EP073

Bad To The Bone (Japanese: ガラガラのホネこんぼう 's Bone Club) is the 73rd episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 3, 1998 and in the United States on October 16, 1999.

Blurb
''Ash, Brock and Misty finally leave Pallet Town and are on their way to the Pokémon League Tournament when they run into another trainer who's also headed for the Indigo Plateau. Unfortunately, this trainer has had all of his Pokémon Badges stolen from him and unless he gets eight more badges he won't be able to complete in the Tournament. Ash is unfairly challenged to a battle where the winner gets to keep all eight of Ash's Badges!''

Plot
,, and visit 's Lab for some advice on training for the Pokémon League. Oak suggests that if Ash wants to compete, he should get on his way immediately. Ash heads back to his house to get his bag, while Professor Oak and wish him well as he sets on his way for the Pokémon League. Brock leads Ash and Misty through a grass field, suggesting it as a shortcut to the Indigo Plateau, when a shadow suddenly flies by and jumps into the air. The shadow lands in front of them and is revealed to be a Pokémon Trainer named Otoshi, who challenges Ash to a Pokémon battle, after he realizes that they are heading to the Pokémon League. However, he tells Ash that the loser must give up all eight of their Badges to the winner. Ash turns down the offer and starts heading back on his way when Otoshi suggests that Ash is afraid of losing to him. This tempts Ash into agreeing to the battle, despite Brock and Misty's warnings.

The battle begins, with Otoshi's against Ash's Bulbasaur. Ash looks up Marowak on his Pokédex, which suggests that despite Marowak's small size, its strength is quite impressive. Brock warns Ash not to get caught off guard by Marowak's strength. Ash commands Bulbasaur to use against Marowak, though Marowak dodges. Ash instructs Bulbasaur to use as Otoshi tells Marowak to use  and then  to deflect the attack. Then Marowak rushes over and attacks Bulbasaur, causing critical damage. Ash substitutes with for Bulbasaur. Pikachu charges towards Marowak, but Marowak's flurry of Bone Club attacks force Pikachu to have to dodge the attacks. Then Pikachu jumps out and uses against Marowak, causing it to faint.

Otoshi then begins to throw a fit over losing, and admits that he has no Badges to give. Otoshi reveals that his Badges were stolen from him as he was walking to the Pokémon League. Otoshi and Marowak noticed some fruit on the ground. Being very hungry after much training, the pair rush over to eat, only to fall into a pit fall trap. It is revealed that took his Badges as he lay dazed in the pit.

Ash decides to help Otoshi get his Badges back, despite Misty and Brock warning him that they'll be late for the competition. Ash explains that he worked hard for his Badges and how terrible it would have been if he had lost his Badges, that stealing from one person is like stealing from everyone. So, they all agree to work together in search of Team Rocket to retrieve the Badges.

Meanwhile, James and are bragging to each other about how easy it was to steal Otoshi's Badges. James suggests to Meowth they take one more look at the Badges when Meowth realizes that they're gone, along with Jessie. That's when James says that he remembers Jessie going off to shop with a big square package in a big green handkerchief. Meowth then figures out that Jessie must have stolen the stolen Badges from them. Elsewhere, Jessie is revealed to be heading toward the Pokémon League with the Badges. She decides to win the competition by herself, believing that she can be a solo superstar without sharing the glory with James and Meowth.

Meanwhile, Ash's Pidgeotto flies about searching for Team Rocket, and appears to have noticed Team Rocket's balloon flying upward with James and Meowth inside. Ash then instructs Pidgeotto to pop their balloon so that they can't get away. When they land, Otoshi commands Team Rocket to give up the Badges, when Meowth admits that they have been robbed as well.

Misty demands that they show them all that they own, just in case if they were lying. After they give a good search, Brock pronounces that it's all just junk. Meowth tells Ash and the gang that Jessie had stolen them. Marowak starts throwing a tantrum, and Meowth translates to Otoshi that Marowak doesn't want to be his Pokémon anymore, with the Badges stolen, all of its hard work had gone to waste (presumably also because the former had already proven his worthlessness by having fallen for such an obvious trap). When Otoshi asks Marowak to stay, the Bone Keeper Pokémon knocks Otoshi's hand away and leaves him.

Ash, Misty, and Brock agree that they all have to find Jessie and the Badges or else Marowak may never come back. However, James and Meowth begin to give chase as well to find Jessie first. then Jessie is then revealed to have donned a disguise in order to fool Ash, Misty, and Brock, Otoshi, James and Meowth.

Jessie spots a Trainer admiring his Badges, and after seeing how pretty the Badges look, she begins thinking about taking them. Above Jessie and the Trainer are James and Meowth in the Team Rocket Balloon. James guesses that the woman beside the Trainer is Jessie by the style of clothing she is wearing. Meowth agrees and decides to land, right as Jessie attempts to steal the Badges of the other Trainer. James and Meowth then throw a smoke bomb at them. James begins to recite their motto, then Jessie joins in and the Trainer runs away after realizing that the woman is a member of Team Rocket. James declares from then on that Team Rocket shall steal as a team and not as individuals.

Ash and the gang arrive and demand that Team Rocket give the Badges back to Otoshi. Jessie tells Otoshi that she won't give the Badges back unless he can beat her in a Pokémon battle. The battle begins as Jessie sends out her Arbok and as Otoshi sends out his.

Meanwhile, Marowak is walking through the woods and notices some Trainers and their Pokémon training for the Pokémon League, which reminds it of the intense training it experienced with Otoshi. Subsequently, Marowak decides to go back to Otoshi's side as his Pokémon.

The battle between Jessie and Otoshi ensues as Doduo is slammed by Arbok's tail, and then by its head. Arbok takes advantage of Doduo's infighting, and constricts it. Jessie attempts to catch Otoshi's Doduo when a bone comes flying and intercepts Jessie's midair. The bone is revealed to have come from Marowak, who has returned to Otoshi. Jessie's Arbok then comes over to attack. Otoshi commands Marowak to use Focus Energy as Arbok begins to use. Then, Marowak uses Bone Club and stops Arbok in its tracks. Marowak then uses, sending Arbok flying towards Team Rocket. James sends out his Weezing in order to stop Arbok from colliding with them. However, Ash commands Pikachu to attack, so Pikachu jumps into the air and uses an electric attack on Weezing and Arbok sending them flying to Team Rocket's Balloon as Team Rocket tries to retreat. Otoshi then commands his Marowak to use Bonemerang at the balloon sending Team Rocket blasting off. The Badge case then falls from the balloon and Misty catches it.

Otoshi walks over to Marowak asking it if it will battle in the Pokémon League by his side. Marowak accepts as Misty returns the Badges to Otoshi safe and sound. Brock congratulates Ash for doing the right thing by stopping and helping someone who really needed it, despite almost being late for the Pokémon League.

By sunset, Ash and his friends notice the Indigo Plateau up ahead and they all begin to run towards it.

Major events

 * and set off for Indigo Plateau, the venue for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
 * Jessie's Arbok is revealed to know.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Otoshi
 * Trainers
 * James
 * Otoshi
 * Trainers
 * Otoshi
 * Trainers

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


 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * ('s; flashback)
 * ('s; flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (Erika's; flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (Koga's; flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * ('s; Mimey)
 * ('s; flashback)
 * (Otoshi's)
 * (Otoshi's)
 * (Gym Leader's; flashback)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * (Otoshi's)
 * (Otoshi's)
 * (Gym Leader's; flashback)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)

Trivia

 * Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture:
 * Pokémon senryū summary: Eat and sleep, and eat and sleep yet more, oh.
 * This episode's dub title is a reference to the song, "".
 * says the episode's title during and Otoshi's battle.
 * This is the first episode in the dub to feature a Legendary Pokémon in the Who's That Pokémon? segment.
 * This episode was banned in.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of James's bottle cap collection.
 * James is shown to own, which were popular among children in the 90's.
 * In Otoshi's memories, it is shown he fought a when he won the . Also, it is shown he fought a  when he won the.

Errors

 * When Otoshi tells Ash he will either "lose his Badges now, or lose them later", he implies that the s who do not win at the Pokémon League will have their Badges taken.
 * knocks out Otoshi's with an Electric move, but  Pokémon should be immune to such attacks.
 * Flashbacks show Otoshi earning a Volcano Badge, a Marsh Badge, a Soul Badge, and a Thunder Badge. However, when Team Rocket takes the Badges from Otoshi, the Thunder Badge cannot be seen. The Badges visible are a Boulder Badge, a Cascade Badge, a Marsh Badge, a Soul, a, and three unknown Badges, two of them square and one of them green and triangle-shaped. Later, when Jessie shows the other Trainer Otoshi's Badges, the is there but the Marsh Badge isn't. Also, all of the Badges except for the  and the Thunder Badge are slightly distorted in this scene.
 * When Ash remembers his battles with the Gym Leaders, the scene in which Bulbasaur defeats Venonat is shown. The Venonat was 's, though Ash won his Soul Badge by defeating Koga, the Gym Leader, when his Charmander beat Koga's Golbat.
 * In the scene exactly before Otoshi and Ash choose Pokémon to battle with, Ash's gloves appear over the upper tips of his fingers, instead of the lower part of his fingers.

Dub edits

 * Pikachu's Jukebox: Double Trouble
 * tells Ash in the original version that the Pokémon League will be starting the following week and that has already set off for the Indigo Plateau. This information is omitted in the dub.
 * When Ash runs past Otoshi, Otoshi accuses him of trying to escape his challenge in the original version. In the dub, he says that he doesn't have the right attitude to compete in the Pokémon League.
 * In the dub, when Otoshi tells Ash he will either "lose his Badges now, or lose them later", he implies that the Trainers who do not win at the Pokémon League will have their Badges taken. The Japanese version is slightly clearer: he states that Ash's Badges will be useless if he loses during the first round.
 * In the original version, after Otoshi is revealed to have no badges with him, Ash is astonished at him for having the gall to enter the Pokémon League without them. In the dub, he instead chastises him for his plan to steal his badges backfiring.
 * In the original version, Jessie wants to enter the Pokémon League for the first time, while in the dub, she is more eager to get away from her teammates and become a "solo superstar".
 * When Brock looks at all of James's items, instead of a Pokémon card collection which appeared in the original version, photos of James are shown in the dub. The card on top is from the TCG Team Rocket expansion. The dialogue referring to them is changed accordingly.
 * In the dub, the closing narration states that the Pokémon League will start "tomorrow", contradicting the following episode and earlier dialogue in the Japanese version. In the original version, it is simply stated it will start "soon".

In other languages
Böse bis auf die Knochen! EP075 EP073 EP073 無印編第73話 精灵宝可梦 第74集