Brock (anime)

Brock (Japanese: タケシ Takeshi) is an aspiring from Pewter City and a former  of. He is also the former Gym Leader of the Pewter Gym.

Pre-series
Not much is known about Brock's early childhood. In Having a Wailord of a Time, he revealed that his was an  he received as a tenth birthday  from his father.

When he was younger, he participated in, as mentioned in The Little Big Horn.

Prior to joining at the end of Showdown in Pewter City, Brock had assumed the responsibility of running the Pewter Gym while also taking care of  on his own after his father left the family home to pursue his own ventures.

As Ash's traveling companion
In Showdown in Pewter City, after Brock awarded Ash the, Flint came forward and confessed who he was. Flint took on the responsibilities of the Pewter Gym and his family, leaving Brock free to with Ash and.

Brock only became the Gym Leader because he felt it was his responsibility, and he admitted to Ash that he would rather care for Pokémon than them. It was his dream to become a great, and when Flint took back control of the Gym, Brock was allowed to start following this dream.

Brock was also able to meet and make advances towards the many beautiful women he met. At first, he was more casual about approaching women, such as Officer Jenny in The Water Flowers of Cerulean City, and more modest as well, such as when he met Melanie in Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village. However, he became more open and passionate towards almost all single young women as time progressed.

Brock took care of a that belonged to a Breeder named Suzie. Brock briefly left the show during the Orange Islands saga to work for Professor Ivy on Valencia Island and so is only seen in a couple of cameos in the second movie. While there, something happened that will probably remain secret as Brock will only huddle and say "that name" whenever he is asked about it. In the English dub of Destiny Deoxys, he mentioned his work for her. After this incident, Brock returned to Kanto where he was found by Delia Ketchum, who helped him to regain his strength. Brock then became a rival to Mimey until he rejoined Ash and Misty as the three traveled to Johto.

In Beauty and the Breeder, Brock returned Vulpix to Suzie. Together, they entered Vulpix into the Pokémon Beauty Contest in Bonitaville.

At the end of Ash and ' journey in Johto, the three went their separate ways, with Brock's help requested at home by his father.

Upon his return home, Brock was dismayed to find that his mother had returned and commandeered the Gym, turning the Rock-type haven into a brightly decorated den. Brock battled her for the honor of Rock types and won, promising his brother Forrest that he would become Gym Leader someday.

After that, Brock returned to follow Ash through Hoenn, along with their new friends and Max, and then through Kanto again as Ash took on the Kanto. He left briefly when the ended in order to visit his home, but quickly returned to travel with Ash and  in Sinnoh. Near the end of the Sinnoh saga, Brock began to show interest in becoming a, and so, rather than following Ash to Unova to advise him, decided to remain in Kanto to study.

Brock is among the longest-running main characters in the anime, having been present in nearly every episode between Showdown in Pewter City and Memories are Made of Bliss!, with the notable exception of the, the final original series episode, the first three episodes of the , and the first episode of the Diamond & Pearl series. His tenure is ranked under and, who have appeared in every episode. It is also ranked under Jessie, James, and, who also have appeared in every episode except for the very first episode; AG120; and a few episodes of the , the , and the.

Brock made an appearance in SS025, where it was revealed that, while waiting to attend a Pokémon medical school, he had been studying hard at home as well as helping out at the Pewter City Pokémon Center. In the episode, he played a major role in helping Forrest to officially become the Pewter City Gym Leader when it is revealed that his father never informed the Pokémon League of the title change.

Brock was mentioned in Expedition to Onix Island!, when Dawn learned that cooks for himself, Ash and. She said this was similar to the way Brock used to for her and Ash before he decided to become a Pokémon Doctor. He also appeared in flashbacks in The Mystery of the Missing Cubchoo! and The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion!. In addition, he appeared in a fantasy in The Dream Continues!.

Brock appeared in person in SS027, where it was revealed that he had attended the Pokémon medical school and had been sent to Johto to apprentice under a Pokémon Doctor as part of his training. While passing through the town he bumped into Pokémon Connoisseur Cilan briefly, then encountered him again when Cilan took his to be treated at the town's Pokémon Center after it was injured by a. While waiting for it to recover, the two encountered the beginning Trainer Ayumi who was having trouble teaching her to use ; Brock was very impressed with Cilan's talents as Cilan helped Pikachu master the move. Later, when the Gyarados that Cilan encountered earlier started to rampage due to being injured by the Amer, Brock spotted that it was injured, so after Pansage's  put it to, Brock was able to quickly treat it. Afterwards, the two said goodbye to each other and continued their separate travels, having never learned their names or that was a mutual friend of theirs.

Brock reappeared in two episodes of the, starting with Alola, Kanto!. Brock reunited with Ash when he and arrived at the Kanto airport, where he also used his expertise as a Pokémon  to diagnose 's Snowy's airsickness as harmless. Brock and Misty then compared Kantonian and Alolan Pokémon with the class at Professor Oak's Laboratory. Later, Brock and the rest of the group worked together to defeat, who Brock was angry to find were still up to their old tactics of stealing Pokémon. Afterwards, the group had a party and learned from that the class had plans to head to Cerulean City for a Gym battle.

In When Regions Collide!, the group arrived at Cerulean City, where Brock and Misty assisted Professor Kukui's lecture on the mechanics of Gym battles and the Pokémon League. Brock defeated Lillie and in a Multi Battle, then used his Mega  to defeat  and his. He and Misty then bade Ash and his classmates farewell and accepted Ash's offer to visit Alola sometime in the future.

Brock reappeared in SM102, where he accompanied Misty to Alola and met up with Ash and his classmates. Stopping by the Pokémon Center, he flirted with Nurse Joy, only to be stopped by Misty. He remained behind to assist Nurse Joy as she treated a.

Brock reappeared SM103, where he and Misty accompanied Ash and his classmates to Akala Island. They visited Paniola Ranch‎‎ where a was threatening the Pokémon after its baby became injured. Using his that Nurse Joy had given him, Brock was able to treat the injury. Meeting Island Kahuna Olivia, Brock immediately fell in love with her and they agreed to a battle. Brock used Sudowoodo against her but the battle was interrupted when Team Rocket attempted to steal the Pokémon. Brock teamed up with Olivia to turn Lycanroc's heart shaped which defeated Team Rocket. At the end of the episode, Brock returned to Kanto alongside Misty.

Brock also made a cameo appearance in the ending credits of I Choose You!.

Character
Prior to joining on his, Brock had become increasingly frustrated and harsh towards challengers as a result of his responsibilities as both the Pewter City Gym Leader and the main caretaker for his nine younger siblings. Even while traveling he was thinking of his family, returning home on several occasions like in A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!.

Brock is noticeably mature, wise, and level-headed. He often acts as an older brother and caretaker to the other characters and a voice of reason in disputes. He will usually place others before himself and will support his friends even against his better judgment or at his own expense. Brock always carries books and maps with him, and thus is usually the character who knows where the group is headed and what they can do when they get there, though in the this role was mostly taken over by Max, who owned a PokéNav.

He is renowned for his domestic abilities like sewing and vacuuming. Most notably, is Brock's flavorful cooking which brought light to his friends on many occasions. Homemade stews, sandwiches and rice balls were always plentiful when Ash traveled with Brock. The capacity of Brock's Bag is endless as seen in The School of Hard Knocks, containing full tea sets, tables and cooking utensils, offering his friends the best comforts wherever they are. He also carries a lot of other supplies, such as Potions and Pokémon food, making pit stops in towns to restock the group’s supplies. Despite this, all his maturity and rationality leaves him completely at the sight of a beautiful woman. Brock's passion for finding the girl of his dreams is boundless. However, his track record is riddled with tragedy, with names like Professor Ivy causing Brock to have painful memories of their time together. A few women have shown interest in him as well, such as Wilhomena, Temacu, Natalie,, Holly, , Narissa and Lizabeth, but most do not notice him or are not interested. No matter how many times he is disappointed, though, Brock remains determined to find a girl to start a relationship with, and has indicated several times he would stop traveling with Ash and stay with the girl if this happened. This behavior tends to wear on the nerves of other characters, and Misty and Max have both commonly dragged Brock away from women by his ear. Some of Brock's own Pokémon, most notably, have attacked him for getting too flirtatious with women.

He also carries a small blue journal containing information on every girl he meets, referring to it in The Rise of Darkrai as his "Little Blue Book of Babes". It most recently appeared in SM103 and featured Island Kahuna Olivia. His love affairs for the world's Officer Jennys and Nurse Joys, in particular, can be overbearing and embarrassing for his friends. Brock can also tell whether they are real or imposters, as well as spot the differences between them. This "ability" has been used multiple times in the series. Brock’s two notable musical appearances details his passion for finding love. One is the Japanese ending theme Takeshi's Paradise, which is about his love for women and his determination to find love despite often appearing foolish and getting heartbroken. There is a running joke about him singing this song often in the anime, since it is the only song he knows. The other is the Pokémon Karaokémon song Two Perfect Girls, which is about his love of both Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy.

Brock was not shown to often in spite of his experience as a former Pewter Gym Leader. Though he happily accepts challenges from girls like Miki, Molly Hale and Olivia. Instead he tended to advise Ash on battle strategies and keenly watched matches from the sidelines, seeing the knowledge as valuable to understanding a Pokémon in its entirety.

His goals have played a passive role in his character's activity and development, and Brock's role has generally been one as support for other main characters, usually contributing more in terms of wisdom and comedic antics than the action of the series. Unlike other characters, who aspire to achieve and excel in competitive fields like Pokémon training and Pokémon Contests, his initial aim to become a great was a quiet one and thus did not get showcased frequently. Brock's experience with taught him a lot about conditioning and nutrition, while further knowledge came from raising  and. He questioned whether he was actually pursuing his dreams like his friends near the end of the, and ultimately decided to become a Pokémon instead.

Pokémon
As Gym tradition dictated, Brock's first Pokémon, and, were Rock types. However, once he was able to leave the Pewter Gym and go on a, he has dedicated himself to learn about how to care for a variety of Pokémon. As he has stated in Battling A Cute Drama!, his philosophy is that the important thing about being a Pokémon Trainer is the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.

His Pokémon tend to be an eclectic mix of types and dispositions. However, all of his Pokémon tend to have strong bonds with Brock and have been shown to be very capable battlers, despite the fact that Brock does not go out of his way to his Pokémon. Brock not only his Pokémon but also those of his friends with whom he travels.

This is a listing of as of the most recent Japanese episode. Pokémon listed as "on hand" have been seen since his return to the anime in the.

Pokémon competitions
Brock has competed in the following :
 * P1 Grand Prix - Round 1 (The Punchy Pokémon)
 * Big P Pokémon Race - (The Flame Pokémon-athon!)
 * Pokémon Beauty Contest - N/A (with Suzie; Beauty and the Breeder)
 * Pokémon Balloon Race - Winner (with and ; tied with Skyler and Tenma; The Big Balloon Blow-Up)
 * Pokémon Orienteering - N/A (Off the Unbeaten Path)
 * - Runner-up (What I Did for Love!)
 * Pokémon Dress-Up Contest - Winner (All Dressed Up With Somewhere To Go!)
 * Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition - Top 4 (with Holly; Smells Like Team Spirit!)
 * Pastoria Croagunk Festival - N/A (Cream of the Croagunk Crop!)
 * Pokémon Summer Academy - Winner (One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!)
 * Pokémon Triathlon - N/A (One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!)
 * Festival Battle Challenge - N/A (Challenging a Towering Figure!)

In the Ash & Pikachu manga
Brock appears as a main character of the Ash & Pikachu manga, similar to his role in the.

He temporarily left the group in Let's Save Pikachu!! but rejoined in The Keeper Of The Tree, Treecko!!.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Brock is a frequently recurring character in The Electric Tale of Pikachu. Like in the anime, he is a traveling companion of and.

Brock first appears in Play Misty For Me, where Ash challenges him for the. After defeating Brock and earning the Badge, Ash leaves Pewter City and continues his journey alone.

Brock reappears in Haunting My Dreams, meeting Ash by coincidence in Saffron City. He becomes a steady traveling companion of Ash in The Human Race and the Pokémon Race, though he separates from Ash in Days of Gloom and Glory while he prepares for the Indigo Plateau Conference.

Brock in the manga is much like he is in the Pokémon anime: he is the Leader of the Pewter Gym, but he takes a break from his duties as Gym Leader to travel. Unlike in the anime, he does not hand control of the Gym to his or his, instead, he closes the Gym completely while he travels. Brock has a weakness for pretty girls such as the Sensational Sisters, and he is the only character that can tell the many Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys apart.

In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga
Brock, along with and, made cameo appearances in bonus chapters. In those, Brock and company have mistakenly wandered into the world Magical Pokémon Journey is set in. The bonus chapters chronicle their attempts to return to their own world (of the ) and their encounters with various aspects of the Magical Pokémon Journey canon which differ from the anime's canon (such as the use of Poké Balls).

In the movie manga adaptations
As Brock has appeared in every movie prior to Best Wishes, he has appeared in every manga adaptation of it. He has the same team in the manga as he would in the actual movies.

In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring the anime version of Brock or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Trivia

 * Most official sources do not give Brock a last name. However, several sources suggest that in the anime, his last name is Harrison. In the July 2006 issue of K-Zone Magazine, Eric Stuart was interviewed, and he stated that Brock's last name is Harrison.
 * Brock captured a new Pokémon sooner after his debut than any other main character, even, by capturing in Clefairy and the Moon Stone, exactly one episode after his debut.
 * Brock has been shown to be able to identify when women are really cross-dressing men in disguise by having a peculiar lack of attraction to them. He's also able to do the opposite. A significant exception to this is Ash, who in the guise of Ashley was able to fool Brock.
 * Brock has owned four Pokémon whose evolutions debuted in a different generation than that Pokémon (,, , and ). All of them have since evolved.
 * Brock is the only person to have been Ash's main traveling companion for more than one series, traveling with him during the original series (minus the ),, and.
 * The is the only series where Brock does not appear and is never mentioned.
 * However, the ear pull and Max did on Brock was referenced by  and  in The First Day of the Rest of Your Life!.
 * Brock ranked first place in a 20th anniversary poll leading up to I Choose You! concerning former cast members viewers want to see return.

Interview with Hidaka about Brock's short absence from the anime
There had been some debate between members of the fanbase in regards to why Brock was removed from the main cast during the Orange Islands arc, why Tracey Sketchit was created, and why Brock returned later. In an interview with former Pokémon anime director and storyboard artist Masamitsu Hidaka, he stated his own reason why Brock was removed from the cast and why he eventually returned. He revealed that the true reason they replaced Brock is because, once they realized Pokémon was going global, there was a chance that Americans, if not anyone else outside of Japan, would view Brock as a racist stereotype because of his eyes (even though there wasn't an actual complaint yet). So they created a "tall, Anglo-Saxon looking person to be on the safe side". They later replaced Tracey with Brock again once they realized that no one really cared as to what Brock looks like, and actually enjoyed his character. However, this was only stated by Hidaka and not by any other staff member.

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