Disney+ has struck a global distribution deal with The Pokémon Company International that covers both a new original series and a classic animated run. The centerpiece is Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, a stop-motion show from Aardman that will debut on Disney XD and stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2027.
The agreement also includes Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, which has already started airing on Disney XD and is now streaming on Disney+ in the United States and select international markets. That classic series follows Ash and Pikachu through their early adventures and is the first title to launch under the new deal. Check out the teaser trailer for Pokémon Tales below:
Pokémon Tales shifts the focus away from human trainers. Sirfetch’d and Pichu travel the Galar region on a quest to help and protect other Pokémon. The missions rarely go smoothly. The official description leans into mishaps, rivalries, unexpected alliances, and comedy as the pair try to do the right thing and slowly become a team.
Aardman, the studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, is handling the stop-motion production. Director Tom Parkinson, creative director Nat McKay, and model making creative lead James Young are among the key names on the project. A teaser trailer debuted at Pokémon XP, where the team discussed how they are combining character work, physical comedy, and handmade craft to build Galar in miniature.
Phil Rynda, Pokémon’s director of original animation, said the series tells adventure and heroism from the Pokémon point of view and that Aardman’s approach makes the world feel tactile. Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, framed the deal as a way to reach both longtime fans and younger viewers, calling the Aardman series a fresh perspective on characters people already know.
Pokémon animation has spent years bouncing across networks and streaming platforms. A global Disney+ and Disney XD arrangement gives the franchise a more stable home for both archival episodes and new original work. Starting with The Beginning also puts the earliest Ash and Pikachu stories in front of a new generation at the same time Disney is lining up a stylistically different series for 2027.
Pokémon Tales is being produced by The Pokémon Company International and acquired by Disney Kids & Family for worldwide distribution. No episode count, runtime, or more precise 2027 window has been announced. For now, the teaser and the platform deal are the main takeaways: classic Pokémon is already arriving on Disney+, and a handmade Galar comedy is next.
What are your thoughts on the teaser? Will you be watching this series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!