TB011: Charmander - The Stray Pokémon

is the 11th episode of of , Season 1 of , and of .
==Synopsis==
Our friends, lost, discover an injured Charmander. Pikachu talks to it and learns that it's been waiting a long time for its trainer to return.
Later, at a Pokémon Center, we overhear a Trainer bragging about abandoning his Charmander. Brock and Ash confront the trainer, named Damien, who challenges them to a battle. Nurse Joy breaks things up and reminds everyone that Pokémon are not to be used for settle personal disputes.
Ash, Misty, and Brock rush to retrieve the Charmander. It's not only threatened by a driving rain that could extinguish its flame, it's also under attack by a flock of Pidgeotto! Fortunately, Pikachu is able to make the Pidgeotto scatter so the Charmander could be saved.
They return to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy says the Charmander requires an overnight stay.
When our friends wake up the next morning, however, the Charmander is gone!
Is the Charmander still loyal to the neglectful Damien? Will Damien ever learn that a Trainer must be responsible for his Pokémon? And will Team Rocket's latest trap finally succeed?
==Episode plot==
On their way to Vermilion City, it is obvious that our heroes are once more lost. As they walk though, the sky begins to slowly become more overcast. They continue the path until they find a rock in which a Charmander is sitting. Ash is excited to have the chance to catch it. Brock on the other hand seems more concerned, noting that it's tail flame is weak. It could need help. Ash throws a Poké Ball, but the Charmander knocks it away. Brock suggests that Ash tries again, but the result is the same.
After this, Pikachu climbs up with Charmander and asks it about its situation. Pikachu manages to communicate to the others that Charmander is waiting for its master to return. Brock, after hearing this, believes it best to continue on without the Charmander, as it is someone else's partner. Our heroes eventually find the Pokémon Center as it begins to rain. Brock seems a little worried, but Ash tries to comfort him by telling him that the Charmander is going to be fine.
Suddenly, they hear laughter as a trainer named Damian tells the other trainers of his deed. Listening in, they discover that Damian was the owner of that Charmander, but because he viewed it as too weak, he abandoned it, promising to return, but never actually planning to do so. Brock's temper boils over and he approaches Damian violently and demands that he take responsibility for his partner. Damian refuses and eventually, the trainer and his crew depart the area, leaving Brock, Ash and Misty angered at the cruelty. They race out through the storm to the location of the Charmander to witness it being attacked by Spearow. Ash and Pikachu scare them off and the three collect the Charmander from the rain.
Bringing it back to the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy scolds them for allowing Charmander to be put into this situation, but they inform her that an abusive trainer did this, and so, Nurse Joy does everything within her power. The three heroes wait outside, worry clear on their faces. Joy then returns to them with a good prognosis, telling them that the Pokémon will be better in the morning. The next day, Charmander escapes from the Pokémon Center and returns to the rock where it was told to wait. Ash, Brock and Misty return to its side and lament that it is so loyal to such an unworthy trainer. Meanwhile, Team Rocket digs a pitfall, but Pikachu is too light to activate it.
However, Ash and the others successfully activate it, causing them to fall in. Team Rocket then dons their rubber suits to take Pikachu and manages to capture him. However, Charmander confronts Team Rocket and frees Pikachu with his Flamethrower attack. This causes Team Rocket to flee as Ash, Brock and Misty climb out of the hole. Damian, realizing his Charmander did that to Team Rocket returns to collect it, but the heroes refuse. Damian attempts to recall Charmander, but Charmander refuses.
Damian attempts to attack it, but is driven off when Charmander defends itself with Pikachu's help. Convincing the Pokémon to come with them, Ash welcomes it to the team and gives it a home in one of his spare Poké Balls.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Damian
===Pokémon===
*Ash's Charmander
==Quotes==
:"Uh, there's a bug right on your-" - Brock
:"GAAAH! Ohh! Uhh! (jumps on Ash's back) Get it away!" - Misty
:"Ah, it was just a piece of grass. (laughs)" - Brock
:(Misty gets angry and kicks Brock in the face)
:"AGH! Ohhhh..." - Brock
:"She sure is pretty. I've never seen anyone as pretty as her." - Brock
:"What're you talking about? She looks just like all the other Joy's." - Misty
:"Yeah, it's a...Joy-ful...world. All right, snap out of it." - Ash
:"So what does this thing do anyway?" - Meowth. The machine drills a hole.
:"Not another hole driller! We *tried* that already!" - Meowth
:"If at first you don't succeed..." - Jessie
:"This time we'll remember where the hole is." - James
:"Come on you, guys, get up. We gotta do something!" - Ash
:"We'd love to get up, Ash. Unfortunately, you're *standing* on us." - Misty
:"You see? Didn't I tell you we needed fireproof uniforms?" - James
:"Shut up and keep running!" - Jessie
:"Some geniuses, Meowth!" - Meowth
:"Looks like Team Rockets blasting off again! - Team Rocket
:"Charmander Return!" - Damian. Damian throws Poké ball at Charmander but Charmander whips its tail to knock back Poké Ball to Damians face. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu are shocked as Damian is angered.
:"That does it I'll crush you with every Pokémon I've got!" - Damian. Charmander and Pikachu burn and shock Damian.
:"(sobbing as he runs away) Ooh mommy ooh!" - Damian
:"Way to go!" - Brock
==Trivia==
*"Who's That Pokémon?:" Charmander (JA, EN and KO)
*Damian was seen with between 15 and 25 Poké Balls, each one containing a Pokémon; however, all Trainers carry only six Pokémon at a time.
*This is the first episode where a Pokémon willingly gets captured.
*Misty stated that Ash and co. have been looking for Vermilion City for 10 days since the last episode. Adding the time since Ash started his journey, he has been a trainer for more than 10 weeks.
*This is the first episode where Ash helps a Pokémon that isn't his.
*This is the first time Meowth translates Pokémon Language.
*Eric Stuart stands in for Nicholas James Tate as the Pokédex for this episode. He would later assume the role proper in "Who Gets To Keep Togepi?"
*This episode aired on Megan Hollingshead (voice of Nurse Joy)'s 30th birthday.
===Mistakes===
*In some scenes, Ash is seen without the cheek marks.
*When Misty and Ash commented on Damian, Ash's jacket blends in with the background.
*In the games, Route 24 did not take the player character to Vermilion City. It is North of Cerulean City.
===Dub differences===
*In the original Japanese version, Damian mentions to his friends that his Charmander was so weak that it couldn't defeat a Poliwag. The English version changes it into the weakest opponents, which created a dialogue error when Brock immediately remarks Charmander is naturally weak against Water-type Pokémon.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes in which a main character obtains a new Pokémon
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Brock