Original series: Difference between revisions

[[File:Original series logo.png|thumb|First original series logo]]

The '''original series''' of the Pokémon anime (Japanese: '''ポケットモンスター''' ''Pocket Monsters'') is the first series of the [[Pokémon anime]]. Unlike later series, the name of the original series comes only from the need to differentiate it from the three later series. It ran from April 1, 1997 to November 14, 2002 in Japan and from September 7, 1998 to October 25, 2003 in the United States.

During the original series, rookie Trainer [[Ash Ketchum]] begins his journey in [[Kanto]], leaving his home of [[Pallet Town]] with the only [[starter Pokémon]] that {{an|Professor Oak}} had left to give: a reluctant and moody {{AP|Pikachu}}. Ash's quest begins in earnest to defeat all of the [[Gym Leaders]] and get to the [[Pokémon League]] as soon as he has gained Pikachu's trust, and he is joined by two mentors, {{an|Misty}} and {{an|Brock}}.

After competing in the [[Indigo Plateau Conference]] and not doing so well, Ash journeys to the [[Orange Archipelago]] to receive the [[GS Ball]] from [[Professor Ivy]], as it cannot be transported to Professor Oak by [[PC]]. During his time there, Ash competes in another Pokémon League, the [[Orange League]] and meets a new friend named [[Tracey Sketchit]]. When Oak cannot figure out how to open the GS Ball on Ash's return to Pallet, the Professor sends Ash to [[Johto]] to give the Ball to [[Kurt]]. While there, Ash again competes in a Pokémon League, the [[Silver Conference]].

When the anime was dubbed into English and other languages, the series was divided into five "[[season]]s":

Episodes in the original series are numbered with {{bp|epicode|the prefix}} '''EP''' on Bulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see the [[list of original series episodes]].

 

* Originally, this series of the anime was only to have lasted a year and a half, approximately as long as the Kanto saga lasted.

* At 274 episodes, this is the anime's longest series. This is because it adapted the games from two [[generation]]s, {{gen|I}} and {{Gen|II}}. The following series are adaptations of games of only one generation each.

** Minus the 81-episode Kanto saga, which covered the storyline of Generation I, the series contains 193 episodes, only two more than the {{series|Diamond & Pearl}} and only one more than the {{series|Advanced Generation}}.

===In other languages===

 

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