EP003

Ash Catches a Pokémon File:AshCatchesaPokémon.gif.png

EP003   ポケモン ゲットだぜ！ I Caught a Pokémon!

First broadcast Japan April 15, 1997 United States September 10, 1998

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ひゃくごじゅういち

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 玉川明洋 Akihiro Tamagawa Additional credits

Screenshots on Bulbagarden Archives

Ash Catches a Pokémon (Japanese: ポケモンゲットだぜ！ I Caught a Pokémon!), was the third episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 15, 1997 and in USA on September 10, 1998.

In this episode, Ash and Misty travel through Viridian Forest, where Ash makes his very first capture.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Synopsis

Ash effortlessly captures the Caterpie he tossed a Poké Ball at in the last episode. Misty shows her complete dismay at it as she hates Bug-type Pokémon.

Even before the celebrations for Ash catching his first Pokémon can start, he spots yet another Pokémon, a Pidgeotto. Ash sends out his Caterpie to weaken the Flying Pokémon, but having a type advantage over Caterpie, Pidgeotto easily defeats it with a Peck attack. Misty then tells Ash that bugs are weak to fliers and so, Ash uses his Pikachu. Pikachu Thunderbolts Pidgeotto, knocking it out, and Ash easily makes his second capture. Team Rocket then arrive on scene and attack the twerps. Ash sends out Pidgeotto and Pikachu to battle, but Ekans and Koffing manage to defeat them. Ash is then compelled to use his Caterpie. Jessie and James make fun of the caterpillar Pokémon, but it actually manages to defeat Ekans and Koffing with a String Shot! Team Rocket is blasted away and suddenly, Caterpie starts covering itself with some fluids and becomes brighter and brighter. It then starts to grow, and finally, becomes a Metapod!

Ash and Misty then continue their journey through the forest to Pewter City with two new friends - Metapod and Pidgeotto.

Major events

• Ash captures a Caterpie.
• Ash captures a Pidgeotto.
• Ash's Caterpie evolves into Metapod.

Debuts

• Ash's Caterpie/Metapod
• Ash's Pidgeotto

Pokémon

• Metapod
• Butterfree
• Beedrill
• Pidgeotto

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Jessie
• James

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Caterpie

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Caterpie (Ash's; new, evolves)
• Metapod (Ash's; newly evolved, debut)
• Pidgeotto (Ash's; new, debut)
• Ekans (Jessie's)
• Koffing (James's)
• Butterfree (debut)
• Beedrill (debut)

Trivia

• This is the first episode in which evolution is shown.
• According to a quote from this episode, Misty cannot stand carrots, peppers and Bug Pokémon.
  • Also, in regards to another quote from this episode, Misty mentions that her age is 10 years old. This was only said in the original.
• This was the first time a main character catches a Pokémon that evolves in the same episode, the second being more than 500 episodes later in DP080.
• Misty reads the episode title at the start instead of Ash.
• This is the first episode where type advantages are mentioned: Template:Type2 moves are effective against Template:Type2 Pokémon.
• A real animal appears in this episode, as Pidgeotto is seen eating a regular worm.
• This is also the only episode where Ash captures two Pokémon of different species in one episode.
• Misty owns a red sleeping bag decorated with bubbles, while Ash owns a blue sleeping bag.
• Ash mentions that the Pokémon League has regulations stating that trainers may only use one Pokémon at a time in battles. This could have been retconned years later in Advanced Generation where two-on-two battles are not considered unusual.
• Despite the episode title saying "a Pokémon", Ash catches two.
• Both Pokémon Ash catches in this episode are released by the time Ash travels to the Orange Islands.

Dub edits

• When Caterpie is looking sad due to Misty telling it to stay in its Poké Ball, the katakana for "Ga~n" (a Japanese sound effect) moves across the screen. This was painted out for the dub.
• When Misty is telling Ash that birds eat worms, she slaps him for putting his Pokémon in danger. This scene was cut.

In other languages

• European Portuguese: Ash captura um Pokémon
• Dutch: Ash vangt een Pokémon!
• French: Capture du premier Pokémon
• German: Ash im Jagdfieber
• Italian: Il primo Pokémon catturato
• Latin American Spanish: ¡Ash atrapa un Pokémon!
• Brazilian Portuguese: Ash pega um Pokémon
• Spanish: Ash atrapa un Pokémon
• Finnish: Ashin Pokémonsaalis
• Czech: První chycený Pokémon

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.