Let’s be honest for a second. Trying to figure out pokemon movies and shows in order is a total nightmare. I’ve been a fan since the 90s, back when we had to record episodes on VHS tapes, and even I get a headache looking at the modern timeline. There are now over 1,200 episodes, 23 main movies, a live-action flick, and a handful of alternate-universe reboots.
If you just jump into Netflix or Prime and click the first thing you see, you’re gonna be confused. You’ll see Ash with a Pikachu, then suddenly he’s in a different region with a different hat, and then—wait, why is there a different kid named Liko now?
It’s a lot.
Basically, the "best" way to watch depends on whether you want the pure nostalgia of Ash Ketchum’s 25-year career or if you want the fresh start of the Horizons era. Here is the actual, factual breakdown of how this massive franchise fits together as of early 2026.
The Ash Ketchum Era: 25 Years of Never Aging
Most people searching for the order are looking for Ash. His journey is broken down by "Series," which usually corresponds to a specific generation of the games. Inside those series are "Seasons," which is how Western networks like Netflix or the Pokémon TV app group them.
The Original Beginning (Kanto and Orange Islands)
You start with Season 1: Indigo League. This is where it all began in 1997. Ash gets Pikachu, meets Misty and Brock, and fails a lot. Honestly, his incompetence in the first season is kinda charming.
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- Watch Movie 1 (Mewtwo Strikes Back) after episode 67. It’s a classic for a reason.
- Season 2: Adventures in the Orange Islands follows. This is technically "filler" because it wasn't in the games, but it’s where Ash wins his first actual trophy.
- Watch Movie 2 (The Power of One) during this season. It features Lugia and has some of the best music in the whole franchise.
The Johto Years (Generation 2)
Ash moves to Johto to chase after Gary Oak. This era spans Seasons 3, 4, and 5 (The Johto Journeys, Johto League Champions, and Master Quest).
- Movie 3 (Spell of the Unown) fits into Season 3.
- Movie 4 (4Ever) and Movie 5 (Heroes) happen during the later Johto seasons. Fun fact: Heroes features Latios and Latias and is one of the most visually beautiful films they ever made.
Hoenn and the Battle Frontier (Generation 3)
This is where the show really started to find its rhythm. We get May and Max, and Ash starts acting like he actually knows how to battle. This covers Seasons 6 through 9.
- Movie 6 (Jirachi: Wish Maker) and Movie 7 (Destiny Deoxys) are essential Gen 3 viewing.
- Movie 8 (Lucario and the Mystery of Mew) is a huge fan favorite because it explains "Aura," something that becomes important much later in Ultimate Journeys.
Sinnoh and Unova (Generations 4 and 5)
Sinnoh (Seasons 10-13) is widely considered the peak of the Ash era by hardcore fans. His rivalry with Paul is legit.
- Movies 10, 11, and 12 (The Darkrai, Giratina, and Arceus films) are actually a connected trilogy. Don't watch them out of order or the plot won't make sense.
Then comes Unova (Seasons 14-16). It’s... controversial. They soft-rebooted Ash's brain to make him a beginner again. It’s frustrating to watch if you’ve followed him for 15 years, but the movies like Victini and Reshiram are still decent spectacles.
Kalos, Alola, and the World Championship
If you want to see Ash at his coolest, watch Seasons 17-19 (XY and XYZ). The animation quality jumped through the roof here.
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- Movie 17 (Diancie), Movie 18 (Hoopa), and Movie 19 (Volcanion) belong here.
Then things get weird with Sun & Moon (Seasons 20-22). The art style changed to look more "squishy" and comedic. People hated it at first, but it’s actually one of the best-written eras. Ash finally wins a major League here.
Finally, we have the Journeys trilogy (Seasons 23-25). This isn't set in one region; Ash travels the whole world. It ends with him becoming the World Champion and a final 11-episode mini-series called To Be a Pokémon Master which wraps up his 25-year story.
The Modern Reboot: Pokemon Horizons
As of 2023, Ash is gone. The current show is Pokemon Horizons: The Series.
If you’re starting now, you can actually skip everything I just wrote and start here. It’s a completely fresh start with Liko and Roy.
- Season 26: Horizons (The beginning).
- Season 27: The Search for Laqua (The middle arc).
- Season 28: Rising Hope (The current season as of January 2026).
Liko’s journey is much more serialized than Ash’s. You can’t really skip episodes because there’s an ongoing mystery about a legendary trainer named Lucius and a hidden paradise called Laqua. It feels more like a modern anime and less like a "monster of the week" cartoon.
Wait, What About the Other Movies?
Here is the thing that trips everyone up. After Movie 19 (Volcanion), the Pokémon Company stopped making movies that fit into the show’s timeline.
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Instead, they made an "Alternate Universe" (AU) trilogy for the 20th anniversary. These movies feature Ash, but a different Ash who never met Misty or Brock in the same way.
- I Choose You! (2017): A retelling of the first episode but with different companions.
- The Power of Us (2018): A standalone story in a new city.
- Secrets of the Jungle (2020): The one where Ash meets a kid raised by a Zarude (basically Pokémon Tarzan).
If you’re trying to watch pokemon movies and shows in order, treat these three as their own separate bubble. They don't affect the main TV show at all.
How to Actually Watch it All Today
So, you want to dive in? Here is your actionable plan.
Don't try to watch all 1,200 episodes. You will burn out by the time you reach the Johto fillers. Instead, pick a "flavor."
- The Nostalgia Run: Watch Season 1, then Movie 1, then jump to the "Master Class" episodes of Journeys to see how it ends.
- The Competitive Fan Run: Start with Diamond and Pearl (Season 10) or XY (Season 17). These are the seasons where the battles actually use strategy.
- The Fresh Start: Start with Pokemon Horizons. It’s on Netflix, the animation is stellar, and you don't need to know who Ash Ketchum is to enjoy it.
One final pro-tip: check out the "web series" on the official Pokémon YouTube channel. Pokémon Generations, Twilight Wings, and Paldean Winds are short (3-5 minutes), but they have better writing than most of the main show. They are perfect for when you have a coffee break but want a quick hit of Pokémon lore.
Keep an eye on Netflix for Rising Hope Part 1, which just dropped this January. It's the best the show has looked in years.