Pokémon: Path to the Peak, an animation for the new generation

Pokémon and animation have gone hand in hand for most of the franchise’s existence, with animation being one of the brand’s most widely used tools. While the adventures of Ash and now the recently released Pokémon Horizons are top of mind, there have also been projects that have attempted to translate the adventures of the video games into animated shorts.

As the world of video games continues to be brought into this format, what about other ways players interact as Pokémon? Among the announcements made at the recent Pokémon Presents was Pokémon: Path to the Peak, an animated series that takes us out of the world of Pokémon games and into the world of the Trading Card Game. As part of our activities at the 2023 Pokémon World Championships in Yokohama, Japan, we had the opportunity to watch this animation, which shows us a different way to enjoy Pokémon.

What is Pokémon: Path to the Peak all about?

Pokémon has been a way to meet people and make friends for over 25 years, and that is part of what this animation is trying to reflect. Pokémon: Path to the Peak follows the story of Ava, a girl who moves to a new town with her loving father and hardworking mother, but with the sadness of leaving her friends and acquaintances behind.

While moving, Ava finds a box containing a Pokémon Trading Card Game deck. This becomes an important part of her adventure, as we see her grow from a fearful novice trying to understand all the rules to becoming an expert supported by her school’s club, leading her to become a competitive player.

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Throughout the 40 minutes of this animation, we see many of the themes that are part of the collectible card game, which is actually a pretty entertaining way to introduce someone to this world (and even, it can even partially explain what the Pokémon World Championships are), while also featuring great jokes about the game and its purpose, as well as references to history and how the competitive scene works.

On the other hand, it also reflects The Pokémon Company’s plans to keep looking for ways to attract new generations. To no one’s surprise, Ava’s parents are the ones “passing the baton” from the generation that grew up with the first editions to a new one that is discovering them. While Ava’s mom was a competitive player in her youth and has since moved on, her dad is such a fan that we can hear him singing the intro to one of the Pokémon anime series, or even see him wearing a Pikachu hat.

When will Pokémon Path to the Peak be released?

Although we were able to see the entire show, users will be able to see this series in 4 episodes, 3 of which have already been released at the time of this writing. Here are the dates when these episodes will be released, as well as the corresponding link.