EP036

← EP035

Original series

EP037 : Ditto's Mysterious Mansion →

The Bridge Bike Gang

EP036   あらしのサイクリングロード Stormy Cycling Road

First broadcast Japan December 2, 1997 United States October 23, 1998

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ニャースのうた

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 横田和 Kazu Yokota Assistant director 大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi Animation director 武田優作 Yūsaku Takeda Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Bridge Bike Gang (Japanese: あらしのサイクリングロード Stormy Cycling Road) is the 36th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 2, 1997 and in the United States on October 23, 1998.

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

Synopsis

Ash, Misty, and Brock came across a bridge during their travels. They wanted to walk on it but an officer named Norman said only the bike track was ready, not the actual road. Devastated, the group then attempted to get a bike but was unsuccessful. When they arrived at the Pokémon Center to think of a plan to get a bike, they found a worried Nurse Joy. She said she had to deliver medicine for injured Pokémon over the bridge but she could not leave the center because she had Pokémon to attend to. Ash and Misty agreed enthusiastically. As they rode joyfully across the bridge, James, Jessie and Meowth sailed slowly below the bridge. Jessie made plans.

Just after Ash and his group finished their refreshments, a strange group of wild bikers came. They tried to escape but were surrounded. The leader of the gang, Chopper, challenged Ash to a battle. He sent out Golem and Ash sent out Bulbasaur. Golem easily defeated it with a single Tackle. Ash then sent out Charmander. Charmander set Golem on fire with a Flamethrower and an Ember. Golem tackled Charmander but ended up setting fire to three of the gang's members. Chopper withdrew his Golem but the Poké Ball was still hot from Charmander's attack.

Next, Tyra, the other leader of the bike gang, sent out Cloyster. Misty wanted to battle and tried to send out Starmie but Psyduck appeared. Misty decided to give it a chance. Psyduck was clueless and the bike gang cracked up in laughter. Psyduck used Tail Whip and again, the bike gang laughed at it. After a few rounds of this humiliation, Team Rocket arrived and said their motto. But it appeared that Team Rocket were heroes in the bike gang's view. Jessie was called "Chain Jess" because she used to swing a chain around as she rode her bike. James was called "Little Jym" because he was the only one in the group who had used training wheels. Just as Team Rocket and the bike gang attacked Ash, Misty and Brock, the police arrived. The bike gang immediately rode off, almost leaving Team Rocket behind. When Officer Jenny arrived, she offered them a ride but then said she had a job to do. The weather got ferocious and turned into a storm. Meanwhile, Chopper and Tyra challenged Team Rocket to ride through the storm on their unicycles.

In Sunny Town, Nurse Joy was worried that medicine wasn't arriving to cure the injured Pokémon, a Shellder. Then, a ship passed by and the bridge lifted up but Ash was determined to save the sick Pokémon, for it would have been too late if they had stopped for the bridge to go back down. Meanwhile, Team Rocket are trying their hardest to pedal their unicycles up the other side of the upturned bridge. Just as Ash, Misty, and Brock are not going to make it, they saw Team Rocket jumping off the other side and bounced on their heads, sending Team Rocket into the water while allowing them to be propelled upward and on to the other side. As they passed the bike gang, they challenged Ash to a battle. Ash, of course, refused and told them he's delivering medicine for a sick Pokémon. The bike gang realized now why they were riding through the storm and joined them. Nurse Joy in Sunny Town was relieved when the bike gang and Ash arrived with the medicine. The bike gang's new heroes were "Awesome Ash" and "Mighty Misty". Then, Brock tells Tyra that she can call him "Honey", only to receive a large, red slap across his face.

Major events

• It is revealed that Misty's Psyduck can only use Confusion and Disable when its headache is severe enough.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Golem
• Cloyster
• Shellder

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Nurse Joy
• Chopper
• Tyra
• Norman (bridge officer)

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Cloyster

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's)
• Charmander (Ash's)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Golem (Chopper's; debut)
• Cloyster (Tyra's; debut)
• Shellder (seen at Pokémon Center; debut)

Trivia

• Chopper's bike design is inspired by Zapdos.
• This episode marks the first time Misty takes Brock by the ear when he is in love with a beautiful woman.
• The tune that plays when riding their Bicycle from Red and Blue is heard the first time Ash and his friends are seen on their loaned bikes.
• In the Danish dub, Norman is named Kaj, and insted of telling the first cyclist to ride safely, he calls him Bøje. This is a reference to a Danish commercial about two seagulls named Kaj & Bøje. The names could also mean "Dock" and "Buoy".

Errors

• Vine Whip was ineffective, although it would be very effective on a dual-weakness Golem.
• In one scene at the Pokémon Center in Sunny Town, Chopper's hair is darker than usual.

Dub edits

• Originally Misty wanted Curry while Brock wanted Ochazuke or pancakes. In the American version Misty wants a hot dog while Brock wants deep-dish extra cheese pizza.
• The Pokémon Center's poster had text removed
• Misty complains about doing all the work on the bike she and Brock share, while originally she was upset because she wanted a bike only she rode, not a shared bike.
• Big Jess and Little Jym's original names were Anego (big sister) and Aniki (big brother).
  • Jessie's original nickname was Cheen no Musashi (Chain Musashi) instead of Chainer Jessie. While James' was Hokorin no Kojirou (Training wheels Kojirou) instead of Trainer James.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		暴風雨的單車路 / 暴风雨的单车路
Czech		Kolařský gang
Danish		Brobisserne
Dutch		De Brug Fietsbende
Finnish		Sillan fillarijengi
European French		Le gang des bicyclettes
German		Die Fahrrad-Gang
Hebrew		כנופיית אופני הגשר knufiat ofanei hagesher
Hungarian		A biciklis banda
Italian		Avventura su due ruote
Polish		Rowerowy gang wielkiego mostu
Portuguese	Brazil	A Gangue das Bicicletas
	Portugal	O Gangue de Motoqueiros da Ponte
Romanian		Gașca Bicicliștilor de pe Pod
Russian		Байкеры орудуют на мосту!
Spanish	Latin America	¡La banda del puente!
	Spain	La banda de las bicis del puente
Swedish		Cykelgänget

← EP035

Original series

EP037 : Ditto's Mysterious Mansion →

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