#4 "Challenge of the Samurai"

    Ash finds a Weedle, and after quite a battle (-_-;) is about to capture it... however, an odd man distracts him. This person calls himself the Samurai, for whatever reason, and wants to challenge Ash, as he lost to three other trainers from Pallet (Ash's rivals) and wants to beat the fourth to redeem himself. Ash and Samurai have an enthralling Metapod vs. Metapod battle which lasts for hours.

    However, at a trifle, a lot of Beedrill are aroused and begin to attack Ash and his friends. One of them flies off with Metapod. Ash tries to save it but ends up desperately trying to save himself, as all are chased by many Beedrill. Samurai tells him that the other trainers were better than Ash because they CARED about their Pokémon, and Ash spends an anxious night at Samurai's house, agonizing over leaving Metapod alone in the forest.

    Early the next morning, Ash slips off alone to find Metapod. However, Team Rocket appears and wakes up all the Beedrill again. Ash manages to find Metapod, which is unhappy with him for abandoning it. This is the episode where Ash begins to show a little empathy for his Pokémon, and Metapod responds to it by evolving into Butterfree and causing all the Beedrill to fall asleep.