Aardman Animations and The Pokémon Company have revealed artwork and story details for their new stop-motion series, Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu.
Members from both teams gave an update for the new project as part of an Aardman panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In addition to a new image showing the titular Sirfetch’d and Pichu, the segment in question included an official synopsis for the show, promising a journey through the United Kingdom-inspired Galar region as fans await its 2027 premiere.
“Our heroes embark on a gallant quest to help and protect Pokémon across the region,” a synopsis published by The Pokémon Company says. “Their missions rarely go as planned, but their noble deeds forge their friendship as they step bravely into the unknown. Peril, alliances, rivalries, extraordinary Pokémon, and endless laughs await them.”
It’s been nearly one year since the studio behind Wallace & Gromit announced Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, so The Pokémon Company’s director of animation, Phil Rynda, packed in a few extra details for Annecy attendees. Rynda and Aardman chief creative director Sarah Cox provided the audience with behind-the-scenes insights, fresh footage from the pilot, and more information about how the team has used its tried-and-true stop-motion skills to tell a new story in the Pokémon universe.
“Aardman are delighted to bring the vivid physicality of stop frame animation into the Pokémon world,” Cox said in a statement. “Director Tom Parkinson and team have created a hand-crafted spin on the wonderful Pokémon we all know and love with comedic storytelling that celebrates the quirks, eccentricities and charms of our heroes as they explore Galar on a delightfully offbeat quest. Aardman and Pokémon share a strong commitment to creativity and talent on this shared quest of our own to bring joy to audiences across the world.”
Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu is expected to premiere at some point in 2027. While much was revealed at Annecy, we’re still waiting for a firm release date to be announced.
While gamers continue to dive into games like Pokémon Pokopia, The Pokémon Company has spent some time fleshing out its TV offerings. In late 2023, it released the first season of Pokémon Concierge, another stop-motion series handled by Netflix and Dwarf Studios. We gave it a 7/10 review upon its release, and more episodes followed in 2025.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
