Pokémon In The App Store? Well, Sort Of

Pokémon TV (Free) by The Pokémon Company International is a media-streaming app that is filled with nothing but cartoons from everyone’s beloved battle pet trainers. Join Ash, Brock and Misty as they travel across the country in search of badges, battles, and the ultimate title of Pokémon master.

The app includes streaming video content of fan favorite episodes of the anime series Pokémon. Follow Ash as he seeks adventure on a journey that takes him from Kanto to Unova with episodes from all 15 seasons. Season 16 is not yet available in the app, but after the Cartoon Central season finale, it will probably be added.

You don’t get all 750 episodes at once. Instead, the app features a weekly rotation of 50 fan favorites from all different seasons. Today, the app includes episodes from seasons 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14. In addition, there is a trailer for “Pokémon BW: Adventures in Unova.”

Instead of dividing episodes by season, they are divided by region. That is, episodes are categorized by the region that Ash is in while on his adventure. For example, you can watch episodes from season 7 and 8, which take place in the Hoenn region.

The app promises special features, like full movies, trailers, and even a special screening of the upcoming animated film “Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. The Sword of Justice.” The newest movie in the Pokémon series will be available within the app from Feb. 15-18. Additionally, fans can see the debut of the animated short “Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade” on Feb. 15.

I love having access to episodes of this strangely addictive anime show. I used to watch Pokémon every day when it came out. I was not even close to being a child anymore, but I loved the colorful, whimsical characters.

I don’t, however, love only having access to certain episodes that someone else considers “fan favorites.” On its first day of release, there isn’t a single episode from the first season. That should have been a given. In fact, the first season should always be available, no matter what else changes.

I’m also not a fan of organizing the episodes by region. However, I’m willing to forgive that categorization since viewers need a reason to start watching something. It may turn out to be a clever way of turning 10 episodes into a “movie” of sorts.

I had some minor issues with streaming the content. I can only assume that it has to do with my Internet connection (you do need an Internet connection to watch episodes). However, there is a chance that it is because there are so many Pokémon fans trying to watch the TV show all at the same time and it is bogging down the servers.

Overall, if you are a fan of the anime series, it would be silly for you not to download this app right now. Even though you don’t get all 750 episodes at once, and they are categorized by region instead of chronologically, it is worth it to have convenient access to 50 episodes in one place. Plus, being able to be the first to see the upcoming Pokémon movie starting this Friday makes it a must-have for “PokéFans.”