The right order to see the Pokémon franchise

In 2025, a time when we have dozens of new anime shows every two months and enough fans with different tastes that a lot of effort is needed so that a single show becomes a viral phenomenon, it is easy to forget how large the movement is cultural ” Pokémon “was.

Based on the already very popular owned by video games of the same name, the “Pokémon” anime by Studio Olm was an instant success not only in Japan but also abroad. He started Pokémania and became a global phenomenon, which caused fans of millions of children and racing the way for a wave of anime titles aimed at children such as “Digimon”.

The original iteration of the anime follows Ash Ketchum, a child who, when he turns 10, ventures in the desert on a trip to catch each Pokémon and become a Pokémon teacher. That’s right, a 10 -year -old boy lives alone in nature without money, work or education, and only his creatures for the company, all the time they constantly fight in the inferior bandits of kidnapping his partner Pikachu.

The impact of the original “Pokémon” anime extends far beyond its original launch. Even 25 years later, the series made waves when the points of sale of real life sports worldwide covered the results of a fictional “Pokémon” tournament and Ash’s achievements.

Whether it is a newcomer who wants to experience Poké-Fever for you or a veteran who wants to visit this iconic franchise again, really the only correct way to experience “Pokémon” is to follow your release dates (mainly). Taking into account the many franchise films, this is the right order to watch the “Pokémon” programs and movies:

• “Pokémon Indigo League” (1997)
• “Pokémon: The First Movie” (1998)
• “Pokémon Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution” (2019)
• “Pokémon Adventures in Orange Islands” (1999)
• “Pokémon The Movie 2000 – The Power Of One” (1999)
• “Pokémon The Leadership Journeys” (1999)
• “Pokémon 3: The UNAWN spell” (2000)
• “Champions of the Pokémo League” (2000)
• “Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi Voice of the Forest” (2001)
• “Pokémon Master Quest” (2001)
• “Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias” (2002)
• “Pokémon Advanced” (2002)
• “Pokémon: Jirachi, Wish Maker” (2003)
• “Pokémon Advanced Challenge” (2003)
• “Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys” (2004)
• “Pokémon Advanced Battle” (2004)
• “Pokémon: Lucario and the mystery of Mew” (2005)
• “Pokémon Battle Frontier” (2005)
• “Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea” (2006)
• “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl” (2006)
• “Pokémon The Rise of Darkrai” (2007)
• “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension” (2007)
• “Pokémon Giratina and The Sky Warrior” (2008)
• “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battle” (2008)
• “Pokémon Arceus and The Jewel of Life” (2009)
• “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors” (2010)
• “Pokémon Zorark – Master of Illusions” (2010)
• “Black and White Pokémon” (2010)
• “Pokémon Black – Victini and Reshiram” (2011)
• “Pokémon White – Victini and Zekrom” (2011)
• “Black and White Pokémon: rival destinations” (2011)
• “Pokémon Kyurem vs The Sword of Justice” (2012)
• “Pokémon Adventures in black and white in Unova and Beyond” (2012)
• “Pokémon Genesect and The Legend Awakened” (2013)
• “Pokémon XY” (2013)
• “Pokémon Diancie and the Capullo de la Destruction” (2014)
• “Pokémon XY: Kalos Quest” (2013)
• “Pokémon Hoopa and The Clash of Ages” (2015)
• “Pokémon Xyz” (2013)
• “Pokémon Volcanion and The Mechanical Marvel” (2016)
• “Pokémon Sun and Moon” (2016)
• “Pokémon Sun and Moon: Ultra Adventures” (2017)
• “Pokémon Sun and Moon: Ultra Legends” (2018)
• “Pokémon Journeys” (2019)
• “Pokémon Master Journeys” (2020)
• “Pokémon Ultimate Journeys” (2021)

After that, we have the current “Pokémon” anime (which does not present ashes and is not connected to the previous story):

• “Pokémon Horizons” (2023)
• “Pokémon Horizons – The search for Laqua” (2024)

There are also three films set in an alternative timeline that are not considered a canon for the main anime and, on the other hand, have their own continuity:

• “Pokémon I choose you!” (2017)
• “Pokémon The Power of Us” (2018)
• “Pokémon Secrets of the Jungle” (2020)

Finally, there are special launched specials that are not related to the main story, but expand in the world of “Pokémon”. Since there is no connection between the specials, you can see in any order you want. These are mainly available in the official YouTube channel “Pokémon” (except for the Netflix series “Pokémon Concierge”):

• “Pokémon Generation” (2016)
• “Pokémon: Twilight Wings” (2020)
• “Pokémon: Arceus Chronicles” (2022)
• “Pokémon: Hisuian snow” (2022)
• “Pokémon Concierge” (2023)

The “Pokémon” franchise is very simple when it comes to continuity. There are no alternative ways to watch the series and movies; You simply have to follow the order in which they were released.

Because? It is because anime property “Pokémon” followed the progression of the games, which introduced a new Pokémon set with each new generation. Even so, there is also some continuity in the shows. On the other side of the franchise, Ash says goodbye to many of his Pokémon, and even his friends and colleagues, before meeting new ones. You should not, for example, jump from “Indigo League” to “Master Quest” because you will miss what happens to Misty, and how May and Max come into play.

As for the movies, although they are not connected to the plot of the television program, they present to the Pokémon and companions of their respective seasons. Therefore, they must be observed before entering the next season and in the next Pokémon region.

The anime series “Pokémon” has very little in terms of serialization. There are no long stories that continue from one season to another. That said, they are still the same continuity, one that can only be properly experienced when seeing the program in launch order.

Take Ash’s friends, the many travel companions during his trip. With each season (and all ashes visits to the region), the 10 -year -old loses a partner and wins another. Not looking in launching order means losing the track of this continuity, as well as potentially missing some of the best characters in the franchise. Later in the program race, there is also the formation of the Ultra Guardians, a story that comes into play in the course of several seasons.

There is also the simple issue of animation that evolves over the many years that “Pokémon” has been in the air. There is a clear and quite great progression from the limited animation of the first seasons until the last season that has some legitimately impressive fighting scenes (which are comparable to those of the best action anime).

Like any other important anime franchise that spin-offs obtained from films, the many, many “Pokémon” films are completely disconnected from the series and it is not necessary to see to enjoy the program. Even so, they serve as great budget adventures that show the power of the different Pokémon creatures, as well as the wonders of the largest world in the franchise.

Although the disconnected nature of the films means that you can see them independently of the series, however, they follow the same order as the anime seasons. Each film presents the same generation of creatures and pokémon partners as their respective seasons, so they should be seen in the same order: that of its launch. When “Pokémon: The First Movie” came out in 1998, he presented the Pokémon that we had continued throughout the first season of the anime while mocking the appearance of a few new Pokémon, which would debut in “The Johto Journeys”

Of course, just because the movies are not connected to the anime does not mean that they should be omitted. As mentioned, the fact that they do not have to follow the history of anime, nor the monitoring anime of the films, gives them the opportunity to explore some wild concepts that make them entertaining to see, be it ashes in some way the subject From a prophecy, Latias can disguise yourself as human, or ashes, literally, knowing God.