With the release of the seventh and final episode, the entirety of Pokémon: Twilight Wings is available to watch for free on The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel. The first episode premiered back in January 2020 —in the “before times” —and the climatic final episode was only delayed by a short few weeks. Pokémon: Twilight Wings is the second collection of shorts Pokémon has released on YouTube. The first from 2016, Pokémon Generations, told stories generally straight from the video games. The Twilight Wings collection features a more intimate look at characters and Pokémon from the Galar region of Sword and Shield. These heartfelt shorts tell stories much more quietly than the rambunctious main anime series or action-packed Generations and are paired with fantastic, beautiful animation.
The first episode features a sick child who sends a letter, which ties into the entirety of the series.Though each episode afterwards tends to spotlight a different character (with a few returning faces), Twilight Wings’ episodes all share one theme in common: Overcoming inner turmoil. Characters in Twilight Wings struggle with low self-esteem, regret, disappointment, and more, and all face their problems in different, unique ways. Bea heads to the Wild Area to train in rugged conditions, Wooloo tries to prove itself, and Nessa becomes inspired by a Pokémon, for example. Don't expect intense Pokémon battles or extreme action in most episodes (except in the final, impressive sequence of the last episode), but there are plenty of lively Pokémon appearances that are made even more enjoyable by the gorgeous animation. It’s a subdued take on storytelling in the Pokémon universe, but the style lends itself to a more mature tone overall, something I wholeheartedly appreciate as an “older” Pokémon fan. Don't get me wrong, the main Pokémon series is a fun, nostalgic watch, but Twilight Wings explored characters and stories otherwise untold, making it much more impactful to me in comparison. I pathetically admit most Pokémon media can leave me inexplicably weepy, but Twilight Wings consistently tugged at my heartstrings for actual, legitimate reasons. I can only hope the Pokémon company continues creating spinoff animations like Twilight Wings, Generations, and Origins. I would love to look forward to a new Twilight Wings-like episode each month. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-cutest-pokemon-from-sword-and-shield&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Casey DeFreitas still watches the Pokémon animated series on the regular, and is probably doing something Pokémon-related right now. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.
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