Showdown in Pewter City is an episode of Liam's Adventures of Pokémon the Series.
Plot[]
The episode begins with Team Rocket setting a pit trap, but end up falling into it when they forget where they dug it. Meanwhile, the group arrive on the outskirts of Pewter City. As they rest, they meet a mysterious man named Flint, who sells rocks for a living. Flint escorts the gang to the Pokémon Center, where they're surprised to meet Nurse Joy again. Pewter City Joy tells them that the Viridian Joy is her older sister, and then directs their attention a poster promoting a tournament called the Pokémon League Championship. Ash decides to join in, but he must acquire 8 gym badges from 8 different gym leaders as proof in order to qualify.
Flint walks in and tells them about the Pewter City gym leader, Brock. Flint is openly skeptical about Ash's chances at winning, and laughs scornfully as he departs. Over a meal, Misty warns Ash about the high skill level of gym leaders and offers to help, but Ash refuses, causing Misty to walk angrily away, leaving him with the bill. Ash picks up his healed Pokémon, and heads toward the gym. When he arrives, he meets Brock and challenges him to battle. Brock asks Ash how long he's been with his Pikachu, and Ash says he's been with him for two weeks.
Brock snaps his fingers, and a rocky battlefield emerges. The battle will be two on two, Ash sends out Pikachu, and Brock sends out Onix. Pikachu cowers at the sight of Onix, and doesn't want to battle, but Ash urges him on. Pikachu uses Thunder Shock, but it's ineffective, and Onix wraps Pikachu with its Bind attack, causing pain to Pikachu. Ash tries calling him back into his Pokéball, but Onix's body blocks it. Not wanting to give Pikachu any permanent injuries, Ash forfeits.
As Ash leaves the gym, dejected, he comes across Flint again, who takes him to his home for tea. Ash discusses what happened, and Flint notices Ash's upset feeling over his loss, so he consoles him by saying that Brock could be a better trainer than he already is. Ash is confused, but instead of elaborating, Flint takes Ash outside and they peer over a hedge into another house. The two watch Brock, wearing an apron, caring for his nine siblings. Walking through the city, Flint says that after Brock's father left to become a Pokémon trainer, his heart-broken mother left them, leaving the eldest child, Brock, as the man of the house. Ash feels sympathy for Brock, but is determined to beat him, nonetheless.
Flint immediately notices Ash's determination, and says he may have a way to help super-charge Pikachu. They travel to a hydroelectric plant, where Flint hooks Pikachu's electric sacs in its cheeks to a generator. But since the river is dried up, Ash has to make the wheel turn himself in order to generate electricity, which flows into Pikachu. Misty shows up and offers to let Ash use some of her Pokémon, but Ash refuses and continues his efforts until the generator overloads and Pikachu's electricity lights up the night sky. The next day, Ash returns to the Pewter City gym, ready for a rematch. Brock feels confident for after his last easy victory, and the two begin, this time with Brock choosing Geodude and Ash choosing Pidgeotto. However, Pidgeotto is at a type disadvantage, with it being a normal and flying type Pokémon going against a rock type.
Ash recalls Pidgeotto, and sends Pikachu in. Misty watches and cheers Ash on from the rafters, and is soon joined by Brock's siblings and the rest of the gang. Brock doubts that Pikachu even has a chance, but Ash retorts by having Pikachu attack, and knock out Geodude in one move. Nobody, except Ash, can believe what just happened, but Brock sends out Onix. A fearful Pikachu tries another electrical attack, but damages the gym instead. Onix uses Bind, and Pikachu tries using a new move, Thunderbolt, but only manages to injure Onix.
Just as Pikachu is about to pass out, Brock tells Onix to let Pikachu go, and tells Ash to forfeit again so no serious harm can come to Pikachu. However, Ash wants the battle to go on to the bitter end. Suddenly, the gym sprinklers go off, thanks to a fire that Pikachu accidentally started with its Thunderbolt, and water sprays all over Onix, weakening it immensely and allowing Pikachu to fight back. But just before Ash can tells Pikachu to end the battle, Brock's siblings stop him. Brock tells the children to not get involved, but they'd hate to see their big brother have to see his Pokémon hurt any further. Ash decides to call Pikachu back, saying that he doesn't want to win the battle due to a freak accident, only fair and square, and leaves.
Ash apologizes to Pikachu for being too hard on him, but soon turns around when he hears a voice calling him. He soon spots Brock running up to him, and Brock gives Ash the Boulder Badge. Though Ash doesn't want it, Brock tells him he earned it through his kindness to Pokémon. Brock goes on to say that he'd rather be a Pokémon Breeder then a trainer, but he can't pursue his dream because of his family duties. Brock gives Ash the badge, and tells him to fulfill his dream for him, to which Ash agrees. Suddenly, Flint appears and reveals himself as Brock's father.
He explains that he was ashamed to have to return to his family as a failed trainer, Ash asks why he helped him instead of Brock, and Flint says that Ash's helplessness reminded him of himself. Flint then says that he's ready to take responsibility for his family again, and Brock gives him a list of tasks for him to remember while taking care of the kids. That evening, Brock joins Ash on his journey. Ash expresses his gladness to have Brock along, but then Misty yells out the fact that Ash still has to repay her for her bike, so Ash and the others run ahead with Misty tagging behind.
Major events[]
- Ash and Misty reach Pewter City and meet Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader.
- Ash has his first Gym battle at the Pewter Gym.
- Nodoka Miyazaki is revealed to own a Ralts, which is a Shiny Pokemon.
- Liam is revealed to own a Nidoran♂
- Liam battles against Brock and wins, earning the Boulder Badge.
- Liam's Charmander evolves into Charmeleon and learns Dragon Claw.
- Ash forfeits his battle against Brock, suffering his first loss.
- Ash, Misty, Ben and Liam meet the band members known as Afterschool Teatime along with Ui and Jun for the first time.
- Tsumugi is revealed to own a Nidoran♀
- Ash's Pikachu learns Thunderbolt.
- Ash has a rematch with Brock, but eventually forfeits again.
- Brock follows Ash and gives him his first Badge, the Boulder Badge.
- Brock joins Ash and Misty.
- Brock gave Ash the Boulder Badge anyway.
- The band members of Afterschool Teatime, plus Ui and Jun also join the group, with Ben becoming smitten with Mugi.
Characters[]
Humans[]
- Liam
- Ash Ketchum
- Misty
- Brock (debut)
- Yui Hirasawa (debut)
- Mio Akiyama (debut)
- Ritsu Tainaka (debut)
- Tsumugi Kotobuki (debut)
- Azusa Nakano (debut)
- Ui Hirasawa (debut)
- Jessie
- James
- Negi Springfield
- Yue Ayase
- Asuna Kagurazaka
- Konoka Konoe
- Haruna Saotome
- Setsuna Sakurazaki
- Makie Sasaki
- Nodoka Miyazaki
- Ayaka Yukihiro
Pokémon[]
- Pikachu (Ash's)
- Meowth (Team Rocket)
- Pidgeotto (Ash's)
- Charmander (Liam's; evolves)
- Charmeleon (Liam's; newly evolved; debut)
- Nidoran♂ (Liam's; debut)
- Onix (Brock's)
- Geodude (Brock's; debut)
- Spearow (Liam's)
- Staryu (Misty's; debut)
- Eevee (Negi's)
- Ralts (Nodoka Miyazaki's; Shiny)
- Eevee (Nodoka Miyazaki's)
- Nidoran♀ (Tsumugi's; debut)
Trivia[]
- This was chosen by Okazaki Taiiku as the eighth episode of Pocket Monsters Premier 10.
- This episode introduces Team Rocket's pitfall trap gag.
- This episode establishes the fact that there are multiple Nurse Joys who are all part of a large extended family.
- This is the first episode in which Team Rocket appears but has no effect on the plot.
- The poster in the Pokémon Center uses type symbols from the TCG, specifically, from top to bottom, the Lightning, Psychic, Grass, Fighting, Fire, and Water symbols.
- This is the only episode where Ash tries to actively recall Pikachu back into his Poké Ball.
- This episode introduced the greatest number of named recurring characters in the anime, due to the presence of Brock's siblings.
- This episode is featured on Volume 20: Onix from Viz Media's Pokémon All-Stars series.
- This episode aired in the United States three days before Ash won his eighth Badge in the Japanese airings.
- Ash mentions that it had nearly been two weeks since he started on his journey in this episode.
- Brock's siblings restraining Ash is similar to a scene in the series Star of the Giants.
- In the English dub, the title card is written in all caps.
- Starting with this episode, Ben falls in love with Mugi.