The first episode of Pokémon Origins—a new anime series that revisits the start of the Pokémon universe two decades ago—is now out, and you can watch it for free.
Pokémon games released in Japan for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996 started creature-filled franchise that has gone on to spawn a collectible card game, plushies, toys, clothes, and everything else. The games were released in North American markets in 1998 as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow came out that same year for Game Boy color. It’s from these three games that we get all the Pokémon you’ll find in Pokémon Go.
You’re more or less living Pokémon history every time you play Pokémon Go, but the story and characters that have defined the Pokémon universe are absent from Niantic’s augmented reality game.
Rather than setting yourself adrift in a sea of Pokémon anime that dates back to 1997, consider instead checking out Pokémon Origins Episode 1: Red, which explores the original Pokémon universe and the first 151 Pokémon.
If that whets your appetite for more, head over to Pokémon TV and binge watch episodes selected from 19 seasons of Pokémon cartoons. Like we said, you have a lot of catching up to do.
