Pokemon series watch order: How to navigate?

Pokemon is one of the most iconic and oldest series in the anime world. It has remained relevant for decades, with new content coming every year. With more than 20 seasons in the main series, tons of movies, and spinoff series, the franchise has something for everyone.

However, this can become a problem when someone new wants to get into the series for the first time. It can seem overwhelming and confusing to start the journey, considering the vast amount of content encapsulated by the anime. We are here to provide you with some guidance.

Disclaimer: This article will contain minor spoilers about the plot of the series.

How to start watching Pokemon?

The main series tells the story of Ash Ketchum, a kid from Pallet Town who is enamored with the idea of becoming the best Pokemon trainer in the world. When he turns ten years old, he visits Professor Oak to receive his first Pokemon, the iconic Pikachu.

The duo then embark on a journey around the world with the aim of defeating the gym leaders of every new region he visits. At the end of most seasons, Ash faces the regional league, which is a tournament played among the trainers who are able to defeat every gym leader as they fight for the title of Champion.

What is the order for the Pokemon main series?

Pokemon is normally an episodic series, with most conflicts from each new iteration resolving themselves towards the end. However, there is a bigger plot developing in the background of each episode. Most seasons can be viewed as a stand-alone series, but it usually helps to know what happened before. Here is the order you should follow:

Indigo League
Adventures in the Orange Islands
The Johto Journeys
Johto League Champions
Master Quest
Advanced
Advanced Challenge
Advanced Battle
Battle Frontier
Diamond and Pearl
Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension
Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles
Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors
Black & White
Black & White: Rival Destinies
Black & White: Adventures in Unova
Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond
XY
XY: Kalos Quest
XYZ
Sun & Moon
Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures
Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends
Journeys: The Series
Master Journeys: The Series

Also read: 5 battle mechanics that the Pokemon anime keeps getting wrong

What about the movies?

The series also has 23 movies in its catalog. Most of them follow the same structure as the anime, with each movie being their own adventure. They normally don’t affect the plot of the season that they are accompanying.

That being said, they are canonical for the most part. Each of them normally talks about legendaries that rarely ever appear in the series but are mentioned by Ash if they ever do. However, movies 20, 21, and 23 are not considered canonical to the series as they occur in a different timeline.

Primary movies

Mewtwo strikes back/Mewtwo strikes back – Evolution (Indigo League).
Note: Both tell the same story, the second one is just more recent and in CGI.
The Power of One (Orange Islands)
Spell of the Unown (The Johto Journeys)
Pokemon Forever (Johto League Champions)
Pokemon Heroes (Master Quest)
Jirachi: Wishmaker (Advanced)
Destiny Deoxys (Advanced challenge)
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (Advanced Battle)
Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (Battle Frontier)
The rise of Darkrai (Diamond and Pearl)
Giratina and the Sky Warrior (Diamond and Pearl: Battle dimension)
Arceus and the Jewel of Life (Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles)
Zoroark: Master of Illusions (Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors)
White, Victini, and Zekrom/Black, Victini and Reshiram (Black and White)
Note: This film changes slightly depending on the version you see, but the plot is the same.
Kyurem vs. The Sword of Justice (Black and White: Rival Destinies)
Genesect and the Legend Awakened (Black & White: Adventures in Unova)
Diance and the cocoon of destruction (Black & White: Adventures in Unova and beyond)
Hoppa and the clash of ages (XY)
Volcanion and the mechanical marvel (XY: Kalos Quest)

Alternate timeline

I Choose you
The power of us
Secrets of the Jungle

What about the spinoff series?

The franchise also boasts several spinoff shows that are considered non-canonical. They are really enjoyable and tell great stories on their own. However, skipping them will not have any impact on your viewing of the main series.