EP131

← EP130 : A Bout With Sprout

Original series

EP132 : For Crying Out Loud →

Fighting Flyer with Fire

EP131   キキョウジム！おおぞらのたたかい！！ Kikyō Gym! Sky Battle!!

First broadcast Japan January 20, 2000 United States December 16, 2000

English themes Opening Pokémon Johto Ending

Japanese themes Opening OK! Ending ニャースのパーティ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 米村正二 Shōji Yonemura Storyboard 藤本義孝 Yoshitaka Fujimoto Assistant director 鈴木敏明 Toshiaki Suzuki Animation director 志村泉 Izumi Shimura Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Fighting Flyer with Fire (Japanese: キキョウジム！おおぞらのたたかい！！ Kikyō Gym! Sky Battle!!) is the 131st episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on January 20, 2000 and in the United States on December 16, 2000, as part of the The Johto Journeys season.

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

Synopsis

Ash, Misty, and Brock finally reach the Violet City Gym, and Ash is anxious to get his first Johto Badge. But before they are able to go inside, Jessie and James appear in disguises. They say they are from the Pokémon Bureau and that they must inspect every Pokémon before anyone can enter the Gym. They take Pikachu and remark that its "buggy, bleary eyed, and blubbery". Then they run off with it. Soon afterwards, they're floating away in their balloon while revealing their real identity and holding Pikachu in an electric-proof glass case.

Ash sends out Heracross to save Pikachu, but Meowth drops a jar of sap to distract Heracross. Then, Ash and friends notice there is someone hang-gliding next to Team Rocket's balloon. Then, the hang-glider signals for his Hoothoot to take Pikachu. While the hang-glider is trying to land, Jessie calls for Arbok to use Poison Sting to poke holes in his sail. Next the hang-glider sends out his Pidgeot to save him from falling. Then he has his Pidgeot poke a hole in their balloon to send them flying away.

After Team Rocket has blasted off, the hang-glider finally lands and gives Pikachu back to Ash. Misty remarks about how fast his Pidgeot is, and Ash is reminded of his own Pidgeot and that one day he'll see it again. The hang-glider mentions about how much he loves riding on Flying Pokémon and that they are his favorite type. Brock asks why he loves them so much, to which he responds that it's because he's always wanted to fly through the sky since he was a little boy. Then he says he learned how to hang-glide in order to understand his Pokémon better. He also mentions how mad he gets when people always say that Flying Pokémon stand no chance against Electric Pokémon. Misty quickly agrees with him, but instead with the sense of Water Pokémon. Finally, Ash introduces himself, and the hang-glider introduces himself as Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader.

Once, they are inside the Gym, they go up to the roof where there is a stadium set up for Ash and Falkner to battle. They are told that they can use three Pokémon each. Once the match begins, Falkner starts with Hoothoot, and Ash decides to start with Chikorita. Falkner scolds Ash for sending out a Pokémon that is weak to Flying Pokémon. Ash defends himself by saying that not everyone should judge by type. Chikorita starts out with a Vine Whip, but Hoothoot dodges it by Flying into the sky. Chikorita still tries hitting Hoothoot with a Vine Whip, but Hoothoot still dodges and attacks Chikorita with Peck. Chikorita uses Razor Leaf, but Hoothoot dodges and takes down Chikorita with Tackle.

Ash decides to use Pikachu next. Pikachu uses Agility in order to avoid getting tackled. Hoothoot is taken down by a Thunderbolt and finished off by a Quick Attack. Falkner then sends out his Dodrio and mentions that no challenger has ever defeated it. Both Pikachu and Dodrio start off the match by using Agility. Although Pikachu tries using Thunderbolt, Dodrio dodges it by jumping up high. Dodrio then attacks Pikachu with Fury Attack and Drill Peck. While Dodrio is using Tri Attack, Pikachu dodges and takes it down with Thunder. Dodrio is cheered on to get up, but it ultimately faints.

Falkner sends out his last Pokémon, which is Pidgeot. Pikachu is really tired by now, and Ash is told by Misty and Brock to give it a rest. Ash asks Pikachu if it wants to take a break, but Pikachu is willing to fight. Pikachu starts it off with a Thunderbolt, but Pidgeot easily dodges it by flying. Pidgeot then takes down Pikachu with a Whirlwind. Ash then sends out Charizard to battle. Both Charizard and Pidgeot are told to fly into the air, then Ash tells Charizard to use Flamethrower, but Pidgeot dodges. Charizard consistently uses Flamethrower and Pidgeot uses Agility to get out of the way. Pidgeot then sends out a Whirlwind to hit Charizard with its own Flamethrower, sending it back onto the ground. Pidgeot starts using a Wing Attack, and Ash commands Charizard to fly, but its wing is hurt. Charizard is hit straight on by Pidgeot's Wing Attack. Charizard is also hit with a Quick Attack, which leaves Ash wondering what he should do. Falkner tells him to forfeit, but Ash refuses to.

Charizard soon becomes strong enough to fly and dodges a Quick Attack. Pidgeot starts using Agility to appear behind Charizard and attack it with Quick Attack. This happens again, but Charizard doesn't give up. Charizard then flies behind Pidgeot, and when Pidgeot disappears and then reappears behind Charizard, Charizard turns around and surrounds it with Fire Spin. Charizard then finishes off Pidgeot by using Seismic Toss. Although Pidgeot is cheered on to get up, it faints, which means that Ash has won the match against Falkner.

Falkner presents Ash with the Zephyr Badge. Falkner has been inspired by Ash to work more and train harder. He also wishes Ash luck in the Johto League. Ash, Misty and Brock wave goodbye as they walk to the next Gym in the next city.

The scene cuts off to Team Rocket, who are shown being pecked by a group of Spearow and Fearow in their deflated balloon.

Major events

• Ash and his friends arrive to Violet City and meet the local Gym Leader, Falkner.
• Ash defeats Falkner in a Gym battle and earns the Zephyr Badge.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Falkner

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Falkner

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Marill (U.S. and international), Pidgeot (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Pidgeot (Ash's; flashback)
• Charizard (Ash's)
• Heracross (Ash's)
• Chikorita (Ash's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Hoothoot (Falkner's)
• Pidgeot (Falkner's)
• Dodrio (Falkner's)
• Pidgey (multiple; flashback)
• Pidgeotto (multiple; flashback)
• Spearow (multiple)
• Fearow (anime; flashback)

Trivia

• This episode's English title is a reference to the popular saying, "fight fire with fire".
• Two episodes from the Diamond & Pearl series have the similar episode title to this one.
  • And both, coincidentally, feature either a Fire-type or a Flying-type.
• When Pikachu tries unsuccessfully to electrocute Team Rocket, Jessie says, "Go ahead, shock around the clock..." This is a reference to the famous rock and roll song Rock Around the Clock.
• Falkner says almost exactly the same thing about people underestimating Flying types in this episode and when the player character challenges him in the games.
• The book Battle for the Zephyr Badge is based on this episode.
• This is the last English episode of the 20th century.
• This episode ends with almost the same way as in Pallet Party Panic, having Team Rocket to be pecked by a group of Spearow.
• Meowth breaks the fourth wall when he mentions that it was a bad ending.
• This is the only episode where the move Fly is referred as an attack, as Ash tells Charizard to use "Fly attack".

Errors

• Ash said that his Pidgeot was protecting a flock of fellow Pidgeot, when it was actually protecting a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto.
• In the Finnish dub, Pidgeot was incorrectly referred as Pidgeotto through the whole episode.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		桔梗道館，空中大戰
Czech		Zápas v letu
Dutch		Bevecht een Vlieger met Vuur
Finnish		Taistelu ilmojen herruudesta!
European French		L'air contre le feu
German		Kampf um den Flügelorden
Hebrew		קרב הציפוריםkrav hatsiporim
Italian		Un incontro importante
Polish		Między ogniem a powietrzem
Portuguese	Brazil	Ash Ganha a Insígnia Zefir
	Portugal	Lutar com Fogo Contra Voadores
Romanian		Lupta contra Zburătorului cu Foc
Spanish	Latin America	¡Combatiendo al volador con fuego!
	Spain	Combatiendo al volador con fuego
Swedish		Eldstrid

← EP130 : A Bout With Sprout

Original series

EP132 : For Crying Out Loud →

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