For years, Professor Willow has been one of the most recognisable faces of Pokémon GO, guiding players through research, discoveries and the ever-expanding Pokémon world. Now, the character is finally stepping out of the mobile game and into the Pokémon anime — and his arrival is happening at a particularly important moment for the franchise.
The upcoming crossover with Pokémon Horizons: The Series will connect the two worlds in a way fans have never seen before. Professor Willow is set to make his anime debut in the 150th episode of Pokémon Horizons, while Pokémon GO players are getting their own anime-inspired celebration featuring one very recognisable Pokémon design.
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Professor Willow Makes His Pokémon Anime Debut in Pokémon Horizons Episode 150
The biggest headline is also the part that longtime Pokémon GO players have been waiting for: Professor Willow is officially entering the Pokémon anime.
The character has been a central researcher in Pokémon GO since the mobile game’s launch, but despite his importance to the game, he has never previously appeared as a character in the main Pokémon television anime.
That changes with the 150th episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, which is scheduled to air in Japan on September 18, 2026.
The episode brings Liko, Roy, Dot and the rest of the group together with Friede for fieldwork. During their research, they encounter Professor Willow, who is travelling around the world while researching Pokémon.
And this isn’t simply a cameo designed to connect two pieces of the franchise.
The episode will incorporate recognisable elements associated with Pokémon GO and its world, making the crossover feel like an actual meeting point between the mobile game and the television series.
But Professor Willow’s arrival is only one piece of the story.
The episode is also preparing to reveal something fans have been wondering about for quite some time: how Friede first met the Pokémon that eventually became his partner Charizard.
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Pokémon Horizons Episode 150 Will Reveal Friede’s Childhood Connection to Charmander
While the Professor Willow crossover is the obvious headline, the story is also diving into Friede’s past.
Liko, Roy, Dot and the others ask Friede about how he first met his partner Pokémon. That question leads into a flashback showing Friede during his childhood, when his future partner was still a Charmander.
This gives the episode two major storylines running alongside each other.
On one side, Pokémon GO gets a major anime connection through Professor Willow. On the other, Pokémon Horizons explores the origins of one of its most recognisable character-and-Pokémon relationships.
Friede’s partner eventually evolves into Charizard, but the Charmander from his childhood is an especially important part of that history.
And there is another detail that makes this crossover particularly easy to spot.
Friede’s partner Pokémon is famous for wearing its distinctive goggles. Those goggles have become an important part of the character’s visual identity — and soon, Pokémon GO players will be able to collect Pokémon wearing them too.
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Pokémon GO Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event Adds Goggle-Wearing Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard
This is where the crossover gets even more interesting.
The anime isn’t simply borrowing Professor Willow from Pokémon GO. The mobile game is also bringing Pokémon Horizons directly into the player experience.
The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event will run globally from September 16 at 10 a.m. through September 22 at 8 p.m. local time.
The headline additions are three special Pokémon:
| Official detail | Information |
| Event | Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event |
| Start | September 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. local time |
| End | September 22, 2026, at 8 p.m. local time |
| Special Pokémon | Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles |
| Charmander evolution | 25 Charmander Candy |
| Charmeleon evolution | 100 Charmander Candy |
| Additional feature | Increased chances of encountering Kecleon at PokéStops |
| Rewards | Event encounters, research opportunities, Showcases and bonuses |
Players will be able to evolve the special Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles into the matching Charmeleon using 25 Charmander Candy.
From there, the special Charmeleon can evolve into the matching Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles using 100 Charmander Candy.
So, rather than simply encountering a one-off costumed Pokémon, players have the opportunity to build the complete goggles-wearing evolution line.
The celebration will also offer event-themed encounters, research opportunities, Showcases and additional bonuses and rewards.
One particularly notable feature is an increased chance of encountering Kecleon at PokéStops, adding another reason for players to explore during the limited-time event.
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Pokémon GO Adds GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe for the Horizons Event
The crossover doesn’t stop with costumed Pokémon.
Pokémon GO will also introduce a limited-time GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe progression system for the celebration.
Players can collect GO Points and increase their rank during the event, gradually unlocking rewards as they progress.
The free GO Pass will offer a range of rewards, including Pokémon encounters, XP, Lure Modules and other items.
For players who choose GO Pass Deluxe, the reward track will include additional Pokémon encounters, Premium Battle Passes and Rare Candy XL.
There is, however, an important deadline attached to those rewards.
Players must claim rewards earned through the GO Pass before September 24, 2026, at 8 p.m. local time.
The Pokémon GO Web Store will also offer additional bonuses with qualifying GO Pass Deluxe purchases. These bonuses include Ultra Balls, Max Revives, Premium Battle Passes and Max Potions.
That means the event isn’t just about spotting a special Charizard. There is an entire progression system attached to the celebration for players who want to participate more deeply.
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When Will Professor Willow’s Pokémon Horizons Episode Release in the UK and US?
There is one major piece of information international Pokémon fans still don’t have.
The September 18, 2026 date is confirmed for the Japanese broadcast of the crossover episode. An international release date has not yet been announced.
That distinction matters for viewers in the UK, US and other international markets.
Pokémon Horizons: The Series has been distributed outside Japan on a different schedule, including through Netflix in several markets. As a result, international viewers should not assume that the September 18 Japanese broadcast will automatically be the date the episode becomes available in their region.
For Pokémon GO players, meanwhile, the schedule is much clearer.
The Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event is scheduled to run globally from September 16 through September 22, operating according to local time.
So there are effectively two different timelines to follow: the worldwide Pokémon GO event and the currently Japan-specific anime broadcast.
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Pokémon Horizons Crossover Arrives as Pokémon Expands Beyond Ash
The timing of this crossover is also worth watching.
Pokémon Horizons represents a new era for the Pokémon television franchise following the conclusion of Ash Ketchum’s long-running journey. Liko, Roy and their companions have become the central characters of this new chapter.
Now, the series is connecting itself with one of Pokémon’s biggest mobile games while simultaneously developing the histories of its own characters.
And Pokémon’s animated universe isn’t stopping there.
Pokémon Tales and Pokémon Wild Card Expand the Franchise in 2027
The Professor Willow crossover arrives ahead of several other major animated Pokémon projects planned for 2027.
One is Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, a stop-motion animated series being developed through a collaboration between The Pokémon Company International and Aardman, the British studio behind Wallace & Gromit.
The series is scheduled to debut in 2027 and represents a major stylistic departure for Pokémon because it will use stop-motion animation.
Disney+ is also involved in the project’s international distribution, giving the series a global streaming platform.
Then there is Pokémon: Wild Card, another project scheduled for 2027.
The feature-length animated film is being produced in collaboration with CloverWorks and will centre on the Pokémon Trading Card Game, rather than returning Ash Ketchum to the lead role.
The project is particularly notable because it marks the franchise’s first new theatrical Pokémon feature in several years and continues the expansion of the Pokémon animated universe following the end of Ash’s central story.
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Why the Pokémon GO and Pokémon Horizons Crossover Matters
What makes this crossover stand out is that it isn’t moving in just one direction.
Usually, when a franchise crosses between formats, one side borrows characters or ideas from the other.
Here, both sides are getting something.
Pokémon GO is bringing Professor Willow into the anime, giving one of the game’s most recognisable characters an official place in the television Pokémon universe.
At the same time, Pokémon Horizons is moving into Pokémon GO, with Friede’s distinctive goggles appearing on Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard.
That makes the September celebration more than a standard Pokémon GO event. It directly connects the current anime era with one of the world’s most popular Pokémon mobile experiences.
And for fans of Friede, the anime episode has another major reason to watch: his childhood connection with Charmander will finally be explored.
The combination makes Episode 150 particularly significant. Fans get a new piece of Friede’s backstory while watching Professor Willow cross over from the Pokémon GO universe.
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Pokémon GO Professor Willow Crossover: The Two Dates Fans Need to Know
For anyone following both sides of the crossover, the key dates are straightforward.
September 16, 2026: The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event begins in Pokémon GO at 10 a.m. local time.
September 18, 2026: Pokémon Horizons Episode 150, featuring Professor Willow’s anime debut, is scheduled to air in Japan.
September 22, 2026: The Pokémon GO celebration ends at 8 p.m. local time.
September 24, 2026: GO Pass rewards must be claimed by 8 p.m. local time.
For international anime viewers, there is still one unanswered question: when exactly will the crossover episode arrive in their region?
Until that information is officially announced, the September 18 date should be treated specifically as the confirmed Japanese broadcast date.
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Pokémon GO and Pokémon Horizons Are Building a Bigger Pokémon Universe
Professor Willow’s anime debut may look like a simple crossover on paper, but the larger picture is much bigger.
Pokémon GO is connecting with Pokémon Horizons at a moment when the Pokémon franchise is increasingly moving beyond the single-protagonist model that defined its television history for so long.
Liko, Roy, Dot and Friede are helping shape the current anime era, while Pokémon GO continues to create its own version of the Pokémon world. At the same time, upcoming projects such as Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu and Pokémon: Wild Card are pushing the franchise into new animation styles and storytelling formats.
Professor Willow’s arrival therefore feels like another step toward a Pokémon universe where different corners of the franchise can finally collide.
For now, fans have two immediate dates to circle: September 16, 2026, when the Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event begins in Pokémon GO, and September 18, 2026, when Professor Willow is scheduled to make his anime debut in Japan.
The goggles are coming to Pokémon GO. Professor Willow is coming to Pokémon Horizons. And Friede’s Charmander story is finally getting its moment.
Disclaimer
This article is based on a thorough review of the verified information provided from the following sources: Pokémon GO’s official Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event announcement; The Pokémon Company information on Pokémon: Wild Card; The Pokémon Company UK announcement for Pokémon: Wild Card; Disney+ Press information on Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu; Aardman’s announcement regarding the series; and ComicBook.com’s report on Professor Willow’s anime debut.
Release dates, regional availability, event details and other information are subject to change. The September 18, 2026 date refers specifically to the confirmed Japanese broadcast of the Pokémon Horizons crossover episode. An international release date has not yet been announced.
More Raid-Ready Franchise News: Keeping track of release windows and scheduling mysteries is a familiar challenge across several major anime franchises right now. For more, read our story on the scheduling uncertainty surrounding Dragon Ball Super’s Moro arc and Galactic Patrol.
Sources
- Pokémon GO — Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event
- The Pokémon Company — Pokémon: Wild Card
- The Pokémon Company — Pokémon: Wild Card Coming Soon
- Disney+ Press — Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu
- Aardman — Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu
- ComicBook.com — Pokémon GO Is Finally Getting an Anime Debut With New Crossover
Featured Image Credit: Niantic / The Pokemon Company
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