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| Season | Pokémon: Indigo League (Season 1) · Bulbasaur, Charmander & Squirtle arc (EP8–EP14) |
| Episode | Season 1, episode 8 · English episode 8 · Japanese episode 8 · Bulbapedia code EP008 |
| English title | The Path to the Pokémon League |
| Japanese title | ポケモンリーグへのみち Pokemon Rīgu e no Michi — “The Road to the Pokémon League” |
| First aired (Japan) | 20 May 1997 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 17 September 1998 · first-run syndication |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Mezase Pokémon Master (Aim to Be a Pokémon Master) – Rica Matsumoto · Hyakugojūichi (One Hundred Fifty-One) – Professor Oak & the Pokémon Kids |
| English opening | Pokémon Theme – Jason Paige |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Sandshrew (US) · Sandshrew (Japan) |
| Previous episode | The Water Flowers of Cerulean City (EP007) |
| Next episode | The School of Hard Knocks (EP009) |
Filler / stand-alone episodeFillerA.J.’s Gym
The Path to the Pokémon League is the 8th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 8th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 8, Bulbapedia code EP008). It first aired in Japan on 20 May 1997 and in the United States on 17 September 1998. It falls within the season’s Bulbasaur, Charmander & Squirtle stretch (EP8–EP14).
Synopsis
An increasingly confident Ash sets out on his journey for Vermillion City accompanied by his new friends but along the way they hear talk of a trainer named A.J, a hardened trainer who has never been beaten. This appeals to Ash who naturally wanted to be the one to beat him first so they head to A.J’s (unofficial) gym, on arrival they see a huge sign stating “98 Consecutive Victories” making a win against A.J in Ash’s eyes an even bigger prize. A.J reveals that upon reaching 100 consecutive victories he himself is going to embark on a journey to travel around Kanto challenging gym leaders. Ash, Misty and Brock witness the tough way A.J trains his Pokémon and have mixed feelings about it.
Major Events
- — Bulbapedia’s “first filler episode”
- First episode with no debuts
- First proper on-screen Trainer win for Ash
- First OHKO
- Eric Stuart takes over James mid-episode.
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Kanto story.
Changes in the English Dub
- A.J.’s scoreboard translated with a “0 losses”/”GYM UNDEFEATED!!” line added
- Tent slogan → whip & Poké Ball
- 5-s closing pan cut to 2 s, 3 s of earlier footage inserted
- Ted Lewis hands over to Eric Stuart as James part-way through the episode
- Dub ending: the Kanto Pokérap (Wednesday segment)
Part of our Pokémon: Indigo League guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.