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Pokémon Adventures Collector's Edition #1
Pokémon Adventures Collector's Edition, Vol. 1
All your favorite Pokémon game characters jump out of the screen into the pages of this action-packed manga!
A stylish new omnibus edition of the best-selling Pokémon Adventures manga, collecting all the original volumes of the series you know and love.
When Pokémon Trainer Red encounters a challenger he can’t fight alone, he must join up with Blue, his former nemesis, and Green, a thief. This unlikely trio and their Pokémon will need to learn to work as a team if they’re going to defeat their mutual enemy!
Collects the original Pokémon Adventures volumes 1, 2 & 3!
A stylish new omnibus edition of the best-selling Pokémon Adventures manga, collecting all the original volumes of the series you know and love.
When Pokémon Trainer Red encounters a challenger he can’t fight alone, he must join up with Blue, his former nemesis, and Green, a thief. This unlikely trio and their Pokémon will need to learn to work as a team if they’re going to defeat their mutual enemy!
Collects the original Pokémon Adventures volumes 1, 2 & 3!
640 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2020
163 people are currently reading
598 people want to read
About the author
Hidenori Kusaka
670 books398 followersCreated the Pokemon Adventures series.
Also made a Pokemon Rangers/ Almia manga. It is based on the game Pokemon Rangers, Shadows of Almia
Also known as : 日下秀憲
Also made a Pokemon Rangers/ Almia manga. It is based on the game Pokemon Rangers, Shadows of Almia
Also known as : 日下秀憲
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
May 12, 2021
A charming reinterpretation of the world and lore from the original Game Boy games.
This story feels much more inspired by the handhelds than the anime, which is a pleasant change of pace.
This first volume follows Red (from the games, essentially) on his adventure through the world and story of the first Pokémon Red game. It really feels like a deep dive into the world of the games in a way that no other medium has quite captured, and it brings the games to life with anime logic, adorable Pokémon, and a whole lot of personality.
The politics of the Pokémon world and the responsibilities of Gym Leaders are explored in a way that I never realized I wanted to know. I'm finding myself so invested in the backstories and motives of all my favorite Kanto Gym Leaders, and I'm loving the ways they all connect. Character writing takes a backseat to both plot and action, but every single character is still interesting in a unique way. It's hard not to nod along every couple of pages saying "oh, that's cool" when I see the new way they've adapted a character's role or personality from the source material.
As far as I can tell, every named character from the Red/Blue/Green games appears in the first volume, and they've even worked in a few surprises who were originally only in promotional material.
As with a lot of manga, a lot of content was lost in the effort to localize for English-speaking children. Some conversations lose steam due to puns that don't translate, some words (especially in the art) have their letters scrambled in strange ways, and of course the infamous "Surprise!" scene at Silph Co becomes nearly unintelligible as the writers try to skate around a character's risqué dialogue.
Culturally this manga has a reputation for being "edgy" or "grim" compared to other Pokémon titles, but I find its reputation to be a little misleading. The battles are pretty tame if action-packed, and pretty much all of the "deaths" that this manga is cited for aren't real or don't count (which is the most I can say without spoiling). Tonally it's pretty much standard fare but with a twist, and it's clearly intended for children.
If you're looking for nostalgia, a big positive is that this book is exhaustive. Pokémon Tower. Safari Zone. SS Anne. It's all there, and there's a chapter for each of them. It's admittedly a bit disjointed as the writers evidently jump around, making sure to hit every major point—but they do meet all expectations in that regard. They even have recaps at the end of each "volume" where they plot the characters' journey so far on the map and share the stats for a few key Pokémon!
Since I've read a few volumes ahead in some unofficial scanlations, it's pretty evident on the re-read that they're actually doing a great job seeding future plot threads pretty early on (the fear of birds, and the little girl from Viridian City, to name a couple). I think that shows that the writers are taking the world and the lore seriously, and that makes me respect the work and want to read more of it.
This story feels much more inspired by the handhelds than the anime, which is a pleasant change of pace.
This first volume follows Red (from the games, essentially) on his adventure through the world and story of the first Pokémon Red game. It really feels like a deep dive into the world of the games in a way that no other medium has quite captured, and it brings the games to life with anime logic, adorable Pokémon, and a whole lot of personality.
The politics of the Pokémon world and the responsibilities of Gym Leaders are explored in a way that I never realized I wanted to know. I'm finding myself so invested in the backstories and motives of all my favorite Kanto Gym Leaders, and I'm loving the ways they all connect. Character writing takes a backseat to both plot and action, but every single character is still interesting in a unique way. It's hard not to nod along every couple of pages saying "oh, that's cool" when I see the new way they've adapted a character's role or personality from the source material.
As far as I can tell, every named character from the Red/Blue/Green games appears in the first volume, and they've even worked in a few surprises who were originally only in promotional material.
As with a lot of manga, a lot of content was lost in the effort to localize for English-speaking children. Some conversations lose steam due to puns that don't translate, some words (especially in the art) have their letters scrambled in strange ways, and of course the infamous "Surprise!" scene at Silph Co becomes nearly unintelligible as the writers try to skate around a character's risqué dialogue.
Culturally this manga has a reputation for being "edgy" or "grim" compared to other Pokémon titles, but I find its reputation to be a little misleading. The battles are pretty tame if action-packed, and pretty much all of the "deaths" that this manga is cited for aren't real or don't count (which is the most I can say without spoiling). Tonally it's pretty much standard fare but with a twist, and it's clearly intended for children.
If you're looking for nostalgia, a big positive is that this book is exhaustive. Pokémon Tower. Safari Zone. SS Anne. It's all there, and there's a chapter for each of them. It's admittedly a bit disjointed as the writers evidently jump around, making sure to hit every major point—but they do meet all expectations in that regard. They even have recaps at the end of each "volume" where they plot the characters' journey so far on the map and share the stats for a few key Pokémon!
Since I've read a few volumes ahead in some unofficial scanlations, it's pretty evident on the re-read that they're actually doing a great job seeding future plot threads pretty early on (the fear of birds, and the little girl from Viridian City, to name a couple). I think that shows that the writers are taking the world and the lore seriously, and that makes me respect the work and want to read more of it.
April 19, 2022
I grew up during the height of Pokemania, and I was absolutely obsessed. The manga wasn’t readily available in English at the time in Canada, but I desperately wanted to consume all things Pokémon.
Fast forward 25ish years and I still love Pokémon. Maybe not as much as I did when I was 10, but reading this sure made me feel that way. All these years later, I’m working in a Bookstore, and I happen to notice that Viz decided to rerelease all of the old Pokémon Adventures manga that I never got to experience. I’m happy that they did, and I’m excited to get through the rest of it.
Fast forward 25ish years and I still love Pokémon. Maybe not as much as I did when I was 10, but reading this sure made me feel that way. All these years later, I’m working in a Bookstore, and I happen to notice that Viz decided to rerelease all of the old Pokémon Adventures manga that I never got to experience. I’m happy that they did, and I’m excited to get through the rest of it.
June 2, 2023
A glorious and beefy nostalgia trip, it's wonderfully presented both visually and narratively, completely fulfilling on what it aims to achieve. One for Poké fans and casual manga readers alike, there's a lot to love with this one.
December 19, 2024
This was honestly so disappointing? The story was just okay, the translation was clunky, but it earns three stars for the top tier oldschool Pokémon art
April 27, 2021
I did research and found out this does go exactly like the video games. I just did not like the manga.
November 19, 2024
Really enjoyed this. It closely aligns with the original games, but not so closely that you can already predict what’s going to happen. It’s a story of its own and it really adds to the overall universe of Pokémon. Looking forward to the next one!
March 28, 2023
Y'ALL I finally finished it. Now does it count as a 2023 book if I started it in 2021... YIKES. There was nothing bad about this I just struggled to choose to read this over other things. Especially since of the what I understand the pokemon adventures books to cover this was the story I was already the most familiar with.
I am thinking that I will like volume2 a lot more!
I am thinking that I will like volume2 a lot more!
April 24, 2025
Okay changing my “read” books from the individual books to these collections which are 3 books in one. Mostly cause feels like cheating or something doing one at a time when they read so fast. Also straight up I was like whatever but now I’m fully invested in these stories. The generation 2 storylines go hard
October 28, 2020
Welcome to the dangerous world of Pokémon.
Even though I lead with how dangerous the Pokémon world is I must tell you that the book has been rated "All Ages" so it should be safe for even younger readers even though there are some pretty gruesome Pokémon attack results in the book. Following the adventures of spunky Pokémon enthusiast, Red we see his trials and challenges as he competes against his rival Blue and meets many interesting people such as the sneaky Green. On his journey he learns new lessons and influences others to grow as well through the love of Pokémon even as the evil organization Team Rocket manipulates and attempts to corrupt others for their own benefits.
The original adventures sure are interesting showing Red (similar to Ash from the anime) having to take on the classic Pokémon trope as he is given a Pokedex and sent into the world to catch them all but ultimately ends up taking on some evil organization or another on his journey. Red shows his compassions and ingenuity on his journey although I was pretty surprised to discover .
Ultimately the original Pokémon Adventures series in this new Omnibus form is a great read whether you were one of the original Pokémon players like me or a new reader with large crisp pages filled with action aplenty at a reasonable price. Time to catch them all. :)
Even though I lead with how dangerous the Pokémon world is I must tell you that the book has been rated "All Ages" so it should be safe for even younger readers even though there are some pretty gruesome Pokémon attack results in the book. Following the adventures of spunky Pokémon enthusiast, Red we see his trials and challenges as he competes against his rival Blue and meets many interesting people such as the sneaky Green. On his journey he learns new lessons and influences others to grow as well through the love of Pokémon even as the evil organization Team Rocket manipulates and attempts to corrupt others for their own benefits.
The original adventures sure are interesting showing Red (similar to Ash from the anime) having to take on the classic Pokémon trope as he is given a Pokedex and sent into the world to catch them all but ultimately ends up taking on some evil organization or another on his journey. Red shows his compassions and ingenuity on his journey although I was pretty surprised to discover .
Ultimately the original Pokémon Adventures series in this new Omnibus form is a great read whether you were one of the original Pokémon players like me or a new reader with large crisp pages filled with action aplenty at a reasonable price. Time to catch them all. :)
September 7, 2025
Satoshi Tajiri once made a statement that Pokemon Special is the closest to how he imagined the universe of Pokemon. I can see it. At least, from this Red, Blue & Green Arc, it's leagues beyond the Ash/Satoshi anime.
I personally prefer Red/Blue and GCS over future Pokemon games. This is largely because they were the first games I played, having been born in time for "Pokemania" in the States. But I think by the time Ruby/Sapphire came out, I was old enough (like, eight) to think the greater story focus of drying/flooding the planet was kind of just... really stupid. So I somewhat retroactively grew to better appreciate the simpler plots of the first two generations: get all the Badges, defeat the Elite Four, and foil Team Rocket's schemes along the way.
This manga manages to take the barebones story of the original games and expand it in a way that feels like an organic embellishment. Red goes through the Kanto map in roughly the standard path you'd take in the games. He hits major setpieces like Mt. Moon, the Cycling Road, Pokemon Tower. Some things from the games are altered slightly to make more sense for the greater focus on narrative; a good example is Sabrina using a Mr. Mime to cast Light Screen over Saffron City, preventing entry from any road, rather than incorporating the Lemonade thing.
There are some changes that are too different from the games, and which I'm almost not fond of, but which I can still enjoy for the shift into more general JRPG tropes. I mean specifically the elevation of Lt. Surge, Koga, and Sabrina to high-ranking Team Rocket administrators. This makes some sense due to the lack of named Rocket bosses outside of Giovanni himself, compared to Gen III onward which give several named foes on enemy teams. But it also leads to weird shit like Koga being the mastermind behind the Ghosts of Lavender Town's Pokemon Tower, or Koga and Sabrina respectively capturing Arcticuno and Moltres (Surge using Zapdos at least fits his Type specialty). The Gym Leaders being Team Rocket thugs also means the back half of the manga falls into a trap I don't like from the anime: Red gains too many Badges from doing shit aside from traditional battles. But it's hard to be too annoyed by this change when the manga ALSO has a major plot-point concerning the Badge-based power-ups, which is just a pretty interesting pull to make from the games.
The manga does a mostly-good job sticking to the spirit of the original games' lore, but one big detail bugs me, which I'm uncertain whether the mess-up is on the author's side or VIZ's: Red acknowledges the fact that there are 150 known Pokemon, before Green corrects him to mention Mew as the 151st. But we see Mewtwo being created. Mewtwo is Number 150 in the games. Team Rocket are cloning Mew, #151, to make Mewtwo, #150. It works in the games because Mew is not accessible by legitimate means. It doesn't work in this story, unless we count Ho-oh from Green's backstory, even though he's technically #250 (or he's 249 and Lugia is 250? idr).
The battle between Red and Blue at the end of the volume is unironically one of the most HYPE rival fights I've read in any battle-manga.
I'm kind of disappointed we barely see the E4, but I know they play big roles in the Yellow Arc, so I guess it's a decent sequel hook. (Also, young Yellow appears already, so the pieces are in place.)
I guess the future arcs are all of wildly different chapter counts? My understanding is the other nine Collector's Edition volumes don't have the opportunity to cover any singular arc per omnibus, making Volume 1 rather unique in that regard. As such, this will probably end up the "tightest" collection, and probably my favorite overall, especially because of Kanto nostalgia. But I plan to continue reading!
I personally prefer Red/Blue and GCS over future Pokemon games. This is largely because they were the first games I played, having been born in time for "Pokemania" in the States. But I think by the time Ruby/Sapphire came out, I was old enough (like, eight) to think the greater story focus of drying/flooding the planet was kind of just... really stupid. So I somewhat retroactively grew to better appreciate the simpler plots of the first two generations: get all the Badges, defeat the Elite Four, and foil Team Rocket's schemes along the way.
This manga manages to take the barebones story of the original games and expand it in a way that feels like an organic embellishment. Red goes through the Kanto map in roughly the standard path you'd take in the games. He hits major setpieces like Mt. Moon, the Cycling Road, Pokemon Tower. Some things from the games are altered slightly to make more sense for the greater focus on narrative; a good example is Sabrina using a Mr. Mime to cast Light Screen over Saffron City, preventing entry from any road, rather than incorporating the Lemonade thing.
There are some changes that are too different from the games, and which I'm almost not fond of, but which I can still enjoy for the shift into more general JRPG tropes. I mean specifically the elevation of Lt. Surge, Koga, and Sabrina to high-ranking Team Rocket administrators. This makes some sense due to the lack of named Rocket bosses outside of Giovanni himself, compared to Gen III onward which give several named foes on enemy teams. But it also leads to weird shit like Koga being the mastermind behind the Ghosts of Lavender Town's Pokemon Tower, or Koga and Sabrina respectively capturing Arcticuno and Moltres (Surge using Zapdos at least fits his Type specialty). The Gym Leaders being Team Rocket thugs also means the back half of the manga falls into a trap I don't like from the anime: Red gains too many Badges from doing shit aside from traditional battles. But it's hard to be too annoyed by this change when the manga ALSO has a major plot-point concerning the Badge-based power-ups, which is just a pretty interesting pull to make from the games.
The manga does a mostly-good job sticking to the spirit of the original games' lore, but one big detail bugs me, which I'm uncertain whether the mess-up is on the author's side or VIZ's: Red acknowledges the fact that there are 150 known Pokemon, before Green corrects him to mention Mew as the 151st. But we see Mewtwo being created. Mewtwo is Number 150 in the games. Team Rocket are cloning Mew, #151, to make Mewtwo, #150. It works in the games because Mew is not accessible by legitimate means. It doesn't work in this story, unless we count Ho-oh from Green's backstory, even though he's technically #250 (or he's 249 and Lugia is 250? idr).
The battle between Red and Blue at the end of the volume is unironically one of the most HYPE rival fights I've read in any battle-manga.
I'm kind of disappointed we barely see the E4, but I know they play big roles in the Yellow Arc, so I guess it's a decent sequel hook. (Also, young Yellow appears already, so the pieces are in place.)
I guess the future arcs are all of wildly different chapter counts? My understanding is the other nine Collector's Edition volumes don't have the opportunity to cover any singular arc per omnibus, making Volume 1 rather unique in that regard. As such, this will probably end up the "tightest" collection, and probably my favorite overall, especially because of Kanto nostalgia. But I plan to continue reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2022
Book: Pokemon Adventures Collection 01
Author: Hidenori Kusaka
Finished: March 10 2022
One part of this story that I really liked was when the legendary birds fused together for the final fight against team rocket, this is because I knew about them fusing in one of the manga, but I didn't know that it was in this book specifically. The legendary birds were fused by Team Rocket, an evil organization who steal Pokemon and perform experiments on them. The main characters are trying to beat Team Rocket. This book has an underlying message about experimentation and testing on animals for its duration. Hidenori probably wrote this message into his story to inform children about the animal abuse and why it is so bad. The legendary birds are a clear metaphor for animals being used in war, as they are unwillingly captured and forced to increase the power of Team Rocket's leaders, shown when Red says “ Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres! They’re free!” representing the way the birds were being forced into battle. Hidenori probably wrote about this because animal abuse is a big problem, and animals do not decide to go to war, and how by being used in combat, they are almost certainly going to die. Mewtwo is also an interesting character in this story, as it was created in a lab as a weapon by Team Rocket. Mewtwo is definitely not evil by choice. It was raised to be destructive and the perfect pokemon for battle. It most likely is a metaphor for abused animals, like fighting dogs, who are raised to be violent, but have no real choice in the matter. However, like when Blaine captured Mewtwo and turned it away from evil and violence, fighting dogs can also be adopted and rehabilitated from their old lives of violence and death. Animal abuse is a very prevalent issue in our modern world, however, it is not required to live our lives the way we want. As shown by Blaine, Red and many of the other trainers, they are able to enjoy their paths in life without abusing any of the Pokemon around them. We do not have to accept animal abuse in our day to day lives, in fact we should not. Through perseverance and hard work, we can stop animal abuse in the modern day.
Author: Hidenori Kusaka
Finished: March 10 2022
One part of this story that I really liked was when the legendary birds fused together for the final fight against team rocket, this is because I knew about them fusing in one of the manga, but I didn't know that it was in this book specifically. The legendary birds were fused by Team Rocket, an evil organization who steal Pokemon and perform experiments on them. The main characters are trying to beat Team Rocket. This book has an underlying message about experimentation and testing on animals for its duration. Hidenori probably wrote this message into his story to inform children about the animal abuse and why it is so bad. The legendary birds are a clear metaphor for animals being used in war, as they are unwillingly captured and forced to increase the power of Team Rocket's leaders, shown when Red says “ Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres! They’re free!” representing the way the birds were being forced into battle. Hidenori probably wrote about this because animal abuse is a big problem, and animals do not decide to go to war, and how by being used in combat, they are almost certainly going to die. Mewtwo is also an interesting character in this story, as it was created in a lab as a weapon by Team Rocket. Mewtwo is definitely not evil by choice. It was raised to be destructive and the perfect pokemon for battle. It most likely is a metaphor for abused animals, like fighting dogs, who are raised to be violent, but have no real choice in the matter. However, like when Blaine captured Mewtwo and turned it away from evil and violence, fighting dogs can also be adopted and rehabilitated from their old lives of violence and death. Animal abuse is a very prevalent issue in our modern world, however, it is not required to live our lives the way we want. As shown by Blaine, Red and many of the other trainers, they are able to enjoy their paths in life without abusing any of the Pokemon around them. We do not have to accept animal abuse in our day to day lives, in fact we should not. Through perseverance and hard work, we can stop animal abuse in the modern day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2023
This was such a charming read. Really recommend it if you are or ever were a fan of any part of the Pokémon franchise - it feels like a whole new story although it is quite familiar too if you've watched the show or played the games but it's a different story (in the broad strokes at least, like much like the other two it follows a kid with a rival and he wants to be the very best like no one ever was).
This was just a fun adventure manga, I a excited to keep reading this series, I always knew I was going to like this but im surprised by how much I did end up loving it.
This was just a fun adventure manga, I a excited to keep reading this series, I always knew I was going to like this but im surprised by how much I did end up loving it.
June 28, 2021
This has three volumes in one. It follows the original Pokémon games and TV series very closely as Red goes out to collect all the gym badges and defeat team rocket. There wasn’t any new Pokémon content but I still enjoyed reading the original storyline. I grew up playing and watching everything Pokémon so that probably helps with the enjoyment factor for these Pokémon manga books and why I bought the first two right away.
March 7, 2024
I have loved Pokemon in every iteration from video game to TV to film.
While I did enjoy this manga and loved the characters involved, I'm not sure I could say I loved it. I enjoyed it and the nostalgia I received from it, however changing various pieces of lore, making characters truly evil and changing a few of their motivations was my issue.
With that said, I did enjoy it and will continue to read the series with a smile on my face.
While I did enjoy this manga and loved the characters involved, I'm not sure I could say I loved it. I enjoyed it and the nostalgia I received from it, however changing various pieces of lore, making characters truly evil and changing a few of their motivations was my issue.
With that said, I did enjoy it and will continue to read the series with a smile on my face.
April 24, 2022
A great collection that gives me a new found appreciation for the pokemon anime and games I loved as a child. I still have to get used to the manga style sometimes, and some stories probably could have been cut in opinion. But all in all this was a thrilling collection (with a superb final showdown)
February 23, 2025
This wasn't bad, but I am not sure if I will read the next volume or not.
I liked how being 3 volumes the whole story came to an end in this one collection.
The characters weren't bad, the plot was good, it had a good pace.
My only reason to not continuing is that it was long and I just wasn't really feeling it, despite enjoying playing pokemon.
I liked how being 3 volumes the whole story came to an end in this one collection.
The characters weren't bad, the plot was good, it had a good pace.
My only reason to not continuing is that it was long and I just wasn't really feeling it, despite enjoying playing pokemon.
March 30, 2021
A lot of fun overall with several new storylines compared to the games or tv show which is a nice surprise
March 3, 2022
i loved this book.. i saw it at a bookstore and thought why not.. when i started to read it i was in love with the characters and the pokemons
literally buy this book!!
literally buy this book!!
September 11, 2023
Seeing the world of Pokemon differently from the games or the anime make this worth reading by itself!
March 6, 2024
This was cute. Slow in places, but I liked the retro art.
June 22, 2024
This just makes me happy. It brings me back to watching the episodes, all the small stories merging in to one big one. Just a cozy and chill read
June 8, 2021
Honestly this is a complete delight. The adventures are epic and the Pokémon battles are so intense! It made me want to dive back and watch the first Pokémon movie. Like. Shoot. I’m hunting down the next collectors editions I find!
October 27, 2024
(4.5) Feeling very nostalgic, I love these books
April 23, 2020
As if there wasn’t already a plethora of Pokémon-related things to hoard, VIZ will release something else for fans to add to their ever-growing collections: Volume 1 of the Pokémon Adventures Collector’s Edition manga, which compiles the first three volumes in the series. I’d be lying if I said I’m not completely biased when it comes reviewing this manga. As someone who played the original Red, Blue, and Yellow games in the 90’s and just finished the recent Kanto remake, Let’s Go Pikachu!, I am 100% inclined to love anything involving the first generation of Pokémon. It’s like a giant nostalgia bomb.
Despite my obsession with the Pokémon games, I had never read the manga. To be honest, it completely blew me away and made my inner Pokénerd very happy. Where do I even begin?
This manga, originally released in 1997, is based on the first set of Pokémon games and its main character Red. If you aren’t aware, Red inspired the creation of the well-known Ash Ketchum, the protagonist in the Pokémon anime. (And while we are on the subject, I want to point that, for the purpose of this review, whenever I mention the Pokémon anime, I am referring to the first few seasons. I haven’t watched the newer ones, so I am not sure how they compare.)
The manga follows the same general outline of the games and anime – Red wants to become a better Pokémon trainer, catch as many Pokémon as possible, and battle gym leaders so he can challenge the Pokémon League. But it also provides so much more.
At first, the story has a slice of life vibe to it, where we get to experience Red’s everyday adventures with his team of Pokémon as they travel across Kanto. Some parts of the game are explored in a little more depth, such as the Pokémon Fan Club. I personally loved seeing different Pokémon in action and in various scenarios because, well, I am a dork.
However, what really intrigued me the most were the new aspects the author, Hidenori Kusaka, added to the plot. He included many twists and turns, things that aren’t in the game or anime. The manga took essential elements from the other two series and turned them on their head. I was really surprised…in a good way.
Some fans may complain that these different elements don’t match the Pokémon canon, but I enjoyed reading the story – which I’ve experienced a hundred times – interrupted in a completely new way (at least for me). It was really a breath of fresh air. As for what the twists were, I don’t want to give it away. I will say, however, that it has something to do with the evil organization Team Rocket.
On top of the unique plot elements, the story and battles were a lot more intense compared to the game or anime. The animated adaption tends to sugarcoat everything and adds a lot of silliness to battles or other important situations. It can be hard to take things seriously at times. The manga has humor, but it’s more serious in my opinion. It’s still kid-friendly, but there is actually some blood shown! Additionally, a bunch of scenes showed the potential danger of Pokémon battles or Pokémon in general. There are moments where Red, other characters, or the Pokémon themselves could have possibly lost their lives.
In the games, there are Pokédex entries that explain the savagery of some Pokémon. For example, Pinsir likes to cut its prey in half with its claws. But we never get any real evidence of Pokémon’s ferocity in the games. I finally got a glimpse of the savage side of some Pokémon while reading this manga. It really put things in perspective for me.
I feel like I could make comparisons, babble about Pokémon facts, and really show what a nerd I am all day long. But what about people who aren’t as familiar with Pokémon as I am? Will they enjoy the manga? I think so because, for starters, the writing is very strong. The author included seeds throughout the story that help connect everything together. They put a lot of thought into the story, and it paid off in the end.
Now, is the writing and story flawless? No. Some things don’t quite add up, and there are parts that felt a little too rushed. Plus, certain dialogue choices were cringey in my opinion (especially for Bill). But overall, the writing is extremely solid. Coupled with bubbly yet strong art and great action scenes by Mato, this manga makes for a really entertaining read. The story continues after this volume, but I feel that Volume 1 of the Collector’s Edition (or the first three volumes in the series) are a near perfect snippet of the world of Pokémon. It’s put together so well, the story could have ended right there, and I’d be completely satisfied.
Like I said, I am extremely biased, but this manga was amazing. I have years of Pokémon sentimentality brewing in me, but I think almost anyone would enjoy this read. Even if they’re not a hopeless Pokénerd like me.
- Rai
Despite my obsession with the Pokémon games, I had never read the manga. To be honest, it completely blew me away and made my inner Pokénerd very happy. Where do I even begin?
This manga, originally released in 1997, is based on the first set of Pokémon games and its main character Red. If you aren’t aware, Red inspired the creation of the well-known Ash Ketchum, the protagonist in the Pokémon anime. (And while we are on the subject, I want to point that, for the purpose of this review, whenever I mention the Pokémon anime, I am referring to the first few seasons. I haven’t watched the newer ones, so I am not sure how they compare.)
The manga follows the same general outline of the games and anime – Red wants to become a better Pokémon trainer, catch as many Pokémon as possible, and battle gym leaders so he can challenge the Pokémon League. But it also provides so much more.
At first, the story has a slice of life vibe to it, where we get to experience Red’s everyday adventures with his team of Pokémon as they travel across Kanto. Some parts of the game are explored in a little more depth, such as the Pokémon Fan Club. I personally loved seeing different Pokémon in action and in various scenarios because, well, I am a dork.
However, what really intrigued me the most were the new aspects the author, Hidenori Kusaka, added to the plot. He included many twists and turns, things that aren’t in the game or anime. The manga took essential elements from the other two series and turned them on their head. I was really surprised…in a good way.
Some fans may complain that these different elements don’t match the Pokémon canon, but I enjoyed reading the story – which I’ve experienced a hundred times – interrupted in a completely new way (at least for me). It was really a breath of fresh air. As for what the twists were, I don’t want to give it away. I will say, however, that it has something to do with the evil organization Team Rocket.
On top of the unique plot elements, the story and battles were a lot more intense compared to the game or anime. The animated adaption tends to sugarcoat everything and adds a lot of silliness to battles or other important situations. It can be hard to take things seriously at times. The manga has humor, but it’s more serious in my opinion. It’s still kid-friendly, but there is actually some blood shown! Additionally, a bunch of scenes showed the potential danger of Pokémon battles or Pokémon in general. There are moments where Red, other characters, or the Pokémon themselves could have possibly lost their lives.
In the games, there are Pokédex entries that explain the savagery of some Pokémon. For example, Pinsir likes to cut its prey in half with its claws. But we never get any real evidence of Pokémon’s ferocity in the games. I finally got a glimpse of the savage side of some Pokémon while reading this manga. It really put things in perspective for me.
I feel like I could make comparisons, babble about Pokémon facts, and really show what a nerd I am all day long. But what about people who aren’t as familiar with Pokémon as I am? Will they enjoy the manga? I think so because, for starters, the writing is very strong. The author included seeds throughout the story that help connect everything together. They put a lot of thought into the story, and it paid off in the end.
Now, is the writing and story flawless? No. Some things don’t quite add up, and there are parts that felt a little too rushed. Plus, certain dialogue choices were cringey in my opinion (especially for Bill). But overall, the writing is extremely solid. Coupled with bubbly yet strong art and great action scenes by Mato, this manga makes for a really entertaining read. The story continues after this volume, but I feel that Volume 1 of the Collector’s Edition (or the first three volumes in the series) are a near perfect snippet of the world of Pokémon. It’s put together so well, the story could have ended right there, and I’d be completely satisfied.
Like I said, I am extremely biased, but this manga was amazing. I have years of Pokémon sentimentality brewing in me, but I think almost anyone would enjoy this read. Even if they’re not a hopeless Pokénerd like me.
- Rai
November 17, 2025
I miss playing the games 🥺
April 8, 2023
Red and Blue are perfect rivals for each other and their encounters with one another and final confrontation are the absolute highlight of the manga. I really love how they learn from each other throughout the journey.
Besides that, I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the plot. Team Rocket was more threatening than any other version of them, and it really felt like an underdog story as Red worked to take them down.
I also really love how it shows the world of Pokemon in a different way. Many things are different from the anime/games, like how Pokeballs and the PC work, but it makes sense and is interesting to learn about. The Pokemon themselves are drawn great as well, Mato's art is just perfect for this series. Pikachu in particular is such a scrungly little fellow and I love him.
Besides that, I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the plot. Team Rocket was more threatening than any other version of them, and it really felt like an underdog story as Red worked to take them down.
I also really love how it shows the world of Pokemon in a different way. Many things are different from the anime/games, like how Pokeballs and the PC work, but it makes sense and is interesting to learn about. The Pokemon themselves are drawn great as well, Mato's art is just perfect for this series. Pikachu in particular is such a scrungly little fellow and I love him.
June 20, 2023
A charming adaption of the world of Pokémon. Whereas Toshiro Ono's long out-of-print run took after the anime, this one by Hidenori Kusaka stays truer to the Gameboy videogames. It's not the one I preferred as a kid, but re-reading those few PA issues I had as a kid here in this collected edition brought a smile to my face. Mato's art is serviceable (and cute) and honors the game's spirit, also, with forms akin to their OG boxy sprites. I'll be giving the two other volumes he illustrated a chance as re-reading this made me feel like a giddy 6th grader all over again.
September 26, 2023
I went into this expecting to enjoy it because it's a fun Pokemon comic but like wow, I can't describe just how surprised I am by just how good this manga is so far. This is genuinely one of my favorite pieces of Pokemon media I've seen in a long time. There's a lot of really great and charming art, a lot of really cool reimaginings of how Pokemon moves work, as well as some surprisingly great writing.
This volume is an adaptation of Pokemon Red Blue and Yellow, but while it follows the general gist of the original game's story (Red goes on an adventure to be the best trainer, fights gym leaders, battle's team rocket, etc) There's a lot of really cool new storybeats and ideas, like for example, in this book Team Rocket is a significantly bigger threat then in the games, not just stealing Pokemon but also running wild lab experiments in an effort to maximize their control and power over Pokemon (And no, that's not just them creating Mewtwo, they actually expand on it in some nutty ways). Not only that, but several of the gym leaders are actually in on Team Rocket and serve as the admins, which really makes for some great battles in the story, and man, those battles are great. They start off pretty basic but once we see the final showdown with Team Rocket, The Legendary Pokemon, Giovanni, and the League, this suddenly becomes this borderline shonen manga where there's a ton of cool strategy and it really makes some of these fights intense.
The main three trainers are also really great. Red is sorta similar to say like, Ash Ketchum where he's the classic "My Pokemon's strength comes from our bond" kind of stuff but he's also just a generally fun character, a bit cocky sometimes but with a genuinely good heart and gets really good at coming up with good strategies for winning fights. Blue is probably my favorite interpretation of the character in the series, where he's still got that sort of cocky rival demeanor, he genuinely does grow and show signs of caring for Professor Oak and Pallete Town and by the end he has a genuine respect for Red and it's a really cool take on the character in my opinion. Then Green is just mega fun where she's just sort of a thieving con artist trying to make a quick buck and it's really fun how they make her this mega competent character that is just taking advantage of whatever story thing is happening while always making her still fun and cool.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this manga a lot more then I expected, it's just a really fun and enjoyable reimagining of the Pokemon universe with really nice writing and art and it's one of my new favorite Pokemon things ever.
This volume is an adaptation of Pokemon Red Blue and Yellow, but while it follows the general gist of the original game's story (Red goes on an adventure to be the best trainer, fights gym leaders, battle's team rocket, etc) There's a lot of really cool new storybeats and ideas, like for example, in this book Team Rocket is a significantly bigger threat then in the games, not just stealing Pokemon but also running wild lab experiments in an effort to maximize their control and power over Pokemon (And no, that's not just them creating Mewtwo, they actually expand on it in some nutty ways). Not only that, but several of the gym leaders are actually in on Team Rocket and serve as the admins, which really makes for some great battles in the story, and man, those battles are great. They start off pretty basic but once we see the final showdown with Team Rocket, The Legendary Pokemon, Giovanni, and the League, this suddenly becomes this borderline shonen manga where there's a ton of cool strategy and it really makes some of these fights intense.
The main three trainers are also really great. Red is sorta similar to say like, Ash Ketchum where he's the classic "My Pokemon's strength comes from our bond" kind of stuff but he's also just a generally fun character, a bit cocky sometimes but with a genuinely good heart and gets really good at coming up with good strategies for winning fights. Blue is probably my favorite interpretation of the character in the series, where he's still got that sort of cocky rival demeanor, he genuinely does grow and show signs of caring for Professor Oak and Pallete Town and by the end he has a genuine respect for Red and it's a really cool take on the character in my opinion. Then Green is just mega fun where she's just sort of a thieving con artist trying to make a quick buck and it's really fun how they make her this mega competent character that is just taking advantage of whatever story thing is happening while always making her still fun and cool.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this manga a lot more then I expected, it's just a really fun and enjoyable reimagining of the Pokemon universe with really nice writing and art and it's one of my new favorite Pokemon things ever.
June 4, 2020
Oddly, I have been having a lot of Pokemon in my dreams, lack of sports on TV maybe, so this I guess is what my mind goes to when it thirsts for competition. At any rate I decided to continue on this adventure that I started back in High School and finally make it all the way through just as a way to keep myself amused while listening to a podcast or something that requires mental effort but not my eyes. The drawings are simple, but dynamic. The panels follow incredibly easily with a clear appreciation for every part of the Pokeworld. The dialogue is very anime in the sense that it is meant to evoke a lot of character and keep the story moving forward because there are a lot of pokemon, side characters, and settings to explore and it manages to do so at a really brisk pace. What really takes these stories to the next level is that they emphasize individual parts of the game that I have always wanted to really get deeper into (like what if the pokemon could attack the trainers, how could you use terrain to your advantage, etc.) and uses that aspect as a central asset for each main character all of whom really grow on you. Since my favorite aspect of the games was the battling, our first main-Red- is my favorite, but I also think his arc was the most well thought out so I definitely recommend giving this first volume a read as a way of introduction to the rest of the manga. It is certainly the best of the series thus far, and lays a solid foundation for the rest to come.
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