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| Season | Pokémon: Indigo League (Season 1) · Pallet Town to Cerulean City arc (EP1–EP7) |
| Episode | Season 1, episode 4 · English episode 4 · Japanese episode 4 · Bulbapedia code EP004 |
| English title | Challenge of the Samurai |
| Japanese title | サムライしょうねんのちょうせん! Samurai Shōnen no Chōsen! — “Challenge of the Samurai Boy!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 22 April 1997 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 11 September 1998 · first-run syndication |
| Screenplay | Hideki Sonoda |
| 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? | Metapod (US) · Metapod (Japan) |
| Previous episode | Ash Catches a Pokémon (EP003) |
| Next episode | Showdown in Pewter City (EP005) |
Plot episodeMetapod evolves into Butterfree
Challenge of the Samurai is the 4th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 4th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 4, Bulbapedia code EP004). It first aired in Japan on 22 April 1997 and in the United States on 11 September 1998. It falls within the season’s Pallet Town to Cerulean City stretch (EP1–EP7).
Synopsis
While exploring the Viridian Forest Ash and his group encounter a Samurai who challenges Ash to a battle, said battle wouldn’t exactly pack out a stadium, as it turns out to be Metapod vs. Metapod! Since both Metapod’s only know harden the battle isn’t very eventful but then suddenly a Beedrill swarm attacks and kidnaps Ash’s Metapod. He manages to find his Metapod at the Beedrill nest and rescue it, triggering it to evolve into it’s final evolutionaly stage; Butterfree.
Major Events
- Fails to catch Weedle
- First full Team Rocket motto
- First fair Trainer battle (no winner) vs Samurai (first character of the day)
- Metapod → Butterfree. Debuts: Weedle, Kakuna, Pinsir, Butterfree. Banned in South Korea.
Pokémon making their anime debut
Butterfree#0012 · EP004
Weedle#0013 · EP004
Kakuna#0014 · EP004
Pinsir#0127 · EP004
Captures and evolutions
- Metapod → Butterfree#0012 · Ash
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Hideki Sonoda.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- “mika” painted off Jessie’s Kakuna costume
- Dub ending: the Kanto Pokérap (Thursday segment)
Part of our Pokémon: Indigo League guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.