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Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

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This article is about the sixth series of the anime. For its eponymous first season, see S20. For the series of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, see Pokémon Trading Card Game → Sun & Moon Series. For other uses, see Sun and Moon.
English logo
Japanese logo for Pocket Monsters Sun & Moon

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon (Japanese: ポケットモンスター　サン＆ムーン Pocket Monsters Sun & Moon) is the sixth series of the Pokémon anime and is based on the events of the Generation VII core series Pokémon games. It follows Pokémon the Series: XY and was succeeded by Pokémon Journeys: The Series. It ran from November 17, 2016 to November 3, 2019 in Japan and from May 12, 2017 to March 7, 2020 in the United States, although the first two episodes aired as a sneak peek in the United States on December 5, 2016.

Ash Ketchum heads off to a new region, Alola, wearing a new set of clothes with his partner Pikachu. Unlike the five previous series, however, Ash doesn't travel through the region. Instead, he becomes a student at the Pokémon School on Melemele Island, where he meets his new classmates Lana, Lillie, Mallow, Sophocles, and Kiawe. Ash receives a Z-Ring and takes on the island challenge to get new Z-Crystals and qualify as a Z-Move user. Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon is notable for Ash's friends not being present in every episode. Also, characters are usually seen keeping their Pokémon out of their Poké Balls in this series.

A new art style is implemented for the third series in a row, this time more drastically than the series that preceded it. With this new style, characters are drawn with a much more exaggerated, rounded, "cartoony" style. Despite the new style, Sun & Moon took a more mature approach to storytelling. The subject of death was dealt with directly, with some Pokémon being seen dying, as well as showing a main character dealing with the death of a parent (as opposed to the usual instance of absent parents almost never being mentioned). The show also had a large reduction in the amount of "characters of the day", with many apparent such characters reappearing commonly after their debuts.

Episodes in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon are numbered with the prefix SM on Bulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see the list of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon episodes.

Blurb

New adventure for Ash and Pikachu has started!

This new adventure takes place in the Alola region, full of nature. What awaits Ash and Pikachu in Alola, surrounded by an endless expanse of blue sky and seas? New Pokémon, new frinds, and new experiences… An adventure filled with aell sorts of new things begins at last! Ash also has a new look. Stay tuned for new adventures!

Let’s go! Full power! On a great adventure!!

Dub seasons

Like Pokémon the Series: XY, when Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon came to be dubbed into English and other languages, it was localized as a whole. While it is still divided into three seasons, they share a common title:

Movies

Main article: Pokémon movie → Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

Gallery

For more images, please see artwork from Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon on the Bulbagarden Archives.

Posters

  • First Japanese poster

    First Japanese poster

  • Second Japanese poster

    Second Japanese poster

  • Third Japanese poster

    Third Japanese poster

  • First version of the fourth Japanese poster

    First version of the fourth Japanese poster

  • Second version of the fourth Japanese poster

    Second version of the fourth Japanese poster

  • Fifth Japanese poster

    Fifth Japanese poster

  • Pokémon Asia poster

    Pokémon Asia poster

  • English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon (Google Play)

    English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon (Google Play)

  • English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon

    English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon

  • English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon—Ultra Adventures

    English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon—Ultra Adventures

  • English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon—Ultra Legends

    English poster for Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon—Ultra Legends

Characters

Main characters

Supporting characters

Antagonists

Trivia

  • This is the only series in which:
    • Ash's outfit doesn't consist of a jacket or hoodie.
    • Ash doesn't challenge Gyms for Badges.
    • Ash keeps his Pokédex outside of his pocket.
    • Ash doesn't catch the regional bird Pokémon or a Water-type Pokémon.
    • Ash has walking Pokémon other than Pikachu.
    • Not all of Ash's friends appear in every episode despite being a main character.
    • All of Ash's friends already knew each other before meeting Ash.
    • Ash does not catch all of his starter Pokémon consecutively (of the series in which he catches more than one).
    • Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny are not distributed by city, with only one Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny per island instead.
    • None of its movies (I Choose You!, The Power of Us, and Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution) take place in the same timeline or region as that of the anime, use its opening themes, or introduce any Pokémon from a future generation.
    • Other main characters besides Ash, members of a villainous team, and a Pokémon Professor participate as competitors in a regional League Conference.
    • Ash is the winner of a League Conference.
      • Moreover, Ash doesn't end up battling and losing to Gary Oak after winning the main event.
    • Every Pokémon introduced in the concurrent generation has made an appearance in the series they were introduced in the main series of the anime.
    • One of Ash's Pokémon evolves off-screen after being caught.
    • All of Ash's Pokémon he had on hand besides Pikachu are left somewhere other than Professor Oak's Lab.
    • Neither Jessie nor James temporarily has a Pokémon.
  • Out of all the series, this has the most:
  • This is the first series:
  • This is the last series:
  • Much like Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, one of Misty's reappearance arcs takes place in Kanto and one in the region that is the series' current setting.
  • Two of Ash's Pokémon captures in this series marked three notable firsts for his team (not counting temporary captures):
  • Ash took longer to catch a full team of six Pokémon in this series than any other. He caught his sixth Pokémon when his previously released Naganadel, then a Poipole, rejoined his team in Exhibition Unmasked!.

In other languages


External links

Original series (list) Indigo League • Adventures in the Orange Islands
The Johto Journeys • Johto League Champions • Master Quest
Ruby and Sapphire (list) Advanced • Advanced Challenge • Advanced Battle • Battle Frontier
Diamond and Pearl (list) Diamond and Pearl • Battle Dimension • Galactic Battles • Sinnoh League Victors
Black & White (list) Black & White • Rival Destinies • Adventures in Unova and Beyond
XY (list) XY • Kalos Quest • XYZ (Mega Evolution Specials)
Sun & Moon (list) Sun & Moon • Ultra Adventures‎ • Ultra Legends
Journeys (list) Journeys • Master Journeys • Ultimate Journeys (The Arceus Chronicles)
Horizons (list) Horizons
Specials (list) Pikachu's Winter Vacation • Side Stories • Pokémon Chronicles
Planetarium specials • Pikachu shorts
Mewtwo Returns • The Legend of Thunder! • Pichu Bros. in Party Panic
The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon • A Ripple in Time
Complete list • Movies
Project Anime logo.png This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.
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