User:Boblers/Pokémon anime
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Pokémon animation is the presentation of illustrated video by The Pokémon Company. These can serve as narrative works in and of themselves, or act as promotional material for other aspects of the Pokémon brand.
Animation often adapts the events and world of the core series or spin-off games, with varying degrees of creative freedom. However, some works are independent of this theming, and can explore their own original concepts.
The first piece of Pokémon animation, the television series Pokémon the Series, debuted in 1997 in Japan and 1998 in North America. Since then, Pokémon animation has expanded to other formats such as theatrical movies, shorts, animated trailers, and music videos.
Initially, most animated works tied in with the events and world of Pokémon the Series. However, over time several works have been produced that don't necessarily have such a connection, nor a connection to each other.
Television series
The Pokémon TV animated series (Japanese: テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」シリーズ TV Anime "Pocket Monsters" Series)[1] refers to the Pokémon anime series that airs on television. While this acts as an umbrella term in Japan for all of Pokémon's television-aired animation, internationally there is a division into two main series: "Pokémon the Series" that focuses on Ash Ketchum, and "Pokémon Horizons: the Series" that focuses on Liko and Roy.
The Pokémon Company International has also referred to the television anime as the "Pokémon animated series" or "Pokémon television series". Some event Pokémon based on Pokémon from the anime have their location set as "the Pokémon cartoon" in the English version of the core series games.
Pokémon the Series
- Main article: Pokémon the Series
Pokémon the Series follows the adventures of Ash Ketchum, a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, and his journey toward his ultimate goal of being a Pokémon Master; as well as his many friends, and most especially his Pokémon, whom he considers his partners and friends. Ash's journey takes him across all regions introduced in the core series from Kanto to Galar. Pokémon the Series debuted on April 1, 1997 in Japan; the English dub debuted on September 7, 1998 in North America.
While Pokémon the Series is based upon the core series games, it takes many creative liberties, expanding on concepts from the games or applying its own spin onto them.
In addition to television episodes, Pokémon the Series sometimes shares its world and characters across other media, such as movies or shorts.
The series concluded on March 24, 2023 in Japan and September 8, 2023 in North America, with a final count of 1,233 main series episodes, and a number of side stories.
Pokémon Horizons: the Series
- Main article: Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Pokémon Horizons: The Series (Japanese: ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters) focuses on dual protagonists Liko and Roy, who join an adventuring group known as the Rising Volt Tacklers across many regions of the Pokémon world. Opposing them is the mysterious group known as the Explorers, who seek Liko's similarly-mysterious pendant.
Pokémon Horizons: the Series debuted on April 14, 2023 in Japan; the English dub would receive a sneak peek of the first half of the first episode on July 20, 2023, with a full release scheduled for after the conclusion of Pokémon the Series.
Movies
- Main article: Pokémon movie
A Pokémon movie is a feature-length work, usually animated, that is about Pokémon. Movies will usually focus on one or more Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, and for movies M01 to M19, their plot ties in with Pokémon the Series. From M20 onwards however, there is not necessarily any connection.
Animated movies often use the title 'Pokémon the Movie' (Japanese: 劇場版ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters the Movie). Live-action movies such as POKÉMON Detective Pikachu do not use this name.
Miniseries
Sometimes referred to as "web anime", miniseries tend to be distributed online, have only a few episodes, and have no narrative connection to the TV series.
Core series tie-ins
| Feature | Japanese run | English run |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Origins |
October 2, 2013 | November 15 - 22, 2013 |
 Pokémon Generations |
December 9, 2016 - February 2, 2017 | September 16 - December 23, 2016 |
 Pokémon: Twilight Wings |
January 15 - August 6, 2020 (TW01 - TW07) November 5, 2020 (TW08) |
January 15 - August 6, 2020 (TW01 - TW07) November 17, 2020 (TW08) |
 Pokémon Evolutions |
September 9 - December 23, 2021 | September 9 - December 23, 2021 |
 Pokémon: Hisuian Snow |
May 18 - June 22, 2022 | May 18 - June 22, 2022 |
 Pokémon: Paldean Winds |
September 6, 2023 - | September 6, 2023 - |
Spin-off series tie-ins
| Feature | Japanese run | English run |
|---|---|---|
 The Two Professors |
September 5, 2018 - October 24, 2018 | September 5, 2018 - October 24, 2018 |
 Cube-Shaped Pokémon on Cubie Island?! |
April 8 - June 18, 2023 | April 8 - June 18, 2023 |
TCG tie-ins
| Feature | Japanese run | English run |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon: Path to the Peak |
August 14, 2023 - September 1, 2023 | August 11, 2023 - August 30, 2023 |
Misc
| Feature | Japanese run | English run |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Shorts | November 22, 2016 - June 16, 2021 | November 22, 2016 - June 16, 2021 |
 POKÉTOON |
June 4, 2020 (PT01) May 5, 2021 - December 28, 2021 |
June 17, 2022 - August 5, 2022 |
 Pokémon Concierge |
December 2023 - | December 2023 - |
Standalone specials
Standalone specials, unlike miniseries, tend to be one-shot stories that don't span across multiple episodes. These usually do not have any connection to the TV series.
Mystery Dungeon
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate! |
March 23, 2007 | September 8, 2006 |
 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness |
September 9, 2007 | September 1, 2008 |
 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness |
April 12, 2009 | October 9, 2009 |
Ranger
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (anime special) |
February 8, 2010 (part 1) March 7, 2010 (part 2) |
November 10, 2010 (combined version) |
Misc
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 The Legend of Thunder! |
December 30, 2001 (combined version) | June 3 - 10, 2006 |
 Bidoof's Big Stand |
February 9, 2022 | January 11, 2022 |
| Journey of Shared Dreams Journey of Shared Dreams |
N/A | N/A |
Animated trailers
Core series tie-ins
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 Animated Trailer |
May 17, 2012 | August 8, 2012 |
 Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Animated Trailer |
November 16, 2014 | November 20, 2014 |
Mystery Dungeon
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts |
November 1, 2012 | March 26, 2013 |
Masters EX
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 Pokémon Masters Animated Trailer |
June 27, 2019 | June 27, 2019 |
Misc
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 Challenge the World! |
July 22, 2023 | July 23, 2023 |
Animated music videos
| Feature | Japanese debut | English debut |
|---|---|---|
 GOTCHA! |
September 29, 2020 | September 29, 2020 |
 Pokémon 25 Virtual Concert |
February 27, 2021 | February 27, 2021 |
 Celestial |
September 29, 2022 | September 29, 2022 |
 One and Only |
July 12, 2023 | July 12, 2023 |
 Pokémon Party |
August 4, 2023 | August 4, 2023 |
