The first two shorts in the new Pokémon Generations series are up on YouTube, and the one-two punch makes for a stellar debut. Watch episode one, "The Adventure," above — and make sure you’re in a place where it’s appropriate to fist pump.
That’s because the three-minute premiere episode is a perfect encapsulation of the entire Pokémon franchise, from the Kanto region of the Game Boy games to the latest generation of games, Pokémon X and Y. The first minute of "The Adventure" may catch viewers off guard at first with how familiar it is to people with fond memories of Pokémon Red, but once it kicks off, it’s a lovely, Pikachu-led journey through some of the best sights of every mainline game.
Episode two is a completely different kind of story, one centered on a more recent addition to the franchise’s cast. Detective Looker, whom we meet at the end of Pokémon X and Y for an all too brief side quest, stars in "The Chase," below. In this short, he’s searching for Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket. It’s a nice way to get the old-school games intermingled with the newest generation, even if the story is over in just a scant four minutes.
Pokémon Generations will see new episodes weekly through Dec. 23. Content will cover the entirety of the Pokémon franchise, although we’re not sure if that includes the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon just yet.
