Flock of Spearows (Episode 1: Pokémon-I Choose You!)
In our debut episode, Ash Ketchum is finally 10 years old and able to begin his journey to being a Pokémon trainer. “The very best”, as he so often declares. What kicks off from that point isn’t exactly a banner first day for our hero. He wakes up late and is stuck with a jerk Pikachu. Oh, and he can’t even capture wild Pokémon, so in addition to having a poor attendance record, he just plain sucks at his dreams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3trIE2nxLQ0
That’s just the least of his worries, however, when he ends up beaning a Spearow with a rock (ow) and the thing chases him and Pikachu with its flock. Not even stealing a girl’s bike could save them from their wrath, and so Ash does the best thing he can by throwing his feeble body as a shield between Pikachu and all the Spearow.
It’s at that moment that Pikachu bonds with his trainer and takes the birds down with a lightning strike. It’s definitely a departure from the games, where your starter just goes along with whatever you say, but it’s a welcome one that makes you treasure your own Pokémon and the bond that you share with each of them. Unless you bought the Yellow version and picked Pikachu as your starter, in which case, history repeated itself.
