EP270

←	EP269 : The Ties That Bind

Can't Beat the Heat!

EP270

ライバルたいけつ！カメックスＶＳリザードン！！
Rival Confrontation! Kamex VS Lizardon!!

First broadcast

Japan	October 17, 2002
United States	September 27, 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

No additional credits are available at this time.
Animation	Team Ota
Screenplay	冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka
Storyboard	木村竜二 Ryūji Kimura
Assistant director	大町繁 Shigeru Ōmachi
Animation director	たけだゆうさく Yūsaku Takeda

Can't Beat the Heat! (Japanese: ライバルたいけつ！カメックスＶＳリザードン！！ Rival Confrontation! Kamex VS Lizardon!!) is the 270th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on October 17, 2002 and in the United States on September 27, 2003.

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

Synopsis

When last seen, Ash and Gary were in their six-on-six match on a rock field. The match is even, with Gary down Magmar and Ash down Tauros (Gary had also led off with a Nidoqueen). Gary's starter, Blastoise had launched a Hydro Pump to counter Heracross' own Fury Swipes. However, despite a last-minute evasion tactic behind a rock, Hydro Pump manages to blast through the rock and Heracross is knocked out.

Ash sends out Muk to battle. Blastoise uses Skull Bash, but Muk isn't fazed by the attack. Muk uses a Sludge Bomb, but Blastoise uses Rapid Spin to deflect the shot. Continuing to spin, it tries to hit Muk, but Muk easily catches and smothers its opponent. Though Blastoise escapes the pin with a Hydro Pump, Ash pulls Muk for Bayleef, hoping that a Template:Type2 would be a good advantage against Blastoise. Bayleef evades the first Hydro Pump with Vine Whip jump, but her airborne Razor Leaf is deflected using Rapid Spin. An attempt with Body Slam is met with Blastoise using Bite to toss Bayleef by the leaf, knocking it out.

Since Ash has now lost three Pokémon, the referee calls for a 5-minute intermission. During the break, Pikachu wants in on the match against Blastoise, and is visibly upset when Ash explains that he can only use his six entrants that were arranged before the match. In the stands, Delia and Professor Oak reminisce about the match bringing back memories from the boys' childhood growing up together. When the break ends, Ash sends out Snorlax, while Gary resumes with Arcanine; Brock believing that he will save Blastoise for last. Arcanine uses Take Down to rush Snorlax, which responds with Body Slam. Arcanine evades the attack, and traps Snorlax with Fire Spin, but ends up getting blasted by a Hyper Beam from Snorlax. It is a direct hit, and Arcanine is knocked out.

Nidoqueen is sent back out. Using its tail to jump (a tactic copied from Bayleef), Nidoqueen manages to damage Snorlax with Double Kick, but Nidoqueen's Hyper Beam is countered by an Ice Punch, taking it out of the fight. Scizor is sent out against Snorlax, and after a quick series of Quick Attacks, Scizor defeats Snorlax with a Metal Claw to the face of a missed Hyper Beam. With Scizor playing a speed game, Brock notes that Ash had put his entries with power battling in mind, and his two remaining Pokémon will have trouble against Scizor. Sending Muk back out, Muk easily absorbs a Quick Attack, allowing to attack with Sludge Bomb (that because of Steel's Poison immunity wouldn't have worked if it did make contact), which Scizor evades. Scizor uses Metal Claw again, which, though Muk absorbs it, it allows Scizor to lift and throw Muk into the air. One Swift later, and Muk is taken out.

Now down to one Pokémon against three (Scizor, Blastoise, and an unrevealed Pokémon), Ash sends Charizard out. Scizor rushes Charizard with Steel Wing, but switches to evasion when Charizard is ordered to use Flamethrower. However, Charizard meets Scizor airborne, and Scizor is nailed in the face with a super-effective Flamethrower and is unable to battle. Gary, undaunted, sends out Golem. As Brock and Misty notes that Charizard will have a hard time against Golem (due to the double weakness to Rock-types). Golem leads off with Magnitude, which manages to stun Charizard. Charizard attempts to Seismic Toss Golem, but it is too heavy (Professor Oak pointing out that Golem is second only to Snorlax in terms of mass). Golem lands back on its feet only to have its Rollout attack countered by a Dragon Rage from Charizard. Golem is knocked out of the match.

Now Ash has pulled even with Gary - the match is down to Blastoise and Charizard, winner take all.

Charizard opens with Flamethrower, which is deflected by Rapid Spin, but isn't as lucky as it takes a Hydro Pump to the face. Taking to the skies, its airborne attack is repelled by a Skull Bash. As Macy, Jackson, and Harrison look on from the stands for Ash's next move, Ash decides to have Charizard make another aerial approach, evading Hydro Pumps along the way. However, Charizard cannot seem to find a desperately needed opening. Brock notes that Charizard will need a close-range attack to have a good shot of knocking out Blastoise against the type advantage.

Although he knows that Ash's specialty is thinking outside-the-box, Gary is still nevertheless puzzled by Ash's tactic of having Charizard using Flamethrower to heat up the field. Blastoise is immobilized by the red-hot field, something that not even a type advantage could cover. Resorting to cool the field using Hydro Pump, Blastoise only succeeds in covering the field in steam. When the steam clears, Blastoise and Charizard have locked up in close-range combat - too close for Blastoise to aim its Hydro Pump. Though Blastoise manages to duck out of a Dragon Rage, it allows Charizard to attempt a Seismic Toss. Blastoise tries to escape by biting Charizard's arm, but to no avail. When the smoke clears, Blastoise is unable to get up. Ash, realizing that he just beat Gary, stands in awe. Then he jumps for joy and thanks Charizard for a spectacular battle.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket has ended yet another day with a big profit. However, Jessie is preventing Delibird from making off with its hard-earned gains. However, Meowth also notes that with the profits they have nearly wiped out all their outstanding Team Rocket debts. Jessie is first to plan on franchising their souvenir stand, which James and Meowth support.

Later that night, Ash meets Gary privately by the lake. Gary gives Ash his half of the Poké Ball. Reflecting on the battle, Gary isn't ashamed that he had lost the battle - when he admittedly tied in the fishing contest, he had felt like a failure (hence taking it as a "loss"). But Ash won fair and square today. The two shake hands, and Gary promises to cheer for Ash is his next match.

Next morning, Ash begins his second 6-on-6 battle on a grass field against his new friend Harrison, with Ash having first move. Leading off with Pikachu, Harrison responds with Kecleon - a Pokémon he is unfamiliar with. How will Ash fare against his new opponent?

Major events

Ash's Muk is revealed to know Sludge Bomb.
Ash defeats Gary.
Ash and Gary end their rivalry and become friends.
Ash begins his match against Harrison.

Debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Blastoise

Trivia

An instrumental version of OK! is used in the background during the final battle, even in the dub.
When Charizard uses Seismic Toss on Blastoise, the globe appears as usual, but, wheras normally specific shapes on the globe can not be made out, Asia and Australia are prominently seen.
This episode marks the final appearance of Misty's Psyduck in the main series (although it would continue to appear in Pokémon Chronicles).
This episode marks the latest appearance of Team Rocket in an episode in which they appear, first showing up with less than two minutes left in the episode.
This episode is featured on the Volume 5: Blastoise copy of Pokémon All-Stars.

Errors

File:Blastoise color error.png

Blastoise's miscolored lower jaw

When Nidoqueen uses its tail to jump, its lower jaw is colored with the same blue as its skin. The same error is made just before it launches its Hyper Beam.
The announcer announces Harrison as being from Silver Town, when he was introduced as being from Littleroot Town in Pop Goes The Sneasel.
When Gary commands Blastoise to use Hydro Pump, he says Hydro Cannon instead. Hydro Cannon would be a move learnable by Blastoise in Generation III.
Professor Oak says that Golem is the second heaviest Pokémon, and only Snorlax is heavier. This was true in Generation I; however, Steelix, introduced in Generation II, is also heavier than Golem.
During the climactic battle between Ash's Charizard and Gary's Blastoise, Blastoise's lower jaw is incorrectly colored blue instead of cream.
When Golem used Magnitude, it should not have effected Charizard as Charizard is a Template:Type2 Pokémon and Magnitude is a Template:Type2 move. However, this may have been down to the fact that Charizard was standing on the ground at the time.
Skull Bash was used repeatedly without the required charge up.
Gary has his Scizor dodge Muk's Sludge Bomb, even though a Template:Type2 move would have no effect on Scizor, a Template:Type2 Pokémon.

Dub edits

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		勁敵對決！！水箭龜對抗噴火龍！！
Finnish		Taistelua kuumimmillaan
European French		Le match tant attendu
German		In der Hitze des Gefechts
Hebrew		לא יכול להכות בחום lo yakhol lehakot bakhom
Italian		Il torneo della vittoria (seconda parte)
Portuguese	Brazil	Não Dá pra Vencer o Calor!
Portuguese	Portugal	Não se Vence o Calor!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Nada vence al calor!
Spanish	Spain	Calor invencible