Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures (Japanese: ポケットモンスター☆SPECIAL Pocket Monsters ☆ SPECIAL) is a manga series authored by 日下秀憲 Hidenori Kusaka. It was illustrated by 真斗 Mato for the first ten volumes, and since volume 11, has been illustrated by 山本サトシ Satoshi Yamamoto. It is published by Shōgakukan under the Ladybird Comics Special series.

It is popularly known as Pokémon Special even outside of Japan, and often shortened as PokéSpe (Japanese: ポケスペ PokeSupe).

Unlike the anime, which, though drawing much inspiration from the games, does not follow them exactly, Pokémon Special is a mostly game-based manga, with the thirteen main characters taking their names from the main series games, and their various adventures tending to stay restricted to their home region. Also unlike the anime, which has gone to great lengths to indicate the danger of a legendary Pokémon being captured, the main characters of Pokémon Special have captured and sometimes use their own legendaries, much as the player can in the games. Pokémon Special also contains darker elements than other media, including certain characters and some Pokémon actually dying.

The series was translated into English and published in the United States by VIZ Media; however, publication stopped after the Yellow arc. As of June 2009, VIZ began re-releasing the series from volume 1. Unlike the original English releases, which read from left-to-right like Western comics and had the art mirrored from the Japanese releases, these re-released volumes retain the original format, with the pages going from right-to-left and the art being unmodified.

On October 26, 2009, it was announced that Gakunen magazine Grade 5 and Grade 6 (at the time serializing the Diamond & Pearl chapter) would cease publication at the end of the fiscal year. The fate of the manga is as of yet unconfirmed, though the editorial department is trying to find an alternative means of publication.

Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri is quoted as stating, "This is the comic that most resembles the world I was trying to convey." Game producer Tsunekaz Ishihara also praises the series, saying, "I want every Pokémon fan to read this comic!".

Story arcs

The various chapters of Pokémon Special span the four generations of Pokémon games so far. These chapters are named typically for the games they correspond to; however, the protagonists of each chapter typically also share these names.

Red, Green & Blue chapter (Volume 1~3)

Main article: Red, Green & Blue chapter (Special)

The first chapter of Pokémon Special, much like the first games, chronicles the journeys of Red and Green across the Kanto region, conquering its eight Gyms and the Pokémon League. Later, a third Trainer, Blue, comes into the plot. Together, the three defeat Team Rocket, an evil organization that uses Pokémon for illegal things. Red also helps Blaine to capture Mewtwo and saves a young girl from wild Pokémon in Viridian Forest. In the end, as in the games, Red defeats Green in the Pokémon League.

This chapter consists of the first three volumes of the manga.

Yellow chapter (Volume 4~7)

Main article: Yellow chapter (Special)

The Yellow chapter starts two years after Red obtains his title of the Champion in the Pokémon League. Red disappears for one month after he leaves to answer a challenge from someone named Bruno. One day, Professor Oak discovers Red's Pikachu, Pika, injured at his doorstep. Soon after the arrival of Pika, a young trainer comes into the Professor's lab. The trainer, Yellow, claims that "he" is a friend of Red and wishes to look for him with Pika. While Professor Oak is still skeptical about Yellow, especially about "his" ability of healing and sensing Pokémon's emotions, he eventually entrusts this mission and Red's upgraded Pokédex to the young trainer. However, this event only triggers the revelation of a larger secret as Yellow is repeatedly attacked by members of the Elite Four.

Gold, Silver & Crystal chapter (Volume 8~15)

Main article: Gold, Silver & Crystal chapter (Special)

As peace is returning to Kanto, new journeys and happenings are beginning in another region, Johto. Gold was enjoying his normal life with his family Pokémon, who have been with him since birth, until he ran into a Pokémon thief at Professor Elm's lab. As he goes on a journey of chasing the thief, Silver, with a Cyndaquil from Professor Elm and Pokédex from Professor Oak, he stumbles upon the secret plots of the Mask of Ice. At the same time, Professor Oak sends out a "Pokémon Capture Professional", Crystal, on a journey of completing the Pokédex. She gets involved in Eusine's plans to capture Suicune and tries to do so herself. Soon after, she also gets involved with the plots of Mask of Ice, who is apparently after the two legendary Pokémon, Lugia and Ho-Oh. The more shocking revelation follows: this Mask of Ice is actually one of the 16 Gym Leaders of the combined Kanto-Johto area!

Ruby & Sapphire chapter (Volume 15~22)

Main article: Ruby & Sapphire chapter (Special)

Things have just settled down in Kanto and Johto, but another new region coming on screen. This chapter is about the "rivalry" of Ruby and Sapphire, who are trying to conquer all the Pokémon Contests and Gyms in Hoenn respectively within the span of 80 days. Just like their counterparts in Kanto and Johto, they encounter two evil organizations, the land-loving Team Magma and sea-loving Team Aqua. However, on top of their gym battles and Pokémon contests, the two teams and the balance of nature, Sapphire and Ruby have to worry about something else, too: their feelings for each other...

FireRed & LeafGreen chapter (Volume 22~26)

Main article: FireRed & LeafGreen chapter (Special)

The FRLG series continues the series featuring the characters Red and Green as they are forced to explore the Sevii Islands to look for Professor Oak who got kidnapped by a Deoxys. Meanwhile, Blue has finally located her parents, but as she is about to meet them, they get swallowed up by a mysterious black hole. Red, Green, and Blue must locate the missing relatives with the help of a former foe, Lorelei, the psychic mutant, Mewtwo and a mysterious old lady, Kiwame, while defeating Team Rocket again at the same time. Back in Kanto, Silver is seeking his parents as well, with the help of Yellow. He is soon shocked by the revelation of who his father really is...

Emerald chapter (Volume 26~29)

Main article: Emerald chapter (Special)

The Grand opening of the Battle Frontier takes an unexpected twist when Emerald appears on the scene. Now he must conquer the seven facilities in seven days. With a seemingly unmatched ability at battles and access to every Pokémon Crystal has ever caught, the mysterious stranger that attacks Noland and is seeking Jirachi, Guile Hideout, may be more of a worry, especially if he catches Jirachi first...

Diamond & Pearl chapter (Volume 30~?)

Main article: Diamond & Pearl chapter (Special)

An important family from the region of Sinnoh sends their last descendant Platinum on a special mission with two bodyguards. Platinum instead meets with Diamond and Pearl, who coincidentally match the description given to her (two boys in scarves, one in red, the other in green). They join her, believing that by accompanying her to Mt. Coronet they will win a prize from her family, but it won't be easy.

Platinum chapter (Volume ?~?)

Main article: Platinum chapter (Special)

The chapter follows Lady Platinum Berlitz as she enters the Battle Frontier as well as Looker, who is investigating information on the Distortion World.

Trivia

• A lot of the art in Pokémon Special is based on the original concept works from the games. For example:
  • In in the Red, Green, and Blue chapter, Charmander is drawn with spikes on its back
  • Hitmonlee has arms that can stretch like springs in the Yellow chapter
  • Blue's character design is based off of a picture with Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow's protagonist, his rival, and the back of a female trainer
• Throughout the series, every protagonist starts out with a Pokémon other than the tradition starter Pokémon that are chosen in the games. However, each protagonist eventually gets one, near the start of the chapter

See also

• List of rounds in Pokémon Special
• List of Pokémon Special volumes

External links

• Offical Japanese site
• Chuang Yi, English-language publishers of Pokémon Special in Singapore
• Pokémon Adventures on Mangafox (translations into English).
• PokéPlus, a Brazilian site that fused with Pokémon Special Brasil, scanlators of Pokémon Special in Portuguese.
• Pokémon Project, a site where Pokémon Special is being translated to Spanish (along with other Pokémon mangas).
• PokéINET.com, a site where Pokémon Special is being translated from Chinese to English.

This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga.