EP073

← EP072 : The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis

Original series

EP074 : All Fired Up! →

Bad To The Bone

EP073   ガラガラのホネこんぼう Garagara's Bone Club

First broadcast Japan December 3, 1998 United States October 16, 1999

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending タイプ・ワイルド

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 玉川明洋 Akihiro Tamagawa Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

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

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

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

Ash and his friends visit Professor Oak'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 Delia 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 Marowak 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 Tackle against Marowak, though Marowak dodges. Ash instructs Bulbasaur to use Vine Whip as Otoshi tells Marowak to use Focus Energy and then Bone Club to deflect the attack. Marowak rushes over and attacks Bulbasaur, causing critical damage. Ash substitutes with Pikachu 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 Thunder Shock against Marowak, causing it to faint.

Otoshi 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 Team Rocket 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 Meowth 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 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 their balloon flying upward with James and Meowth inside. Ash 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, as 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 begs Marowak to stay, the Bone Keeper Pokémon knocks Otoshi's hand away and leaves him.

Ash and his friends 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. Jessie is revealed to have donned a disguise.

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 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. Jessie is initially angry at James and Meowth for blowing her cover, but calms down when James declares that from then on, 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 Doduo.

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. Declaring victory, Jessie attempts to catch Otoshi's Doduo when a bone comes flying and intercepts Jessie's Poké Ball midair. The bone is revealed to have come from Marowak, who has returned to Otoshi both to rejoin him and save Doduo with Jessie's Arbok coming over to attack. Otoshi recalls Duduo and then commands Marowak to use Focus Energy as Arbok begins to use Double-Edge. Then, Marowak uses Bone Club and stops Arbok in its tracks. Marowak uses Bonemerang, 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 commands his Marowak to use Bonemerang at the balloon sending Team Rocket blasting off. In the process, Otoshi's Badge case 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

• Ash and his friends set off for Indigo Plateau, the venue for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
• Jessie's Arbok is revealed to know Double-Edge.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Marowak

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Professor Oak
• Delia
• Otoshi
• Trainers

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

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

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Pidgeotto (Ash's)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's)
• Charmander (Ash's; flashback)
• Charizard (Ash's; flashback)
• Starmie (Misty's; flashback)
• Onix (Brock's; flashback)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Kingler (Giovanni's; flashback)
• Rhydon (Giovanni's; flashback)
• Raichu (Lt. Surge's; flashback)
• Weepinbell (Erika's; flashback)
• Kadabra (Sabrina's; flashback)
• Scyther (Koga's; flashback)
• Magmar (Blaine's; flashback)
• Mr. Mime (Delia's; Mimey)
• Venonat (Aya's; flashback)
• Marowak (Otoshi's)
• Doduo (Otoshi's)
• Hitmonlee (Gym Leader's; flashback)
• Hitmonlee (Trainer's)
• Nidoran♂ (Trainer's)
• Chansey (Trainer's)
• Flareon (Trainer's)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture: Snorlax
  • Pokémon senryū summary: Eat and sleep, and eat and sleep yet more, oh Snorlax.
• This episode's English dub title is a reference to the George Thorogood song "Bad to the Bone".
• Brock says the episode's title during Ash and Otoshi's battle.
• This is the first episode in the English dub to feature a Legendary Pokémon in the Who's That Pokémon? segment.
• This episode was banned in South Korea.
• This episode marks the first appearance of James's bottle cap collection.
• James is shown to own Pogs, which were popular among children in the 90's.
• In Otoshi's memories, it is shown he fought a Scyther when he won the Soul Badge. Also, it is shown he fought a Hitmonlee when he won the Marsh Badge.

Errors

Ash's glove error

• In the scene exactly before Otoshi and Ash choose Pokémon to battle with, Ash's glove appears over his fingers instead of his hand.
• Pikachu knocks out Otoshi's Marowak with an Electric move, but Ground-type 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 Volcano Badge, 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 Thunder Badge is there but the Marsh Badge isn't. Also, all of the Badges except for the Boulder Badge 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 Aya's, though Ash won his Soul Badge by defeating Koga, the Gym Leader, when his Charmander beat Koga's Golbat.

Dub edits

• Pikachu's Jukebox: Double Trouble
• Professor Oak tells Ash in the original version that the Pokémon League will be starting the following week and that Gary has already set off for the Indigo Plateau. This information is omitted in the English dub.
• When Ash runs past Otoshi, Otoshi accuses him of trying to escape his challenge in the original version. In the English dub, he says that he doesn't have the right attitude to compete in the Pokémon League.
• In the English 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 English 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 English 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 from Make Room for Gloom are shown in the English dub. The card on top is Dark Primeape from the Team Rocket expansion. The dialogue referring to them is changed accordingly.
• In the English 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".

• 

  James's TCG cards in the original version

• 

  James's photos in the English dub

In other languages

Language		Title
Arabic		أوقف السارق
Mandarin Chinese		嘎啦嘎啦的骨頭棒
Czech		Zlý až na kost
Danish		Så Ond At Det Gør Ondt
Dutch		Slecht tot op het Bot
Finnish		Luita myöten paha
European French		Tombés sur un os
German		Böse bis auf die Knochen
Hebrew		פרשיית התגים Parashiyat ha'tagim
Hindi		जाबाज Marowak Jabaaz Marowak *
Hungarian		Kicsi, de erős
Italian		Le Medaglie rubate
Norwegian		En beinhard Pokémon
Polish		Gra o wszystko
Portuguese	Brazil	Um Osso Duro de Roer
	Portugal	Ruim até aos Ossos
Romanian		Rău Până La Os
Russian		Плохо для костей!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Malo hasta los huesos!
	Spain	Malo hasta la médula
Swedish		Jessie stjäl showen

← EP072 : The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis

Original series

EP074 : All Fired Up! →

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