Pokémon Pocket Monsters

"Pokémon (manga)" redirects here. For other Pokémon manga, see List of Pokémon manga. For the series as a whole, see Pocket Monsters.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters, known in Japan as simply Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター, Poketto Monsutā), is one of the first Pokémon manga to come out in Japan and ran for 13 volumes. In Singapore, it was published by Chuang Yi in English in 2005 and retitled Pokémon Pocket Monsters.^[1] The first series is set in Kanto and Johto, while the new series were based on Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and Alola. The manga is written Kosaku Anakubo [ja].

Pokémon Pocket Monsters
Volume 1 cover
ポケットモンスター (Poketto Monsutā)
Manga
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo [ja]
Published by	Shogakukan
English publisher	SG: Chuang Yi
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	November 1996 – April 2003
Volumes	14
Manga
Pocket Monsters Ruby-Sapphire
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
English publisher	SG: Chuang Yi
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	September 2003 – May 2006
Volumes	6
Manga
Pocket Monsters Diamond-Pearl
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	June 2006 – October 2008
Volumes	5
Manga
Pocket Monsters HGSS
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	June 2010 – January 2011
Volumes	2
Manga
Pocket Monsters BW
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	August 2011 – August 2013
Volumes	4
Manga
Pocket Monsters XY
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	April 2014 – October 2016
Volumes	5
Manga
Pocket Monsters Sun and Moon
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	2017 – 2020
Volumes	4
Manga
Pocket Monsters Aniki
Written by	Kosaku Anakubo
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Aniki
Original run	2021 – present
Volumes	1

On October 11, 2019, it was announced that Pocket Monsters manga ended its regular publication in Bessatsu CoroCoro after 23 years, being replaced by Machito Gomi's manga adaptation of the then-current series of the Pokémon television series.^[2] However, Kosaku Anakubo continues to write and illustrate new, shorter chapters, first for the quarterly CoroCoro Aniki (discontinued in early 2021) and CoroCoro Online under the moniker Pocket Monsters Aniki.^[3]

Plot

The manga follows Red, a young boy competing with a rival, Green, to complete the Illustrated Pokémon Encyclopedia/Pokédex and become the master of Pokémon. In this manga, Pokémon are capable of human speech. It is thought that a Pippi/Clefairy is the main character, albeit just a follower of Red. It is obnoxious but lovable, whose big mouth sometimes gets it into trouble. Surprisingly enough, it comes up with clever ideas to help Red and Pikachu.

In the first few manga books, Red's team consists of Pikachu and Pippi/Clefairy only. However, later on, Red gains a valuable companion in Tyrogue as well. Pikachu himself cannot talk.

The story also goes to the Johto region, where Red gets introduced to trainers Gold and Silver, supposedly based on the video game characters. It goes to Hoenn in the last volume, where Red thinks of receiving a Achamo/Torchic and abandoning Pippi/Clefairy. The manga continues under the name of Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire, starting the volume number from 1.^[4]

Characters

• Red (レッド, Reddo) (Isamu Akai (赤井 勇, Akai Isamu)): Charged with completing the Pokémon Zukan, he is Green's rival.
• Clefairy (Pippi in the Japanese version): Red's first Pokémon ally. It is very vulgar and likes to do 'sick' things to attract attention.
• Pikachu: Clefairy's younger cousin who joins Red and Clefairy. He is unable to talk.
• Green (グリーン, Gurīn) (Kai Midorikawa (緑川 開, Midorikawa Kai)): Red's rival.

Sequels

Pocket Monsters Ruby-Sapphire

See also: List of Pokémon chapters § Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire

Pocket Monsters Ruby-Sapphire (ポケットモンスタールビー・サファイア, Poketto Monsutā Rubī-Safaia) is the first sequel, and is set in Hoenn. The first volume was released September 25, 2003, and the last was released May 26, 2006. It was released in Singapore by Chuang Yi as Pokémon Pocket Monsters Ruby-Sapphire.

Pocket Monsters Diamond-Pearl

Pocket Monsters Diamond-Pearl (ポケットモンスターダイヤモンド・パール, Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo-Pāru) is the second sequel, and is set in Sinnoh. The first volume was released January 26, 2007, and the last was released October 28, 2009.

Pocket Monsters HGSS

Pocket Monsters HGSS (ポケットモンスター HG・SS) is the third sequel, and is set in Johto. The first volume was released on June 28, 2010, and the second and last was released on January 28, 2011. It was released in Singapore as Pokémon Pocket Monsters HGSS.

Pocket Monsters Black-White

Pocket Monsters BW (ポケットモンスターブラック・ホワイト) is the fourth sequel, and is set in Unova. It was first released March 6, 2011 and the last volume was released August 28, 2013.

Pocket Monsters XY

Pocket Monsters XY (ポケットモンスターエックス・ワイ, Poketto Monsutā Ekkusu Wai) is the fifth sequel, and is set in Kalos. It was first released on April 28, 2014 and the last volume was released on October 28, 2016.

Pocket Monsters Sun and Moon

Pocket Monsters Sun and Moon (ポケットモンスター サン・ムーン編, Poketto Monsutā San Mūn-ben) is the sixth sequel, and is in Alola. It was first released on November 28, 2017.

Pocket Monsters Sword and Shield

Pocket Monsters Big Bro (ポケットモンスターアニキ編, Poketto Monsutā Aniki-hen) is the seventh sequel. It was first released on June 11, 2021, and includes the special Pocket Monsters Sword and Shield (ソード・シールド編, Sōdo Shīrudo-hen).