Best Pokemon Anime Seasons

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

20

Pokemon The Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures

Air Date: March 24, 2018

• Key Moment: Ash & friends battle Ultra Beasts

The Sun & Moon series was prominent for featuring a brand-new style of animation, and this continued with the second season, Ultra Adventures. In this chapter, Ash and his compatriots learn about Ultra Beasts, extradimensional Pokemon who are appearing in the Alola region.

It is up to the cast to take on these Ultra Beasts to prevent them from destroying the region. Ash even added one to his team, Poipole, which was awesome to see. There is a lot of action, and fans can see some really cool and interesting Pokemon, but it felt a little too different from what fans look for in a Pokemon season.

19

Pokemon: The Johto Journeys

Air Date: August 26, 2000

• Key Moment: Ash ventures into the Johto region for the first time

Back in 2000, seeing a brand-new Pokemon region for the very first time was spectacular. There were new Pokemon to capture, towns to explore and a whole host of new adventures. Nostalgia aside, this series is a little dated, but it is still great nonetheless.

Ash catches Heracross, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and even a shiny Pokemon, in its debut, Noctowl, which all became important Pokemon for Ash in Johto. There are a few sad goodbyes as OGs Charizard and Squirtle leave his team, but they do crop up in the future. Ash defeats Falkner and Bugsy in the Gym Battles, but not a lot else happens. This series sets up the rest of Johto going forward.

18

Pokemon: Master Quest

Air Date: September 14, 2002

• Key Moment: Ash competes in the SIlver conference, defeats Gary, and ends their rivalry

Pokemon: Master Quest has one of the best theme songs in the anime, but the series did not quite live up to that potential. It does hold a lot of nostalgia for older fans. Again, Ash made the mistake of not evolving his Pokemon, hurting his chances of becoming a league champion. Just like in Unova, in Johto, Ash only finished in the Top 8.

Ash finally had the battle with Gary, which fans had been craving, and defeated him to progress to the next round. After the battle, Ash and his old rival decide to put an end to their squabble and go back to being the friends they were as youngsters. Despite this newfound friend, it was not enough for Ash, who lost in the next round to Harrison, and then departed for the Hoenn region to continue his quest to be a Pokemon Master.

17

Pokemon Master Journeys: The Series

Air Date: September 10, 2021

• Key Moment: Ash mega evolves Lucario for the first time.

Master Journeys is the second chapter of the Pokemon Journeys anime, having run from 2020 to 2021. It follows the adventures of Ash and his friends Goh and Chloe all the way from the Kanto to Galar regions in their quest to gather research for the Cerise Laboratory.

The series ends with two interesting episodes where Dawn and Piplup are taken through a portal to a world where Pokemon no longer exist. This universe also has a surprisingly capable Team Rocket that causes havoc for the gang, providing an exciting end to an overall good season.

16

Pokemon Journeys: The Series

Air Date: June 12, 2020

• Key Moment: Ash meets Goh, and both of them join the Cerise Laboratory as research fellows

For the first time in the series, Ash travels with just one other person, Goh, and journeys around the world as a research fellow of the Cerise Laboratory. Instead of focusing on one region, Journeys takes fans back to every other region. But viewers are also introduced to the brand-new Galar region.

A lot happens in this one, including Ash adding Dragonite, Gengar, Riolu, and Galarian Farfetch’d. Fans have been crying out for some of these Pokemon to be caught by Ash since the ’90s, so it was great to see him finally use Dragonite. If only he had a Gengar and Dragonite on his team for the Indigo League, he might have won originally. Journeys was great for establishing the Pokemon world a little more and having Ash grow as a trainer.

15

Pokemon: Adventures In The Orange Islands

Air Date: June 12, 2020

• Key Moment: Ash becomes Orange League Champion

The second series of the Pokemon anime gave fans their first taste of a new land other than Kanto. The Orange Islands isn’t actually a place in the games, so there really was a sense of wonder in this second series.

The Orange Islands were a tropical paradise and Ash Ketchum caught some iconic Pokemon here, such as Snorlax and Lapras. It was also the series in which Ash first became a champion, defeating Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader Drake and earning himself a Winner’s Trophy. The Orange Islands had some iconic Pokemon moments, the Crystal Onix and the Pink Pokemon, being some that fans remember fondly.

14

Pokemon: Johto League Champions

Air Date: August 18, 2001

• Key Moment: Ash defeats some Gym Leaders in his quest to the Johto League

The Johto League takes place in the fourth season of Pokemon, which aired over two decades ago – from 2000 to 2001. Apart from the first season of the anime, Season 4 stands above the rest of the early Pokemon series. Johto League Champions features the original trio of heroes, Ash, Brock, and Misty as they travel from the iconic Goldenrod City to Snowtop Mountain.

The Johto region seems to carry a lot of history, and so this season is filled with various Pokemon mysteries that the trio needs to solve. Ash also faces three exciting gym battles, and there are a few classic Team Rocket-in-disguise moments.

13

Pokemon: Advanced Battle

Air Date: September 17, 2005

• Key Moment: Ash competes in the Ever Grande Conference, but again finishes in the top eight

Another great theme song here in Pokemon: Advanced Battle, the final one for Ash in the Hoenn region, and again he does not manage to win it, falling in the last eight to the eventual winner, Tyson.

The series was jam-packed with action; May takes part in the Hoenn Grand Festival, the final of the contests, and Ash battles a Hoenn Elite Four member in Drake. There is a lot to love about this series. It is just a shame that Ash again failed to make a real impact on the final challenge.

12

Pokemon: DP Galactic Battles

Air Date: May 9, 2009

• Key Moment: Ash & Friends battle Team Galactic and their Legendary Pokemon

Taking place in the Sinnoh region, in Galactic Battles, Ash and his friends find themselves fighting against an evil organization that poses a much greater threat than Team Rocket – the mysterious Team Galactic. The highlight of this season, though, is the conclusion of the rivalry between Ash and Paul, which starts in Season 10 with the first Diamond and Pearl series.

The final clash between the two is a full-on 6-on-6 Pokemon battle, which is filled with exciting moments. Although not as good as Season 10, Galactic Battles is an action-packed season of Pokemon.

11

Pokemon: Battle Frontier

Air Date: September 8, 2006

• Key Moment: Ash defeats the Battle Frontier and declines the invitation to become a Frontier Brain

Pokemon: Battle Frontier was the ninth series of the Pokemon anime and even, back in 2006, it offered fans a sense of nostalgia as Ash & friends traveled back to the Kanto region to take part in the newly established Battle Frontier.

The series offered some amazing battles, with Frontier Brain Brandon having Legendary Pokemon Regice, Regirock, and Registeel in his party, which at the time, was unheard of in a normal Pokemon series. Ash’s Grovyle evolved in Sceptile in this series, who proved to be one of the trainer’s strongest Pokemon. This was Ash’s last series as part of the Hoenn chapter before he departed to Sinnoh.