BACK in January, Pokémon fans were devastated to find that their favourite series would soon be removed from Nintendo Switch consoles.
The app called Pokémon TV used to feature several seasons of the Pokémon anime and these were free to download and watch as much as you liked.
It included many seasons of the show and was an easy way for people to watch episodes of the Pokémon anime in one place.
Now different series of the anime are spread across multiple sites and streaming services, and it can be hard to find the exact episodes you want.
The latest season, Pokémon Horizons, is on BBC and iPlayer in the UK, but it is much more difficult to find and watch older episodes.
Pokémon is now collaborating with WildBrain to make 22 seasons of the Pokémon anime available in one place.
WildBrain will host over a thousand episodes across six different regions all featuring the original protagonist of the show Ash Ketchum.
Episodes from Kanto all the way to Ash’s adventures in Alola will be available for free via services and smart devices Samsung, LG, Roku, Tubi, and Pluto.
Unlike Pokémon TV which would allow you to choose the episode that you wanted and was ad-free, these episodes will roll and are supported by advertising.
It has some benefits over Pokémon TV, though, as it will feature many more episodes and seasons than the app.
Just before Pokémon TV was shut down it only featured seasons 1, 2, and 20 through to 25.
WildBrain is aimed at children, who aren’t as discerning when it comes to which episode of their favourite show is running.
However, for adult fans of the show this is less than ideal, but they can find specific episodes elsewhere.
Netflix subscribers can watch the first season of the anime, while Amazon Prime members can watch Seasons 3-9.
With how long the Pokémon anime has been running, it seems inevitable that it would be difficult to keep the series’ and licences so that the series could be kept in one place.
It’s unlikely that Pokémon TV will make a comeback so the WildBrain collaboration is probably the closest we get.
If you want to read more about Pokémon, check out the latest announcements from the Pokémon World Championships.
Get the lowdown on more of the latest Nintendo Switch releases from our expert reviewers.
For Xbox Series X and PS5 reviews, check out our full game reviews section.
