EP272

← EP271 : Playing with Fire!

Original series

EP273 : Gotta Catch Ya Later! →

Johto Photo Finish

EP272   フルバトルのはてに！それぞれのみち！！ To the End of the Full Battle! Each One's Way!!

First broadcast Japan October 31, 2002 United States October 11, 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 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 秦義人 Yoshito Hata Assistant director 秦義人 Yoshito Hata Animation director 宍戸久美子 Kumiko Shishido Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Johto Photo Finish (Japanese: フルバトルのはてに！それぞれのみち！！ To the End of the Full Battle! Each One's Way!!) is the 272nd episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on October 31, 2002 and in the United States on October 11, 2003.

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

Blurb

Our hero is at the end of a tough battle with Harrison at the Johto League Silver Conference. The winner of this battle will go on to the semi-finals. Each trainer has battled hard and is down to their last Pokémon. Ash is using Charizard. Harrison is also using a high level fire type called Blaziken. Charizard flies up with Blaziken and is in position for a powerful Seismic Toss. After the impact, however, both Pokémon are standing! As Charizard tossed Blaziken down, Blaziken had directed a Flame Thrower attack towards the ground to propel it back up, softening the blow of the impact! Both Pokémon battle well, and it seems like neither will give in, but, in the end, Charizard faints. Harrison continues on into the semi-finals, but is defeated in the next round. After his battle, he tells Ash all about Hoenn and the amazing Pokémon there. As the Silver Conference comes to a close and the gang prepares to leave for Vermillion City, Gary makes a surprising announcement—he's giving up battling. He's decided to become a Pokémon Researcher.

Plot

Ash and Harrison are left with only one Pokémon each. Both Charizard and Blaziken start off with a powerful Flamethrower attack, which collide to form a giant smoke cloud. As the smoke clears, neither Pokémon is fazed by the explosion. Ash then commands Charizard to use Flamethrower again, which Blaziken easily dodges by jumping high into the air. Brock was surprised to see Blaziken jumping so high. Taking advantage of the fact that Blaziken can't move freely in the air, Charizard uses Dragon Rage, which, to Ash's surprise, Blaziken dodges, then counters using Quick Attack. Charizard flies up to dodge, but Blaziken attacks with Flamethrower. Charizard dodges and counters with another Flamethrower that collides with Blaziken's next attack. Then Blaziken uses Quick Attack again and Charizard is hit by a Fire Punch, but, unfazed, counters with a Flamethrower that hits Blaziken dead on.

Blaziken is ordered once again to use Quick Attack. As Charizard and Blaziken brawl it out, Ash commands Charizard to use Seismic Toss. Brock and Misty cheer as Charizard circles around in the air. As the smoke clears, Blaziken is seen to be down, but the announcer is interrupted as, to the surprise of everyone, Blaziken gets up. With both Pokémon tired out, Blaziken uses one more Quick Attack, which Charizard counters with Flamethrower. Charizard attacks again with Seismic Toss, but Blaziken dodges and smashes Charizard with a Blaze Kick, dealing severe damage to Charizard. Charizard, sustaining the damage, releases a full power Dragon Rage to meet Blaziken's Flamethrower. As the smoke clears, both Pokémon struggle to get up. Eventually both of them get up, but when Charizard is ordered to use Flamethrower, it collapses. Charizard struggles to get back up again, but this time can't and faints completely, meaning Harrison is the winner and Ash is therefore eliminated from the tournament.

Later, Ash and crew say goodbye to Squirtle and Officer Jenny. Professor Oak and Delia also head back to Pallet Town, and Charizard (after a night's rest in the Pokémon Center to recover) will be returning to Charicific Valley the following day. In the next match, Harrison faces John Dickson; not using Blaziken at all, Harrison losses the match. Brock figures that Blaziken was too injured from fighting Charizard yesterday, so Harrison did not want to risk its health any further, causing Ash to blame himself for Harrison's loss.

That night, Harrison stayed alone in the nearby river, but Ash and his friends joined him. Brock asked about how his Blaziken is, and Harrison answered Blaziken is going to be fine. Harrison also explained about Professor Birch. But when they heard somebody screaming, they hurried to the rescue.

Two girls were screaming as Ash and his friends ran over to them. The girls explained there are the ghosts. Brock reassured the girls, and told Ash to use his Noctowl. And he does, Noctowl uses Foresight, and the ghosts are actually some Misdreavus. Suddenly, Gary comes in, and explains the Misdreavus appear to be looking for something. Misdreavus goes off somewhere, and the gang follows.

They find another Misdreavus, which is stuck under a tree, and with their combined efforts, lift the tree to free the trapped Misdreavus. Gary runs over and inspects the Misdreavus. Thankfully, it was not injured, and all of the Misdreavus happily depart. Gary told the gang that Misdreavus actually live at Silver Mountain. He also explained that a Magikarp will evolve to a Gyarados and when a Remoraid would evolve into an Octillery, they change form completely. Gary reveals that he wants to be a Pokémon Researcher. After Ash and Gary again exchange their best wishes to each other.

Next morning, the Silver Conference comes to an end with Jon Dickson becoming the Champion of the Johto League Silver Conference.

On the other side, Team Rocket are still waiting for the customers but because of the Silver Conference coming to a close, no customers can be seen. Suddenly, a huge group of people were heading straight towards the building. But they weren't customers; they were none other than their old customers, who have now cottoned on to their scam. Team Rocket go inside the building and the angry customers are surprised to see a building moving. They flee, and Jessie explained she had included a movable building feature.

Gary decides to travel through Mt. Silver then go back to Pallet Town while Harrison plans to keep on with his journey by participating in the Indigo League in Kanto. The gang decides to go to Viridian City then head back to Pallet Town. Suddenly, they see the moving building. Team Rocket are happy to see the twerps since this is their perfect opportunity to catch Pikachu and they start to recite their motto. The heroes knew it is Team Rocket, and James fires a coin missile that hits everyone, but sends Ash and Pikachu flying. As Team Rocket raises an electric-proof net to capture Pikachu, Gary calls out his Blastoise and orders Hydro Pump, which cuts the net in half. Harrison's Blaziken comes out next, and uses Flamethrower, setting the robot building on fire. Now, finally, Pikachu uses Thunderbolt and Team Rocket, together with the robot building, blast off.

The episode ends with everyone heading separate ways.

Major events

• Ash loses his battle with Harrison.
• Ash sends Squirtle back to the Squirtle Squad.
• Ash sends Charizard back to the Charicific Valley.
• Harrison loses in the semi-finals.
• Jon Dickson wins the Silver Conference.
• Harrison tells Ash that he should go to Hoenn.
• Gary decides to become a Pokémon researcher.
• Ash, Harrison, and Gary head their separate ways.
  • Harrison heads to Kanto to begin the Indigo League.
  • Gary heads back to Pallet Town.
  • Ash, Misty, and Brock head back to Viridian City, and then Pallet Town.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Professor Birch

Pokémon debuts

• Sharpedo
• Seedot
• Shroomish
• Lotad
• Zigzagoon

TV episode debuts

• Wailmer

Characters

Humans

Pocket Monster TV

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Gary
• Harrison
• Delia
• Professor Oak
• Professor Birch (flashback)
• Jon Dickson
• Officer Jenny
• Macy
• Jackson
• Crowd

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Tyranitar (US and international), Misdreavus (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Charizard (Ash's)
• Squirtle (Ash's)
• Noctowl (Ash's)
• Politoed (Misty's)
• Mr. Mime (Delia's; Mimey)
• Blastoise (Gary's)
• Blaziken (Harrison's)
• Houndoom (Harrison's)
• Rhyhorn (Jon Dickson's)
• Rapidash (Jon Dickson's)
• Misdreavus (×4)
• Rhydon (unknown Trainer's)

At Professor Oak's Laboratory

• Oddish
• Gloom
• Vileplume
• Rattata
• Bellsprout
• Houndour

Gary's explanation

• Magikarp
• Gyarados
• Remoraid
• Octillery
• Tyrogue
• Hitmontop
• Hitmonchan
• Hitmonlee
• Eevee
• Vaporeon
• Jolteon
• Flareon
• Umbreon
• Espeon

Harrison's quotation

• Wailmer (×2)
• Sharpedo (×2)
• Seedot (×4)
• Shroomish (×4)
• Lotad
• Zigzagoon

Trivia

• This episode can be found on the second Game Boy Advance Video Pokémon cartridge.
• This episode's title is a reference to the phrase Photo finish.
  • This episode's title is also similar to a future episode.
• Music from The Power of One can be heard in this episode.

Errors

• After the explosion caused when Blaziken's Flamethrower and Charizard's Dragon Rage attacks collided, when Blaziken is attempting to compose itself, its hands are red instead of gray, and next, its tail is white instead of red. After that the yellow spot on its chest is white.
• The referee repeats that Harrison is from Silver Town instead of Littleroot Town as seen in Pop Goes The Sneasel similar to the mistake in Can't Beat the Heat!.
• After the second collision of the Flamethrowers from Charizard and Blaziken, Jackson is seen in the stands, but his hair seems to be distorted.
• Brock mispronounces Liza's name.

• 

  Jackson's long hair

• 

  Blaziken's red hands

• 

  Blaziken's white tail

• 

  Blaziken's white chest

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		全力戰鬥之後！！各人的道路！！
Danish		Den Sidste Dyst
Dutch		Johto Foto Finish
Finnish		Uudet suunnat
European French		La fin de la Conférence Argentée
German		Zeit des Abschieds
Hebrew		!פוטופיניש ג'וטו Photofinish Johto!
Italian		Il torneo della vittoria (quarta parte)
Norwegian		Johto målfoto
Polish		Ostatnie fotografie z Johto
Portuguese	Brazil	A Última Foto da Liga Johto
	Portugal	Final da Liga Johto
Spanish	Latin America	¡La final de la liga Johto!
	Spain	El reñido final de Johto
Swedish		Final

← EP271 : Playing with Fire!

Original series

EP273 : Gotta Catch Ya Later! →

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