TB036: The Bridge Bike Gang

"The Bridge Bike Gang"
Information
Series	Pocket Monsters, Pokémon the Series: The Beginning
Subtitle	Pocket Monsters
Season	Season 1, Pokémon: Indigo League
№	036
Opening(s) and Ending(s)	Japanese Opening Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Ending Meowth's Song Korean Opening Start of An Adventure Ending We Are All Friends English Opening Pokémon Theme Ending Kanto Pokérap
Staff credits	脚本(きゃくほん) (Screenplay) 大橋志吉 (Yukiyoshi Ōhashi) 絵(え)コンテ (Storyboard) 横田和 (Kazu Yokota) 助手(じょしゅ)監督(かんとく) (Assistant director(s)) 大町繁 (Shigeru Ōmachi) 作画(さくが)監督(かんとく) (Animation director(s)) 武田優作 (Yūsaku Takeda)
In other countries
Japan	Title あらしのサイクリングロード Airdate December 2, 1997
Japan	Title あらしのサイクリングロード Airdate December 2, 1997
South Korea	Title 긴급상황 포켓몬을 구하라() Airdate November 17, 1999
South Korea	Title 긴급상황 포켓몬을 구하라() Airdate November 17, 1999
Anglosphere	Title The Bridge Bike Gang Airdate(s) October 23, 1998 Notes ^ a: Signifies that it only applies to the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and SG
Anglosphere	Title The Bridge Bike Gang Airdate(s) October 23, 1998 Notes ^ a: Signifies that it only applies to the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and SG
Portugal and Brazil	Title(s) A Gangue das Bicicletas Airdate(s) June 24, 1999
Portugal and Brazil	Title(s) A Gangue das Bicicletas Airdate(s) June 24, 1999
Details
Main	Ash Ketchum, Misty, Brock
Recurring	Jessie, James, Nurse Joy
Minor	Chopper, Tyra, Norman
Character(s) of the Day	Chopper, Tyra
Pokémon	Ash's Pikachu, Team Rocket's Meowth, Ash's Bulbasaur, Ash's Charmander, Misty's Psyduck, Chopper's Golem, Tyra's Cloyster, Shellder
Badges or Classes

The Bridge Bike Gang (Japanese: あらしのサイクリングロード, Hepburn: Stormy Cycling Road) is the 36th episode of Pocket Monsters of Pocket Monsters (1997 series), Season 1 of Pokémon the Series, and Pokémon: Indigo League of Pokémon the Series: The Beginning.

Synopsis

In the course of a journey, one meets up with many different things. Returning to civilization after a long period of wandering, our heroes find a bridge that reaches 20 kilometers in length. There is no way to reach Sunnytown—on the other side of the bridge—but by crossing. The bridge, however, has been designed especially for bicycles. The party tries to purchase bicycles in order to cross the bridge, but lacking the funds and otherwise at a complete loss, they decide to stop by the Pokémon Center and re-evaluate their plans. At the Pokémon Center, by pure luck, a job awaits them—delivering medicine to Sunnytown.

Episode plot

Just leaving the Safari Zone, Ash, Misty, and Brock comes across a bridge which could be used as a shortcut to Sunny Town. They are about to walk across it when a guard tells them that the bridge is not finished. Ash asks him if they can walk but he says that the bridge is over ten miles long and it will get dark by the time they got there. He also says that the road is not finished but the bicycle path is and if they had bikes they could cross as well. Misty complains that if Ash hadn't wrecked her bike, they could go across the bridge. Ash and his friends go to the Pokémon Center to think of a plan to get a bike. Nurse Joy is very worried and Brock asks her what's wrong. Nurse Joy says she's worried about a sick Pokémon in Sunny Town. The Nurse Joy in Sunny Town asked Nurse Joy to deliver some medicine to Sunny Town, but Nurse Joy is too busy to deliver it. Ash and his friends volunteer to deliver the medicine, but they don't have bikes. Nurse Joy lends them some bikes that the Pokémon Center owns. Soon, Ash and his friends are racing across the bridge to Sunny Town. Under the bridge, however, Team Rocket see Ash's group on the bike path.

After Ash's group finishes a drink break they see a bike gang approaches Ash and his friends. They try to escape, but they are surrounded. Chopper, the leader of the gang, says that they want an introduction. Ash, Misty and Brock introduce themselves and run off. Then A female biker, Tyra, exclaims that "introduction" means Pokémon Battle. Brock couldn't resist flirting with her and he not only gets slapped, he gets rejected. Ash accepts and sends out Bulbasaur and Chopper sends out Golem. Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip, but Golem goes into its shell, rendering the attack useless and KOs Bulbasaur by using Tackle. Ash sends out Charmander and has it use Ember, which didn't do any good against Golem. Golem uses Rock Throw (which is just Golem using its own body) to strike at Charmander, but misses. Charmander uses Flamethrower and Fire Spin to keep Golem from moving. Golem then uses Tackle, it begins rolling around encased in flames. Charmander dodges as everyone is scared to see the rolling ball of fire roll towards them and they run with their buttocks on fire from Golem. Ash and Charmander couldn't help but laugh their heads off. Chopper recalls Golem, but the Poké Ball gets heated up from Golem, who is still on fire, and Chopper starts yelping while tossing the Poké Ball in his hands like a hot potato.

The lieutenant of the bike gang, Tyra, challenges Misty to a battle. Misty agrees and Tyra sends out Cloyster. Misty tries to sends out Starmie, but Psyduck pops out. Misty at first is outraged and tells the duck Pokémon she wanted Starmie, but then reluctantly decides to give Psyduck a chance. When Psyduck appears, the bike gang start laughing at Psyduck, one of the bikers saying he'd never seen such a pathetic Pokémon. Misty tells it to use Tail Whip, so he pathetically starts approaching Cloyster, shaking its tail. Ash tries to stifle His laughing. Psyduck's "attack" fails and it pricks its tail on Cloyster's spiky shell. As Psyduck jumps into the air, screaming, Tyra and the entire biker gang laugh harder. After a few rounds of this humiliation, Cloyster uses Clamp to trap Psyduck's tail and Misty loses the match. A desperate Misty decides to give Psyduck a headache herself using her bike, despite Brock trying to stop her. everyone hears a noise that sounds like a siren. The bike gang suspect the other town wants to rumble, but Team Rocket then appear and say their motto. At first the biker gang are hostile, but when they see who they are for real, they treat Jessie and James like heroes because they used to be a part of their biker gang.

Jessie tells the gang a favor to help them to take care of Ash and his friends. Chopper agrees and Meowth orders the biker gang to capture Ash and his friends' Pokémon. Luckily, before Chopper and his gang can attack Ash and his friends, the police, led by Officer Jenny, quickly arrive, with Jenny recognizing the biker gang as the troublemakers that they were after. The gang quickly make a run for it. Team Rocket is confused by their sudden departure, but upon seeing the police cruisers and realizing that they are outnumbered, they too are forced to leave. Officer Jenny offered to give Ash and his friends a ride, but then she said she had a job to do when a radio call comes in requesting her assistance. Suddenly, the weather turned crazy and a storm came in. Meanwhile, Chopper and Tyra tell Team Rocket to ride through the storm on their unicycles.

At the Sunny Town Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy is getting worried because the sick Pokémon, a Shellder, is getting worse and Ash and his friends are nowhere in sight. On the bridge, a ship was passing by and the bridge raised up. Ash is determined to get across the bridge because if he waited, it would be to late for the sick Shellder. Team Rocket tries to get across the up lifted bridge, but Ash bounces on their heads and knock them into the water. As the biker gang sees Ash ruin Team Rocket's stunt, they angrily challenge Ash to another battle. Ash says he can't because he has to get to Sunny Town and deliver medicine for a sick Pokémon. The biker gang realize how brave Ash and his friends are for trying to bike through the storm. The gang joins Ash and his friends to help them get to Sunny Town.

They finally arrive at the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy immediately gives the sick Shellder the medicine. The Shellder is immediately healed by the medicine. The biker gang's new heroes became "Awesome Ash" and "Mighty Misty". Brock crushes on Tyra, telling her that she can call him "honey." Tyra responds by slapping him right across the face. Meanwhile, Team Rocket (all on one unicycle) emerges from the water slowly pedaling away depressed at their defeat much to a passerby's surprise.

Debuts

Character

• Chopper
• Tyra

Pokémon

• Golem
• Cloyster
• Shellder
• Farfetch'd (on painting)

Move

• Withdraw
• Clamp

Trivia

• Chopper's bike is designed to look like Zapdos.
• This episode marks the first time Misty pulls Brock away by ear when he flirts with a girl.
• This episode marks the first time Misty tries to trick her opponent into attacking Psyduck's head.
• The "Who's that Pokémon?" in this episode is Cloyster.

Mistakes

• The narrator says that Ash and co. went to the Safari Zone, but in the English version of Pokémon, this episode was skipped because it was banned.
• When Team Rocket is spying on Ash and co, Jessie's earrings are miscolored.
• The blush on Pikachu's cheek is missing in one scene.
• Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip on Golem that does not affect it because Golem has gone inside its shell, even though all Grass-type moves should be super-effective against Pokémon of Rock- and Ground-type.

Dub differences

• In the dub Misty complains about doing all the work on the bike she and Brock share, while in the original version she is upset because she wanted a bike only she rode, not a shared bike.

Gallery

Ash, Misty and Brock came to a bridge

The heroes don't have money to buy bicycles

Brock flirts with Nurse Joy

Brock gets his ear pulled

Golem tackles Bulbasaur

Golem gets heated up

Chopper's Poké Ball is hot

Psyduck gets scared

Misty attempts to make a headache

Jessie the biker, swinging her chain

James the biker, using additional wheels

Officer Jenny tracks down the bikers

James and Jessie do not like the idea of going through the storm

Meowth is told that he won't be left out

Jessie and James go to ride the bicycles for the fans

Ash, Misty and Brock cross the bridge

Jessie, James and Meowth fly

Brock gets hit for flirting with Tyra