Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

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This article is about the sixth series of the anime. 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), referred to by fans as the Sun & Moon series, is the sixth series of the Pokémon anime and is based on the events of the Generation VII core series Pokémon games. It follows the XY series and was succeeded by the new series. It ran from November 17, 2016 to November 3, 2019 in Japan and premiered on May 12, 2017 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. The Sun & Moon series 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 the Sun & Moon series are numbered with the prefix SM on Bulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see the list of Sun & Moon series 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 the XY series, when the Sun & Moon series came to be dubbed into English and other languages, it was localized as a whole. So far, while it is still divided into three seasons, they share a common title:

Movies

Main article: Pokémon movie → Sun & Moon series

Gallery

For more images, please see artwork from the Sun & Moon anime series on the Bulbagarden Archives.

Posters

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 doesn't have a Gym Leader as a traveling companion.
    • Ash keeps his Pokédex outside of his pocket.
    • Ash doesn't catch the regional Normal/Flying bird Pokémon or a Water-type Pokémon.
    • Not all of Ash's friends appear in every episode despite being a main character.
    • All of Ash's friends own a walking Pokémon.
    • All of Ash's friends already know 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, 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.
    • 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 Pokemon he had on hand besides Pikachu are left somewhere other than Professor Oak's Lab.
  • Out of all the series, this has the most:
  • This is the first series:
  • This is the last series:
  • Like the Advanced Generation series, 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!.
  • This is the last series to air in the Heisei period, and the first series to air in the Reiwa period.

In other languages


External links

Original series (list) Indigo LeagueAdventures in the Orange Islands
The Johto JourneysJohto League ChampionsMaster Quest
Ruby and Sapphire (list) AdvancedAdvanced ChallengeAdvanced BattleBattle Frontier
Diamond and Pearl (list) Diamond and PearlBattle DimensionGalactic BattlesSinnoh League Victors
Black & White (list) Black & WhiteRival DestiniesAdventures in Unova and Beyond
XY (list) XYKalos QuestXYZ (Mega Evolution Specials)
Sun & Moon (list) Sun & MoonUltra Adventures‎Ultra Legends
Journeys (list) JourneysMaster JourneysUltimate Journeys (The Arceus Chronicles)
Horizons (list) Horizons
Specials (list) Pikachu's Winter VacationSide StoriesPokémon Chronicles
Planetarium specialsPikachu shorts
Mewtwo ReturnsThe Legend of Thunder!Pichu Bros. in Party Panic
The Mastermind of Mirage PokémonPokémon Ranger: Guardian SignsA Ripple in Time
Complete listMoviesOther anime series
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