While thePokemongames are extremely popular and universally recognized, thePokemonanime almost matches it in its fame. Since its first episode in 1997, the anime has followed main character Ash Ketchum and his trusted partner Pikachu as they explore the various regions and challenge their gym leaders.
RELATED:Pokemon: Best Theme Songs From The Anime
While it is a fairly faithful adaptation of the video games, thePokemonanimehas put its own spinon many characters and elements, creating a canon that is very different from the games. Despite this, the anime series has very few spin-offs focusing on these characters, despite the interesting stories many have been given. IfPokemonwere ever to explore a spin-off series, they should consider centering them around the following characters.
10Professor Oak (Or Any Other Professor)
The Professor character inPokemonis one of the more important characters in each game, as they act as a mentor to the player character and help them start out their journey as aPokemontrainer. Themost recognizable professor is Professor Oak, the professor of the very firstPokemongames.
Professor Oak’s work often involves him traveling from place to place researchingPokemon, and a series following his adventures would be quite interesting. Of course, it doesn’t need to be Professor Oak; any similar professor will do, as many of them do the same kind of research.
9Squirtle Squad
The Squirtle Squad is a group of Squirtles who were abandoned by their trainers. They played pranks around their hometown before an encounter with Ash Ketchum reformed them into brave firefighters. Their leader even traveled with Ash before eventually returning to the team.
Squirtle is one of the most recognizablePokemonin the series, and watching a team of them run around town could be quite interesting. It could end up light on dialogue since the Squirtle Squad can’t talk, but there’s a charm in having that kind of premise.
8Officer Jenny
There appears to be an organization of female police officers all over the world ofPokemonwho all look very completely alike and go by the name of Officer Jenny. These officers are generally in charge of keeping the peace in each town that they are stationed in, and are generally accompanied by a Growlithe.
A police procedural spin-off featuring Officer Jenny could be interesting to watch. It wouldn’t even need to stay in one place; since an Officer Jenny can be found all over the world ofPokemon, the show would be able to keep things fresh by going to different towns and regions.
7Sabrina
In the games, Sabrina wasfairly nondescript as a character, despite having psychic powers. In the anime, she was a menacing character that used her powers to terrify Ash and his friends. Her extreme psychic powers caused her to split her personalities in two, but by the end of her match with Ash, her personalities were re-combined and her heartless demeanor was cured.
RELATED:Pokemon: The Most Iconic Gym Leader From Each Generation
People with psychic powers are unusually common in the world ofPokemon, but little mention is made of them. A spin-off around Sabrina could explore such concepts in a more unconventionalPokemonadventure.
6Lucario
A Lucario that could speak through telepathy appears in the movieLucario and the Mystery of Mew. This Lucario lived a thousand years before the main timeline, serving his master Sir Aaron of the Cameran Palace. He was eventually sealed in a staff and would not be released until modern times.
While Lucario died at the end of the movie, a series exploring Lucario and his adventures with Sir Aaron one thousand years ago could still be made. Not only could it develop these movie-only characters, but they could also explore the world ofPokemonin ancient times.
5Cynthia
The Champions of each League involve themselves in the plot to various degrees, but few show up as frequently as Cynthia, the champion of the Sinnoh League, does.She is a powerful trainerwho has helped Ash and his friends fight both Team Galactic and Team Rocket.
A spin-off series about Cynthia’s adventures might be interesting to watch. When she’s not attending to her duties as champion, Cynthia spends her time investigating Sinnoh’s legends. A series following her studies could do a lot of world-building for the Sinnoh region.
4Lance
Of the many gym leaders, Elite Four trainers, and champions that have appeared inPokemon, Lance is one of the more influential trainers. He was not only an Elite Four member but also a Champion of the Kanto League as well. In the anime, Lance is one of the strongest trainers around in addition to being a member of the Pokemon G-men, a detective agency that investigates the mistreatment ofPokemon.
RELATED:Pokemon: Which Gym Leader Are You Based On Your Zodiac
Exploring Lance’s adventures as a member of the G-men could make an interesting series. ThePokemonanime does show a couple of his exciting adventures, so there’s proof of concept that a show centered around Lance could work out.
3Mewtwo
Mewtwo was the central character of the firstPokemonmovie,Mewtwo Strikes Back. The result of Team Rocket’s attempts to clone the elusive Mew is that Mewtwo decided to rebel against its cruel creators and attempted to conquer the world with its fellow clonePokemon, but was stopped by Ash.
Mewtwo now seeks a place to call home with its fellow clones, a premise that could make a very interesting spin-off story.Mewtwo is quite the popular character, so a series about its adventures would be well-received.
2Team Rocket
The classic bungling trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth isthe most recognizable onefrom thePokemonanime. While many characters have come and gone throughout thePokemonseries, Team Rocket has always appeared time and again with their various antics and escapades.
With the trio’s popularity, it’s quite a surprise that a spin-off series around them hasn’t been made. The trio has been extremely popular for a long time, and a spin-off series could take advantage of that. While it might seem odd to have a show from the perspective of villains, this particular trio has shown themselves to be noble, and this series could explore that aspect of their personality.
1Gary Oak
Gary Oak is Ash’s first rivaland his most famous one. He is the grandson of Professor Oak, and he embarks on his journey at the exact same time that Ash does. While some of Gary’s adventures are seen in the anime, he is not in the spotlight often, and soon leaves the spotlight as Ash moves on to other regions.
A series following Gary Oak could take two directions. It could follow Gary on his first Pokemon journey as it occurs parallel to Ash’s. Alternatively, it could follow Gary’s adventures after he decides to become a Pokemon Professor like his grandfather.
