Pokémon, I Choose You!

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For the film, see Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!

"Pokémon, I Choose You!"
Professor Oak is seen in the background.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed byMasamitsu Hidaka[1]
Written byTakeshi Shudo[1]
Original air dateApril 1, 1997 (1997-04-01)
Episode chronology
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"Pokémon Emergency!"
List of episodes

"Pokémon, I Choose You!"

Pokémon anime series. It was first broadcast on April 1, 1997 on TV Tokyo
.

In the episode,

Spearow
, which gets angry and starts attacking him and Pikachu. Soon, an entire flock of Spearow start chasing them, and Pikachu is the only one able to step in and stop the flock.

Nintendo, which publishes the Pokémon video games, asked for changes to be made to the English adaptation of the episode. Some graphic sequences involving punching were taken out, including one where Misty slaps Ash on the cheek. The script was translated by Paul Taylor. Veronica Taylor, who provided the English voice of Ash in this episode, said she enjoyed the script and recording Ash's lines.

Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. Andrew Wood of

Pokémon Journeys: the Series
, "Enter Pikachu!", which aired in 2019.

Plot

External videos
video icon Pokémon - I Choose You! (full episode) via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

In the world of Pokémon, people at the age of 10 can get their official license to become

Professor Oak. On the morning of the ceremony, Ash oversleeps after accidentally breaking his alarm clock in his sleep, and runs in his pajamas to Oak's laboratory, where his rival and the Professor's grandson, Gary Oak, taunts him for arriving to the ceremony late, and brags about having already received his first Pokémon. When Oak tells Ash that all three starter Pokémon have already been taken, Ash pleads for any Pokémon, so Oak gives him the only one left, which turns out to be an electric-type Pikachu. Ash thinks that Pikachu is cute, but Pikachu gives him an electric shock when he picks him up to hug him. Oak gives Ash a Pokédex and six Poké Balls
before he heads out on his journey to become the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time.

Ash soon comes to realize that Pikachu refuses to go inside his Poké Ball and prefers his independence. As Ash struggles to bond with Pikachu, who acts aloof and openly distrusts him, the two stumble upon a wild

Viridian City
.

Seeing the Spearow flock approaching, Ash escapes with Pikachu, taking the girl's bike, but loses control and collapses, crashing down a hill. Realizing Pikachu's condition is critical, Ash begs him to go inside his Poké Ball so that Ash can protect him from the approaching Spearow. Seeing how much Ash cares for him, Pikachu performs a powerful Thunder attack which drives the Spearow away, but also destroys the bike. As Ash recovers, a

mysterious golden bird
flies over a rainbow, and Ash's Pokédex informs him that there is no current data on this Pokémon and that there are several yet to be identified. Their bond established, Ash carries Pikachu into Viridian City.

Production

"Pokémon - I Choose You!" was the first episode of the

Clefairy was intended to be Ash's starter. Due to a last-minute adjustment, Pikachu got the role because it was relatively popular compared with the other Pokémon and the staff thought that "potentially both boys and girls would like it".[3] The episode was animated by Shogakukan in Japan, and it was aimed at elementary school students.[4]

English adaptation

Just before

blindness, and lost consciousness.[6][7] A total of 685 viewers were taken to hospitals by ambulances.[6][8][9] Alfred R. Kahn, chief executive of 4Kids Entertainment, announced on January 1, 1998, that the anime would be edited for the American market. Many American parents worried about the safety of their children now that the anime would air in the United States, but Kahn said: "We're confident it won't be a problem. [...] We've taken the problem seriously and fixed it."[10][11]

Nintendo asked for changes to be made to the original Japanese show in the English adaptation. "We tried not to have violence or sexual discrimination or religious scenes in the United States," said Masakazu Kubo, executive producer of Shogakukan.

Charmander; Fushigidane, a dinosaur with a green garlic bulb on its back, became Bulbasaur; and Zenigame, a turtle who squirts water, became Squirtle.[4][12]

Voice acting

Veronica Taylor, who provided the voice of Ash in this episode and all episodes from season one to eight, said that recording Ash's lines for the episode was "really great" for her. "Playing a 10-year-old boy with that energy and excitement, and the battles that he's in, and his low, husky voice was really terrific," she said.[14]

I really enjoy playing [Ash] and he’s really a great character, but I feel that after the first ten episodes everything has kind of loosened up. The script's loosened up, the characters were able to come into their own a bit more, and I think everyone has relaxed a bit; we're able to play with it more, whereas in the first ten episodes, I think it was so new, and everyone was trying to make sure it was done right. I enjoy playing him now much more than I did in the very beginning because I can have fun with him more, and we know him and can work out how he really would react.

Taylor explained the process of recording an episode in an interview with Animerica Magazine; first, the script is translated from Japanese into English, it is then adapted to fit the lip flap (movement of the mouth). Taylor said that she is the only one in the recording booth when she works, as they record each voice separately throughout each episode. Taylor added that she is often the first one to record, so she has to imagine how the previous line would be said. "Luckily, I work with a great director who helps with the interpretation of the line, matching of the lip flap, and consistency of the voice," she said.[15]

Reception

The episode has received mixed to positive reviews from television critics. Andrew Wood of

Ho-Oh, a Pokémon whose data was not included in the Pokédex at the time.[19]

Book adaptation and re-releases

A children's book adaptation of the episode was released in July 1999. It was published by Scholastic Corporation and written by Tracey West.[20][21] The episode was released on VHS and DVD on November 24, 1998, and December 13, 1998, respectively as part of the first volume of Indigo League: "Pokémon: I Choose You Pikachu!" The release also included the following two episodes ("Pokémon: Emergency!", and "Ash Catches a Pokémon").[22][23]

Nintendo announced on September 24, 2004, that two Game Boy Advance Video cartridges, featuring "classic" episodes from the early days of the Pokémon series, would hit stores on September 27 that year. The Pokémon episodes were packaged in two separate packs containing two episodes each, and the four episodes available were "Pokémon, I Choose You!", "Here Comes the Squirtle Squad", "Beach Blank-Out Blastoise", and "Go West Young Meowth", all from season one.[24][25] In 2017, a Pokémon movie based on the first episode was released, titled Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Pokémon data" (in Japanese). Shopro.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  2. ^ "Pokémon - I Choose You! | Pokemon.com". The Pokémon Company International. Archived from the original on 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  3. ^ "The Ultimate Game Freak". Time. November 22, 1999. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  4. ^
    OCLC 50898281
    .
  5. ^ Sheryl, Wudunn (December 18, 1997). "TV Cartoon's Flashes Send 700 Japanese Into Seizures". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  6. ^ a b c Radford, Benjamin (May 2001). "Pokémon Panic of 1997". Skeptical Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2008-10-20. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  7. PMID 11235034
    .
  8. ^ "Pokemon on the Brain". Neuroscience For Kids. March 11, 2000. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  9. ^ "Fits to Be Tried". Snopes.com. 26 February 2001. Archived from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  10. ^ "Controversial Japanese cartoon coming to America". The Augusta Chronicle. January 1, 1998. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  11. ^ "US May Get Controversial Japanese Cartoon". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 1, 1998. pp. E5.
  12. ^ a b "Poké Mania". Time. November 22, 1999. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  13. ^ "The Pokemon Anime - Censorship". Psypokes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  14. ^ "Veronica Taylor Interview". Dogasu's Backpack. Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  15. ^ "Veronica Taylor FAQ's". VeronicaTaylor.net. August 2000. Archived from the original on 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  16. ^ Wood, Andrew (September 10, 1998). "Did Pokemon Live Up To Its Hype?". The Plain Dealer.
  17. ^ Tei, Andrew (October 14, 2003). "Pokemon Vol. #01: Choose You! Pikachu!". Mania.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  18. ^ "Pokemon: I Choose You & Here Comes the Squirtle Squad Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-12-29. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  19. ^ "Pokémon: The Very First Episode!". X-Entertainment. June 20, 2007. Archived from the original on 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  20. ISBN 0439104645
    .
  21. OCLC 41585422
    .
  22. ^ "Pokemon - I Choose You! Pikachu! (DVD)". Amazon. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  23. ASIN 6305209871
    .
  24. ^ N-Philes (September 25, 2004). "New Videos Headed to GBA". N-Philes. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  25. ^ Kohler, Chris (September 27, 2004). "Pokémon classics hit GBA Video". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2008-12-26.

External links
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