Brock (anime)
| Brock タケシ Takeshi | |
 Art from the Diamond & Pearl series. | |
| Age | 15 (as of debut) |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Hometown | Pewter City |
| Region | Kanto |
| Relatives | Flint (father), Lola (mother), Forrest (brother), 8 other siblings |
| Trainer class | Gym Leader, Breeder |
| Game counterpart | Brock |
| Leader of | Pewter Gym |
| Badge | Boulder Badge |
| Specializes in | Template:Type2s |
| Anime debut | Showdown in Pewter City |
| English voice actor | Eric Stuart (4Kids) Bill Rogers (TPCi) |
| Japanese voice actor | Yūji Ueda |
Brock (Japanese: タケシ Takeshi) is a close friend and former traveling partner of Ash Ketchum.
About
In the anime, Brock is a Pokémon Breeder and a former Gym Leader who is a close friend and traveling companion of Ash's. Some notes on official sketches of his character set his age at 15 at the start of the series.
He originally trained Template:Type2 Pokémon, but has, since the second episode he appeared in, diversified. As he has stated in Battling A Cute Drama!, his philosophy is that the important thing about being a Pokémon Trainer is the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. He is an experienced cook and caretaker by nature, so he always makes scrumptious food both for Pokémon and for humans.
One of his best known character traits is that he falls in love with every pretty woman he meets, particularly Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. He can tell whether they are real (women) or impostors as well. This "ability" has been used multiple times in the series. He has always held a supporting role in the series, usually contributing more in terms of wisdom and comedic antics than the action and battles of the series.
Early on, he showed that he carries around a Boulder Badge for identification. He also has a Contest Pass for the Kanto region, though he only used it once, as well as one for Hoenn which was required to watch a contest there.
Brock has had two notable musical appearances. One is the Japanese ending theme タケシのパラダイス Takeshi's Paradise, which is about his love for women and his determination to find love despite often appearing foolish and getting heartbroken. There is a running joke about him singing this song often in the anime, since it's the only song he knows. The other is the Pokémon Karaokémon song Two Perfect Girls, which is about his love of both Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy.
Appearance
Brock's most notable feature about his appearance is that his eyes naturally appear closed. The rare times people see them open are when they are forced open unnaturally: from a hit with Charmander's Flamethrower in The Ninja Poké-Showdown, when being hit in the back of the head by Arbok's tail in Who Gets to Keep Togepi?, and when he makes a face for Larvitar in A Crowning Achievement. This has been the center of fan attention for a long time.
He also has tan skin, notably darker than the skin of any other major character in the anime, until Iris in the Best Wishes series.
Brock, along with Tracey and Dent, are the tallest of Ash's traveling companions, and the closest to looking like an adult. Next to actual adult characters, however, it is clear that he is still a teenager.
Not counting temporary outfits, he has worn three different outfits over the span of the anime, all of which have had the colors orange, green, and brown, with blue shoes. His outfits in the games are also made up of the colors orange, green, and brown.
Character
Brock is considered the most mature, wise and level-headed of the main characters, and he is arguably the most intelligent character as well. He often acts as an older brother and caretaker to the other characters and a voice of reason in disputes. He will usually place others before him and will help and support his friends even against his better judgment or at his own expense. While he is not shown to battle often, he can understand the situations and strategies in any Pokémon battle, and often explains them to the other characters, probably due to the fact that he was once a Gym Leader. His wisdom is possibly derived from how observant he is; he can tell just by sight how a Pokémon is feeling and spot the differences between the various Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy.
Brock always carries books and maps with him, and thus is usually the character who knows where the group is headed and what they can do when they get there, though in Advanced Generation this role was mostly taken over by the PokéNav. He also carries a lot of other supplies, such as potions, Pokémon food, and a set of cookware, as well as practical tools like a brush and pocket knife; in The School of Hard Knocks, the extent of his preparedness and comically large capacity of his bag was demonstrated, as he pulled out a table and full tea set out of his backpack. He is a domestic, and grooms not only his Pokémon but also those of his friends with whom he travels. He handles all the cooking and cleaning for his friends.
Despite this, all his maturity and rationality leaves him completely at the sight of a beautiful woman, as he falls in love with every pretty girl he meets. Brock has a desperate need for female companionship which grows worse as he fails to gain it. He will do anything and everything he thinks will impress women, which inevitably ends with his heart being broken every time. A few women have shown interest in him as well, such as Wilhelmina, Temacu, Lucy, Holly, Autumn and Narissa, but most do not notice him or are not interested. No matter how many times he is disappointed, though, Brock remains determined to find a girl to start a relationship with, and has indicated several times he would stop traveling with Ash and stay with the girl if this happened. This behavior tends to wear on the nerves of other characters, and Misty and Max have both commonly dragged Brock away from women by his ear. Some of Brock's own Pokémon, most notably Croagunk, have attacked him for getting too flirtatious with women.
His goals have played a passive role in his character's activity and development. Unlike other characters, who aspire to achieve and excel in competitive fields like Pokémon training and Pokémon Contests, his aim to become a great Pokémon Breeder is a quiet one and thus does not get showcased frequently. His other goal, to find a girlfriend, is similar to Team Rocket's quest to capture Pikachu in that both are for comedy and thus doomed to fail. His role has always been purely one as support for other main characters.
History
Not much is known about his early childhood, except that his first Pokémon was his Onix, which he received as a gift at the age of 10. Sometime after, his father, Flint, left home to become a great Trainer. When he never returned, his mother, Lola, left them as well, leaving Brock to take care of his siblings, as well as their house and Pewter Gym, by himself (though the English version of Showdown in Pewter City has Flint claim she died, and some speculate he was lying). However, Flint eventually returned home considering himself a failure, and instead of returning to his family he donned a disguise and sold rocks as souvenirs at the edge of town. After Brock awarded Ash the Boulder Badge, Flint came forward and confessed who he was. Flint took on the responsibilities of the Pewter Gym and his family, leaving Brock free to journey with Ash and Misty.
Brock only became the Gym Leader because he felt it was his responsibility, and he admitted to Ash that he would rather care for Pokémon than battle them. It is his dream to become a great breeder, and when Flint took back control of the Gym, Brock was allowed to start following this dream. Most notably, he took care of a Vulpix that belonged to a breeder named Suzy. Shortly before Vulpix was returned, Brock used it in a Pokémon Beauty Contest.
Brock was also able to meet and make advances towards the many beautiful women he met. At first, he was more casual about approaching women, such as the Officer Jenny in Cerulean City, and more modest as well, such as when he met Melanie. However, he became more open and passionate towards almost all single young women as time progressed.
Brock briefly left the show during the Orange Islands saga to work for Professor Ivy on Valencia Island and so is only seen in a couple of cameos in the second movie. While there, something happened that will probably remain secret as Brock will only huddle and say "that name" whenever he is asked about it. (Brock does mention his work for her in Destiny Deoxys, though this line was added in the dub.) After this incident, Brock returned to Kanto where he was found by Delia Ketchum, who helped him to regain his strength. Brock then became a rival to Mimey until he rejoined Ash and Misty as the three traveled to Johto. They stayed together for the entire region, but at the end of this journey, the three went their separate ways, with Brock's help requested at home by his father.
In The Little Big Horn Brock mentions he participated in Little League Baseball when he was younger.
Upon his return home, Brock was dismayed to find that his mother had returned and commandeered the gym, turning the Rock-type haven into a brightly decorated Template:Type2 den. Brock battled her for the honor of Rock-types and won, promising his brother Forrest that he would become Gym Leader someday.
After that, Brock returned to follow Ash through Hoenn, along with their new friends May and Max, and then through Kanto again as Ash took on the Kanto Battle Frontier. He left briefly when the Advanced Generation series ended in order to visit his home, but quickly returned to travel with Ash and Dawn in Sinnoh. Near the end of the Sinnoh saga, Brock began to show interest in becoming a Pokémon doctor, and so, rather than following Ash to Unova to advise him, decided to remain in Kanto to study.
Brock is among the longest-running main characters in the anime, having been present in nearly every episode between Showdown in Pewter City and Memories are Made of Bliss!, with the notable exception of the Orange Islands saga, the final original series episode, the first three episodes of the Advanced Generation series, and the first episode of the Diamond & Pearl series. His tenure is ranked only under Ash and Pikachu, who have appeared in every episode, and Jessie, James, and Meowth, who have appeared in every episode except for the first and AG120. Brock is set to make an appearance in a Diamond and Pearl special, along with Dawn on the 3rd of February.
Pokémon
As gym tradition dictated, Brock's first Pokémon were Rock-types. However, once he was able to leave his gym to travel, he has dedicated himself to learn about how to care for a variety of Pokémon. Thus, his Pokémon tend to be an eclectic mix of types and dispositions. However, all of his Pokémon tend to have strong bonds with Brock and are on par with Ash's Pokémon in terms of battling strength, despite the fact that Brock does not go out of his way to train his Pokémon.
This is a listing of Brock's Pokémon as of the most recent Japanese episode. As Brock has returned to Pewter City in order to study to become a Pokémon Doctor, all of his Pokémon are there and none are listed as "on hand."
At Pewter Gym / Home
Returned
 Vulpix |
Caught for someone else
| Debut | EP035 |
|---|
- Main article: Ash's Tauros
Brock caught a Tauros in the Safari Zone. However, as this was one of Ash's Safari Balls, the Tauros in question is actually one of Ash's Tauros.
Temporary
| Debut | Just Waiting on a Friend |
|---|
Brock commanded a Ninetales during a battle with Team Rocket.
| Debut | Camping It Up! |
|---|
Brock trained a Magnemite during the first day of the summer school academy.
Achievements
- Pokémon Beauty Contest - Winner (Along with Suzy)
- Pokémon Orienteering - Runner-up
- Pokémon Cosplay Contest - Winner
- Pokémon Contests:
- Gardenia Town Contest - 2nd Place
- Pastoria City's Croagunk Festival - Runner-up
Voice actors
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In the manga
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Brock is a frequent recurring character in the manga series The Electric Tale of Pikachu. Like in the anime, he is a traveling companion of Ash and Misty.
Brock first appears in Play Misty For Me, where Ash challenges him for the Boulder Badge. After defeating Brock and earning the badge, Ash leaves Pewter City and continues his journey alone.
Brock reappears in Haunting My Dreams, meeting Ash by coincidence in Saffron City. He becomes a steady traveling companion of Ash in The Human Race and the Pokémon Race, though he seperates from Ash in Days of Gloom and Glory while he prepares for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Brock in the manga is much like he is in the Pokémon anime: he is the Leader of the Pewter City Gym, but he takes a break from his duties as Gym Leader to travel. Unlike in the anime, he does not hand control of the Gym to his father or his siblings, instead, he closes the Gym completely while he travels. Brock has a weakness for pretty girls such as the Sensational Sisters, and he is the only character that can tell the many Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys apart.
Pokémon
 Onix |
 Geodude |
 Vileplume |
 Graveler |
 Golem |
In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga
Brock, along with Ash and Misty, make cameo appearances in bonus chapters of the Magical Pokémon Journey manga. In those, Brock and co. have mistakenly wandered into the world Magical Pokémon Journey is set in. The bonus chapters chronicle their attempts to return to their own world (of the anime) and their encounters with various aspects of the Magical Pokémon Journey canon which differ from the anime's canon (such as the use of Poké Balls).
Trivia
- Most official sources do not give Brock a last name. However, several sources suggest that in the anime, his last name is Harrison. In the July 2006 issue of K-Zone Magazine, Eric Stuart was interviewed and stated that Brock's last name is Harrison.
- Brock's house is located directly behind the Pewter Gym. His room is only seen briefly in Having a Wailord of a Time, but what is seen of it shows that it is decorated in a traditional Japanese style, including fusuma, a tansu chest, and a futon for a bed.
- Both of Brock's Poison-type Pokémon, Crobat and Croagunk, have names that start with Cro-.
- Brock is the fourth main character to own a Pokémon hatched from an egg. The first was Misty with Togepi and later Azurill, the second was Ash with Phanpy, and the third was May with Eevee.
- Brock is one of three of Ash's friends who has had their father make an appearance in the anime. The others are May and Max, who are brother and sister. Coincidentally, both fathers are Gym Leaders.
- Brock captured a new Pokémon sooner after his debut than any other main character, even Ash, by capturing Zubat in EP006.
- Brock's Advanced Generation and first Diamond & Pearl stock art use the same pose, changing only his outfit. However, a second stock art of Diamond & Pearl Brock was released in a different pose.
- Brock has been shown to be able to identify when women are really cross dressing men in disguise by having a peculiar lack of attraction to them. He's also able to do the opposite. A significant exception to this is Ash, who in the guise of Ashley was able to fool Brock.
- Brock has owned four Pokémon whose evolutions debuted in a different generation than that Pokémon. (Golbat, Onix, Bonsly, and Happiny). All of them have since evolved.
- When the Advanced Generation series started, Brock brought only his Forretress with him. Forretress is not in the Hoenn Pokédex.
- Brock is the only one out of all of Ash's friends to have owned at least one Pokémon from each of the first four generations.
- Brock is the only one of Ash's friends to appear in every movie. However, his appearance in The Power of One was merely a cameo.
Interview with Hidaka about Brock's short absence from the anime
There had been some debate between members of the fanbase in regards to why Brock was removed from the main cast during the Orange Islands arc, why Tracey Sketchit was created, and why Brock returned later. In an interview with former Pokémon anime director and storyboard artist Masamitsu Hidaka, he stated his own reason why Brock was removed from the cast and why he eventually returned. He (or, rather his translator) revealed that the true reason they replaced Brock is because, once they realized Pokémon was going global, there was a chance that Americans, if not anyone else outside of Japan, would view Brock as a racist stereotype because of his eyes (even though there wasn't an actual complaint yet). So they created a "tall, anglo-saxon looking person to be on the safe side". They later replaced Tracey with Brock again once they realized that no one really cared as to what Brock looks like, and actually enjoyed his character.
However, this was only stated by Hidaka and not by any other staff member.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | タケシ Takeshi | From take, bamboo. Possibly from 岳 take ("mountain peak"). |
| English, Italian, Spanish | Brock | Rhymes with and contains the word rock. |
| French | Pierre | Literally means "stone". |
| German | Rocko | From English rock. |
| Korean | 웅 Ung | '웅' means 'man-like', brave. A common word used for boy's names in Korea |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 小剛 Xiǎo Gāng | May be named after 首藤剛志, Takeshi Shudō. Also, 剛 can mean "hard", "firm" or "strong". |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 小剛 Síu Gōng | Same as Mandarin name. |
Related articles
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