The Japanese version of Pokémon: Indigo League has 82 episodes.
Indigo League is the first season of the Pokémon animated television series. It originally aired in Japan from April 1, 1997, to January 21, 1999, following Ash Ketchum’s journey through Kanto as he seeks to compete in the Pokémon League.
The number 82 can be confusing because the English version has 80 episodes. Two episodes were not included in the original English television run, partly because of broadcast and content decisions surrounding the early localization. Episode counts can therefore differ depending on whether a source is describing the Japanese season or its English adaptation.
The season introduced many of the franchise’s enduring anime characters, including Pikachu, Misty, Brock, Jessie, James, and Meowth. It also established the anime’s road-trip structure, in which Ash visits cities, earns Gym Badges, and encounters new Pokémon and rivals.