EP269

The Ties That Bind File:The Ties That Bind.jpg.png

EP269   けっしょうリーグ！フルバトル６VS６!! League Finals! Full Battle 6 vs 6!!

First broadcast Japan October 10, 2002 United States September 20, 2003

English themes Opening Believe in Me Ending

Japanese themes Opening Ready Go! Ending ポケッターリ・モンスターリ

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 誌村宏明 Hiroaki Shimura Assistant director 誌村宏明 Hiroaki Shimura Animation director 宍戸久美子 Kumiko Shishido No additional credits are available at this time.

The Ties That Bind (Japanese: けっしょうリーグ！フルバトル６VS６!! League Finals! Full Battle 6 vs 6!!) is episode 269 of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on October 10, 2002 and in the United States on September 20, 2003.

Ash and Gary's rivalry heats up as the two prepare to face each other in battle.

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

Synopsis

Ash is preparing to finally face his all-time rival, Gary. To bulk up his team's strength, Charizard arrives from the Charicific Valley greeting Ash with the usual Flamethrower burning him completely.

Before the match begins, Ash searches through his backpack and finds a broken Poké Ball. A flashback reveals that he and Gary found the Poké Ball while fishing and accidentally split it in half when they were pulling at it with their fishing rods to get it. Both trainers have carried half of it ever since.

Harrison's battle is then shown in which his Sneasel defeats a Machamp earning him a place in the next round.

Next morning, the match between rivals begins! The battle will take place on the Rock field. Everyone cheers as Ash and Gary are about to fight. Then, the light signals that Gary goes first! Gary takes out a Nidoqueen, who happens to be at a very high level. Ash thinks fast, and takes out Tauros. Nidoqueen starts with a Rock Smash sending rocks flying into the air which hits Tauros. But it manages to push through the oncoming rocks and heads for Nidoqueen with a Horn Attack. But Nidoqueen blocks Tauros by catching his horns and then uses a Hyper Beam, easily knocking Tauros out of the match.

Ash returns Tauros, and takes out Heracross. However, Gary withdraws Nidoqueen, and sends out Magmar! Heracross starts off with a Horn Attack which scores a direct hit. Magmar then counters by releasing a Flamethrower into the air, as Heracross flies up and avoids it. However, Magmar tries again, this time with a Fire Blast! Magmar jumps into the Fire Blast and hits Heracross and wraps it in flames, as Magmar uses a Flamethrower weakening it more! Suddenly, Heracross manages to blow the fire away with his wings . Magmar then counters with a Flamethrower while Heracross uses Megahorn. Their attacks collide but eventually Megahorn overpowers Flamethrower and hits Magmar making it faint and giving Ash a victory!

Gary is a bit surprised, but seems to be confident. Gary’s next Pokémon is Blastoise! Professor Oak who is watching this, mentions that he remembers giving it to Gary back when it was a Squirtle. Blastoise then immediately attacks with a powerful Hydro Pump!

Will Heracross be able to withstand it, or is Ash about to lose another Pokémon? Stay tuned for the rest of the battle in the next episode!

Major events

• Ash is reunited with Charizard.
• Harrison gets through to the second round.
• Ash begins his battle with Gary.
• It is revealed that Gary's starter Pokémon was a Squirtle

Characters

Humans

• Ash Ketchum
• Brock
• Misty
• Jessie
• James
• Gary Oak
• Professor Oak
• Delia
• Harrison
• Crowd (includes Macey and Jackson)

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Umbreon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Charizard (Ash's)
• Tauros (Ash's)
• Heracross (Ash's)
• Nidoqueen (Gary's)
• Magmar (Gary's)
• Blastoise (Gary's)
• Bulbasaur (Ash's; flashback)
• Cyndaquil (Ash's; flashback)
• Magneton (Jackson's; alternate color; flashback)
• Meganium (Jackson's; flashback)
• Sneasel (Harrison's)
• Machamp (Unknown trainer's)
• Magikarp (flashback)

Seen on Gary's profile:

• Pinsir
• Houndoom
• Fearow
• Alakazam
• Umbreon
• Skarmory
• Arcanine
• Nidoqueen
• Magmar
• Kingdra

Trivia

• Gary's starter is revealed to have been a Squirtle - the Pokémon Ash originally intended to start with.
• When Ash is looking for his half of the broken Poké Ball, the rubber gloves Delia gave him can be seen.

Errors

• The 'Broken Poké Ball' scene is stated to have happen after Ash started his journey despite the fact that a look back at Ash's beginnings shows that this could not have happened then.
• In Harrison's battle, his Sneasel knocks out a Machamp, but both the official and the announcer refer to it as a Machoke.

In other languages

• French: Mon meilleur ennemi
• Italian: Il torneo della vittoria (prima parte)

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