The English version of Pokémon’s first season contained 80 episodes.
The season is commonly called Pokémon: Indigo League, although it originally aired simply as Pokémon in English-speaking markets. Its Japanese counterpart had 82 episodes, creating a frequently repeated mix-up: the English count is 80, while the Japanese version is listed with 82.
The difference resulted from the handling of episodes for international broadcast. The infamous “Dennō Senshi Porygon” episode was never broadcast outside Japan after a seizure-related incident caused hundreds of Japanese viewers to experience illness. Another episode, “The Legend of Dratini,” was also omitted from the English run because of its use of firearms.
The first season follows Ash Ketchum’s journey through the Kanto region with Pikachu, Misty, and Brock. It originally aired in Japan from 1997 to 1999, while the English version began in the United States in 1998. Later seasons continued the anime with new regions and supporting characters.