Pokémon

Synopsis

Pokémon the Series, int. PS, known as Pocket Monsters in Japan and Pocket Monsters in South Korea, int. PM, or simply Pokémon, is an ongoing animated show that follows the adventures of the series' main protagonist, Ash Ketchum, and his friends (Ash's Pikachu). The series is produced by OLM Inc. (formerly Oriental Light & Magic Inc.) in Japan. It premiered on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 1, 1997, and it later was dubbed in English in North America on September 7, 1998 and international television by 4Kids Entertainment until Season 8, when the dub transferred to TPCi. It is divided into series and storyline arcs, which are then dubbed into seasons, which are divided and aired according to the English opening of each episode (with the exception of Seasons 1 through 6, which were divided and aired by 52 episode segments). Since Pokémon Horizons: The Series, Liko and Roy have been the main dual protagonists. There are also various films, including specials not included in the official count and a number of spin-off series. As it is based on the Pokémon game series, the anime deals with a lot of the same material such as locations, Pokémon battles, Gym Leaders, and Badges. It is also officially referred to by The Pokémon Company International as "the Pokémon animated series", "Pokémon TV series", "Pokémon animation" or "Pokémon cartoon".