Pokémonhas a lot of episodes to its name; even just the first season is 80 episodes, a number which many shows will never even come close to. That can make trying to watch the series difficult, as it takes a long time to watch 80 episodes, and some people just might not have time for all that.
Pokémontechnically doesn’t have “filler,” sinceanime filler is by definitioncontent that wasn’t present in the original manga, andPokémonisn’t based on a manga. However, there are episodes that can give the impression of filler due to their lack of relevance to plot or characterization.
To that end, here’s a list of every plot-relevant episode from Pokémon’s first season, with a few fan-favorites thrown in for good measure.
Which Episodes to Watch in Pokémon Season 1’s First Half
The Indigo League’s Most Important Episodes
Needless to say, it’s important to start any series from the beginning, andPokémonis no exception. Thus, the place to start is, of course, the first episode. This episode introduces Ash and Pikachu and provides the origin of their relationship. Misty also makes an early appearance, as Ash steals her bike to rescue Pikachu.
Episode 2 sees Team Rocket make their debut appearance, while episode 3 sees Ash catch his first wild Pokémon, Caterpie. Episode 5 involves Ash meeting and challenging Brock, finally assembling the entire cast. Episode 7 sees Ash battling Misty for the Cascade Badge, revealing her origin as well.
Episodes 10, 11, and 12 form a loose arc, where Ash encounters Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in succession.Episode 13 sees Ash catch Krabby, as well as meet Bill. Episode 14 gets back to the gym challenge, as Ash battles Lt. Surge, while episodes 15 and 16 have Ash and friends board the St. Anne, a ship that sinks with them on it.
Episode 21 is the famed “Bye Bye, Butterfree,” while episodes 22-24 deal with Ash’s attempts to defeat Sabrina and earn her Marsh Badge. Episode 26 gets back on track by challenging Erika for the Rainbow Badge. Episode 32 sees Ash dealing with Koga to obtain the Soul Badge.
Episode 39 marks an interesting point in the story, as it’s after Pokémon made its comeback followingthe tragic seizure incident with the banned Porygon episode, episode 38. Known as “Pikachu’s Goodbye,” it’s a fan-favorite episode, if not an essential one for the plot.
Which Episodes to Watch in Pokémon Season 1’s Second Half
The Struggle for the Tournament Continues On
Epiosde 43 isn’t a hugely important episode, but it does see Ash’s Charmander finally evolve into Charmeleon. It doesn’t remain Charmeleon for long, however, evolving again in episode 46. Episode 45 introduces the recurring Jigglypuff, making it a somewhat important episode for context when Jigglypuff returns.
Episode 50 is notable for introducing Togepi, the first Johto Pokémon to appear in the anime after Ho-Oh’s cameo in the first episode. Episode 51 focuses on Bulbasaur and why it doesn’t want to evolve. Episodes 58 and 59 surround Ash’s attempts to earn the Volcano Badge on Cinnabar Island.
Episode 63 gives an early glimpseat Mewtwo before the movie comes out, and sees Ash finally earning his eighth badge, the Earth Badge. Episode 65 sees Ash and Gary reunited at Oak’s lab, just ahead of the start of the Indigo League tournament. Episode 70 is an excellent backstory episode for Team Rocket’s Meowth.
The final run of episodes is the actual Indigo League tournament arc, which runs from episode 74 to episode 80, the final episode of the first season. Ash meets new friends like Ritchie, fights his way through the tournament with his various Pokémon, and learns a lot about himself and being a Pokémon Master.
The Full List of Essential Season 1 Pokémon Episodes
The Above Information in Checklist Form
Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) involve Ash capturing or evolving a new Pokémon. Episodes marked with a caret (^) feature Ash obtaining a gym badge.
001
002
003
005
007
010
Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village*
011
012
013
Mystery at the Lighthouse*
014
015
016
021
022
Abra and the Psychic Showdown
023
024
026
032
039
043
045
046
050
051
058
059
063
065
070
074
075
076
Fire and Ice
077
078
079
Friend and Foe Alike
080
Friends to the End
There Are More Good Episodes Than Plot-Relevant Ones
Other Episodes Worth Watching Exist, But Aren’t Necessary
This list focuses primarily on episodes that introduce major characters, including humans andthe main Pokémon that Ash uses(Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree), as well as episodes where Ash makes significant progress towards his goals, such as obtaining new badges.
There are some perfectly good episodes which don’t fit these criteria, however. “Snow Way Out” is a special episode that’s unnumbered, but most fans would consider to be absolutely worth watching. Episode 48, “Holy Matrimony!”, reveals the past of Team Rocket’s James and makes him a far more sympathetic character.
Episode 57, “The Breeding Center Secret!”, introduces the other Team Rocket duo, Butch and Cassidy, who are relevant in the future, but don’t have much relevance to Ash’s Indigo League story arc. Episode 61,“The Misty Mermaid,” is also a great character episode for Misty,allowing her to show off her skills underwater.
There are a few more episodes where Ash obtains Pokémon as well; “Primeape Goes Bananas” sees Ash catch Primeape, while Muk is caught in “Sparks Fly for Magnemite.” Ash also catches many Tauros, however this occurs in a banned episode that wasn’t translated.
By using this list, viewers wanting to revisit Ash’s origins can hit only the most important episodes, cutting out over half of the “filler” episodes which don’t advance the plot or characterization much.Pokémoncan be a challenging series to revisit, so hopefully fans will find it a bit easier to find the episodes they want to watch again.
