Where and how to watch every season of the original Pokémon anime

We’re more than a week away from Pokémon Day, the annual celebration of the Japanese release of the original Pokémon games and with it, the English debut of Pokémon Horizons: The Series. The upcoming season will be the first in the series to star characters other than Ash Ketchum since the anime first premiered all the way back in 1997.

Western audiences still have a few weeks before we meet Liko and Roy, the protagonists of Pokémon Horizons, who will pick up the baton from Ketchum in the wake of his championship victory at the end of last year’s Pokémon Ultimate Journeys. In the meantime, why not take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the earlier seasons of the anime before the latest entry? We’ve broken down a list of all the services where you can watch all 25 seasons of the original Pokémon anime.

Pokémon: The original series (1997-2002)

Seasons 1-5: Indigo League, Adventures in the Orange Islands, The Johto Journeys, Johto League Champions, Master Quest

Image: OLM/The Pokémon Company

Where to stream: Netflix (first half of season 1); the Pokémon add-on channel on Prime Video or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon (second half of season 1, season 2, season 3, season 4, season 5)

The series that started it all! Aspiring Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum ventures out from his hometown of Pallet Town to explore the Kanto and later Johto regions with his electrifying partner Pokémon Pikachu, earning Gym badges and capturing other Pokémon in his quest to become the very best, like no one ever was. Along the way, Ash teams up his friends Misty and Brock and faces off against Team Rocket members Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Ruby and Sapphire arc (2002-06)

Seasons 6-9: Advanced, Advanced Challenge, Advanced Battle, Battle Frontier

A black-haired anime boy with a blue jacket and red cap (Ash), a brown-haired anime girl wearing a red shirt and bandanna (May), and a bearded man in a white lab coat (Professor Birch) recoil from sparks of lightning emanating something from off-screen.

Where to stream: Freevee, the Pokémon add-on channel on Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon

The Ruby and Sapphire arc of the Pokémon anime saw Ash leave behind the Johto region (along with his allies and Pokémon, except for Pikachu) to embark on a new adventure in the Hoenn region. While there, Ash met and befriended fellow Pokémon trainer May and her younger brother Max, who joined Ash on his quest to compete for the Hoenn Pokémon League championship.

Diamond and Pearl (2006-10)

Seasons 10-13: Diamond and Pearl, Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension, Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles, Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors

Three anime characters, one boy with black hair and a cap (Ash) with a yellow creature (Pikachu) on his shoulder, one girl with blue hair (Dawn) and a pink and white cap with a blue and white creature on her head (Piplup) and a spiky brown-haired boy with and orange and green jacket and backpack stand in front of a mountain range.

Where to stream: The Pokémon add-on channel on Prime Video or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon

After the conclusion of the Ruby and Sapphire arc, Ash Ketchum journeyed to the Sinnoh region to continue his quest to become a Pokémon master. He would eventually reunite with his old friend Brock, as well as meet a new companion in the form of Dawn, the daughter of a top Pokémon Coordinator who wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Along the way Ash also met Paul, a rival Pokémon trainer with an opposing philosophy to Ash’s belief that friendship and empathy was the key to effective Pokémon mastery.

Black & White arc (2010-13)

Seasons 14-16: Black & White, Black & White: Rival Destinies, Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond

A purple-haired anime girl (Iris), a black-haired anime boy (Ash) with a yellow creature on his shoulder (Pikachu), and a green-haired anime boy (Cilan) with a tan and green creature (Pansage) hanging on his arm, stand in front of a field of trees and mountains.

Where to stream: Tubi, the Pokémon add-on channel on Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon

The Black & White arc of the Pokémon anime followed Ash’s adventures through the Unova region. This arc introduced two new companions: Iris, a Pokémon trainer specializing in Dragon types, and Cilan, one of the Gym Leaders of the Striaton City Gym and a “Pokémon connoisseur” who matches trainers with starter Pokémon based on various forms of compatibility. The Black & White arc also introduced Team Plasma, a rival villainous organization to Team Rocket whose mission is to dismantle Pokémon society and free Pokémon from what they see as unjust captivity.

XY (2013-16)

Seasons 17-19: XY, XY: Kalos Quest, XYZ

A short-haired anime girl (Serena) with a red hat, a blonde-haired girl (Bonnie) with a brown mouse-like creature on her head (Dedenne), a black-haired anime boy (Ash) with a red cap and a yellow creature on his shoulder (Pikachu), and a blond-haired boy with round glasses (Clemont) stand in front of a cliffside with green shrubs in the background.

Where to stream: Hulu, the Pokémon add-on channel on Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon

Pokémon the Series: XY followed Ash and Pikachu exploring the Kalos region, encountering numerous new Pokémon as well as witnessing the mysterious power of Mega Evolution. Ash makes several friends, like Clemont the inventor and his little sister Bonnie, as well as Serena, a Pokémon performer who Ash met years ago when they were both children.

Sun & Moon (2016-19)

Seasons 20-22: Sun & Moon, Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures, Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends

A smiling anime boy with black hair and a red cap (Ash) rubbing his face against a yellow smiling creature (Pikachu) on his shoulder.

Where to stream: The Roku Channel, the Pokémon add-on channel on Prime Video, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon

Referred to by many Pokémon fans (including Monster Kids author Daniel Dockery) as the pinnacle of the original anime, the Sun & Moon arc saw Ash Ketchum not only undergo a major character redesign, but also introduced the Alola region and the concept of Z-moves. Instead of traveling through the region, Ash attends Pokémon school on Melemele Island, where he befriends his fellow classmates Lana, Lillie, Mallow, Sophocles, and Kiawe.

Journeys (2019-2023)

Seasons 23-25: Journeys: The Series, Master Journeys: The Series, Ultimate Journeys: The Series

A smiling anime boy (Ash) with a yellow mouse creature on his shoulder (Pikachu) bumps shoulders with another smiling anime boy with (Goh), who has an apprehensive-looking fishlike creature on his shoulder. (Sobble).

Where to stream: Netflix

The Pokémon Journeys arc brought the 26-year-long saga of the original anime to a close on a high note, with Ash finally becoming the Pokémon World Champion after defeating Leon, the Galar region Champion and “Monarch” of the Pokémon World Coronation series. The arc saw the reintroduction of several old companions, like Misty and Brock, as well as a new friend in the form of Goh, a young Pokémon trainer who had a formative experience with the elusive mythical Pokémon Mew.