<p>Pokémon actually started as a pair of video games published by Nintendo for the Game Boy in 1996. Known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Red_and_Blue" rel="noreferrer">Pokémon Red and Blue</a> (although in Japan the games were released as Pokémon Red and Green), these games were followed up by some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Junior" rel="noreferrer">short stories</a>.</p>

<p>IIRC, first came the Pokémon comics, then the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_(anime)" rel="noreferrer">Pokémon series</a> debuted on television on April 1, 1997, and shortly thereafter the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_(manga)" rel="noreferrer">manga</a> was released on August 8, 1997.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-30T16:35:23.523Z
To throw in another part of OP's question. The manga is not what the tv-show is based off of either. They are based off the games with protagonist like Red,Blue,Green,Gold,Silver,Yellow etc... Alot of the battles in manga play out similar to the show and team rocket is alot more sinister. There is an anime that covers Red's initial battles up to the elite 4 though.
Callat
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-30T21:00:28.323Z
To add on to the manga vs. TV show differences, Red started off [with a Clefairy](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Red%27s_Clefairy) instead of a Pikachu like Ash did. He did later get a Pikachu, who was the *cousin* of Clefairy, something that became possible in the Gen 2 games, but not at the time.
Thunderforge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-30T21:10:17.843Z
@Thunderforge clefairy??? In pokemon adventures chapter 1 page 5 Red has a polywhirl. So I always thought that was the original first pokemon. Which manga are you reffering to? If there is a different adaptation I would LOVE to read it! Here's the link: http://www.mangahere.co/manga/pokemon_adventures/v01/c001/5.html
Callat
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-30T21:22:05.543Z
@KazRodgers There are [multiple Pokémon manga](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_manga); usually, when someone refers to just "the Pokémon manga," they mean [Pokémon Adventures](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Adventures).  The [Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Pocket_Monsters) (which was apparently the first one) is the one in which Red has a Clefairy.
jwodder
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-30T21:26:16.257Z
@KazRodgers The one you are pointing to is *[Pokémon Adventures](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_Adventures_volume_1) (a.k.a. Pokémon Special)*, which is the *second* manga published August 1997. *[Pokémon Pocket Monsters](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_Pocket_Monsters_volume_1)* was published November 1996, with the first chapter being [Introducing the Pokémon Clefairy!!](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/PM001). This manga never had an English release, unlike *Pokémon Adventures*.
Thunderforge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-01T10:12:23.290Z
@KazRodgers Red's journey is in the 4-episode Pokémon Origins series.
Prateek Jain
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-30T15:41:20.300Z
2016-11-30T20:31:35.590Z
2016-11-30T20:31:35.590Z
Dimitri mx
<p>Was Pokemon initially manga and then tv producers changed the story they wanted it or was it a product of imagination of tv producers?</p>

<pokemon>
Did Pokemon start off as a Manga?
# Did Pokemon start off as a Manga?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-11-30
Was Pokemon initially manga and then tv producers changed the story they wanted it or was it a product of imagination of tv producers?
**Tags:** pokemon
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-30. Score: 20 | Accepted answer
Pokémon actually started as a pair of video games published by Nintendo for the Game Boy in 1996. Known as [Pokémon Red and Blue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Red_and_Blue) (although in Japan the games were released as Pokémon Red and Green), these games were followed up by some [short stories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Junior).

IIRC, first came the Pokémon comics, then the [Pokémon series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_(anime)) debuted on television on April 1, 1997, and shortly thereafter the [manga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_(manga)) was released on August 8, 1997.
> **Comments:**
> **username_2** (2016-11-30): To throw in another part of OP's question. The manga is not what the tv-show is based off of either. They are based off the games with protagonist like Red,Blue,Green,Gold,Silver,Yellow etc... Alot of the battles in manga play out similar to the show and team rocket is alot more sinister. There is an anime that covers Red's initial battles up to the elite 4 though.  
> **username_3** (2016-11-30): To add on to the manga vs. TV show differences, Red started off [with a Clefairy](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Red%27s_Clefairy) instead of a Pikachu like Ash did. He did later get a Pikachu, who was the *cousin* of Clefairy, something that became possible in the Gen 2 games, but not at the time.  
> **username_2** (2016-11-30): @Thunderforge clefairy??? In pokemon adventures chapter 1 page 5 Red has a polywhirl. So I always thought that was the original first pokemon. Which manga are you reffering to? If there is a different adaptation I would LOVE to read it! Here's the link: http://www.mangahere.co/manga/pokemon_adventures/v01/c001/5.html  
> **username_4** (2016-11-30): @KazRodgers There are [multiple Pokémon manga](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_manga); usually, when someone refers to just "the Pokémon manga," they mean [Pokémon Adventures](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Adventures).  The [Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Pocket_Monsters) (which was apparently the first one) is the one in which Red has a Clefairy.  
> **username_3** (2016-11-30): @KazRodgers The one you are pointing to is *[Pokémon Adventures](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_Adventures_volume_1) (a.k.a. Pokémon Special)*, which is the *second* manga published August 1997. *[Pokémon Pocket Monsters](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_Pocket_Monsters_volume_1)* was published November 1996, with the first chapter being [Introducing the Pokémon Clefairy!!](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/PM001). This manga never had an English release, unlike *Pokémon Adventures*.  
> **username_5** (2016-12-01): @KazRodgers Red's journey is in the 4-episode Pokémon Origins series.  
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