Pokémon: 10 Episodes To Watch
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"Pokémon, I Choose You!" (Season 1, Episode 1)
There's no better place to start than the beginning, and if you haven't seen the series premiere in a while — let's say, like, 18 years — you might be surprised to see just how unfriendly Pikachu was to Ash when they first partnered up.
Really, it's kind of... shocking.
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"Charmander, the Stray Pokémon" (Season 1, Episode 11)
Fact: I think about this episode nearly every time there's a heavy rain, and after re-watching it, so will you.
Seeing how Charmander first came into the picture is also helpful in understanding why he eventually evolved into such a disobedient garbage bag. (He's got demons!)
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"Here Comes the Squirtle Squad" (Season 1, Episode 12)
Nearly 20 years before Taylor Swift attempted to appropriate the term "squad" for her own dark biddings, this pack of water-squirting hellraisers were already kicking butt and taking names lunches.
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"Electric Shock Showdown" (Season 1, Episode 14)
People love rooting for the underdog — especially when that underdog is tiny and adorable and named Pikachu. In defeating his (less cuddly) evolved form and earning Ash a Thunder Badge, Pikachu proved one of the fundamental lessons of Pokémon: You can be strong and keep it cute.
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"Island of the Giant Pokémon" (Season 1, Episode 17)
Yes, the giant robot Pokémon are pretty cool — and have a brilliant end-of-episode payoff — but what we really love about this one is that it finally translates what these dern critters are saying!
(Pictured: Pikachu finally calling out Meowth, Ekans and Koffing for all the crap they've been pulling. Boom.)
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"Bye Bye, Butterfree" (Season 1, Episode 20)
Oh, you think a cartoon can't make you cry? Then I dare you to make it through this one — it's like the Parenthood of Pokémon episodes — without shedding a tear as Ash bids farewell to one of his first-ever captures.
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"The Tower of Terror" (Season 1, Episode 22)
If you're willing to look past the horrifying concept of Ash and Pikachu's temporary deaths, this episode — which features the ghostly trio of Gastly, Haunter and Gengar — is actually a lot of fun. It's kind of like Casper, only without a dreamy Devon Sawa cameo.
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"Pikachu's Goodbye" (Season 1, Episode 36)
If I was making a list of the most emotional episodes, this one — a rollercoaster of cuteness ("Pikachu Paradise!") and sorrow (dat montage!) — would be at the tippy top.
(Follow-up question: Why does Ash keep trying to give all of his Pokémon away?!)
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"The Song of Jigglypuff" (Season 1, Episode 42)
This. Queen.
Before Super Smash Brothers made Jigglypuff a household name (for better or worse), the Beyoncé of Pokémon sang her way into our hearts... and then drew on our faces when we fell asleep.
Oh, you didn't know? Jigglypuff lives by frat rules.
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"Who Gets to Keep Togepi?" (Season 1, Episode 47)
Togepi's long-awaited hatching — mind you, this little guy had never been seen on US soil before — was a television event in every sense of the word.
(Debate still rages on over who really deserved to keep him... but we're all having a nice time, so I won't spoil it with drama.)
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Honorable Mentions:
"The Flame Pokémon-athon!" (Episode 32) because Ash rides a unicorn on fire.
"The Water Flowers of Cerulean City" (Episode 7) because Misty's sisters are the original Mean Girls.
"Ditto's Mysterious Mansion" (Episode 35) just for Ash and Co.'s ridiculous Team Rocket impression.
"Pokémon Fashion Flash" (Episode 27) because of all the iconic lewks.