Weaponry in the Pokémon world

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In the anime

Weaponry, mainly firearms, have appeared in the anime numerous times. While there is generally no concern with this as weapon use is rather mild, an extreme case caused one episode to be banned. Weapons in the anime were a common occurrence in the first half of the Original series, but when the Johto League story arc premiered, all kinds of real-life weapons were practically absent from the show, aside from weapons associated with Team Rocket's mechas.

Weaponry continued appearing from the Advanced Generation series onwards, though less often.

Episode	Details	Image
Challenge of the Samurai	The boy dressed as a samurai pulls out a katana (samurai sword) on several occasions during the episode, but never uses it. The sword is actually just a harmless plastic replica.
Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village	Brock uses a hunting knife to cut down a net trap that had caught Ash, Misty, and Pikachu.
Here Comes the Squirtle Squad!	Team Rocket use a bazooka, albeit with cherry blossom petals as ammunition, and a submachine gun to carry out an armed robbery of the Poké Mart for bomb ingredients. Shortly thereafter, the store owners and customers mistake Ash for a member of Team Rocket trying to rob the store again and point several handguns, shotguns, and assault rifles at Ash's head. Later in the episode, Team Rocket use the bombs that they had previously stolen to try to destroy the Squirtle Squad.
Mystery at the Lighthouse	Jessie and James try to ward off the Dragonite approaching Bill's lighthouse by using bazookas with live missiles.
Beauty and the Beach	Team Rocket try to destroy Porta Vista by firing a missile at the city.
Tentacool & Tentacruel	Nastina and her army use tanks, assault rifles, and rocket launchers to try to kill the Tentacool. She also fires several rounds from a tank, even once at Team Rocket. Team Rocket, Nastina, and her army also attempt to use biological weapons to destroy the Tentacool.
The Ghost of Maiden's Peak	During the flashback to the war 2,000 years prior, armored soldiers are seen carrying spears. Later, Jessie fires a bazooka at the Ghost of Maiden's Peak (a disguised Gastly) to no effect.
Bye Bye Butterfree	When Ash and his friends infiltrate Team Rocket's hideout where they have stashed all the stolen Butterfree, they attack Ash and Misty's Pokémon with sledgehammers and a clamp. Jessie even manages to hit Misty's Starmie with a sledgehammer.
Haunter vs. Kadabra	Haunter pulls out a spherical bomb from its mouth, which explodes in its and Sabrina's faces.
Pokémon Scent-sation!	Team Rocket uses a small but powerful bomb that explodes and blows a hole through the roof of the Celadon City Gym, as well as setting the Gym on fire.
Dig Those Diglett	The foreman uses a hammer to attack the Diglett, although the Diglett retreat into the ground before the hammer can hit them. This may be a reference to the game Whac-A-Mole.
The Ninja-Poké-Showdown	While wandering in the labyrinth of the Fuchsia Gym, Aya uses shuriken to pin Ash to a wooden trap door. Meowth also uses Koga's Voltorb as exploding bowling balls to attack Ash and his friends.
The Flame Pokémon-athon!	Right after the race begins, Team Rocket use a slingshot to hit a Trainer's Tauros in the face, causing it to run into a Nidorina, which takes them out of the race and into a fight.
The Kangaskhan Kid	This violent episode had much weaponry use throughout. In the first few minutes of the show, Ash tries to capture what he thinks is a Chansey but it turns out to be Safari Ranger Jenny wearing a Chansey hat. She then aims an M1 carbine at the group and orders Ash to drop the Poké Ball. James uses a tranquilizer gun to knock out the Kangaskhan. Tommy uses a boomerang as a weapon, hitting Ash in the face with it. With it, he also knocks the fuel cap off of Team Rocket's mecha, leaking fuel everywhere; combined with Ash's Charmander's Flamethrower attack set the mecha ablaze. Then, Tommy's parents crash into the mecha with a helicopter to save Tommy, Ash, and his friends. Throughout the episode, hammers, logs, and fists are used to hit people.
EP035	This episode was banned due to the Safari Zone Warden pointing a revolver at Ash and even firing at Team Rocket. Team Rocket even held Kaiser hostage and pointed guns at him. Due to this, it left a major plot hole in the anime. Dubs were made, but never aired. Team Rocket also uses a bomb to hurt the Pokémon in the Dragon Valley in order to fish out a Dratini living there.
EP038	While Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Team Rocket are inside the computer system, a virus clean-up software represented as a floating ambulance fires missiles at Porygon while the whole group is riding on it.
Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon	Team Rocket used a large amount of dynamite to blow up Grandpa Canyon.
Princess vs. Princess	Before the final match of the Princess contest between Misty and Jessie, James and Meowth are dressed up in Mafia-style clothing and Meowth is holding a Thompson submachine gun. Meowth then asks Jessie "You want us to take care of her?"
The Purr-fect Hero	At the beginning of the episode, Ash and Brock tell Misty that Kids' Day should be a boy's holiday only, because of the Princess festival that had recently occurred. The next scene shows Brock dressed up in samurai armor and holding a katana.
The Case of the K-9 Caper!	Early in the episode, Ash and his friends come across a policeman acting as a burglar fleeing. Ash tries to order Pikachu to stop him, but the policeman is holding a pistol, which scares Pikachu. Also, Team Rocket use two gases as weapons to dull the Pokémon's sniffing ability and to cause the character's voices to become high-pitched. One substance may be Gloom pollen, as it is labeled with a Gloom, the same color as one, and accompanied by the same sound effect as Gloom's pollen. The latter is implied to be helium.
Pokémon Paparazzi	At the start of the episode, Ash panics and tries to get everyone down to the ground when he sees a glint of light from Todd's camera, which he assumes to be the scope of a sniper rifle. When Team Rocket captures Pikachu, James throws two bombs at Todd and Ash. James's third bomb blows up in his face after he is distracted by Ash's photo.
It's Mr. Mime Time	Team Rocket use a tank with live rockets to viciously attack Ash, Misty, Brock, Stella, and her Pokémon.
Make Room for Gloom	When Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock arrive at the Xanadu nursery, they start peeking through the glass dome that is the nursery. They then encounter a man named Potter who is holding something that they mistake as a flamethrower. It is then revealed to be a garden spray.
To Master The Onixpected!	Team Rocket successfully fire two rounds of a rocket launcher at an Onix. It emerges unscathed and chases after them.
Pallet Party Panic	Team Rocket attacks Pallet Town by throwing bombs at the townspeople.
Shell Shock!	James throws a bomb at Umberto and many people hit it away until Ash gets it. He then throws it away and it explodes.
Stage Fight!	Team Rocket fires two live Magikarp look-alike torpedoes at the Pokémon Showboat.
Bound for Trouble	Team Rocket fire a beam cannon at Ash, Misty, Tracey, and Psyduck.
Charizard Chills	Team Rocket use buzzsaws to attack Ash, Pikachu, and Charizard.
Viva Las Lapras	The two antagonists in this episode, Captain Crook and Scuz, fire cannons with live cannonballs at Ash, his Pikachu, and Lapras.
The Whistle Stop	James fires a bazooka loaded with a net to pin down Ash, Brock, Misty, and Arielle.
The Poké Spokesman	Team Rocket uses a rocket launcher with live missiles to attack the criminals' hideout in order to rescue Simon. This scene was removed for the dub.
The Big Balloon Blow-up	During the balloon race, Jessie and James use a rocket launcher to shoot down Ash and Skyler's balloons.
A Poached Ego!	Rico uses an FN P90.
A Togepi Mirage!	The royal army of the Mirage Kingdom use spears as weapons.
Crazy as a Lunatone!	This is one of the few occurrences of live missiles appearing in this arc of the Pokémon anime. Minor villains use live missiles to destroy the meteor containing Lunatone.
Losing Its Lustrous!	Mars detonates explosive charges inside the ruins of Celestic Town, causing a diversionary panic and serious damage to an archaeological site and landmark of Sinnoh.
Saving the World From Ruins!	Mars threatens to destroy Iron Island with a remote-controlled demolition system, but when she triggers the explosives, the attempt is foiled by Riley and his Lucario.
Stealing the Conversation!	Team Rocket attack Ash and his friends with a bowling pin mecha that's armed with bowling pin missiles. Also, it is shown that this episode's Officer Jenny uses three bowling balls to incapacitate and arrest criminals despite its potential to cause serious blunt force trauma in real life at the high speeds with which she throws them.
Noodles! Roamin' Off!	Meowth fires a bazooka to save Jessie and James from being blasted by a shiny Metagross's Hyper Beam.
Trials and Adulations!	Team Rocket try to attack Aggron and Mamoswine with a Golem mecha armed with rock-shaped missiles.
Pillars of Friendship!	Hunter J's airship attacks Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel with Lasers.
Frozen on Their Tracks!	Meowth fires a bazooka loaded with a capture bag at Pikachu's group.
Gateway to Ruin!	Agent Looker fights off several Galactic Grunts armed with staffs.
An Egg Scramble!	Meowth uses a bazooka with a retractable grappling hand to steal Dawn's Cyndaquil Egg.
The Treasure Is All Mine!	The treasure chest that contains a love letter from James' childhood fired live missiles which caused damage to Growlie, and even had a laser gun that sent Team Rocket blasting off.
Dreams by the Yard Full!	Team Rocket's scanning machine attacks Ash and his friends with blue particle blasts.
A Rival Battle for Club Champ!	Team Rocket are found and entrapped by Officer Jenny and a sizable squad of Unova policemen armed with batons.
A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!	Ash and his friends are attacked by a sword-wielding suit of medieval armor controlled by a Yamask.
Gotta Catch A Roggenrola!	Team Rocket tests out the Roggenrola Cannon, an experimental energy weapon built by Dr. Zager that uses a hexagonal array of 19 Roggenrola which are energized and forced to use a combined and intensified Flash Cannon. When they try to use it directly on Ash and his friends, the 18 captive Roggenrola disable the weapon by taking control of their core energies and overloading its systems with a reverse-polarity charge.
Beheeyem, Duosion, and the Dream Thief!	Officer Jenny uses a small breaching charge to destroy a glass balcony door.
Ash and N: A Clash of Ideals!	Looker uses a pipe while fighting against Team Plasma.
Team Plasma and the Awakening Ceremony!
A Pokémon of a Different Color!	Under the command of Meowth, James holds and Jessie fires a bazooka loaded with a capture bag to catch a shiny Druddigon.
Pikachu's Vacation	Meowth pulls out a bomb in attempt to stop all the noise that Pikachu and all the other Pokémon have been making trying to rescue Charizard.
The Power of One	Lawrence III's flying machine attacks Fire Island with a turret that can project ice energy blasts. Later, it is shown attacking Articuno with fire energy blasts.
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew	During the flashback to the war 2,000 years prior, armored soldiers are seen carrying swords and shields.
Arceus and the Jewel of Life	The past soldiers of Michina are armed with sasumata (Japanese man catchers).

In the games

Game	Details	Image
Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen	In Generation I, numerous trainers are armed with whips, including Cooltrainers, Team Rocket Grunts, Rockers, Tamers, and Gym Leader Sabrina. For the Generation III remakes, most lost these whips, but Tamers did retain them.
Gold, Silver, Crystal, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 Versions	The Policeman trainer class are armed with batons.
X and Y	While there is no real world analogue for the ultimate weapon, in terms of purpose and destructive capabilities it can be classified as a fictional weapon of mass destruction.

In Pokémon designs

Pokémon themselves are the primary reason weaponry is sparse in the Pokémon world: Pokémon battles are the main method of fighting, and thus Pokémon themselves can be considered the weapons. In fact, the design documents for the first Pokémon games mentions that they considered having trainers fight alongside their Pokémon, but this was removed because "If you can fight on your own, what’s the point of having Pokémon?"

However, some Pokémon themselves use held weapons rather than their claws or fists. Others are modeled after real-world weaponry.

Pokémon who use weapons

Pokémon	Details	Image
Farfetch'd	This Pokémon wields a leek which its Pokédex entry states is used "like a sword".
Cubone and Marowak	These Pokémon wield clubs made out of bones.

Pokémon who are based on weapons

Pokémon	Details	Image
Remoraid and Octillery	Remoraid's design is based off a revolver, while its evolution Octillery is based off a cannon.
Honedge, Doublade and Aegislash	These Pokémon are swords which have been possessed by ghosts.

References

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.