S1 redirects here. For the Japanese TCG release with the set symbol S1, see Sword & Shield (TCG).
Pokémon: Indigo League
Season 1
Season1 logo.png
Logo for the season
Opening Pokémon Theme
Episodes 52
Region Kanto
Series Original series
Preceded by None
Followed by Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands

Pokémon: Indigo League (known at the time it was first aired simply as Pokémon) is the first season of the dubbed version of the Pokémon anime. It follows rookie Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum, his Pikachu, and his friends Misty and Brock as they travel across the Kanto region. The subtitle "Indigo League" is not used within the episodes, but was later added by the DVD releases and the official website.

In the United States, the first 40 episodes aired in syndication in 1998, while the remaining 12 episodes were picked up and aired by Kids' WB!, starting with The Problem with Paras in 1999. The season began with Pokémon, I Choose You!, which originally aired on September 8, 1998, and ended with The Breeding Center Secret, which originally aired on May 1, 1999. In Canada, the series was aired by YTV. This season skips EP018, EP035, and EP038, which were all banned from airing (the first one of these was eventually dubbed later with the title Beauty and the Beach, but was pulled off from air again and it is not considered as part of any dub season).

It was succeeded by Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands, which contains the rest of Ash and his friends' journey through Kanto and the Orange Archipelago arc, the latter of which was created to allow time for the development of Pokémon Gold and Silver.

Blurb

It’s Ash Ketchum’s tenth birthday, and he’s ready to do what many 10-year-olds in the Kanto region set out to do—become a Pokémon Trainer! Things don’t go exactly the way he planned when he ends up with a Pikachu instead of a standard first Pokémon, and winning Gym Badges turns out to be much tougher than he thought. Luckily he’s got former Gym Leaders Brock and Misty at his side, along with a bevy of new Pokémon friends, including Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.

Important events

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Party changes

Additions

The following Pokémon are obtained:

Other

Evolutions

The following Pokémon evolve:

Trades

The following Pokémon are traded:

Releases

The following Pokémon are released:

Gym battles

Ash battles the following Gym Leaders:

Badge Opponent Epicode Result
Boulder Badge Brock EP005 Forfeit
Rewarded
Cascade Badge Misty EP007 Rewarded
Thunder Badge Lt. Surge EP014 Defeat
Victory
Marsh Badge Sabrina EP022 Forfeit
EP024 Forfeit
Rewarded
Rainbow Badge Erika EP026 Rewarded
Soul Badge Koga EP032 Victory

Episodes

The television definition is used by Region 4 home video releases, Pokémon TV, Netflix, DisneyNOW, digital home video releases, and formerly on Toonami Jetstream and Cartoon Network Video. It includes the first two-thirds of the Indigo League arc of the anime.

The home video definition is the definition used by most Region 1 home video releases by VIZ Media, with the exception of the 2017 Blu-ray release. Due to the removal of Holiday Hi-Jynx from rotation, releases since 2014 do not include the episode. It includes all episodes in the Indigo League arc of the anime.

Epicode Episode Title Television
Digital release
Home video
(prior to 2014)
Home video
(since 2014)
EP001 Pokémon - I Choose You! 1 1 1
EP002 Pokémon Emergency! 2 2 2
EP003 Ash Catches a Pokémon 3 3 3
EP004 Challenge of the Samurai 4 4 4
EP005 Showdown in Pewter City 5 5 5
EP006 Clefairy and the Moon Stone 6 6 6
EP007 The Water Flowers of Cerulean City 7 7 7
EP008 The Path to the Pokémon League 8 8 8
EP009 The School of Hard Knocks 9 9 9
EP010 Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village 10 10 10
EP011 Charmander – The Stray Pokémon 11 11 11
EP012 Here Comes the Squirtle Squad 12 12 12
EP013 Mystery at the Lighthouse 13 13 13
EP014 Electric Shock Showdown 14 14 14
EP015 Battle Aboard the St. Anne 15 15 15
EP016 Pokémon Shipwreck 16 16 16
EP017 Island of the Giant Pokémon 17 17 17
EP019 Tentacool & Tentacruel 18 18 18
EP020 The Ghost of Maiden's Peak 19 19 19
EP021 Bye Bye Butterfree 20 20 20
EP022 Abra and the Psychic Showdown 21 21 21
EP023 The Tower of Terror 22 22 22
EP024 Haunter versus Kadabra 23 23 23
EP025 Primeape Goes Bananas 24 24 24
EP026 Pokémon Scent-sation! 25 25 25
EP027 Hypno's Naptime 26 26 26
EP028 Pokémon Fashion Flash 27 27 27
EP029 The Punchy Pokémon 28 28 28
EP030 Sparks Fly for Magnemite 29 29 29
EP031 Dig Those Diglett! 30 30 30
EP032 The Ninja Poké-Showdown 31 31 31
EP033 The Flame Pokémon-athon! 32 32 32
EP034 The Kangaskhan Kid 33 33 33
EP036 The Bridge Bike Gang 34 34 34
EP037 Ditto's Mysterious Mansion 35 35 35
EP039 Pikachu's Goodbye 36 36 36
EP040 The Battling Eevee Brothers 37 37 37
EP041 Wake Up Snorlax! 38 38 38
EP042 Showdown at Dark City 39 39 39
EP043 The March of the Exeggutor Squad 40 40 40
EP044 The Problem with Paras 41 41 41
EP045 The Song of Jigglypuff 42 42 42
EP046 Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon 43 43 43
EP047 A Chansey Operation 44 44 44
EP048 Holy Matrimony! 45 45 45
EP049 So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd 46 46 46
EP050 Who Gets to Keep Togepi? 47 47 47
EP051 Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden 48 48 48
EP054 The Case of the K-9 Caper! 49 49 49
EP055 Pokémon Paparazzi 50 50 50
EP056 The Ultimate Test 51 51 51
EP057 The Breeding Center Secret 52 52 52
EP058 Riddle Me This Part of S02 53 53
EP059 Volcanic Panic 54 54
EP060 Beach Blank-Out Blastoise 55 55
EP052 Princess vs. Princess 56 56
EP053 The Purr-fect Hero 57 57
EP061 The Misty Mermaid 58 58
EP062 Clefairy Tales 59 59
EP063 The Battle of the Badge 60 60
EP064 It's Mr. Mime Time 61 61
* Holiday Hi-Jynx 62
* Snow Way Out! 63 62
EP065 Showdown at the Po-ké Corral 64 63
EP066 The Evolution Solution 65 64
EP067 The Pi-Kahuna 66 65
EP068 Make Room for Gloom 67 66
EP069 Lights, Camera, Quack-tion! 68 67
EP070 Go West Young Meowth 69 68
EP071 To Master the Onixpected! 70 69
EP072 The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis 71 70
EP073 Bad to the Bone 72 71
EP074 All Fired Up! 73 72
EP075 Round One - Begin! 74 73
EP076 Fire and Ice 75 74
EP077 The Fourth Round Rumble 76 75
EP078 A Friend In Deed 77 76
EP079 Friend and Foe Alike 78 77
EP080 Friends to the End 79 78

Home video releases

North American home video releases

Main article: List of English language Indigo League home video releases (Region 1)

United Kingdom home video releases

Main article: List of English language Indigo League home video releases (Region 2)

Australian home video releases

Main article: List of English language Indigo League home video releases (Region 4)

Trivia

 
Pokémon: The Road to Indigo logo

In other languages


Original series (list) Indigo LeagueAdventures in the Orange Islands
The Johto JourneysJohto League ChampionsMaster Quest
Ruby and Sapphire (list) AdvancedAdvanced ChallengeAdvanced BattleBattle Frontier
Diamond and Pearl (list) Diamond and PearlBattle DimensionGalactic BattlesSinnoh League Victors
Black & White (list) Black & WhiteRival DestiniesAdventures in Unova and Beyond
XY (list) XYKalos QuestXYZ (Mega Evolution Specials)
Sun & Moon (list) Sun & MoonUltra Adventures‎Ultra Legends
Journeys (list) JourneysMaster JourneysUltimate Journeys (The Arceus Chronicles)
Horizons (list) Horizons
Specials (list) Pikachu's Winter VacationSide StoriesPokémon Chronicles
Planetarium specialsPikachu shorts
Mewtwo ReturnsThe Legend of Thunder!Pichu Bros. in Party Panic
The Mastermind of Mirage PokémonPokémon Ranger: Guardian SignsA Ripple in Time
Complete listMoviesOther anime series


  This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.