The Pokémon anime has always shown a slightly different world from the main video game series. While both follow the stories of trainers raising Pokémon, Ash's story has always strayed from that of the playable hero in the games. However, the current series, Pokémon Journeys, is changing the way the games and anime have been disconnected, bringing the two representations of the Pokémon world closer together.
There are similarities between the objectives of the Pokémon games and the journey Ash has been on since the start of the Pokémon anime. Gym battles or region challenges usually appear in both the games and the anime, as well as the each region's antagonist team. Certain special features, like the contests of Ruby and Sapphire or Mega Evolution from X and Y, also appear in both. However, several important aspects of the games haven't appeared in the anime until recently.
Thanks to Pokémon Journeys, fans of the anime have seen the incorporation of several mechanics featured in the Pokémon games. This includes the use of raid-style battles like those in Pokémon GO and a focus on catching as many different Pokémon as possible in each region. In past anime series, Ash would usually only catch a team of six Pokémon, then focus on training rather than capturing. Catching Pokémon is a big focus in the games, with trainers rewarded for filling out their Pokédex with the valuable Shiny Charm. In Pokémon Journeys, main character Goh has a goal to catch as many species as possible and is the first character in the anime who captures Pokémon simply because he wants to fill out the entire National Pokédex.
Pokémon Journeys Incorporates More Features From Pokémon Games
Pokémon Journeys has also added another first for the anime that has been a constant in the video games. In episode 53 of Pokémon Journeys, Goh catches the Legendary Beast Suicune. Throughout the history of the anime, Ash has never been able to catch a Legendary Pokémon, though he has encountered plenty in the show and movies. Catching Legendaries is a large part of the storyline for the Pokémon game series, with encountering the region's specific Legendary Pokémon being a prominent plot point. Seeing this narrative detail finally addressed in the anime has clarified it is possible for trainers to form partnerships with Legendary Pokémon in the show.
The gap between the narrative of the anime and the Pokémon game series has made the two worlds feel separate in many aspects. Thanks to the changes made in Pokémon Journeys, a bridge between the two seems to be forming, helping to fix plot-holes that have plagued the anime since its beginning. While it is likely there will always be differences between the stories presented in the games and the animated series, both versions of the Pokémon world have given different views of what a trainer's journey can look like.