The Pokémon Adventures manga began serialization in March 1997.
Written by Hidenori Kusaka and initially illustrated by Mato, the manga first appeared in Shogakukan’s fourth-grade Elementary School magazine. Its opening story is based on the Red, Green, and Blue games but follows its own continuity and gives the protagonist the name Red.
Pokémon Adventures is not a direct adaptation of the television anime. It uses game-inspired regions, characters, and mechanics while presenting a more continuous adventure story. Later story arcs cover the Yellow, Gold and Silver, Ruby and Sapphire, Diamond and Pearl, Black and White, and other game generations.
The start date is close to the anime’s Japanese premiere, which occurred in April 1997, but the manga began one month earlier. That distinction makes March 1997 the relevant date for the manga’s serialization rather than the television series.