Summary
- Ash and Pikachu's iconic journey came to an end after 25 seasons and 1,232 episodes of Pokemon.
- New main characters Roy and Liko take over in Pokemon Horizons: The Series, following Ash's departure.
- Throughout Pokemon's history, Ash has faced rivals, evolved his team, and rekindled old friendships in various regions.
Ash and Pikachu's journey came to an end after 25 seasons and 1,232 episodes of Pokemon. The anime, which aired for the first time in 1997, became a very significant part of a franchise that boasts many video games, manga, merchandise, and so forth. Pokemon has today become a major part of Japanese and American popular culture.
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Throughout the many seasons of Pokemon, Ash Ketchum goes on adventures with various companions, and he meets many rivals on his journey to becoming a Pokemon Master and catching them all. Some seasons are exceptional, both as Pokemon anime and anime series in general.
Updated January 16, 2025, by Ben Painter: Ash Ketchum has moved on from the anime (for now at least). He may return in the future, but there are some new faces for fans of Pokemon on the silver screen. Roy & Liko are the latest main stars of the series, in their debut adventure, Pokemon Horizons: The Series. Since 1997, there have been 25 seasons of the Pokemon anime, with a few spin-offs along the way, too. This update completes the list to include every season of the Pokemon anime series, including the latest entry, Pokemon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua.
30 Pokemon Origins
Air Date: November 15, 2013
- Key Moment: Follow the adventures of Red & Blue with an anime series related closer to the original games
Aside from the adventures of Ash and Pikachu, there are a few different anime series. Most of them are short and available online for free, such as Pokemon: Generations, Pokemon: Twilight Wings, and Pokemon Evolutions.
Pokemon Origins is slightly different. Originally, it was on YouTube but was removed, and instead, fans must buy a copy or subscribe to a streaming service to watch it. Origins follows the adventures of Red, the protagonist from the original Pokemon games, and it follows the path of the games much more closely than Ash does. Episodes are around 25 minutes, so it is longer than the other series of its type. Some may argue that it isn't a true anime series, so it doesn't deserve a particularly high rating. However, for Pokemon fans, it is definitely worth a watch.
29 Pokemon Horizons: The Series
Air Date: March 7, 2024
- Key Moment: A brand-new series of Pokemon with completely new characters
In a massive shakeup by the Pokemon Company, Ash Ketchum was not the main character of the anime after 25 years. Roy and Liko took over the mantle, but fan-favorite Pokemon such as Pikachu and Charizard are still prominent (although they do not belong to the trainer from Pallet Town).
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Many fans have received the new series very well, but there are still a few who miss Ash and his friends. Pokemon Horizons: The Series introduced a brand-new generation of fans to Pokemon animation, so it deserves some credit for that. But ultimately, it doesn't live up to the hype which Ash left behind.
28 Pokemon Horizons: Season 2—The Search For Laqua
Air Date: February 7, 2025
- Key Moment: The main cast enrolls in the Nanjara Academy and receives Tera Orbs.
Although this series is not yet out in the United States, it has been airing in Japan for some time, and countries like the United Kingdom can stream the series online. Roy & Liko are well-established as characters now, and fans can move on from older characters and embrace the new direction for the franchise.
This new season also ties in better with Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, as the main plot for those games is that the player enrolls into school and masters the Terastal Phenomenon, which is exactly what the main characters do here. Spoilers will be reserved as this series is not live everywhere in the world, but considering this series is still ongoing, it can't receive a high ranking.
27 Pokemon XY: Kalos Quest
Air Date: February 7, 2015
- Key Moment: Ash earns four gym badges as he works towards being the Champion of the Kalos region
The second series of the Pokemon XY adventures in Kalos, the middle chapter of a series, is usually quite bland in comparison. The wonder of exploring a new region and Pokemon has vanished, and the large Conference battles and defeating of the evil team or legendary Pokemon are yet to come. So, it is in an awkward middle stage.
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However, there are still some important moments in this series. Ash's Goodra says its goodbyes to the gang as it stays to protect its homeland. He hatches a Noibat as its replacement. Ash battles some Gym Leaders in this series, including his friend Clemont, in the Luminose City Gym.
26 Pokemon: Advanced Challenge
Air Date: September 11, 2004
- Key Moment: Ash gains three Gym Badges in his quest to become the Hoenn
Each Pokemon series is usually split up into three different seasons, and the middle of these seasons are usually the weakest. Pokemon: Advanced Challenge is no exception, as not much happens to forward the plot of the overarching story of the Hoenn region.
Some highlights of this one include the return of Misty for two episodes, Ash adding Torkoal to his party, and he also battles and defeats Flannery, Norman, and Winona to earn the Heat, Balance, and Feather badges. Although these middle seasons are important to progress the story along, it ultimately falls flat in comparison to the start and end of the journey.
25 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies
Air Date: February 18, 2012
- Key Moment: Ash encounters Giovanni for the first time since Mewtwo Returns
Suffering from the same fate as Pokemon XY: Kalos Quest, Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies is in an awkward middle stage. However, this gets the edge due to some more important events happening along with a lot of Gym battles.
Ash, Cilian, and Iris encounter the forces of nature: Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus, a rare encounter for Legendary Pokemon in the anime series, as this is usually reserved for the movies. Ash takes part in a couple of tournaments but doesn't win either. The finale culminates in an encounter with Giovanni, who the Pallet Town trainer doesn't actually meet that often despite him being pretty much the main villain.
24 Pokemon: DP Battle Dimension
Air Date: April 12, 2008
- Key Moment: Ash earns three gym badges and battles Gary once again
The Diamond & Pearl anime series as a whole is regarded as one of the best, but Pokemon: DP Battle Dimension is another middle series that leaves less to be desired. Other than Gym Battles, not a lot happens. Ash gains two Pokemon for his team, Buizel and Gligar.
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An awesome episode in this series is Fighting Fear with Fear! Where Ash meets up with his former rival, Gary, and they battle, but it is called off. He does, however, give Ash a Razor Fang, which he uses to evolve Gligar into Gliscor, which helps them to best Team Rocket's capture attempts once again.
23 Pokemon: Advanced
Air Date: September 13, 2003
- Key Moment: Ash & Brock begin a new chapter in the Hoenn region.
Pokemon: Advanced was significant, as it christened the first major change to the anime formula, with new main characters, May & Max, being introduced to replace Misty. This was reflected in the games too, with Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire, which this series was based on, taking a new direction as well.
Fans were introduced to the Hoenn region and a completely new roster of Pokemon. Old ones rarely appeared, including Ash's team, who had a completely new roster — apart from Pikachu, of course. Pokemon: Advanced certainly felt like a new beginning at the time, and one that worked out well.
22 Pokemon BW Adventures In Unova And Beyond
Air Date: February 2, 2013
- Key Moment: Ash competes in the Unova league and reunites with Charizard, adding him back to his team
In the final series for Ash Ketchum in Unova, it was time for him to compete in the Unova league. However, Ash's team in the Black & White season was not the strongest. There is a long recurring theme in the anime that Ash does not evolve his Pokemon but in this season there are several 'mons that did not maximize their potential.
This culminated in another disappointing league finish for Ash, finishing in the Top 8, a large bump in the road on his journey to becoming a Pokemon Master. A highlight in this series was the return of fan-favorite Charizard, which Ash re-added back to his team. This was after the Unova League. The Fire Dragon could have helped him out a lot in the finals!
21 Pokemon Chronicles
Air Date: May 11, 2005
- Key Moment: Fans catch up with side characters in a spin-off series
The only spin-off series in the Pokemon franchise, instead of following Ash Ketchum on his journeys, focuses on side characters that he meets along the way, and it gives fans an update on how they are doing following their last appearance in the main Pokemon anime.
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The series kicked off with a three-part special titled "Legend of Thunder!" Which was set in the Johto region and included Jimmy, Marina, and Vincent. The following episodes caught up with Brock, Misty, Professor Oak, and Ritchie, giving fans an interesting glimpse into what they were doing while not traveling or encountering Ash. Since it does not follow the main anime, it cannot be given a much higher ranking, however.