Timeline of events in Pokémon the Series: The Beginning

In , a 10-year old Ash Ketchum starts his to become a Pokémon Master, setting off from Pallet Town with his , . Traveling through the region of Kanto, he faces Gym Leaders to earn Badges and encounters challenges that test his skills, often clashing with the villainous Team Rocket trio and butting heads with his rival, Gary Oak. Accompanying Ash through his journey are , a tomboyish Trainer from Cerulean City, and , an aspiring from Pewter City.
After competing in the Indigo Plateau Conference, Ash is sent on an errand by , which sees him travel to the Orange Islands to retrieve the mysterious GS Ball from Professor Ivy. While Brock seems to find his true calling as Professor Ivy's , his place in is temporarily filled up by Tracey Sketchit, a Pokémon Watcher and an enthusiastic fan of Professor Oak. Ash's delivery mission gets delayed when he learns about the Orange League and decides to compete in it, giving him a set of new and unique Gyms to challenge.
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==Timeline==
These events are listed in chronological order as opposed to solely release order.
===Kanto===
Episode 	Details
Pokémon - I Choose You! 	
* Ash Ketchum, his rival Gary Oak, and two other Pokémon Trainers begin their Pokémon journeys from Pallet Town.
* Gary obtains an unspecified Pokémon from his grandfather, , as his first partner Pokémon.
* Ash starts his journey with a disobedient and receives a Pokédex and six s from Professor Oak.
* Ash tries and fails to a .
* Ash meets for the first time.
* Ash steals Misty's bike, which is destroyed when Pikachu defeats a flock of angry .
* Ash and Pikachu become friends.
* Ash sees .
* Ash reaches Viridian City.
Pokémon Emergency! 	
* meets an Officer Jenny and a Nurse Joy and visits a Pokémon Center for the first time.
* introduces herself to Ash and declares that she will follow him until he repays the damages to her bike.
* Ash and Misty meet Jessie and James, two members of the villainous Team Rocket, along with their partner, a .
* Misty is revealed to own a .
* The Team Rocket trio decides to follow Ash and steal his .
* Ash prepares to a .
Ash Catches a Pokémon 	
* catches the from the end of the last episode, making him his first caught Pokémon.
* Ash also catches a .
* reveals to Ash their intention to steal his .
* is revealed to know .
* James's Koffing is revealed to know .
* Jessie's Ekans is revealed to know .
* Caterpie is revealed to know and .
* Ash has his first, although unofficial, , and wins.
* Ash's Caterpie evolves into .
Challenge of the Samurai 	
* tries and fails to a .
* Ash's Pidgeotto is revealed to know .
* Ash's is revealed to have learned .
* Ash has his first fair , with no official winner.
* is revealed to know .
* Ash's Metapod evolves into and learns .
Showdown in Pewter City 	
* and reach Pewter City.
* Ash learns about the Pokémon League, Gym Leaders, and Gym Badges.
* Ash and Misty meet , the Gym Leader, and his father, .
* Ash has his first Gym at the Pewter Gym.
* Ash forfeits his battle against Brock, suffering his first loss.
* Ash's Pikachu learns .
* Ash has a rematch with Brock, but eventually forfeits again.
* Brock follows Ash and gives him his first Badge, the .
* Brock joins Ash and Misty, leaving the Pewter Gym in his father's care.
Clefairy and the Moon Stone 	
* a .
* Brock encounters for the first time.
* Ash's Butterfree and are revealed to know .
* Jessie's Ekans is revealed to know .
* is revealed to own a .
* Brock's Onix is revealed to know .
* James's Koffing is revealed to know .
Water Flowers of Cerulean City 	
* and arrive in Cerulean City.
* Ash meets , , and , the Gym Leaders, for the first time.
* and the other two Pallet Town s are revealed to have already defeated the Cerulean Gym.
* Ash learns that is also one of Cerulean City's Gym Leaders and that Daisy, Violet, and Lily are her sisters.
* Ash and Misty each other for the first time.
* Misty's Staryu is revealed to know .
* Ash's Butterfree is revealed to know .
* Misty is revealed to own a .
* Ash's Pidgeotto is revealed to know .
* Ash and Misty's Gym battle ends in a no-contest, due to the interruption by .
* Ash gets the from Misty's sisters for protecting the Gym from Team Rocket.
The Path to the Pokémon League 	
* learns that there is a Gym in Vermilion City.
* Jessie's Ekans is revealed to know .
* is revealed to know .
The School of Hard Knocks 	
* Jessie and James are revealed to have been flunked out of Pokémon Tech in the past.
* Misty's Starmie is revealed to know .
Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village 	
* tries and fails to an .
* catches a .
Charmander the Stray Pokémon 	
* a .
Here Comes the Squirtle Squad 	
* and meet the Squirtle Squad.
* The lead of the Squirtle Squad follows Ash and joins his team.
Mystery at the Lighthouse 	
* a .
* Ash learns that a can only have six Pokémon on hand at once, and that his extras are automatically sent to reside at 's .
** Due to Ash already having six Pokémon on hand, his Krabby is sent to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
* is revealed to have caught a and own a total of 45 .
* Ash and meet Bill.
Electric Shock Showdown 	
* and arrive at Vermilion City and meet the local Gym Leader, Lt. Surge.
* Ash has a Gym with Lt. Surge, but is defeated.
* Ash receives a Thunder Stone from Nurse Joy.
* Ash's Pikachu refuses to evolve into .
* Ash's Pikachu learns and .
* Ash challenges Lt. Surge to a rematch and wins, earning a .
Battle Aboard the St. Anne 	
* and set off on a cruise aboard the St. Anne luxury liner.
* Ash learns about trading.
* Ash trades his for a 's , but later trades back.
* James meets the Magikarp salesman for the first time and buys a from him.
* The St. Anne sinks with Ash, , , and on board.
Pokémon Shipwreck 	
* Jessie's Ekans is revealed to know .
* James's is revealed to know .
* , , and escape from the sunken St. Anne.
* James's Magikarp evolves into , learns , and leaves him.
Island of the Giant Pokémon 	
* Jessie and James reveal that and were given to them as (the Ghost Festival) and (Year-End gift giving) presents, respectively.
Beauty and the Beach 	
* and meet in person and also for the first time.
* Misty meets for the first time.
Tentacool and Tentacruel 	
* a .
The Ghost of Maiden's Peak 	
* James's Koffing is revealed to know .
Bye Bye Butterfree 	
* and are revealed to be headed for Saffron City for Ash's next Gym .
* Ash his so he can breed with his mate.
Abra and the Psychic Pokémon 	
* and reach Saffron City and meet Sabrina, the Gym Leader.
* Sabrina's evolves into .
* Ash's Pikachu is revealed to know .
* Ash s Sabrina, but loses by forfeit.
* Ash heads to Lavender Town to catch a Pokémon so he could be stronger against Sabrina's Kadabra.
The Tower of Terror 	
* and arrive at Lavender Town.
* Ash's Charmander is revealed to know .
* Ash befriends a , who agrees to follow him back to Saffron City.
Haunter versus Kadabra 	
* and return to Saffron City.
* disappears before Ash's rematch with Sabrina, forcing him to forfeit again.
* Ash finds Haunter, but it disappears again when Ash tries to challenge Sabrina once more.
* battles Sabrina's Kadabra to protect Ash.
* Ash earns the due to Haunter making Sabrina and Kadabra laugh, thus making the latter .
* Haunter leaves Ash to stay with Sabrina.
* Ash learns that the next Gym is located in Celadon City and decides to head there.
Primeape Goes Bananas 	
* and the other two Pallet Town s are revealed to have won five Badges each, including the .
* tries and fails to catch a .
* The Mankey that Ash tried to catch evolves into a .
* Ash's Bulbasaur is revealed to know .
* Ash's Charmander learns .
* Ash catches the newly evolved .
* Ash and reach Celadon City.
Pokémon Scent-sation 	
* and meet Erika, the Celadon City Gym Leader.
* Ash's Charmander is revealed to know .
* Ash challenges Erika to a Gym , but it gets disrupted by a -caused fire.
* Ash earns the from Erika as a thanks for saving her from the fire.
Hypno's Naptime 	
* accidentally a .
Pokémon Fashion Flash 	
* and meet Suzie, a .
* Brock's Geodude is revealed to know .
* receives a from Suzie.
The Punchy Pokémon 	
* Ash's Primeape begins to obey him.
* Primeape is revealed to know , , and .
* wins the P1 Grand Prix with Primeape.
* Ash leaves his Primeape with for training.
Sparks Fly for Magnemite 	
* a , but sends it to Professor Oak's Laboratory due to its nasty smell.
Dig Those Diglett 	
* learns that the next Gym is the Fuchsia Gym.
* and meet for the first time (dub only).
* Jessie's evolves into .
* James's evolves into .
The Ninja Poké-Showdown 	
* and arrive at the Fuchsia Gym and meet the Gym Leader Koga, and his sister, .
* Ash's Bulbasaur is revealed to know .
* Ash challenges Koga to a Gym , but the battle is interrupted by .
* Misty's Psyduck battles for the first time and is revealed to know , , , and .
* Ash's Charmander is revealed to know and .
* Ash continues his battle with Koga and wins, earning a .
The Flame Pokémon-athon 	
* Jessie's Arbok is revealed to know and .
The Kangaskhan Kid 	
* Jessie tries and fails to catch a .
* Ash's Squirtle is revealed to know .
EP035 	
* and enter the and receive thirty Safari Balls from Kaiser to be used within the Zone.
* Ash uses his Safari Balls to thirty , all of which he subsequently sends to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
** Ash also tries to catch a , but the Safari Ball hits a bypassing Tauros, catching him instead.
The Bridge Bike Gang 	
* Jessie and James are revealed to have been members of a bike gang in the past.
* Misty's Psyduck is revealed to be able to use and only when its headache is severe enough.
Ditto's Mysterious Mansion 	
* and meet Duplica, a .
EP038 	
* Jessie takes a prototype from Dr. Akihabara, but later accidentally leaves it.
Holiday Hi-Jynx 	
* attempts to a , but fails since she belongs to another .
Pikachu's Good-Bye 	
* attempts to , but Pikachu returns to him.
The Battling Eevee Brothers 	
* Misty's Psyduck is revealed to know , although it is not perfected.
Wake Up Snorlax! 	
* tries to catch a , but fails due to it already having a .
The March of the Exeggutor Squad 	
* 's evolves into a .
The Problem with Paras 	
* Ash's Charmeleon starts disobeying him.
The Song of Jigglypuff 	
* tries to a , but decides against it upon finding out that it can't .
* Misty's Staryu is revealed to know .
* The Jigglypuff that and help out in this episode begins to follow them around.
Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon	
* and encounter again.
* Jessie and James both attempt and fail to a .
* Ash's evolves into , but remains disobedient.
* Ash finds a Pokémon Egg, and decides to be in charge of taking care of it.
Holy Matrimony! 	
* James's childhood is revealed:
** James is revealed to come from a rich family.
** James is revealed to be engaged to a girl named Jessebelle.
* James is revealed to own a , nicknamed Growlie.
Princess vs. Princess 	
* Jessie a .
* and Jessie enter the Queen of the Princess Festival, with Misty being the winner.
Who Gets to Keep Togepi? 	
* receives a Pokédex upgrade from .
* Ash and decide to head to the Gym on Cinnabar Island.
* Brock's Geodude is revealed to know .
* The Ash found a while back hatches into a .
* Ash, , , and decide to have a tournament to see who will keep Togepi.
* Brock's Onix is revealed to know .
* Ash wins the tournament, but chooses to go with Misty instead.
Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden 	
* Ash's Bulbasaur begins to evolve, but decides not to.
* Ash's Bulbasaur learns .
The Purr-fect Hero 	
* Misty's Horsea is revealed to know .
Pokémon Paparazzi 	
* and meet photographer Todd Snap, who joins the group.
The Breeding Center Secret 	
* and encounter Butch and Cassidy, two other members of Team Rocket, for the first time.
* James is revealed to have a that has now evolved into a .
* Todd Snap leaves the group.
Riddle Me This 	
* and reach Cinnabar Island, meeting again along the way.
* Ash and his friends meet Blaine, the Gym Leader.
* Ash begins his Gym with Blaine.
Volcanic Panic 	
* forfeits his Gym battle with Blaine.
* Ash's Charizard is revealed to know and .
* Ash defeats Blaine in a rematch and earns the .
* Ash learns that there is a Gym in Viridian City, and decides to head back there.
Beach Blank-Out Blastoise 	
* and leave Cinnabar Island and head to Viridian City for Ash's final Gym .
The Misty Mermaid 	
* and visit Cerulean City again.
* Misty's Horsea is revealed to know .
* Ash's Squirtle is revealed to know .
* Misty's sisters' evolves into .
* leaves her Horsea and at the Cerulean Gym.
Clefairy Tales 	
* and encounter a group of .
* is revealed to know .
The Battle of the Badge 	
* and return to Viridian City and encounter again.
* Gary is revealed to have won ten Badges and obtained a and an .
* Gary challenges the and loses to .
* Jessie, James, and present Misty's Togepi to Giovanni as a gift, but he rejects it.
* Jessie, James, and Meowth are temporarily appointed as the Gym Leaders of the Viridian Gym.
* Gary meets for the first time.
* Ash's Pidgeotto is revealed to know .
* Ash earns his eighth and final Badge, the , after defeating Team Rocket, qualifying him for the Pokémon League.
* The Viridian Gym collapses.
* Ash and his friends head to Pallet Town.
It's Mr. Mime Time 	
* and arrive at Pallet Town.
* and meet for the first time (dub only).
* Delia obtains a , which she nicknames Mimey and shares with Ash.
Showdown at the Po-ké Corral 	
* leaves and destroys his .
* and meet again at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
* reveals that the two other s who left Pallet Town with Ash and Gary did not succeed as Trainers.
* Ash, his friends, and Gary learn that the Pokémon League will be held at the Indigo Plateau in two months.
* It is revealed in the dub that Ash has caught 30 at the .
* Gary is revealed to have obtained a and own more than 200 Pokémon from up to 60 different .
* Gary challenges Ash to a , but they are interrupted by the appearance of before they can begin.
* Professor Oak encounters Team Rocket for the first time.
Mewtwo Strikes Back 	
* Ash's Squirtle is revealed to know .
* , , and meet and , but Mewtwo later makes them forget about the encounter.
* Ash sees Mew again, but does not recognize it since his memory has been erased.
The Evolution Solution 	
* Jessie catches a that James wanted to catch.
* Jessie's Shellder itself to Professor Westwood V's , catalyzing its evolution into a and thus leaving her.
Make Room for Gloom 	
* Jessie's Arbok is revealed to know .
Go West Young Meowth 	
* recalls how he learned to and walk upright on his hind legs.
* Meowth reveals why he joined Team Rocket.
To Master the Onixpected 	
* and meet Bruno, a member of the Kanto Elite Four.
* Bruno catches a .
The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis	
* Brock's Vulpix is revealed to know .
Bad to the Bone 	
* and set off for Indigo Plateau, the venue for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
* Jessie's Arbok is revealed to know .
All Fired Up 	
* , , and arrive at Indigo Plateau.
* Ash, , and help carry the flame of to the stadium.
* Ash sees the legendary bird, Moltres.
* The Indigo Plateau Conference begins.
Round One - Begin! 	
* wins his first round match.
* uses his in for the first time.
* Ash's Krabby is revealed to know , , , and .
* Ash's Krabby evolves into and learns .
* Ash's Kingler is revealed to know , , and .
* Ash defeats Mandi in his first round match using only his Kingler.
Fire and Ice 	
* Ash's Squirtle is revealed to know .
* defeats an unnamed and Pete Pebbleman in his second and third round , respectively.
The Fourth Round Rumble 	
* is revealed to have made it to the fourth round.
* Gary is defeated by Melissa in his fourth round battle, placing him in the Top 32.
* Gary heads back to Pallet Town.
* uses his in battle for the first time.
* Ash's Muk is revealed to know .
* Ash defeats Jeanette Fisher in his fourth and final preliminary round match, securing him a place in the Indigo Stadium.
A Friend In Deed 	
* and meet Ritchie.
* Ash learns he will be battling Ritchie in the fifth round.
Friend and Foe Alike 	
* Ash's Pikachu is revealed to know .
* battles Ritchie in the fifth round and loses, finishing in the Top 16.
Friends to the End 	
* Ritchie is revealed to own either a or a .
* Ritchie faces Assunta in his sixth round Full Battle and loses, finishing in the Top 8.
* The Indigo Plateau Conference ends.
* Ritchie leaves .
* and his friends head back to Pallet Town.
===Orange Islands===
Episode 	Details
Pallet Party Panic 	
* is given an errand by to travel to the Orange Islands and retrieve a mysterious Poké Ball from Professor Ivy on Valencia Island.
* is revealed to have left Pallet Town for a new Pokémon journey.
* The from the first episode returns as a , which Ash unsuccessfully attempts to .
* Ash's evolves into a .
* Ash his Pidgeot to protect other and Pidgeotto from the Spearow and Fearow flock.
A Scare in the Air 	
* , , and leave Kanto and travel to the Orange Islands, arriving on Valencia Island.
Poké Ball Peril 	
* and meet Professor Ivy.
* Ash receives the mysterious GS Ball from Professor Ivy.
* decides to become Professor Ivy's assistant and leaves the group.
* Ash and head back to Pallet Town, but are caught in one of 's traps and left alone aboard a pilotless blimp.
The Lost Lapras 	
* and crash-land on Tangelo Island.
* Ash and Misty meet Tracey Sketchit, who joins .
* Ash learns of the Orange League and decides to challenge it.
* Tracey encounters and for the first time.
* Ash a .
Fit To Be Tide 	
* and reach Mikan Island, the site of the first Orange League Gym, and meet Cissy, the Mikan Gym Leader.
* Ash learns that the Orange League's Gyms test a Trainer's skill through challenges rather than normal s and thus operate differently from the usual Gyms.
* Ash's Lapras is revealed to know .
* Ash defeats Cissy and earns his first Orange League Badge, the .
Pikachu Re-Volts 	
* Butch and Cassidy are revealed to have obtained a .
* meets Butch and Cassidy for the first time.
* Jessie's Lickitung uses for the first time.
* James's Victreebel is revealed to know Tackle.
* Misty's Togepi is revealed to know .
The Crystal Onix 	
* is revealed to own a .
In The Pink 	
* Tracey's Marill is revealed to know .
Stage Fight! 	
* Tracey's Marill uses for the first time.
Bye Bye Psyduck 	
* Misty's Goldeen is seen battling for the first time and is revealed to know and .
The Joy of Pokémon 	
* learns that the next Orange League Gym is located on Navel Island, and decides to head there.
Navel Maneuvers 	
* and arrive on Navel Island and meet Danny, the Navel Gym Leader.
* Ash beats Danny and earns the .
Snack Attack! 	
* Jessie's Lickitung is revealed to know .
* a .
A Shipful of Shivers 	
* learns that he needs four Badges in order to enter the Orange League.
* Ash and learn about the history of the Orange League.
* James's Victreebel is revealed to know .
* Jessie's Arbok is revealed to know .
Meowth Rules! 	
* reveals that he's unable to learn due to having spent too much energy on learning how to .
Tracey Gets Bugged 	
* attempts and fails to a .
* Tracey's Venonat is revealed to know .
* catches the that Ash tried to catch.
A Way Off Day Off 	
* James's Victreebel is revealed to know .
* Tracey's Scyther is revealed to know .
The Mandarin Island Miss Match	
* and meet Prima of the Kanto Elite Four.
* Ash battles Prima, but is defeated.
* Ash learns from Prima that there is an Orange League Gym on Trovita Island, and decides to head there.
The Mystery Menace 	
* temporarily adds his to his team from Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Misty Meets Her Match! 	
* and reach Trovita Island and meet Rudy, the Trovita Gym Leader.
* Ash's Bulbasaur is revealed to know .
* Ash's Squirtle learns .
* Ash defeats Rudy and earns the .
Bound For Trouble 	
* Ash's Snorlax is revealed to know .
Charizard Chills 	
* Ash's Charizard is revealed to know and .
* Charizard begins to obey .
* Charizard learns .
The Power of One 	
* meets in person for the first time, and also meets for the first time.
The Pokémon Water War 	
* and meet Captain Aidan and Team Wartortle.
* Tracey's Venonat is revealed to know .
Pokémon Food Fight 	
* Ash's Snorlax learns .
Pokémon Double Trouble 	
* and arrive on Kumquat Island and meet Luana, the Gym Leader and the final member of the Orange Crew.
* Ash's Charizard is revealed to know .
* Ash learns about Double Battles and has his first official of that kind.
* Ash defeats Luana and earns the , his fourth and final Orange League Badge, allowing him to challenge the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader.
* Ash learns that the final site of the Orange League is located on Pummelo Island.
The Stun Spore Detour 	
* Misty's Goldeen is revealed to know .
* a .
Hello, Pummelo! 	
* and arrive on Pummelo Island, the final site of the Orange League.
* Ash's Lapras is revealed to know .
* Ash sends his to Professor Oak's Laboratory in exchange for one of his .
* Ash begins his first-ever Full Battle with , the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader.
* Ash uses one of his Tauros in for the first time.
* Ash's Tauros is revealed to know .
Enter The Dragonite 	
* Ash's Tauros is revealed to know .
* wins his Full Battle against .
* Ash becomes an Honored Trainer of the Orange League, earning the Winner's Trophy and a spot in the Palace of Victory.
Viva Las Lapras 	
* Ash's Lapras is reunited with its family.
* Misty's Goldeen is revealed to know .
* his Lapras.
The Underground Round Up 	
* and leave the Orange Islands, bound for Pallet Town.
A Tent Situation 	
* and arrive in Pallet Town.
* is revealed to have left Professor Ivy and returned to Pallet Town.
* Brock and meet for the first time.
* Ash delivers the GS Ball to .
* Ash returns to its herd at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
* James's Victreebel is revealed to know .
* returns and is revealed to have obtained a .
* Tracey meets Gary for the first time.
* Ash challenges Gary to a , and he accepts.
The Rivalry Revival 	
* is revealed to have obtained an .
* has his first-ever against Gary and loses.
* studies the GS Ball, but fails to uncover its secrets.
* Ash and learn about the Johto region.
* Gary leaves for the Johto region.
* Ash decides to challenge the Johto League.
* rejoins the group and says he'll travel to Johto with Ash and .
* Professor Oak gives the GS Ball back to Ash and asks him to take it to Poké Ball designer Kurt in Azalea Town.
* Ash receives a new Pokédex from Professor Oak.
* decides to stay in Pallet Town and become Professor Oak's assistant.
* Mimey is revealed to know .
* Ash, Misty, and Brock head off to New Bark Town in the Johto region.
==Related articles==
* Timeline of events in Pokémon the Series
** Gold and Silver
** Ruby and Sapphire
** Diamond and Pearl
** Black & White
** XY
** Sun & Moon
** Journeys
* Timeline of events in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Category:Pokémon animated series
Category:Lists