History Anime / PokemonTheSeries

** Most Legendary Pokémon are portrayed as very strong demigod-like beings in the anime. Naturally, this means that Ash will never have the chance to actually capture and own them in the same way player characters can in the games. He can befriend them (and has done so many times, especially in the movies), and has beaten a few that do belong to other trainers, but actually capturing them would not only be disastrous for the world, but it would also make Ash almost invincible.

The ''Pokémon'' anime series, currently marketed in English as ''Pokémon: The Series'', is a somewhat loose/loose adaptation based on the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games by Creator/{{Game Freak}}. Given the success of the games, this series managed to make it to America as part of the marketing push, and, combined with the concurrent American airings of ''Anime/SailorMoon'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', helped keep the new wave of Western anime adaptations (which started after ''Franchise/PowerRangers'') going.

It features the tale of Ash Ketchum and his pals (who change every saga), as well as the perennially ubiquitous Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth, who attempt to steal Pikachu or another rare Pokémon/item [[OncePerEpisode nearly every episode]] and are, with even greater frequency, sent flying sky-high with the CatchPhrase "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again! [[ATwinkleInTheSky *Ding!*]]"

** The Sun And Moon season is significantly more cartoony and light-hearted than previous installments, especially the previous ''XY'' season.

* DiabolusExMachina: The "League Rivals", characters typically introduced near the end of each arc who all have a knack for being the one to eliminate Ash from the Tournaments. Of particular note is Tobias, who had (at least) two OlympusMons and swept the entire Sinnoh League, which Ash was actually doing pretty well in up until that point. Ash merely failed less than everyone else by managing to knock both out at the cost of all six of his Pokémon.

** Pokémon have their own emotions, personalities, hobbies and interests. You have to treat them as actual living beings instead of collections of pixels. Treating them like chess pieces is a one-way ticket to getting them to hate you. Many of Ash's pokemon disobey him because of personal preference or have to leave due to their own personal obligations. Ash is not stupid enough to release a powerful pokemon without (usually) a good reason.

* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: The Elite Four, as well as several other characters.

* GottaCatchThemAll: Which was also the slogan of the games, before the ever-expanding number of creatures made this AwesomeButImpractical. Creator/GameFreak revived the slogan upon release of ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY''.

The ''Pokémon'' anime series, currently marketed in English as ''Pokémon: The Series'', is a somewhat loose adaptation based on the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games by Creator/{{Game Freak}}. Given the success of the games, this series managed to make it to America as part of the marketing push, and, combined with the concurrent American airings of ''Anime/SailorMoon'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', helped keep the new wave of Western anime adaptations (which started after ''Franchise/PowerRangers'') going.

* ''Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries'' - A series that takes place primarily in a new laboratory in Kanto but has a new premise of traveling in all regions of the Pokémon world, including the Galar region of ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield ''.

** Skyla is given a darker skin tone in the anime, however it's ambiguous if it's a tan or not.

** Goh is notciably of darker skin tone, but is a Kanto native.

** [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Doyle Doyle]] in "Where Did You Go, Audino?" bears a resemblance to [[Manga/DetectiveConan Conan Edogawa]].

*** Ash finally catches a pseudo legendary Pokémon, or at least a member of its line.

*** Unova was the first region where Ash doesn't encounter the regional villain team until after completing the league, where they got a short arc dedicated to them.

*** First evolution of a Water-type starter, as well as a Water-type Pokémon finally evolving ever since way back in Kanto when Krabby evolved.

** There was also a reference to Christianity when Misty tried to ward away a talking Gastly with a cross. Keep in mind, this was before [[OlympusMons Arceus]] existed.

** Averted by Go, who doesn't believe the news reports about Meowth until he speaks right in front of him, making him (Go) freak out.

* In ''[=Journeys=]'' a paleontologist decides to steal whipped cream meant for dessert to add as to a curry much to the group's shock, though they end up finding it incredible.

** Woah! Ash and his friends manage to catch an [[OlympusMons Ultra Beast]]! That'll surely help him in his Island Challenges right? Oh wait, they released it so it can go back to its home dimension...

* StalkerShot: During the "Black & White" a.k.a "Best Wishes" seasons, when Ash meets the starter Pokemon of the Unova region, he comments Oshawott looks cutes, and when Trips chooses Snivy over him, he took an interest in Ash. Later in the episode, the camera would reveal Oshawott following Ash and hiding from a distance several times with Ash and Pikachu unaware of him. It's not until the third episode that Oshawott officially becomes apart of Ash's team.

* ShouldntWeBeInSchoolRightNow: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]]. Certain children such as Ash simply head out into the world as trainers, but characters such as Chloe do attend normal academia. It is noted, however, that Goh is allowed to travel the world yet still be enrolled so long as he attends mandatory testing, though it isn't known if this is a norm or a special privelege.

* ShouldntWeBeInSchoolRightNow: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]]. Certain children such as Ash simply head out into the world as trainers, but characters such as Chloe do attend normal academia. It is noted, however, that Goh is allowed to travel the world yet still be enrolled so long as he attends mandatory testing, though it isn't known if this is a norm or a special privellege.

** The Hoenn era ends with Gary re-appearing with an Electivire, a Pokémon discovered in Shinnoh and Ash travelling to Sinnoh.