Netflix announced that the final 12 episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series will be released in March. The 12 episodes will include a return to the Alola region, the anime adaptation of Pokémon sword and shield storyline along with a clash with the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo. Pokémon Journeys: The Series follows protagonist Ash Ketchum and his new travel companion Goh as the pair travels the Pokémon world researching Pokémon, competing in the prestigious World Coronation Series competition and trying to capture all known Pokémon species. This is the fourth batch of new episodes released on Netflix, bringing the total number of episodes to 48.
However, today’s announcement was met with a bit of confusion and anguish, as Netflix and The Pokémon Company noted that these were the “final episodes” of Pokémon Journeys. Netflix is unlikely to be canceling its deal with The Pokémon Company, as the platform became the main home for new Pokémon episodes just over a year ago. However, we will probably see a “makeover” of the Pokémon anime series, similar to how the final season of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon was called Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends is listed separately from the other episodes of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon despite being a direct continuation of that series. Interestingly, while The Pokémon Company’s official press release on the new episodes noted that these were the “final” episodes of Pokémon Journeys, there was no mention of this in any Pokémon social media post.
There are more regions to explore, Pokémon to capture and battles to win with Ash and Goh!
📅 Mark your calendars, coaches – more #PokemonJourneys: The series arrives in the USA @Netflix 3/5! pic.twitter.com/miwMx7sEs9
– Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 5, 2021
We will note that earlier this year, The Pokémon Company added a URL to “legends.pokemon.com”, which many believed to be linked to the anime series. This may mean that we will see the announcement of an anime series “Pokémon Legends”, which makes sense, as Goh recently obtained the Legendary Pokémon Suicune in episodes that aired in Japan.
Obviously, the end of Pokémon Journeys it’s a big problem for Pokémon fans, even if it’s just a temporary measure. We will have to see if there is any interruption in the showing of new Netflix episodes, or if this is only leading to another redesign of the TV series in the United States.