster.png|Eighth Japanese poster
Ash vs Cynthia poster.png|Ninth Japanese poster
Ash vs Leon poster.png|Tenth Japanese poster
Pokémon The Distant Blue Sky poster.png|Pocket Monsters: The Distant Blue Sky Japanese poster
Pokémon Aim to Be a Pokémon Master poster.png|Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters 2019 key visual.png|Key visual
Pocket Monsters 2019 poster Golden Fridays.png|Golden Fridays poster
S23 poster.png|English poster for Pokémon Journeys: The Series
S24 poster.png|English poster for Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series
S25 poster.png|English poster for Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series
To Be a Pokémon Master poster.png|English poster for Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master
Distant Blue Sky poster.jpg|English poster for Distant Blue Sky!
===Characters===
====Protagonists====
Ash JN.png|
Goh JN.png|Goh
====Antagonists====
Jessie JN.png|Jessie
James JN.png|James
Meowth JN.png|
Wobbuffet JN.png|
====Rivals====
Gary Oak JN.png|
Volkner anime.png|Volkner
Raihan anime JN.png|Raihan
Marnie JN.png|Marnie
=====Masters Eight=====
Leon anime JN.png|
Cynthia JN.png|
Steven Stone JN 2.png|
Lance JN.png|
Diantha JN.png|Diantha
Alain JN.png|Alain
Iris JN.png|
====Supporting characters====
Misty SM.png|
Brock SM.png|
Dawn JN.png|
Professor Oak JN artwork.png|
Chloe JN.png|Chloe
Professor Cerise JN.png|Professor Cerise
Chrysa JN.png|Chrysa
Ren JN.png|Ren
Danika JN.png|Danika
Quillon JN.png|Quillon
==Staff==
Created by原案 	
* Satoshi Tajiri
* Jun'ichi Masuda
* Ken Sugimori	
* 田尻智
* 増田順一
* 杉森建
Executive director総監督 	
* Daiki Tomiyasu (from JN001 to JN117, from JNS01 to JNS04)
* Kunihiko Yuyama (from JN137 to JN147)	
* 冨安大貴
* 湯山邦彦
Directed by監督 	
* Maki Kodaira (from JN001 to JN054)
* Jun Ōwada (from JN055 to JN117)
* Yūji Asada (from JNS01 to JNS04)
* Daiki Tomiyasu (from JN118 to JN147)
* Kunihiko Yuyama (JNS05)	
* 小平麻紀
* 大和田淳
* 浅田裕二
* 冨安大貴
* 湯山邦彦
Deputy director副監督 	
* Jun Ōwada (from JN118 to JN136)	
* 大和田淳
Creative supervisorクリエイティブスーパーバイザー 	
* Kunihiko Yuyama (from JN001 to JN136)	
* 湯山邦彦
Series constructionシリーズコンストラクション 	
* Shōji Yonemura (from JN001 to JN136)
* Atsuhiro Tomioka (from JN137 to JN147)	
* 米村正二
* 冨岡淳広
Character designキャラクターデザイン 	
* Shūhei Yasuda
* Sayuri Ichiishi (JNS05)	
* 安田周平
* 一石小百合
Written by脚本 	
* Reiko Yoshida
* Shōji Yonemura
* Deko Akao
* Jun'ichi Fujisaku
* Michihiro Tsuchiya
* Tōko Machida
* Yuka Miyata
* Aya Matsui
* Atsuhiro Tomioka
* Akemi Omode
* Yūko Kakihara	
* 吉田玲子
* 米村正二
* 赤尾でこ
* 藤咲淳一
* 土屋理敬
* 待田堂子
* 宮田由佳
* 松井亜弥
* 冨岡淳広
* 面出明美
* 柿原優子
Sound director音響監督 	
* Masafumi Mima	
* 三間雅文
Music音楽 	
* Yūki Hayashi (from JN001 to JN147, from JNS01 to JNS04)
* Shinji Miyazaki (JNS05)	
* 林ゆうき
* 宮崎慎二
Animation producerアニメーションプロデューサー 	
* Hiroyuki Katō	
* 加藤浩幸
Animation productionアニメーション制作 	
* OLM TEAM KATO	
* OLM TEAM KATO
Executive production製作 	
* 55th (from JN001 to JN019) → TV Tokyo (from JN020 to JN147, from JNS01 to JNS05)
* <sc></sc>
* ShoPro	
* TV TOKYO 55th → TV TOKYO
* MEDIANET
* ShoPro
==Trivia==
* The Japanese name for this series retains its original title: Pocket Monsters.
* The design for the Japanese logo of the series is shared with M20 and M21, which are not canon with the main series.
** This also makes it the first series logo to not be colored in any shade of green, being completely blue instead. It is also the first one without any 3D perspective, having a flat 2D design.
* Netflix provides an epilepsy warning at the beginning of each episode after the TV rating chyron, thus marking the second time that the warning has been used outside of Japan, the first time being Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution.
* This is the first series:
** To be dubbed by Iyuno (formerly known as Iyuno Media Group) and Goldcrest Post.
** To be set in more than two game-original regions.
** Since the original series to be put on an extended hiatus; in this case, it was brought on by a production shutdown due to concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic.
** Since the original series to not have the names of the generation's first core series games in its title.
** Since the original series where travels with more than one main group of traveling companions, with Goh being swapped out for and during the Aim to Be a Pokémon Master arc.
** Since where Ash's outfit is not directly influenced by the male player character's outfit for the concurrent generation.
** Since Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire where Ash has won more than one Full Battle.
*** This is also the only series where Ash participates in multiple Full Battles without losing any of them.
** Since where Ash recalls any of the Pokémon at Professor Oak's Laboratory to his party.
** Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl where uses Pokémon they had caught in previous series aside from .
** Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl to feature .
** Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl to feature more than three English opening themes.
** Since where Pokémon have rejoined Ash's regular rotation after leaving it in a prior series.
** Since Pokémon the Series: Black & White in which the final episode ends with the message "Next Time... A New Beginning!"
*** However, this message was removed in the English dub.
** Since Pokémon the Series: Black & White to feature a generic eyecatch rather than a guessing segment.
** In which a main character other than Ash catches all first partner Pokémon of the current generation.
** In which the concurrent generation in the animated series concludes after the release of the following generation's initial games.
** To feature main series episodes where none of the main characters make a physical appearance.
*** It is also the first series to feature main series episodes where Ash and are completely absent. 
** To feature a movie that is released outside of July. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
** In which a main character catches a Legendary Pokémon.
** In which two protagonists catch the same Pokémon; with Ash and Goh each catching a , though Goh catches the Kantonian form, while Ash catches the Galarian form.
** In which a main character owns both a Pokémon's regular form and its regional form. 
** To have a Japanese opening theme with more than two different versions.
** In which Pokémon Eggs are given generic designs, contradicting their designs from previous series.
** In which the concurrent generation's regional does not debut in the first two episodes.
** In which the Who's That Pokémon? segments from the original Japanese version are retained in the dub.
** In which the "To Be Continued" text is removed in the dub; it is only maintained in the official YouTube upload of the first episode, but was retained on This Could be the Start of Something Big!.
** In which an event-only location in the games is visited by the protagonists.
* This is the only series of in which:
** The first Pokémon Ash was fully evolved, a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, and not introduced in the current generation.
** Ash catches a , , regional form, and Fossil Pokémon.
** Ash does not acquire any Pokémon.
** Ash has Mega Evolved one of his Pokémon.
** Ash does not have a new female traveling companion.
** Ash does not have a new traveling companion that originates from the games.
** One of Ash's friends catches a Pokémon before Ash does.
** One of Ash's male traveling companions owns a Pokédex.
** Ash doesn't catch any first partner Pokémon.
** Ash does not participate in a Pokémon League.
** Ash's journey does not tie in with the journey from the games.
** Jessie doesn't catch any Pokémon.
** Team Rocket owns a Pokédex.
** Ash reunites with his traveling companions from more than one previous series.
** Released Pokémon of Ash's appear outside of the series they were released in.
** A released Pokémon re-joins Ash's ownership permanently.
** Previous rivals of Ash besides make appearances outside of the series they were introduced in.
** Ash defeats an Elite Four member or a .
* This is the only series featuring eyecatches where the eyecatches remain the same throughout without any variations.
* The first Japanese ending theme of this series was used for 70 episodes, longer than any other Japanese ending.
* Ash obtains less Pokémon that debuted in the generation that the animated series covers than any other series, obtaining two individual species from Generation VIII.
** Additionally, Ash obtains more Pokémon species that debuted in previous generations than he did from Generation VIII.
* This series features the most of Ash's former traveling companions from previous series out of any series, with all the previous companions making a physical appearance.
* This series contains the least amount of s out of any series, with only one.
** This series also contains the least amount of endings introduced in a single series, with only two.
** This is also the only series where the number of Pokémon movies is not equal to the number of seasons of the series.
* This series has the most regular broadcasting clip shows out of any series, at four.
** It also has the shortest gap between clip shows, with only two weeks between JN119 and JN121.
* The last 12 episodes of this series were released in the United States on the 25th anniversary of the original airing of the animated series's first episode.
* This is the final series to feature Ash and Pikachu as main protagonists and the Team Rocket trio as main antagonists.
** With the end of Ash's saga in the Pokémon animated series, the official Pokémon page on Twitter revealed an art containing the beginning of Ash's journey and his last scene in The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! signed by Kunihiko Yuyama.https://twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1707138046200586390 The tweet was later retweeted by Sarah Natochenny herself.https://twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1707138046200586390https://twitter.com/sarahnatochenny/status/1707447793604784324
** On October 6, 2023, the official Pokémon YouTube channel released a video called A Timeless Journey that recalls some of the moments of Ash and ' journey.
:* On November 7, 2023 (approximately a year after Partners in Time! aired in Japan), they released a compilation of Ash's first battles and the climax of the battle against in the aforementioned episode, and Ash's first and last interactions with , , , and the Squirtle Squad.
==In other languages==
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master
==External links==
* Pokémon Journeys: The Series at the Pokémon official site for Asia
* Official site (Japanese)
==References==
==Related articles==
Category:Series of the Pokémon animated series
de:Pokémon Reisen: Die Serie
es:Serie Viajes Pokémon
fr:Cycle 7
it:Serie Esplorazioni Pokémon
ja:ポケットモンスター (2019年のアニメ)
zh:寶可夢 旅途