The Pokémon Company has shared more details regarding its upcoming animated series, Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu. First hinted at in 2024, this stop-motion project is being developed through a collaboration between Pokémon and the British animation studio Aardman, celebrated for the award-winning Wallace and Gromit and also Shaun the Sheep.
Early materials from the pilot episode of Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu—together with additional behind-the-scenes production footage—were shown to attendees during Aardman’s “Lights, Camera, Aardman!” session at this week’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. It was also revealed that the series is set in the Galar region from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, where Sirfetch’d, the avian Pokémon, first debuted. As the Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu team pointed out, Galar shares strong visual and geographic similarities with the UK, creating a “suitable backdrop” for the show. It fits the bill, if you ask us.
The British influence shows up in more than just where the story happens; it also comes through in the kind of comedy that defines Aardman’s signature style. “Aardman is thrilled to bring the vibrant physicality of stop-frame animation into the Pokémon universe,” said Sarah Cox, Aardman’s chief creative director. “Director Tom Parkinson and his team have created a handcrafted approach to the beloved Pokémon we all hold dear, with comic storytelling that spotlights the quirks, eccentricities, and appeal of our heroes as they travel through Galar on a delightfully whimsical Quest.”
Phil Rynda, director of original animation at The Pokémon Company International, added: “This endeavor offers us a unique opportunity to tell stories from the Pokémon perspective, made possible through Aardman’s outstanding craftsmanship and remarkable artistry. Their warmth and affection for this treasured cast of Pokémon shine through in every carefully produced frame.”
Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu is scheduled to arrive in 2027. We saw our first teaser for the series last year, and although The Pokémon Company has not yet released the footage shown to Annecy attendees to the public, we’re hoping more will follow soon.