📺 POKÉTOON (2020)
Part of Pokémon
Pokétoon is a charming anthology series of original net animation (ONA) shorts produced by The Pokémon Company, first released on the Japanese Pokémon Kids TV YouTube channel starting June 5, 2020. Unlike the long-running main Pokémon anime series that follows Ash Ketchum (and later dual protagonists Liko and Roy), Pokétoon takes a completely different approach: each short is a self-contained story featuring different Pokémon in a variety of animation styles, with no recurring human protagonists and no chronological continuity between episodes.
The series draws its characters and world directly from the Pokémon video games, which began with Pokémon Red and Green on the Game Boy in 1996. Created by Satoshi Tajiri and developed by Game Freak, the games introduced the core concept of capturing, training, and battling creatures in a shared world — a premise that has since expanded into the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. Pokétoon is one of many animated offshoots that reimagine the Pokémon universe through different creative lenses, joining other experimental projects like Pokémon Generations, Pokémon Evolutions, and Pokémon: Twilight Wings.
The first batch of eight shorts was released between June 2020 and December 2021, with each episode animated by a different studio — including Studio Colorido, Dandelion Animation Studio, and Pancakes — giving every short a distinct visual identity. Standout episodes include the slapstick chase comedy "Scraggy and Mimikyu," the heartfelt "Blossom's Dream" about a young girl and her Nidoran, and the whimsical "Jigglypuff's Song." The shorts were later dubbed into English and released on Pokémon TV and the English Pokémon YouTube channel in 2022. A second season, branded as Pokétoon 2024, launched in September 2024 with eight additional shorts, and a third season began in October 2025, demonstrating the enduring appeal of these bite-sized, artist-driven Pokémon stories.
Pokémon is a media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, first released in 1996 by Nintendo and Game Freak. The franchise began as a pair of role-playing video games for the Game Boy, which introduced the concept of creatures called Pokémon that humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, catch and train to battle each other for sport. The games are set in fictional regions inspired by real-world locations, each with unique species of Pokémon, and involve the player collecting badges, thwarting villainous teams, and becoming the Pokémon Champion.
The Pokémon video game series has become one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, with core installments on every Nintendo handheld console. The games' mechanics, including type matchups, evolution, and trading, have become iconic. The franchise expanded into a global phenomenon encompassing an anime series, trading card game, movies, toys, and more. Its themes of friendship, discovery, and adventure have resonated with audiences worldwide, making Pokémon a cultural touchstone since the late 1990s.
The Pokémon film collection is a long-running series of animated features that extends the adventures of the globally beloved Pokémon anime. Originating alongside the television series in the late 1990s, the films initially served as companion pieces to the ongoing narrative, following Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu as they encountered rare and legendary Pokémon in cinematic, self-contained stories. The early entries, beginning with 'Pokémon: The First Movie' in 1998, captured the peak of the late-90s Pokémon phenomenon and became a staple of the franchise's multimedia expansion, often distributed internationally by Warner Bros. during the anime's original broadcast run.
Over the decades, the collection evolved in tandem with the video game generations, with each film typically showcasing the mythical or legendary Pokémon introduced in the corresponding game release. This structure allowed the movies to function as both standalone adventures and promotional showcases for new creatures, while maintaining a consistent focus on themes of friendship, coexistence between humans and Pokémon, and the wonder of discovery. As the anime's continuity progressed through regions like Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and beyond, the films mirrored these settings and introduced a rotating cast of supporting characters alongside the perennial heroes.
A significant shift occurred in the late 2010s when the film series began to depart from the main anime timeline. Starting with 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' in 2017, the collection embraced a reboot approach, retelling and reimagining Ash's origin story in an alternate continuity. This creative direction continued with subsequent entries, including a CGI remake of the first film, allowing the collection to explore nostalgic narratives while appealing to both new audiences and longtime fans. This period marked a transition from being direct extensions of the TV series to more experimental, standalone cinematic experiences.
The Pokémon film collection stands as a testament to the franchise's enduring cross-media legacy. With over two dozen theatrical releases spanning more than two decades, it has consistently delivered family-friendly adventures that reinforce the core values of the Pokémon world. While individual entries vary in critical reception, the collection as a whole remains a culturally significant component of one of the most successful entertainment properties in history, offering a cinematic entry point for each new generation of trainers.
