Pokémon Episodes on Netflix

Gotta catch ‘em all! In this case, however, maybe we’re just watchin’ ‘em all. On March 1, Netflix uploaded roughly the first half of the first season of the “Pokémon” anime, “Indigo League,” onto instant streaming.

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 22, this is most likely the group of episodes you recall watching as a kid. “Indigo League” tells the story of the world’s most famous Pokémon trainer, Ash Ketchum and the beginnings of his journey. Alongside him, of course, are Misty and Brock, and his loyal Pokémon, Pikachu. The three friends travel through the Kanto region, catching new Pokémon, earning gym badges and stopping the nefarious Team Rocket at every turn.

Remember the days when we would come home from school and watch the show? Remember when each day brought with it new Pokémon, faces, places, mysteries and adventures; when each new episode brought the team, and through extension, ourselves, one step closer to being Pokémon masters. Those were wonderful days that were, unfortunately, not to last.

I know I’m going to get some criticism here, but I firmly believe that the games ruined the show. Not the original two generations, but everything after Gold and Silver. Don’t get me wrong, the “Pokémon” series of video games is one of my all-time favorites–every generation–but I’m not going to turn a blind-eye here. When the show started, there was no indication that it would become the worldwide phenomenon it has become. There were originally plans for, at most, one sequel, and the anime was developed purely as a companion piece to the games. That being said, however, it was an anime that, from the beginning, had a clear ending. We all knew that Ash was going to become the champion of the Pokémon League, kiss Misty and end the series. But then, Ruby and Sapphire were released in 2001, and everything changed.

Gold and Silver were originally intended to be the second and final installments in the Pokémon series until Nintendo saw the potential financial gain, and decided to continue with the series. All of a sudden, an anime that should have logically ended where the games were going to now had motivation and the means to continue.

And continue it did. The show now boasts over 800 episodes, and I, for one, have absolutely no intention of trying to keep up. What started out as a character-driven, quality piece of animation has now become a merchandise-based piece of trash. I don’t know what’s going on in that show anymore, nor do I care to particularly find out. Had the show stopped where I believe it was originally intended to–at the end of Indigo, or perhaps, the end of Pokémon Johto–we would have a classic series that would be remembered fondly. Instead we have a trash series that most serious anime fans and gamers would not touch with a 10-foot pole.

Oh well, you can’t always get what you want. At the end of the day, the first and second seasons–I’m still hoping that Johto gets uploaded–are wonderful, and the memories we made watching them are what’s truly important.