A Critical Look at Pokémon Episode 1: "Pokémon, I Choose You!"
The first episode of the Pokémon anime, *Pokémon, I Choose You!*, is a legendary introduction to one of the biggest franchises in entertainment history. However, while it holds a special place in fans’ hearts, it also has glaring inconsistencies, poor character decisions, and questionable logic that make it worth ranting about.
From Professor Oak’s incompetence to Ash’s reckless behavior and Team Rocket’s absurdity, let’s break down why this episode is far from perfect.
1. Professor Oak’s Complete Lack of Preparation
Professor Oak is supposed to be the region’s most renowned Pokémon expert, yet he somehow only has three Pokémon for four trainers? How does that make sense? He knew four kids were coming to get their starter Pokémon, but the moment Ash arrives, he nonchalantly tells him that all three starters are gone—as if this wasn’t something he could have prepared for.
Did he just hope one of the kids wouldn't show up? Did he not have any backup Pokémon for this exact situation? He’s a scientist and a Pokémon Professor, yet his handling of new trainers seems completely amateurish. What’s even more frustrating is that when Ash asks if he has anything left, Oak conveniently remembers that he has one more Pokémon—Pikachu.
Why wasn’t Pikachu presented as an option from the start? Did Oak just want to mess with Ash?
2. Pikachu’s Behavior Makes No Sense
Pikachu is arguably the most famous Pokémon of all time, but in this first episode, he’s introduced as a completely uncooperative and borderline aggressive creature.
Why does Pikachu refuse to go inside its Poké Ball? No explanation is given. It’s just presented as a quirky personality trait, which is weird because, later in the series, we see other Pikachu do enter Poké Balls without issue.
Why does Pikachu actively shock Ash for no reason? Pikachu refuses to listen to Ash and even electrocutes him multiple times. Why would Professor Oak give such a disobedient Pokémon to a brand-new trainer? Isn’t the point of a starter Pokémon to be a beginner-friendly companion?
Why does Oak even have Pikachu? Did he capture it in the wild? If so, how does he have its Poké Ball? Did he breed it? If so, where are the other Pikachu? Was Pikachu abandoned by another trainer? If so, why wasn’t that mentioned?
None of these questions are ever answered. Instead, we’re just supposed to accept that Ash got stuck with the most difficult possible starter while other kids got Pokémon that actually listen.
3. Ash is Shockingly (Pun Intended) Incompetent
Ash has supposedly been dreaming of becoming a Pokémon Trainer for years. He stays up late watching Pokémon battles on TV, talks about how excited he is, and even brags about being the best. Yet, the moment he gets his first Pokémon, he has zero clue what to do.
Throws a Poké Ball at a wild Pidgey without battling it first. Every Pokémon game teaches you that wild Pokémon need to be weakened before you can catch them. Ash doesn’t even try to fight. He just throws the Poké Ball and acts shocked when Pidgey escapes. Did Ash never read a book about catching Pokémon? Did he never pay attention to how other trainers do it?
Gets bullied by a Spearow and makes everything worse. After failing to catch Pidgey, Ash throws a rock at a Spearow to provoke it. This is like walking up to a hornet’s nest and punching it. What was he thinking?! Spearow, obviously, calls for backup, and suddenly Ash is being chased by an entire flock of angry birds. This entire sequence makes Ash look reckless and unprepared, and it makes it hard to believe that this kid has been dreaming of becoming a Pokémon Master.
4. The Most Unrealistic Bicycle Scene Ever
At one point, Ash, now battered and exhausted, spots Misty’s bike and immediately steals it.
He doesn’t ask permission. He doesn’t even hesitate. He just straight-up robs a girl’s bike. Misty, understandably, is furious, and this leads to a running gag in the early episodes where she constantly demands that Ash pay her back for the destroyed bike. But let’s talk about how absurd this scene actually is.
How does Ash, who is exhausted and beaten, suddenly ride a bike at full speed?
How does Pikachu, who was nearly unconscious, suddenly unleash a god-tier Thunder Shock?
How does this electric shock defeat an entire flock of Spearow, even though some of them are evolved Fearow?
The answer? Plot convenience.
Instead of Ash learning from his mistakes or actually trying to fight properly, he gets a free victory from Pikachu’s out-of-nowhere electric storm. This would be like losing a fistfight and suddenly discovering you have superpowers. It makes no sense.
5. Team Rocket’s First Appearance is Laughably Weak
This episode also introduces Team Rocket, who are supposed to be the main antagonists, but let’s be honest:
They show up late.
They barely do anything.
They lose instantly.
Jesse and James act like competent criminals in their first few minutes, but as soon as Pikachu’s power is unleashed, they become the joke villains we all know. What’s frustrating is that they had a perfect opportunity to actually steal Pokémon but just… didn’t. Instead, they get hit by Pikachu’s ridiculous lightning storm and blast off in classic Team Rocket fashion.
If these two are supposed to be feared criminals, why are they already comic relief in their very first appearance? It’s as if the show couldn’t decide if they wanted them to be serious threats or walking punchlines.
Final Thoughts: A Nostalgic but Flawed Start
There’s no denying that *Pokémon, I Choose You!* is iconic, but when you look past the nostalgia, it’s filled with logical inconsistencies, bizarre character decisions, and blatant plot conveniences.
Main Takeaways:
❌ Professor Oak is irresponsible and had no backup plan.
❌ Pikachu’s behavior makes no sense for a starter Pokémon.
❌ Ash, despite being a Pokémon fan, acts completely clueless.
❌ The episode relies too much on plot armor (Pikachu’s sudden power-up).
❌ Team Rocket is already incompetent, even in their first appearance.
❌ Ash literally STEALS a girls (misty's) bike. I dont think he's getting away with that.
That said, this episode did succeed in hooking audiences and introducing the world of Pokémon. But if we’re being brutally honest? It’s kind of a mess.
A Critical Look at Pokémon Episode 1: "Pokémon, I Choose You!"
The first episode of the Pokémon anime, *Pokémon, I Choose You!*, is a legendary introduction to one of the biggest franchises in entertainment history. However, while it holds a special place in fans’ hearts, it also has glaring inconsistencies, poor character decisions, and questionable logic that make it worth ranting about.
From Professor Oak’s incompetence to Ash’s reckless behavior and Team Rocket’s absurdity, let’s break down why this episode is far from perfect.
1. Professor Oak’s Complete Lack of Preparation
Professor Oak is supposed to be the region’s most renowned Pokémon expert, yet he somehow only has three Pokémon for four trainers? How does that make sense? He knew four kids were coming to get their starter Pokémon, but the moment Ash arrives, he nonchalantly tells him that all three starters are gone—as if this wasn’t something he could have prepared for.
Did he just hope one of the kids wouldn't show up? Did he not have any backup Pokémon for this exact situation? He’s a scientist and a Pokémon Professor, yet his handling of new trainers seems completely amateurish. What’s even more frustrating is that when Ash asks if he has anything left, Oak conveniently remembers that he has one more Pokémon—Pikachu.
Why wasn’t Pikachu presented as an option from the start? Did Oak just want to mess with Ash?
2. Pikachu’s Behavior Makes No Sense
Pikachu is arguably the most famous Pokémon of all time, but in this first episode, he’s introduced as a completely uncooperative and borderline aggressive creature.
None of these questions are ever answered. Instead, we’re just supposed to accept that Ash got stuck with the most difficult possible starter while other kids got Pokémon that actually listen.
3. Ash is Shockingly (Pun Intended) Incompetent
Ash has supposedly been dreaming of becoming a Pokémon Trainer for years. He stays up late watching Pokémon battles on TV, talks about how excited he is, and even brags about being the best. Yet, the moment he gets his first Pokémon, he has zero clue what to do.
4. The Most Unrealistic Bicycle Scene Ever
At one point, Ash, now battered and exhausted, spots Misty’s bike and immediately steals it.
He doesn’t ask permission. He doesn’t even hesitate. He just straight-up robs a girl’s bike. Misty, understandably, is furious, and this leads to a running gag in the early episodes where she constantly demands that Ash pay her back for the destroyed bike. But let’s talk about how absurd this scene actually is.
The answer? Plot convenience.
Instead of Ash learning from his mistakes or actually trying to fight properly, he gets a free victory from Pikachu’s out-of-nowhere electric storm. This would be like losing a fistfight and suddenly discovering you have superpowers. It makes no sense.
5. Team Rocket’s First Appearance is Laughably Weak
This episode also introduces Team Rocket, who are supposed to be the main antagonists, but let’s be honest:
Jesse and James act like competent criminals in their first few minutes, but as soon as Pikachu’s power is unleashed, they become the joke villains we all know. What’s frustrating is that they had a perfect opportunity to actually steal Pokémon but just… didn’t. Instead, they get hit by Pikachu’s ridiculous lightning storm and blast off in classic Team Rocket fashion.
If these two are supposed to be feared criminals, why are they already comic relief in their very first appearance? It’s as if the show couldn’t decide if they wanted them to be serious threats or walking punchlines.
Final Thoughts: A Nostalgic but Flawed Start
There’s no denying that *Pokémon, I Choose You!* is iconic, but when you look past the nostalgia, it’s filled with logical inconsistencies, bizarre character decisions, and blatant plot conveniences.
Main Takeaways:
That said, this episode did succeed in hooking audiences and introducing the world of Pokémon. But if we’re being brutally honest? It’s kind of a mess.
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