82 episodes · 1997

It’s Ash Ketchum’s tenth birthday, and he’s ready to do what many 10-year-olds in the Kanto region set out to do—become a Pokémon Trainer! Things don’t go exactly the way he planned when he ends up with a Pikachu instead of a standard first Pokémon, and winning Gym Badges turns out to be much tougher than he thought. Luckily he’s got former Gym Leaders Brock and Misty at his side, along with a bevy of new Pokémon friends, including Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.

36 episodes · 1999

With his Kanto journey completed, Ash finds there’s still plenty to see and do when Professor Oak sends him and his friends to the Orange Islands. Brock falls head-over-heels for the attractive Professor Ivy and decides to stay with her, leaving Ash and Misty alone as a dynamic duo—at least until they meet intrepid Pokémon watcher Tracey Sketchit!