Ash's Heracross: Difference between revisions

'''Ash's Heracross''' (Japanese: '''サトシのヘラクロス''' ''Satoshi's Heracros'') was the first {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} that {{Ash}} {{pkmn2|caught}} in the [[Johto]] [[region]], and his fourteenth overall.

[[File:Ash Heracross debut.png|thumb|220px|left|Heracross in its debut]]

Heracross first appeared in ''[[EP119|A Sappy Ending]]''. In the episode, several Heracross and {{p|Pinsir}} were having a territorial dispute. One of the Heracross followed Ash and {{ashfr}} as they tried to figure out a solution to stop the dispute, which, unsurprisingly, came in the form of Team Rocket. Team Rocket was stopped thanks to the Heracross and the Pinsir were able to return to their forest, leaving the Butterfree and Heracross. However, the same Heracross was still intrigued by Ash and followed him for a little ways out of the forest. Eventually, Ash saw it following and the Heracross happily allowed itself to be caught.

Since then Heracross, like {{AP|Snorlax}}, has been called on by Ash for use in difficult battles. In ''[[EP269|The Ties That Bind]]'', Ash used it in his [[Silver Conference]] battle against {{Gary}}. Ash sent it out to fight Gary's {{p|Nidoqueen}}, but Gary quickly pulled Nidoqueen for his {{p|Magmar}}. Heracross fought Magmar regardless of the type disadvantage, sending Magmar flying with Fury Attack. Magmar launched a three pronged attack - {{m|Fire Blast}}, a point-blank {{m|Flamethrower}}, and its own body weight from the fall. However, Heracross overcame the flames by beating it away with its wings. It then broke through Magmar's defense with Megahorn, taking out the Spitfire Pokémon. However, {{TP|Gary|Blastoise}} proved to be a harder challenge, firing a {{m|Hydro Pump}} powerful enough to blow away Heracross' rock cover and take it out of the battle.

In ''[[SS004|Showdown at the Oak Corral]]'', Heracross made a cameo appearance telling the other Pokémon about [[Cassidy]] and [[Butch]].

In ''[[AG164|Ka Boom with a View!]]'', Ash used Heracross again in the battle against [[Palace Maven Spenser]]. Upon being sent out, Heracross immediately went to eat the sap on [[Spenser's Venusaur]]. It managed to knock aside the {{m|Razor Leaf}} with Horn Attack before it was knocked back by a {{m|Vine Whip}}. The two Pokémon rammed into each other with Tackle, both proving to be extremely powerful physically. Heracross struck hard with a Megahorn, then took advantage of the {{m|Solar Beam}} charge-up time to hit again. However, Solar Beam then struck Heracross, knocking it out.

[[File:Ash and Heracross.png|thumb|right|250px|Heracross and Ash]]

Heracross reappeared in ''[[DP182|An Old Family Blend!]]'', where it was intended to be sent to Ash. However, {{AP|Cyndaquil}} was sent instead. It did join Ash for the [[Lily of the Valley Conference]], where it was used for Ash's battle with [[Nando]] in ''[[DP183|League Unleashed!]]''. Heracross was Ash's third and final Pokémon in the match and it was put up against {{TP|Nando|Kricketune}}, and sent flying by {{m|Silver Wind}}. Kricketune then used {{m|Sing}} to put Heracross to sleep. However, while asleep, it was able to dodge Kricketune's {{m|Fury Cutter}} attack because of the newly learned Sleep Talk attack, and combine it with an also newly learned Focus Punch. After it woke up, it had a fierce clash with Kricketune, which Heracross ended with a powerful Megahorn/Horn Attack combo, just before Kricketune attempted another Sing. After the battle, Heracross showed its affection towards Ash by "sucking on" his head.

In ''[[DP189|The Semi-Final Frontier!]]'', it was the first Pokémon to battle {{si|Tobias}} in the semi-finals of the [[Lily of the Valley Conference]]. It seemed to be an excellent choice, with a double type advantage over the Dark type and a recently learned Hyper Beam, which collided with {{p|Darkrai}}'s {{m|Ice Beam}}. It tried to attack Darkrai with Horn Attack but was put to sleep by {{m|Dark Void}}. Due to Sleep Talk, it was able to hit the legendary Pokémon with a Megahorn, only to be defeated when Darkrai used {{m|Dream Eater}}, which allowed Darkrai to recover some damage dealt by Heracross.

Heracross was reunited with Ash in ''[[BW142|The Dream Continues!]]'', where it and the rest of Ash's Pokémon posed in a group photo with him.

[[File:Heracross sap.png|thumb|250px|Heracross eating Bulbasaur's sap]]

Heracross is an eager but easily distracted Pokémon, especially regarding sap. This was shown in ''[[EP131|Fighting Flyer with Fire]]'', where Meowth dropped a jar of sap to allow Team Rocket to escape with {{AP|Pikachu}}. It also likes to suck sap from plants or trees, as well as {{AP|Bulbasaur}}'s bulb whenever the two are together, annoying Bulbasaur enough to use {{m|Vine Whip}} to push it away. Again, this is distracting for it, as in ''[[EP136|Chikorita's Big Upset]]'' when it went for Bulbasaur's bulb before helping to rescue {{AP|Chikorita}}. Heracross doesn't appear to care how much this annoys Bulbasaur.

Despite these minor flaws, it is a powerful battler, and also extremely strong physically, capable of throwing {{TRT}}'s tank into the air in ''[[EP142|A Shadow of a Drought]]''.

{{anmov/h|bug|fighting|Ash Heracross {{#switch: {{#expr: {{#time: U}} mod 5}}|0=Megahorn|1=Sleep Talk|2=Horn Attack|3=Hyper Beam|4=Focus Punch}}.png|Using {{#switch: {{#expr: {{#time: U}} mod 5}}|0=Megahorn|1=Sleep Talk|2=Horn Attack|3=Hyper Beam|4=Focus Punch}}|image2=Ash Heracross {{#switch: {{#expr: {{#time: U}} mod 5}}|0=Tackle|1=Leer|2=Endure|3=Fury Attack|4=Take Down}}.png|caption2=Using {{#switch: {{#expr: {{#time: U}} mod 5}}|0=Tackle|1=Leer|2=Endure|3=Fury Attack|4=Take Down}}}}

{{anmov|normal|Tackle|EP120|Roll On, Pokémon!}}