Pokemon Removes Most of Its Seasons from Disney’s Archive

Pokemon has been passed around from network to network ever since it found its way to the United States. From Cartoon Network to Disney and now Netflix, it seems like Ash cannot stay still for more than a few years. These days, Pokemon has been easy to find online thanks to Netflix’s top-tier catalog, and it seems like Disney is starting to purge the anime from its archive at last.

Starting today, Pokemon fans will no longer be able to watch most of the anime through Disney. Seasons 1-21 of Pokemon have been taken off Disney XD on Demand as well as DisneyNOW. The only season still available through the service is season 22. And before you ask, no – the show hasn’t moved to Disney+ in the meantime.

At this point, no word has been given on the removal. The quiet takedown has fans wondering whether Pokemon‘s relationship with Disney is over for good. After all, things got rocky between the pair when it was announced Netflix would be the exclusive licensor of Pokemon Journeys in the United States. This move was a big one as Disney XD hosted Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon beforehand and held the license for several years. But now, that time is apparently finished.

With Pokemon now removed from Disney’s archive, fans are curious if the anime will pop up on Netflix in its entirety. The streaming service has a handful of seasons to its name in the United States. It is nowhere near as complete at 21 straight seasons, and fans would be happy to binge the hit series over on Netflix if given the chance. So if we were you, we’d keep an eye on Netflix’s schedule of incoming anime as 2021 rolls forward.

What do you make of this report? Do you think Pokemon is moving more content to Netflix? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.