Ash's Primeape

Ash's Primeape サトシのオコリザル Satoshi's Okorizaru

Ash's Primeape

Debuts in Primeape Goes Bananas Caught at Route 7 Evolves in Primeape Goes Bananas Gender Unknown Ability Unknown Current location Training with Anthony

→ This Pokémon spent less than 1 episode as Mankey.

Voice actor Japanese English As Mankey Hiroshi Ōtake As Primeape Hiroshi Ōtake Hiroshi Ōtake (EP025) Michael Haigney (EP029) Marc Thompson (BW116)

Ash's Primeape (Japanese: サトシのオコリザル Satoshi's Okorizaru) was the ninth overall Pokémon that Ash obtained in the Kanto region.

In the anime

Main series

History

Original series

Primeape and Ash

In Primeape Goes Bananas, Ash learned that Gary had already caught 30 Pokémon, and he aspired to catch more for himself. Soon afterward on Route 7, a friendly wild Mankey ate some of Brock's food. Ash took this opportunity to catch the Pokémon, but the Poké Ball failed, instead catching a rice ball. Mankey was angered and chased the group, beat up Ash, and stole his hat. Mankey gleefully teased Ash as the young Trainer fumed over having his beloved cap stolen. Team Rocket decided this was the perfect opportunity to plot how to capture Pikachu, with Mankey approaching the trio out of curiosity. James kicked it out of sight, and this angered the Mankey so much that it evolved into Primeape. It proceeded to punch Jessie in the face, sending her face-first into a rock, then viciously attacked the other Team Rocket members. After it beat up Brock, chased Ash and Misty down Route 7, and followed Ash into one of Team Rocket's pitfalls, Ash made several attempts to catch the rampaging Primeape. Eventually, his Charmander finally defeated it. Ash caught it and unleashed it upon Team Rocket, where it brutalized them and sent them blasting off into a nest full of wild Primeape.

Primeape and Ash after winning the P1 Grand Prix

Ash considered using Primeape in his match against Erika in Pokémon Scent-Sation!. However, after thinking back to Primeape's explosive aggression, he decided not to, as its brutality would likely cost him the match.

In The Punchy Pokémon, after leaving Celadon City, Ash and his friends met a man named Anthony who was training to win the P1 Grand Prix, a tournament for Fighting-type Pokémon. Anthony's daughter, Rebecca, wanted him to stop spending so much time away from home training. Brock and Ash volunteered to enter the tournament to discourage Anthony, with Ash entering Primeape. In the first match against a Machop, Ash saved Primeape from a nasty fall, which caused the usually vicious Pokémon to become closer to Ash. Primeape listened to Ash's instructions and eventually won the tournament. Anthony offered to train Primeape for Ash, promising to train it to become a P1 champion, so Ash left Primeape with Anthony. Primeape, unlike the other Pokémon that Ash has given to another Trainer for training, hasn't been seen since.

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

In The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion!, Ash reminisced about Primeape's battle with Charmander.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Primeape encouraging Pikachu in a vision

In Partners in Time!, Primeape appeared as a vision to Pikachu during his battle against Leon's Charizard.

In Heroes Unite!, Primeape appeared in a fantasy while Ash reminisced about the Pokémon he'd caught on his journey.

Personality and characteristics

Despite its few appearances, Primeape was naturally mischievous, but it also showed itself to be particularly irritable. Primeape's short fuse made it prone to explosive outrages and merciless violence. However, Ash saw through this flaw and went on to catch Primeape in the hopes of using its ample energy for battles. Primeape's potential shone through during the P1 Grand Prix event in The Punchy Pokémon, where its athletic prowess and sheer power was able to be utilized. Underneath the explosively violent personality, it had a softer side, which allowed it to bond with Ash.

Appearance

As a Mankey

Moves used

Using Thrash	Move First Used In Thrash Primeape Goes Bananas Scratch The Punchy Pokémon Mega Kick The Punchy Pokémon Seismic Toss The Punchy Pokémon
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Artwork

Poster for Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master

Movies timeline

Primeape (as a Mankey) was briefly mentioned by Ash in Distant Blue Sky!, when he told to Sunny the story of when he got his cap stolen by a Mankey. In this episode, Ash left his old cap as a gift for another Mankey.

In the manga

Mankey with its group in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

Ash's Mankey appeared in Clefairy Tale. It was initially a member of a larger group of Mankey pursued in a forest by Ash and his Fearow. After Fearow cut the Mankey off and Pikachu attacked them with Thunder Shock, the Mankey panicked and slammed into a Beedrill nest, causing both groups to be attacked by the swarm of angry Poison Bee Pokémon. Later, after discovering that his Mankey was only a Grade D capture, a disappointed Ash started walking around and came across a man who offered him a map of Mt. Moon to find Clefairy. Ash offered the man his Mankey in exchange for the map, only to later find out that the map was false and that he had been scammed.

Trivia

Primeape's appearance in Spurt!

• Primeape is Ash's first Pokémon that:
  • is a Fighting type.
  • evolved onscreen prior to its capture.
  • was captured in its fully evolved form at the time.
  • Ash captured by weakening it in battle with a Pokémon other than Pikachu.
  • was left with another Trainer for training, and the only one among them that has not reunited with Ash since its departure.
• During Pokémon Sunday on June 27, 2010, presenter Shokotan chose Primeape in her ideal team for Ash.
• Primeape is the only one of Ash's non-temporary Pokémon caught in the original series to not physically reappear in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
  • As such, Primeape has gone the longest without making a physical appearance out of Ash's non-temporary Pokémon.
• Among the Pokémon Ash owned for more than one episode, Primeape holds the record for the fewest onscreen appearances, appearing in only two episodes (six including flashbacks/fantasies).
• Primeape has made cameo appearances in Spurt!, GLORY DAY ~That Shining Day~, Be an Arrow!, and It's Always You and Me.

Related articles

For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Mankey and Primeape.

Ash's Pokémon
On hand:	Pikachu
Traveling with:	Rotom Phone
At Oak's/In rotation:	Pidgeot	Bulbasaur	Charizard	Kingler	Muk	Tauros (×30)
	Snorlax	Heracross	Bayleef	Quilava	Totodile	Noctowl
	Donphan	Swellow	Sceptile	Corphish	Torkoal	Glalie
	Staraptor	Torterra	Infernape	Buizel	Gliscor	Gible
	Unfezant	Oshawott	Pignite	Snivy	Scraggy	Leavanny
	Palpitoad	Boldore	Krookodile	Talonflame	Hawlucha	Noivern
	Dragonite	Gengar	Lucario	Sirfetch'd	Dracovish
With Kukui/In rotation:	Rowlet	Lycanroc	Incineroar	Melmetal
At home:	Mr. Mime
In training:	Squirtle	Primeape
Released:	Butterfree	Lapras	Larvitar	Greninja	Goodra	Nebby
	Naganadel
Temporarily owned:	Seaking	Buzzwole	Stakataka	Pheromosa	Rowlet
Traded away:	Raticate	Aipom
Given away:	Beedrill
Traveled with:	Haunter	Azelf	Meowth	Meloetta	Rotom Pokédex	Latias
The Power of Us only:	Ekans	Sentret
EToP only:	Fearow	Oddish	Mankey	Slowpoke
Newspaper Strip only:	Starmie	Clefairy
For a list of Pokémon Ash has temporarily owned, used, or commanded, see here

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.