Pokemon Journeys to Stream on Netflix This June

It seems Pokemon is taking its anime to Netflix as the franchise's new show will exclusively [...]

By Megan Peters

It seems Pokemon is taking its anime to Netflix as the franchise's new show will exclusively stream on the platform. After months of speculation, fans have finally been let in on the fate of the new Pokemon anime and its English future. Last year, the franchise went live with a brand-new series which follows Ash on a journey around the regions so he can eventually fight the Pokemon Champion, Dende. With a new companion at his side, this unprecedented series has been a hit with fans, and Netflix has confirmed it will stream the dubbed series shortly.

The announcement was made earlier today when Netflix blew the lid off its secret bid. For years, Disney XD has been the exclusive license holder of the Pokemon anime after it navigated away from Cartoon Network. Fans have been curious about this new series ever since it was announced, but things got hairy when Disney XD failed to announce anything about the anime following the finale of Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon. And as we have learned today, there is a reason nothing was said.

According to this new announcement, Pokemon Journeys will make its debut in the U.S. through Netflix. This is a major win for the streaming service as the Pokemon franchise is a weighty IP to tout. It wasn't long ago Neflix took everyone by surprise when it grabbed the exclusive rights to Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION which remade the anime's original film. The movie's release was a success, so there is no doubt the event was done to test the water with fans.

Thanks to a new press release from The Pokemon Company, fans were also able to learn some new details about Pokemon Journeys and its goals at Netflix. "With their tremendous reach and ability for fans to enjoy content anytime and anywhere, Netflix is the ideal partner to premiere new episodes of the beloved animated Pokemon series in the U.S.," Emily Arons, senior vice president of international business at The Pokemon Company International, said. "We can't wait for Pokemon fans of all ages to continue discovering the spirit of adventure and friendship in 'Pokemon Journeys: The Series,' our newest season coming to Netflix this June."

Pokemon isn't the only big addition coming to Netflix. The site confirmed it would begin streaming the first two arcs of One Piece yesterday which opens up the U.S. platform to other Toei Animation series such as Digimon and even Dragon Ball.

So, are you going to be tuning into this Pokemon anime? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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