“Ash and Brock are mostly the main characters in the TV show, but I like Misty and Joy more. Joy and Misty are fun to listen to and they really fit into the story.”
—Zaro
“My favorite character in the TV show is Pikachu and Togepi. I like Pikachu because he’s fun to watch and it’s fun to see him dancing around. And I like it when Pokémon communicate with each other and talk in languages and they can understand.”
—Allie
“The TV show is fun to watch because it is funny and has thoughtful ideas. My favorite episode is ‘Island of the Giant Pokémon’ because you can understand what the Pokémon are saying.”
—Tim
Did you know that there is actually a Pokémon TV show? Oh, you knew that already? Oh darn, I thought I’d be the first to tell you. But did you know it’s a cartoon?
Okay, down to business—no more fooling around. This is serious! Well, not too serious. Yes, of course there is a Pokémon cartoon on TV, and millions and millions of kids watch it every day all over the country. As a matter of fact, in many places it’s the show that the most kids in the area like to watch.
This isn’t surprising. For one thing, it’s a cartoon. For another thing, it’s about their favorite video game. So kids will naturally want to watch it. But there’s another thing about the show. The guys who made the Pokémon cartoon series wrote the episodes so that they follow the game. Well, a lot of them follow the game—some of them don’t follow the game. However, if you watch the show carefully you can learn all kinds of tricks and tactics for the game. And all of the Pokémon in the show have the same powers and evolve the same ways as in the video game. A lot of you knew that, but some kids I’ve talked to didn’t know it. So I thought I’d mention it again.
The first time I heard about the show was before it was even on American television. It was reported that one of the episodes—one that isn’t shown in the U.S.—made some kids in Japan sick because of the flashing lights that were included in it. They removed the flashing lights in Japan, but it was a big deal in the newspapers and on television all over the world. You don’t have to worry about that from watching the show in the U.S.
So here are the shows and a little something about them. I know I don’t have to say it, but I will—REMEMBER, IT’S ONLY A TV SHOW! IT IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOMEWORK OR CHORES.
“My favorite characters on the TV show are Misty, Ponyta, Sandshrew, Charmander, Starmie, and Goldeen. Goldeen has a little horn on her head, but isn’t she graceful and pretty? I also like the TV show because it’s really funny. Once in a show I saw Ash and saw an invisible wall and it kept banging him down and that was funny. Also, Brock has his hair sticking up and his father does too!”
—Emma
“Squirtle is my favorite character from the TV show because he is a Water Pokémon and he’s powerful. Mew is my favorite in the game because he is the most powerful and he can learn every type of attack.”
—Raymond
“My favorites are Togepi, Charmander, and Raichu. I like the TV show because it is really interactive, you really understand what they are, even if it’s the last show and this is the first time you’ve watched. You understand what Pokémon are when you watch it, that’s why people mostly like it, and because it’s an adventure. Adventure for all the kids, it’s just really good. And it’s funny, because Pikachu shocks Ash all the time.”
—Michael
The Shows
“I’ve gotten a lot of help from the TV show. In the show it tells where there’s Pokémon in different places in the show, so in like the Game Boy you could go to different places and know which Pokémon are there. Though I probably get more help from the TV show because in the Game Boy I was ahead of all my friends.”
—Max
I’ve listed all episodes that are out now. As you’ll notice, I’ve also included where the story took place and the starring—or should I say costarring—Pokémon. Naturally Ash is in all the shows and so are Pikachu, Brock, James, and the rest of the gang. But as you know, along the way there are a lot of “guest star” Pokémon. So I’ve listed those I think are the most important guest stars. Sometimes the names of the guest-starring Pokémon appear in the title, other times they make a surprise appearance.
Episode 1: Pokémon, I Choose You
Where: Pallet Town
Starring Pokémon: Pikachu
Episode 2: Pokémon Emergency
Where: Viridian City Pokémon Center
Starring Pokémon: Pikachu, Koffing, and Ekans
Episode 3: Ash Catches a Pokémon
Where: Viridian Forest
Starring Pokémon: Caterpie
Episode 4: Challenge of the Samurai
Where: Viridian Forest
Starring Pokémon: Metapod, Beedrill
Episode 5: Showdown In Pewter City
Where: Pewter City
Starring Pokémon: Pikachu and Onix
Episode 6: Clefairy and the Moon Stone
Where: Mt. Moon
Starring Pokémon: Clefairy
Episode 7: The Water Flowers of Cerulean City
Where: Cerulean City
Starring Pokémon: Starmie
Episode 8: The Path to the Pokémon League
Where: A. J.’s Gym
Starring Pokémon: Sandshrew
Episode 9: The School of Hard Knocks
Where: On the way to Vermillion City
Starring Pokémon: Cubone
Episode 10: Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village
Where: On the way to Vermillion City
Starring Pokémon: Bulbasaur and Oddish
Episode 11: Charmander—The Stray Pokémon
Where: Still on the way to Vermillion City
Starring Pokémon: Charmander
Episode 12: Here Comes the Squirtle Squad
Where: Local Town
Starring Pokémon: Squirtle
Episode 13: Mystery at the Lighthouse
Where: Yes, still trying to get to Vermillion City
Starring Pokémon: Mysterious giant Pokémon!
Episode 14: Electric Shock Showdown
Where: Vermillion City … finally!
Starring Pokémon: Raichu
Episode 15: Battle Aboard The SS Anne
Where: The SS Anne
Starring Pokémon: Butterfree
Episode 16: Pokémon Shipwreck
Where: Glug, glug! Splash, splash!
Episode 17: Island of the Giant Pokémon
Where: A mysterious island
Starring Pokémon: Weird giant Pokémon!
Episode 18: Tentacool and Tentacruel
Where: Porta Vista
Starring Pokémon: Tentacool and Tentacruel
Episode 19: The Ghost of Maiden’s Peak
Where: A seaside town
Starring Pokémon: Gastly
Episode 20: Bye Bye Butterfree
Where: The place where Butterfrees find romance
Starring Pokémon: Butterfree
Episode 21: Abra and the Psychic Showdown
Where: Saffron City
Starring Pokémon: Abra
Episode 22: The Tower of Terror
Where: Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town
Starring Pokémon: Gengar
Episode 23: Haunter Versus Kadabra
Where: Saffron City
Starring Pokémon: Haunter
Episode 24: Primeape Goes Bananas
Where: On the way to Celadon City
Starring Pokémon: Mankey/Primeape
Episode 25: Pokémon Scent-Sation
Where: Celadon City
Starring Pokémon: Gloom
Episode 26: Hypno’s Naptime
Where: Celadon City
Starring Pokémon: Psyduck, Drowzee
Episode 27: Pokémon Fashion Flash
Where: Celadon City
Starring Pokémon: Vulpix, Psyduck, Geodude
Episode 28: The Punchy Pokémon
Where: Unknown Town
Starring Pokémon: Hitmonchan, Primeape
Episode 29: Sparks Fly for Magnemite
Where: Gringey City
Starring Pokémon: Magnemite
Episode 30: Dig Those Digletts
Where: On the way to Fuchsia City
Starring Pokémon: Digletts
Episode 31: The Ninja Poké-Showdown
Where: Still going to Fuchsia City
Starring Pokémon: Psyduck
Episode 32: The Flame Pokémon-Athon
Where: On a Poké ranch called the Big P (no jokes, please)
Starring Pokémon: Ponyta
Episode 33: The Kangaskhan Kid
Where: Safari Zone
Starring Pokémon: Kangaskhans
Episode 34: The Bridge Bike Gang
Where: Sunny Town
Starring Pokémon: Cloyster, Psyduck
Episode 35: Ditto’s Secret House
Where: A mysterious house
Starring Pokémon: Ditto
Episode #36: Pikachu’s Goodbye
Where: A forest
Starring Pokémon: Lots and lots of Pikachus … even little baby ones.
Episode 37: The Four Eevee Brothers
Where: Stone Town
Starring Pokémon: Eevees and Poliwhirl
Episode 38: Wake Up, Snorlax
Where: On the road to Dark City
Starring Pokémon: Snorlax
Episode 39: Showdown at Dark City
Where: Dark City
Starring Pokémon: Scyther, Electabuzz
Episode 40: The March of the Exeggutor Squad
Where: A circus carnival
Starring Pokémon: Exeggcute
Episode 41: The Problem with Paras
Where: Small town
Starring Pokémon: Meowth, Paras
Episode 42: The Song of Jigglypuff
Where: Fancy, neon-lit town
Starring Pokémon: Jigglypuff
Episode 43: Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon
Where: Hunting for ancient Pokémon
Starring: Kabutos, Kabutopses, Omanytes, Omastars, and a mysterious egg!
Episode 44: A Chansey Operation
Where: A Pokémon Center
Starring: Pikachu
Episode 45: Holy Matrimony
Where: James’ home—a mansion!
Starring Pokémon: Growlithe
Episode 46: So Near, Yet So Farfetch’d
Where: In a forest
Starring Pokémon: Farfetch’ed
Episode 47: Who Gets to Keep Togepi?
Where: Pokémon Center
Starring Pokémon: A Togepi that hatches from the mysterious egg!
Episode 48: Bulbasaur’s Mysterious Garden
Where: Bulbasaur’s Mysterious Garden on the way to Cinnabar Gym
Starring Pokémon: Bulbasaur, of course.
Episode 49: The Case of the K-9 Caper
Where: On the way to Cinnabar Gym
Starring Pokémon: Growlithe, Vileplume, and Pikachu
Episode 50: Pokémon Paparazzi
Where: Still heading for Cinnabar
Starring Pokémon: Pikachu (and starring Todd, the hero of Pokémon Snap!)
Episode 51: The Ultimate Test
Where: A gym to test for the Pokémon League
Starring Pokémon: Pokémon, Charizard, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Meowth, and others!
Episode 52: The Breeding Center Secret
Where: A weird breeding center in a strange city
Starring Pokémon: Psyduck
My, My, What Big Eyes!
You might have noticed that the Pokémon show looks different from a lot of other cartoons on television. That’s because it was drawn in Japan in the Japanese style of cartoons. This style is called anime (pronounced A-ne-may or annie may) and usually (but not always) has characters with big eyes and longish hair. The same style is used in a lot of Japanese comic books, too. These comics are called manga.
It’s interesting to know that in Japan cartoons and comic books are not just for kids. A lot of adults read and watch cartoons and comics, but those types are often made just for adults and have stuff like romance, martial arts fighting, and other stuff in them.
So if you find yourself becoming interested in this style of cartoons and want to see more, be sure your parents help you pick them out. There’s a lot of good anime that is made just for kids, but you have to be careful.