Pokémon: La Grande Aventure!, Tome 1

ポケットモンスターSPECIAL #1

by Hidenori Kusaka, Mato . (Illustrator)

Adventures based on the best-selling video games! All your favourite Pokémon game characters jump out of the screen into the pages of this action-packed manga!

Red doesn't just want to train Pokémon, he wants to be their friend too. Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl seem game. But independent Pikachu won't be so easy to win over!

And watch out for Team Rocket, Red... They only want to be your enemy!

Reads R to L (Japanese Style).

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens

Mass Market Paperback

First published August 8, 1997

About the author

Created 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

Reviews

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think y’all can probably relate to this: I was minding my own business in Costco the other day when I came across box sets for the ENTIRE first 30 books in the Pokémon Adventures series… and I just had to have them. So I happily blew my grocery budget on them and went home.

I’ve read maybe a handful of manga over the years, and although it’s not a genre I’m well versed in, I liked everything I picked up. I think I feared diving in further for two reasons: 1. I’ve enough to read as is, and 2. My book budget is already a problem.

I’m also not suuuper well-versed in the Pokémon universe aside from having a huge card collection from when I was a kid (I have ALL the original cool shit from the first 151 Pokémon), and I’ve watched Indigo League and a few other series/movies. And I still love playing Pokémon Stadium 1&2 and Pokémon Snap on Nintendo 64. And that’s it. I don’t play the pocket video games, I chose time for other things over Pokémon Go! (Because I would’ve HAD to catch them all to satisfy my completionist attitude), and I stopped collecting cards after the next generation of Pokémon came out.

From my experience, this series is most in line with the Indigo League tv series. And actually, the storylines are parallel so far, but they are told so differently that it’s like reading a whole new series. The biggest improvement is the Pokémon interaction in the manga. I was super disappointed that the “gotta catch em all” thing wasn’t represented in the tv series (like, hardly any at all…wtf?) so reading this feels like getting a second chance to satisfy my cravings: the more Pokémon caught, the better.

Another difference is the grittiness. The tv show kind of bubble-gummed it up with how they portrayed Team Rocket and how they tamed down the interactions with the Pokémon (much less violent). The manga takes itself much more seriously. There are still plenty of funny moments, but overall it’s darker, and because of that I’m liking it a lot more.

Series status: I don’t think I’ll be doing reviews for every book in this series because there’s not a ton of depth within each one (limited by the word count and general nature of the format), but I’m definitely looking forward to working my way through them. I feel like a kid again!

Recommendations: I love Pokémon and have always wanted a little more story than I got while watching the Indigo League. This manga fits the bill perfectly. Since I’m a manga novice, I can’t really compare it to other manga series, so I’ll satisfy by recommending it just to fellow Pokémon nerds like me.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

[Holly Letson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you watched the Pokemon anime before reading this, like I did, you're in for some real surprises. This manga volume left me feeling like most of what they put in the Pokemon anime was a lie. That being said, I did quite enjoy this, and even liked this story better than the anime story.
--------------
Remember Ash not having any Pokemon, and staying up all night to get one from Prof. Oak? Well, meet Red (who Ash is the manga). Red has a Poliwhirl, which he has raised since he was little, and it was a Poliwag. And, Red doesn't visit Oak till it is suggested to him, since he thinks Oak is crazy. Oak gives Red a Bulbasaur--not a Pikachu!--since it takes well to him. Red earns his Pikachu in the next town, where he stops it from stealing from local vendors. Also, Gary--Ash's/Red's rival--is named Blue in the manga to match Red's name.
As you can see, so many differences in the story us Pokemon anime fans are used to, but a much better story.
---------------
Remember Team Rocket? No Jessie and James and all their annoying "blasting off again" crap showing up in this story so far. So far, we have normal looking dudes in black outfits with poison Pokemon representing the evil villain organization.
-----------------
Needless to say, I like this better, and will read more of it. I own Vol.6 of the series, and will probably be reading that next. I also own Vol.7 of the "Pkmn D&P Adventures" series, and one of the "Mystery Dungeon" Pkmn mangas. These will be read soon.
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I received this volume from VIZ Media, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own. I will also be reviewing one of the volumes of "Pkmn D&P Adventures" for them soon as well. Watch for that!

[Dea꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great trip down memory lane. I am and will forever be a big Pokemon fan.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun with this one; now, I need to get my hands on the other volumes!

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay...I grew up in the era of lots of Pokemon trading cards and kids who were obsessed with the anime. While I caught a few episodes here and there, I was never a huge fan. These move so well at our library so I thought that I would pick one up and see what it was like. This was great! I loved learning about all of the Pokemon and the competition between Red and Blue. According to more avid fans of the series, this is majorly different from the TV series. Honestly, I was used to hearing about Ash so it was shocking to hear more about Red and Blue instead. Even though I'm not as familiar with the characters and the world, this has me wanting to read the rest of the manga and then binge the anime. Overall, this was a great reading experience and I'm already looking forward to reading volume 2.

[Sophia]

I enjoyed reading this short manga.
I liked meeting the familiar characters and seeing them in a new way.
What I found funny was that this manga wanted you to know how cute Pikachu was. It's cuteness was mentioned several times!

I liked seeing the Pokemon world in this manga and how you experience something you may be familiar with (via the cartoon) but in a different way.
I am interested to know where the story goes next and can't wait to read volume 2.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I wanna be the very best. Like no one ever was. To catch them is my real test."

I just adore Pokemon, and not just me, my boyfriend as well.I just love that VIZ has brought out these in box sets, I got the first one now (gave it to my boyfriend for Christmas), and I am planning on buying another boxset soon.

This was just so nostalgic to read. The starter pokemon, pikachu, St. Anne, Misty, and so many other events, I was just delighted to see them, and more, pass by. It reminded me of playing the games and watching the anime. Ah, such a delight.

Our main character is, duh, Red. he is a fun, boisterous kid with a big heart and a bit of an overdose of an ego. :P But he means it all well, even if he at times seems to make some very dodgy/hasty decisions (like just run into a tower filled with ghosts and monsters). I do love how he always cares about his pokemon. Training them in a way that is fun for them, plus also trying to befriend them. He doesn't just seem them as a means to win battles or to be the very best, he also sees them as friends.
I also like his resourcefulness when doing battles. He always seems to be able to make the best of the situation and is very creative in using his pokemon's moves.

Which is a total 180 from Blue. Blue is Red's rival and he also wants to win, but his methods aren't always the best (at least in my eyes). Sure, he cares about his pokemon, but the way he trains them... eh. Plus his ego attitude is also quite annoying. He seems to really think he is much much better than anyone. But in regards to being a rival... well he is the perfect rival for Red.

We also meet with Team Rocket, the villain in this manga. They are truly evil, and are trying all they can to get certain plans or pokemon. Nothing will stand in their way. Well... Red/Blue are there and are getting tangled in their plans. Red especially is very gung-ho on going against them.

The overlap between stories was a bit weird/messy. At times it seemed to go well, but more often than not it was jarring. Red would be at x point and in the next story would be at a totally different point. I would have rather seen him travel to those points instead of him being conveniently at the right points at the right time. :P

And the translation was at times a bit weird, or at least it felt off. 

The art is pretty decent, it fits very well, though the perspectives are not always right/correct. Red (and others) seem to go from tall to small (and not really as in chibi-style), when they run it looks like something is off. But the pokemon are super cute (especially Pikachu).

Oh, and be sure to check out the map and the progression parts at the back/after the story. It will show you where Red went, and also how he and his team are doing.

Recommended!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a great volume!

It features the protagonist Red and with his partner Poliwhirl he meets other pokemon Bulbasaur and Pikachu and fights Blue his rival and goes on an adventure and he meets Brock and Misty and fights them to win the badges and also battles Lt surge and deals with stolen pokemon or the bicycle race and like dealing with Snorlax. There is a fun poke-human fusion he has to help with and it was different and funny and all sorts of adventures.

I love how this volume had so many different stories and its insanely enjoyable and the protagonist is so fun! Plus the art style is cute and the battles short and quite wonderful. Plus the long threads of things to come already has me excited to read further chs.!

[Ill D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty fun. Yet not all is nostalgia induced enjoyment. Still tenable 30 years down the road, the pleasure here is truly intrinsic and eye-twinklingly unchanging. Demarcating its own narrative that accepts, rejects, contradicts, and ultimately modulates the peoples, places, and happenstances from the anime and GameBoy Classics alike, these adventures forge their own unique take with mellifluous tones and timbres to match.

Reading like a breeze, this whooshes along with own well-tempered brevity. Energetic and fun, this adventure remains and eligible read.

[Kamil Bryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red > sierota i miernota Ash

Wspaniały powrót do sielankowej krainy dzieciństwa, gdzie jedynym problemem było odrysowanie szlaczków na kolejny dzień zajęć w przedszkolu.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of you that know me, you know I'm obsessed with Pokemon. I've loved it since I was a kid. I love the anime, the video games, the memorabilia, etc etc. Recently I found out that there is a manga called Pokemon Adventures, and read the first volume. I really enjoyed it.

Pokemon Adventures brings together everything I've always loved about Pokemon. I enjoyed watching Red discover new Pokemon, and beginning his journey as a trainer. It brought back nostalgic feelings of watching the show when I was a kid. However, the manga is unlike the show. It's similar to the video game, but there are still enough differences to make the manga unique in it's own right. I almost wish they would do a reboot of the show that is closer to the manga. I think a lot of people would enjoy it.

I thought that the first volume of Pokemon Adventures was a great start to the series. I can't wait to continue the series. As much as I loved the first volume, I wouldn't be surprised if I binge read the whole series over the next couple of weeks. I think this would be a great manga to read for someone Pokemon obsessed, or someone completely new to the series. Both would find it entertaining in different ways.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for my son because our family are MEGA Pokemon fans, but he's a little young, at 6 years old, it couldn't quite hold his attention (not like the animated series), so I ended up finishing it on my own.

It's a SUPER cute read if you are a Pokemon fan. I loved reading about the little different Pokemon and how each have their special skills and personality. Pikachu will always be my fav! I was a little disappointed it wasn't in the world where "Ash" was the trainer (like the Pokemon game and animated series), but the graphic novel might have been written before that?

Regardless the main trainer "Red" is a cute little boy and I like how he's learning about the Poke world, so it's nice world building if you don't know anything about the series.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

possibly the best piece of media the pokemon franchise has produced, this was my gateway into manga (though i'm sure i would have gotten there eventually :P ). the worldbuilding. my god, the worldbuilding. the manga series adds so much depth to the otherwise static and fairly limited world of the games. villains, player characters, and supporting characters alike have backstories and motivations and relationships and setting and everything that you had to fill in in your head while playing the games.

anyways it's good. children going on coming of age adventures with their magical animal companions. what's not to like?

[Thomas Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the last few chapters, in the Pokémon tower, shit got VERY real. Holy damn

[Minerva · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4 stars ****

[Tom the Teacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

You teach meeeee and I'll teach youuuuu, Pokémooooon!

Confession: At first, I chose this so that my 2024 Year in Books wouldn't have a 'missing' spot on the grid. I like it to be aesthetically pleasing for me.

BUT.

I also LOVE Pokémon. This is the year I hit level 50 on Pokémon Go - December 21st, to be precise - so what better way to round out a wonderful year of reading! I'm also of the generation that was a child/teenager when the Pokémon TV series came out too, so Pokémon has a special place in my heart.

This was a fun jaunt following the adventures of Red and his team of Pokémon as he's on his quest to "catch 'em all", while encountering characters like Brock, Misty, and Team Rocket along the way. A lovely slice of nostalgia, two thumbs up!

[Katie.g · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

There’s nothing quite like the nostalgia the Pokemon world creates. Theres something about capturing and training a bunch of cute, strong creatures that really appealed to me as a child and it’s something that is still going strong today. I think it’s phenomenal how Pokemon has stood the test of time. The Nintendo Switch released a new Pokemon game not so long ago and there’s currently a Pokemon movie in the cinemas.

Reading this comic, I felt as though I was going back in a time warp to the 1990s, back when Pokemon was in its infancy. When Pokemon cards were cool and when I used to sneak downstairs every Saturday morning to watch it on TV.

This Pokemon manga gives a more realistic portrayal of the Pokemon games. Instead of Ash, you follow Red (the main character in the gameboy games). Pikachu is not his first Pokemon and there is no Jessie and James, thankfully.

I enjoyed reading this. It was a lighthearted, fun trip down memory lane. It definitely hit all the nostalgia buttons. I thought the transition between a couple of chapters was a bit abrupt and I’d have liked to see a bit more of the training that Red did with his Pokemon. Apart from this, a very solid Pokemon manga.

If anyone loved (and still loves) Pokemon like I do, I recommend checking it out.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

pure nostalgia!

I remember checking the manga shelf of the public library as a kid, hoping a volume was on the shelf, and checking it out regardless of if I had read it before. I read the series completely out of order (probably missed some volumes) and would try to piece together the story, never realizing I could have placed holds. YOUTHFUL FOLLY.

[Jeffrey Denney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of every 10 year old's Pokemon journey, back in 1997. 27 years later this holds up as a nostalgic trip reflecting the events from Pokemon's Generation 1 games: Red, Blue, and Yellow. From Red's start at Kanto and ending in Lavendar Town. This goes more in depth behind the Kanto gym lesders and it's most notorious gang of evildoers known as Team Rocket. I enjoyed every moment of it.

[Amy J Brinkerhoff]

This was nostalgic.

[Ravenous Raven of Mordor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An aMEWsing volume

I expected this first volume to be good but it exceeded all my expectations. Mato’s art really brought the characters to life, and Hidenori’s writing was fast paced and eventful.

Pokémon adventures is the story of a young boy named Red, who plans to be the greatest Pokémon master of all time. The challenges along the way guides him to being the best (that means you, blue), and I for one, believe he shall succeed.

Red is in a whole other league in comparison to ash, he literally pulled apart onix.
Misty was a great character and I hope we are to see her later.
I forgot that pikachu was a chubby little mouse back in the day, and extremely angry that sparks would fly, (bill was quite pleased with this).

The map at the end really sold this, depicting precisely where Red has travelled throughout each chapter and even displaying what Pokémon has been seen/captured thus far.

As always...
5 Stars

Bonuses

I wanna be the very best
Like no one ever was
To catch them is my real test
To train them is my cause
I will travel across the land
Searching far and wide
Teach Pokémon to understand
The power that's inside

(Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all)
It's you and me
I know it's my destiny
(Pokémon)
Oh, you're my best friend
In a world we must defend
(Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all)
A heart so true
Our courage will pull us through
You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokémon!
(Gotta catch 'em all)
Gotta catch 'em all
Yeah

Every challenge along the way
With courage I will face
I will battle every day
To claim my rightful place
Come with me, the time is right
There's no better team
Arm in arm, we'll win the fight
It's always been our dream

(Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all)
It's you and me
I know it's my destiny
(Pokémon)
Oh, you're my best friend
In a world we must defend
(Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all)
A heart so true
Our courage will pull us through
You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokémon!
(Gotta catch 'em all)
Gotta catch 'em all

Gotta catch 'em all
Gotta catch 'em all
Gotta catch 'em all
Yeah

[Insert epic guitar solo here]

(Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all)
It's you and me
I know it's my destiny
(Pokémon)
Oh, you're my best friend
In a world we must defend
(Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all)
A heart so true
Our courage will pull us through
You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokémon!
(Gotta catch 'em all)
Gotta catch 'em all
(Pokémon!)

[Matisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally got my hands on this thing. Pokemon Adventures has been running forever, but finding a Volume 1 copy can be difficult. I happened upon one while the store in question was having a sale. Picking up Pokemon Adventures Vol 1 was a no-brainer.

This is a weird take on Pokemon. This title is clearly adapting the original games, and since this was long before the franchise gave itself any real rules, we have things like Gym Leaders being villains, Red winning Gym Badges just for training alongside Gym Leaders, the Pokemon League not even being mentioned, Pokemon wandering outside of Pokeballs all the time, Pokeballs that are transparent...it goes on. Red's adventures feel more like slice-of-life journeys, rather than the mostly-linear quest that players go through in the games themselves.

Not that this is a bad thing! It's just odd, because all of these elements make for a darker Pokemon world than the one the games have presented over the years...and yet, the artwork is quite adorable 90% of the time.

I'm thinking I'll follow this through the main Red and Blue arc, and end with the Yellow saga. Otherwise I'll be in this forever, and if there's one thing that keeps me from reading manga, it's when I'm stuck reading it forever.

[Miriam Dyck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most manga I found this hard to put down and had to keep flipping pages until I was done. This book gets a 4.5 star rating.

Pokemon adventures follows the story of Red, a boy from Pallet Town on a quest to become the greatest Pokemon trainer ever. Red is based off of the main protagonist in the red and blue video games for the game boy colour.

Me being a life long fan of the Pokemon games and playing Pokemon red and blue over and over as a child, this was a real treat for me to be able to read this manga. Unlike the anime, I felt the manga really portrayed more of what I thought Red and Blue would be like. It was fun to get a new angle on what the world of Pokemon is like and what the gym leaders were like too. And there were some characters that I barely talked to in the games but they were brought up to have a bigger role in this manga.

Overall a very good read and I look forward to volume 2.

[Pauline Stout · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the art style a lot. It is very well drawn and consistent in its style. It seems a little kiddish for me though. The dialogue was simple and honestly seemed a little dumb. I didn't like what they've done with several characters, especially Lt. Surge. Chapters went by way too fast for me and I could tell it was made for someone with not the best attention span. I can tell that I was not be target demographic for this book. It kind of disappoint me since I'm so into Pokémon. I think someone younger would be able to get some enjoyment out of it but it really wasn't for me. Recommend it for maybe a preteen reading audience but anyone much older probably won't like this much.

[Justin, Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanna be the very best
Like no one ever was
To catch them is my real test
To train them is my cause

I will travel across the land
Searching far and wide
Each Pokemon to understand
The power that's inside

Pokemon, its you and me
I know its my destiny
Pokemon, oh, you're my best friend
In a world we must defend
Pokemon, a heart so true
Our courage will pull us through

You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokemon, gotta catch 'em all

Every challenge along the way
With courage I will face
I will battle every day
To claim my rightful place

Come with me, the time is right
There's no better team
Arm in arm we'll win the fight
It's always been our dream

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic! I loved reading these books as a kid, and I've been having a blast revisiting the series! What makes these stories really stand out is that everything is an original take on Pokemon universe. Characters are all a little different than they were in Ash's adventures. For example, some neutral characters are now villains, some in-game NPCs are now good friends, etc. It's just been a lot of fun!

[Leen Gilis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
Toen ik als pokemonfan deze manga ontving, kon ik niet wachten met hem te lezen. Hierin volgen we Red, een jonge pokemontrainer. Het verhaal bestaat uit meerdere korte avonturen die op elkaar volgen. Een leuke manga voor tussendoor, die vlot leest. De tekenstijl is mooi en Red is een tof personage. De avonturen zijn spannend maar anderzijds soms ook grappig. Leuk om te lezen als je een pokemonfan bent!

[Joost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeey, een manga over Pokémon! Een fantastische reread, veel rauwer en gaver dan de serie! Lees hier mijn recensie: http://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/...

[Taylor Cayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is this what Pokemon has become?

[Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was brilliant