Brock

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.

In Their Own Story

Designed by Ken Sugimori as a 'gym leader', a Pokémon trainer that acts as an area boss, Brock was introduced in Red and Blue. Due to the nature of the game's development, only one set of concept sketches was done before implementing the character as sprite art within the game. Originally intended to be the game's second gym leader battle, Brock was changed to be the first instead for the game's final release. To illustrate that Brock rarely smiles, Sugimori drew him with his eyes always closed, something he considered a rare decision. For the anime, Brock was designed by Atsuko Nishida. In the anime, Brock was one of the companions to protagonist Ash Ketchum. However, he was eventually replaced with the character Tracey Sketchit. His removal was controversial, leading to fan outcry that caused him to be reintroduced to the anime. Despite them noting that they like to change up the cast in general, it was also clarified that they were worried that fans may perceive Brock as a racist stereotype by Americans, namely due to his thin eyes. This was a worry they had since the beginning of the series, and while there were no complaints, they anticipated controversy. Furthermore, the company specifically included Tracey, wanting to include a 'tall, Anglo-Saxon looking person to be on the safe side.' They ultimately decided to introduce Brock again due to the lack of complaints and their personal affinity for him. He has since been one of the most recurring characters in the show.

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. Originally intended to be the game's second gym leader battle, Brock was changed to be the first instead for the game's final release. In the anime, his character arc is defined by a transition from a static guardian to a dynamic learner. 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. 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.

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.