EP134

← EP133 : Tanks a Lot!

Original series

EP135 : Grin to Win! →

Charizard's Burning Ambitions

EP134   リザードンのたに！またあうひまで！！ The Valley of Lizardon! Until We Meet Again!!

First broadcast Japan February 10, 2000 United States February 3, 2001

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 首藤剛志 Takeshi Shudō Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 玉川明洋 Akihiro Tamagawa Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Charizard's Burning Ambitions (Japanese: リザードンのたに！またあうひまで！！ The Valley of Lizardon! Until We Meet Again!!) is the 134th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on February 10, 2000 and in the United States on February 3, 2001.

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

Blurb

When Ash hears of the nearby Charicific Valley, he is sure a quick trip would be just the thing to reignite his Charizard's flagging spirits. When they reach the valley, though, they find its dragon denizens anything but cordial. Judged weak, and denied entrance to the valley, Charizard is left more dejected than ever.

Plot

Ash and his friends hike along the path, quickly feeling the onset of fatigue. Team Rocket follows them, also feeling tired. Ash wishes for more Badges, but Misty points out that he won't be able to win Badges just for beating Team Rocket only. Jessie suggests that they stop following Ash and his friends to find a new target, as James mentions how many Pokémon Ash's friends have compared to them. He especially mentions Ash's Charizard, being notably powerful. As they walk, Ash mentions that with Pikachu and Charizard on his side, he could beat any opponent, but his friends mention that he uses Charizard excessively, making it unfair for opponents. The group overhears a faint echo, so Brock decides to call out an echo. A woman calls over to them from atop a cliff. Brock is as usual attracted as she points out how the echoes allow a person to hear for miles. While she introduces herself as Liza, Brock looks up the Charicific Valley in his guidebook. Liza knows that Ash has a Charizard by the scent on him and about his win in Violet City, wanting to meet him and invite him to the Valley. Brock agrees, which gets Ash to go.

Liza calls out "Charla" as a female Charizard arrives with a balloon attached to her tail. Liza hops onto Charla as she invites Misty and Brock to ride in the balloon. There isn't enough room for Ash, but Liza suggests for him to fly on his Charizard. Charla takes off as Ash asks how to ride, which stuns Liza that he never flew on Charizard. Ash summons his Charizard and requests a ride. Charizard refuses at first, but Liza's taunt motivates Charizard to try. Ash and Pikachu hop on Charizard as it stomps and flies off, but it accidentally leaves Ash and Pikachu behind. After getting them back on, Charizard flies with them onboard, but unsteadily, flapping its wings furiously. Meanwhile, Misty compliments Liza's Charla for flying smoothly, but Liza can't hear her too well, so they talk through a phone system. Liza mentions that the Charizard in the valley are wild, but Charla is a special one. When she mentions that the wild Charizard never see humans and that she protects them from poachers, Misty thinks Liza is taking them to jail as poachers, but Liza points out that she knows they care for Pokémon. Ash and Charizard catch up as Charla speeds forward. Charizard bolts forward, but Charizard suddenly stalls, plunging down, barely skirting the bottom of a river. They avoid crashing into trees before plummeting into the abyss. Meanwhile, Team Rocket slides down a mountain hill towards the valley.

Charla skirts along the surface of a lake as they reach the Charicific Valley. She mentions its history and how the Charizard train naturally without humans by battling each other, the intense competition making them the strongest worldwide. Misty thinks that it would be too intense for Ash's, but Ash overhears the remark as Charizard arrives, except Charizard is no longer flying but is rather carrying Ash on his back and is left exhausted. Ash and Charizard try to prove their strength, but Charla and Liza note that only weak Charizard show off, suggesting that Ash's needs serious training. Charizard fires a Flamethrower to disprove, but it sets Ash on fire as he runs down the stairs and plunges into the lake. Ash charges up the stairs angrily, taking her comments as an insult as Charizard continues to demonstrate power. Ash wants to battle, pointing at Charla, but Liza mentions that it is her personally trained Pokémon, having raised it since it was a Charmander. Ash and Charizard want to battle the ones in the valley, so Liza opens the large doors, showing all the Charizard, some sleeping, some sparring, and some performing other activities. A few glance at Ash's Charizard as Ash and Charizard are stunned at their larger size. One larger Charizard walks by and Liza points out that if Charizard can defeat that one, it may qualify to join.

Charizard is quick to march up behind it and blast it in the face with Flamethrower. The wild Charizard literally inhales the attack and retaliates with its own, leaving Ash's toasted and it collapses. Charizard gets back up and shakes off the dust as Liza points to one sleeping, mentioning that despite the fact it is larger than Ash's it is still the most gentle of the Charizard. Charizard confronts that one and fires another Flamethrower, but the wild Charizard hardly reacts and turns away. However, the wild Charizard quickly lashes its tail, and Charizard is tossed against a wall. After it hits the ground, Charizard struggles to get up, Liza noticing that it is not strong enough to even match. Ash tries to console Charizard, that it will always be good enough for him, but Charizard charges for another attack, but another lash knocks it down. Ash tries to call Charizard off and the others try to convince it to give up, but Charizard continues to get beaten, eventually getting tossed out of the gate and down the stairs. Ash's friends are shocked at how the gentle one could still easily beat down Charizard. Charizard struggles to climb up the stairs however Liza closes the gates, kicking Ash and Charizard out of the valley telling Charizard to return after some training. Charizard smacks on the gate continually. Team Rocket, watching from a distance, realized that they can't capture any of the Charizard because Ash's Charizard, which always beats them, was easily defeated by those Charizard, and the machine they bought is inadequate. Liza reopens the gates and tells Charizard to go with Ash and that it can return after some training, but Charizard stubbornly refuses. Liza lets Charla battle and Ash's Charizard is tossed into a lake. Ash and his friends know how much Charizard hates the water as Liza tells Charizard to stay put and reflect before closing the gate.

Charizard stares at the gate upset, roaring a cry as Team Rocket sympathizes with the Pokémon. When night falls, Misty notes how Charizard literally stayed in place since that afternoon. Ash wants to leave, but Charizard doesn't. Ash knows that Charizard wants to get stronger and ultimately the decision is up to Ash. Team Rocket watches as Meowth translates Charizard's thoughts about wanting to be stronger. Throughout the night, Ash and his friends fall asleep, but Team Rocket tosses rocks at Charizard to keep it awake and prevent its flame from fading. Through the gates, Liza and Charla note how Charizard's determined to get in.

The next morning, Ash wakes up and sees Charizard still sitting there. Ash knows what Charizard wants to do and knows that it would be wrong to not honor it. Team Rocket's mecha shows up and rolls up to the gate, planning to try to break in. Everyone notices as Charizard gets up and flies towards the mecha. Charizard confronts them and blasts them with Flamethrower, overheating the mecha and making it explode, sending Team Rocket blasting off as they planned. Ash and his friend applaud as the gate opens, Liza applauding and inviting Charizard in. Ash wonders why beating Team Rocket qualifies, but Liza points out that Charizard proved that it wants to enter. The other Charizard and Charla roar and Ash knows what he has to do now. Shocking his friends, Ash angrily tells Charizard it should stay if it wants to because he'll get along just fine without it... and then adds that he doesn't really want a weak Charizard anyway. Ash starts to walk away and points to the valley, telling Charizard that it's got a lot to learn and should get going before Ash starts running away quickly followed by Misty and Brock. Pikachu waits a second with Charizard until it gives a thumbs-up to its long-time teammate, letting it know it understands. Pikachu bids Charizard farewell and starts to follow the group.

With tears in his eyes and knowing he's doing the right thing even though it's hurting him to do so, Ash leaves the Valley and Charizard behind and knowing he might change his mind if he stops, Ash keeps on running...

Major events

• Ash leaves his Charizard to train at the Charicific Valley.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Liza

Pokémon debuts

• Charla

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Liza

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Sunflora (US and international), Charizard (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Charizard (Ash's; leaves)
• Charizard (Liza's; Charla)
• Charizard (multiple)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's; James's thoughts)
• Squirtle (Ash's; James's thoughts)
• Snorlax (Ash's; James's thoughts)
• Heracross (Ash's; James's thoughts)
• Chikorita (Ash's; James's thoughts)
• Goldeen (Misty's; James's thoughts)
• Staryu (Misty's; James's thoughts)
• Psyduck (Misty's; James's thoughts)
• Poliwag (Misty's; James's thoughts)
• Onix (Brock's; James's thoughts)
• Geodude (Brock's; James's thoughts)
• Zubat (Brock's; James' thoughts)
• Vulpix (Brock's; James's thoughts)
• Arbok (Jessie's; Jessie's thoughts)
• Lickitung (Jessie's; Jessie's thoughts)
• Weezing (James's; Jessie's thoughts)
• Victreebel (James's; Jessie's thoughts)

Trivia

• This was chosen by Shōko Nakagawa as the sixth episode of Pocket Monsters Anime Premier 10.
• Charizard's tail was completely submerged in the water, but it was unharmed. This also happened when it was a Charmander in Island of the Giant Pokémon.
• This episode is featured on Volume 3: Charizard from Viz Media's Pokémon All-Stars series.
• This is one of the few episodes where Team Rocket actually wants to be blasted off. They help Charizard become stronger by allowing it to blow up a Team Rocket mecha which they used to break into the Charicific Valley.
• Team Rocket doesn't recite the motto in this episode.
  • However, the motto theme is played when Team Rocket attacks the valley with their mecha.
• Not counting the Pokémon seen in Jessie's and James's thoughts, the only current generation (Generation II) Pokémon to appear in this episode is Togepi.
• The book All Fired Up is based on this episode.
• Music from Mewtwo Strikes Back was used in this episode.
• Parts of this episode were reanimated and used for flashback material for The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion.
• A shot this episode was reanimated and reused in a flashback in Alola, Kanto!.

Errors

• In the dub, Ash says that he has not ridden Charizard before; however, this is not true as he rode on Charizard in both Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon and Charizard Chills. He never said this in the Japanese version.
  • Technically, the moment in Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon doesn't really count as Ash riding Charizard, as it wasn't intentional. Additionally, both Charizard and Ash were half-asleep from Jigglypuff's singing so they may not remember it.
• When James counts the Pokémon of Ash's friends, a picture of them all is shown. Snorlax was also pictured, even though it was back at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
• The initially dialogue between Liza, Brock and Ash was changed completely in the dub; this include changing Liza calling for Charizard in general to calling for her Charla. Which creates an error as multiple plumes of fire emerge from behind the mountains, which couldn't have been produced by one Charizard.
• In the dub, Liza refers to Misty by her name despite nobody ever telling her that name. In the Japanese version, Liza never refers to Ash, Misty, and Brock by their name.
• When Team Rocket blasts off, their mouths move but no sound comes out in the dub.

Dub edits

• Pokémon Karaokémon: Song of Jigglypuff
• There is a close-up shot of Ash's Charizard being hit very hard by a wild Charizard and sent flying into the top part of the entrance to the Valley with its tail that was cut from the English dub and replaced with an impact animation.
• It is mentioned in the dub that Charla evolved from a Charmander. This was not in the original Japanese dialog.
• In the Japanese version, Jessie breaks the fourth wall by telling Meowth that the their problem is that they're going up against the increasingly popular Pikachu. Meowth denies this by saying that their lack of strength, not popularity, is their problem. The dub changes this to Jessie suggesting that they should pick on somebody else for a change.
• In the Japanese version, James counts the Pokémon of Ash's friends but trailed off by the time he reached number seven. In the dub, he doesn't trail off and reaches twelve, which is wrong as, counting Snorlax, there are a total of sixteen Pokémon.
• In the Japanese version, they once again break the fourth wall by talking about how popular Charizard is and how it's just too powerful for them to defeat. They gather together at the end and declare Charizard "unfair". The dub changes this to them wondering what the boss would say if he knew how afraid they are of Charizard.
• In the Japanese version, Liza says that the Charizard in the valley are seen as the guardian deities of the area. The dub changes this to Liza saying that it's "a place where Charizard have lived in peace for thousands of years" and it's a "ancient place where the greatest Charizard in Pokémon history have come from". Later, Liza tells that "the Charizard in the Valley turn out to be the best in the whole world", which was also never said in the Japanese version.
• Liza tells Ash that "only weak Charizard show off like that" in the dub. While in the Japanese version, she just warns Ash that shooting out fire randomly is dangerous and could get him burned.
• In the dub, Liza tells Ash that "she can't be responsible for what happens if Charizard continues to fight", while in the Japanese version, she tells that "she understands how Ash's Pokémon feel but that it really is no use for it to continue like that".
• In the Japanese version, James never said that the mecha was purchased online.
• In the dub, Liza says to Ash's Charizard that "he will never be a great Charizard if he acts tough and doesn't respect his own limitations". While in the Japanese version, Liza tells Ash that Charizard will be okay as long as the flame on his tail doesn't go out, which is the reason a lot of close-up shots happen throughout the rest of the episode.

In other languages

Language		Title
Bulgarian		Горящите цели на Чаризард
Mandarin Chinese		噴火龍山谷，直到下次重逢
Czech		Charizardovy plamenné ambice
Dutch		Charizards Brandende Verlangen
Finnish		Charizardin tulikoe
European French		La séparation
German		Herausforderung für Glurak
Hebrew		תשוקתו של צ'ריזארדtshukato shel Charizard
Hindi		Charizard की अग्नि-परीक्षा Charizard ki Agni-Pariksha *
Hungarian		Charizard harca
Italian		La valle dei draghi* Le brucianti ambizioni di Charizard*
Polish		Płonąca ambicja Charizarda
Portuguese	Brazil	O Desejo Ardente de Charizard
	Portugal	As Ambições Calorosas do Charizard'
Romanian		Ambițiile Arzânde a lui Charizard
Spanish	Latin America	¡La gran ambición de Charizard!
	Spain	La ambición del ardiente Charizard
Swedish		Vi ses, Charizard!

← EP133 : Tanks a Lot!

Original series

EP135 : Grin to Win →

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