Anime Profile: Pokémon

In December 1997, during the TV Tokyo boradcast of a popular animated series, over 700 children came down with epileptic-like seizures: seizures that would later be attributed to intense flashing exhibited by that particular episode of the show (the incident involved the Pokémon Porygon [Polygon] and involved intense red-blue flashing for 5 seconds). As a result, the episode was removed from both Japanese and (later) American broadcasts. Now, in 1998, the same show that took Japan by storm (in more ways than one) has arrived in the United States at the same time as the game upon which the show is based.

Pokémon, short for Pocket Monster, is the story of young Ash and his quest to become a Pokémon master. Particularly, he wants to become a better trainer than his archrival: Gary Oak. To do that, he must travel the world in search of over 150 known species of Pokémon: creatures of varying shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. He soon finds companions to travel with him, and also traveling with him is his first Pokémon: Pikachu, an electric mouse Pokémon with a number of surprises. In his path are his own inexperience and the efforts of the infamous Team Rocket [j]Rocket Gundan (Jessie and James), who steal rare Pokémon and who have their collective eyes on Ash's Pikachu in particular.

It is an exciting adventure combined with trying moments, lots of Pokémon combat, and plenty of laughs (such as the fact that all the Pokémon nurses look exactly the same, like they're all part of a big family). And better yet, with the games, you can try to become a Pokémon trainer yourself. Both the show and the game are simply fun.

Here's a list of all the seasons:

1. Indigo League
2. Orange Islands
3. The Johto Journey
4. Johto League Champions
5. Master Quest
6. Advanced
7. Advanced Challenge
8. Advanced Battle
9. Battle Frontier
10. Diamond and Pearl
11. Diamond and Pearl Battle Dimension
12. Diamond and Pearl Battle!

This third season of Pokemon starts out when Prof. Oak tells Ash Ketchum to take the GS ball to Kurt, who lives in Azalea town in the Johto area. Ash, Misty, and Brock go to the Jhoto area. The season goes up to when Ash gets to Goldenrod city to get his third badge. Also, there are many new Pokemon that they see, Noctowl, for example.

If you have seen the episodes where Ash has been able to capture Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, Ash captures these three-starter Pokemon in Jhoto. Ash also says goodbye to two of them, one at the Charicific Valley, a valley that only has charizards, the other reunited with its old gang called the squirtle squad.

Team Rocket is after Pikachu, and one episode I like is when Jessie, James, and Meowth has this exchanger that gave both trainers empty pokeballs. Unfortunately, Jessie's Lickitung accidentally got put in a real exchanger, and she gets a Wobbufett. The episode is called Tricks of the Trade.

Also, there is a rich lady that owns a Snubbull that likes to bite Meowth's tail, and is shown in other episodes looking for that tail to bite. The episode called,Grin To Win has it biting Meowth's tail while Meowth is disguised as a Sunflora.