Pokémon is considered to be one of the biggest media franchises in the world—potentially even the highest-grossing one, well, ever! From video games to books, to trading cards, there are multiple ways someone can begin their journey of being the very best (like no one ever was).
When did Pokémon start?
Pokémon was originally released as a video game in 1996. Developed by Game Freak and created by Satoshi Tajiri (with assistance from Ken Sugimori), the first game was released in Japan as Pocket Monsters: Red and Green. Later, the pair of games would be released outside of Japan as Pokémon: Red and Green. From there, the franchise would continue to release video games (often as a pair) while branching into other forms of media.
Is there an anime?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer involves over 20 seasons of content and well over 1000 episodes that started back in 1997 and are still ongoing today. Pokémon also has anime films, specials, mini-series, and spin-offs that allow viewers to continue to explore the vast world of “Pocket Monsters.”
If you’re like me, your introduction to Pokémon was when it aired in the US in 1998 (it had started in Japan in 1997). It was here that I was introduced to Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, and a world where ten-year-olds set off to become Pokémon Trainers. The anime typically focuses on Ash’s dream of becoming a Pokémon Master with Pikachu and his friends by his side. While the anime will have him exploring regions that Pokémon fans who played the games would recognize, his story is unique to the anime.
The current anime is Pokémon Journeys: The Series, which started back in 2019. Broken into 3 seasons (Journeys, Master Journeys, and Ultimate Journeys), the anime follows the adventures of Ash (who still wants to be a Pokémon Master), Goh (who wants to catch one of every Pokémon – good luck, kid, there are almost a thousand of them), and Chloe (the daughter of Professor Cerise who decides to travel with Ash and Goh). The latest season, Ultimate Journeys, is currently airing in Japan with the previous seasons streaming on Netflix.
(Image: Pokémon)
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