Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures (Japanese: ポケットモンスター SPECIAL, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā Supesharu; lit. Pocket Monsters Special, commonly Pokespe (ポケスペ / ポケSP) for short) is a Japanese manga series based on the Pokémon media franchise. The series is written by Hidenori Kusaka. Mato [ja] was the illustrator for the first nine volumes. When Mato became ill and was unable to continue illustrating the series, Satoshi Yamamoto took over as the illustrator and still continues as the series' artist.

Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon media franchise, once stated that the series is closest to how he imagined the universe of Pokémon to be.

Pokémon Adventures is translated into English in North America by Viz Media. As of May 2024, 63 volumes have been released, along with mini-volumes collecting arcs from "Black and White" onwards. In Southeast Asia, Singapore publisher Chuang Yi was translating Pokémon Adventures into English, and continued to translate new volumes up to volume 41. The company, however, entered voluntary liquidation in early 2014 and translation stopped. Shogakukan Asia now handles the series in Singapore.

Pokémon Adventures is divided into several story arcs known as chapters, representing each mainline generation as well as their remakes and enhanced editions. 16 chapters have been released as of August 2023.

Due to the serialization of the Black 2 & White 2 chapter going on hold and taking many years before being collected into a volume, the X & Y and subsequent chapters of Pokémon Adventures were separately collected into mini-volumes. The rounds included in these mini-volumes were only ones that were published in the CoroCoro Ichiban magazine. Once the Black 2 & White 2 chapter ended in the regular volumes, the subsequent chapters started to be collected in that format as well.

The first story shows Red, the protagonist, who gets his Pokédex from Professor Oak to start on his Pokémon journey, collecting Pokémon and battling gym leaders for the eight coveted gym badges. He later meets his rival Blue who is Oak's own grandson. Later in his journey, he encounters con artist Green, who sells him fake Pokémon items. She has stolen a Squirtle from Oak’s lab and has evolved it into a Wartortle.

Later, Oak had been kidnapped by Team Rocket to replace Blaine, a former Team Rocket scientist, and the townspeople of Pallet Town were also kidnapped due to their strange empathy for Pokémon. Red, Green and Blue arrive at Saffron City to take on the Team Rocket Admins—Koga, Lt. Surge, and Sabrina. They manage to defeat Team Rocket and save Oak. It is revealed that using 7 gym badges, Arcticuno, Zapdos, and Moltres will be fused after Green does, unaware of the results. Their fusion results in a Pokemon referred to as Zapmolcuno, which looks like the three Legendary Birds fused together at the body, having all three of their heads. Red, Green, and Blue then work together to defeat and split the bird apart. Red then travels to the Indigo Plateau to battle his rival Blue, having gained seven badges, but also prevails against the evil bio-weapon Mewtwo and Team Rocket's leader and legendary missing Viridian Gym Leader, Giovanni, on the way. Green is confronted by Oak about stealing and is forgiven. Red later battles Blue in the Pokémon League Championships and emerges victorious, claiming the title of champion of the Pokémon League.

Red has disappeared after receiving a challenge letter sent to him by Bruno of the Elite Four. They plan to lure him to them, and use him to get information on Giovanni’s whereabouts. They also need his Earth Badge. Only Red’s Pikachu, Pika, managed to escape, Red having been encased in ice. Yellow decided to go look for Red, as Red had helped her catch a Rattata to train her in the skills of battling.