CoMIX Wave Films, the acclaimed animation studio known for blockbuster hits like Your Name (2016) and Suzume (2022), delighted fans last year by releasing a special Pokémon anime in celebration of Pokémon Day 2025. The beautifully crafted short film is now available for free streaming on YouTube.
The official Pokémon website has announced that “Dragonite and the Special Delivery” is now accessible on Pokémon’s US-based YouTube channel. Notably, this film stands apart from the ongoing anime series, Pokémon Horizons, which is currently enjoying its third season.
This independent short film unfolds in the vibrant region of Paldea, the central location of the Generation XI video games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Viewers are invited to enjoy this captivating 13-minute tale, which can be watched below.
Alternatively, it features a standalone narrative set in Paldea, the region that serves as the main setting for the Generation XI video games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Readers can check out the 13-minute short below.
Pokémon Dragonite Anime by Your Name Studio Now Streaming for Free
Notably, Dragonite and the Special Delivery deviate from Pokémon’s traditional focus on catching and battling. Its story revolves around Nana, a young girl who aspires to become a skilled mail carrier like her childhood hero, Dragonite. One day, she stumbles upon a letter with no address and resolves to deliver it on the sender’s behalf.
Her search for the writer leads her to Rio, who wants to wish his father a happy birthday while the latter is away on a job in the Kanto region. Hana’s desire to help Rio leads her to Dragonite, and an exciting adventure begins.
While Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second, Your Name) is the directorial mastermind behind many of CoMIX Waves Films’ most iconic productions, Dragonite and the Special Delivery was helmed by Taku Kimura. In addition to directing Star Wars: Visions (2021), Kimura served as an assistant director on Madhouse’s popular drama series A Place Further Than the Universe (2018). Tatsuku Watanabe (Your Name, Flavors of Youth) served as the film’s Art Director.
CoMIX Waves Films’ last feature-length production was Suzume, an original movie written and directed by Shinkai. After three years of relative quiet from the critically acclaimed director, Shinkai announced via social media in November 2025 that he had officially begun work on a new film alongside “dependable companions.” Beyond this teaser message, this film has not received a formal announcement or release window (as of May 2026).
While details about Shinkai’s next work are being kept under lock and key for now, CoMIX Waves Films is gearing up for the upcoming debut of Shiranui, an original anime short scheduled to premiere in Japanese theaters on Aug. 21, 2026. The narrative revolves around 10-year-old Minato — a young boy who suffers immensely at the hands of an alcoholic father. As a coping mechanism, Minato befriends an oceanic goddess he nicknames “Ben-chan.”
The anime marks the directorial debut of Ryo Katanosaka, who also created the concept and wrote the screenplay.
YouTube offers a plethora of content for die-hard Pokémon fans. Pokémon TV, a companion channel to Pokémon’s official YouTube channel, currently hosts Pokémon Seasons 1-7, which chronicle Ash Ketchum and Pikachu’s adventures in the Kanto, Johto and Hoenn regions.
The channel updates its episode lineup five times per week with new installments of season 8. Additionally, the aforementioned Pokémon Horizons series is available on Netflix.
- Release Date
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1997 – 2023
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
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Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)