EP131

Fighting Flyer with Fire (Japanese: キキョウジム！おおぞらのたたかい！！  Gym! Sky Battle!!) is the 131st episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 20, 2000 and in the United States on December 16, 2000.

Blurb
''With Pikachu's help, Ash is confident that winning the Zephyr badge will be a breeze. But when the Gym Leader's high-level Pokémon turn the tables on the textbook Electric over Flying advantage, Ash will have to use more than raw power to emerge victorious.''

Plot
and her friends reach the Violet Gym, and is anxious to get his first Johto Badge. However, before they are able to go inside, Jessie and James appear, disguised as surveyors from the Pokémon Bureau, and demand that they inspect every before anyone can enter. They take and then escape with him in their Meowth balloon, revealing their true identities. Ash commands Pikachu to use, but the attack fails because he is in an electric-proof glass case.

Ash sends out to save Pikachu, but  drops a jar of sap to distract Heracross. Then, Ash and notice someone hang-gliding next to 's balloon. The hang-glider signals his to take Pikachu; it grabs Pikachu's case with its talons and flies back to its. With Pikachu in hand, the hang-glider begins his descent, but Jessie has use  to poke holes in his sail. The hang-glider leaps and sends out his to save him from falling. The pair makes their way towards Team Rocket, evading another of Arbok's Poison Stings before puncturing the hot-air balloon.

After Team Rocket has blasted off, the hang-glider finally lands and gives Pikachu back to Ash. The hang-glider mentions his love of riding on Flying Pokémon and reveals that they are his favorite type. asks why he loves them so much, and he responds that it was because he has always wanted to fly since he was a little boy. Then, he says he learned how to hang-glide in order to understand his Pokémon better. Ash introduces himself, and the hang-glider introduces himself as Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader.

Falkner escorts Ash and his friends to the Violet Gym, and after a short elevator ride, they reach the Gym's rooftop battlefield. Ash and Falkner take their positions, and the referee explains that each Trainer can use three Pokémon. Once the match begins, Falkner starts with Hoothoot, and Ash sends out. Falkner scolds Ash for sending out a Pokémon that is weak to Flying Pokémon, but Ash defends himself by saying that not everyone should judge by type. Chikorita starts out with a, but Hoothoot dodges it by ing into the sky. Chikorita still tries hitting Hoothoot, but Hoothoot attacks Chikorita with. Chikorita uses, but Hoothoot dodges and knocks Chikorita out with.

Ash decides to use Pikachu next. Pikachu uses in order to avoid getting tackled. Hoothoot is struck down by Pikachu's and finished off with. Falkner then sends out his and mentions that no challenger has ever defeated it. Both Pikachu and Dodrio start off the match by using Agility. Although Pikachu tries using Thunderbolt, Dodrio dodges it by jumping up high. Dodrio then attacks Pikachu with and. While Dodrio is building up its, Pikachu bounces off the center Dodrio's head and into the air. Dodrio is startled and loses its move, after which Pikachu defeats it with.

Falkner sends out his last Pokémon, Pidgeot. Despite Pikachu's exhaustion, he is still willing to fight. Pikachu starts the match with Thunderbolt, but Pidgeot easily dodges it by flying. Pidgeot then defeats Pikachu with. Ash then sends out. Both Charizard and Pidgeot are told to fly into the air, then Ash tells Charizard to use, but Pidgeot dodges. Charizard consistently uses Flamethrower and Pidgeot uses Agility to get out of the way. Pidgeot then uses Whirlwind to hit Charizard with its own Flamethrower, sending it back to the ground. Pidgeot approaches with a, and Ash commands Charizard to fly, but its wing is hurt. Pidgeot lands a direct hit, knocking Charizard to the ground again. Charizard is also hit with a Quick Attack, which leaves Ash wondering what he should do. Falkner tells him to forfeit, but Ash refuses to.

Charizard soon becomes strong enough to fly and dodges a Quick Attack. Pidgeot uses its Agility to appear behind Charizard, and it strikes Charizard with a follow-up Quick Attack. This happens again, but Charizard doesn't give up. Charizard then flies behind Pidgeot, and when Pidgeot disappears and then reappears behind Charizard, Charizard turns around and surrounds it with. Charizard then finishes off Pidgeot by using, giving Ash the win.

Falkner presents Ash with the and admits that he has been inspired to work more and train harder. He also wishes Ash luck in the Johto League. Ash, Misty, and Brock then bid farewell to Falkner. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is trapped inside their deflated balloon while being pecked by an angry horde of and.

Major events

 * and meet the Violet Gym's Gym Leader, Falkner.
 * Ash's Charizard is revealed to know.
 * Ash defeats Falkner in a Gym and earns his first Johto League Badge, the.

Humans

 * Falkner

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Falkner
 * Falkner's assistants
 * James
 * Falkner
 * Falkner's assistants

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international),  (Japan)


 * (flashback)
 * (Falkner's)
 * (Falkner's)
 * (Falkner's)
 * (flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (Falkner's)
 * (Falkner's)
 * (flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)

Trivia

 * This episode's English title is a reference to the popular saying "fight fire with fire".
 * Two episodes from the have episode titles similar to this one.
 * Both also feature either a or a.
 * When tries unsuccessfully to electrocute, Jessie says, "Go ahead, shock around the clock if you'd like!" This is a reference to the famous  song .
 * Falkner says almost exactly the same thing about people underestimating Flying types in this episode and when the player character challenges him in the games.
 * The book Battle for the Zephyr Badge is based on this episode.
 * This episode ends in almost the same way as Pallet Party Panic, with Team Rocket being ed by a group of.
 * breaks the fourth wall when he mentions that it was a bad ending.
 * This is the only episode where the move is referred as an attack, as  tells  to use "Fly attack".
 * This episode was banned in, likely due to Falkner's traditional Japanese-style clothing.

Errors

 * Ash said that his was protecting a flock of fellow, when it was actually protecting a flock of  and.
 * Falkner's is seen with both feet on the ground in its standoff against Pikachu.
 * Pidgeot knocks Pikachu out with, despite the fact that Whirlwind is a status move. This is an example of anime physics.
 * In the dub, Pidgeot was incorrectly referred as Pidgeotto through the whole episode.

Dub edits

 * Pokémon Karaokémon: Two Perfect Girls

In other languages
Kampf um den Flügelorden EP133 EP131 EP131 無印編第131話 精灵宝可梦 第132集