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Pokémon! I Choose You (001)

Gillachu

Banned
Good 1st episode of the show. I loved how Ash overslept and Pikachu being Ash's last resort as a starter was hilarious. Pikachu was such a brat though.

He was a brat because no other trainer had picked him as a Starter. Clearly he had trust issues and behavioral issues due to that.
 

Mrs. Oreo

Banned
He was a brat because no other trainer had picked him as a Starter. Clearly he had trust issues and behavioral issues due to that.

That's prolly it and Oak did show reluctance in letting Ash get Pikachu hee hee. And tho this is a minor thing, I liked how Pikachu's Poke ball had a lightning bolt symbol on it here. :3
 

Irri

New Member
Probably the very best episode like no other ever was! It had everything- loads of funny moments in it, especially In Ash's conversations with Gary and Professor Oak. And the emotional moments are great too, such as Ashs speech to the Spearow and when Pikachu licks Ashs cheek at the end. Overall, a fantastic start to the show!
 
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Bananarama

The light is coming
And the emotional moments are great too, such as Ashs speech to the Spearow and when Pikachu licks Ashs cheek at the end.

I really liked the moment where Ash made that speech to the Spearow before Pikachu beat them all. It shows how determined Ash was to becoming a Pokemon master, as well as how he wanted to prove himself to Pikachu.
 

G4Pokefan

THE AURA IS WITH ME
On the day of the 20th anniversary of Pokemon, I just now realized that James was voiced by the same guy who voiced Tracy earlier in the series. Wow Smh.
 

5221A

Well-Known Member
Okay, I'm still on vacation and the Pokemon anniversary really pulled me back to Pokemon, replaying the games and such. I decided to re-watch the anime from the beginning and boy did I miss the opining theme, really nostalgic, from what I remember Pokemon songs were really good. I really like the original series and I expect to enjoy it again this time around on Netflix.

As for the episode it self... right off the bat Bruno tosses a green pokeball that dose not exist in the games, it looks pretty cool. Although that sending Onix to deal with Gengar is a bit dubious.

I wonder how that Dodrio got on the roof, still don't buy the fact that it can fly (or use steel wing).

I can really relate to Ash in this episode, always had a bad time waking up as a kid and teen, always late. Also really liked Gary, he was stuck up and not annoying, don't know how they pulled it off. Pallet Town really feels small in this episode, everyone appearing for when Oak gives away the Pokemon is sweet. Though the missing Charmander and Bulbasaur is sad, they should have showed off who got them, still have hope that one day the anime decides to have a plot. Pikachu's reason for being a jerk was also wasted potential. And boy did I miss Misty, although she was fun in HGSS it was a little short, Gamefreak really needs to develop gym leaders like they did in those games.

Really liked the dub here. Highlights include Ash's mum, the Pokedex and Misty's bike. The episode is pretty good, introduces the world accurately and really nails the feel for the rest of the anime with it's awkward campyness and lighthearted adventure aspect, but it dose get intense seeing Pikachu's limp body and Ash putting himself in danger for his Pokemon, also the bike. Ho Oh dose have an incredible cameo at the end. So an overall decent episode 8/10 on Pokemon standards.

Also do not let Oak make puns please.
 
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Zero Nexus

Stand up, go for it
On the day of the 20th anniversary of Pokemon, I just now realized that James was voiced by the same guy who voiced Tracy earlier in the series. Wow Smh.

On a similar note, I only just realised a few weeks ago that the guy who used to voice Brock was also Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Back then I didn't watch anime nor did I care about voice actors, but as I do both now I find that really interesting. If I'd have noticed that back then I would have found it really cool.
 
-- I know many will hate me for this, but The theme song was pretty bad. Sounds like 2nd-rate Bon Jovi. I made a mashup that synchs it up with the song "Prophecy" by Queensryche, it's really good!
+++: The episode starts with a Pokemon battle on GameBoy, which transitions seamlessly into a real Pokemon battle. Very nice, artistic animation choice. Could imagine lots of kids in 1998 being stunned.
++ The action scene was top-notch and exciting.
Pokemon battling is apparently an official sport. Wow. Imagine Pokemon at the Olympics! That would be a sight.
Gotta love the "panning over still image" background!
Ash is introduced, and he's using a crappy 1960s analog TV. Shows him as pathetic! His voice is also bad, very raspy and whispery.
Woah, was that JAPANESE TEXT? 4Kids usually edits that out!
Keep prononcing Pokemon wrong. It's POK-E-MON, not POK-A-MON.
+ Bulbasaur's face in the dream was good for a chuckle.
Gary Oak is introduced, and he also has a terrible voice, very annoying and whiny.
-- "The early bird catches the worm, or in this case, the Pokemon" very lame pun.
Pikachu is introduced! And he's so chubby and cute!
++ The shocking scene was funny, especially Oak's lame "Shocking, Isn't it!"
Wait, so Ash's mom is letting him leave? HE's TEN YEARS OLD! What a world.
Bad animation with the packing of all the supplies, only a few appeared!
++ Pikachu and Ash playing catch was another funny scene. I especially like how Pikachu goes "Pi...Ka...Chu".
+++ "Don't forget to change your underwear" says Ash's mom. Hilarious!
So Ash sets off. Anyone else think it's odd they're just letting a 10-year-old boy go like this? Or is it just me.
Man, the Pokedex has got 'tude, calling Ash "stupid" and all.
Pikachu's laughing was so cute! Though he is kind of a jerk.
Wow, Ash's throwing rocks at birds. That's pretty cruel.
++ Great action scene with Ash running away from the Spearows, tense and exciting.
+ Also, more nice artsy black and white animation from the Spearow's point of view.
Misty is introduced! Her voice is good, unlike all of the others.
Ash falls off his bicycle. This is apparently, when he falls into a coma. BUT I don't buy it, there's no evidence to prove that the rest is a coma fantasy, no sudden shifts. Plus, "Brock represents Ash's sexuality" and other stuff are just dumb. I declare this theory FAKE!
+++ The final action scene... WOW. The thunderstorm atmosphere, Ash's rousing speech, the artsy animation, the AMAZING orchestra music... WOW. Almost drove me to TEARS, and i'm not a very emotional person!
Closing Thoughts:
The narrator at the end said "Non-stop action, millions of laughs, heart-pounding peril, and always excitement". This episode sure lived up to that!
The episode, in case you've been living under a rock, was about Ash starting his Pokemon journey, getting a Pikachu, and having to run away from a flock of angry Spearows! The plot was fast-moving and exciting, even if it was kinda thin and flimsy.
The action scenes were generally good, but the last one was AMAZING, for reasons listed above.
And the humor was good as well, with quite a few laughs.
Overall, a great episode! Not a 10, some of the jokes bombed, and the plot was kinda thin, but still a great start. 8/10.
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
Since Pikachu clearly didn't want to go with Ash,why didn't he make run for it after shocking everyone outside while he had the chance?
Surely he could have got away before anyone recovered.

I don't think Pokemon can just flee even if they want to abandon their trainer. Besides, Satoshi wasn't the issue here, it was Pikachu's spoiled attitude.
 

Shadao

Aim to be a Pokémon Master
You know, watching the original Japanese version recently has made me realize just how quiet it is compare to the English dub. When Satoshi is running to Okido's Lab, there is no music at all whereas the dub added a subtle hurry up track. Extra music cues were added in the dub for Ash opening the Poké Balls where again in the Japanese version, it's more quiet. When Pikachu is introduced, the Japanese soundtrack is apparently Pikachu Arrives which is sometimes used in the dub show, but it's replaced by something a bit upbeat and active. The list goes on and on, but the general change of music is present throughout the episode, with the exception of a few places. It seems funny that they don't the use actual Pokémon theme music when Ash attempts to catch Pidgey despite the fact the original use it. Actually, looking at the music comparisons again, the dub music completely replaces nearly everything except the iconic scene of Ash defending Pikachu during the rainstorm. I guess I was so used to listening the anime interpretations of the game tracks for so long, it didn't occur to me how much of it you don't really hear from the English dub. Not that the dub music was bad, it is still iconic in its own way.

The difference in music as well as the dialogue creates a different feel than what I've grown up watching in the English version. When watching the original version, I feel like watching a timeless classic movie short.

And this is what the episode truly is, a thematic and timeless classic. I recall how That Dude In the Suede details Ash as someone who is virtually an ordinary boy seeking for adventure in this episode rather than adventure seeking him as the chosen one. Watching the original, that notion is much more strongly depicted here, Rica Matsumoto making Satoshi sound like any 10 year old kid you would normally meet rather than a kid who is picked on for being a loser. Shigeru is more a childhood rival here, reminds me of someone who used to be sweet but became spoiled thanks to his grandfather. Whereas Gary Oak is a complete jerk and sounds like a stereotypical popular bully kid.

The quietness causes me to listen more closely to what the characters are saying despite the fact I wouldn't be able to understand them without looking at the subtitles. It really helps me appreciate each voice seiyuu's performance here.

Combine with already strong story and presentation (faithfully retained in the English version), this is the episode that I highly recommend all Pokémon fans to go watch and see. Though it's not my number one favorite episode (that spot is currently being contested with the Winding Woods episode of XY&Z), I do consider this episode (especially the original Japanese version) to be the best Pokémon story ever told in any media whatsoever. Even Pokémon Origins, which covers the whole story of Red and Blue/Green in four episode, is unable to capture the essence of Pokémon and its themes as well as this one episode.

"Pokémon! I Choose You!" tells you everything you need to know about Pokémon in the most basic terms and under 22 minutes while also deconstructing the nature of it (as well as reconstructing it by the very end) as well as establishing future elements of the series, with the central story being the forging of Ash and Pikachu's long term friendship.
 
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Wednesdayz

Meowth fanatic
This is a good episode. It was funny and dramatic, a perfect introduction to the world of Pokemon. I don't like the scene where Ash dreams about the available Pokemon, but the rest is great. :x
 

Tearlet

New Member
A great start to Pokemon. Ash having to be late in the first day because of over excitement in getting his first partner but instead receiving pikachu was fun to watch. Both of them having troubles at first but soon becoming friends highlights the episode.
 

piiks

New Member
It was a great start to Pokemon that I won't forget, even though I wasn't even born when this ep came out lol. My fav part was when Ash tried to catch the Pidgey with his shirt lololol
 

Wednesdayz

Meowth fanatic
A great start to Pokemon. Ash having to be late in the first day because of over excitement in getting his first partner but instead receiving pikachu was fun to watch.

I still wonder what would've happened if he had arrived on time. Like, he might've gotten Charmander since it was weak to Gary's Squirtle, which would have matched the games and how we used to get stuck with the type disadvantage. :p
 

Mrs. Oreo

Banned
One thing that always bugged me about this episode was how Oak never explained where he caught Pikachu. I just always wanted to know about Pikachu's origins and why he was so stubborn when he met Ash. It seemed like we should've gotten that info here so we could sympathize with Pikachu's attitude.
 
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