Although most specials take place within the main anime canon, only two of them have Ash in a starring role. Instead, they may focus on recurring characters, Team Rocket, former main characters who were Put on a Bus, the Pichu Posse, or even never-before-seen original characters.
The planetarium specials were aired exclusively in Japanese planetariums and space museums.
Numbered Special Episodes
- "A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!"
- "Cerulean Blues"
- "We're No Angels"
- "Showdown at the Oak Corral"
- "The Blue Badge of Courage"
- "Of Meowth and Pokémon (Part 1)"
- "Of Meowth and Pokémon (Part 2)"
- "Oaknapped"
- "Big Meowth, Little Dreams (Part 1)"
- "Big Meowth, Little Dreams (Part 2)"
- "A Date with Delcatty"
- "Training Daze"
- "Celebi and Joy"
- "Journey to the Starting Line"
- "Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl"
- "Luvdisc is a Many Splendored Thing"
- "Those Darn Electabuzz!"
- "The Search for the Legend"
- "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!"
- "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness"
- "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness"
- "Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (Part One)"
- "Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (Part Two)"
- "Dawn - Setting off on a New Journey!" (unaired outside of Japan)
- "Pewter Gym - The Greatest Crisis Ever!" (unaired outside of Japan)
- "Mewtwo - Prologue to Awakening"
- "Cilan and Brock! Gyarados' Outrage!!" (unaired outside of Japan)
- "Iris vs. Clair! The Road to Become a Dragon Master!!" (unaired outside of Japan)
- "Mega Evolution Special I"
- "Diancie, Princess of the Diamond Domain"
- "Mega Evolution Special II"
- "Mega Evolution Special III"
- "Lights! Camera! Pika!"
- "Hoopa - The Mischief Pokémon"
- "Mega Evolution Special IV"
- "The Legend of X, Y, and Z!"
Unnumbered Special Episodes
- "Pokémon, Fall Special!" (clip show, unaired outside of Japan)
- "It's the New Year! Pokémon Special!" (clip show, unaired outside of Japan)
- "Slowking's Day" (unaired outside of Japan)
- "Trouble in Big Town"
- "Mewtwo Returns"
- "The Legend of Thunder!"
- "The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon"
- "15th Anniversary Celebration! A Super Ranking Special on Noteworthy Movie Scenes!!" (clip show, unaired outside of Japan)
- "Hoopa's Surprise Ring Adventures"
- "The Distant Blue Sky"
Planetarium Specials
- "Challenge from the Sky"
- "Get Together! Pokémon Planet Center"
- "Get Together! Pokémon Star Festival"
- "Celestial Globe of Light and Shadow"
- "Celestial Debris"