How to watch Pokémon in order: All the TV series, movies and specials
With Ash Ketchum making way for new Pokémon heroes, this iconic anime franchise is still going strong.
It's hard to believe that after 25 years of adventures, 2024 saw Pokémon fans bid farewell to the franchise's longtime protagonist, who kicked off this legendary series in 1996: the one and only Ash Ketchum.
Fans will know that Ash's goal was to win the Pokémon World Championship. After so many years, he reached that goal. It was a momentous moment for viewers, but it also signalled the end of his arc and the start of something new.
After all, with Ash's departure, he makes way for new heroes to lead the next chapters of the Pokémon saga.
It was also a departure that had been a long time coming. For generations of fans, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu were the faces of the franchise, and older fans will always have an Ash and Pikachu-sized hole in their heart.
Even so, with 25 years' worth of episodes, their adventures had started to feel pretty repetitive.
That's where The Pokémon Company's new animated series, Pokémon Horizons, came in. It was released in Japan on 14th April 2023, and brought a new setting, and two new heroes – Liko and Roy – accompanied by their Pokémon friends, Sprigatito and Fuecoco.
It released in the UK later in the year, on 1st December.
Pokémon Horizons is currently airing its second season, The Search for Laqua. For fans in the US, the season is set to premiere on 7th February 2025. However, UK fans are in luck, as the run premiered on BBC iPlayer on 13th January 2025.
For fans who want to relive the old days or newcomers who want to know where to start, there's still a truly tremendous back catalogue of Pokémon shows and movies to watch.
With so much to dive into, the vast amount of Pokémon media may seem daunting initially, but don't fret – we've got you covered! Here's how to watch Pokémon in order.
How to watch Pokémon in release order
Happily, the Pokémon timeline isn't too complicated. New instalments run parallel to their release order – although the characters obviously don't age in real time.
If you want to watch the Pokémon anime franchise from the very beginning, start here:
- Season 1: Indigo League
- Season 2: Adventures on the Orange Islands
- Season 3: The Johto Journeys
- Season 4: Johto League Champions
- Season 5: Master Quest
- Season 6: Advanced
- Season 7: Advanced Challenge
- Season 8: Advanced Battle
- Season 9: Battle Frontier
- Season 10: Diamond and Pearl
- Season 11: Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension
- Season 12: Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles
- Season 13: Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors
- Season 14: Black & White
- Season 15: Black & White: Rival Destinies
- Season 16: Black & White: Adventures in Unova
- Part I: Black & White: Adventures in Unova
- Part II: Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond
- Season 17: XY
- Season 18: XY: Kalos Quest
- Season 19: XYZ
- Season 20: Sun & Moon
- Season 21: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures
- Season 22: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends
- Season 23: Pokémon Journeys: The Series
- Season 24: Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series
- Season 25: Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series
- Season 26: Pokémon Horizons: The Series
- Season 27: Pokémon Horizons – The Search for Laqua (AKA Pokemon Horizons season 2)
How to watch the Pokémon movies in order
Given the popularity of the Pokémon brand, it's no surprise that multiple feature-length movies are available alongside the anime series.
These movies often spotlight exciting new Pokémon from elsewhere in the franchise and tell bigger stories about Pokémon's signature heroes.
You don't have to watch them to understand the animated series as a whole, but so much of the supplementary material is worth watching anyway.
Here's our recommended viewing order:
- Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
- Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back
- Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution
- Pokémon the Movie 2000
- Pokémon 3 the Movie: Spell of the Unown
- Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us
- Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi – Voice of the Forest
- Pokémon Heroes
- Pokémon: Jirachi – Wish Maker
- Pokémon the Movie: Destiny Deoxys
- Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
- Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
- Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai
- Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior
- Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
- Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions
- Pokémon the Movie: White – Victini and Zekrom
- Pokémon the Movie: Black-Victini and Reshiram
- Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice
- Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened
- Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction
- Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
- Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
- Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
What order should I watch the Pokémon ONA?
The ONA (original net animation) specials are a chance to break from the main adventures starring Ash Ketchum. Some turn back the clock to earlier periods in the main character's journey, while others are standalone stories designed to be accessible to new viewers.
The canon watch order to watch these specials is:
- Pokémon Generation
- Pokémon: Twilight Wings
- Pokémon Legends
- Pokémon: The Hallowed God, Arceus/ Pokémon: Arceus Chronicles
- Pokémon: Hisuian Snow
- Pokémon Concierge
Though there is a timeline to follow, you could jump right into the ONA first without watching a single episode of the mainline series.
What order should I watch the Pokémon specials?
The Pokémon franchise also includes a bunch of specials focusing on specific Pokémon. The good news is that they're easy to watch without getting tied up in lore and timelines. They're barely connected to the main Pokémon timeline, so you can just jump in and watch them whenever you like.
The chronological watch order is as follows:
- Pikachu Shorts (1998 – 2015)
- Mewtwo Returns
- Pokémon Chronicles
- Pokémon Sunday
- Pokémon: The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon
- Pokémon Origins
- XY Specials
- Pokémon: Arceus Chronicles
- Detective Pikachu
Where can I watch Pokémon?
The problem with the Pokémon anime franchise is that they are scattered across a variety of platforms, so you're going to have use a few different services if you want to watch 'em all.
Here are the places you can watch Pokémon in the UK:
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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