What Came First Digimon Or Pokemon

Growing up with cartridge-inserts and a pocket full of cheap Poké Balls, I always thought about who actually managed to catch a legendary first — and the timeline splits depending on whether you look at the games or the anime/movies. If you look at official game releases, the earliest playable protagonist who could legitimately put a legendary in a Poké Ball was the player in 'Pokémon Red' and 'Pokémon Green' (1996 JP). Those games let the player go after the legendary birds — Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres — which means that the in-game protagonist (often called Red) was the first canon trainer to have the opportunity to catch legendaries. That predates the anime’s big legendary moments by a long shot. I love this kind of split because it shows how Pokémon’s story lives in parallel universes: the games gave players agency to capture legendaries from the start, while the anime treated legendaries more like mythic allies or movie-level events. It’s a neat reminder that “first” depends on which version of the world you’re counting.

In 'In Pokemon with Dual System as Ash', Ash's first catch is a wild Pikachu, but not the typical one we know. This Pikachu has a unique dual-type ability—electric and dark—making it stand out from the usual franchise starters. Its dark-type traits give it shadow-based moves like Dark Pulse early on, which Ash leverages in battles against opponents who underestimate it. The dynamic between Ash and this Pikachu is intense; it’s more rebellious than the classic Pikachu, requiring Ash to prove his worth as a trainer before it fully trusts him. The series twists the familiar origin story into something fresh, with Pikachu’s dual typing becoming a core plot device later.

Whenever I go down a nostalgia spiral and boot up 'Digimon Adventure', I always end up counting faces — it’s addictive. If you mean the primary cast that the story follows in the first season, the simple count is 16 core characters: eight human DigiDestined (Taichi/Tai, Yamato/Matt, Sora, Koushiro/Izzy, Mimi, Joe, Takeru/T.K., and Hikari/Kari) and their eight partner Digimon (Agumon, Gabumon, Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, and Gatomon). Those are the folks who drive almost every major episode arc and get the most screen time. Beyond that, the season is stuffed with recurring antagonists and one-off Digimon. Big bads like Devimon, Etemon, Vamdemon/Myotismon, Puppetmon, Piedmon, Machinedramon, and the final threat Apocalymon are memorable and count as major characters even if they’re not part of the core eight. If you start including every named Digimon that appears across the 50+ episodes, you’re easily in the dozens — many minor Digimon show up for one episode, plus guest humans and allies. So: 16 central characters for the main cast, and dozens more if you include villains and episodic Digimon.

Gatomon's journey is one of my favorite arcs in 'Digimon Adventure'! Originally a lost Digimon named Tailmon, she was separated from her partner and ended up serving Myotismon. Despite her tough exterior, she had a kind heart, which eventually led her to rebel against him. Her evolution into Angewomon was a turning point—pure, radiant, and symbolic of her inner strength. It wasn’t just about power; it was about finding her true self. What really gets me is how her story mirrors real struggles—feeling lost, serving the wrong masters, but ultimately breaking free. That moment when she reunites with Hikari? Chills every time. It’s a reminder that even the ‘villains’ might just be waiting for their chance to shine.

Hitting the theater for 'Digimon Adventure tri' felt like running back into a childhood backyard that somehow got taller overnight — the kids were teenagers, but their bonds with their Digimon were exactly the same. All eight of the original DigiDestined from the first series return: Taichi (Tai) with Agumon, Yamato (Matt) with Gabumon, Sora with Biyomon, Koushiro (Izzy) with Tentomon, Mimi with Palmon, Joe with Gomamon, Takeru (T.K.) with Patamon, and Hikari (Kari) with Gatomon. You see them as older kids dealing with school, family, and the very messy stuff that comes with growing up, while still being pulled back into the Digital World when things go wrong. On the Digimon side, their classic partners are back and we also get those feel-good transformation beats: Agumon and Gabumon train and fight, and their bond culminates in the appearance of Omegamon (Omnimon), which is a huge nod to the original series' climax where WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon fused. Other familiar Digimon show up in various ways throughout the films — sometimes in flashbacks, sometimes in battle — but the core cast I mentioned above are the ones who carry the story. Watching them felt like chatting with old friends who’ve changed but not lost what made them special. If you loved the original, tri is basically a reunion: same people, same partners, more emotional baggage. It’s worth rewatching scenes where the kids and their Digimon reconnect; those moments still hit me way harder than I expected.

The antagonist in 'Chills That Came' is this eerie, shadowy figure named The Hollow Man. He's not your typical villain with brute strength; his power lies in psychological terror. The Hollow Man feeds on fear, twisting memories to make victims relive their worst nightmares. He doesn’t just kill—he erases people from existence, making their loved ones forget they ever lived. What makes him terrifying is his ability to blend into any environment, appearing as a faint distortion in the air until he strikes. The protagonist, a journalist investigating disappearances, slowly realizes The Hollow Man is behind them all, but by then, he’s already inside her head, manipulating her reality. The final confrontation isn’t about fists or weapons; it’s a battle of wills against an entity that thrives on despair.

In the world of Pokémon, consuming another Pokémon is not often mentioned. The majority of lore suggests that most Pokémon prefer berries or other types of non-living food sources. A few select species such as Victreebel and Carnivine, which are plant-based Pokémon, sometimes trap and 'consume' smaller bug-type Pokémon, similar to how carnivorous plants act in our real world. However, these scenarios are more of an exception and not the norm.

Gatomon's evolution line is one of my favorite arcs in 'Digimon Adventure'! Starting as the tiny but fierce Salamon, she digsivolves into Gatomon, who's already pretty strong but still has room to grow. Her most iconic form is Angewomon, a radiant angelic Digimon with incredible holy power. But what's really cool is her dark evolution, LadyDevimon, which shows up in some alternate storylines. It's a great contrast—light vs. darkness, and it adds so much depth to her character. I love how Gatomon's evolution reflects her journey from a lonely stray to a confident warrior. In 'Digimon Adventure 02', she even reaches Magnadramon, a majestic dragon form. The way her evolutions tie into her bond with Hikari (Kari) just hits different—it’s all about trust and emotional growth. Plus, her Mega forms are visually stunning, whether it’s the purity of Ophanimon or the raw power of Mastemon in later media.