The Japanese version of the first Pokémon anime season contained 82 episodes.
Known internationally as Pokémon: Indigo League, the season originally aired in Japan from April 1, 1997, to January 21, 1999. It follows Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock during their travels through the Kanto region.
The season is often listed as having 80 episodes because the English version had 80 episodes. Two Japanese episodes were not included in the original English season listing, making the regional totals different.
One of the omitted episodes was “The Legend of Dratini,” which could not initially be included in the English broadcast because it contains repeated firearm imagery. “Electric Soldier Porygon” was also removed from rotation after a 1997 broadcast incident in Japan. These changes explain why episode counts can vary by language and release.