Pokémon the Series

Pokémon the Series is an animated that follows the adventures of Ash Ketchum, a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, and his journey toward his ultimate goal of being a Pokémon Master; as well as , and most especially , whom he considers his partners and friends. Though it is ultimately based upon the and draws heavily from them, many concepts which are only touched on in the games are spun in a unique way, and expanded on. It is the first animated series within the greater Pokémon animated series, and it is succeeded by Pokémon Horizons: The Series.
In the West, it consists of 1,224 episodes across 25 seasons, and has spawned a number of s and other . It premiered on September 7, 1998 with the broadcast of Battle Aboard the St. Anne in in , and concluded on July 29, 2023 with the broadcast of Distant Blue Sky! on Cartoon Network in (later released on September 8, 2023 on Netflix in the United States).Ash Ketchum’s 10 Most Iconic Traveling Companions | Pokemon.com In Asia (including Japan), Pokémon the Series corresponds to the first seven series of the Pokémon animated TV series (with The Beginning and Gold and Silver being combined as one series), which originally aired on TV Tokyo from April 1, 1997 to March 24, 2023.
==Terminology==
In the United States, the TV show was initially shown under the title Pokémon. The term Pokémon the Series was not introduced until 2013, with the debut of Pokémon the Series: XY. While Pokémon the Series was initially synonymous with the Pokémon animated series as a whole, they have diverged since the release of Pokémon Horizons: The Series. The Pokémon Company International considers Pokémon Horizons: The Series to be a separate animated series, and defines Pokémon the Series as the preceding animated series consisting of the 25 seasons featuring Ash and Pikachu; both of these animated series are still part of the Pokémon animated series, however.Pokémon Brand Sheet (August 2023) (archived)Pokémon Parents Official Website | Pokémon AnimationCelebrate the Best of Pokémon the Series on Pokémon TV | Pokemon.com
In Asia (including Japan), there is no official term that corresponds to the term Pokémon the Series as used by TPCi. Instead, Pokémon Horizons: The Series is treated as merely the eighth series of the Pokémon animated series.
==Plot==
From the first episode, Ash has been the central character, making his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master known to all he meets. Though initially he only became a Pokémon Trainer with the goal of beating his rival, Gary Oak, the many Pokémon Ash has met over his have shown him what being a Pokémon Master really is. Unlike most Trainers from Pallet, and unlike players of and , Ash did not start his journey with , , or , as he arrived late to 's lab to receive his first partner Pokémon. Instead, Ash was given the only Pokémon Oak had left to give, a that did not enjoy being inside his . From there, Ash learned to treat his Pokémon as partners, earning Pikachu's trust by keeping him safe from a flock of he angered.
Since then, Ash has journeyed across the first eight of the regions that appear in the core series Pokémon games, as well as the Orange Islands, a region he visited before Johto until it was closer in time to the real-world release of . In the regions outside of Galar, he battles against the local Gym Leaders for their Badges, just like the players of the core series games, to compete in the regional Pokémon League—however, the League is a championship tournament rather than five battles straight against the Elite Four and . In Kanto, he has also once competed for Symbols while challenging the . While his initial strategy was to continue using the same party over the course of his , letting some Pokémon go when they were required to do something or wanted to train, he eventually changed this strategy starting with his journey in Hoenn. From then on, he has used only those Pokémon which he has caught in the region, alongside Pikachu, to battle against Gym Leaders, with his explanation to being that he wants to prove to the young, unevolved Pokémon he meets in each new region that they can win if they try.
Over the course of the series, Ash has had several who travel with him, typically across one region, who assist him in his journey as much as he assists in theirs. , the Gym Leader from Cerulean City in the games, joins him in Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, as does , Pewter City's Gym Leader, in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Tracey Sketchit, an amateur Pokémon Watcher, joins Ash during his Orange Islands journey, but leaves him on Ash's return to Pallet to become an to Professor Oak, his hero. and , rookie s, join Ash for the duration of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, respectively; in these he mentors them much as Brock and Misty did him, while Max, May's brother who is too young to own Pokémon, looks up to Ash for the duration of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire. and travel with Ash in Pokémon the Series: Black & White. Inventor , his sister , and Ash's childhood friend travel with Ash in Pokémon the Series: XY. Like Max, Bonnie is too young to own Pokémon, but cares for her brother's . In Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Ash attends the Pokémon School instead of traveling around the Alola region. As such, his new friends—, , , , and —are not traveling companions but classmates. In Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Ash's sole new traveling companion is Goh, a Trainer who aims to catch every Pokémon species in the , with his ultimate goal being to catch the Mythical Pokémon .
==Episodes==
In the West, the episodes of Pokémon the Series are divided into 25 seasons across eight series. These series divisions were introduced starting in 2013 with the debut of Pokémon the Series: XY, with the episodes from the prior 16 seasons being retroactively grouped into five series in certain and video-on-demand releases. In Asia (including Japan), the episodes corresponding to Pokémon the Series are divided into seven series, with some of these series themselves being divided into smaller arcs.
The following tables summarize the Japanese titles, the English titles, and the Japanese and English opening themes used during each series. Seasons follow the digital release definition.
===Pokémon the Series: The Beginning===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme	First episode
Pocket Monsters 	Aim to Be a Pokémon Master	EP001 		Pokémon:Indigo League 	Pokémon Theme	EP001
Pocket Monsters 	Aim to Be a Pokémon Master	EP001 		Pokémon:Adventures in the Orange Islands	Pokémon Theme	EP052
Pocket Monsters:Episode Orange Islands	The Rivals 	EP081 		Pokémon:Adventures in the Orange Islands	 	EP084
 	 	 		 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	
===Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket Monsters:Episode Gold & Silver	OK! 	EP117 		Pokémon:The Johto Journeys 	Pokémon Johto 	EP117
Pocket Monsters:Episode Gold & Silver	Aim to Be a Pokémon Master	EP192 		Pokémon:Johto League Champions	Born to Be a Winner	EP158
Pocket Monsters:Episode Gold & Silver	Ready Go! 	EP239 		Pokémon:Master Quest 	Believe in Me 	EP210
 	 	 		 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	
===Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket MonstersAdvanced Generation 	Advance Adventure 	AG001 		Pokémon:Advanced 	I Wanna Be a Hero	AG001
Pocket MonstersAdvanced Generation 	Challenger!! 	AG070 		Pokémon:Advanced Challenge	This Dream 	AG041
Pocket MonstersAdvanced Generation 	Pokémon Symphonic Medley	AG105 		Pokémon:Advanced Battle 	Unbeatable 	AG093
Pocket MonstersAdvanced GenerationBattle Frontier	 	AG135 		Pokémon:Battle Frontier 	 	AG146
Pocket MonstersAdvanced GenerationBattle Frontier	Spurt! 	AG166 		Pokémon:Battle Frontier 	 	AG146
===Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket MonstersDiamond & Pearl	Together 	DP001 		Pokémon:Diamond and Pearl 	 	DP001
Pocket MonstersDiamond & Pearl	Together 	DP001 		Pokémon: DPBattle Dimension 	We Will Be Heroes 	DP053
Pocket MonstersDiamond & Pearl	High Touch! 	DP096 		Pokémon: DPGalactic Battles 	Battle Cry - (Stand Up!)	DP105
Pocket MonstersDiamond & Pearl	The Greatest - Everyday!	DP158 		Pokémon: DPSinnoh League Victors	We Will Carry On! 	DP158
===Pokémon the Series: Black & White===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket MonstersBest Wishes! 	 	BW001 		Pokémon:Black & White 	 	BW001
Pocket MonstersBest Wishes! Season 2 	Be an Arrow! 	BW085 		Pokémon: BWRival Destinies 	Rival Destinies 	BW049
Pocket Monsters Best Wishes!Season 2: Episode N 	Be an Arrow! 2013	BW109 		Pokémon: BWAdventures in Unova 	It's Always You and Me	BW098
Pocket Monsters Best Wishes!Season 2: Decolora Adventure	Summerly Slope 	BW123 		Pokémon: BWAdventures in Unova and Beyond	It's Always You and Me	BW123
===Pokémon the Series: XY===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket MonstersXY 	V (Volt) 	XY001 		Pokémon the Series:XY 	Pokémon Theme (Version XY)	XY001
Pocket MonstersXY 	Mega V (Mega Volt)	XY029 		Pokémon the Series:XY 	Pokémon Theme (Version XY)	XY001
Pocket MonstersXY 	Mad-Paced Getter 	XY055 		Pokémon the Series:XY Kalos Quest	Be a Hero 	XY050
Pocket MonstersXY&Z	 	XY094 		Pokémon the Series:XYZ 	Stand Tall 	XY094
===Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket MonstersSun & Moon	Alola!! 	SM001 		Pokémon the Series:Sun & Moon 	Under The Alolan Sun 	SM001
Pocket MonstersSun & Moon	Aim to Be a Pokémon Master-20th Anniversary-	SM030 		Pokémon the Series:Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures	Under The Alolan Moon	SM044
Pocket MonstersSun & Moon	Future Connection 	SM061 		Pokémon the Series:Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures	Under The Alolan Moon	SM044
Pocket MonstersSun & Moon	Your Adventure 	SM091 		Pokémon the Series:Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends 	The Challenge of Life	SM093
===Pokémon Journeys: The Series===
Japan 	Japan 	Japan 		United States 	United States 	United States
Title 	Opening theme 	First episode		Title 	Opening theme 	First episode
Pocket Monsters 	One, Two, Three(feat. After the Rain) 	JN001 		Pokémon Journeys:The Series 	The Journey Starts Today	JN001
Pocket Monsters 	One, Two, Three(feat. Nishikawa-kun and Kirishō)	JN032 		Pokémon Journeys:The Series 	The Journey Starts Today	JN001
Pocket Monsters 	One, Two, Three(feat. Karaage Sisters) 	JN050 		Pokémon Master Journeys:The Series 	Journey to Your Heart 	JN049
Pocket Monsters 	One, Two, Three(feat. Ash & Goh) 	JN100 		Pokémon Ultimate Journeys:The Series	With You 	JN091
Pocket Monsters:Aim to Be a Pokémon Master	Aim to Be a Pokémon Master-with my friends- 	JN137 		Pokémon:To Be a Pokémon Master 	Gotta Catch Em All 	JN137
==Related media==
While Pokémon the Series specifically refers to the television show, several other animated works take place within the show's continuity and world. These works can generally be identified by the presence of characters who have interacted with Ash Ketchum or his friends at some point.
===Movies===
From 1998 to 2020, a tie-in Pokémon movie featuring and as the protagonists was released in theaters annually, most often focusing on a or Mythical Pokémon. These films were initially a large success worldwide, with all 23 films having received wide releases in Japan, the first three movies receiving wide releases internationally, and later films occasionally receiving limited releases outside of Japan.
The movies are not considered by all people to be canon to the show, with some preferring to think of them occurring in an alternate timeline. This theory comes from the fact that Ash and his friends do not seem to be profoundly affected in the show by the events of the movies, which tend to have a lot of peril and drama. Others, however, see the movies as being akin to filler episodes, as none of their parties change, and no Gym Leaders are defeated nor Pokémon Contests won. This is presumably the correct interpretation, as not only have most of the events of the movies been referenced at least peripherally in the show, but also, several of the events of even major episodes have been forgotten by the writers of later episodes.
In Japan, the first 16 movies are branded as part of their respective series, replacing Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター) in the series title with Pocket Monsters the Movie (劇場版ポケットモンスター, lit. Pocket Monsters: Movie Version). The Pokémon the Series: XY movies instead begin with the phrase Pokémon the Movie XY (ポケモン・ザ・ムービー　ＸＹ). Unlike the previous movies, the trilogy consisting of I Choose You!, The Power of Us, and Secrets of the Jungle takes place in an alternate continuity involving Ash Ketchum, and does not connect directly to the events of the television series airing at the same time; the logo design that was initially created for these movies was later used for Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
The movies have also received tie-in media of their own. They primarily focus on Ash's Pikachu or other Pokémon and characters from their corresponding movie, rather than on Ash himself.
* The bonus mini-movies are shorts which were shown theatrically with their corresponding movie in Japan. The first six movies and movies 15–18 all had an accompanying short.
* Slowking's Day is a short featuring the from The Power of One which was broadcast on TV Tokyo on January 1, 2000.
* The Uncut Story of Mewtwo's Origin is a special feature on the Mewtwo Strikes Back DVD consisting of the prologue to the film that was cut from the original North American theatrical release.
* is a series of two shorts which were shown in to promote their respective movies in 2005 and 2006. They were subsequently shown together in theaters in 2017 and 2020. Only Pikachu's Ocean Adventure was dubbed.
* Sing Meloetta: Search for the Rinka Berries is a short that was released on DVD in Japan to promote Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade and Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice.
* Top Secret Internal Team Plasma Genesect Video is a short that was shown at the to promote Genesect and the Legend Awakened.
* The are special episodes or shorts which were broadcast or distributed separately to promote their respective movies.
* Hoopa's Surprise Ring Adventures is a series of six shorts which were broadcast on Oha Suta to promote Hoopa and the Clash of Ages.
===Specials===
A number of special episodes have been produced that relate to Pokémon the Series, but are not considered part of the TV series proper. In Japan, these are often branded as part of the series that was airing as of their release, but are not listed with other episodes of the series or counted towards the total episode count.
* Clip shows are compilations of video clips from already-released episodes or movies, usually with the purpose of recapping a story arc that spanned several episodes. They are also used to commemorate special occasions, such as anniversaries or holidays. Clip shows generally do not offer new narrative content, instead acting as retrospective overviews of previous episodes. Seven of the clip shows were aired during the series' regular timeslot in Japan, and are thus officially considered as regular episodes that are part of the animated series. In the West, these episodes were not dubbed.
* Pikachu's Winter Vacation is a series of special episodes primarily focusing on Pokémon characters that were released near Christmas each year from 1998 to 2000 as part of the original series. In the West, these episodes were also released on home video or as part of Pokémon Chronicles.
* Mewtwo Returns is a series of three special episodes that were broadcast on TV Tokyo in 2000 as part of the original series, serving as a sequel to Mewtwo Strikes Back. In the West, it was combined into a direct-to-video movie.
* The Legend of Thunder! is a special featuring , , and Vincent that was broadcast on TV Tokyo in 2001 as part of the original series. In the West, it was split into three episodes as part of Pokémon Chronicles.
* Pichu Bros. in Party Panic is a special episode featuring the Pichu Brothers that was released as part of the Nintendo GameCube video game Pokémon Channel in 2003.
* The are a series of special episodes focusing on Pikachu and other Pokémon characters that were originally shown as on flights during the month of August each year from 2004 to 2011, and were later released on home video as part of their respective series. In the West, only Pikachu's Island Adventure was dubbed.
* Pocket Monsters Side Stories is a series of special episodes focusing on recurring side characters that were originally broadcast during the Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station from 2002 to 2004 as side stories of the original series. In the West, they were dubbed as part of Pokémon Chronicles.
* The are a series of special episodes released from 2004 to 2020 made to be projected on the interior of an overhead dome, usually allowing for a wide simulated view of the sky or stars. These specials were shown exclusively at planetariums and museums in Japan, and the subject matter of each tends to focus on the sky or stars. They are branded as part of their respective series. These episodes have not been released outside of Japan.
* The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon is a special that was made to celebrate Pokémon's 10th anniversary in 2006.
* The Arceus Chronicles is a series of four special episodes that were released on Prime Video in 2022 as part of Pokémon Journeys: The Series. In the West, it was combined into a movie and released on Netflix.
* A Ripple in Time is a short that was released in 2022 as part of a collaboration between Pokémon and .
==Availability==
In , Pokémon the Series initially premiered in beginning with the broadcast of the 15th episode Battle Aboard the St. Anne on September 7, 1998, with new episodes being aired every weekday starting from the first episode Pokémon - I Choose You! on the following day. The last 12 episodes of the first season and all episodes from then until the end of season eight premiered on the programming block of . Seasons 9–19 premiered on the cable channel , while seasons 20–22 premiered on the premium cable channel . Starting with season 23, new episodes of Pokémon the Series left cable in favor of the streaming service Netflix, where the final batch of 12 episodes was added on September 8, 2023. Internationally, Pokémon the Series was aired on various local broadcasters.
In Japan, the episodes corresponding to Pokémon the Series were broadcast nearly every week on stations, beginning with Pokémon - I Choose You! on April 1, 1997 and ending with The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! on March 24, 2023, with the exception of a four-month hiatus after the Porygon incident and a seven-week hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Episodes have been made available on demand on various platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, Hulu, and YouTube, though availability differs by region.
==Staff==
==In other languages==
==References==
==External links==
* Pokémon the Series Episode Encyclopedia on Pokemon.com
*
fr:Pokémon, la série