Canon

This article is about the official information in the Pokémon franchise. For the move that is called "Canon" in several languages, see Round.

Canon refers to all official and undeniable information within a general series. Originally a religious term used to refer to which Biblical books were included in the official Bible, the term has expanded to include all works of fiction, such as books in a series, or movies and video games in a franchise.

In the Pokémon franchise there are several canons, usually sharing elements and concepts among them, most notably the existence of Pokémon. Aside from this and the interrelation of the various species of Pokémon (such as by evolution), these worlds can vary from one another in canon and storyline either very little or very greatly.

The Trading Card Game itself is a canon where Pokémon exist. However, in some TCG-based video games and manga, only Pokémon trading cards exist instead of actual Pokémon.

Canon is different from fanon in that, while fanon things may be mutually agreed upon by most, and possibly all, fans, they are never officially stated.

List of canons

Games

The canon of the core series consists of the following:

• Events occurring in the core series games are the ultimate canon.
• Choices made by or for player characters, such as the hero's gender and first partner Pokémon, are generally not fixed within the canon. For example, when Red appears in games in which he is not the player character, he uses all three of the fully evolved Kanto first partner Pokémon as well as Pikachu.
• Different versions of a game all occur in parallel universes. For example, both Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are canon, but occur in different universes from one another.
• Some content from side series titles, such as Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, may be considered canon to the core series unless it conflicts with events in the core series games.
• Content from spin-offs, such as the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, is generally non-canon, outside of being canon to itself.
  • Titles such as Pokémon GO and Pokémon Masters EX may provide canonical information and material, however the events are otherwise considered non-canon.
• Canonical material may also be found in related media, like animated trailers, game manuals, or merchandise.
  • Game-related animation and web series, such as Pokémon Evolutions or Pokémon: Hisuian Snow may hold canonical information, but may otherwise be considered non-canon.

Animation

The canon of Pokémon the Series and related media consists of the following:

• The events of each and every Pokémon the Series episode are part of the same canon, and occur in chronological order with the following exceptions:
  • EP052 takes place before EP049.
  • The special episodes Holiday Hi-Jynx and Snow Way Out! (which were originally postponed after EP038 caused seizures in some viewers) take place either directly before or after EP039.
  • XY024 originally aired after XY050 due to a long delay. The episode, to avoid confusion, states it takes place in the past.
  • JN001 takes place before EP001, barring the final portion of the episode.
  • The finals of the Masters Eight Tournament between Ash and Leon (JN129-JN132) takes place concurrently with Project Mew's search for Mew on Faraway Island (JN133 and JN134).
  • Three unaired episodes (one in Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire and two in Pokémon the Series: Black & White) are not canon.
  • Distant Blue Sky! takes place in a separate continuity established by the I Choose You! trilogy and so is not canon to Pokémon the Series.
• All of the movies up to Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel are canon to the TV series (although only one of the two versions of the fourteenth movie is canon). They are typically the equivalent of filler episodes, as Ash and his friends do not obtain, evolve, or release any Pokémon, and do not earn any Badges or Ribbons. Often, a movie takes place chronologically between the episodes between which it premieres in Japan.
  • Mewtwo Strikes Back is a notable exception to the chronological rule above. Though it premiered between EP054 and EP055 in Japan, it occurs sometime after EP065.
  • I Choose You! establishes a separate canon that is continued by The Power of Us, Secrets of the Jungle, and Distant Blue Sky!.
• The Japanese version of the animation supersedes any and all dubs if there is conflict between them, unless the dub corrects an obvious error. If something is said in a dub that is not mentioned in the original, it may or may not be canon.
• Some of the Pikachu shorts, as well as three special episodes and two animated shorts based on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon spin-off games, are not part of animated series' canon.
• Game-related animation such as Pokémon Origins, Pokémon Generations, Pokémon: Twilight Wings, and Pokémon Evolutions, as well as the Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, and Pokémon Masters Animated Trailers, are not part of the animated series' canon but are instead their own canons.
• Pokémon Horizons: The Series has its own canon that is not yet confirmed to be connected to any previous animated canon.

Manga

The canon of the various Pokémon manga consists of the following:

• Each manga series is a separate canon, except in the case of sequels, such as Pokémon Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty ♪, which follows from Magical Pokémon Journey.
• Pokémon Adventures arcs and chapters follow chronologically from one another, rather than having the Ruby & Sapphire arc and Emerald arcs occur contemporaneously to the Red, Green & Blue arc and Yellow arcs as the storylines of the games they are based on do. The same applies to Diamond & Pearl arc and Platinum arcs which do not occur simultaneously with the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc. The exceptions to this rule are the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arcs, both of which occur between Emerald and Diamond & Pearl. Although the chapters of an arc follow chronologically from one another there are few exceptions to this. For example, Buzz Off, Butterfree! (chapter 152) takes place simultaneously with Slugging It Out With Slugma (chapter 117).
  • Pokémon Ranger the Comic: Double Mission and by extension, Pokémon Ranger: The Comic – Shadows of Almia, although not strictly related, are canon within Pokémon Adventures, as evidenced by The Final Dimensional Duel XI.

Differences between canons

Characters that are well known in the Pokémon franchise can have vast differences between the various canons. For example, in the games, Brock is a well-known Gym Leader, the toughest Trainer in the area of Pewter City, and remains as the leader of its Gym between the time of Red/Leaf's journey and Ethan/Kris/Lyra's. In the animated series, however, while he is a tough Trainer, his true calling is as a Pokémon Breeder (and later on, a Pokémon Doctor), and he took the mantle of Pewter Gym Leader only because both of his parents left on their own Pokémon journeys, leaving him in the care of the Gym and their rather large family. Differences can go much further than that, with Sabrina being a kind shrine maiden in The Electric Tale of Pikachu, a misguided young woman due to the development of her powers in the animated series, and an outright villainous Team Rocket member in Pokémon Adventures.