Pokémon: The Beginning and Gold and Silver

After he turns 10 years old, Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in Japan) is allowed to start his journey in the
world of Pokémon and dreams of becoming a Pokémon master. On the day he is to receive his first
Pokémon, Ash wakes in a panic, having overslept. Professor Oak, the local Pokémon researcher,
has already given away the three Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle) he entrusts to
new Pokémon Trainers when Ash finally reaches Oak's Lab. The only Pokémon that he has left is a
Pikachu, which he gives to Ash. Determined to make it on his journey, Ash does his best to befriend
Pikachu, but it does not trust him and will not even return to its Poké Ball, even attacking Ash with its
electric powers. It is only after Ash protects Pikachu from a group of angry Spearow that Pikachu
realizes how much Ash cares, leading it to save Ash. Afterwards, they both see a mysterious and
unidentifiable Pokémon that spurs both of them to work towards Ash's goal.
Along the way, Ash makes many human and Pokémon friends as he works his way through the
ranks of the world's many Pokémon Leagues. Through the Kanto Region, Ash befriends Water
Pokémon trainer and erstwhile Cerulean City Gym Leader Misty (Kasumi) and Pewter City Gym
Leader and Pokémon Breeder Brock (Takeshi), and all the while thwarting the plans of the Team
Rocket trio Jessie (Musashi), James (Kojirō), and Meowth, who want to steal Ash's Pikachu and any
other rare Pokémon they come across. When the group travels to the Orange Islands, Brock decides
to stay with the local professor, Ivy, leaving Ash and Misty to continue travelling together. After a
while, they meet and begin traveling with Pokémon Watcher and artist Tracey Sketchit (Kenji). Once
they reach Pallet Town in Kanto, Tracey decides to stay with Professor Oak and Brock rejoins the
group. Following this, the trio continues on their way to the Johto region.

Pokémon: Ruby & Sapphire

When Ash leaves for the Hoenn Region at the end of the original series, Misty returns to Cerulean
City in Kanto to become the full-time Cerulean City Gym Leader. However, at the start of the Ruby &
Sapphire series (also referred by fans as the Advanced Generation series), Brock follows him to
Hoenn and Ash gains new companions in Pokémon Coordinator May (Haruka) and her younger
brother Max (Masato), and together they face off against the rival teams, Team Magma and Team
Aqua.

Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl

After returning to Kanto and participating in the Battle Frontier challenge, Ash battles with his rival,
Gary. After seeing Electivire, a Pokémon from the Sinnoh region he has never seen before, Ash
decides to travel to Sinnoh. At the beginning of the season, Ash travels with Brock, one final time, to
the Sinnoh Region, with May and Max going on their own paths.[disputed – discuss] Ash and Brock
meet Dawn (Hikari), another Pokémon Coordinator, who travels with them as they go through
Sinnoh where they must defeat Cyrus and his Team Galactic.

Pokémon: Black & White

In the Black & White series, Ash, his mother Delia and Professor Oak take a holiday to the far-off
Unova Region, where he meets and travels with would-be Dragon Master Iris and Striaton City Gym
Leader, Pokémon Connoisseur, and sometimes detective Cilan (Dent). During their journey, they
discover the evil plans of Team Plasma, a criminal organization that wants to free Pokémon from
people's ownership so that they can rule the world unopposed. After winning all eight Unova badges,
Ash, Iris, and Cilan travel throughout the eastern side of Unova to prepare for the Unova Pokémon
League Tournament, after which they meet N, who is instrumental in defeating Team Plasma. After
this, Ash, Iris, and Cilan travel through the Decolore Islands before Ash makes his way back to Pallet
Town and the meet the investigative reporter Alexa (Pansy) who is from the distant Kalos Region.
Having arrived back in Kanto, Iris and Cilan travel to Johto whilst Ash and Alexa head to Kalos soon
after Ash reunites with Delia and receiving a new outfit from her.
Pokémon: XY
In the XY series, Ash and Alexa arrive in the Kalos region and Ash is itching to get started in earning
his Gym badges. But after Alexa informs Ash that her sister, a Gym Leader, is currently absent, Ash
travels to Lumiose City where he meets boy-genius Clemont (Citron) and his younger
sister Bonnie (Eureka), unaware that Clemont is, in fact, Lumiose City's Gym Leader – a fact he tries
his best to hide. Ash also reunites with Serena, a girl from Vaniville Town whom Ash had met in his
childhood at Professor Oak's Summer Camp in Pallet Town. During that time he helped her during a
predicament, and she has had feelings for him since that time. After traveling with them to prepare
for the Kalos Pokémon League Tournament, Ash competes and advances all the way to the final,
where he loses to Alain (Alan), a member of Team Flare due to them misleading him. Once he
discovers their true intentions, however, Alain reforms and joins Ash and his friends to stop Team
Flare's plans. Bidding farewell to his friends in Kalos, Ash once again returns to Pallet.

Pokémon: Sun & Moon

In the Sun & Moon series, Ash, Delia and Delia's Mr. Mime, nicknamed Mimey, are on vacation in
the Alola region when Ash has an encounter with Tapu Koko, the guardian Pokémon of Melemele
Island, who presents him with the Z-Ring, a device that, when paired with a special crystal, allows a
Pokémon to unleash a powerful move when synchronized with its trainer. This leads him to stay in
Alola and enroll at the local Pokémon school. When he decides to undertake the trials necessary to
master the power of the Z-Ring, Ash's new
classmates Lana (Suiren), Mallow (Mao), Lillie (Lilie), Sophocles (Māmane) and Kiawe (Kaki) decide
to accompany him, while also pursuing their own goals. Team Rocket is also in the Alolan Islands,
with James taking a more decisive and leader-like role than in the previous series. A running gag is
that they have become "adopted" by a Bewear that appears and carries them off back to its cave just
as they are being defeated, instead of the traditional "blasting off" conclusion.

Pocket Monsters (2019)

The current series of the anime does not focus on any one particular region, but sees Ash and
Pikachu travel to numerous regions, including Galar, the setting of the Pokémon Sword and
Shield games. They are accompanied by a boy named Gou.