Ash's Palpitoad

Ash's Palpitoad サトシのガマガル Satoshi's Gamagaru

Ash's Palpitoad

Debuts in Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open! Caught at Route 4 Gender Male Ability Unknown Current location In rotation

This Pokémon has not evolved.

Voice actor Japanese English As Palpitoad Chiaki Takahashi Carter Cathcart

Ash's Palpitoad (Japanese: サトシのガマガル Satoshi's Gamagaru) is the seventh Pokémon obtained by Ash in the Unova region.

History

Palpitoad and Ash

Palpitoad was first seen in Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!, where he was the leader of a group of Tympole that lived in a lake. Ash and Oshawott had unknowingly invaded his territory while looking for an underwater plant to help his, Cilan's, and Iris's Pokémon heal after being poisoned by wild Foongus that were disturbed by Ash's Scraggy. Palpitoad was angered by their intrusion and ordered his Tympole cohorts to attack them. When they swam away in fear of Oshawott, he called upon his friend Stunfisk's help. However, when Cilan fished Stunfisk out of the water, Palpitoad was forced to face Oshawott himself. Despite knowing some powerful moves, the Vibration Pokémon lost to Oshawott's newly-mastered Aqua Jet and was captured by Ash.

In Reunion Battles In Nimbasa! he was used in the Club Battle Tournament against Burgundy's Stoutland. Despite being his first battle with Ash as his Trainer, the two synchronized well, avoiding Stoutland's attacks and dealing out powerful blows. Eventually Palpitoad was caught in Stoutland's mouth when it used Thunder Fang, though he avoided damage from the Electric-type move, being part Ground-type. However Burgundy took the chance and ordered an Ice Fang attack, which became a problem for Palpitoad until he used Supersonic to shatter the ice and knock Stoutland back. After blocking Stoutland's Fire Fang with Mud Shot, Palpitoad won the match with a direct hit from Hydro Pump. In Club Battle Finale: A Hero's Outcome!, Palpitoad battled Dino's Darumaka in the semifinals, and won with a single Hydro Pump, allowing Ash to move on to the finals.

In Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym!, Palpitoad was used in Ash's Gym battle against Elesa. Being immune to Electric-type moves, Palpitoad was the ideal choice for this battle and was Ash's sole strategy for the battle. Palpitoad took many ineffective hits from Zebstrika's Flame Charge and a Double Kick attack, proving unable to dodge. As Zebstrika headed towards Palpitoad using Quick Attack, Ash commanded a Supersonic attack which blocked and confused Zebstrika, Palpitoad then finished the match with a Mud Shot followed by a Hydro Pump. Palpitoad showed signs of fatigue after Elesa recalled Zebstrika so both Iris and Cilan suggested that Ash should recall him and switch to another Pokémon but Ash decided to stick with Palpitoad when Elesa brought out Emolga, however Palpitoad found himself unable to keep up with Emolga's fast moves and was hit by an Acrobatics attack and several Aerial Ace attacks before he was hit with Emolga's Attract causing him to become immobilized by infatuation. After another couple more hits from Aerial Ace, Palpitoad was knocked out, ruining Ash's strategy for the battle.

In Rocking the Virbank Gym! Part 2, Ash used Palpitoad as his fifth Pokémon during his Gym battle against Roxie and her final and strongest Pokémon, Garbodor. Palpitoad first tried to use Mud Shot on the Trash Heap Pokémon, but Garbodor used its extendable arms to raise itself from the floor and dodge the attack. As Garbodor attacked with Hyper Beam, Palpitoad used Hydro Pump to block it. Palpitoad then tried another Mud Shot, but it was blocked and countered by a Gunk Shot attack, which poisoned Palpitoad as it hit. Garbodor attacked Palpitoad two times with Venoshock, being twice as powerful because of the poison, and he was knocked out.

In BW106, Ash used Palpitoad in his Higaki Conference battle against Stephan and his Zebstrika. During the battle, Palpitoad was shown to have learned a new move, Sludge Wave, which caused Zebstrika to become poisoned when the attack hit. Despite of this, Zebstrika was able to fight back, even using the poison as an advantage while striking back with Facade, and eventually both Pokémon were knocked out, with Palpitoad managing to defeat his opponent with a Mud Shot just before fainting himself from the damage taken from Zebstrika's Giga Impact.

Personality and characteristics

Palpitoad was once quite the rowdy Pokémon, and liked to be the boss over others, such as when he commanded a group of Tympole and a Stunfisk to attack Ash and his Oshawott in Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!. Palpitoad is also very protective over what he claims as his own, such as territory, as shown in the same instance. In the Club Battle Tournament, Palpitoad has been shown to be quite the powerhouse. Since he shares a love for battling with Ash, Palpitoad seems satisfied to have Ash as his Trainer and they were able to work well together despite only recently being captured and it being the first battle Palpitoad participated in. Palpitoad has been shown to be physically tough, as he can endure attacks easily as shown in the Gym battle with Elesa.

Moves used

Using Sludge Wave	Move First Used In Mud Shot Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open! Hydro Pump Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open! Supersonic Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open! Sludge Wave BW106
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Trivia

• Like Dawn's Togekiss, there seems to be some inconsistency in terms of Palpitoad's size. In his debut appearance, he was similar to the size of Ash's Oshawott, however, in his second appearance, he is shown to go up to Ash's waist. Later, in Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym!, he appears to be the same size as he was in his first appearance.
• Before Palpitoad, the last Pokémon which Ash had caught in its evolved state was his Noctowl, which he caught over 530 episodes before him.
  • Palpitoad is also the only evolved Pokémon Ash has captured which at this moment still can evolve, if Pikachu isn't counted.
• Of all of Ash's Pokémon, Palpitoad has been absent from the greatest number of episodes in a row while still being in rotation at the time: 33 episodes, spanning from after Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym! to before Rocking the Virbank Gym! Part 2.
  • This is one episode fewer than Misty's Goldeen, who holds the record for longest absence of any Pokémon belonging to a main character while on their team.
• Palpitoad is Ash's only Pokémon that hasn't been seen interacting out of battle.

Related articles

For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Palpitoad.

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.