EP001
From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
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Pokémon - I Choose You!
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First broadcast
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English themes
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Japanese themes
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Credits
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Pokémon - I Choose You! (Japanese: ポケモン！ きみにきめた！ Pokémon! I Choose You!) is the very first episode of the Pokémon anime. In the US, however, the first episode shown was Battle Aboard the St. Anne. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 1, 1997 and was first broadcast in the United States on September 8, 1998.
| Spoiler warning: Major plot or ending details may follow. |
Contents |
Synopsis
The episode began the same way as Pokémon Red, down to the style of the images and the sound. A Nidorino and a Gengar were exchanging attacks in a battle. After Nidorino dodged Gengar's attack, it leaped at it. At the same time, the game started to come to life, with the small frame enlarging into the entire screen, and the monochrome Pokémon fading into color.
The two were battling in a stadium at the Pokémon League, watched by crowds of fans. Gengar dodged Nidorino's Fury Attack, and then jumped on its head to make an opening to put it to sleep with Hypnosis. As Nidorino fell asleep, its Trainer recalled it into its Poké Ball, and then threw out another to take its place. The Gengar jumped back as an Onix came out. It tried to Slam into Gengar face-first, but missed and hit the battlefield instead. It pulled back up, unphased.
This battle was being watched on television by a boy from Pallet Town named Ash Ketchum. He was now ten years old, which meant he could become a Pokémon Trainer. Tomorrow, he would receive a starter Pokémon from Professor Oak and start his Pokémon journey, the first step on the long quest of his dream of becoming a Pokémon master.
His mother entered the room and reminded him that it was 11 o'clock at night, and that he should be asleep. He complained that he was too excited to fall asleep. As a compromise, his mother changed his television's channel to Professor Oak's lecture, and told him to go to bed when the program is finished.
That night, he dreamt about the starter Pokémon as he tried to decide which one he wanted. First, he dreamt of choosing and sending out Bulbasaur, and then Squirtle. The night turns to morning, and Ash, still in bed, dreamt about if he chose Charmander. Suddenly, he bolted awake to find that he threw his Poké Ball-shaped alarm clock in his sleep, and it had smashed against the wall. Afraid that he might have overslept, Ash bolted out of his house in his pajamas and ran as fast as he can to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Outside the laboratory, a crowd of people had gathered, including a group of cheerleaders. Ash pushed through and bumped into his rival, which is the grandson of the professor, Gary Oak. Gary taunted him for being late. He told Ash that he had already received his starter Pokémon from his grandfather. He boasted to the crowd that he will make Pallet Town famous by becoming a Pokémon master. Ash, however, was more interested in finding out what starter Gary chose. Gary told him that it was the best one, and then leaves in a red sports car, followed by the crowd.
Before Ash could say anything about how upset he was by his rival, Professor Oak approaches him. Ash drops his anger and asks about getting a Pokémon. Professor Oak seems doubtful that he's ready, since he showed up in his pajamas, but Ash insists that he's ready.
Inside Oak's laboratory, three Poké Balls were set up on a storage device, with a place for a fourth in the center. Ash decided that he would like to start with Squirtle, but when he opens the Poké Ball, he found that it was empty. Professor Oak told him it was taken by a Trainer who wasn't late. After this, he decided he'd like Bulbasaur, but this Poké Ball was also empty. He had no choice but to go for the last choice, Charmander, but the final Poké Ball was also empty. The three were all taken by Trainers who arrived on time, and it seemed that there was no Pokémon left for Ash.
Professor Oak mentions that he had another Pokémon, but that there was a problem with it. Ash wanted it anyway. In the fourth spot in the middle, a Poké Ball appeared that had a lightning bolt mark on it. He picked it up and handed it to Ash. The ball opened, and in a burst of lighting, Pikachu came out of the ball. Ash loved the cute Pokémon, and picked it up and hugged it. Pikachu didn't like this, and shocked him with an Electric attack. Oak handed him a Pokédex and six Poké Balls, but got shocked as well when he touched Ash.
When Ash stepped outside the laboratory, he found a small crowd had gathered as well, including his mother, who was sad to see him leaving. She had gave him his bag full of supplies, and started explaining everything she packed for him. He got embarrassed and pulled it away. She saw Pikachu, and wondered why it wasn't in its Poké Ball. He tried to get it in, but it hit the ball back every time. Ash said that they are friends, even despite Pikachu's behavior. His mother called it weird, and in anger, it shocked the entire crowd with its electricity.
Soon, Ash set off, trying to get a handle on the rebellious Pokémon by wearing rubber gloves and dragging it with a clothesline leash. After getting tired of dragging it along, he tried to talk to it and find out what was wrong, only to find out that Pikachu can't say anything but its name. He tried to convince it to get back in its Poké Ball, and pulled out his new Pokédex for information on it. His Pokédex explained that Pokémon must be kept in the Poké Ball. Then Pikachu click it, it explained that not all Pokémon like to be kept in Poké Balls. Ash decided to earn Pikachu's trust by treating it nicely, and he untied the clothesline and took off his rubber gloves. Pikachu turned away.
Then, a Pidgey walked out near them, and Ash scanned it with his Pokédex for more information. He was eager to catch it, but Pikachu didn't want to help him and instead, ran up a tree. Frustrated, Ash decided to try and catch the Pidgey without Pikachu's help. He threw a Poké Ball at it, but the Pidgey broke out easily. The Pokédex explained that a Pokémon should be weakened before it can be caught. Pikachu laughed at Ash. He tried again, this time attempting to throw his pajama shirt on top of the Pidgey, but the bird blew him off with a Gust and then hit him with a Sand-Attack before it flew away. Pikachu laughed at Ash more. Ash turned and saw that a Rattata was digging through his bag. He scanned it with his Pokédex, which mentions that Rattata is a forest Pokémon. Just as Ash questioned why it came out into the field, the Pokédex explains that it sometimes leaves its habitat to steal from stupid travelers. Pikachu laughs at Ash even more.
Ash turned and saw a group of Pidgey in the field, and threw a rock at them, which only scared them away. However, he saw another bird Pokémon in the field and threw another rock at it, which hit it in the back of its head. When it turned to look at him, however, he realized that he didn't hit a Pidgey; he scanned it with his Pokédex and learned that this was a Spearow, which is considerably less friendly than a Pidgey. The Spearow swooped several times to attack him, and then spots and targets Pikachu instead. The Pokédex explains that wild Pokémon are sometimes jealous of trained Pokémon. Just as the Spearow was about to knock Pikachu out of the tree, Pikachu shocked it with an Electric attack, knocking it out of the sky.
The Spearow, however, cried for help, and Ash and Pikachu started running away from a flock of angry Spearow. Pikachu ran ahead of Ash, and the Spearow flew after it, attacking it until it fell to the ground. The Spearow started swarming around it, but Ash grabbed his injured Pikachu and ran straight to a waterfall. He jumped into the river below to escape the Spearow, and was being dragged into a large pond, narrowly swimming out of the path of a Gyarados.
On the shore of this pond, a girl was fishing, and is excited to find that she had a bite. However, instead of a Water-type Pokémon, she pulls out Ash and Pikachu. She didn't care about Ash, but was very concerned about the injured Pokémon in his arms. She told him that he needed to take it to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, and pointed out the way to go. However, he heard the distant cries of Spearow, and turned to see the flock in the sky, flying toward him. He stole the girl's bike, putting the Pikachu in its basket, and rode away, promising that he would bring it back someday. The girl screamed at him as Ash rode away, but he ignored her.
He quickly started to ride to Viridian City, with storm clouds above him and the tens of Spearow in close pursuit. Soon, it started to rain. He rode the bike over a ledge, and it fell on its side, which knocked Ash and Pikachu off. Ash found himself looking at his injured Pikachu lying on the ground, with the Spearow approaching and the storm growing worse. Desperate to save his Pokémon, he left Pikachu's Poké Ball next to it, and then stood before the Spearow, telling them to attack him in order to give Pikachu time to get inside its ball where it would be safe. However, just as the Spearow are about to dive on Ash, Pikachu leapt up and over Ash's shoulder. It jumped at the flock of Spearow. The lightning from the storm was drawn to Pikachu, highly raising its potential and strength by vast amounts, and it used a massive electrical attack to take out the entire flock, as well as the girl's bike. Pikachu was drained of stamina from the effort.
Once the storm had cleared, Ash and Pikachu both rose from where they were knocked back on the ground, exhausted but victorious. Ash looked up and saw an unknown Pokémon majestically flying through the sky, over the rainbow that had been left after the storm, however his Pokédex could not identify the species.
He continued on, carrying his new friend, Pikachu in his arms as he walked the rest of the way to Viridian City, knowing that something big was ahead of him; something to fight for.
Major events
- Ash, Gary, and two unnamed Trainers begin their journeys.
- Ash starts with a Pikachu.
- Gary starts with a Squirtle*.
- Ash meets Misty.
- Ash steals Misty's bike, and it is destroyed when Pikachu defeats the Spearow.
- Ash reaches Viridian City.
- *Unknown before The Ties that Bind.
- For a list of all major events in the anime, please see the timeline of events.
Debuts
Pokémon debuts
- Pikachu (Ash's)
- Dodrio
- Rattata
- Pidgey
- Spearow (anime)
- Sandshrew
- Mankey
- Gyarados
- Ho-Oh (anime)
- Magikarp
Characters
Humans
Pokémon
- Pikachu (starter Pokémon; Ash's)
- Bulbasaur (Ash's dream)
- Charmander (Ash's dream)
- Squirtle (Ash's dream)
- Nidorino (unnamed Trainer's)
- Onix (unnamed Trainer's)
- Gengar (unnamed Trainer's)
- Pidgey
- Rattata
- Spearow (anime)
- Sandshrew
- Mankey
- Dodrio
- Magikarp
- Gyarados
- Ho-Oh (anime)
Trivia
- The legendary bird Ash saw at the ending of the episode was Ho-Oh. This makes Ho-Oh the first Generation II Pokémon seen in the series, and in the first episode of the entire series.
- This is the first time the Japanese title of a Pokémon episode is directly translated into English instead of rewritten.
- The introduction mimics the opening to Red and Green, which seamlessly moves into a Pokémon battle Ash is watching on television.
- The shadowed trainer shown at the very beginning of the episode with the Nidorino and Onix was Bruno.
- Ash has a Voltorb clock, with a cuckoo clock Pidgey in it.
- This is the only episode where one can see Pikachu in its Poké Ball.
- This is the first episode in which Ash's Pokédex is activated while it is closed. The next episode that meets this criteria is EP035.
- In this episode, it is revealed that Spearow see in black and white.
- Ash tries and fails to capture a Pidgey, though he will later succeed in capturing its evolution.
- Despite this episode's centering around receiving a starter Pokémon, neither Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle actually appeared in the flesh until Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village, Charmander – The Stray Pokémon, and Here Comes the Squirtle Squad, respectively. This is unlike the following generations where at least two of the starter Pokémon appeared in the first episode of that generation.
- This is one of the few episodes where Rachael Lillis provides the voice of Pikachu in a few scenes. This happened when another character spoke over Ikue Ohtani's Pikachu voice and the audio could not be saved.
- This is the only main series episode that does not have Team Rocket in it until AG120, a clip show that summed up the entire Advanced Generation series up to that point. It's also the only dubbed main series episode that does not have Team Rocket in it, due to AG120 being skipped in the dub.
- This is the only episode that begins a generation that aired after its corresponding games in English. Pokémon Red and Blue were released a week before this episode first aired, while all later episodes that begin a region aired dubbed a few days before the English release of their corresponding games.
- This episode can be found on the third GBA video.
- Professor Oak knew that at least four new Trainers would be receiving their starter Pokémon and beginning their journey. However, he only ever thought to stock three (a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, and a Squirtle) not counting Pikachu, who is seen as a "last resort". Professor Oak states that if Ash was early, there would be one for him. However, even if Ash was earlier (the third to arrive), any of the other Trainers would arrive fourth to find that Oak is fresh out of Pokémon, except for Pikachu.
Errors
- In the original, the Pokédex misidentifies Pidgey as the Sky Pokémon, when instead of the Tiny Bird Pokémon.
- In the beginning, Pikachu's Poké Ball has a lightning bolt on it, but later the bolt is gone.
- When Ash sees a Rattata for the first time, Ash's Pokédex mispronounces its name.
- When Ash runs up to Misty's bike, his shoes are not painted, making it look like he has socks on. Then, when he puts Pikachu in her bike, his shoes are painted red like Misty's.
- When Ash is carrying Pikachu to the nearest Pokémon Center, his hat is initially forwards. In the next two scenes, it is backwards. In the last scene, Ash's hat is facing forwards again.
Dub edits
- When Ash goes into Professor Oak's lab and looks at the Poké Balls, they are all labeled in Japanese. Later, when Ash picks up a Poké Ball, the labels are painted over.
- In the unedited/Japanese version, after Ash said to Misty, "I'm okay," she slapped him. This was cut from the dub (the screen freezes just as Ash answers Misty) due to direct violence controversy. In the next scene, Ash can clearly be seen rubbing his aching face and Misty has her hand in the air.
- In Japan, Misty tells Ash there's a hospital in Viridian City; in the dub, she just says it's nearby.
- When Delia switches the channel on Ash's TV, Professor Oak is talking about tomorrow being the newest day for Pokémon students. However, in the whole view of the TV when Ash moves his head into view, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle have their Japanese names written below each picture. But when the camera zooms in on each picture and then eases out, the Japanese names are gone.
- When Ash speaks to Gary in this episode in the English dub, Gary acts as though it was the first time they've met when they've known each other since their early childhood.
In other languages
- Brazilian Portuguese: Pokémon, Eu Escolho Você!
- Canadian French: Pokémon, c'est toi que je choisis !
- Czech: Pokémone, volím si tebe!
- Dutch: Pokémon, ik kies jou!
- European Portuguese: Pokémon, Escolho-te a Ti!
- Finnish: Pokémon! Minä valitsen sinut!
- French: Le départ
- German: Pika-Pikachu
- Italian: L' inizio di una grande avventura
- Korean: 피카츄 너로 정했다! Pikachyu Neoro Jeonghaetta!
- Latin American Spanish: Pokémon, ¡Yo te elijo!
- Norwegian: Pokémon - Jeg velger deg!
- Polish: Pokémon, wybieram cię!
- Russian: Покемон, я выбираю тебя
- Iberian Spanish: ¡Pokémon, te elijo a ti!
- Mandarin: 神奇宝贝！ 就决定是你了！
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| This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each episode of the Pokémon anime. |
