| Brock | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Brock inPokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl | |
| First game | Pokémon Red andBlue (1996) |
| Created by | Ken Sugimori |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori Atsuko Nishida (anime) |
| Voiced by |
|
| Portrayed by | Dennis Kenney |
Brock, known asTakeshi (タケシ) in Japan, is a fictional character in thePokémon franchise owned byNintendo. In thePokémon video games, he is theGym Leader of Pewter City in the Kanto region and mainly uses Rock-type Pokémon. In theanime series,Ash first battles him and then invites Brock to accompany him on his journey so that Brock can become a Pokémon breeder. He exited the series at some point, replaced byTracey Sketchit, due to worries that people may find him to be a racial stereotype due to his thin eyes. However, when the company noticed that no one complained, they reintroduced him. He has generally been well-received, with fans of the anime happy whenever he is brought back into the series.
Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, thePokémon series began in Japan in 1996 with the release ofPokémon Red andBlue for theGame Boy.[1] In these games, the player assumes the role of aPokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species, orevolve.[2] The ultimate goal is to complete thePokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain creatures from allPokémon species.[3][4]
Designed byKen Sugimori as a "gym leader", a Pokémon trainer that acts as an areaboss, Brock was introduced inRed andBlue. Due to the nature of the game's development, only one set of concept sketches was done before implementing the character assprite art within the game.[5] Originally intended to be the game's second gym leader battle, Brock was changed to be the first instead for the game's final release.[6] To illustrate that Brock rarely smiles, Sugimori drew him with his eyes always closed, something he considered a rare decision.[7]
For the anime, Brock was designed byAtsuko Nishida.[8] In the anime, Brock was one of the companions to protagonistAsh Ketchum. However, he was eventually replaced with the character Tracey Sketchit. His removal was controversial, leading to fan outcry that caused him to be reintroduced to the anime.[9] Despite them noting that they like to change up the cast in general, it was also clarified that they were worried that fans may perceive Brock as a racist stereotype by Americans, namely due to his thin eyes. This was a worry they had since the beginning of the series, and while there were no complaints, they anticipated controversy. Furthermore, the company specifically included Tracey, wanting to include a "tall, Anglo-Saxon looking person to be on the safe side."[10] They ultimately decided to introduce Brock again due to the lack of complaints and their personal affinity for him.[10] He has since been one of the most recurring characters in the show.[9][11]
Brock was voiced in Japanese byYūji Ueda in the Pokemon anime and byEric Stuart in English.[12][13] He has been voiced by other actors in later Pokemon anime and games.Bill Rogers voiced Brock in later English episodes.[13] InPokemon Origins, he was voiced byTomokazu Sugita in Japanese andJohnny Yong Bosch in English.[14] In the video gamePokémon Masters, he is voiced byKōsuke Toriumi in Japanese and by Tommy Arciniega.[15] He was also portrayed byDennis Kenney inPokemon Live!.[16]
Brock is theGym Leader of Pewter City in the fictional region of Kanto. He specializes inRock-type Pokémon, and the player may battle him inPokémon Red andBlue,Gold andSilver, as well as subsequent remakes of both. He also appears as an opponent inPokémon Stadium andPokémon Stadium 2.[17] Brock, along withMisty and Blue, return inPokémon Black 2 andWhite 2 as tournament opponents.[18] Alongside his Onix, Brock also appears as a sync pair inPokémon Masters EX near the beginning of the game.[19]
In thePokémonanime, Brock aspires to be the greatest Pokémon breeder, but remains as the Pewter City Gym Leader to take care of his nine siblings. After he is defeated by Ash, he gives Ash the badge, despite Ash thinking he didn't deserve it. Brock ultimately joins Ash so that he can pursue his dream of being a Pokémon breeder. He eventually leaves his friends in theOrange Islands series to join Professor Felina Ivy, who he is attracted to, and was replaced by Tracey Sketchit. Brock eventually rejoins Ash, having left Ivy for unknown reasons, and travels with him andMisty toJohto. Since then, he has departed and reunited with Ash and others inHoenn andSinnoh. He is largely absent after this until theSun & Moon series, where he appears in a few episodes alongside Misty when he reunites with Ash.[20][21] He makes another reappearance inPokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series during the final episodes of Ash's journey.[22]
Brock has received multiple pieces of merchandise. A figure based on his depiction inPokémon Red andBlue was released as part of the "Next VENDOR'S Innovation" series.[23] He was also included as part of Megahouse's "G.E.M." series of figures.[24] A yearly tradition of modifying the statue of a man named Hikoichi Orita (atKyoto University after it was repeatedly vandalized in the 1990s) lead to a modification being made to depict Brock, among other characters, instead. He was chosen as part of a trend, where the focus became featuring supporting characters from popular works.[25][26]
Brock has been generally well-received, identified as an "unforgettable" character byIGN.[27] The bookThe Japanification of Children's Popular Culture described Brock's portrayal in the anime as a mentor figure, providing an authoritative voice for Ash in the series. It additionally noted him as representing the concept of early maturity in Japanese stories, in his acceptance of a position of independence and his strong interest in women.[28] The bookPikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon cited him as a heavily popular character in the United States,[29] with boys identifying themselves with the character and expressing a desire to be "friends with characters that are known to be good or considerate friends".[30] The book additionally noted a contrast to other characters in the series, in that Brock is drawn with "thinly drawn eyes and slightly darker skin tone".[31]Game Informer writer Brian Shea felt he served as a "litmus test" to measure a trainer's ability early on, whileKotaku writer felt he was a difficult battle for people who picked Charmander inRed andBlue, and also people who playedPokémon Yellow, due to Pikachu's weakness to his Pokémon.[32][33]
His removal from the anime was criticized by fans.[9] Brock's reintroduction in thePokémon Sun andMoon anime was met with a lot of attention onTwitter, whichITmedia staff identified as indicative of his popularity.[34]Kotaku writer Brian Ashcraft noted the negative fan reaction to the removal of Brock and Misty fromPokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, particularly since the story is an adaptation of the original story that featured Brock and Misty.[35] The removal of Brock, whose skin is darker, also had fans concerned for the lack of skin color diversity.[36] FellowKotaku writer Kenneth Shepard wrote that, despite Ash having other companions, ending the series by reuniting Ash with his original companions Brock and Misty was fitting.[37] Brock also served as an inspiration for baby names, leading to a rise in the use of the name Brock.[38]
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