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The Superhero Secret (Japanese: なぞのスーパーヒーロー！グライガーマンとうじょう!! Mysterious Superman! Gligarman Enter!!) is the 138th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on March 9, 2000 and in the United States on February 17, 2001.

In this episode Ash, Brock and Misty meet a superhero and his daughter on their way to Azalea town.

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

Synopsis

Ash and company are making their way to Azalea Gym to try and win Ash's next Johto league gym badge. Walking through a forest they hear a strange noise from within the trees. In a flash a Pokémon silhouette is seen jumping from one tree to another. Brock claims it was Gligar.

The three heroes continue on their way and Ash checks out Gligar on his Pokédex. Misty and Brock comment on the Gligar with Brock stating that Gligar are temperamental and don't like humans. Hearing this Ash's ego kicks in and says that Gligar would like him and begins calling out for Gligar.

Suddenly the trio fall into a hole in the middle of the road. Ash asks aloud how a hole could get there and from above Team Rocket respond from above and fly into their motto. Whilst spouting the motto they place a bamboo grate over the hole and wheel over a strange pump machine. Seconds later a hose held by Meowth blasts water out and into the hole where the heroes lie. Meowth tells their plan of filling the hole with water and stealing Pikachu before leaving Ash, Misty and Brock nowhere to go.

It looks like the heroes are in trouble as Pikachu can't attack for fear of electrocuting the heroes as well. Then a familiar silhouette appears in front of the sun and breaks through the bamboo grate over the hole. A Gligar then leaps from the hole with Togepi in its arms. A deep, echoing laugh is heard from the trees and a man dressed like a Gligar appears next to Gligar on a tree and tells Team Rocket to release the trio. Confused Team Rocket and the heroes ask who this masked man is. The man bursts into his own motto and introduces himself as 'Gligarman'. Jessie and James comment that they have never heard of him which embarrasses Gligarman, Meowth then asks why Gligarman is wearing long underwear which embarrasses the Gligarman further. As Gligarman defends his choice of clothing Jessie, James and Meowth continue to question whether the masked man really is a superhero. Misty says that because he saved Togepi he may really be a superhero. Pleased that someone has faith in him Gligarman sends Gligar to dispense of Team Rocket.

Gligar attaches itself to Jessie's face. As James and Meowth attempt to get it off they are mistakenly being attacked by Jessie's thrashing around! James gets Jessie to stand still but is then confronted by Gligar's dangerous tail stinger. James frightened sends Meowth in to attack it. Meowth attacks with his Fury Swipes but Gligar jumps away and Meowth lands a swipe right across Jessie's face and Jessie instantly responds by giving Meowth her version of Fury Swipes. Gligar attacks again and chases Team Rocket away screaming.

Gligarman triumphantly announces victory over evil and attempts to jump down of his tree to hand Togepi back to Misty. Misjudging the height of the jump and his own physical abilities, Gligarman begins to tumble in mid-air before crashing to the ground but managing to keep Togepi from harm. Gligarman jumps up quickly and gives Togepi back to Misty before leaping onto a motorcycle hidden by a bush. Gligarman tells Ash, Misty and Brock that if evil-doers trouble them again all they have to do is blow on a whistle he hands them and he will be by their side. He then calls Gligar and they speed off on the bike back towards a city in the distance.

The trio stand there bewildered and look at the whistle. They hear a female voice call out to them and a young woman on a bicycle stops and asks if they saw Gligarman around. Telling her that Gligarman was here just seconds ago, the woman looks down and says she hopes he didn't cause to much trouble. Misty tells the girl that in fact Gligarman saved her Togepi. The girl is relieved and Brock starts making his trademark moves. The girl introduces herself as Latoya before Misty pulls Brock away. Ash asks why Latoya is interested in Gligarman and asks if he really is a superhero. Latoya says that he sometimes believes he is a real superhero. This prompts Ash to ask keenly if Latoya knows Gligarman's true identity. Latoya hastily rides away saying that she has probably already said too much. Ash notes that she appears to be hiding something and goes on to say that whether he is a superhero or not he must be super Pokémon trainer for his ability to handle the Gligar.

The trio arrive in front of a store selling Gligarman merchandise where they are told that Gligarman is huge in the city before being ushered inside. There they find Latoya behind the counter of the shop. Ash tells Latoya he wants to know more about Gligarman, then Latoya's father appears telling Ash he knows everything there is to know about Gligarman. The man then shows them an old looking video of Gligarman and Gligar defeating a giant insect monster. Ash asks why the Gligarman in the video looked different from the Gligarman they saw. Latoya's father responds by telling them the video was made several years ago and quickly hands the three Gligarman merchandise to change the subject. Togepi seems to have a liking for Latoya's father and Misty says that she thinks he may be the Gligarman. Latoya's father says that Misty's theory is ridiculous and refers to her by name before Misty points out that Gligarman is the only person in the town that knows her name. Ash and Brock bombard him with Gligarman questions and Latoya's father tells them they can not let anyone know of Gligarman's true identity. Meanwhile outside Team Rocket have been watching the whole scene though binoculars and hatch a plan to unmask Latoya's father.

Latoya and her father take Ash, Misty and Brock to the Gligar Mansion and Latoya reveals that Gligarman began because her father wasn't selling enough toys at his store. He invented Gligarman and made up stories to make it seem real and one day he just became the real Gligarman because it was more fufilling than just being a businessman. Latoya's father says he will never stop being Gligarman because people needed someone like him around.

The group then step into Gligarman's extremely hi-tech laboratory where Gligar is relaxing. Latoya and her father then offer Ash the job of replacing Latoya's father as Gligarman. Ash graciously turns it down because of his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. Brock offers to take care of everything if he marries Latoya but Latoya brushes off Brock's remarks as a joke which crushes Brock. An alert sounds in the lab and TV screens show that Team Rocket are attacking Gligarman's store.

Gligarman and Ash arrive as Jessie in a supervillian costume and James and Meowth, dressed in Metapod costumes are tying up the store workers and dressing them as Metapods. Gligar attacks James and attaches itself to his face. Jessie and Meowth look on and Jessie tells Meowth to bring out the 'big bug'. Meowth returns in a Spinarak robot and wraps up Gligarman and Ash in a web. Meowth hangs them up in the middle of town with civilians everywhere and Jessie laughs and announces they will unmask Gligarman in front of everyone. The store workers run out and yell that they have faith in Mr. Parker. Gligarman realises that they knew his identity all along. A voice from on top of a building is heard and the camera pans up to see a female dressed like a Gligar. She introduces herself as Gligirl. Gligirl asks for assistance from Gligar who is reluctant at first. Gligar then recognises that Gligirl is Latoya and flies to her. Gligirl tells Gligar to cut Gligarman and Ash free from the web. Pikachu runs around underneath the Spinarak machine which causes Meowth to get its legs tangled. Gligar and Pikachu then work together and a a Pikachu Thunderbolt causes the machine to malfunction before it blows up and sends Team Rocket flying. The town celebrates the victory of Gligirl with Brock still oblivious to the fact Gligirl was Latoya.

Mr. Parker and Latoya are saying their goodbyes to Ash and co. before having a small argument over who would be Gligar's owner. Brock then states he's figured out that Latoya is Gligirl. The heroes say goodbye and continue on their way to Azalea's Gym.

Major events

Debuts

• Gligar

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Mr. Parker
• Latoya Parker

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Mareep

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Gligar (Mr. Parker's; debut)

Trivia

Pokédex Entries

Gligar: The Fly Scorpio Pokémon - Gligar uses the cape-like wings on its back to fly from tree to tree quickly and quietly.

Errors

• Latoya refers to Ash by name despite not introducing himself at the time

Dub edits

In other languages

• French: Un super héros super secret
• Italian: Supereroi
• Latin American Spanish: ¡El super héroe secreto!
• Spanish: El secreto del super héroe

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