Pokemon Journeys finally returns with new episodes after anime hiatus

The adventures of Pokemon anime heroes Ash Ketchum and Goh are finally set to continue after confirmation Pokémon Journeys: The Series will end its shock four-month hiatus with the resumption of the twenty-third season.

The Pokemon anime series was originally put on the backburner due to the global pandemic, and its time slot was filled with reruns. Now, nearly four months after it was first hooked, the juggernaut show is making a triumphant return.

Pokemon’s long-awaited return officially restarted in Japan last month, but the first new-look episodes post-hiatus have only just been leaked. Poke-fan Playerking95 was kind enough to translate the new episode listings on Twitter.

Season 23’s thirty-third episode is titled “Pokemon Exchange?”. It is expected to air on August 16. From the sounds of it, fans will likely see Ash trade away one of his Pokemon, or at least consider the swap. The two other leaked episodes will be called “The Solitary Fighter, Bea!” and “Get Pikachu”.

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The second seems pretty straightforward; long-running villains Team Rocket will likely try to steal Pikachu again. The second confirms Pokemon Sword gym leader Bea’s Pokemon series debut. She has already appeared in multiple episodes of Pokemon’s YouTube web series Twilight Wings, but never the mainline anime.

Bea, who leads Stow-on-Side’s Fighting Gym in Sword, will make her debut on August 23. Her spooky Shield counterpart Ghost gym leader Allister may also be set to appear in Episode 34 too, but that has not yet been confirmed.

When will Pokemon Journeys return for westerns fans?

Unfortunately for Pokemon fans who watch the westernized version of the show, there may still be a bit of a wait ahead of you. Season 23’s English run is still nineteen episodes behind its Japanese counterpart, for the time being.

The most recent Pokemon Journeys episode to air for English audiences was ‘Flash of the Titans! (Daimax Battle! Dande, The Greatest of Them All!!,’ which premiered on Netflix on June 12 as part of a 12-episode release.

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The Pokémon Company has not yet confirmed when the next batch of Pokemon Journeys episodes will be released on the global streaming platform. If the show sticks to its original schedule, however, it will drop on Friday, September 11.

Pokemon’s spinoff YouTube series “Twilight Wings” was also temporarily delayed due to, in part, the ongoing global events. The final episode has now been handed an August 6 release date, after being delayed all the way back in May.

Twilight Wings made its YouTube debut in January. The limited web series was animated by Studio Colorado, and followed the lives of important characters from Sword & Shield as part of the promotional run for the game series.