EP071

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To Master the Onixpected (Japanese: してんのうシバとうじょう！ Shiba of the Shitennō Enters!) is episode 71 of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on November 19, 1998 and in the United States on October 11, 1999.

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

Synopsis

Ash has 3 weeks left to the Pokémon League and is behind in training. The episode begins by showing Ash and Brock watching T.V. It is a Pokémon League battle with the Elite 4 member Bruno using his Hitmonchan. Misty turns it off and tells Ash he better start training. Ash says that he was training by watching Bruno and his tactics. Brock says they were learning his secrets and Misty asks Ash what they are. Ash doesn't know and Brock's head droops. Misty says I guess they're too secret to be known. Ash wishes that Bruno would help him train and Ash's mom says that she know where he is. Apparently he trains up in the mountains. On hearing this Ash jumps up and says that they are going to the mountains today.

After reaching the mountains, Ash and Brock complain about how hungry and tired they are. They meet an old lady that is complaining about how people keep stealing her meatballs and look down at the plate she has and sees it to be empty. She looks up and sees Ash and Brock eating them. Misty says they must be really hungry to eat them when they see Jessie and James in the distance. The old lady yells at them to stop and she goes after them and hits them with her broom making them drop the 3 bags of meatballs they were carrying. Jessie complains her mouth hurts after eating the meatballs and James says he bit his tongue. He tells Ash that since they always lose to them they gave up and are living off the wilderness. They leave and Ash asks about the mountain. The lady tells them that the mountain is known for their overgrown Onix and Brock says that the fertile soil must make them grow bigger. A few hours later Ash looks down and sees what looks like a road.

Brock says that it was probably made by a really big creature, an Onix. Right then an Onix comes up and they run for their lives. A man further ahead beckons them to jump behind a rock. They do so and the Onix goes by them leaving them unharmed. Ash turns to thank him and Brock and Ash's face go into looks of awe. Misty asks them who is it and they say that this man is none other than Bruno. Brock gets on his knees, kisses Bruno's feet and begs him to help Ash train for the Pokémon League. Brock motions for Ash to get down as well and he kneels and also begs but Brock says that isn't enough and pulls him down so his head is on the ground. Bruno agrees to help Ash as long as they do everything he tells them to do.

They start the lesson by carrying two buckets of water which Brock says must make them physically strong and balanced. Ash is okay for a couple of steps then falls over splashing Misty and Brock. Ash smiles sheepishly and agrees he's got to work on balance. The next lesson is chopping wood and Brock says this is to give Ash a good grip. Ash chops the wood and sends a piece flying in Misty's direction hitting her in the face and knocking her off the log she was sitting on. The next lesson is to peel a twig and Ash peels it perfectly. Bruno takes it and says to them to always pack a fork and he breaks the twig in two and uses them as chopsticks. Ash is a little discouraged by this and Misty thinks all of Bruno's lessons are phony. Brock denies this and is ready to prove Bruno is a great trainer. Brock says that he will sneak up behind him and hit him with a stick. Bruno should sense Brock and stop the attack. He has a day dream about him doing so and goes behind Bruno and puts all his force into the attack. The stick collides with his head giving him a huge bump and he falls over. Brock is shocked by this.

Ash asks what are the secrets of Pokémon Training. Bruno says there are no such secrets. He just came up here to catch a strong Onix. That leaves Ash, Brock and Misty groaning. Team Rocket overhears the conversation and says that all they have to do is catch a strong Onix and they'll be as good as the Elite 4. Jesse and James say that they have an unexpectable weapon to catch Onix. At that moment a huge Onix comes along and Team Rocket shoots their gun weapon at it hitting it and thus making it angry. It rises up to full height and Team Rocket run for their life. They spot a cave and go hide inside it.

Onix starts banging himself against the wall of the cave making it to cave in. Team Rocket shouts for help which Ash and the others hear. Ash says that they have to save Team Rocket. Brock sends out his Onix and Misty sends out Staryu. Ash chooses Squirtle. Brock orders Onix to use his Tackle attack, but Onix gets knocked back due to the size of the huge Onix. Misty tells Staryu to use Water Gun and Ash orders Squirtle to use Water Gun too. Team Rocket uses this opportunity to run for their lives. The wild Onix is recovering from the double Water Gun attack and uses it's tail to hit Staryu and Squirtle and Brock's Onix. The Onix then whaps it's tail at the edge of the deep ditch the others are standing on and Ash loses his balance and falls in. Pikachu jumps down and uses its Thundershock attack. But it is no use. Ash grabs Pikachu saying electric attacks don't affect rock Pokémon and they huddle together waiting for Onix to attack them. Suddenly Bruno jumps down really fast and picks up Ash and Pikachu and saves them from Onix. He says that he will take care of Onix without using a single Pokémon.

Bruno jumps down and asks Onix why it is attacking him and Onix dives at him several times, but Bruno keeps dodging Onix. Bruno then jumps on Onix's head and Onix whaps his tail against it's head making itself dizzy. Bruno then asks Onix to tell him why he is acting this way and says not to be afraid of him. He closes his eyes and concentrates for some time. He then starts feeling around Onix's body. Eventually he gets the right spot and he pulls out a Sandslash! Ash checks it on his Pokédex. Apparently Sandslash was hurting Onix. Bruno lets Sandslash go and asks Onix if he wants to come with him. Onix accepts and Bruno captures him in a Poké Ball. He jumps back up to Ash, Misty, and Brock. He then tells them the true secret is for Pokémon and humans to care for each other like Ash and Pikachu. Both of them look at each other and start laughing and the episode ends by saying that Ash is one more day closer to the Pokémon League!

Major events

• Ash & co. help Bruno capture an Onix.

Debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Who’s That Pokémon?: Alakazam (US and international), Iwark (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Squirtle (Ash's)
• Staryu (Misty's)
• Onix (Brock's)
• Hitmonchan (Bruno's)
• Onix (Bruno's; new, giant)
• Sandslash

Trivia

• This is the first appearance of a member of the Elite Four in the anime, if Koga is not considered, due to Koga only being an Elite Four member in Pokémon Gold, Pokémon Silver & Pokémon Crystal.
• The title is most likely referred to the phrase "To Master the Unexpected".

Errors

• When fighting Onix, Ash says that Template:Type2 attacks don't work on Rock. However, they actually have no effect on Template:Type2s.

Dub edits

In other languages

• French: Le secret
• Italian: Il segreto dei Pokémon
• Latin American Spanish: ¡Dominando lo Onixperado!
• Spanish: El Maestro de lo Onixesperado

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