Which company animated the original Pokémon television series?

OLM, Inc. animated the original Pokémon television series. The Japanese animation studio, whose name comes from Oriental Light and Magic, produced the series that debuted in 1997.

OLM became closely associated with Pokémon through the television anime and many of the franchise’s animated films. The studio’s work helped establish the visual style of Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Team Rocket, and the Pokémon world for a global audience.

The first episode, “Pokémon, I Choose You!”, was directed by Masamitsu Hidaka and written by Takeshi Shudo. OLM handled the animation production while TV Tokyo and other companies participated in broadcasting and production arrangements.

The Pokémon anime has involved multiple production partners and changing staff over its long run, so OLM should not be confused with the franchise’s game developer, Game Freak, or publisher, Nintendo. OLM’s role is animation production, not the creation or publication of the original video games.