What is the title of the first episode of the Pokémon TV series?

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

The episode premiered in Japan on April 1, 1997, introducing Ash Ketchum, Professor Oak, and Pikachu. Ash oversleeps on the morning he is supposed to receive his first Pokémon, leaving only Pikachu available at Oak’s laboratory.

Pikachu initially refuses to cooperate, but the two gradually form a bond while fleeing a flock of Spearow. Ash protects Pikachu from the attacking Pokémon, and the pair see a mysterious rainbow-colored Pokémon in the sky. That visual became an important early mystery in the series.

The title is also used by the 2017 animated film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, which retells parts of Ash and Pikachu’s origin. That film is separate from the original television episode, so the similarly named productions are sometimes confused.