Kanto Pokérap

The Kanto Pokérap was the first Pokérap to debut in the Pokémon anime.

The Pokérap contains the first 150 Pokémon that existed at the time. Two verses would be played at the end of an episode, and by the end of a five-day week, all the verses would have been sung. A full version of the Pokérap is available on part one of the season one DVD box set, as well as the first seven volumes of the Kanto VHS and DVD sets, released back in 1998-2001. Beginning with the eighth volume, the Pokérap was no longer available.

It is available on three different soundtracks: Pokémon 2.B.A. Master, Pokémon X, and the movie 9 bonus CD.

Full lyrics

(lyrics in bold are spoken)

OK, guys, we gotta rap some Pokémon.
You just do the singing. I'll take care of the hard part.
Let's get it on!


I want to be the best
there ever was.
To beat all the rest, yeah,
that's my cause.

Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran♂, Mankey
Venusaur, Rattata, Fearow, Pidgey
Seaking, Jolteon, Dragonite, Gastly
Ponyta, Vaporeon, Poliwrath, Butterfree

Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all,
Pokémon!

I'll search across the land,
look far and wide.
Release from my hand
the power that's inside.

Venomoth, Poliwag, Nidorino, Golduck
Ivysaur, Grimer, Victreebel, Moltres
Nidoking, Farfetch'd, Abra, Jigglypuff
Kingler, Rhyhorn, Clefable, Wigglytuff

Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all,
Gotta catch 'em all, Pokémon!

Zubat, Primeape, Meowth, Onix
Geodude, Rapidash, Magneton, Snorlax
Gengar, Tangela, Goldeen, Spearow
Weezing, Seel, Gyarados, Slowbro

Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all, yeah!
Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all, yeah!
Gotta catch 'em all, Pokémon! Ow!

Kabuto, Persian, Paras, Horsea
Raticate, Magnemite, Kadabra, Weepinbell
Ditto, Cloyster, Caterpie, Sandshrew
Bulbasaur, Charmander, Golem, Pikachu

At least 150 or more to see.
To be a Pokémon Master is my destiny.

Alakazam, Doduo, Venonat, Machoke
Kangaskhan, Hypno, Electabuzz, Flareon
Blastoise, Poliwhirl, Oddish, Drowzee
Raichu, Nidoqueen, Bellsprout, Starmie

Woo! We're at the halfway point, doing great so far.
We? What's all this "we" stuff? I'm doing all the hard work!
Breaktime's over, here we go!


Metapod, Marowak, Kakuna, Clefairy
Dodrio, Seadra, Vileplume, Krabby
Lickitung, Tauros, Weedle, Nidoran♀
Machop, Shellder, Porygon, Hitmonchan

Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all, yeah!
Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all, yeah!

Articuno, Jynx, Nidorina, Beedrill
Haunter, Squirtle, Chansey (Pokémon!)
Parasect, Exeggcute, Muk, Dewgong
Pidgeotto, Lapras, Vulpix, Rhydon

At least 150 or more to see.
To be a Pokémon Master is my destiny.

Charizard, Machamp, Pinsir, Koffing
Dugtrio, Golbat, Staryu, Magikarp
Ninetales, Ekans, Omastar
Scyther, Tentacool, Dragonair, Magmar

Whoa, catch your breath man. Shake out those lips.
It's downhill from here, just 24 more to go.
Now it gets tricky so listen real good!


Sandslash, Hitmonlee, Psyduck, Arcanine
Eevee, Exeggutor, Kabutops, Zapdos
Dratini, Growlithe, Mr. Mime, Cubone
Graveler, Voltorb, Gloom - We're almost home!

Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all, yeow!
Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all, huhh!
Gotta catch 'em all, Pokémon! (yeeaahh!!)

Charmeleon, Wartortle
Mewtwo, Tentacruel, Aerodactyl
Omanyte, Slowpoke
Pidgeot, Arbok - That's all, folks!

Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all (oowww)
Gotta catch 'em all, Pokémon
Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all (oowww)
Gotta catch 'em all, Pokémon
Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all
Gotta catch 'em all... Pokémon!

Credits

  • Lead vocals: James "D Train" Williams, Babi Floyd
  • BG vocals: John Loeffler, Louis Cortelezzi, Ken Cummings, James "D Train" Williams
  • Co-produced and arranged by John Siegler

Trivia

  • The five split segments were placed into episodes based on their Japanese airing order. This caused problems during the show's time in first-run syndication; Tentacool & Tentacruel aired the "Thursday" segment despite falling into the Wednesday slot in the syndication cycles due to Beauty and the Beach initially being skipped, with The Bridge Bike Gang and Pikachu's Goodbye airing the "Monday" and "Thursday" segments respectively despite falling into Thursday and Monday in the cycles due to the loss of EP035 and EP038. No attempt was ever made to correct this.
    • Had the entire first season aired in syndication, the last four episodes of the first season would have been bumped back a whole week in the syndication cycles due to Princess vs. Princess and The Purr-fect Hero being moved to the start of what was considered by Kids' WB the second season in the dub, thus somewhat correcting the problem due to the four episodes coming afterwards having the segments that corresponded to what would have been their days of the week in the cycle.
  • If one was to rearrange the Pokérap so all the Pokémon are in National Pokédex order, Alakazam, Dodrio, Scyther and Magmar would remain in their positions in the song.
  • The Kabuto shown in the Pokérap was not a real Kabuto, it was in fact Bill in a Kabuto costume. Also, the Venusaur, Blastoise, Charizard, Rhydon, Kabutops, and Zapdos shown were all actually mechanical Pokémon from Island of the Giant Pokémon.
  • Mew is the only Pokémon from Generation I that is not included, because the Pokérap was made before Mew was announced.
  • A verse of the Pokérap (beginning with Articuno) was sung by N*SYNC in a Kids WB promo. However, the band members mispronounced Muk as "mook".
  • The Pokérap footage for Rhyhorn, Dratini, and Dragonair originate from EP035, the second of the banned episodes. In addition, bridge stanza footage of Misty reeling in a Gyarados is also from that episode.
  • Sheet music for this song is included in the Pokémon 2.B.A. Master piano book and Pokémon Five-Finger Piano.
  • There are at least 22 separate instances when a clip from Island of the Giant Pokémon is displayed in the song. Most notably, the images of the mechanical Zapdos and Rhydon appear frequently.

Errors

File:Pokerap error1.jpg
Poliwag is shown instead of Poliwrath.
  • In the VHS and DVD versions of the Pokérap, when Poliwrath is mentioned, Poliwag's picture is shown. This is also true of its first few appearances in the TV Pokérap version. In a similar situation, when Graveler was mentioned, Geodude's picture was shown. Both of these errors were eventually corrected, although they still appeared in foreign language versions of early episodes.
  • In the German version of the Pokérap, Krabby's image is shown, but Hypno's name is shown above. When Kakuna's picture is shown, it says Hornliu (Weedle).
    • Also in the German Pokérap, Lapras is pronounced Paras.
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  This article is part of Project Music, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon song, CD and musician.