Pokémon
Series, 1998, The '90s, Set in Kanto
Pokémon is #9 of 24 in release order and #9 of 24 in chronological order in the Kids' WB Classics.
The story
It’s Ash Ketchum’s tenth birthday, and he’s ready to do what many 10-year-olds in the Kanto region set out to do—become a Pokémon Trainer! Things don’t go exactly the way he planned when he ends up with a Pikachu instead of a standard first Pokémon, and winning Gym Badges turns out to be much tougher than he thought. Luckily he’s got former Gym Leaders Brock and Misty at his side, along with a bevy of new Pokémon friends, including Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.
Pokémon recap
Ash Ketchum, ten, sets off from Pallet Town to become a Pokémon Master. He gets a stubborn Pikachu that refuses its Poké Ball, then travels with Misty, a water trainer whose bike he wrecked, and Brock, a gym leader who wants to be a breeder. Team Rocket's Jessie, James and their talking Meowth keep trying to steal Pikachu. Ash wins badges at eight gyms in Kanto and reaches the Indigo League, where he loses in the top sixteen. He then travels to the Orange Islands, joined by Tracey, a Pokémon watcher, and wins the Orange League. Back with Brock, he travels through Johto, a new region with new Pokémon, earning eight more badges. He releases Butterfree and Pidgeot along the way and grows close to Charizard, who leaves for a time to train. Ash reaches the Silver Conference and loses in the top eight to Harrison, a trainer from Hoenn. Kids' WB began airing the show in the United States in 1999.
Pokémon ending explained
The original series ends with "Gotta Catch Ya Later!" (2002): after the Johto League, Ash, Misty and Brock part ways, and Ash goes home to Pallet Town before heading to Hoenn, leaving everyone but Pikachu behind. The story continues in Pokémon: Advanced. Ash's full story ends in 2023 with Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, after which the anime moves to new main characters, Liko and Roy.
Where to watch Pokémon
Pokémon is streaming on Netflix, Disney+, YouTube TV, and Tubi in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.1/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, before Batman Beyond.
- Chronological order: after Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, before Batman Beyond.
Cast
- Rica Matsumoto as Satoshi (voice)
- Ikue Otani as Pikachu (voice)
- Megumi Hayashibara as Musashi (voice)
- Shin-ichiro Miki as Strike (voice)
- Inuko Inuyama as Nyarth (voice)
- Unsho Ishizuka as Narrator (voice)
- Yuji Ueda as Barrierd (voice)
- Mayumi Izuka as Kasumi (voice)
- Yuko Kobayashi as Shigeru Oak (voice)
- Kenyu Horiuchi as Narrator (voice)
- KAORI as Haruka (voice)
- Kei Shindo as Joy (voice)