S01

S1 redirects here. For the Japanese TCG release with the set symbol S1, see Sword & Shield (TCG).

Pokémon: Indigo League Season 1
Logo for the season
Opening	Pokémon Theme
Episodes	52
Region	Kanto
Series	Original series
Preceded by	None
Followed by	Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands

Pokémon: Indigo League (known at the time it was first aired simply as Pokémon) is the first season of the dubbed version of the Pokémon animated series. It follows rookie Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum, his Pikachu, and his friends Misty and Brock as they travel across the Kanto region. The subtitle "Indigo League" is not used within the episodes, but was later added by the DVD releases and the official website.

In the United States, the first 40 episodes aired in syndication in 1998, while the remaining 12 episodes were picked up and aired by Kids' WB!, starting with The Problem with Paras in 1999. The season began with Pokémon, I Choose You!, which originally aired on September 8, 1998, and ended with The Breeding Center Secret, which originally aired on May 1, 1999. In Canada, the series was aired by YTV. This season skips EP018, EP035, and EP038, which were all banned from airing (the first one of these was eventually dubbed later with the title Beauty and the Beach, but was pulled off from air again and it is not considered as part of any dub season).

It was succeeded by Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands, which contains the rest of Ash and his friends' journey through Kanto and the Orange Islands arc, the latter of which was created to allow time for the development of Pokémon Gold and Silver.

Blurb

It’s Ash Ketchum’s tenth birthday, and he’s ready to do what many 10-year-olds in the Kanto region set out to do—become a Pokémon Trainer! Things don’t go exactly the way he planned when he ends up with a Pikachu instead of a standard first Pokémon, and winning Gym Badges turns out to be much tougher than he thought. Luckily he’s got former Gym Leaders Brock and Misty at his side, along with a bevy of new Pokémon friends, including Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.

Important events

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

• Ash begins his journey as a Trainer with the goal of being a Pokémon Master; his first Pokémon is Pikachu. (EP001)
• Gary also begins his journey with an unknown Pokémon. (EP001)
• Misty follows Ash after the latter "borrows" and destroys her bike, demanding repayment. (EP002)
• Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket start following Ash after his Pikachu demonstrates considerably advanced power for a Pokémon of its species. (EP002)
• Brock joins the group after his father returns to become the Pewter City Gym Leader. (EP005)

Party changes

Additions

The following Pokémon are obtained:

• Ash's Pikachu (EP001)
• Ash's Caterpie (EP003)
• Ash's Pidgeotto (EP003)
• Brock's Zubat (EP006)
• Ash's Bulbasaur (EP010)
• Ash's Charmander (EP011)
• Ash's Squirtle (EP012)
• Ash's Krabby (EP013)
• James's Magikarp (EP015)
• Misty's Horsea (EP019)
• Ash's Primeape (EP025)
• Misty's Psyduck (EP027)
• Brock's Vulpix (EP028)
• Ash's Muk (EP030)
• Ash's Tauros (EP035*)
• Jessie's Porygon (EP038*)
• Misty's Togepi (EP050)
• James's Weepinbell (before EP057)

Other

• James's Growlithe (obtained prior to EP001)
• Jessie's Ekans (obtained prior to EP002)
• James's Koffing (obtained prior to EP002)
• Misty's Goldeen (obtained prior to EP002)
• Brock's Onix (obtained prior to EP005)
• Brock's Geodude (obtained prior to EP005)
• Misty's Staryu (obtained prior to EP006)
• Misty's Starmie (obtained prior to EP007)
• Ash's Primeape (training with Anthony) (EP029)

Evolutions

The following Pokémon evolve:

• Ash's Caterpie → Metapod (EP003)
• Ash's Metapod → Butterfree (EP004)
• James's Magikarp → Gyarados (EP016)
• Jessie's Ekans → Arbok (EP031)
• James's Koffing → Weezing (EP031)
• Ash's Charmander → Charmeleon (EP043)
• Ash's Charmeleon → Charizard (EP046)
• James's Weepinbell → Victreebel (prior to EP057)

Trades

The following Pokémon are traded:

• Ash's Butterfree for a Gentleman's Raticate (EP015*)

Releases

The following Pokémon are released:

• James's Gyarados (EP016)
• Ash's Butterfree (EP021)
• Jessie's Porygon (EP038*)

Gym battles

Ash battles the following Gym Leaders:

Badge	Opponent	Epicode	Result
Boulder Badge	Brock	EP005	Forfeit
			Rewarded
Cascade Badge	Misty	EP007	Rewarded
Thunder Badge	Lt. Surge	EP014	Defeat
			Victory
Marsh Badge	Sabrina	EP022	Forfeit
		EP024	Forfeit
			Rewarded
Rainbow Badge	Erika	EP026	Rewarded
Soul Badge	Koga	EP032	Victory

Episodes

The television definition is used by Region 4 home video releases, Pokémon TV, Netflix, DisneyNOW, digital home video releases, and formerly on Toonami Jetstream and Cartoon Network Video. It includes the first two-thirds of the Indigo League arc of Pokémon the Series.

The home video definition is the definition used by most Region 1 home video releases by VIZ Media, with the exception of the 2017 Blu-ray release. Due to the removal of Holiday Hi-Jynx from rotation, releases since 2014 do not include the episode. It includes all episodes in the Indigo League arc of Pokémon the Series.

Epicode	Episode Title	Television Digital release	Home video (prior to 2014)	Home video (since 2014)
EP001	Pokémon - I Choose You!	1	1	1
EP002	Pokémon Emergency!	2	2	2
EP003	Ash Catches a Pokémon	3	3	3
EP004	Challenge of the Samurai	4	4	4
EP005	Showdown in Pewter City	5	5	5
EP006	Clefairy and the Moon Stone	6	6	6
EP007	The Water Flowers of Cerulean City	7	7	7
EP008	The Path to the Pokémon League	8	8	8
EP009	The School of Hard Knocks	9	9	9
EP010	Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village	10	10	10
EP011	Charmander – The Stray Pokémon	11	11	11
EP012	Here Comes the Squirtle Squad	12	12	12
EP013	Mystery at the Lighthouse	13	13	13
EP014	Electric Shock Showdown	14	14	14
EP015	Battle Aboard the St. Anne	15	15	15
EP016	Pokémon Shipwreck	16	16	16
EP017	Island of the Giant Pokémon	17	17	17
EP019	Tentacool & Tentacruel	18	18	18
EP020	The Ghost of Maiden's Peak	19	19	19
EP021	Bye Bye Butterfree	20	20	20
EP022	Abra and the Psychic Showdown	21	21	21
EP023	The Tower of Terror	22	22	22
EP024	Haunter versus Kadabra	23	23	23
EP025	Primeape Goes Bananas	24	24	24
EP026	Pokémon Scent-sation!	25	25	25
EP027	Hypno's Naptime	26	26	26
EP028	Pokémon Fashion Flash	27	27	27
EP029	The Punchy Pokémon	28	28	28
EP030	Sparks Fly for Magnemite	29	29	29
EP031	Dig Those Diglett!	30	30	30
EP032	The Ninja Poké-Showdown	31	31	31
EP033	The Flame Pokémon-athon!	32	32	32
EP034	The Kangaskhan Kid	33	33	33
EP036	The Bridge Bike Gang	34	34	34
EP037	Ditto's Mysterious Mansion	35	35	35
EP039	Pikachu's Goodbye	36	36	36
EP040	The Battling Eevee Brothers	37	37	37
EP041	Wake Up Snorlax!	38	38	38
EP042	Showdown at Dark City	39	39	39
EP043	The March of the Exeggutor Squad	40	40	40
EP044	The Problem with Paras	41	41	41
EP045	The Song of Jigglypuff	42	42	42
EP046	Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon	43	43	43
EP047	A Chansey Operation	44	44	44
EP048	Holy Matrimony!	45	45	45
EP049	So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd	46	46	46
EP050	Who Gets to Keep Togepi?	47	47	47
EP051	Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden	48	48	48
EP054	The Case of the K-9 Caper!	49	49	49
EP055	Pokémon Paparazzi	50	50	50
EP056	The Ultimate Test	51	51	51
EP057	The Breeding Center Secret	52	52	52
EP058	Riddle Me This	Part of S02	53	53
EP059	Volcanic Panic		54	54
EP060	Beach Blank-Out Blastoise		55	55
EP052	Princess vs. Princess		56	56
EP053	The Purr-fect Hero		57	57
EP061	The Misty Mermaid		58	58
EP062	Clefairy Tales		59	59
EP063	The Battle of the Badge		60	60
EP064	It's Mr. Mime Time		61	61
*	Holiday Hi-Jynx		62	—
*	Snow Way Out!		63	62
EP065	Showdown at the Po-ké Corral		64	63
EP066	The Evolution Solution		65	64
EP067	The Pi-Kahuna		66	65
EP068	Make Room for Gloom		67	66
EP069	Lights, Camera, Quack-tion!		68	67
EP070	Go West Young Meowth		69	68
EP071	To Master the Onixpected!		70	69
EP072	The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis		71	70
EP073	Bad to the Bone		72	71
EP074	All Fired Up!		73	72
EP075	Round One - Begin!		74	73
EP076	Fire and Ice		75	74
EP077	The Fourth Round Rumble		76	75
EP078	A Friend In Deed		77	76
EP079	Friend and Foe Alike		78	77
EP080	Friends to the End		79	78

Home video releases

North American home video releases

Main article: List of English language Indigo League home video releases (Region 1)

United Kingdom home video releases

Main article: List of English language Indigo League home video releases (Region 2)

Australian home video releases

Main article: List of English language Indigo League home video releases (Region 4)

Trivia

Pokémon: The Road to Indigo logo

• During the run of Pokémon: Johto League Champions, Indigo League episodes were rerun on Kids' WB! under the name Pokémon: The Road to Indigo.
• This is the only season of the animated series to air in Albania, Iceland, and North Macedonia, the latter of which was called FYR Macedonia at the time.
• This is the only season of the English version played in Hong Kong.
• In Finland, this season ended with Friend and Foe Alike, leaving Friends to the End undubbed.

In other languages

Language		Title
Arabic		بوكيمون: دوري إنديغو
Bulgarian		Покемон
Czech		Pokémon: Indigová liga
Danish		Pokémon: Indigo League
Dutch		Pokémon: Indigo League
Finnish		Pokémon: Indigo League
French		Pokémon: La Ligue Indigo
German		Pokémon: Indigo-Liga
Greek		Pokémon: Η Μπλε Ομάδα *
Hebrew		פוקימון: ליגת אינדיגו
Hindi		पोकेमोन: इंडिगो लीग Pokémon: Indigo League
Italian		Pokémon: Indigo League
Norwegian		Pokémon: Indigo League
Polish		Serial Pokémon: Liga Indigo *
Portuguese	Brazil	Pokémon - Liga Índigo Pokémon: Indigo League *
	Portugal	Pokémon - Liga Índigo
Russian		Покемон: Лига Индиго Pokemon: Liga Indigo
Slovak		Pokémon: Indigová liga
Spanish	Latin America	Pokémon: ¡Atrápalos ya! Pokémon: Liga Añil *
	Spain	Pokémon: ¡Hazte con todos! Pokémon: Liga Añil *
Swedish		Pokémon: Indigo League
Tamil		பொகெமொன்: இண்டிகோ லீக் Pokémon: Indigo League
Telugu		పోకీమాన్: ఇండిగో లీగ్ Pokémon: Indigo League
Turkish		Pokémon: İndigo Ligi
Ukrainian		Покемон: Ліга Індіго

Series and seasons of the Pokémon animated series The Beginning (list) Indigo League • Adventures in the Orange Islands Gold and Silver (list) The Johto Journeys • Johto League Champions • Master Quest Ruby and Sapphire (list) Advanced • Advanced Challenge • Advanced Battle • Battle Frontier Diamond and Pearl (list) Diamond and Pearl • Battle Dimension • Galactic Battles • Sinnoh League Victors Black & White (list) Black & White • Rival Destinies • Adventures in Unova and Beyond XY (list) XY • Kalos Quest • XYZ (Mega Evolution Specials) Sun & Moon (list) Sun & Moon • Ultra Adventures‎ • Ultra Legends Journeys (list) Journeys • Master Journeys • Ultimate Journeys (The Arceus Chronicles) Horizons (list) Horizons Specials (list) Pikachu's Winter Vacation • Side Stories • Pokémon Chronicles Planetarium specials • Pikachu shorts Mewtwo Returns • The Legend of Thunder! • Pichu Bros. in Party Panic The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon • A Ripple in Time Complete list • Movies

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.