EP001 - Pokémon - I Choose You!
Original Airdates: April
1, 1997 (JP), September 8, 1998 (EN)
Written by: Takeshi
Shudo
Synopsis:
Satoshi (Ash) of Pallet Town has just turned 10 and is able to begin his journey towards becoming a Pokémon Master. He stays up late dreaming about whether he’ll start with a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, but then he oversleeps and misses out on all three once he gets to the lab of Professor Okido (Oak). He meets his rival Shigeru (Gary) who taunts him and gets a head start on his quest. Satoshi is only able to take the last Pokémon left, an uncooperative Pikachu. His mother Hanako (Delia) bids him farewell.
As he heads out onto Route 1, Satoshi attempts to catch a Pidgey by himself since Pikachu refuses to help. As he fails multiple times, a Rattata steals from his bag. Finally, Satoshi thinks he has beaten the system by throwing a rock at a wild bird that turns out to be a Spearow. This angers the bird who proceeds to attack Satoshi and Pikachu, and then calls in a whole flock for reinforcement. The swarm chases the two into a river, where a girl named Kasumi (Misty) retrieves them on her fishing pole. She informs them of a Poké Center in nearby Viridian City, and Satoshi steals her bike as the Spearow flock returns.
As a storm gathers, Satoshi is knocked of the bike by the birds and uses his body as a shield to protect a badly injured Pikachu. Pikachu then intervenes and uses his powerful Thunder attack to take out the birds. As Satoshi and Pikachu come too, they see a large golden bird Pokémon fly over the resulting rainbow.
Who’s That Pokémon?
It's Pikachu, because Ash gets and nearly kills a Pikachu.
New Character and Pokémon Breakdown
Ash Ketchum (Satoshi)
Ash is the star of the anime, and like his counterpart Red from the games and manga, he has to start out a little naive and clueless as to how the world of Pokémon works (so that the audience can learn alongside him). The American version makes him a little dumber though (such as moments when he can't recognize a common Pidgey), but he's a good protagonist early on. His morals are clearly defined as he tries to respect Pikachu's wishes and protect him when it's clear that he's in way over his head.
Pikachu
Pikachu's origins are a little bit of a mystery. It's unclear why Professor Oak has such a volatile Pokémon on his hands. For some reason, Pikachu starts off completely closed off against humanity and attacks when threatened, but he warms up once he sees Ash put his own life on the line for him. Pikachu's personality will remain positive from this point on, but it would have fun to see a little more strife between the two in these early episodes.
Misty (Kasumi)
Misty joins our lead duo as a more experienced trainer who is not above using violence to get her point across. While someone like Gary would mock Ash for getting training basics incorrect, Misty would rather berate him for it. But there seems to be a feeling that she is acting out of kindness, it's just that at this stage in the relationship, she cares more about herself/Pokémon than she does other people.
Professor Oak (Professor Okido)
Professor Oak is back, and while I enjoy this kinder incarnation of him, he still enjoys making stupid jokes and puns in the American version. The Japanese version is a lot more tolerable and serious, but he'll lighten up as the series progresses. But my major issue with him in this episode is why did he only plan on giving out three Pokémon if he knew that four trainers would be coming that day? I could understand it if it were really a “first-come, first-served” situation and those who missed out would be unable to go on their journey. But that would make more sense if there were dozens of children setting out on their journey, and he was all out of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle by the time Ash arrived. With four trainers in total, it seems idiotic on his part to not plan ahead for this situation.
Gary Oak (Shigeru)
Gary is just as much of a jerk as he is in the games, if not more so. At least in other adaptations, we get the sense that Gary/Blue is just wiser than Ash and can't stand his behavior. But here, he'd rather kick someone who he perceives as weaker than him while he's down. He's much more of a bully and a pompous one at that (as highlighted by his fans and cheerleaders). It's weird that he picks Ash to be a rival, but it just shows that he is more comfortable when he is in a clear position of power.
Delia Ketchum (Hanako)
Delia is stuck playing a basic supporting mother role (if not one who is a little too smothering). We'll eventually pick up with her later to see more of her personality and the types of Pokémon she trains, but for now, she is just here to wish Ash good luck.
Pidgey
This is the first wild Pokémon Ash encounters, but it displays very little personality. By being as neutral as possible, we can get a crash course in "How Not to Catch a Pokémon." Pidgey doesn't put up a fight, and is only there to service the plot.
Rattata
Rattata is a little more spunky. While it also behaves like a normal animal, the Pokédex suggests that it has targeted Ash's supplies because it believes he is a stupid and weak trainer.
The Spearow
In keeping with the Man vs. Nature theme of the episode, Ash upsets a particularly vengeful Spearow that he mistakes for a Pidgey. Spearow are shown to stick together and use their hive mind to become an unstoppable force. It's kind of a surprise that anyone makes it through Route 1 alive. It's clear that they understand the differences in individual humans, as they don't attack Misty when she is standing right next to Ash. Also, the one who gets bumped will carry a grudge for a long time.
The Starters, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle
While we don't see them in the flesh, we are reminded that usually, a trainer will start with one of these Pokémon. Ash dreams about each one, but we'll have to wait to be properly introduced.
The Indigo Plateau Pokémon: Gengar, Nidorino, Onix
On television, the night before his journey, Ash is watching what appears to be a battle between the Elite Four's Bruno and Agatha. Based on the opening cinematic from the games, Nidorino fights Gengar, is quickly outmatched, and is then replaced by an Onix. I love how the episode transitions from this reference into the episode proper. A great way to bridge the games and the anime.
Dodrio
Instead of a rooster, Pallet Town has a Dodrio wake them up. A nice early visual gag that reminds us we're not in Kansas anymore.
Wild Route 1 Pokémon: Sandshrew, Mankey, Magikarp, Gyarados
As a way to remind us of the many Pokémon there are in the world, Ash passes up many opportunities as he is being chased by the Spearow. It is during this moment that in my mind, I feel Ash has left Route 1 and entered Route 22, due to the presence of water (as well as a couple of these Pokémon which are available there). But, as with the starters, Ash won't really meet these creatures until later.
Ho-Oh
As a final capper, an unknown Pokémon appears to Ash after his battle. Although the American audience received the anime and the video games at the same time, Japan was already into the thick of the Pokémon craze and this episode provided their first hint that sequels to the original games will be made. The Ho-Oh that appears was the first Generation II Pokémon to be unveiled to the world, and it’s clear that it was so new that it’s official colors hadn’t even been decided on yet. This gave the original audience a taste of what was to come. Ho-Oh is used as a symbol of hope and rebirth and is an exciting cameo to close the first episode on.
Setting
Pallet Town
Like in the games, Pallet Town is very sparse and gives us the impression that Ash really is a boy from the middle of nowhere. His house is far removed from the center of town where Oak's lab is located and everything feels very quiet and quaint. I prefer this to the bustling Pallet Town of the Pocket Monsters manga.
Route 1
While this path is a simple one, it has a lot more going for it than the Route 1 in the games. Trees, hills, fields, and rivers create a more lush environment for Ash to explore. In the next episode, we'll learn that it takes the average person multiple days to cross this territory. It's scenes like this that make people wish there was a 3D Pokémon game to explore, with vast landscapes instead of areas that can be crossed in 30 seconds.
Japanese vs. American
Versions:
- Ash meets Gary for the first time whereas Satoshi and
Shigeru already know each other
- Prof. Oak makes stupid electricity puns
- Ash’s mother has a recurring gag in which she tells Ash to
wear clean underwear every day
- Kasumi slaps Satoshi for allowing Pikachu to get so badly
wounded. This scene was cut out of
the American version for being too violent.
BLAM!
Overall Review: A
This is a wonderful introduction to
the world of Pokémon. The building
blocks for the fantasy world are being set in place and there is an air of
dignity and seriousness that runs through the episode. Although there are humorous elements,
the focus is mostly on Satoshi’s learning experiences and his relationship with
Pikachu. Being a young trainer, it
is interesting seeing him have to deal with the struggles of untrained
Pokémon. They way Pikachu comes
through for him in the end feels natural and earned. He sees that Satoshi is trying his hardest and is willing to
endure a great deal of pain for him.
It is a genuinely touching moment.
The
American version sticks pretty close to the original script. What will
eventually happen with the dub is that awkward jokes will be forced in and
numerous edits to remove Japanese culture will be made. But for now, things are pretty much the
same. I
appreciate the attempts to tie the story to the video games, especially the
opening with the Gengar vs. Nidorino battle. As time goes on, the games will only be loosely used for the
general structure of the story arcs.
But here, everything is as it is in the game, although more is added
in (Kasumi is introduced early to
establish her as a main character and drama is added in the form of the Spearow
attack).
