The Evolution of Pokemon ( Games and Show ) | Anime Explained

0:01 *Coughing* Ugh! Ah God! Uh. Oh hey Pokémon! The worldwide gaming phenomenon that's been confusing parents and daring players to "Catch 'em All!" for over 20 years. With Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch finally about to be in our sweaty, greasy gamer hands this Friday, it's the perfect time to look back at how the Pokémon video games shaped their anime counterparts over the past two decades. The settings, the battle mechanics, the monsters they've all had their moment in the spotlight. Now, there are a 122 Pokémon games, 22 movies and 1,000+ episodes currently in existence, so we won't be able to cover every tiny detail.

0:46 We're gonna stick with the core series of games and the main television anime for this video. We're thinking big here. Snorlax big! Wailord big! Gigantamax, thick Pikachu big! Okay. Maybe that's too big. Generation 1 While the Pokémon anime actually preceded the first GameBoy games here in North America by nearly three weeks, it was nowhere to be found when the original Pokémon Red and Green titles launched in Japan in February of 1996. Once it was clear to Nintendo and developer Game Freak that Pokémon was a certified hit, they struck a deal with animation studio oriental Light & Magic, better known as OLM to produce an anime. On April 1st 1997, more than a year after the introduction of the original Pokémon games,

1:35 the first episode of the Pokémon anime premiered on TV Tokyo. Viewers were introduced to the main character Satoshi, a fatherless ten-year-old boy with dreams of one day becoming a Pokémon master. Satoshi, like the player, also began his journey in Pallet Town, met with Pokémon expert Professor Oak, and competed against his rival, Shigeru. Wow that is one cool guy. As you may have guessed the Pokémon anime was basically a direct reimagining of the first two games. Red and Green laid down laid down the foundation for what the Pokémon series would become, and the anime followed suit. The player main quest to collect gym badges, catch Pokémon, and thwart the devious Team Rocket as they explore the Kanto region can be seen through Satoshi's initial 80 episodes journey.

2:23 When the Pokémon anime launched in North American alongside Pokémon Red and Blue in September of 1998, Satoshi had become Ash and Shigeru had become... Gary Of course, outside the basic Pokémon premise, the anime also put the spotlight on quite a few non playable characters with far less significant roles in the game. Gym Leaders Brock and Misty joined Ash on his journey, while Team Rocket goons, Jessie, James and Meowth were introduced as the main villains. One of the anime's more drastic departures from the initial games was Ash's starting Pokémon, a feisty electric Mouse by the name of Pikachu. Who was considerably chonkier in the early games and is Season 1. Just look at him.

3:09 Look at that ol' belly fat. Anyhow though powerful starter Pokémon evolutions Charizard, Vienisaur, and Blastoise had graced the covers and cartridges of the original three Pokémon offerings, Pikachu's popularity soon thunderbolted him to the status as THE official Pokémon mascot. Look at you, buddy, making it all the way to the top. The Pokémon anime and it's red cheek fat rat were so popular that they even inspired a special version of the original adventure Pokémon Yellow Aside from starting with Pikachu and facing off against Jessie and James from time to time, Pokémon Yellow wasn't that much different than it's Generation 1 predecessors. Also, Pikachu would follow you around! Look at that fat rat go!

3:56 Hahaha As Game Freak worked to bring the second generation of Pokémon to players, the Pokémon anime stalled, sending Ash on a seafaring adventure through the anime exclusive Orange Island to bring back the coveted GS ball. G... S..., hm I wonder what that could stand for. Brock by some new dork named Tracy and Ash adopted a baby Lapras to serve as his living boat. Lapris? Lapras? Yeah, okay. Now before we talk about the 2nd Generation of Pokémon, we have to talk about the Pokémon Origins anime, just real quick. Released on October 2nd, 2013 Unlike the anime counterpart which took inspirations from the game this is actually a four episode special that faithfully adapts the Red and Blue series,

4:42 telling the story of Red and his first start a Pokémon Charmander. It even includes many mechanics found in the game with health bars, Technical Machines aka TM, and at the start and end of all episodes we get a nice little touch of the original Pokémon menus to give fans that good old fashioned nostalgia hit. Mwah! Fun fact about the series, each of the four episodes are done by different studios and different directors. Episode 1 was animated by Production I.G and directed by Itsuro Kawasaki, episode 2 and 3 was animated by Xebec with Yukio Kuroda for episode 2 and Hideya Takahashi for episode 3. And finally episode 4 was animated by OLM with director Daiki Tomiyasu. Generation 2

5:28 As information regarding the second generation Pokémon dubbed, Gold and Silver, came to light, fans of the anime began to notice a few key monsters they had spotted in the show's first season. The legendary Ho-oh, the very face of Pokémon Gold, can actually be seen flying over a rainbow as Ash looks on in the very first episode. the 46th episode of the first season also introduced viewers to a mysterious egg that hatched four episodes later into a then-unknown Pokémon, Togepi. When Gold and Silver finally hit store shelves in Japan on November 19th 1999, it was brimming with 100 new monsters, as well as two new Pokémon types dark steel. The game also sported updated features such as Pokémon breeding and a day to night time system.

6:13 Staying in line with the games, the anime saw Ash and company forging into the new Johto region to conquer gyms and catch even more wild beasties. Pokémon breeding makes an appearance in the form of even more Pokémon eggs. Throughout the Johto regions three season run, Ash is given various eggs, all of which hatch into different wittle baby Pokémons. Aww, So cute! It should also be noted that at this point Brock is back in the gang. I only bring this up because he actually mentions wanting to become a Pokémon breeder all the way back in episode 5 before it was even a thing. "I don't care about being a great Pokémon trainer, "I want to become the world's best breeder" Although it seems like Brock is always attempting to do some breeding... of his own. "One thing, Isis."

6:59 "Yes?" "I was wondering if you would build us a bridge of love "connecting our hearts forever?" *Painful scream!* hmm Gold and Silver, as well as the often overlooked Crystal, would also introduce players to the concept of rare and uniquely colored monsters known as Shiny Pokémon. The odds of finding one of these highly coveted creatures in the wild was, and still is, a staggering 1 in 8,192. The existence of these uncommon Pokémons will be brought to light in episode 154 titled, "Fowl Play!" where Ash stumbles upon, and catches a shiny Noctowl. Mmm... Shiny... Generation 3 Next in the lineup were Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire,

7:46 the first main series game to be featured on the the Game Boy Advance New regions, new gyms, new bad guys and new Pokémon. You know the drill. Pokémon had never looked better, and the developers at Game Freak were dedicated to adding even more gizmos and gimmicks on top of the classic RPG gameplay. This included new Pokémon abilities, two-on-two battles, and the slew of new Pokéballs designed to help even the wiliest Zangoose. Three full seasons of adventures were produced for the Honen region, and this time it was Misty who was given the heave-ho. She was replaced by two new companions May and her younger brother Max May strongly resemble the default female character for the games while Max just look like a dweeb.

8:33 The new protagonists were brought in to showcase two of Ruby and Sapphire's newest gameplay additions. Though May joins up because she simply wants to travel, she soon finds her true calling in ribbons and Pokémon contests. In the games the contests are basically pageants with trainers entering their favorite monsters in one of five categories: Coolness, Beauty, Cuteness Cleverness and Toughness. After multiple rounds of judging, the winning Pokémon and their coordinators, are awarded ribbons. In the anime, contestants are made into a type of battle with Pokémon being judged as they duke it out. This is May's calling in life. I mean look at all these ribbons! Goddamn. Girl's got talent. Max on the other hand, is shown as the owner and operator of the new Pokénav

9:20 a device used in game to navigate maps and track Pokémon conditions and feelings. Yo y'all doing back there? Ya'll good? You're doing Pikachu. *inaudible* The fourth season of the third generation is known as Battle Frontier. In the video games Battle Frontier is an exclusive postgame section of Pokémon Emerald, the enhanced version of Ruby and Sapphire that takes place on an island in the Honen region. This was changed the anime in favor of the original Kanto region, most likely so the show could promote the release of Pokémon Red and Green remakes, FireRed and LeafGreen for the Gameboy Advanced. Generation 4 Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were next released for the insanely popular Nintendo DS handheld in 2006 and 2007 for Japan and North American respectively.

10:11 The big pull this time around, outside of two screens and 107 new Pokémon, was the addition of online battle and trading by the DS Wi-Fi capabilities. Fun fact: Japanese players could actually do both of these way back with the Pokémon Crystal via the Mobile Adapter GB for the Game Boy Color, but it flopped pretty hard and was scrapped for sales outside of Japan. Not so fun fact. Beyond the online play, Diamond and Pearl didn't add many important new ideas to the main series gameplay. In the anime, Ash and Brock were joined by a newcomer Dawn, a character who similar to May, is focused on becoming the Pokémon contestant coordinator. Dawn works to achieve this dream in the show by using another new device called the Pokémon Watch or Pokétch

10:56 *Failing at pronouncing* Mmm that was a really dumb name. Mmm The Pokétch was used in-game as a map, move-tester, coin, flipper, calendar, timer, stopwatch, and much much more. And now it's only $39.99! Call now! The Diamond and Pearl series also marked the first time the anime wasn't handled by the notorious 4Kids Entertainment Who's that Crunchyroll host? It's Tim! *Tiiimmmmmm* That's my Pokémon cry. Generation 5 The fifth generation of Pokémon games made their debut

11:43 in 2010's Pokémon Black and White. Release once again for the Nintendo DS, Black and White house 156 new Pokémons, more than any generation before or since. Known in Japan as "Best Wishes" and simply "Black and White" in America, the four anime season surrounding the Unova region introduced two new pals Iris and Cilian, and promoted new features like 3 on 3 and rotation battles, as well as Pokémon contests which have been changed to Pokémon Musicals. You know, like Floatzel on the Roof and Les Misdreavus. Haha.. musical jokes, so funny. In fact both 3 on 3 battles and Pokémon musicals take center stage

12:31 all puns intended, in the episode of "A Maractus Musical" The main plot of the games, outside the usual gym badges and Pokémon league quest, is to defeat Team Plasma, a group dedicated to separating the world of Pokémon and their human trainers. Plasmas leader, the charismatic N is a new kind of villain, an antihero of sorts who only wants what's best for Pokémon. Both Team Plasma and N make an appearance in Pokémon Black and White anime, with Ash's main crewman encountering the charming young man on various occasions. The Black and White video games are followed by Black 2 and White 2. It's never been revealed as to why Game Freak simply didn't go with Pokémon Grey. Well at least they didn't go with Pokémon Gary. Generation 6

13:18 With two main series entries on the DS, it was time for the Pokémon games to make the jump to 3D...S with Pokémon X and Y. For the first time ever, the game saw a global launch date October 12 2013. No more spoilers from Japanese players who have beating the game months ahead of other! While Black and White had introduced the most Pokémons ever, X and Y would introduce the least, with a minuscule 72 monsters. The main gimmick this time around was Mega Evolutions, a special way to temporarily beef up certain Pokémons for a single battle. Of course, if you wanted a Pokémon to Mega Evolve, they would have to be holding the Mega Stone, and you have to be wearing a Key Stone.

14:04 You know, it's just science, Bitch. Unsurprisingly Mega Evolutions played a big role in the Pokémon anime. In the first episode of the XY series "Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!" Ash witnesses a mega evolved Blaziken, who belonged to a masked hero named... Blaziken Mask Good job, writing a team. In Origins of Mega Evolution! it was shown in a flashback how the Key Stone was discovered, leading to the first known Mega Evolution. Ash unlocks his own special Pokémon power-up with the discovery of a "Bond Phenomenon" which causes his Greninja to momentarily transform. Along for the ride this time were Pokémon trainers Serena, inventor Clemont and his younger sister Bonnie.

14:50 Let's see what else did X&Y give us? Players could walk in diagonal directions, fairies became an official Pokemon type, and horde battles let's players fight entire groups of Pokémon at a time, something Ash had been doing in the Pokémon anime since Episode 1 Pokémon-Amie also premiered in the X and Y games Now what is Pokémon-Amie? Well it allows players to feed stroke and play with their Pokémon as a way to develop stronger bonds. You Okay Buddy? Now once again similar to the Pokémon Origins I talked about for a Gen 1, we have another special anime series for the Pokémon franchise called

15:36 Pokémon Generations! Produced by OLM this anime is an 18 episode series with each of the episodes running for about 3 to 5 minutes and each episode showing a different story in the Pokémon game series going from Gen 1 to this current Generation, Gen 6, like for example the first episode is just a montage of Red and his Pokémon Pikachu travelling all the way from Kanto to Kalos. Episode 3 shows us the rival of the player character challenging the Elite Four and episode 15 has the anti-hero N fight Ghetsis to try and stop him from freezing the world. You can also watch all these short episodes on the official Pokémon Channel! Generation 7 Not to be outdone by the anime's exclusive ocean getaways,

16:22 the Pokémon video games decided to take an island vacation of their own in November of 2016 with the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon. Sun and Moon mixed up the Pokémon formula more than any game before it, taking serious staples like Gyms and HMs out of the equations to make way for an island challenges and PokéRides respectively. All the gadgets of the past are also replaced by the Pokémon-infused Rotom Pokedex. In place of X and Y's Mega Evolution Sun and Moon introduced Z-Movies intensely powerful attacks that could be only used once per battle assuming you had a Z-Ring and you're a Z-Warrior No wait.. Wrong series.. Sun and Moon also introduced the existence of Aloan forms,

17:08 which were new spins on the classic Pokémon. Like really really tall Exeggutor and sexy sexy Dugtrio. Even though these forms don't really count towards the game's official 88 new Pokémon, they were still fun additions for longtime fans. The Pokémon anime received quite an overhaul as well. Though the art style had been tweaked in the past, the Sun and Moon series was given a much more comical and cartoony design than any prior seasons. The classic formula of Ash working though a region's gym and Pokémon leagues were scrapped in favor of new school settings, surrounding him with both classmates and rivals. Ash is finally going to school. Wow

17:54 How many years has it been? 10 years? Do trainer's even go to school? How does this world work? How do you have jobs after being a trainer? Of course key mechanics from the game show up throughout the anime Ash requires a Z-Ring and begins to master different Z-Moves, acquires his own Rotom Pokédex, takes part in a few of the game's Battle Royale throw down, and rides a variety of Pokémons around the Alolan islands. In fact, Ash actually manages to mount a terrifying Sharpedo in the very first episode. "Alola to New Adventure!" And Spoiler Alert after 20 years of being a wimpy runner-up nobody, Ash Finally wins a dang Pokémon League Championship.

18:43 Give it up, give it up for him folks. He did it, Pika. He did it, Ash. We did it, Folks. And that's pretty much it. You're all caught up with the Pokémon video games and anime. You can see how the show has shaped over the years to promote the biggest and boldest changes in the main series Pokémon titles. Of course, like I mentioned at the start, there are tons of little details, Pokémons, and characters at the games and TV show show in common we simply don't have time to cover. Unless you guys want a another hour-long video. Comment down in the comment section below. The newest Pokémon anime... [Insert Name if There is One] was announced in late September

19:28 with a new traveling companion named Go and a focus that seemed to be not just on the new Galar region, but every other region ever. It's sure to tie in with Sword and Shield in many ways, with these speedy Scorbunny seen as a prominent Pokémon player. Just listen to this little adorable bunny like Pokémon lose his ****ing mind. Now you can get back to your Switch, and I can get back to eating these rare candies. Whoa, whoa I've pokévolve from Tim... to Timothy. Alright everyone thank you so much for watching this video essay about Pokémon Their animes, and the games.

20:14 Now remember fellow kids, Pokémon Go and subscribe! Wait, was that Zelda music? Oh it is Zeld music! I totally got that mixed up!