Brock

The Pewter City Gym Leader who became a traveling companion and Pokémon Breeder.

Brock, known as Takeshi (タケシ) in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. In the Pokémon video games, he is the Gym Leader of Pewter City in the Kanto region and mainly uses Rock-type Pokémon. In the anime series, Ash first battles him and then invites Brock to accompany him on his journey so that Brock can become a Pokémon Breeder. He exited the series at the start of Season Two, replaced by Tracey Sketchit, due to worries that people may find him to be a racial stereotype due to his thin eyes. However, when the company noticed that no one complained, they reintroduced him. He has generally been well-received, with fans of the anime happy whenever he is brought back into the series.

Quick Facts

Series: Pokémon
First game: Pokémon Red and Blue (1996)
Creator: Ken Sugimori
Designer: Ken Sugimori; Atsuko Nishida (anime)

Lore & Background

Brock is the Gym Leader of Pewter City in the fictional region of Kanto. He specializes in Rock-type Pokémon, and the player may battle him in Pokémon Red and Blue, Gold and Silver, as well as subsequent remakes of both. He also appears as an opponent in Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2. Brock, along with Misty and Blue, return in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 as tournament opponents.

Alongside his Onix, Brock also appears as a sync pair in Pokémon Masters EX near the beginning of the game. In the Pokémon anime, Brock aspires to be the greatest Pokémon Breeder in the world, but remains as the Pewter City Gym Leader to take care of his nine siblings. After he is defeated by Ash, he gives Ash the badge, despite Ash thinking he didn't deserve it. Brock ultimately joins Ash so that he can pursue his dream of being a Pokémon Breeder.

He eventually leaves his friends in the Orange Islands series to join Professor Felina Ivy, who he is attracted to, and was replaced by Tracey Sketchit. Brock eventually rejoins Ash, having left Ivy for unknown reasons, and travels with him and Misty to Johto. Since then, he has departed and reunited with Ash and others in Hoenn and Sinnoh. He is largely absent after this until the Sun & Moon series, where he appears in a few episodes alongside Misty when he reunites with Ash. He makes another reappearance in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series during the final episodes of Ash's journey.

Reader's Guide

Brock begins as the first major hurdle for new trainers in Pokémon Red and Blue, representing the Rock-type specialty of Pewter City. Initially focused solely on his gym duties and family obligations (taking care of his nine siblings), he joins Ash's party to broaden his horizons and pursue his dream of becoming a Pokémon Breeder.

Did You Know?

Brock was originally intended to be the game's second gym leader battle, but was changed to be the first instead for the game's final release.
To illustrate that Brock rarely smiles, Ken Sugimori drew him with his eyes always closed, something he considered a rare decision.
Brock's removal from the anime was controversial, leading to fan outcry that caused him to be reintroduced.
The company specifically included Tracey Sketchit as a replacement, wanting to include a 'tall, Anglo-Saxon looking person to be on the safe side.'
Brock was voiced in Japanese by Yūji Ueda in the Pokemon anime and by Eric Stuart in English.