DP165

← DP164 : Piplup, Up and Away!

Diamond & Pearl series

DP166 : The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore! →

Flint Sparks the Fire!

DP165   EP631 四天王オーバとジムリーダー・デンジ！ Ōba of the Four Heavenly Kings and Gym Leader Denzi!

First broadcast Japan February 25, 2010 United States July 24, 2010

English themes Opening We Will Carry On! Ending

Japanese themes Opening サイコー・エブリディ！ Ending ドッチ～ニョ？

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 米村正二 Shōji Yonemura Storyboard 金崎貴臣 Takaomi Kanasaki Assistant director 渡辺正彦 Masahiko Watanabe Animation directors 古川博之 Hiroyuki Furukawa 牧内ももこ Momoko Makiuchi 神垣弥生 Yayoi Kamigaki 志村泉 Izumi Shimura Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Flint Sparks the Fire! (Japanese: 四天王オーバとジムリーダー・デンジ！ Ōba of the Four Heavenly Kings and Gym Leader Denzi!) is the 165th episode of the Diamond & Pearl series, and the 631st episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on February 25, 2010 and in the United States on July 24, 2010.

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

Synopsis

Ash and his friends have finally arrived in Sunyshore City where Ash is more eager than ever to battle for the final badge he needs for the Sinnoh League. The group immediately heads to the Gym, with Team Rocket trailing close behind, as always. The gym welcomes them but offers Ash a gym badge instead, which meant he didn't have to battle Volkner to get the badge. Dawn suggests Ash should just take a badge, but Ash who believes that winning them with effort is what makes badges significant, with Brock agreeing with Ash. Ash's determination sets in, wanting to battle Volkner, but the gym wouldn't let him enter. After getting fed up with Ash's persistent knocking, the high-tech gym forcefully escorts him of the gym premises. Just then, someone yelled out "Use Mach Punch" and an Infernape appears, releasing Ash from the gym's clutches. It emerges that Infernape's trainer is none other than Template:E4, a member of the Elite Four who specializes in Template:Type2 Pokémon. Flint introduces himself and notes Ash's determination. He brings Ash and friends to Volkner, who has been in the Sunyshore Tower. On their way up, Flint notes that Sunyshore is powered purely from solar energy and all the solar panels throughout the city are controlled from the tower. Volkner is responsible for being the architect and controller of the entire Sunyshore solar network.

A Raichu greets Ash, ready to attack. When Flint shows up, Raichu runs toward Flint (causing Ash to yell out to warn Flint),and gives him a hug. Volkner enters the room almost instantly after that, in a depressed state. Ash tells Volkner that he wants a gym battle, but Volkner says just take a badge. Ash refutes Volkner's free badge with wanting to earn it fair and square in a gym battle. Ash implores Volkner to have a gym battle with him, but Volkner explains that he has completely lost interest in battling. Flint steps in to tell Volkner that Ash is an "electrifying" trainer and asks Volkner to give him a chance. Volkner asks Ash and everyone else to leave and returns to the room from which he came.

Flint takes Ash and friends out for coffee and sandwiches. Ash is depressed and angry that he can't have a gym battle with Volkner. Flint and the shop's owner tell Ash that Volkner didn't always find battling dull, he was one of the best gym leaders in Sinnoh. Flint then enters a flashback and tells the story how Flint and Volkner met. Flint beats Volkner in their first battle, but Volkner got strong determination and challenged Flint once again, and Volkner's Pikachu beat Flint's Chimchar. They battled constantly to prove who was the top trainer from Sunyshore. One day out in a forest, they battled together against a poacher and were beaten pretty badly although they chased him away. It didn't matter if that they were pretty hurt with defeat, they still continued on as good friends. Flint and Volkner split when Volkner became gym leader of Sunyshore City and Flint left to become more powerful and eventually join the Elite Four. Volkner slowly lost interest for battling after that and became more and more obsessed with technology. He built the entire power system in Sunyshore: the solar panels, the moving walkways, and even Sunyshore Tower.

Flint then thought by bringing Ash to Volkner, that he might get a spark for battling again. Volkner walks in saying it was a waste to bring Ash up to the tower. Flint begins explaining why he came, but Volkner just dismisses it as a "lecture from an Elite Four member". Flint recounts on their past, and Volkner says that they aren't kids anymore, which enrages Flint. The man in the shop suggests Flint have a battle with Ash, who tells Volkner he should watch the battle. Team Rocket appears in front of the gym, beginning to work up plan to capture Pikachu by digging. James then loses the "rarest of the rare" bottle cap, which is picked up by an electronic trash sweeper, making him chase after it.

Ash and Flint have a three-on-three Pokémon battle. Flint begins sending out Infernape and Ash sends out Buizel. Volkner still shows no interest. Ash rattles out Buizel's four attacks, which land unsuccessfully. Infernape uses a single Flare Blitz, knocking out Buizel. Ash then sends out Infernape, using Flamethrower, Flame Wheel and Mach Punch. Flint's Infernape blocks all attacks, uses Mach Punch on Ash's Infernape and knocks it out. Volkner stands up and calls this battle a waste of time. Ash sends out Pikachu, using Quick Attack, and it hits, but does little damage. Flint then instructs Infernape to use Flare Blitz again and Pikachu then uses Volt Tackle, they collide and incur little damage. Volkner is still unimpressed with Ash's "spark". Infernape uses Mach Punch, which Pikachu tries to counter by using Iron Tail, but is eventually thrown into the gym wall. Pikachu, still determined goes toward Infernape, who uses Close Combat. Pikachu then uses Thunderbolt after being flung into the air by Infernape's attack. After some more attacks on Flint's part, Volkner is instilled to have a flashback when the coffee shop owner says that he (Volkner) has faced the same situation. Pikachu uses Quick Attack, and is countered out with Close Combat. The now-airborne Pikachu uses Thunderbolt as a last resort and Flint persists on with one last Flare Blitz, sending Pikachu flying again. Ash jumps to catch Pikachu, which prompts Volkner to really open his eyes. The coffee shop owner instills yet another flashback in Volkner which shows Volkner catching his Pikachu after a strong attack. The coffee shop owner reveals himself to be the poacher from Volkner's past, stating that it was that battle that prompted him to change his ways. Pikachu, uses Volt Tackle and Flint returns with Mach Punch, Pikachu still is pushing on. Volkner's flashback and Ash's present collide (with Volkner seeing his young self in Ash) when Ash instructs Pikachu to use Volt Tackle on Infernape and Flint now has Infernape use ThunderPunch, leaving both Pokémon standing. Pikachu then collapses and faints. Flint wins the battle.

Team Rocket is found outside with James, collapsed on the ground, in tears. Meowth tries to console James, but it's no use. Jessie suggests to focus on the city, and how solar power runs its entirety. Meowth mentions they should take over Sunyshore Tower, which Jessie concurs. James now takes a revengeful attitude towards the trash cleaner that picked up James' bottle cap.

Volkner, after witnessing the battle between Ash and Flint, is convinced that he needs to take care of "unfinished business" as a gym leader to pass on his spark to every challenger. Volkner becomes inspired to become the gym leader once again, to the excitement of Flint and the coffee shop owner. Volkner's shroud of depression is lifted and his spark has returned, all thanks to Ash (though Volkner initally thanks Flint and the coffee store owner). Volkner agrees for a battle with Ash, which excites both Ash and Volkner.

Major events

• The group reach Sunyshore City and meets Volkner, Sunyshore City's Gym Leader and Flint of the Elite Four.
• Ash and Flint have a battle, and Ash loses.
• Volkner agrees to battle Ash.

Debuts

• Volkner
• Flint

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Dawn
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Volkner
• Flint
• Proprietor
• Paul (flashback)
• Trainers (flashback)

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Infernape (Ash's)
• Buizel (Ash's)
• Pikachu (Volkner's; flashback)
• Raichu (Volkner's)
• Chimchar (Flint's; flashback)
• Infernape (Flint's)
• Houndoom (Proprietor's)
• Stunky (Trainer's; flashback)
• Jolteon (Trainer's; flashback)
• Bibarel (Trainer's; flashback)
• Weavile (Trainer's; flashback)
• Mothim (Trainer's; flashback)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Pokémon lecture: Ambipom
• As of this episode, Janine is the only Gym Leader that hasn't appeared in the anime.
• Team Rocket narrates the preview of the next episode.
  • The preview also foreshadows the evolution of Ash's Grotle.
• Sunyshore Tower, as introduced in this episode, is based upon the Tower of the Sun artwork created by Tarō Okamoto.
• Music from Mewtwo Strikes Back, Jirachi Wish Maker, Destiny Deoxys, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, The Rise of Darkrai, and Giratina and the Sky Warrior is used as background music.
• The dub's title is based on a flint spark lighter.
• It turns out Template:E4's Infernape knows several move variations that alludes to Ash's Pikachu including Mach Punch, (which alludes to Pikachu's Quick Attack) Flamethrower, (alluding to Pikachu's Thunderbolt and even Flare Blitz (alluding to Pikachu's Volt Tackle.

Errors

Infernape's tail error

• After Ash's Infernape is knocked out, Template:E4's Infernape's tail is missing.
• In the flashbacks of Flint and Volkner's childhood in some scenes the cuffs of Volkner's jacket are yellow instead of gray.

Dub edits

← DP164 : Piplup, Up and Away!

Diamond & Pearl series

DP166 : The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore! →

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