We are introduced to Ash Ketchum, a ten-year-old boy from Pallet who is about to embark upon his Pokemon journey. He has a choice of three starter Pokemon, and after agonising over it all night, decides on Squirtle, the water Pokemon. However, this sleepless night was not good for his chances; Ash sleeps in! The only Pokemon that is left is an obnoxious electric mouse called Pikachu.
Ash takes Pikachu and starts off on his journey, literally dragging Pikachu behind him and wearing rubber gloves, as he does not want to be electrocuted and Pika won't go in his Pokeball. Pikachu will not obey him at all, so Ash tries to catch a Pidgey and Spearow by himself. However, the Spearow doesn't like this and calls a whole flock of its kind to attack Ash and Pikachu. They run, and desperately steal a girl's bike to go faster. Ash tries to save Pikachu's life, but Pikachu ends up saving his. From then, Pikachu will listen, and their friendship is cemented.
This is one of my favourite episodes. It's uncomplicated, and not with the rather predictable tone that many others have. Perhaps because Team Rocket and the other characters have not appeared yet. The scene where Ash stood to face all the Spearow, and then Pikachu ran in to help him, it was just touching ^_^; and I felt sorry for Ash when he said "are you gonna be like this (ie not listening, just delivering shocks and requiring dragging) the WHOLE way?" and Pikachu nodded. I mean, his lifelong dream and it wasn't starting out too well...
2. POKéMON Emergency! 3/10
Ash carries the battered Pikachu into Viridian City, directly to the Pokemon Center. On the way he meets Officer Jenny, on the lookout for Pokemon thieves, but after realising his innocence gives him a ride. Misty is following Ash, carrying her battered bike. At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy promises to do what she can, but it's a tense few moments until Pikachu is pronounced safe...
Misty demands that Ash repay her for her broken bike. Then Jessie, James and Meowth send the Pokemon Ekans and Koffing to destroy the Pokemon Center and steal all the Pokemon. Joy starts to send Pokeballs to Pewter's Pokemon Center, but in the meantime, something must be done. Ash gives Pikachu a power-up and a mean thundershock sends Team Rocket packing... Unfortunately, the Rockets have also discovered that Pikachu is a very powerful Pokemon...
I can't stand this episode, it's so boring, although I can't pinpoint what's wrong with it. (But I can't pinpoint anything RIGHT with it either.) Maybe because there's little humour; it's supposed to be tense, but fails (as if the main Pokemon's gonna die on the second episode!), and the voice actors - one of the strongest parts of the show - are still getting into their roles.
3. Ash Catches a POKéMON! 6/10
He catches two, in fact. Ash and Pikachu - with Misty tagging along, swearing revenge for the bike - travel through Viridian Forest. First, he gets a Caterpie without weakening it first. Misty does not appreciate this, as she is terrified of bugs (typical girl...). A little later, Ash shows his brilliant strategy by sending Caterpie against a wild Pidgeotto (fortunately he ends up with Pikachu fighting) and captures it too.
Then Team Rocket appears, looking for revenge because Ash beat them at Viridian. Also, they are impressed with Pikachu. Ash manages to beat them with Caterpie's string shot, and Caterpie evolves into Metapod.
This was a landmark episode. Ash gets a flying type, yayyy! (I like birds and flying types. ^_^. And Pidgeotto's a fave.) Misty was most mean in her fear of Caterpie though. I suppose it is understandable, but only if you are truly afraid of something (me, it's bees, and I know how she feels).
4. Challenge of the Samurai 1/10
Ash finds a Weedle, and after quite a battle (-_-;) is about to capture it... however, an odd man distracts him. This person calls himself the Samurai, for whatever reason, and wants to challenge Ash, as he lost to three other trainers from Pallet (Ash's rivals) and wants to beat the fourth to redeem himself. Ash and Samurai have an enthralling Metapod vs Metapod battle which lasts for hours.
However, at a trifle, a lot of Beedrill are aroused and begin to attack Ash and his friends. One of them flies off with Metapod. Ash tries to save it but ends up desperately trying to save himself, as all are chased by many Beedrill. Samurai tells him that the other trainers were better than Ash because they CARED about their Pokemon, and Ash spends an anxious night at Samurai's house, agonising over leaving Metapod alone in the forest.
Early the next morning, Ash slips off alone to find Metapod. However, Team Rocket appears and wakes up all the Beedrill again. Ash manages to find Metapod, which is unhappy with him for abandoning it. This is the episode where Ash begins to show a little empathy for his Pokemon, and Metapod responds to it by evolving into Butterfree and causing all the Beedrill to fall asleep.
This is another landmark episode in that it introduces the first ever character-of-the-day. Too bad he's a pathetic loser. -_-; He LOOKS around 45, but he ACTS like a young teenager. Also, this is the only episode which I would say has bad animation. -_-; Some parts were good, others... mreh.
5. Showdown at Pewter City 8/10
Ash, Misty and Pikachu have made it to Pewter City. They briefly meet a rock seller - named Flint - who lives on the outskirts of the city. Ash and Pikachu go to challenge the local gym leader, Brock. However (as you would imagine), Ash's Pikachu is no match for Brock's Onix. Defeated and disappointed, Ash and Pikachu leave the gym, and meet up with Flint again, who wants to help them.
Flint helps to power-up Pikachu. Then he shows why Brock has to be a gym leader and not go travelling on his own Pokemon journey; he has 10 younger brothers and sisters to take care of, after their mother died and their father left home. Ash goes to challenge Brock again. Pikachu beats Geodude (!), but is almost beaten by Onix... however, the sprinkler system goes off, and Onix is weakened. But persuaded by Brock's siblings, Ash does not use this to his advantage and leaves the gym badge-less.
Brock follows him and gives him the Boulderbadge for beating him in being kind to Pokemon. Then he tells Ash his dream - to be a Pokemon breeder - and asks Ash to do well in place of him. Flint turns up and says that Brock should follow his dream himself. Flint is actually Brock's father, and will take care of the siblings.
This is one of the episodes I sleep in through a lot. -_-; It is the first real Pokemon battle episode, although there is some face-off against Team Rocket and the Samurai previously. Pikachu gets his first boost of power, which may account for the fact that in the future, it almost never loses...
6. Clefairy and the Moonstone 5/10
Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu continue their travels, and come to Mount Moon, where they save a scientist named Seymour, who is being attacked by some Zubat. Zubat rarely come outside in broad daylight, but as somebody has strung lights through the cave - confusing all the Pokemon who need the dark - they are not behaving normally. Turns out Team Rocket is at fault. They strung up the lights because they are looking for the Moonstone - a mystical meteorite from space, which is said to increase a Pokemon's power.
Pikachu befriends a Clefairy, who takes the good guys to a cave where the Moonstone is. There are a lot of Clefairy dancing around the Moonstone, praying to it. Seymour thinks the Clefairies came to Earth from the moon travelling from the Moonstone. Then Team Rocket shows up and steals the stone (somehow), but at Seymour's urging, the usually shy and friendly Clefairy team up to defend their sacred stone, and send the villains packing. The Moonstone explodes into many fragments, and those that touch Clefairies turn them into Clefables.
This isn't a bad episode, but it's not particularly good. At least it has more purpose than other 'useless' episodes as it shows an area you cover in the game. If you hate Clefairies, avoid this like the plague. Seymour is pretty cool though. A scientist who likes poetry and who is willing to give up a human life to stay with the Clefairies...
7. The Waterflowers of Cerulean City 9/10
Much to Misty's dismay - for reasons unknown - the group have made it to Cerulean City. Ash and Pikachu charge off to the nearest gym. Seeing aquariums and water shows taking place - starring three beautiful sisters - they are confused about the nature of the gym. But later they find that the three sisters are the gym leaders. They can't fight as they have been beaten by Ash's rivals, but Daisy, the leader of the trio, offers him a badge for free. Ash would rather earn one, but at her urging, begins to take it...
Then Misty barges in, saying that Ash has to earn his badges and that if Daisy won't fight, she will. Now we get to see Misty's Pokemon and her skills in training. She is the fourth sister of Cerulean Gym, and she didn't want to return to her city until she was a great trainer, but had no choice. Ash and Misty fight fairly evenly, until Team Rocket intrudes, draining the gym of its water and trying to steal water Pokemon. Pikachu electrifies the water and sends Team Rocket off. Ash wins a badge for saving the gym.
This was my favourite episode for a long while. I think Misty's sisters, while snooty, are very cool, and I like their style (the way they're drawn, their voices, their attitude). Also, there's some decent Pokemon battling (liking Staryu and Pidgeotto made these battles interesting for me). Except, Brock said he knows "HIS Pokemon's special attack" in reference to the gym leader. Methinks Brock has no idea what he is talking about. ^_^.
8. The Path to the Pokemon League 3/10
Ash goes around challenging other amateur trainers, and doing well. This means instant ego. Confident, he challenges the leader of an unofficial gym, AJ, who tames wild Pokemon and works hard with a strong Sandshrew that has almost 100 victories and no losses. Sandshrew beats Ash's Pidgeotto and Butterfree, and then Team Rocket shows up to steal Pikachu, but end up bagging 'shrew instead.
Ash tries to convince AJ's remaining Pokemon to go with him instead of AJ, but they all refuse, and Ash can't figure out why... AJ's training techniques are tough and seemingly mean. But when Sandshrew escapes Team Rocket and runs back to AJ, Ash sees that the two are happy together despite it. AJ's Sandshrew beats Team Rocket's Ekans, Koffing and Meowth, and with their 100th victory secured, AJ decides to now go and pursue the Pokemon League, on a different path to Ash... perhaps they'll meet again. (Well, they don't, but oh well.)
Didn't care much for AJ, although he is cool looking. I don't care how strong it makes your Pokemon, I cannot see how bossing a Pokemon around and making them do unnatural things in training can possibly be a good friendship builder.
9. The School of Hard Knocks 9/10
Ash finds a boy, a school student named Joe, being tested by some other students in a harsh way. He tries to stand up for him, but the students are not interested in fighting. These people are from Pokemon Tech, a high-profile, expensive and tough school where Pokemon are a focus in studies. Team Rocket used to go there but got awful scores. The tough testing system was designed by a pretty girl named Giselle. Misty is angered at this (and also angered at the fact that all the guys around her are drooling over Giselle) and wants to find her.
Misty and Joe fight, and despite a type disadvantage, Misty easily wins. Giselle shows up and says that a Pokemon's type isn't the only factor - level and skill also count. She sends out a Graveler to fight Misty's Pokemon, and wins. Then she starts to insult Ash because he's a gung-ho newbie trainer who chose what she considers a foolish starting Pokemon. So Ash manages to beat her Cubone with a Pikachu, and she realises that there is more to Pokemon than advantages and strategy.
I think this is a great battling episode, because I like the tone of it, and Giselle is, while extremely arrogant and vain, most cool. ^_^. Like Misty's sisters, her style appeals to me (and to every male on the show -_-;). Interesting to see Ash AND James both going starry eyed over Giselle.
10. Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village 6/10
Our heroes are travelling along the road and encounter an Oddish, which Misty tries to capture. However, it is defended by a Bulbasaur, which Ash goes for, but it escapes. Ash and company continue on, and when crossing a dangerous bridge, Brock falls into the water below and is swept downstream. And and Misty go to look for him but continually fall into snares, rather like Team Rocket's. They are freed by Brock who tells them he was saved by a beautiful girl.
This girl is Melanie, who runs a village for sick or injured Pokemon, in the forest so they can be around their native habitat. Bulbasaur had volunteered to protect this village, but it may be a bad thing, as the other Pokemon feel safe and don't want to go back into the wild. When Team Rocket attacks the village to steal all the Pokemon, Bulbasaur fights hard and with Ash's help, the bad guys are predictably sent flying off. Melanie gives Bulbasaur to Ash - although since he is stubborn, he won't go until Ash has further proven his worth by beating him in a Pokemon battle. ^_^.
This was the first episode I ever saw, which was the first Pokemon thing I ever had. Ahh, nostalgia. ^_^. Why Misty trying to catch Oddish? She likes cute Pokemon, and since it was NEAR water, apparently it's close enough to a water type. It's nice to know this girl has good motivation and priorities. ^_^;
11. Charmander, the Stray Pokemon 8/10
Our heroes continue on their journey, and find a Charmander lying on a rock. Because it won't let itself be captured, Pikachu speaks to it and finds out that it is waiting for its trainer. So they leave it there and head to the nearest Pokemon Center. Once there, it begins to rain. Brock is worried about the Charmander, and then it shows he has good reason - they hear a mean trainer, Damien, boasting about how he dumped his stupid Charmander on a rock.
Brock almost gets into a fight with Damien, but Joy breaks it up (darn, I wanted to see this). Then our heroes run off into the rain, to rescue the poor Charmander who is still sitting on the rock, weak, being attacked by Spearows and unable to defend itself. They save it and bring it to the Pokemon Center. It stays there overnight and Joy helps it survive.
In the morning, Charmander is gone. It went back to the rock to wait for Damien. Ash and co. reluctantly accept that it won't accept them, and then continue, but are trapped by Team Rocket, who capture Pikachu. Charmander appears and saves them with a strong fire attack. Damien reappears and says Charmander is stronger than he thought, so he will keep him after all. But Charmander decides to go with Ash.
The first episode to have sad scenes since the first one. My friend was crying. ^_^; It is nice to have an occasional more serious tone (well, there are reasonable amounts of serious scenes but not in this style). And I thought Damien's voice was most cool.
12. Here Comes the Squirtle Squad 6/10
Ash and co. come to a town where a gang of wild Squirtles have been wreaking havoc. Officer Jenny tells them they are mischeivous and don't like humans because they have been abandoned by their own trainers and have nobody to care for them. The Squirtles ambush Team Rocket and steal their food, but they trust Meowth - who is a Pokemon - and he convinces them to help Team Rocket kidnap Ash-tachi.
The plan works and our heroes are taken prisoner. However, Pikachu is hurt from a battle before being captured, and the Squirtles reluctantly let Ash go to get him a potion. When Ash gets to the Pokemart, after a long delay (he was knocked unconscious for hours after Gary hit him with a door *lol*), he finds that Team Rocket have just left... they had robbed the store.
Ash hurries back to his friends, and gives Pikachu the potion. Then Team Rocket attacks everyone with bombs that they had stolen. Team Rocket are even throwing bombs at the Squirtles. Everyone runs for cover, but the leader of the Squirtles - distinguishable by the sunglasses he wears - falls on its back and rolls on its shell, unable to get up. Ash leans to protect it and gets hurt himself. The Squirtles trust him, and work together to put out the fire caused by the bombs. Now the town dubs them as their firefighters, and they no longer feel unwanted. The leader of the Squirtles decides to go with Ash.
So, in just three episodes, Ash has secured three rare Pokemon, the ones he missed out on in the first one. Too bad he cannot maintain this record for long. -_-;
13. Mystery at the Lighthouse 5/10
Angered by Misty's taunts that he's incapable of actually CAPTURING a Pokemon, Ash captures a Krabby without weakening it. The Krabby's Pokeball disappears, and Ash wonders where it went. But a trainer cannot carry more than six Pokemon at once, so that one has gone to Professor Oak. Ash is worried about his Krabby and wants to find a phone to call Oak. He does so, when the trio stumble upon a lighthouse. Oak tells them they are in the home of Bill, a Pokemon researcher whom they should learn from.
They find Bill, who is wearing a Pokemon costume to help him get into the mindset of that Pokemon (a Kabuto, long extinct). Ash has to help him get OUT of the costume before they can talk. -_-; Then Bill blathers on for a while about all the different Pokemon and how Pokemon's a wonderful field to get into whether you are a trainer or researcher. He says there is a mysterious Pokemon whose call he has heard across the ocean. Being an empathic Pokemon expert, Bill can understand the calls, which are those of loneliness, and wanting a friend. Bill sent his own message back over the ocean and now hopes this Pokemon will come to find him so he can just see it...
Then, the Pokemon comes! It is a huge Dragonite, but shrouded in shadow so Bill cannot tell what it is. It comes close to the lighthouse, and Bill is happy, but then Team Rocket shows up and fire guns at it to try and weaken it, since it is a rare Pokemon. (This was one of Team Rocket's more rotten schemes, even James felt guilty about hurting such a gentle, sad creature.) Dragonite is scared off, but Bill thinks it will come back some day...
This episode wasn't bad, but it was a lesson in Pokemon which many people already know. Bill was younger than I expected, he looks around 15. Ash has good luck with catching Pokemon without weakening them. Such techniques rarely work for me. -_-;
14. Electric Shock Showdown 10/10
After weeks of being lost, Ash-tachi finally arrive at Vermilion City. Ash wants to head straight to the gym to get a Thunderbadge, but Pikachu is tired, so they go to the Pokemon Center first. In there, they see a lot of Pokemon who are injured go past. They have been badly beaten by the gym leader, Surge, and his Raichu. Pikachu is nervous about challenging, but Ash is insensitive and forces it.
Once there, Surge and Raichu taunt Ash and Pikachu. When Pikachu sees his opponent, he loses his fear and wants to fight, because it is being insulted for being weak and not evolving. So they battle, and Pikachu loses badly. Pikachu is disheartened, and Joy offers a Thunderstone. Ash asks if Pikachu wants to evolve... and Pikachu is inspired by this offer, knowing it does NOT want to evolve and will battle how it is. Team Rocket, who is peeking through the hospital window, thinks Pikachu is very brave and admire it. ^_^.
After a cheer from Team Rocket, Pikachu and Ash go to the gym. Brock gave them a hint; Raichu was evolved too soon and did not learn speed attacks, so Pikachu might be able to beat it if it can be faster. After a strong and tough battle, in which Raichu exhausts itself from using too much electric energy, Pikachu manages to just win, and the two deserve their hard-won Thunderbadge.
I want to know how Pikachu used agility - arguably one of the most useless attacks - to win. I love this episode. It's an exciting battle. *grins* Team Rocket is nice for once (James realises this at the end, when TR are talking about maybe getting their own badges some day...) and I just love Raichu. So cute and cuddly and *gets thunderbolted by a Rai* poowweeerrrful. *collapses*
1. POKéMON, I choose you! 10/10
