EP009

The School of Hard Knocks No picture currently available.

EP009   ポケモンひっしょうマニュアル Pokémon Victory Manual

First broadcast Japan May 27, 1997 United States September 18, 1998

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター Ending ひゃくごじゅういち

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 首藤剛志 Takeshi Shudō Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 玉川明洋 Akihiro Tamagawa No additional credits are available at this time.

The School of Hard Knocks (Japanese: ポケモンひっしょうマニュアル Pokémon Victory Manual) is the ninth episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on May 27, 1997 and in USA on September 18, 1998.

Ash and his friends stumble upon a school made for Pokémon trainers who would rather study than collect badges.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Major events

• Jessie and James relate how they flunked out of Pokémon Tech in the past.

Debuts

• Giselle
• Joe

Characters

Humans

• Ash Ketchum
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Giselle
• Joe

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Starmie (Misty's)
• Weepinbell (Joe's; debut)
• Graveler (Giselle's; debut)
• Cubone (Giselle's; debut)
• Pidgey
• Pidgeotto
• Pidgeot (debut)

Trivia

Dub edits

• A scene with Misty hitting Brock in the head with a log was cut from the dub. This occurs right before the title screen appears.

Who's That Pokémon?

• Cubone

In other languages

• French: L'école crève-coeur
• Portuguese (Brazil): A Escola dos Golpes Duros
• Spanish: La Escuela Difícil

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