Pokémon is a franchise that hardly needs any introduction, and its TV and film output has been a cornerstone of its global domination. Beginning in the late ‘90s when the much-reported ‘mania’ generated by the video and trading card games was approaching fever pitch, its world of monster-catching and battling has scarcely been off our screens.
Each series and accompanying movie are tied to regions and Pokémon Generations introduced in each mainline game series, totalling nine so far. The majority revolve around perennial 10-year-old Ash Ketchum and his feisty Pikachu, aimed at audiences about the same age–but like Harry Potter, there are plenty of diehard adult fans. Whether you’re one of them or a relative newcomer, here’s how to watch ‘em all.
Generation I
The first Pokémon animated series, Indigo League, introduced the world to Ash and his Pikachu, companions Misty and Brock, and his goal to become a Pokémon Champion. Set in the games’ Red, Blue and Yellow’s Kanto region, its name comes from the elite trainers of Indigo Plateau, whom Ash must earn Gym Badges to reach and battle for the title.
The show was quickly followed up by the first, now-iconic Pokémon film, The First Movie, later remade in 3D CG in 2019, which introduced the philosophising, man-made Pokémon Mewtwo and the Mythical Mew, his genetic forebear. Adventures In The Orange Islands, a stopgap spinoff series with Ash and Pikachu in a tropical archipelago, rounds out the Generation I era of anime.
Detailed Watch Order
- Indigo League (1997-1999)
- Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) / Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution (2019)
- Adventures In The Orange Islands (1999)
Generation II
As its tagline proclaimed, Ash moves into “A brand new world” for the release of the Gold and Silver games. His time in the Johto region encompasses three seasons as he moves up the ranks towards its Pokémon League, and three films featuring the legendary Pokémon Lugia, Celebi, and Entei, with the latter embroiled in an infamously weird human-Pokémon twist.
A fourth series, Pokémon Chronicles, was also released in this period and is a slight outlier: named and packaged by American dubbers 4Kids from unreleased Pocket Monster Side Stories episodes, as they were called in Japan.
Detailed Watch Order
- The Johto Journeys (1999-2000)
- Pokémon the Movie 2000 (1999)
- Johto League Champions (2000-2001)
- Pokémon 3: The Movie (2000)
- Master Quest (2001-2002)
- Pokémon 4Ever (2001)
- Pokémon Chronicles (2002-2004)
Generation III
Tying into the Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald games, Ash reaches the Hoenn region for the four Advanced seasons, where Misty is swapped out for new companion May alongside her little brother Max. May’s goal isn’t to battle but to enter Pokémon Contests (pageants, essentially), a new mechanic introduced into the Generation III games. This ‘non-trainer’ role became the norm for female protagonists for a stretch.
Misty does make an appearance in the film Pokémon Heroes, which is fondly remembered by fans and fuelled years of speculation over a mysterious kiss planted on Ash at its conclusion. May takes over her role in the other two, Jirachi, Wish Maker and Destiny Deoxys; Deoxys is one of the strangest Legendary Pokémon: a mutant alien virus.
Detailed Watch Order
- Advanced (2002-2003)
- Pokémon Heroes (2002)
- Advanced Challenge (2003-2004)
- Pokémon: Jirachi, Wish Maker (2003)
- Advanced Battle (2004-2005)
- Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys (2004)
- Battle Frontier (2005-2006)
Generation IV
With four shows and films during this time, the Diamond, Pearl and Platinum games’ era is the most prolific for Pokémon anime. Becoming customary at this point, Contest competitor Dawn replaces May as Ash’s female travelling partner in the Sinnoh region, and is often thought of as one of the best female characters after Misty.
The Generation IV films, The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior and Arceus and the Jewel of Life, follow a continuous narrative, with Giratina and Arceus representing siesmic additions to in-world canon as the Pokémon ‘Devil’ and ‘God’, giving the universe a Creation Myth with Arceus as the progenitor of all.
Detailed Watch Order
- Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005)
- Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (2006)
- Diamond & Pearl (2006-2007)
- Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai (2007)
- Diamond & Pearl: Battle Dimension (2007-2008)
- Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior (2008)
- Diamond & Pearl: Galactic Battles (2008-2009)
- Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life (2009)
- Diamond & Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors (2010)
- Pokémon – Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010)
Limited Pokémon series (2010-)
From 2010 onwards, Pokémon has expanded from traditional broadcast TV into online miniseries, YouTube shorts, and other short-form social media content. Some of them are too short and light on story to be considered alongside the mainline TV anime, but others, especially in recent years, are far superior to it.
Of particular note are Origins, a love letter to the Generation I games with pleasingly visceral fight scenes (younger viewers beware!); Twilight Wings, beautifully produced, self-contained stories in the Galar region; and Concierge, an exceptionally adorable stop-motion series based on a Pokémon resort island (younger viewers encouraged!).
Detailed Watch Order
- Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (2010)
- Pokémon Origins (2013)
- Pokémon Generations (2016-2017)
- Pokémon: Twilight Wings (2020)
- Pokémon Evolutions (2021)
- Pokémon Concierge (2023-)
Generation V
Generation V’s Black and White games bring the anime to the Unova region, and two new partners to replace Brock and Dawn: Cilan and Iris. Ash’s longtime antagonists, Jessie and James, hellbent on nabbing his Pikachu, also have a renewed, villainous purpose in the Black & White series, having been relegated to mere comic relief for years.
The last film of this era is memorable for bringing back Mewtwo as an antagonist, though nowhere near as egomaniacal as in The First Movie. Confusingly, though the two Mythical types have the same backstory, this personality shift makes them distinct from one another. This Mewtwo also has a more feminine voice, though it is non-gendered, as well as a Mega Evolved form.
Detailed Watch Order
- Black & White (2010-2011)
- Black & White: Rival Destinies (2011-2012)
- Pokémon the Movie: White – Victini and Zekrom; Pokémon the Movie: Black – Victini and Reshiram (2011)
- Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond (2012-2013)
- Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice (2012)
- Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened (2013)
Generation VI
Ash reaches the Kalos region in the XY seasons of the Pokémon anime, which brings the latest innovation in Pokémon battling from the games and Genesect movie: ‘Mega Evolutions,’ a temporary, supersizing power-up. This time, Ash’s travelling buddies are Clemont, Bonnie, and most significantly, Serena, a friend from his younger years who harbours a one-sided crush on him.
In XYZ, the last of these three seasons, Ash learns to tap into a unique, mystical bond with his Greninja, one of the most popular Pokémon in Japan, which is similar but distinct from Mega Evolution. Other than his Pikachu and unruly Charizard, it remains one of the most potent links he has ever shared with one of his team.
Detailed Watch Order
- XY (2013-2014)
- XY: Kalos Quest (2014-2015)
- Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (2014)
- XYZ (2015-2016)
- Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (2015)
- Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (2016)
Generation VII
The Sun and Moon games brought a major shake-up to a formula unchanged since the first Pokémon games: gone are Gym Badges, and instead, trainers complete trials on the Alolan islands. Ash follows suit in the anime, which mixes things up further by giving him a group of classmates at a Pokémon school instead of a couple of companions. This is even further differentiated from previous series by a shift to a more cartoonish, rounded art style.
Gearing up to mark the franchise’s 20th anniversary, the Sun & Moon films also take a more novel approach, shifting to an alternate timeline that begins with a nice full-circle plotline: Ash on the trail of Gen I’s Ho-Oh, the first Legendary Pokémon he saw in the first movie.
Detailed Watch Order
- Sun & Moon (2016-2017)
- Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures (2017-2018)
- Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (2017)
- Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends (2018-2019)
- Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018)
Generation VIII
The Journeys anime seasons strip things back to Ash and a single companion, Goh, who has the sizable dream of catching every Pokémon ever. This means not only do the pair explore the new Galar region from the Sword and Shield games, but return to the other seven as well. Without giving too much away, the final instalment also finally wraps up Ash’s time as series protagonist with a deeply cathartic victory.
Also included in this era is the first live-action movie, Detective Pikachu, bringing to life a talking, sleuthing version of the Pokémon from an off-shoot game in CGI, co-starring Ryan Reynolds; a risky gambit that ended up being the highest-grossing video game adaptation until another Nintendo property sniped it.
Detailed Watch Order
- Journeys (2019-2020)
- Master Journeys (2020-2021)
- Ultimate Journeys / To Be a Pokémon Master (2021-2023)
- Detective Pikachu (2019)
- Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2020)
Generation IX
The ninth Generation of the Scarlet and Violet games is a new, Ash-less frontier for the corresponding anime seasons. Set in the Paldea region, protagonists Liko and Roy join an airship whose crew, the Rising Volt Tacklers, are captained by a Pikachu. Team Rocket, meanwhile, gives way to the shadowy cabal, the Explorers, looking to control a team of six Legendary Pokémon.
The second season, Horizons: The Search for Laqua, incorporates ‘Tera Types,’ a new in-battle transformation that changes a Pokémon’s type and gives it a crystal aesthetic. As in Journeys, the whole Pokémon world is visitable thanks to the airship, continuing to showcase the franchise’s now-vast world-building.
Detailed Watch Order
- Horizons (2023-2024)
- Horizons – The Search for Laqua (2024-)
Where to Watch More 'Pokémon' Movies and Shows Online
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