For the first time in over a decade, Pokemon is moving homes. The Pokemon Company announced today the long-running anime series would be leaving Cartoon Network and running its new season on Disney XD starting next month. This breaks an 11-year record for CN, who acquired the series from its original network home on Kids WB.
This news was accompanied by the release of the first English trailer for the Pokemon anime’s Sun and Moon edition — which, as we pointed out before, uses a radically different animation style than what has come before it. More than just the network is changing.
The switch will occur December 5, when Disney XD will kick things off with the US debut of Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, the latest Pokemon feature. After that they’ll air a special one-hour preview of the Sun and Moon cartoon, but the series itself won’t begin its regular run until 2017.
And yes, Disney XD now owns the broadcast rights to all previous 19 seasons of the series, as well as the previous 15 movies, so look forward to some classic nostalgic marathoning (which you previously had to get Boomerang to experience). Pokemon and Yo-Kai Watch are now on the same channel. Play nice, you guys….
EDIT: The full press release from the Pokémon Company International follows:
THE POKÉMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES DISNEY XD WILL AIR POKÉMON ANIMATION IN THE US
New Season of the Popular Pokémon Animated Series and New Pokémon Animated Movie to Premiere on Disney XD in the US
Bellevue, WA—Thursday, November 17—The Pokémon Company International announced today a multiyear animation distribution deal with Disney XD, making the network the new home for Pokémon animated content in the US. Disney XD and its multiple platforms will air the 20th season of the popular Pokémon animated series and much of the Pokémon animation library, including 19 previous seasons consisting of over 900 episodes, plus 15 movies.
The upcoming season of the beloved Pokémon animated series, premiering on Disney XD in early 2017, will be titled Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and will feature new characters and action-packed adventures that continue the great storytelling and narrative of the Pokémon universe. Disney XD in the US will also premiere the new feature-length animated film, Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, on Monday, December 5, when viewers will also get a sneak peek at the upcoming season with the debut of the first two episodes.
“During our 20-year celebration, fans’ appetite for Pokémon is at an all-time high, and The Pokémon Company International is thrilled to join forces with Disney XD as the new home for Pokémon animation in the US,” said Emily Arons, senior vice president at The Pokémon Company International. “Disney XD is the perfect way to deliver Pokémon animation to kids and fans across the country on its multiple platforms.”
Pokémon animated content currently airs on Disney XD in Europe. Additional air dates for Pokémon animated content on Disney XD in the US will be announced at a later date.
Fans can view a new full-length trailer for Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel here:
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.
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