Top 3 Pokémon Anime to Watch

As someone who grew up with Pokémon, this franchise holds a very special place in my heart even till this day. With the upcoming release of the latest 3DS game: Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon as well as the ongoing Season 20 anime focusing on the Alola region, I’d like to introduce some Pokémon anime to watch for fans and newcomers alike. For those not as familiar with the Pokémon series, the entire anime is divided into seven regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola which spans over the 20 seasons of the anime. Excluding the latest Pokémon Sun and Moon anime (20th season), here are my personal top 3 Pokémon anime picks in no particular order:-

Note that this is a personal favourites list and it does not reflect the opinions of the other TMR members. 

1. Pokémon: Indigo League (Season 1) – 1997

Doesn’t this bring back all the good memories? The nostalgic Indigo League series would probably be the one that most people would remember watching as a child. It is also the only season that featured Ash’s entire journey to the Pokémon League alongside his trusty companions: Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charizard, and Pidgeotto. Not only that, this series definitely has the most memorable side characters (Misty and Brock) as well as the best theme song of them all! Despite the not-as-great art/animation (it was 1997 yo) and occasional immaturity, Pokémon: Indigo League was and still is the very best (like no one ever was). Definitely a classic that you should watch!

2. Pokémon: Advanced Generation (Season 6) – 2002

I don’t know about you, but the Hoenn region has always been one of my favourites with the awesome starter Pokémons and also the introduction of my favourite Pokémon, Gardevoir! Continuing on from his journey from the Johto region, Ash and Pikachu continues to explore the Hoenn region with Brock and some new friends, Max and May, in a quest to beat Hoenn’s Pokémon League. Unlike the first season, the entirety of Ash’s journey in Hoenn was split into 3 seasons where the continuations were named Pokémon: Advanced Challenge and then Pokémon: Advanced Battle. Not only that, Pokémon: Advanced Generation showcases a vast improvement from the previous seasons in terms of smoother animation and better visual quality.

3. Pokémon: XY (Season 17) – 2013

The Pokémon: XY series may be the latest entry into the Pokémon franchise, but it has earned a reputation of being one of the best Pokémon anime to date. In this series, Ash is depicted as a veteran trainer and joins Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie in travelling around the Kalos region. The newest Pokémon-type, the Fairy type was also introduced 14 years after the introduction of the Dark and Steel types which made things more interesting and refreshing. Also, the animation quality in Pokémon: XY has advanced even further with the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and better character models. It’s impressive how well the quality was maintained throughout the series. All in all, Pokémon: XY was amazingly done with awesome animation and a great storyline.

And there you have it! These were the anime picks that I personally enjoyed the most, but I’m sure that you might have a different opinion as Pokémon has so much to offer. What were your favourite anime seasons and why? Let us know in the comments below!