What is the title of the debut episode of the Pokémon animated television series?

The debut episode of the Pokémon animated television series is titled “Pokémon, I Choose You!”

The episode introduces Ash Ketchum, a young Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, and his initially reluctant partner, Pikachu. Ash oversleeps on the day he is supposed to receive his first Pokémon from Professor Oak, leaving the three traditional starter Pokémon unavailable. Oak therefore gives him Pikachu instead.

First broadcast in Japan on April 1, 1997, the episode establishes several elements that became central to the series: Pokémon battles, Trainer journeys, the bond between humans and Pokémon, and Ash’s ambition to become a Pokémon Master. Pikachu’s refusal to stay inside its Poké Ball also immediately distinguishes the pair from ordinary Trainer-and-Pokémon partnerships.

The title is sometimes confused with the 2017 animated film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, which retells and substantially reworks events from the anime’s opening journey. The episode itself is the first installment of the long-running television series, not a feature film or a video-game title.