Pokémon Journeys: The Series
- This article is about the seventh series of the Pokémon animated series. For its eponymous first season, see S23.
- This article is about the animated TV series. For its eponymous manga adaptation, see Pokémon Journeys (manga).
Pokémon Journeys: The Series (Japanese: ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters) is the seventh series of the Pokémon animated series in Asia (including Japan) and the eighth and final series of Pokémon the Series in the West. The series is based on all of the core series games, including the Generation VIII games Pokémon Sword and Shield. It follows Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and was succeeded by Pokémon Horizons: The Series. It premiered between November 17, 2019 and March 24, 2023 in Japan (although the first episode had a special screening two days earlier) and between June 12, 2020 and September 8, 2023 in the United States.
The series features "double protagonists" Ash Ketchum and Goh, along with their respective partners Pikachu and Cinderace. Similar to Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Ash is based in a single location, alongside Goh, and together they travel around the world, specifically all regions that have appeared in the core series (from Kanto to Galar), and meet Pokémon living in each region while pursuing their respective goals. Ash continues his pursuit of becoming a Pokémon Master by entering the World Coronation Series, a competition used to decide the world's strongest Pokémon Trainer, with the hopes of one day having an official match with the reigning Monarch, Leon. Goh, having had a fateful encounter with Mew when he was six, dreams of one day catching the Mythical Pokémon, and aims to complete his Pokédex while participating in the Project Mew research project in the hopes that they will get him closer to his dream. The series also features as supporting characters a young girl named Chloe, and her father Professor Cerise, who runs the Cerise Laboratory in Vermilion City, which works as Ash and Goh's base of operations for most of the series.
As with the previous three series of the animated series, this series introduces a new art style. For instance, Ash's eyes (both the irises and the overall eyes) are drawn larger, and Team Rocket's eyes are drawn sharper than in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Overall, the characters are drawn more similarly based on Ken Sugimori's more recent character art. Characters are also consistently drawn with fingernails, like in Pokémon the Series: XY.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series features the return of many characters that have appeared over the course of Pokémon the Series, from main characters (like Brock, Iris, and Dawn, for example) to recurring characters (like Gary, Korrina, and Paul, among others), far more than any of the previous series. In addition to this, Pokémon Journeys: The Series concludes several storylines created over the years within the animated series, such as the story of Mohn, Butch and Cassidy's rivalry with Jessie and James, and Ash's story with Cynthia.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series is the first series to feature episodes split into two different story segments, something that started in Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown! / Slowking's Crowning! and continued with Pikachu Translation Check... / Up to Your Neck! and A Rollicking Roll… / Eyes on the Goal!. These episodes have a more comical and "loose" plot from the main story. This is also the first series to have special episodes released directly for streaming, with a four-part arc related to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, titled Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles, released directly on Japan's Prime Video service.[1]
After airing the first 136 episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series in Japan, on December 16, 2022, an eleven-episode epilogue miniseries focused on Ash and Pikachu called (Japanese: ポケットモンスター めざせポケモンマスター Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master) was announced worldwide.[2] In the dub, this miniseries was combined with the special episode Distant Blue Sky! to form the final batch of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, titled Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master. In this miniseries, Ash reunites with his old friends Brock and Misty on a tour to see the world while making new friends and reuniting with old ones.
Episodes in Pokémon Journeys: The Series are numbered with the prefix JN on Bulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see the list of Pokémon Journeys: The Series episodes.
Blurb
Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!
Japanese seasons
Pokémon Journeys: The Series has been divided into multiple parts in the Japanese release:
- Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター) (JN001 - JN136)
- Pocket Monsters: Arceus, the One Called God (ポケットモンスター 神とよばれし アルセウス) (JNS01 - JNS04)
- Pocket Monsters: The Distant Blue Sky (ポケットモンスター 遥かなる青い空) (JNS05)
- Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (ポケットモンスター めざせポケモンマスター) (JN137 - JN147)
Pocket Monsters logo
Pocket Monsters: Arceus, the One Called God logo
Pocket Monsters: The Distant Blue Sky logo
Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master logo
Dub seasons
When Pokémon Journeys: The Series came to be dubbed into English and other languages, it was divided into three seasons:
- Pokémon Journeys: The Series (JN001 - JN048)
- Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series (JN049 - JN090)
- Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series (JN091 - JN147, JNS05)
Pokémon Journeys: The Series logo
Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series logo
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series logo
Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master logo
Movies
- Main article: Pokémon movie
Home video releases
Japanese DVD releases
Gallery
- For more images, please see artwork from Pokémon Journeys: The Series on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Posters
First Japanese poster
First Japanese main artwork
Second Japanese main artwork
Third Japanese main artwork
Second Japanese poster
Third Japanese poster
Fourth Japanese poster
Fifth Japanese poster
Sixth Japanese poster
Seventh Japanese poster
Eighth Japanese poster
Ninth Japanese poster
Tenth Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters: The Distant Blue Sky Japanese poster
Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Japanese poster
Key visual
Golden Fridays poster
English poster for Pokémon Journeys: The Series
English poster for Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series
English poster for Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series
English poster for Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master
English poster for Distant Blue Sky!
Characters
Protagonists
Antagonists
Rivals
Masters Eight
Supporting characters
Staff
| Created by 原案 |
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| Executive director 総監督 |
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| Directed by 監督 |
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| Deputy director 副監督 |
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| Creative supervisor クリエイティブスーパーバイザー |
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| Series construction シリーズコンストラクション |
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| Character design キャラクターデザイン |
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| Written by 脚本 |
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| Sound director 音響監督 |
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| Music 音楽 |
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| Animation producer アニメーションプロデューサー |
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| Animation production アニメーション制作 |
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| Executive production 製作 |
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Trivia
- The Japanese name for this series retains its original title: Pocket Monsters.
- The design for the Japanese logo of the series is shared with M20 and M21, which are not canon with the main series.
- This also makes it the first series logo to not be colored in any shade of green, being completely blue instead. It is also the first one without any 3D perspective, having a flat 2D design.
- Netflix provides an epilepsy warning at the beginning of each episode after the TV rating chyron, thus marking the second time that the warning has been used outside of Japan, the first time being Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution.
- This is the first series:
- To be dubbed by Iyuno (formerly known as Iyuno Media Group) and Goldcrest Post.
- To be set in more than two game-original regions.
- Since the original series to be put on an extended hiatus; in this case, it was brought on by a production shutdown due to concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Since the original series to not have the names of the generation's first core series games in its title.
- Since the original series where Ash travels with more than one main group of traveling companions, with Goh being swapped out for Misty and Brock during the Aim to Be a Pokémon Master arc.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire where Ash's outfit is not directly influenced by the male player character's outfit for the concurrent generation.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire where Ash has won more than one Full Battle.
- This is also the only series where Ash participates in multiple Full Battles without losing any of them.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl where Ash recalls any of the Pokémon at Professor Oak's Laboratory to his party.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl where Team Rocket uses Pokémon they had caught in previous series aside from Wobbuffet.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl to feature regular broadcasting clip shows.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl to feature more than three English opening themes.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Black & White where Pokémon have rejoined Ash's regular rotation after leaving it in a prior series.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Black & White in which the final episode ends with the message "Next Time... A New Beginning!"
- However, this message was removed in the English dub.
- Since Pokémon the Series: Black & White to feature a generic eyecatch rather than a guessing segment.
- In which a main character other than Ash catches all first partner Pokémon of the current generation.
- In which the concurrent generation in the animated series concludes after the release of the following generation's initial games.
- To feature main series episodes where none of the main characters make a physical appearance.
- It is also the first series to feature main series episodes where Ash and Pikachu are completely absent.
- To feature a movie that is released outside of July. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In which a main character catches a Legendary Pokémon.
- In which two protagonists catch the same Pokémon; with Ash and Goh each catching a Farfetch'd, though Goh catches the Kantonian form, while Ash catches the Galarian form.
- In which a main character owns both a Pokémon's regular form and its regional form.
- To have a Japanese opening theme with more than two different versions.
- In which Pokémon Eggs are given generic designs, contradicting their designs from previous series.
- In which the concurrent generation's regional Professor does not debut in the first two episodes.
- In which the Who's That Pokémon? segments from the original Japanese version are retained in the dub.
- In which the "To Be Continued" text is removed in the dub; it is only maintained in the official YouTube upload of the first episode, but was retained on This Could be the Start of Something Big!.
- In which an event-only location in the games is visited by the protagonists.
- This is the only series of Pokémon the Series in which:
- The first Pokémon Ash caught was fully evolved, a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, and not introduced in the current generation.
- Ash catches a Ghost-type, baby, regional form, and Fossil Pokémon.
- Ash does not acquire any Fire-type Pokémon.
- Ash has Mega Evolved one of his Pokémon.
- Ash does not have a new female traveling companion.
- Ash does not have a new traveling companion that originates from the games.
- One of Ash's friends catches a Pokémon before Ash does.
- One of Ash's male traveling companions owns a Pokédex.
- Ash doesn't catch any first partner Pokémon.
- Ash does not participate in a Pokémon League.
- Ash's journey does not tie in with the journey from the games.
- Jessie doesn't catch any Pokémon.
- Team Rocket owns a Pokédex.
- Ash reunites with his traveling companions from more than one previous series.
- Released Pokémon of Ash's appear outside of the series they were released in.
- A released Pokémon re-joins Ash's ownership permanently.
- Previous rivals of Ash besides Gary make appearances outside of the series they were introduced in.
- Ash defeats an Elite Four member or a Champion.
- This is the only series featuring eyecatches where the eyecatches remain the same throughout without any variations.
- The first Japanese ending theme of this series was used for 70 episodes, longer than any other Japanese ending.
- Ash obtains less Pokémon that debuted in the generation that the animated series covers than any other series, obtaining two individual species from Generation VIII.
- Additionally, Ash obtains more Pokémon species that debuted in previous generations than he did from Generation VIII.
- This series features the most of Ash's former traveling companions from previous series out of any series, with all the previous companions making a physical appearance.
- This series contains the least amount of movies out of any series, with only one.
- This series also contains the least amount of endings introduced in a single series, with only two.
- This is also the only series where the number of Pokémon movies is not equal to the number of seasons of the series.
- This series has the most regular broadcasting clip shows out of any series, at four.
- The last 12 episodes of this series were released in the United States on the 25th anniversary of the original airing of the animated series's first episode.
- This is the final series to feature Ash and Pikachu as main protagonists and the Team Rocket trio as main antagonists.
- With the end of Ash's saga in the Pokémon animated series, the official Pokémon page on Twitter revealed an art containing the beginning of Ash's journey and his last scene in The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! signed by Kunihiko Yuyama.[3] The tweet was later retweeted by Sarah Natochenny herself.[4][5]
- On October 6, 2023, the official Pokémon YouTube channel released a video called A Timeless Journey that recalls some of the moments of Ash and his friends' journey.
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- On November 7, 2023 (approximately a year after Partners in Time! aired in Japan), they released a compilation of Ash's first battles and the climax of the battle against Leon in the aforementioned episode, and Ash's first and last interactions with Misty, Brock, Gary, and the Squirtle Squad.
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In other languages
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
 Arabic
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رحلة البوكيمون: المسلسل | |
| Chinese | Cantonese | 寶可夢 旅途 Pokémon: Léuihtòuh |
| Mandarin | 寶可夢 旅途 / 宝可梦 旅途 Pokémon: Lǚtú* 寶可夢 Pokémon* | |
 Croatian
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Putovanja Pokemona: Serija | |
 Czech
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Pokémon: Cesty – seriál | |
 Danish
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Pokémon på rejse: Serien | |
 Dutch
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Pokémon Reizen: De serie | |
 Finnish
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Pokémon: Matkat – Sarja | |
 European French
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La série : Pokémon, les voyages | |
 German
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Pokémon Reisen: Die Serie | |
 Greek
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Pokémon: Ταξίδια | |
 Hebrew
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פוקימון: מסעות – הסדרה | |
 Italian
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Esplorazioni Pokémon | |
 Korean
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포켓몬스터W Pocket Monsters W | |
 Norwegian
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Pokémon reiser: Serien | |
 Polish
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Pokémon: Podróże – Seria | |
| Portuguese |  Brazil
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Jornadas Pokémon: A Série* Pokémon Jornadas: A Série* |
 Portugal
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Jornadas Pokémon | |
 Romanian
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Pokémon: Călătorii – Serialul | |
 Russian
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Покемон Сериал: Приключения Pokémon Serial: Prikliuceniia | |
| Spanish |  Latin America
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La serie Viajes Pokémon |
 Spain
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La serie Viajes Pokémon | |
 Swedish
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Pokémon-resan: Serien | |
 Thai
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โปเกมอน เจอร์นีย์ Pokémon Journeys โปเกมอน เจอร์นีย์ เดอะ ซีรีส์ Pokémon Journeys: The Series* | |
 Turkish
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Pokémon Yolculukları: Dizi | |
 Ukrainian
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Покемон: Серіал. Мандри Pokémon: Serial. Mandry | |
 Vietnamese
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Hành trình Pokémon: Loạt phim | |
Pocket Monsters: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master
| Language | Title | |
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| Chinese | Cantonese | 寶可夢 目標是寶可夢大師 |
| Mandarin | 寶可夢 旅途 目標是寶可夢大師 | |
 Indonesian
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Bercita-cita menjadi Pokémon Master | |
| Korean
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포켓몬스터W: 내 꿈은 포켓몬마스터 | |
| Thai
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โปเกมอน เจอร์นีย์ มุ่งมั่นสู่โปเกมอนมาสเตอร์ | |
| Vietnamese
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Để trở thành bậc thầy Pokémon | |
External links
References
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |