It was a long and winding road to being the top Pokémon trainer for Ash Ketchum, and his companion Brock managed to sum up the trials and tribulations perfectly with one quote, one which was originally meant to encourage Totodile after it fell in love.
In the Johto-era episode “Love, Totodile Style,” Totodile falls in love with an Azumarill belonging to a female trainer by the name of Trixie. Brock obviously can’t help himself, and attempts to flirt with Trixie as well. Azumarill outright rejects Totodile, however, and so Brock makes it his mission to coach Totodile in the ways of love–despite his own questionable experience. Azumarill is kidnapped by Team Rocket, but Totodile ultimately helps to save it, believing it’s won Azumarill’s affections. However, Azumarill turns out to be in love with Trixie’s Golduck instead.
That’s when Brock consoles Totodile by saying, “You can’t expect to win every single battle, but love’s worth fighting for, and if you’re brave and courageous and never quit, you can come out a winner, just like me.”
Brock’s Words Ring True for Ash As Well
The quote is meant to be a bit of a joke, as Brock obviously hasn’t come out a winner in love at any point in the series, but the core message of Brock’s words is actually a sound description of Ash’s entire Pokémon journey. By this point in the series, Ash has already had to learn that he can’t win every single battle; in fact, he’s already lost the Indigo League by now. What keeps Ash going and motivated is that he really, truly does love Pokémon, and especially traveling with Pikachu, and that love is enough to drive him forward.
Ash would go on to lose a lot more times after this, but each time he improved and ranked a little higher. From Top 16 in the Indigo League to Top 8 in the Silver Conference and Top 4 in the Sinnoh League, Ash would keep sticking with it, even when his performance slipped. Ash’s constant attempts to win over the series’ 25-year history proved that he would in fact never quit, and that holds true even after he becomes the Monarch of the World Coronation Series, setting off on another journey which just happens to be taking place offscreen.
Brock’s words are unintentionally reflective of the themes of the entire series, to always try one’s best and let the love of Pokémon drive one to continue forward to ever greater heights. It can be just one Pokémon, or a love for all Pokémon like that which Ash has. Ash has certainly proven himself courageous over the series (perhaps even overly so), and his determination to see his goals through is as unshakable as any shonen anime protagonist could ever hope to be.
While Brock’s Advice Is Good For Ash & Totodile, The Pewter City Gym Leader Himself Takes It Too Far
Brock’s Quote is Too Much for Romance
Brock has long struggled in the romance department, and so it’s funny to see him offering advice on the matter. While it’s good advice in general, encouraging one to push on through difficulties and keep making progress, it’s really not the kind of advice Brock should be heeding when it comes to dealing with women. Brock’s advances can sometimes go a little too far, and he’s not very good at reading when to stop, often having to be dragged off (first by Misty, then Max, and finally Croagunk).
As Brock says, love can be worth fighting for, but it’s important to recognize where that love actually exists, which is not something that he excels at. Brock simply feels too strongly about every girl that he encounters, such that he’s unable to identify a mere crush from actual love. While Brock does grow a bit over the course of the series, he never fully gets past this flaw of his. When it comes to love, that’s pretty much the only arena where one wouldn’t want to take his advice.
Brock’s Advice Has Never Been More True Than It Is In Pokémon Horizons
The Value of Persistence and Never Quitting is Always Present
Pokémon Horizons has gone on to prove the value of Brock’s words even further than the original series. While Ash’s journey had an objective from the start, albeit a vague one, Liko originally began her adventure without any real goal in mind. She’s driven forward by her love for her partner, Sprigatito, and eventually for Terapagos. Her desire to help Terapagos has become her main driving force now, aiming to take it to the mythical land of Laqua, no matter what obstacles stand in their way.
This has required Liko to develop self-confidence enough to be brave and defend Terapagos from those who seek to take it, such as the Explorers, and the courage to confront dangerous Pokémon like the Black Rayquaza. Since Liko’s battle skills aren’t quite up to par with Ash’s, she’s also had to face failure and loss on several occasions. This has paid off for her in recent episodes, with her efforts recognized even after losing during an exam match.
Liko did need a little help in learning not to give up, but overall her persistence in the face of adversity has proven to be one of her most endearing qualities. Liko’s character has already evolved a lot over the course of the series, embodying the words of Brock’s advice in some ways even better than Ash did. Liko is at her best when she’s following her heart, something that has become apparent whenever the chips are down. With her friends at her side and a strong conviction about what she wants to do, Liko pushes forward, overcoming losses and failures out of love for her Pokémon, much like Ash.
Brock may have hit upon it by accident, but this quote really does serve as an excellent summary of everything Ash (and later Liko) would go through on his Pokémon journey, and it’s impressive that it managed to capture the idea so completely at what was still a relatively early stage in the series’ history.
