As part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for Pokemon, The Pokemon Company International has announced Pokemon Evolutions. This new, limited animated series, set to premiere next week, pays homage to the rich legacy of the global entertainment franchise, while expanding upon it with new stories set in the familiar regions of the Pokemon world.
Pokemon Evolutions will consist of eight episodes, each taking fans on a journey through a different region. Like the retrospective Region Exhibit, the series will focus on a story from a different region in reverse chronological order from which they were first explored in the games.
In the first episode, debuting on September 9, fans will be traveling to the Galar region, most recently explored in the Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield games for Nintendo Switch. From there, the series will work its way back all the way to the Kanto region, which was originally explored in Pokemon Red and Pokemon Game, the first games from the franchise dating all the way back to 1996. On this journey, fans will experience familiar tales from the franchise told from a fresh perspective.
“‘Pokémon Evolutions’ is both an exciting new collection of animation for the brand and a thank-you to the millions of fans around the world who have joined us on this journey over the past 25 years,” said Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “Each region has been a touchstone for new generations of Pokémon Trainers as the brand has grown, and we wanted ‘Pokémon Evolutions’ to pay homage to that legacy while also being innovative and contemporary. It’s a new adventure and familiar all at once. And, with the last episode set in Kanto, ‘Pokémon Evolutions’ is a meaningful way to end our anniversary celebrations in the place where it all began for Pokémon 25 years ago.”
Episodes will premiere exclusively on the official Pokemon YouTube channel and Pokemon TV worldwide. Here's the episode order and premiere dates:
- Thursday, Sept. 9: “The Champion” featuring the Galar region
- Thursday, Sept. 23: “The Eclipse” featuring the Alola region
- Thursday, Oct. 7: “The Visionary” featuring the Kalos region
- Thursday, Oct. 21: “The Plan” featuring the Unova region
- Thursday, Dec. 2: “The Rival” featuring the Sinnoh region
- Thursday, Dec. 9: “The Wish” featuring the Hoenn region
- Thursday, Dec. 16: “The Show” featuring the Johto region
- Thursday, Dec. 23: “The Discovery” featuring the Kanto region