The single greatest moment in television history The Pokémon Company This is third episode in an arc where Ash and the gang (and Team Rocket) go aboard the Saint Anne, but eventually encounter a terrible storm that washes them up on this mysterious island. They team up with Team Rocket’s Meowth to trap Ash and friends.Īsh’s Squirtle arguably has the most personality of all his Kanto Pokémon (save for Pikachu, perhaps, but that doesn’t count, because Pikachu is a constant lifelong companion), and this is a stellar introduction to its badass ways. They’re led by a Squirtle with sleek, winged sunglasses (very anime) - the very same Squirtle who will eventually join Ash’s team. This gang of Squirtles wears sunglasses and wreaks havoc on a nearby town. (Sorry Bulbasaur - your chance to shine comes later). “Here Comes the Squirtle Squad” stands out particularly because, well, the SQUIRTLE SQUAD. This is the last of three back-to-back episodes where Ash meets the Kanto starters that become his Pokémon.

“Here Comes the Squirtle Squad” The Pokémon Company We know it has a happy ending, but man, this episode puts us through the ringer. Even as a thunderstorm rages on, Charmander steadfastly waits for his jerk of a trainer, holding a leaf as a little umbrella to keep his tail-flame from extinguishing. When Ash tries to catch it, Charmander refuses to budge. The poor Charmander has been left to DIE by his old trainer, abandoned on a rock in the middle of a road with a weak tail. It’s the second in a three-episode arc where Ash gets his Kanto starters, and perhaps the most heartwrenching encounter of all is Charmander. It’s one of the first tastes of cruelty we get in the Pokémon world. “Charmander - The Stray Pokémon” The Pokémon Company Before you start getting angry about this list in the comments, we reiterate that the episodes are listed in order of airdate they are otherwise unranked. So in the order they premiered, here are the top 10 best episodes of the original Pokémon anime, as determined by us. There are lots of good episodes, but as with any piece of media, there are standouts.

With an iconic theme song, iconic moments and iconic memes spawning from the show, it’s definitely a quintessential part of the Poké-experience. There’s been some variation of the Pokémon anime on television since 1998, typically corresponding to whatever the latest game release happens to be.

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