If you still remember all the words to the Pokérap and aren’t afraid to show it, you’re in luck. As of today, the entire first season of the Pokémon anime series, also known as Pokémon: Indigo League, is available for purchase in HD (!!!) on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon.
Pokémon: Indigo League follows Ash Ketchum as he takes up the mantle of Pokémon trainer alongside his buddies Misty and Brock, and, most importantly, his trusty starter Pokémon, Pikachu. It’s been nearly two decades since the season’s original U.S. run—first in syndication, then on the WB—in 1998 and 1999. The show has all the hallmarks of dubbed and kid-targeted anime of that era: morality lessons, goofy humor, over-the-top animation, and ample cuteness. There are also the interactive elements of Who’s that Pokémon? (which isn’t as easy as you remember—a lot of those original 151 look a lot alike in silhouette) and the aforementioned Pokérap.
If you caught Indigo League when it popped up on Netflix a few years back, you’ll know that it’s a nostalgic road worth traveling. Groundbreaking television this is not, but it’s a whole lot of fun, the dubbing isn’t actually that bad (how could it be when so many featured players can only say their own names?), and the Pokémon battles between Ash, Misty, Brock, and their rivals make for genuinely exciting animated sequences.
Individual episodes of Pokémon: Indigo League cost $2.99, making the full-season price of $21.99 quite a bargain. So if you weren’t already subliminally convinced to catch ‘em all, episode-wise, you should do that anyway.
Who’s your starter Pokémon, and why is it Charmander? Let us know in the comments!
Images: Warner Bros.
