EP252

← EP251 : Beauty is Skin Deep

Original series

EP253 : Great Bowls of Fire! →

Fangs for Nothin'

EP252   フスベジムのりゅうのきば！ Fusube Gym's Dragon's Fang!

First broadcast Japan June 13, 2002 United States June 7, 2003

English themes Opening Believe in Me Ending

Japanese themes Opening Ready Go! Ending ポケッターリ・モンスターリ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka 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

Fangs for Nothin' (Japanese: フスベジムのりゅうのきば！ Fusube Gym's Dragon's Fang!) is the 252nd episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on June 13, 2002 and in the United States on June 7, 2003.

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

Blurb

No sooner has Ash begun what he hopes will be his final gym battle in the Johto League than Team Rocket once again throws a wrench into his plans, making off with the Dragon Fang, an invaluable heirloom long held by the Blackthorn Gym. Ash and friends, along with the gym leader, give chase, but in their flight, Team Rocket leads them deep into a secretive area rarely visited by anyone but the Dragon Pokémon that dwell there. Perhaps angered by these uninvited guests, a large beast flies directly at Ash and friends as soon as they enter this area. Uncertain whether this shape be friend or foe, our heroes raise their guard and wait as it grows closer... and looms larger still.

Plot

The episode begins with Ash and Clair on the battlefield, about to begin a three-on-three battle, with Kaburagi as judge. Clair leads off with Kingdra, which Ash responds with Pikachu. Pikachu tries to Thunderbolt Kingdra, who easily shakes the attack off. This puzzles Misty and Brock. Kingdra responds with Twister, which catches Pikachu. However, Pikachu manages to recover, and launches a Thunder attack, only for Kingdra to shake it off as well. Ash is also puzzled by why Kingdra is easily repelling Pikachu's attacks, to which Clair replies that, though Kingdra is evolved from a Seadra (a Water type, the reason which Ash made his decision to lead off with Pikachu), upon evolution it gains the Dragon type as well. Kingdra continues the battle with Hydro Pump, which Pikachu returns fire with Thunderbolt.

Meanwhile, Jessie is lamenting the loss of Dratini, but is cheered up by the prospect of food. As Jessie is planning her revenge against Clair, the food meant to cheer her up is stolen from right under them. Though Wobbuffet notices this, the others blame Wobbuffet (after hearing the voice of a hidden Wynaut) for eating all the food. However, they do manage to formulate a plan to steal the Dragon Fang.

Back at the Gym, Ash is convinced to switch out Pikachu after a Quick Attack also fails to faze Kingdra. Sending in Noctowl instead, Ash tries to use its psychic abilities to try and land a blow against Kingdra. Elsewhere, Team Rocket manages to sneak in and steal the Dragon Fang without setting off its infra-red alarms, however, an overzealous Wobbuffet manages to knock the group over, breaking one of the beams. The alarm reaches the battlefield, where, as Team Rocket was stealing the Dragon Fang, Noctowl had managed to land a Confusion on Kingdra, but a Hydro Pump had managed to break its momentum when Noctowl tries to throw it. Noctowl's Hypnosis also misses its mark thanks to Kingdra's Agility, and Kingdra manages to land a Hydro Pump on Noctowl, about to knock it out just as the alarm sounded.

Abandoning the battle, the group pursues Team Rocket, who had managed to commandeer a boat. The group uses Dragonair, Totodile, Staryu, and Politoed to follow. Team Rocket escapes into the Dragon's Den, a cave in the middle of the water. Their pursuit in the cave leads them to the Dragon's Holy Land, a place that Clair had once trained with Lance. Team Rocket is saved from falling down by the waterfall into the Holy Land by a Dragonite, who Team Rocket convinces that they are trying to protect the Dragon Fang from Clair and the rest.

Ash and his friends also manage to reach the Holy Land, and they split up to look for Team Rocket. Dragonite manages to fire a Hyper Beam as a warning shot to the group, just as Clair arrives. Kaburagi explains that the Dragonite had once belonged to the first Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, and had never felt the same since its Trainer had passed away. However, they are unsure as to why Dragonite would assist Team Rocket. However, their thoughts are disturbed by a roar coming from a Pokémon flying towards them...

Major events

• Ash begins his Gym battle against Clair, but it is interrupted due to Team Rocket trying to steal the Dragon Fang.
• Wynaut begins to follow Team Rocket.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Wynaut (anime)

TV episode debut

English dub debuts

• Furret

Characters

Humans

Pocket Monster TV

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Clair
• Kaburagi

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Octillery (US and international), Dragonair (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Charizard (Ash's; shadowed)
• Totodile (Ash's)
• Noctowl (Ash's)
• Staryu (Misty's)
• Politoed (Misty's)
• Kingdra (Clair's)
• Dragonair (Clair's)
• Wynaut (anime)
• Dragonite (then Clair's)
• Rattata
• Bellossom (multiple)
• Hoppip (multiple)
• Skiploom (multiple)
• Jumpluff (multiple)
• Butterfree (multiple)
• Sentret
• Furret (dub TV debut)
• Sunflora (multiple)
• Venonat
• Oddish (multiple)
• Nidoran♀
• Nidoran♂
• Stantler
• Bellsprout

Trivia

• The English title to this episode is a pun on the phrase "thanks for nothing".
• Music from Mewtwo Strikes Back and The Power of One can be heard.
• This episode is featured on the Volume 8: Dragon copy of Pokémon Elements.
• After Brock grabs onto Staryu, he remarks sarcastically, "This is a whole new experience." He may be referring to the time he clung to Staryu in the sea in Mewtwo Strikes Back.

Errors

• The narrator says that Clair agreed to begin the Gym battle after the ritual. However, in the previous episode she said that she will battle after Dratini has shed her skin.

Dub edits

• James, as well as the rest of Team Rocket, refer to some type of manjū as being doughnuts.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		煙墨道館的龍之牙
Dutch		Tanden Op Elkaar
European French		La dent du dragon
German		Der Drachenzahn von Ebenholz
Hebrew		ארץ הדרקוניםerets hadraconim
Italian		L'ultima Medaglia (seconda parte)
Polish		Kły na nic
Portuguese	Brazil	Presas à Solta
	Portugal	A Terra Sagrada dos Dragões
Spanish	Latin America	¡El robo del colmillo!
	Spain	El robo del colmillo

← EP251 : Beauty is Skin Deep

Original series

EP253 : Great Bowls of Fire! →

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