Although Ash no longer journeys with the Pokémon anime’s iconic hopeless romantic, Brock the Pewter Gym Leader still occasionally appears in the series, most notably in Journeys as an official Pokémon Doctor. He has several Pokémon of his own and rotates them out frequently. Although he doesn’t own quite as many Pokémon as Ash does, Brock still has a sizable 10 Pokémon that he is proud to call his partners. These are all of the Pokémon that Brock currently owns.
Steelix
Originally an Onix, Brock’s first partner was a Rock-type dictated by the Gym Leader tradition. Brock received this Pokemon as a birthday gift when he turned 10. Onix was a reliable and dependable partner in the early series, and its reputation was only further cemented when it evolved into Steelix and was later revealed to be capable of Mega Evolution. Brock used Mega Steelix to battle Kiawe in Alola, alongside Misty using Mega Gyarados to battle Ash. this proved to be a fiery return for both characters. This powerful Pokémon is a tough, steely opponent with its vast repertoire of moves like Dragon Breath and Stone Edge.
Geodude
Another Pokémon that Brock used as a Gym Leader, his Geodude also possesses a personality similar to that of Steelix. Though this Pokémon has not been seen since Brock’s battle with Kiawe in Alola, it too possesses a variety of powerful moves like Mega Punch that make it a powerful partner to Brock. Despite it never having evolved, Geodude is also a staple of his early team and one that has not been forgotten by many fans.
Crobat
Brock’s Crobat has been one of his most used and longest-running partners. Though its capture was never shown onscreen, it was known early on that Brock had a Zubat on his team. Its tricky moves like Supersonic and Whirlwind were used to get the team out of a jam more than once. It should be no surprise that Brock’s Zubat was able to fully evolve into a Crobat, an evolution that only happens when a Golbat has a high enough Friendship with its Trainer in the video games. A reliable Pokémon with lots of potential, Brock’s Crobat stands alongside his Geodude and Steelix as one of his best.
Forretress
Originally obtained as a Pineco, the now-Forretress was the only new Pokémon that Brock caught while he was traveling in Johto alongside Ash and Misty. Brock was enthusiastic to catch a Pokémon like Pineco due to its volatile disposition, and this proved to be true with Pineco being the first of Brock’s Pokémon to frequently use its moves on him (namely Self-Destruct and Explosion). Now a Fortress, Brock has left this Pokémon in the care of Pewter Gym as of late.
Ludicolo
This hopeless flirt is very similar in personality to Brock. Originally a Lotad, Brock’s Ludicolo is most known for its evolution from Lombre. When a Mawile owned by a Trainer named Samantha fell in love with Lombre and the Pokémon was unwilling to reciprocate its affection, Brock kept trying to get closer to Samantha. This ultimately resulted in Lombre accidentally evolving into Ludicolo, upon which it became a happy and carefree Pokémon. Though it hasn’t made an appearance since the days of Hoenn, we can only hope that one day we get to see this frolicking Pokémon in action once again.
Marshtomp
This is the first and only starter Pokémon that Brock has held with him in the entire series. Caught as a Mudkip, it later evolved into a Marshtomp during a practice battle; similar to Ludicolo, it too inherited Brock’s flirtatious side when it fell madly in love with another Trainer’s Flaafy. Though he hasn’t used this Pokémon in battle as much as some of his other partners, Brock’s Marshtomp is still special to him in its own way.
Sudowoodo
Brock’s Sudowoodo originally started on his team as a Bonsly that he caught while training at Ninja School. Although this Pokémon was not the center of many battles, it has been involved in quite a few strange events, from being an accidental film star to competing in Contests. Additionally, this Bonsly was caught in the Hoenn region—something that isn’t normally possible; this is because Bonsly was among a handful of Sinnoh Pokémon that were revealed early. Bonsly later evolved into Sudowoodo when Brock took Bonsly with him to the Sinnoh region, and was instrumental in raising Brock’s Happiny when it later hatched.
Blissey
Brock originally received Blissey as an Egg as a prize in a dress-up contest. Brock’s Croagunk, dressed as Politoed, had stolen the show. This allowed Brock to secure a new Pokémon Egg, which later hatched into Happiny. It’s safe to say this nurturing Pokémon was the biggest hand in driving Brock’s path to become a Pokémon Doctor, as Happiny later evolved into a Chansey and used its move Soft-Boiled to save Baby Pokémon suffering from poison. When Brock reappeared recently in Pokémon Journeys, Chansey did, as well, now a Blissey, as it had evolved offscreen.
Croagunk
Undoubtedly the sassiest of Brock’s Pokémon, Croagunk is best known for its habit of jabbing Brock with a Poison Jab whenever he tries to flirt with a lady. Originally used by Team Rocket for a diabolical plan involving a fake Pokémon Gym, Croagunk got left behind when Team Rocket was sent blasting off. Brock ultimately captured the Pokémon, and it has since been with Brock, preventing his flirting attempts. However, Croagunk does show that it cares about its Trainer. It has managed to protect Brock from harm many times and even managed to hold its own against its evolved form, Toxicroak.
Comfey
Last but not least comes this Pokémon that Brock obtained in his short-lived time in Alola, Comfey. This Pokémon was given to him as a gift by a Nurse Joy in the Melemele Pokémon Center, which he later used to help treat an injured baby Kangaskhan. Unfortunately, Brock has only ever used this Pokemon once in the series, so we don’t know if he still uses it in his party frequently or not. Perhaps one day it will return and make more appearances.
(images: The Pokemon Company)
Published: Jun 23, 2022 05:56 pm