Pokémon Chapter Books
The Pokémon Chapter Books are the main series of Pokémon books. In this series, there are 28 books. However, only 26 books are based on actual episodes from the Pokémon animated series, with Race to Danger and Talent Showdown having original plots. Like the Pokémon Junior series, it is a multiple-author series, authored by Tracey West, Jennifer L. Johnson, and Sheila Sweeny. The Pokémon Chapter Books start with the book I Choose You! and end with Winner Takes All, spanning the seasons Indigo League, Orange Islands, and part of The Johto Journeys. This series is distinguished from others that are based on animated series episodes by its chapter-book format and the design of the blurb on the back, which consists of a black box with text and several circles featuring different species of Pokémon on its rim. Books in this series typically have a Pikachu near the corner of a page, with the only exception being Team Rocket Blasts Off!, which instead has Meowth in the corner of the pages, as a reference to the member of Team Rocket.
Books in this series
Original series
| Number | Cover | Title | ISBN | Release date | Author |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
I Choose You! | ISBN 0439104645 | July 1999 | Tracey West |
| 2 | 
|
Island of the Giant Pokémon | ISBN 0439104661 | July 1999 | Tracey West |
| 3 | 
|
Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon | ISBN 0439135508 | September 1999 | Tracey West |
| 4 | 
|
Night in the Haunted Tower | ISBN 043913742X | October 1999 | Tracey West |
| 5 | 
|
Team Rocket Blasts Off! | ISBN 9780439154185 | January 2000 | Tracey West |
| 6 | 
|
Charizard, Go! | ISBN 0439154219 | February 2000 | Tracey West |
| 7 | 
|
Splashdown in Cerulean City | ISBN 043915426X | March 2000 | Tracey West |
| 8 | 
|
Return of the Squirtle Squad | ISBN 0439154294 | April 2000 | Tracey West |
Orange Islands
| Number | Cover | Title | ISBN | Release date | Author |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 
|
Journey to the Orange Islands | ISBN 0439169429 | May 2000 | Tracey West |
| 10 | 
|
Secret of the Pink Pokémon | ISBN 0439169437 | June 2000 | Tracey West |
| 11 | 
|
The Four-Star Challenge | ISBN 0439169445 | August 2000 | Howard Dewin |
| 12 | 
|
Scyther, Heart of a Champion | ISBN 0439169453 | August 2000 | Sheila Sweeny |
| 13 | 
|
Race to Danger | ISBN 043920089X | October 2000 | Tracey West |
| 14 | 
|
Talent Showdown | ISBN 043920090X | November 2000 | Tracey West |
| 15 | 
|
Psyduck Ducks Out | ISBN 0439200911 | December 2000 | Jennifer L. Johnson |
| 16 | 
|
Thundershock in Pummelo Stadium | ISBN 043920092X | January 2001 | Tracey West |
Johto Journeys
| Number | Cover | Title | ISBN | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 
|
Go West, Young Ash | ISBN 0439200938 | February 2001 | Tracey West |
| 18 | 
|
Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Detective | ISBN 0439200946 | March 2001 | Tracey West |
| 19 | 
|
Prepare for Trouble | ISBN 0439220335 | April 2001 | Tracey West |
| 20 | 
|
Battle for the Zephyr Badge | ISBN 0439243971 | April 2001 | Jennifer L. Johnson |
| 21 | 
|
The Chikorita Challenge | ISBN 0439221137 | June 2001 | Tracey West |
| 22 | 
|
All Fired Up | ISBN 0439221145 | July 2001 | Jennifer L. Johnson |
| 23 | 
|
Ash to the Rescue | ISBN 0439220920 | August 2001 | Tracey West |
| 24 | 
|
Secrets of the GS Ball | ISBN 0439220912 | September 2001 | Jennifer L. Johnson |
| 25 | 
|
Prize Pokémon | ISBN 0439202760 | October 2001 | Sheila Sweeny |
| 26 | 
|
Teaming Up With Totodile | ISBN 0439295742 | November 2001 | Tracey West |
| 27 | 
|
Tough Enough | ISBN 0439358019 | 2002 | Tracey West |
| 28 | 
|
Winner Takes All | ISBN 0439358027 | July 2002 | Tracey West |
Series collections
The eight Orange Island novelizations have been collected as a boxed set with updated covers, titled Pokémon Classic Collection or Pokémon Master Collection (ISBN 9781338193091),[1] which was released on November 1, 2016. Eight Johto Journeys novelizations from Go West, Young Ash to Secrets of the GS Ball have been collected as a boxed set with updated covers, titled Pokémon Adventure Collection (ISBN 9781338284003),[2] which was released on April 1, 2017. They are also available in a 16-book collection known as Pokémon Essential Collection, which was released in December 2016.[3]
Pokémon Classic Collection
Pokémon Adventure Collection
In other languages
The Pokémon Chapter Books are known to be translated into Bulgarian, Czech, Canadian French, European French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Latin American Spanish.
Pokémon Chapter Books in Indonesian
Trivia
- The books were the first media to show Gary having a Blastoise, seen in Talent Showdown. However, he was also shown with a Charizard and a Venusaur due to the author not actually knowing which one was his first partner Pokémon.[citation needed] Gary's actual first partner was not revealed until The Ties That Bind. Incidentally, the author also depicted Gary owning all the Pokémon he uses during his Champion battle from Pokémon Red and Blue versions except for Gyarados and Pidgeot.
- The novel Race to Danger also states that Pidgeot rejoined Ash after his return from the Orange Islands. However, Pidgeot did not make any physical return appearances in the animated series until at the end of Ash's journey in The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!, almost 23 years after the release of Race to Danger.
- At the beginning of most of the books, there are lyrics to various songs used in the series. In the books that show Pokémon Theme, the lyric given is "each Pokémon to understand the power that's inside". However, the actual lyric is "teach Pokémon to understand".
References
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This article is part of Project Merchandise, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all Pokémon toys, dolls, books, and collectible merchandise. |
