Grating Spaces! (Japanese: タケシ&サトシ!タッグバトルでニビジムを守れ!!, Hepburn: Brock & Ash! Protect the Pewter Gym in a Tag Battle!!) is the 32nd episode of Pokémon: Battle Frontier.
Synopsis[]
Our heroes have finally made it back to Pewter City, where Brock once again comes home to find the Pewter Gym looking stranger than ever. When he gets in the door, he discovers that his mom and dad are headed off on a free prize vacation, leaving the Gym in the care of three suspicious Gym remodelers who promised to make the Pewter Gym fashionable. His parents even took his Ludicolo to carry suitcases! Of course, it's all another Team Rocket scheme in disguise.
On a happier note, Brock meets Steelix, his evolved Onix. His siblings beg him to help them put the Gym back to normal. Team Rocket returns and realizes their new plan is full of twerps, but Team Rocket's Delibird drops off Poké Balls for them containing a Charizard and Aggron! With this firepower, they go in and challenge Brock to a battle—if they win, they decorate the Gym any way they want! Ash offers to help Brock out and it's time for a double battle.
Brock uses his Steelix, Ash uses his Donphan. Charizard is a tough opponent for Steelix to go up against and Aggron's no slouch, either! But Brock and Ash have teamwork on their side, unlike Team Rocket. Meowth sneaks off to steal Poké Balls while everyone is distracted, but Max blows its cover. Now Team Rocket's secret is out, and Brock's brother Forrest is outraged. Forrest, Brock, and Ash team up to beat Team Rocket. When Brock's parents come home, they get quite an earful from Brock, but family is family, after all. As for Team Rocket, they discover that all the bonuses they were getting were really meant for Butch and Cassidy![1]
Episode plot[]
The heroes are very near Pewter City. Everyone is excited to see Brock's Pokémon and family. Surprisingly, the Pewter City Gym is decorated in lights and flowers, shocking Brock by its appearance. Brock goes inside to search for his parents, but his siblings override him. Brock asks what happened to the Gym, so his brother tells him 3 people came to mom and dad to propose them to modernize the Gym. Their mom was with the idea, though Flint was not at first. After seeing the designs in a magazine, he was convinced. Brock, along with his brothers and sisters will protect the Gym.
Brock calls Lola, who is on her way to a vacation, along with Flint and Brock's Ludicolo. Brock demands to know why she allowed the Pewter Gym's traditions to be thrown away, but Lola tells him the Gym needed to be re-modeled. Lola then hangs up, ignoring Brock's attempts to learn more. Jessie, James and Meowth went to Brock's parents, giving them tickets and promising to take care of the Gym. Team Rocket see the plane leaving and plan to get the Pewter Gym's Pokémon. Jessie is surprised the HQ gave them money for the operation, but ignores that fact. Inside the Gym, Brock never heard of any fashion for City Gyms. Max confirms this, as he reads magazines all the time and never saw a section about fashion. As they went to the battle field, a Steelix takes Brock. Brock realizes Onix evolved into Steelix when he was gone.
Crobat, Geodude and a Golem come to greet Brock as well. Brock thanks his brother, Forest, who is responsible for making Onix evolve and thinks he will be a good breeder. Still, Brock is not amused by the looks of the battle field. Forest tells Brock even the Pokémon hate the Gym's layout, so Brock tells he will fix the place. Brock made the lunch, while Team Rocket spies on them. Brock wants to know how the re-modelers looked like, so the siblings reply they were a woman, a man and a smaller person with a funny talk. Team Rocket has no idea what to do next, but a Delibird comes and gives them two Poké Balls from the HQ. The Pokémon are immensely powerful - a Charizard and an Aggron. Jessie has a plan - they will use the Pokémon to battle the twerps and take their Pokémon.
Team Rocket go inside the house and Brock's siblings recognizes them as the Gym re-modelers. Brock tells them to stop the business, but Jessie tells them if they will stop, they need to battle first. If Brock loses in a Tag fight, the re-modeling will continue. Ash decides to join Brock, as it will be a preparation for the Battle Pyramid, so Brock agrees. On the battle field of Pewter Gym, the battle starts. Brock sends Steelix, Ash Donphan, Jessie Charizard and James his Aggron. Charizard starts with Flamethrower, hurting Steelix. Donphan charges with Take Down, stopping Charizard's attack. However, Aggron uses Mega Punch, hitting Donphan. Steelix goes to bite, but is stopped by Charizard's Fire Spin. Donphan goes to use Take Down, but is stopped by Aggron's Hyper Beam.
Donphan rolls and Steelix follows him. Donphan attacks Charizard and Steelix uses Iron Tail on Charizard. Next, Steelix binds Charizard, so Aggron uses Hyper Beam to attack Charizard. Charizard uses Flamethrower, but Steelix uses Iron Tail to protect himself and DragonBreath to attack Charizard. Donphan uses Take Down to hit Charizard. Aggron uses Water Pulse, hitting Donphan and bashing him to a rock. Aggron uses the same move once more, so Donphan uses Defense Curl and Steelix Iron Tail to launch Donphan, though he gets hit by the attack. Aggron is attacked by Donphan and pushed away. Meowth goes to fix the problem, so Max follows him. Meowth is grabbing the Poké Balls and Max now realizes the re-modelers are Team Rocket.
Aggron uses Mega Punch and Charizard Fire Spin, but Charizard attacks Aggron. Jessie and James bicker, so their Pokémon fight each other - Aggron uses Hyper Beam and Charizard Flamethrower on one another. In so doing, Jessie's and James' disguises fall down. Max comes and tells Meowth stole the Poké Balls. Forest sends Geodude, who tackles Meowth and releases the Poké Balls. Forest is mad they stole the Poké Balls. Geodude uses Sandstorm to blow Charizard, Aggron and Team Rocket away. Still, Charizard uses Flamethrower and Aggron Hyper Beam, but are stopped by Iron Tail. Geodude uses Mega Punch and Steelix Iron Tail, defeating both Pokémon. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, Geodude Sandstorm, Donphan Hyper Beam and Steelix DragonBreath to blast them off in an instant.
Brock says to Forest he is proud how Forest battled today. Later, Brock's parents return home and Brock shouts to them they need to talk. After being caught up, Lola apologizes to Brock, as they did not know Team Rocket's plan was to get the Pokémon. Brock forgives them, but clarifies it better not happen again. Still, Lola bought a souvenir and wants to give it to Brock, who is mad. At the night, Team Rocket is hanging on a tree and shout to help. The Delibird messenger comes and takes their Charizard and Aggron (who were meant for Cassidy and Butch in the first place) and flies away, leaving them hanging. The next morning, the heroes leave the Pewter Gym and Brock's family wishes them luck in their journey.
Debuts[]
Pokémon[]
Trivia[]
- This episode's title is a pun on the title of the TV show Trading Spaces, a reality show about home renovation, much like what Team Rocket did to the Pewter Gym.
- This is the second time that the Pewter Gym has been redecorated. The first was in "A Family that Battles Together Stays Together".
- Pokémon Symphonic Medley is used as background music.
- This is the first appearance of Team Rocket's Delibird since Johto, and its only appearance in Pokémon: Advanced Generation.
Mistakes[]
- In one scene, Jessie's earrings are red instead of green.
- During the battle in the dub, Jessie says "light thrower" instead of "Flamethrower".
Dub differences[]
- In the dub, after Steelix is hit by Aggron's Hyper Beam and targeted by Charizard's Flamethrower, Brock's tells it to "dodge and use DragonBreath." Steelix instead smashes the Gym floor with Iron Tail, lifting up rocks as a shield. This could be a dubbing error or some improvisation on the part of Steelix.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ (n.d.) . "Grating Spaces! | Pokémon TV (pokemon.com)". From The Official Pokémon Website | Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024.
Characters · Pokémon · Transcripts | ||
| ![]() | |
| ||
|
| |
| ||
See also | ||
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |