TB075: Bad to the Bone

"Bad to the Bone"
Information
Series	Pocket Monsters, Pokémon the Series: The Beginning
Subtitle	Pocket Monsters
Season	Season 2, Pokémon: Indigo League
№	075
Opening(s) and Ending(s)	Japanese Opening Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Ending Type: Wild English Opening Pokémon Theme Ending Double Trouble (Team Rocket)
Staff credits	脚本(きゃくほん) (Screenplay) 大橋志吉 (Yukiyoshi Ōhashi) 絵(え)コンテ (Storyboard) 浅田裕二 (Yūji Asada) 助手(じょしゅ)監督(かんとく) (Assistant director(s)) 浅田裕二 (Yūji Asada) 作画(さくが)監督(かんとく) (Animation director(s)) 玉川明洋 (Akihiro Tamagawa)
In other countries
Japan	Title ガラガラのホネこんぼう Airdate December 3, 1998
Japan	Title ガラガラのホネこんぼう Airdate December 3, 1998
South Korea	Title 가라가라의 뼈다귀곤봉() Airdate N/A
South Korea	Title 가라가라의 뼈다귀곤봉() Airdate N/A
Anglosphere	Title Bad to the Bone Airdate(s) October 16, 1999 Notes ^ a: Signifies that it only applies to the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and SG
Anglosphere	Title Bad to the Bone Airdate(s) October 16, 1999 Notes ^ a: Signifies that it only applies to the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and SG
Details
Main	Ash, Misty, Brock
Recurring	Jessie, James, Delia Ketchum, Professor Oak
Minor	Otoshi, Unnamed Trainers
Character(s) of the Day	Otoshi
Pokémon	Ash's Pikachu, Team Rocket's Meowth, Misty's Togepi, Ash's Pidgeotto, Ash's Bulbasaur, Ash's Charmander (flashback), Ash's Charizard (flashback), Misty's Starmie (flashback), Brock's Onix, (flashback), Jessie's Arbok, James' Weezing, Delia Ketchum's Mr. Mime, Otoshi's Marowak, Otoshi's Doduo, Lt. Surge's Raichu (flashback), Erika's Weepinbell (flashback), Sabrina's Kadabra, Aya's Venonat (flashback), Blaine's Magmar (flashback), Giovanni's Kingler (flashback), Giovanni's Rhydon (flashback), Hitmonlee (two), Nidoran♂, Chansey, Koga's Scyther (flashback), Flareon
Badges or Classes
Major event(s)	Jessie's Arbok knows Double-Edge. Ash and co. go to Indigo Plateau.
Title cards
Japanese
For other title cards, see here and here

Bad to the Bone (Japanese: ガラガラのホネこんぼう, Hepburn: Marowak's Bone Club) is the 75th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League.

Synopsis

Our heroes are headed to the Pokémon League tournament at the Indigo Plateau when they meet another Trainer going their way. Unfortunately, all of his Gym badges have been stolen, so he can't compete...unless he takes Ash's badges instead!

Episode plot

Ash went to Professor Oak to ask for training, since he hasn't done a lot of it. Oak tells him to quit, surprising Ash, but then responds he should travel to the Indigo Plateau to train there. Ash and Pikachu run out and Delia gives him his bag. Misty and Brock are thankful to her for the hospitality, while Oak tells Ash to give his best at the League. The heroes wave goodbye to them, as they go to the Plateau.

As they go through a field, a man leaps to them, scaring them. The man introduces himself as Otoshi, who wants to test his strength before going to the League. Ash accepts the challenge, but soon denies, as he hears that the loser will hand the winner his badges. As he goes away, Otoshi tells him he is scared and will have little chance at the League. To this statement, Ash accepts the challenge, despite Brock's and Misty's warnings. Ash knows he will win and the battle begins. Ash sends Bulbasaur and Otoshi a Marowak.

Bulbasaur goes to Tackle, but Marowak evades. Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip, to which Marowak boosts itself using Focus Energy and retaliates with Bone Club, defeating Bulbasaur. Ash calls Bulbasaur back and sends Pikachu instead. Marowak uses Bone Club, but Pikachu dodges. Pikachu uses Thundershock and defeats Marowak. Otoshi is ashamed, as Marowak was his strongest Pokémon, plus he does not have any badges to give. Ash thinks Otoshi wanted the badges because he had none, but Otoshi explains that he won the badges in the Gyms and when they were hungry, they came to a pile of fruit. When they came to it, they fell in a hole, while Team Rocket grabbed his badges. Ash promises to get his badges back, as he knows how hard it was to get his own.

James and Meowth are laughing at the theft of the Badges. James wants to see them once more, but Meowth cannot find them. Meowth notices Jessie is not present and James remembers she told she needed to do some shopping and ran away, carrying a bag, so Meowth knows she stole them. Jessie goes on and imagines herself at the League, then laughs. Pidgeotto scouted, as James and Meowth fly off with the balloon, but get their balloon pierced by Pidgeotto's pecking. James and Meowth are asked where are the badges and they reply they have been stolen. Misty knows a way to see if they are speaking the truth. They present the stuff they have and the badges are not present, but junk, though James clarifies it has a sentimental value.

Marowak is mad and Meowth translates Marowak does not want to be his Pokémon, as this incident happened before the League and now he wants to part ways, as Marowak rejects Otoshi (especially since he had already proven his worthlessness as a trainer by having fallen for such an obvious trap). Otoshi shakes Meowth for this act, so the heroes decide to get the badges so Marowak returns to Otoshi. Jessie has disguised herself not to be recognized by Meowth and James. Jessie spots a boy and they show each other the badges they have. James spots Jessie and knows that behind the disguise it is her, as he has been disguised several times to know her. She points at a direction, distracting the boy and goes to take the badges, but a smoke bomb is thrown and explodes. James chants the motto and Jessie does so as well and undisguises herself.

The boy runs away, making Jessie sad she didn't get his badges. James and Meowth tell her she disgraced herself, but can get the badges. Suddenly, the heroes appear. They demand Otoshi's badges, but Jessie responds they will get if they win the battle. Otoshi goes to the battle, choosing a Doduo against her Arbok. Marowak comes to a field and sees some trainers training with their Pokémon for the League. Marowak recalls its adventures with Otoshi, then decides to go back to Otoshi. Arbok damages Doduo and when it seemed Jessie was going to get it (as she threw her Poké Ball), it gets repelled by Marowak's bone.

Otoshi calls Doduo back. Arbok charges with Double Edge, while Marowak uses Focus Energy and repels it using Bone Club, then uses Bonemerang to knock it out. James sends Weezing, but gets electrocuted (along with Arbok) by Pikachu, so Team Rocket retreats to the balloon. With Marowak's Bonemerang, the balloon explodes, Team Rocket blasts off and Misty gets Otoshi's badges. Otoshi thanks Marowak, who promises to return to him. Misty gives the badges to Otoshi, who is grateful. Brock lets Ash know that even if they are late for the League, he knows he helped someone who needed help.

During the sunset, Brock spots the Indigo Plateau, making Ash glad, as they all run downhill to that location.

Debuts

Character

Otoshi

Pokémon

Marowak

Trivia

• This episode title is based on the song of the same name by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
• This episode features clips from "Showdown in Pewter City", "The Water Flowers of Cerulean City", "Electric Shock Showdown", "Pokemon Scent-sation", "The Ninja Poke-Showdown", "Haunter vs. Kadabra", "Volcanic Panic" and "The Battle of the Badge" not in this order.
• Who's that Pokémon?: Moltres.
• This episode was banned in South Korea due to the usage of smokebombs.

Mistakes

• Pikachu's Electric attacks shouldn't have worked on Marowak due to it being a Ground type.

Dub differences

• When Brock looks at all of James's items, instead of a Pokémon card collection which appeared in the original version, photos of James are shown in the dub. The card on top is Dark Primeape from the Team Rocket expansion. The dialogue referring to them has changed accordingly.

Gallery

Oak advises Ash with strange advice

A trainer appears

Ash meets Otoshi

Otoshi vs. Ash

Marowak prepares to use Bone Club

Marowak attacks Pikachu

Marowak battles Pikachu

Pikachu won the battle

Otoshi falls down the hole

The heroes encounter James and Meowth

Meowth polishes his charm

Marowak leaves Otoshi

Otoshi shakes Meowth

Jessie goes to get more badges

James knows well his and Jessie's disguises

Jessie did not get the badges

Otoshi and Marowak train

Otoshi got burned

Doduo fight each other

Marowak stopped Jessie's Poké Ball

Marowak defeats Arbok