The Pokémon Company International’s licensed series Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu will be distributed by Disney as part of newly announced global distribution deal between the two companies, Deadline reports. The Japanese monster-catching franchise’s newest venture will premiere on Disney XD before streaming worldwide on Disney+ in 2027.
Helmed by legendary stop-motion animation studio Aardman, Sirfetch’d and Pichu is set in Galar, a fictitious region of the Pokémon world that draws heavy cultural inspiration from the United Kingdom. The series follows the exploits of the avian Sirfetch’d and his sidekick Pichu as they traverse the plains in a quest equal parts noble and farcical to protect their fellow Pokémon. (Basically, it’s Don Quixote with Pokémon.) A trailer for the series is available below.
Of course, longtime fans will recognize that the TV screen is far from uncharted territory for Pokémon. Arguably the franchise’s most enduring cultural export during the initial ‘Pokémania’ craze of the 1990s was Pokémon: The Series, an animated spin-off which followed young trainer Ash Ketchum as he battled and adventured to become a “Pokémon Master”. It would take twenty-six years and over 1,200 episodes before Ketchum’s crusade finally reached an end — and even now, the journey continues on the sequel series Pokémon Horizons. Disney+ will also begin airing reruns of Ash’s earlier adventures, now distinguished as Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, as part of their distribution deal.
“Pokémon has that rare ability to mean something to longtime fans while continuing to feel completely relevant to young audiences today,” president of Disney Kids & Family Ayo Davis stated in an official company press release. “This new series Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu brings Aardman’s signature stop-motion artistry with a bold, playful new perspective to this beloved world, giving audiences a fresh way to experience the characters they know and love… (…) Aardman has brought Galar to life in a way that makes you feel like you can smell the air, touch the tree bark, and want to adventure alongside our series heroes.”
Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu as well as Pokemon the Series: The Beginning will stream on Disney+ worldwide in 2027.