The Pokémon animated series first began broadcasting in Japan in 1997.
The television series premiered on April 1, 1997, more than a year after the original Game Boy games launched. Its story follows Ash Ketchum and Pikachu as they travel through the Pokémon world, meet other Trainers, and pursue their goals.
The series helped turn Pokémon from a successful video game into a broader multimedia franchise. It introduced recurring characters, distinctive regional journeys, and a television format that could continue alongside new generations of games.
The anime’s first season is often associated with the original Kanto storyline, but the television series is not simply a direct replay of Pokémon Red and Blue. It changes events, adds characters, and gives Pikachu a central role from the beginning. International broadcasts began later, with the English-language series premiering in the United States in 1998.