Pokemon Binge List: Indigo League (1/3)

Last year I needed a new show that I could watch five minutes at a time when that’s all I had for time (like when I wasn’t 100% sure if my patient would come early or not). I decided to start from scratch with the Pokémon anime. But only the highlights. None of the filler—though I was surprised how little of the first season was filler. So here are my non-filler recommendations thus—filler episodes defined as anything that doesn’t involve a badge being won or a main character having a change in their Pokémon team.

PSA: Netflix took the original Pokemon series off their library without warning at the new year (at least, I don't remember seeing a "leaving soon" banner on the show). Good news is that the series is migrating to the Pokemon TV Youtube channel. Yay! Free Pokemon!

Season 1, Episode 1: "Pokémon, I Choose You!"
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This is where it all began. Ash and Pikachu got off to a rocky start. Buty why did Professor Oak only prepare three Pokemon for four kids? There were lots of things Ash didn’t know about Pokemon while living in a Pokemon world—had he never left Pallet Town? How did Ash not know Gary? That was definitely retconned later.

Ash’s Team: Pikachu 

Season 1, Episode 2: “Pokémon Emergency”
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This episode introduced the infamous Team Rocket trio (and their Pokemon). We also got Misty established as a traveling companion but we don’t see any of her Pokemon yet. And in the final moments Ash caught Caterpie. 

Ash’s Team: Pikachu, Caterpie 

Misty’s Team: Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen

Jessie’s Team: Ekans

James’s Team: Koffing

Season 1, Episode 3: “Ash Catches a Pokémon”
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Ash’s team expanded by two and we got our first depiction of evolution. Nothing too crazy, but Caterpie vs. Team Rocket was cute.

Ash’s Team: Pikachu, Metapod, Pidgeotto

Season 1, Episode 4: “Challenge of the Samurai”
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I absolutely loved that at least the Pokédex entries were dad jokes. And there was that awkward Metapod battle. And finally Metapod evolved into Butterfree!

Ash’s Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto

Season 1, Episode 5: “Showdown in Pewter City”
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Here’s our first gym battle and Ash’s first badge earned (sort of). And despite his family drama, Brock joined the team. 

Ash’s Badge Count: 1

Brock’s Team: Onix, Geodude

Season 1, Episode 6: “Clefairy and the Moon Stone”
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If it weren’t for one fact, this episode would have qualified as filler: Brock caught a Zubat… off-screen. Why did it have to be off-screen? We saw them battle the Zubat anyway. They couldn't animate him throwing a Pokeball?

Brock’s Team: Onix, Geodude, Zubat

Season 1, Episode 7: “The Water Flowers of Cerulean City”
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And finally we saw Misty’s first two Pokémon on-screen. And Ash got his second badge, even though the battle was a draw. But like Misty’s sisters said, if Pikachu had been willing to battle it would have been an easy win for Ash.

Ash’s Badge Count: 2

Season 1, Episode 10: “Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village”
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Now begins the expansion of Ash’s team to include the Kanto starter Pokémon. Ash earned the respect of a stuck up, stubborn Bulbasaur. Even though he wanted to go with Ash, a battle had to happen before the catch. 

Ash’s Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur 

Season 1, Episode 11: “Charmander, the Stray Pokémon”
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This episode basically made my best friend cry as an adult watching Pokémon for the first time. That poor Charmander was traumatized and yet he’s so endearing as he joined Ash.

Ash’s Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander 

Season 1, Episode 12: “Here Comes The Squirtle Squad”
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Though the Squirtle Squad is more mischievous than evil, they still got manipulated by Team Rocket. But after it all played out, the coolest one, their leader, joined Ash. Squirtle for the win!

Ash’s Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle

Season 1, Episode 13: “Mystery At The Lighthouse”
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Catching Krabby was the smallest part of this episode, but we learned what happens when a trainer has more than six Pokemon. Also, I’ve always wondered how everyone knew there were 150 Pokemon when Mewtwo was a secret.

Season 1, Episode 14: “Electric Shock Showdown”
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A twist as Team Rocket started cheering for Pikachu, instead of catching him. And Pikachu refusing to evolve kind of doomed all of us playing Pokemon Yellow to never evolve ours. Oh well.

Ash’s Badge Count: 3

Season 1, Episode 15: “Battle Aboard the St. Anne”
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If something seems too good to be true (like free cruise tickets), it is. I shake my head that Ash traded away Butterfree, albeit temporarily. Also James bought his first Magikarp… because naturally there were more.

James’s Team: Koffing, Magikarp

Season 1, Episode 16: “Pokémon Shipwreck”
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With St. Anne going the way of the Titanic, Ash’s friends and Team Rocket had to team up to escape the sunken ship. And James’s Magikarp evolved into Gyarados before running away. You can also check out "Island of the Giant Pokémon!" to finish off this St. Anne trilogy of episodes.

James’s Team: Koffing

We still have two-thirds of the essential Indigo League episodes to go, but that’s the beginning of the beginning. So far we’re really only skipping a couple episodes. I’ll be back before too long with the next set of episodes. Gotta watch ‘em all!