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Pokémon is heading to Disney+ with Aardman, and Sirfetch’d could hardly have found a better studio
A noble Sirfetch’d who takes knighthood a little too seriously, a Pichu acting as the surprisingly sensible squire, and Aardman building the world around them by hand. Disney+'s new Pokémon deal has found a particularly strange — and promising — way to begin.
By Kader 
Pokémon is adding another major streaming partner. Disney+ announced a global distribution agreement with The Pokémon Company International on August 28, with Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu becoming its biggest new piece of original Pokémon programming.
The stop-motion series will debut on Disney XD and stream exclusively on Disney+ worldwide in 2027. It is produced by The Pokémon Company International and brought to life by Aardman, the British animation studio responsible for Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep.
This version of Galar does not need Trainers
Pokémon Tales is told from the perspective of Pokémon themselves. Sirfetch’d and Pichu travel across the Galar region on a gallant mission to help and protect other Pokémon, although the official synopsis makes it clear that their plans rarely survive contact with reality.
Director Tom Parkinson describes Sirfetch’d as noble, determined and slightly bumbling, convinced that he can become the finest knight in Galar. Pichu is his playful, curious squire and frequently the more rational member of the partnership.
That sounds almost suspiciously well suited to Aardman. Sirfetch’d already carries an enormous leek like a sword, walks around with absolute confidence and looks capable of discovering gravity at the least convenient possible moment.
The craft is doing more than changing the visual style
A new teaser premiered at Pokémon XP alongside the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco. The footage gives Galar a tactile quality that immediately separates it from the main Pokémon anime: handmade-looking foliage, textured landscapes and physical models replace the usual flat animation.
Phil Rynda, The Pokémon Company International's director of original animation, has emphasized the physical quality of Aardman's version of the world. The creative team includes Parkinson as director, Nat McKay as creative director for IP development and James Young as model making creative lead.
The project itself was known before the Disney announcement. What changed on August 28 was its distribution: Disney+ is now confirmed as the exclusive worldwide streaming home when the series arrives in 2027.
The agreement also goes back to the beginning of the anime
Disney's deal is not limited to the Aardman project. Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, featuring Ash and Pikachu's early adventures, began airing on Disney XD earlier in August and is already streaming on Disney+ in the United States and selected international markets.
The wording matters. Disney has announced a global distribution agreement, but that does not mean the entire historical Pokémon animation library is suddenly moving to Disney+. The company has identified specific titles covered by the partnership, with Sirfetch’d & Pichu receiving worldwide exclusive streaming distribution in 2027.
Pokémon keeps finding new ways out of the games
Three decades after the original video games, Pokémon remains unusually comfortable changing medium without abandoning the basic appeal of its creatures. The franchise can support competitive games, trading cards, conventional television animation and something as specific as handcrafted stop-motion.
Pokémon Tales also avoids retelling Pokémon Sword and Shield. Galar supplies the landscape and familiar species, but Sirfetch’d and Pichu get their own story rather than recreating a player's journey through the games.
Disney and The Pokémon Company have not announced a specific 2027 premiere date yet. The destination, at least, is settled: Sirfetch’d and Pichu are heading to Disney+.