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 No additional credits are available at this time.

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 and Misty head into Viridian Forest, where Ash effortlessly captures a Caterpie to which Misty shows her complete dismay. The next morning, Ash, with the help of Pikachu, captures a Pidgeotto. Team Rocket then attacks the party and defeats Pikachu and Pidgeotto. In a last ditch effort, Ash sends out Caterpie, who gets rid of Team Rocket. Caterpie then evolves into a Metapod after its victory.

Major events

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

Debuts

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

Characters

Humans

• Ash Ketchum
• 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.
• Misty cannot stand carrots, peppers and Bug Pokémon.
• This is the only time Ash catches a Pokémon that evolves in the same episode.
• Misty reads the episode title at the start instead of Ash.
• This is the first episode where type advantages are mentioned- Flying types are effective against Bug types.
• A real animal appears in this episode, as Pidgeotto is seen eating a regular worm. Real animals were only shown in the first season (due to the lack of Pokémon in Kanto).
• This also the only episode where Ash captures two Pokémon of different species in one episode.
• Misty owns a red sleeping bag decorated with bubbles.
• 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.

Dub edits

• When Caterpie is looking sad due to Misty telling it to stay in its Pokéball, 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

• French: Capture du premier Pokémon
• German: Ash im Jagdfieber
• Italian: Il primo pokémon catturato
• Portuguese: Ash Pega um Pokémon.
• Spanish: Ash Atrapa un Pokémon

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