I really don't know how many episodes of the TV show there are now. I taped most of the first season : ) but I missed a good deal of it, due to my sole access to it being only through TV. But I'm glad for the tapes now because I don't even have cable anymore. T_T Pity me...

It seems to me that the natural target age for pokemon would be 13-ish to begin with, and I think it was intended for as much, maybe a bit younger, when I look at the first few pilot episodes. I really like the flavor of the earlier episodes, as soon as it figured out where it was headed, but it does seem pretty... cute and kind of childish. That is some of its charm, but I do wish they'd make another series (a parallel storyline, perhaps?) with an older audience in mind. (Maybe they could even aim a series at the 16-17 age group for the die-hards like myself. ^-^ ) I'd like to see the darker side of Team Rocket and a nice, deep plot. Pokemon has so much potential... It was a pity to see it reduced to a "kiddie fad" among people over here. I still have hope that it will be restored to what it deserves. I'll never quit being a fan! ^-^ And I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.