The Pokemon anime proves to be one of those series that, if you look away for one second, there will be tons of movies, shorts, and full series that you missed. The rule of thumb is that if there is a new Pokemon game, you can expect a new Pokemon anime series. However, in those in-between times, things just don’t stop. Unfortunately, if you have been away for awhile, you probably will have a lot of catching up to do. Furthermore, it’s not just Pokemon Season 1 through 800, each series has its own title that means you can’t just follow a numerical label to see which to watch next.
Pokemon Watch Order
How to Watch The Pokemon Series in Chronological Order
Original Series
Season 1: Indigo League
- Episode 67+ – Pokemon Movie 1: The First Movie
- Episode 67+ – Pokemon Movie 22: Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution (CGI remake of Movie 1)
Season 2: Adventures on the Orange Islands
- Episode 105+ – Pokemon Movie 2: The Power of One
Season 3: The Johto Journeys
- Episode 155+ – Pokemon Movie 3: Spell of the Unknown
Season 4: Johto League Champions
- Episode 205+ – Pokemon Movie 4: Pokemon 4ever
Season 5: Master Quest
- Episode 256+ – Pokemon Movie 5 – Latias and Latios
Advanced Series
Season 6: Advanced
- Episode 34+ – Pokemon Movie 6: Jirachi Wish Maker
Season 7: Advanced Challenge
- Episode 85+ – Pokemon Movie 7: Destiny Deoxys
Season 8: Advanced Battle
- Episode 134+ – Pokemon Movie 8: Lucario and The Mystery of Mew
Season 9: Battle Frontier
- Episode 183+ – Pokemon Movie 9: Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
Diamond & Pearl Series
Season 10: Diamond and Pearl
- Episode 39+ – Pokemon Movie 10: The Rise of Darkrai
Season 11: Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension
- Episode 86+ – Pokemon Movie 11: Giratina and the Sky Warrior
Season 12: Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles
- Episode 135+ – Pokemon Movie 12: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Season 13: Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors
- Episode 183 – Pokemon Movie 13: Zoroark – Master of Illusions
Black & White Series (Also called the “Best Wishes” Series)
Season 14: Black & White
- Episode 39+ – Pokemon Movie 14: Black – Vicini and Reshiram
- Episode 39+ – Pokemon Movie 15: White – Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice
Season 15: Black & White: Rival Destinies
Season 16: Black & White: Adventures in Unova
- Episode 11+ – Pokemon Movie 16: Genesect and the Legend Awakened
XY Series
Season 17: XY
- Episode 35+ – Pokemon Movie 17: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction
Season 18: XY: Kalos Quest
- Episode 81+ – Pokemon Movie 18: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
Season 19: XYZ
- Episode 32+ – Pokemon Movie 19: Volcanion and the Mechanical marvel
Sun & Moon Series
Season 20: Sun & Moon
- Episode 43+ – Pokemon Movie 20: I Choose You!
Season 21: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures
- Episode 54+ – Pokemon Movie 21: The Power of Us
Season 22: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends
Journeys Series
Season 23: Pokémon Journeys: The Series
- Episode 30+ – Pokemon Movie 23: Secrets of the Forest
Do You Need to Start at The Beginning of the Pokemon Anime?
There are over a 1,000 episodes of Pokemon now, and you may wonder if you need to start at the beginning. If you are already familiar with Pokemon, be it from the games or otherwise, strictly speaking you don’t need to start at the beginning of the anime. You can jump to the season that corresponds with your favorite game/generation, and you likely won’t be lost.
However, I will say that the first series, Indigo League, really sets up the anime, introducing you to many staple characters that will be present in seasons to come. Furthermore, if you have minimal knowledge of Pokemon, the beginning is always a great place to start.
Do You Need to Watch The Pokemon Movies?
The movies of the Pokemon series are always pretty optional. They are side stories to the series, and I can’t remember a time that they were ever referenced in the main series they accompany. That being said, the movies do happen during many of the anime seasons, which means you may notice certain developments that occurred in the season during the movies. You can watch them anytime, but I have put them in the middle of many of the seasons due to that being canonically when they would take place.
Pokemon Dubbed or Subbed?
While I’ve always maintained that there isn’t anything wrong with watching dubbed anime, those watching the series will want to be aware that the dubbed version got a fair bit of censoring. This means episodes will be changed or removed altogether. It is best to watch the Japanese version if available.
