What is the title of the first episode of the Pokémon anime?

The first episode of the Pokémon anime is titled “Pokémon, I Choose You!”

The episode introduces Ash Ketchum as he begins his journey and receives Pikachu from Professor Oak. Pikachu initially refuses to cooperate, but the pair gradually form the partnership that became the emotional center of the original television series.

A flock of Spearow attacks Ash and Pikachu after Ash throws a rock at one of them. Pikachu then protects Ash with a powerful electric attack, establishing their loyalty before the first episode ends. The story also includes Ash’s first sighting of the mysterious Ho-Oh.

“Pokémon, I Choose You!” first aired in Japan on April 1, 1997. It is distinct from the 2017 film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, which retells parts of Ash’s early story in an alternate continuity.