Pokémon 1997
“Gotta catch 'em all!”
★ 8.0/10 · 2,210 votes TV-Y7 AnimationAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy 25 seasons · 1235 eps Ended
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Quick answer
What is Pokémon?
The television series Pokémon is a Japanese anime television series that premiered on TV Tokyo in April 1997. It is part of The Pokémon Company's Pokémon media franchise.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1997
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 1,235
- First aired
- Apr 1, 1997
- Last aired
- Mar 24, 2023
- Original language
- JA
- Origin
- JP
- Networks
- TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TVQ, TV Osaka
- Genres
- Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Updated
Availability by region
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Planning tool
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 1,235 episodes and an average 45-minute runtime.
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Overview
The television series Pokémon is a Japanese anime television series that premiered on TV Tokyo in April 1997. It is part of The Pokémon Company's Pokémon media franchise. The series follows the journey of Ash, accompanied by his partner Pikachu, as he travels through many regions, meets new friends and faces new challenges on his quest to become a Pokémon Master. The Pokémon Company has created various content related to the series, including video games, apps, animation, and the Pokédex, which can be found on the official Pokémon website. The series has been released in multiple seasons, with season 0 premiering on October 7, 1997, and featuring various TV specials, shorts, and movie shorts. The series has also been documented on online encyclopedias such as Bulbapedia and Wikipedia, which provide information on the series and its related content. The official Pokémon YouTube channel also features video game, trading card game, and animation content related to the series.
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Should you watch it?
“A young trainer and his electric Pokémon buddy chase their dreams across vibrant regions.”
Reasons to watch
- Iconic characters and creatures that defined a generation
- Positive messages about friendship, growth, and perseverance
- Endless rewatchability with over 1,000 episodes of familiar yet fresh adventures
Keep in mind
- Can feel repetitive due to episodic structure
- Slow pacing may not appeal to all viewers
You enjoy coming-of-age stories with colorful worlds and lovable animal companions.
Suitable for all ages with mild conflicts and no graphic content.
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Your verdict
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Cast
Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
Shin-ichiro Miki
Kojirou (voice)
Megumi Hayashibara
Musashi (voice)
Inuko Inuyama
Nyarth (voice)
Unsho Ishizuka
Narrator (voice)
Yuji Ueda
Takeshi (voice)
Mayumi Izuka
Kasumi (voice)
Yuko Kobayashi
Shigeru Oak (voice)
Kenyu Horiuchi
Narrator (voice)
KAORI
Haruka (voice)
Kei Shindo
Lillie (voice)
Episode guide
Season 1 · 82 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Pokémon - I Choose You! Apr 1, 1997
- E2 Pokémon Emergency! Apr 8, 1997
- E3 Ash Catches a Pokémon Apr 15, 1997
- E4 Challenge of the Samurai Apr 22, 1997
- E5 Showdown in Pewter City Apr 29, 1997
- E6 Clefairy and the Moon Stone May 6, 1997
- E7 The Water Flowers of Cerulean City May 13, 1997
- E8 The Path to the Pokémon League May 20, 1997
- E9 The School of Hard Knocks May 27, 1997
- E10 Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village Jun 3, 1997
- E11 Charmander - The Stray Pokémon Jun 10, 1997
- E12 Here Comes the Squirtle Squad Jun 17, 1997
- E13 Mystery at the Lighthouse Jun 24, 1997
- E14 Electric Shock Showdown Jul 1, 1997
- E15 Battle Aboard the St. Anne Jul 8, 1997
- E16 Pokémon Shipwreck Jul 15, 1997
- E17 Island of the Giant Pokémon Jul 22, 1997
- E18 Beauty and the Beach Jul 29, 1997
- E19 Tentacool & Tentacruel Aug 5, 1997
- E20 The Ghost of Maiden's Peak Aug 12, 1997
- E21 Bye Bye Butterfree Aug 19, 1997
- E22 Abra and the Psychic Showdown Aug 26, 1997
- E23 The Tower of Terror Sep 2, 1997
- E24 Haunter Versus Kadabra Sep 9, 1997
- E25 Primeape Goes Bananas Sep 16, 1997
- E26 Pokémon Scent-sation! Sep 23, 1997
- E27 Hypno's Naptime Sep 30, 1997
- E28 Pokémon Fashion Flash Oct 7, 1997
- E29 The Punchy Pokémon Oct 14, 1997
- E30 Sparks Fly for Magnemite Oct 21, 1997
- E31 Dig Those Diglett! Oct 28, 1997
- E32 The Ninja-Poké Showdown Nov 4, 1997
- E33 The Flame Pokémon-athon! Nov 11, 1997
- E34 The Kangaskhan Kid Nov 18, 1997
- E35 The Legend of Dratini Nov 25, 1997
- E36 The Bridge Bike Gang Dec 2, 1997
- E37 Ditto's Mysterious Mansion Dec 9, 1997
- E38 Cyber Soldier Porygon Dec 16, 1997
- E39 Pikachu's Goodbye Apr 16, 1998
- E40 The Battling Eevee Brothers Apr 16, 1998
- E41 Wake Up, Snorlax! Apr 23, 1998
- E42 Showdown at Dark City Apr 30, 1998
- E43 The March of the Exeggutor Squad May 7, 1998
- E44 The Problem with Paras May 14, 1998
- E45 The Song of Jigglypuff May 21, 1998
- E46 Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon May 28, 1998
- E47 A Chansey Operation Jun 4, 1998
- E48 Holy Matrimony! Jun 11, 1998
- E49 So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd Jun 18, 1998
- E50 Who Gets to Keep Togepi? Jun 25, 1998
- E51 Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden Jul 2, 1998
- E52 Princess vs. Princess Jul 9, 1998
- E53 The Purr-fect Hero Jul 9, 1998
- E54 The Case of the K-9 Caper! Jul 16, 1998
- E55 Pokémon Paparazzi Jul 23, 1998
- E56 The Ultimate Test Jul 30, 1998
- E57 The Breeding Center Secret Aug 6, 1998
- E58 Riddle Me This (1) Aug 13, 1998
- E59 Volcanic Panic (2) Aug 20, 1998
- E60 Beach Blank-Out Blastoise Aug 27, 1998
- E61 The Misty Mermaid Sep 3, 1998
- E62 Clefairy Tales Sep 10, 1998
- E63 The Battle of the Badge Sep 17, 1998
- E64 It's Mr. Mime Time! Sep 24, 1998
- E65 Holiday Hi-Jynx Oct 5, 1998
- E66 Snow Way Out! Oct 5, 1998
- E67 Showdown at the Po-ké Corral Oct 8, 1998
- E68 The Evolution Solution Oct 15, 1998
- E69 The Pi-Kahuna Oct 22, 1998
- E70 Make Room for Gloom Oct 29, 1998
- E71 Lights, Camera, Quack-tion Nov 5, 1998
- E72 Go West Young Meowth Nov 12, 1998
- E73 To Master the Onixpected! Nov 19, 1998
- E74 The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis Nov 26, 1998
- E75 Bad to the Bone Dec 3, 1998
- E76 All Fired Up! Dec 10, 1998
- E77 Round One - Begin! Dec 17, 1998
- E78 Fire and Ice Dec 24, 1998
- E79 The Fourth Round Rumble Jan 1, 1999
- E80 A Friend in Deed Jan 7, 1999
- E81 Friend and Foe Alike Jan 14, 1999
- E82 Friends to the End Jan 21, 1999
Season 2 · 36 episodes
- E1 Pallet Party Panic Jan 28, 1999
- E2 A Scare in the Air Feb 4, 1999
- E3 Pokéball Peril Feb 11, 1999
- E4 The Lost Lapras Feb 18, 1999
- E5 Fit To Be Tide Feb 25, 1999
- E6 Pikachu Re-Volts Mar 4, 1999
- E7 The Crystal Onix Mar 11, 1999
- E8 In the Pink Mar 18, 1999
- E9 Shell Shock! Mar 25, 1999
- E10 Stage Fight! Apr 1, 1999
- E11 Bye Bye Psyduck Apr 8, 1999
- E12 The Joy of Pokémon Apr 15, 1999
- E13 Navel Maneuvers Apr 22, 1999
- E14 Snack Attack Apr 29, 1999
- E15 A Shipful of Shivers May 6, 1999
- E16 Meowth Rules! May 13, 1999
- E17 Tracey Gets Bugged May 20, 1999
- E18 A Way Off Day Off May 27, 1999
- E19 The Mandarin Island Miss Match Jun 3, 1999
- E20 Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon Jun 10, 1999
- E21 Get Along, Little Pokémon Jun 17, 1999
- E22 The Mystery Menace Jun 24, 1999
- E23 Misty Meets Her Match Jul 1, 1999
- E24 Bound for Trouble Jul 15, 1999
- E25 Charizard Chills Jul 22, 1999
- E26 The Pokémon Water War Jul 29, 1999
- E27 Pokémon Food Fight! Aug 5, 1999
- E28 Pokémon Double Trouble Aug 12, 1999
- E29 The Wacky Watcher! Aug 19, 1999
- E30 The Stun Spore Detour Aug 26, 1999
- E31 Hello, Pummelo! Sep 2, 1999
- E32 Enter the Dragonite Sep 9, 1999
- E33 Viva Las Lapras Sep 16, 1999
- E34 The Underground Round-Up Sep 23, 1999
- E35 A Tent Situation Sep 30, 1999
- E36 The Rivalry Revival Oct 7, 1999
Season 3 · 41 episodes
- E1 Don't Touch That 'dile Oct 14, 1999
- E2 The Double Trouble Header Oct 21, 1999
- E3 A Sappy Ending Oct 28, 1999
- E4 Roll On, Pokémon! Nov 4, 1999
- E5 Illusion Confusion! Nov 11, 1999
- E6 Flower Power Nov 18, 1999
- E7 Spinarak Attack Nov 25, 1999
- E8 Snubbull Snobbery Dec 2, 1999
- E9 The Little Big Horn Dec 9, 1999
- E10 The Chikorita Rescue Dec 16, 1999
- E11 Once in a Blue Moon Dec 23, 1999
- E12 The Whistle Stop Jan 1, 2000
- E13 Ignorance Is Blissey Jan 6, 2000
- E14 A Bout With Sprout Jan 13, 2000
- E15 Fighting Flyer With Fire Jan 20, 2000
- E16 For Crying Out Loud Jan 27, 2000
- E17 Tanks a Lot! Feb 3, 2000
- E18 Charizard's Burning Ambitions Feb 10, 2000
- E19 Grin to Win! Feb 17, 2000
- E20 Chikorita's Big Upset Feb 24, 2000
- E21 Foul Weather Friends Mar 2, 2000
- E22 The Superhero Secret Mar 9, 2000
- E23 Mild 'n Wooly Mar 16, 2000
- E24 Wired for Battle! Mar 23, 2000
- E25 Good 'Quil Hunting Mar 30, 2000
- E26 A Shadow of a Drought Apr 6, 2000
- E27 Going Apricorn! Apr 13, 2000
- E28 Gettin' the Bugs Out Apr 20, 2000
- E29 A Farfetch'd Tale Apr 27, 2000
- E30 Tricks of the Trade May 4, 2000
- E31 The Fire-ing Squad! May 11, 2000
- E32 No Big Woop! May 18, 2000
- E33 Tunnel Vision May 25, 2000
- E34 Hour of the Houndour Jun 1, 2000
- E35 The Totodile Duel Jun 8, 2000
- E36 Hot Matches! Jun 15, 2000
- E37 Love, Totodile Style Jun 22, 2000
- E38 Fowl Play! Jun 29, 2000
- E39 Forest Grumps Jul 6, 2000
- E40 The Psychic Sidekicks! Jul 13, 2000
- E41 The Fortune Hunters Jul 27, 2000
Season 4 · 52 episodes
- E1 A Goldenrod Opportunity Aug 3, 2000
- E2 A Dairy Tale Ending Aug 10, 2000
- E3 Air Time! Aug 17, 2000
- E4 The Bug Stops Here Aug 24, 2000
- E5 Type Casting Aug 31, 2000
- E6 Fossil Fools Sep 7, 2000
- E7 Carrying On! Sep 14, 2000
- E8 Hassle in the Castle Sep 21, 2000
- E9 Two Hits and a Miss Sep 28, 2000
- E10 A Hot Water Battle Oct 5, 2000
- E11 Hook, Line, and Stinker Oct 12, 2000
- E12 Beauty and the Breeder Oct 19, 2000
- E13 A Better Pill to Swallow Oct 26, 2000
- E14 Power Play! Nov 2, 2000
- E15 Mountain Time Nov 9, 2000
- E16 Wobbu-Palooza! Nov 16, 2000
- E17 Imitation Confrontation Nov 23, 2000
- E18 The Trouble with Snubbull Nov 30, 2000
- E19 Ariados, Amigos Dec 7, 2000
- E20 Wings 'N' Things Dec 14, 2000
- E21 The Grass Route Dec 21, 2000
- E22 The Apple Corp! Jan 4, 2001
- E23 Houndoom's Special Delivery Jan 11, 2001
- E24 A Ghost of a Chance Jan 18, 2001
- E25 From Ghost to Ghost Jan 25, 2001
- E26 Trouble's Brewing Feb 1, 2001
- E27 All That Glitters! Feb 8, 2001
- E28 The Light Fantastic Feb 15, 2001
- E29 UnBEARable Feb 22, 2001
- E30 Moving Pictures Mar 1, 2001
- E31 Spring Fever Mar 8, 2001
- E32 Freeze Frame Mar 15, 2001
- E33 The Stolen Stones! Mar 22, 2001
- E34 The Dunsparce Deception Mar 29, 2001
- E35 The Wayward Wobbuffet Apr 5, 2001
- E36 Sick Daze Apr 12, 2001
- E37 Ring Masters Apr 19, 2001
- E38 The Poké Spokesman Apr 26, 2001
- E39 Control Freak! May 3, 2001
- E40 The Art of Pokémon May 10, 2001
- E41 The Heartbreak of Brock May 17, 2001
- E42 Current Events May 24, 2001
- E43 Turning Over a New Bayleef May 31, 2001
- E44 Doin' What Comes Natu-rally Jun 7, 2001
- E45 The Big Balloon Blow-Up Jun 14, 2001
- E46 The Screen Actor's Guilt Jun 21, 2001
- E47 Right On, Rhydon! Jun 28, 2001
- E48 The Kecleon Caper Jul 5, 2001
- E49 The Joy of Water Pokémon Jul 12, 2001
- E50 Got Miltank? Jul 19, 2001
- E51 Fight for the Light! Jul 26, 2001
- E52 Machoke, Machoke Man! Aug 2, 2001
Season 5 · 65 episodes
- E1 Around the Whirlpool Aug 9, 2001
- E2 Fly Me to the Moon Aug 16, 2001
- E3 Takin' It on the Chinchou Aug 23, 2001
- E4 A Corsola Caper! Aug 30, 2001
- E5 Mantine Overboard! Sep 6, 2001
- E6 Octillery the Outcast Sep 13, 2001
- E7 Dueling Heroes Sep 20, 2001
- E8 The Perfect Match! Sep 27, 2001
- E9 Plant It Now... Diglett Later Oct 4, 2001
- E10 Hi Ho Silver... Away! Oct 11, 2001
- E11 The Mystery Is History Oct 18, 2001
- E12 A Parent Trapped! Oct 25, 2001
- E13 A Promise Is a Promise Nov 1, 2001
- E14 Throwing in the Noctowl Nov 8, 2001
- E15 Nerves of Steelix! Nov 15, 2001
- E16 Bulbasaur... the Ambassador! Nov 22, 2001
- E17 Espeon, Not Included Nov 29, 2001
- E18 For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll! Dec 6, 2001
- E19 Extreme Pokémon! Dec 13, 2001
- E20 An EGG-sighting Adventure! Dec 20, 2001
- E21 Hatching a Plan Dec 27, 2001
- E22 Dues and Don'ts Jan 10, 2002
- E23 Just Waiting On a Friend Jan 17, 2002
- E24 A Tyrogue Full of Trouble Jan 24, 2002
- E25 Xatu the Future Jan 31, 2002
- E26 Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution (1) Feb 7, 2002
- E27 Rage of Innocence (2) Feb 14, 2002
- E28 As Cold as Pryce Feb 21, 2002
- E29 Nice Pryce, Baby! Feb 28, 2002
- E30 Whichever Way the Wind Blows Mar 7, 2002
- E31 Some Like It Hot Mar 14, 2002
- E32 Hocus Pokémon Mar 21, 2002
- E33 As Clear as Crystal Mar 28, 2002
- E34 Same Old Song and Dance Apr 11, 2002
- E35 Enlighten Up! Apr 18, 2002
- E36 Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up? Apr 25, 2002
- E37 Wish Upon a Star Shape May 2, 2002
- E38 Outrageous Fortunes May 9, 2002
- E39 One Trick Phony! May 16, 2002
- E40 I Politoed Ya So! May 23, 2002
- E41 The Ice Cave! May 30, 2002
- E42 Beauty Is Skin Deep Jun 6, 2002
- E43 Fangs for Nothin' Jun 13, 2002
- E44 Great Bowls of Fire! Jun 20, 2002
- E45 Better Eight Than Never Jun 27, 2002
- E46 Why? Wynaut! Jul 4, 2002
- E47 Just Add Water Jul 11, 2002
- E48 Lapras of Luxury Jul 18, 2002
- E49 Hatch Me If You Can Jul 25, 2002
- E50 Entei at Your Own Risk Aug 1, 2002
- E51 A Crowning Achievement Aug 8, 2002
- E52 Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid Aug 15, 2002
- E53 You're a Star, Larvitar! Aug 22, 2002
- E54 Address Unown! Aug 29, 2002
- E55 Mother of All Battles Sep 5, 2002
- E56 Pop Goes the Sneasel Sep 12, 2002
- E57 A Claim to Flame! Sep 19, 2002
- E58 Love, Pokémon Style Sep 26, 2002
- E59 Tie One On! Oct 3, 2002
- E60 The Ties That Bind Oct 10, 2002
- E61 Can't Beat the Heat! Oct 17, 2002
- E62 Playing with Fire! Oct 24, 2002
- E63 Johto Photo Finish Oct 31, 2002
- E64 Gotta Catch Ya Later! Nov 7, 2002
- E65 Hoenn Alone! Nov 14, 2002
Frequently asked questions
Is this the original Pokémon anime?
Yes, it is the long-running animated series that began in 1997.
Does Ash ever win a Pokémon League?
Ash competes in many leagues but his journey is ongoing with no final victory yet.
Are all episodes connected or can I watch randomly?
Most episodes are standalone though some story arcs span multiple episodes.
Is Pikachu the only Pokémon Ash uses?
Ash catches many Pokémon over time but Pikachu remains his main partner.
How many seasons or regions are there?
The series spans multiple regions with new friends and challenges throughout.