Disney+ has added part of the original Pokémon television series, but only 27 episodes of the Indigo League arc are currently available. The move is significant because it is Disney’s first major use of newly acquired Pokémon streaming and broadcast rights, although the incomplete selection may frustrate viewers expecting the full opening storyline.

The Disney+ episodes are listed as “Pokémon the Series: The Beginning” and correspond broadly to Viz Media’s first North American DVD compilation, while Netflix retains the first 52 episodes under the Indigo League title. Both services omit episode 18, “Beauty and the Beach”; the remaining final 26 episodes of the roughly 80-episode arc can be watched free with adverts on YouTube and Tubi. Disney+ already carries later Sun & Moon seasons and several films, and the original series has also returned to Disney XD.