Pokémon the Series

Early anime frame from EP093

The Pokémon anime, often referred to as just "the anime" by Pokémon fans, is a collective term referring to currently 263 main series episodes, 29 movies, and a number of side-story episodes, all focusing on Pokémon. The great majority of these focus on Ash Ketchum, a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, and his journey toward his ultimate goal of being a Pokémon Master, his many friends, and most especially his Pokémon, who he considers his partners and friends.

Though the anime is ultimately based upon the games and draws heavily from them, many concepts which are only touched on the games are spun in a unique way, and expanded on.

The anime is now broadcast in 74^[1] different countries, many times being dubbed into other languages for different locales.

Overview

From the very 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 journey have shown him what being a Pokémon Master really is. Unlike most Trainers from Pallet, and indeed, unlike players of Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Ash did not start his journey with Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, as he arrived late to Professor Oak's lab to receive his starter Pokémon. Instead, Ash was given the only Pokémon Oak had left to give, a Pikachu that did not enjoy being inside its Poké Ball, and from there Ash learned to treat his Pokémon as partners, earning Pikachu's trust by keeping it safe from a flock of Spearow he angered.

Since then, Ash has journeyed across all five of the regions that appear in the main series games, as well as the Orange Archipelago, a "filler region" he visited to hold off the beginning of his journey in Johto until closer to the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. In each, he battles against the native Gym Leaders for their badges, as do Trainers in the main series games, to compete in the regional Pokémon League, a tournament, rather than five battles straight against the Elite Four and Champion. While his initial strategy was to continue using the same party over the course of his journey, letting some Pokémon go when they were required to do something or wanted to train, he has, since his journey in Hoenn, changed strategy, and now uses only those Pokémon which he has caught in the region, alongside Pikachu, to battle against Gym Leaders, with his explanation to Dawn 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 friends who travel with him, typically across one region, who assist him in his journey as much as he assists in theirs. Misty, the Gym Leader from Cerulean City in the games, joins him in the original series, as does Brock, Pewter City's Gym Leader, in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Tracey Sketchit, an amateur Pokémon Watcher, joins Ash during his Orange Archipelago journey, but leaves him on Ash's return to Pallet to become an assistant to Professor Oak, his hero. May and Dawn, rookie Coordinators, join Ash for the duration of the Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl series, 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 the Advanced Generation series. Iris and Cilan travel with Ash in the Best Wishes series.

The anime is produced in Japan, and airs on TV Tokyo nearly every Thursday at 7 PM, as it has since the Porygon incident was resolved (it aired on Tuesdays at the same time prior to this). Many fans consider the dialog and events mentioned in the Japanese version to be the "true canon", while the various dubs are regarded to be overridden if something stated in them differs from something said in a Japanese episode.

In Japan, the anime is divided into four series: Pocket Monsters, Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation, Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl and Pocket Monsters Best Wishes. Outside of it, these four series are further divided into seasons spanning roughly 52 episodes, and currently numbering fourteen. The show is mainly aimed at children, and as such, mature topics such as death are not often brought up, though sometimes they appear in movies. There are generally some references meant for adults, though these are kept to a minimum especially outside of Japan.

Television series

Original series

Japan		US
Theme song	First episode	Season	Theme song	First episode
Aim to Be a Pokémon Master	EP001	Indigo League	Pokémon Theme	EP001
The Rivals	EP081	The Adventures in the Orange Islands	Pokémon World	EP081
OK!	EP117	The Johto Journeys	Pokémon Johto	EP117
ATBAPM Whiteberry	EP192	Johto League Champions	Born to Be a Winner	EP158
Ready Go!	EP239	Master Quest Master Quest	Believe in Me	EP210

Advanced Generation series

Japan		US
Theme song	First episode	Season	Theme song	First episode
Advance Adventure	AG001	Advanced Advanced	I Wanna Be a Hero	AG001
Challenger!!	AG070	Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge	This Dream	AG041
Pokémon Symphonic Medley	AG105	Advanced Battle Advanced Battle	Unbeatable	AG093
Battle Frontier	AG135
Spurt!	AG166	Battle Frontier	Battle Frontier	AG146

Diamond & Pearl series

Japan		US
Theme song	First episode	Season	Theme song	First episode
Together	DP001	Diamond and Pearl	Diamond and Pearl	DP001
		Battle Dimension	We Will Be Heroes	DP053
High Touch!	DP096	Galactic Battles Galactic Battles	Battle Cry - (Stand Up!)	DP105
The Greatest - Everyday!	DP158	Sinnoh League Victors	We Will Carry On!	DP158

Best Wishes series

Japan			US
Theme song	First episode		Season	Theme song	First episode
Best Wishes!	BW001		Black & White	Black and White	BW001

Side series

Japanese name	Japanese run	English name	English run
ポケットモンスターアンコール Pocket Monsters Encore	October 19, 1999 — September 17, 2002
週刊ポケモン放送局 Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station	October 15, 2002 — September 28, 2004	Pokémon Chronicles	June 3, 2006 — September 30, 2006
ポケモン☆サンデー Pokémon Sunday	October 3, 2004 — September 26, 2010
ポケモン☆サンデー Pokémon Smash	October 3, 2010 — present

Movies

Main article: Pokémon movie

Since 1998 in Japan, and since 1999 in the US, a Pokémon movie has been released annually, most often focusing on a legendary Pokémon. These movies are almost always a large success in Japan, and remain at least somewhat successful in the US and other countries, having been aired on Cartoon Network as a special since the ninth movie, and having theatrical releases during the first five seasons.

The movies are not considered by all Pokémon fans 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. Many, however, see the movies as being akin to filler episodes, as none of their parties change, and no Gym Leaders are defeated nor 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.