Episode Guides :: Showdown at Pewter City

Showdown at Pewter City

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Season

Indigo League

Japanese Title

Battle of Pewter Gym!

English Title

Showdown at Pewter City

Dutch Title

Krachtmeting in Pewter City

Spanish Title

Combate en la Ciudad Plateada

French Title

Confrontation ÃƒÂ Argenta

Italian Title

La grande sfida

German Title

Showdown in Marmoria City

Who's that Pokémon?

Onix

See pictures from this episode - click here!

This episode is essential viewing because:
Brock is introduced.
Ash defeats Brock and earns a Boulder Badge.

Brock joins the group.

This episode starts with Misty, Ash and Pikachu finally exiting Viridian Forest. They see a bearded man wearing a hat sitting on the ground. He is selling rocks as Pewter City souvenirs.

Anyway, Ash goes to the Pewter City gym, where he finds Brock, the gym leader. He seems pretty mean. Ash sends out Pikachu and Brock sends out the large serpent Onix! Pikachu freaks out, of course. Onix grabs him and uses Bind. Ash is forced to surrender.

He goes outside, carrying his injured Pikachu. The man they saw before, Flint, is waiting outside. He tells them to follow him.

Ash does, to Flints house. There, Flint says how Brock's skills could take him much farther than just a gym leader. When Ash asks why he Brock has never been in a Pokemon League Tournament, Flint says he has his reason.

He shows Ash that Brock has to take care of his ten brothers and sisters. He said that his good-for-nothing father left to become a Pokemon trainer and his mother passed away. Ash says that knowing this, he might not be able to beat Brock next time. Flint says he knows a way to power up Pikachu.

They go to a small hydro-electric plant, but the river that runs it is dry. Flint hooks up Pikachu to the machine and starts turning the wheel manually. The process apparently causes Pikachu a lot of pain. Misty shows up and offers to help, but Ash refuses. She says that beating Brock would be easier if he used some of her Pokemon.

Inside the building the machine reads full power. A bright light which fills the room comes from Pikachu and then shoots out through all the openings in the building.

The next day Ash and Pikachu are ready to face Brock again. Misty and Brock's brothers and sisters are watching.

Brock sends out Geodude. Ash sends Pidgeotto. A bad choice, as Flying Pokemon are weak against Rock. Pidgeotto is soon beaten and Ash sends Pikachu, who fries Geodude. Brock then sends out Onix. Pikachu freaks out and sends lightning bolts everywhere, destroying some sprinklers on the ceiling. Onix grabs Pikachu and uses Bind, but Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt. Unfortunately he can't keep it up for long and becomes exausted. Onix continues squeezing him until Brock tells it to stop. He tells Ash he should surrender.

Suddenly the flames from the electricity start the sprinklers. Onix roars in pain. Misty shouts that water weakens Rock Pokemon. Ash uses this to his advantage and has Pikachu shock Onix. It falls to the ground.

Just as Ash is about to tell Pikachu to finish it off, all of Brock's siblings grab onto him, stopping him. They say they dont want him to hurt Brock's Pokemon. Ash calls off Pikachu. Brock says the match isnt finished, but Ash says the sprinklers going off was just a fluke. He leaves. Misty says that just as he got a lucky break, he has to be a nice guy.

Ash is walking away from Pewter City. Brock runs to catch up. He hands Ash a Boulder Badge. Ash says he can't accept it but Brock insists. He says how he doesn't really like battling Pokemon, that he prefers raising him. He says that he wants to become the worlds best Pokemon breeder and he wants Ash to fulfill his dream for him. Ash accepts, but then Flint appears. He takes off the hat and beard, and its actually Brock's father! He tells Brock to fulfill his own dream and that he should be the one taking care of his family. He says he failed in becoming a Pokemon trainer and was too ashamed to return home. Brock says there's something they need to talk about and hands his father a needle and thread. He then tell starts rapidly telling his father about what the kids like, don't like, etc. (Tommy only eats cold spagetti for breakfast, and Suzie is always ripping her dress, so you better learn to sew, etc.)

This episode guide has been written by flik.

Showdown at Pewter City Trivia:

This is one of the few episodes in which Team Rocket appear but have no bearing on the episode.

This single episode introduces the most named characters in the whole series.

In the PokÃƒÂ©mon Centre a poster is seen hanging which uses the same symbols seen in the TCG.

There is no way that Electric attacks can damage Ground-type PokÃƒÂ©mon, regardless of strength, hence how Ash's Pikachu defeated Onix remains a mystery.