Pokémon

1997 • TMDB 8.0 • 25 seasons • Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Overview

On his tenth birthday, Ash Ketchum sets out from Pallet Town with a stubborn Pikachu at his side, determined to become a Pokémon Master. What follows is one of the longest adventures in animation: a journey across Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar, collecting Gym Badges, entering leagues, and befriending companions who become family. Along the way, Ash faces the ever-scheming Team Rocket, legendary Pokémon, and rivals who push him to grow. Pokémon is warm, optimistic, and endlessly watchable, mixing gentle humor with battles that reward patience and teamwork. Its simple promise, that friendship and effort matter more than winning, turned a video game adaptation into a global phenomenon that has introduced generation after generation to the world of Pokémon.

Creator and Main Cast

Pokémon is based on the Pokémon video game franchise, airing on TV Tokyo from 1997 to 2023. The voice cast includes Rica Matsumoto as Satoshi (Ash Ketchum, 1,235 episodes), Ikue Otani as Pikachu (1,235 episodes), Megumi Hayashibara as Musashi (Jessie, 1,094 episodes), and Shin-ichiro Miki as Kojirou (James, 1,091 episodes).

Seasons Snapshot

Pokémon ran for 25 seasons and 1,235 episodes on TV Tokyo, from April 1, 1997, to March 24, 2023, plus 56 specials. It opens with Indigo League (82 episodes, 1997) and Adventures in the Orange Islands (36 episodes, 1999), continues through the Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola eras, and closes with Journeys (48 episodes, 2019), Master Journeys (42 episodes, 2020), and Ultimate Journeys (57 episodes, 2021), ending with the finale “The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!”

Why Watch Pokémon?

Pokémon is comfort viewing on an epic scale. Its episodic adventures are easy to dip into, yet the long arc of Ash’s growth, from a clumsy beginner to a world champion, rewards viewers who stay for the whole journey. The show’s colorful creatures, catchy battles, and heartfelt friendships have defined childhoods around the world, and its optimism never feels dated. Whether you start at Indigo League or jump in with a later region, Pokémon remains a joyful reminder of why we fell in love with adventure in the first place.

Trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube: Pokémon: Indigo League, Season 1 on Blu-ray – Official English Trailer

Where to Watch

In the US, Pokémon streams on Tubi TV, Netflix, Disney Plus, and YouTube TV. Availability was checked against JustWatch US listings on October 29, 2026, and may change over time.