Ash's Sceptile
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 Ash's Sceptile | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ash's Sceptile (Japanese: サトシのジュカイン Satoshi's Jukain) was the second Pokémon that Ash caught in the Hoenn region, and his twenty-fourth overall.
In animation
History
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
Hoenn
Sceptile was caught as a Treecko in Tree's a Crowd after Ash helped it try to save its old tree home. Soon afterward, it had a battle with Ash's Pikachu, and Ash caught it. In the next episode, Treecko struggled to make friends with the other Pokémon until it rescued May's Torchic from a wild Seviper, though it was badly hurt in the process. Later in the episode, Treecko went off to do some special training on its own, where it had perfected a new variation of Pound in which it spun in the air before hitting the target. It then again battled the Seviper, now under Jessie's ownership, and won.
In The Winner by a Nosepass, Ash chose Treecko to battle Roxanne's Geodude, where it quickly lost. Brock pointed out that even though Grass-types are strong against Rock-types, Treecko did not have an advantage due to it not knowing any Grass-type moves. In Brave the Wave, it was used during Ash's Gym Battle against Brawly. While it managed to defeat Machop, it was still beaten by Hariyama, causing Ash to lose the battle. In Turning Over a Nuzleaf, when it and the other Pokémon were separated from their Trainers, Treecko frequently taunted Corphish, though they later made amends to beat Team Rocket. Treecko battled Brawly's Hariyama again in Just One of the Geysers and won, earning Ash the Knuckle Badge.
Treecko battled a Shiftry in Jump for Joy! to rescue a Nurse Joy. Ash revealed in What You Seed is What You Get that the Shiftry had inspired him to teach Treecko how to use Bullet Seed. This became a reality when they met Natasha and her Grovyle, who helped Treecko learn the move using watermelon seeds.
In Going, Going, Yawn, Ash used Treecko as his second Pokémon in his Lavaridge Gym battle. It went up against Flannery's Slugma despite being at a type disadvantage. After using its speed to dodge Slugma's Flamethrower attack, Treecko used Quick Attack, but the damage was halved thanks to Magcargo's Reflective wall that was set up earlier in the Gym Battle. After dodging another Flamethrower attack, Treecko used Pound, which Reflect also weakened. Slugma then used Smog to hide itself. Treecko used multiple Bullet Seed attacks, but they all ended up missing. Treecko was then hit by Slugma's Body Slam. It used Bullet Seed to escape but was burned by Flamethrower while escaping. Ash then recalled Treecko. Ash later sent out Treecko to battle Flannery's final Pokémon, Torkoal, despite still being injured from the burn. Torkoal defeated it with a powerful Overheat attack.
In Exploud and Clear!, while the other Pokémon ate food, Treecko didn't eat and acted distant, hiding up a tree and ignoring attempts by Ash and Corphish to be friendly. This worried Max, but Ash assumed it was just a bad mood. Suddenly, a Loudred started rampaging through the area, which caught Treecko's interest. The Loudred's rampage was stopped by its Trainer Guy. Guy mentioned his Loudred had been acting weird lately, which Ash compared to his Treecko. Ash decided to battle Guy and his Loudred as he thought exercise could solve its problems, and Treecko volunteered to battle. After battling hard, both Pokémon evolved at the same time, Loudred into Exploud and Treecko into Grovyle. Grovyle demonstrated its new Leaf Blade attack, putting a twig in its mouth. Ash and Guy decided to continue the battle, but Exploud ignored its Trainer's commands, rampaging off. While looking for Exploud, Grovyle refused to return to its Poké Ball and went to higher ground, which caused May to comment that Grovyle was more stubborn after evolving. After Team Rocket angered Exploud, Grovyle heard the Loud Noise Pokémon and followed it to a waterfall, battling it again. Ash and the others eventually caught up with Grovyle and Exploud, with Ash and Guy deciding to pick up the battle, though Exploud ignored Guy's commands again. Team Rocket then tried to capture Exploud again, but Guy was able to protect it, earning its respect. With Exploud obeying Guy again, Ash and Guy continued the battle. The outcome of the battle was unknown.
In Go Go Ludicolo!, Grovyle was sent out with Ash's other Pokémon when Ash was deciding which three Pokémon he would use for his next Gym Battle. Corphish was immediately jealous of it, noticing that it had recently evolved. It was used a lot by Ash, such as getting oranges from a tree, freeing Ash's Pokémon from a net, and defeating Team Rocket. This got Grovyle lots of praise from the others, all of which made Corphish more jealous and angry. Ash was tempted to use Grovyle to battle Poncho and his Ludicolo but used Corphish instead after it got angry again and wanted to battle as well.
In Balance of Power!, Ash used Grovyle as his third and final Pokémon in his Petalburg Gym Battle against Norman, going up against Norman's final Pokémon, his Slaking. Both Pokémon stared off against each other initially, with May mentioning that both Pokémon were big and scary. Grovyle used Bullet Seed, which Slaking blocked with its hands, taking no damage. Norman mentioned that weak attacks wouldn't arouse interest since Slaking was the Lazy Pokémon. The two traded multiple attacks, with Slaking landing a heavy hit with Hyper Beam. Norman suggested Ash forfeit for Grovyle's safety, but Grovyle convinced Ash to continue and activated its Overgrow Ability. Since it was weak, the power of its Grass-type moves increased significantly. Grovyle connected with a full-power Leaf Blade, defeating Slaking and earning Ash the Balance Badge.
In Sky High Gym Battle!, Grovyle battled Winona's Altaria and won, despite the type disadvantage. It was later used against Winona's Swellow, though it lost the battle. In Vanity Affair it once again battled an Altaria, this time belonging to the Hoenn Elite Four's Drake. With its incredible jumping ability, Grovyle could attack Altaria while it was high up but could not defeat it.
In The Great Eight Fate!, Ash used Grovyle as his first Pokémon in the second round of his Sootopolis Gym battle, going up against Juan's Luvdisc. Grovyle used Bullet Seed and Luvdisc countered with Water Pulse, both of which were dodged. It went for a Leaf Blade, but Luvdisc dodged and countered with Sweet Kiss. In the next episode, it was revealed that the Sweet Kiss confused Grovyle, causing it to be initially unresponsive and eventually bash its head against a wall. Although Brock told Ash to recall Grovyle, Juan took the initiative and had Luvdisc use Water Gun, knocking Grovyle out.
Grovyle was used many times in the Ever Grande Conference. Its first battle was in Shocks and Bonds where it teamed up with Glalie to battle Clark's Quilava and Charizard. Though it was able to defeat Quilava, it lost to Charizard, leaving Glalie to battle on its own.
In A Judgment Brawl, Ash used Grovyle as his sixth and last Pokémon in his Full Battle against Katie in the Victory Tournament, going up against Katie's last Pokémon Walrein. Walrein used Ice Beam, and Grovyle was able to dodge and use Leaf Blade. However, Walrein dodged by diving underwater and coming back to hit Grovyle with Ice Beam from behind. Walrein confused Grovyle by diving and reappearing in different locations. To counter, Ash had Grovyle use Leaf Blade on the water, causing Walrein to emerge and take damage. Walrein used Ice Beam, which Grovyle dodged, and the Ice Beam froze the water, turning the field into ice. This was Ash's plan all along, preventing Walrein from going underwater. Grovyle then successfully used Quick Attack on Walrein, crashing it into a wall, but Walrein wasn't finished and used Mimic, copying Grovyle's Quick Attack. They traded multiple blows until Walrein used Quick Attack, which Ash had Grovyle match, surprising everyone since Walrein was larger. It dodged at the last second and used Leaf Blade, defeating Walrein and moving Ash to the next round of the Victory Tournament.
In Choose It or Lose It!, Ash uses Grovyle as his fourth Pokémon in his Full Battle against Morrison in the Victory Tournament; Grovyle went up against Steelix, who had already defeated Pikachu and Torkoal. Grovyle dodged Iron Tail and used Bullet Seed, which Steelix dodged with Dig. Grovyle jumped from the incoming Dig, and Steelix used Dragon Breath, but Grovyle pushed through Dragon Breath with Leaf Blade, hitting it and defeating Steelix. Morrison then sent out his Gligar to match Grovyle's speed. Grovyle put up a strong fight, but Gligar dodged its last attack and landed Guillotine, and the one-hit knockout move defeated it.
In At the End of the Fray, Ash used Grovyle as his fifth Pokémon in his Full Battle against Tyson in the Victory Tournament; Grovyle went up against Metagross. A crack in Metagross's armor caused by Swellow gave Ash an idea on how to defeat it. Grovyle used its Bullet Seed attacks on the chink in the armor multiple times to weaken it. Ash attempted to finish Metagross off with Leaf Blade, but Metagross used Meteor Mash to defeat Grovyle instead.
Kanto Battle Frontier
Ash brought Grovyle with him to Kanto to to take on the Battle Frontier challenge. Grovyle battled Greta and her Hariyama in Wheel of Frontier, but was defeated.
In Odd Pokémon Out!, it developed a crush on a Meganium owned by the Nurse Joy from Camomile Island and evolved into a Sceptile to rescue it when it had fallen into Team Rocket's hands. However, the Meganium was attracted to a Tropius, leaving Sceptile heartbroken and unable to use any moves. It regained its ability to use attacks in Cutting The Ties That Bind! to save Ash from Team Rocket with the use of Leaf Blade. It then used Quick Attack to save him and Bullet Seed to soften the fall. It was used in Ash's battle against Spenser in the following episode, Ka Boom with a View!, where it battled and defeated Shiftry and Claydol, giving Ash the Spirit Symbol after learning a new move, Solar Beam.
In Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys' Crisis! Parts 1 and 2, Sceptile helped battle a wild Deoxys. It later battled a Legendary Pokémon in Battling the Enemy Within!, Brandon's Regirock, when Ash was possessed by the evil spirit of the King of Pokélantis. Despite a type advantage and dirty tactics from the King of Pokélantis, such as using the referee as a shield, Sceptile was soon defeated.
In Once More With Reeling!, it was entered in the Terracotta Town Pokémon Contest, an informal event not sanctioned by the Pokémon Activities Committee. Sceptile was used in the Battle Round, where it went up against May's newly evolved Blaziken in a match that saw both Pokémon activating their Abilities. At the end of the five-minute time limit, Ash and May had the same amount of points, but due to the event's informality, a sudden-death round did not occur, and the battle resulted in a tie. As there was just one Terracotta Medal, Sceptile used its Leaf Blade to split the commemorative Ribbon in half.
Ash left Sceptile at Professor Oak's Laboratory before setting off to the Sinnoh region.
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
In The Semi-Final Frontier!, Sceptile had its first battle against a Mythical Pokémon when it was sent out against Tobias's Darkrai in the semi-finals of the Lily of the Valley Conference. Sceptile was soon hit by a Dark Void and put to sleep, allowing Darkrai to hit it with a Dream Eater. Responding to Ash's voice, however, Sceptile was able to wake up almost instantly, shocking Tobias, and defeated Darkrai with a powerful Leaf Blade, making Sceptile the only Pokémon in Sinnoh to have ever defeated Darkrai. However, after all the damage it had taken, it was unable to defeat Tobias's next Pokémon, Latios, whose Giga Impact overpowered Leaf Blade, knocking Sceptile out.
Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Sceptile was reunited with Ash in The Dream Continues!, where it and the rest of Ash's Pokémon posed in a group photo with him.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Sceptile, along with the rest of Ash's Pokémon at the lab, reunited with Ash in Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!. During the visit, it helped train Ash's Sirfetch'd and later watched the battle between Ash and Paul. Before Ash left, it posed with the rest of Ash's Pokémon in a group photo with him.
From Battling as Hard as Stone! onwards, Sceptile watched Ash's Masters Eight Tournament matches against Steven, Cynthia, and Leon. In Partners in Time!, Sceptile appeared as a vision to Pikachu during his battle against Leon's Charizard. After Ash won the battle, Sceptile joined the rest of Ash's Pokémon at the lab in celebrating their Trainer's victory.
In Heroes Unite!, Sceptile, along with the rest of the Pokémon at the lab, welcomed Ash back to Pallet Town after his victory over Leon.
In The Road Most Traveled!, Sceptile was shown to have rejoined Ash's team. Sceptile was used to help free Pikachu after Team Rocket captured him. After Ash found an injured wild Latias, Sceptile and Noivern teamed up to stand guard overnight while she recovered.
Personality and characteristics
Since its days as a Treecko, Sceptile has displayed a cool, calm, and aloof personality, preferring to seclude itself instead of being grouped with others. Nevertheless, Sceptile is extremely loyal towards those it cares about, first seen during its days as a wild Pokémon, where it worked tirelessly to protect its home. Sceptile has a tendency to keep a twig in its mouth and often uses it to display its current emotions, spitting it out whenever feeling angry or determined. It also has a no-nonsense attitude, rarely accepting humor or light-hearted comments, seen when it finally perfected Bullet Seed by attacking its Trainer after Ash had playfully spat a few watermelon seeds at it as a form of teasing, merely because it was annoyed with Ash's antics. Despite this, Sceptile does know when to cut loose as it has been seen enjoying itself and having fun with its friends.
Sceptile is also an extremely proud and stubborn Pokémon, refusing to let anything or anyone insult its honor, shown during its battle against Guy's Exploud, when Grovyle searched tirelessly for Exploud after it had fled from the area, merely to finish their battle to prove its superiority over the Normal-type Pokémon. Its pride can also be its greatest weakness, such as when Sceptile's heart was broken after losing the affection of a Meganium to a Tropius that it was feuding with, Sceptile's pride was shattered to the point of being unable to use any moves, something that deeply infuriated it, with Sceptile feeling ashamed of itself for its lack of power.
However, upon witnessing Ash's selflessness and willing to risk his life for it in Cutting the Ties that Bind!, Sceptile regained the use of its moves to save both its Trainer from falling and Pikachu from Team Rocket.
Appearance
| As a Treecko | As a Grovyle |
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Moves used
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| A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves. | |||||||
Moves improvised
| Picture | First Used In | Moves Involved | Partnered With |
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A Tail with a Twist | Pound | None |
| Description: A variant of Pound developed by Ash's Treecko after losing to Jessie's once wild Seviper. While falling, it spins to triple the striking power of Pound before hitting its target. Treecko managed to perfect it by training by a waterfall, then used it to defeat Seviper in a rematch moments after. | |||
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The Great Eight Fate! | Leaf Blade | None |
| Description: A variant of Leaf Blade developed by Ash's Grovyle during its Gym battle against Juan. While using Leaf Blade in the air, it spins its arms around, flies down in great speed, and hits the opponent. Grovyle tried to use it against Luvdisc, but it dodged. | |||
Artwork
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| Early poster for Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
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| Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Poster for Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master |
In the games
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Advanced Generation: I've Begun Hiragana and Katakana!
Grovyle appears in Pokémon Advanced Generation: I've Begun Hiragana and Katakana!.
Pokémon Advanced Generation: Pokémon Number Battle!
Treecko appears in Pokémon Advanced Generation: Pokémon Number Battle!.
Pokémon Masters Arena
Treecko appears in Pokémon Masters Arena.
In the manga
Ash & Pikachu
Ash's Sceptile first appeared as a Treecko in The Keeper Of The Tree, Treecko!!. In the next chapter, it was the first Pokémon sent out during Ash's Gym battle against Roxanne, where it lost to her Geodude since it didn't know any Grass-type moves at the time.
Sometime before I'll Win With My Own Battle Style!!, Treecko was revealed to have evolved into Grovyle. During the Gym battle against Norman, it was the last Pokémon sent out, going up against Norman's Slaking. After a long battle, Grovyle emerged victorious. In Start Of The Pokémon League!!, Grovyle fought Morrison's Steelix and Gligar, where it lost to the latter.
Appearance
| As a Treecko |
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Moves used
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| A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves. | |||||||||||||||||||
In the TCG
Ash's Sceptile has been featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game as both a Treecko and a Grovyle. Naturally, the first card representing it was Ash's Treecko, released as an ADV-P Promotional card. It is the very first Owner's Pokémon printed as one of Ash's Pokémon, even predating cards solely featuring Ash's Pikachu. The card Ash's Grovyle was released later, as part of the Movie Commemoration VS Pack: Aura's Lucario deck kit. The kit was put out to coincide with Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
Ash's Grovyle does not evolve from Ash's Treecko, being a Basic Pokémon instead of a Stage 1 Pokémon like regular cards featuring Grovyle. Movie Commemoration VS Pack: Aura's Lucario does not have an Ash's Treecko printing, which is a likely explanation.
The following is a list of related cards.
| Ash's Sceptile Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats. | |||||||
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| Card | Type | English Expansion |
Rarity | # | Japanese Expansion |
Rarity | # |
| Ash's Treecko | 
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ADV-P Promotional cards | 036/ADV-P | ||||
| Ash's Grovyle |
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Movie Commemoration VS Pack: Aura's Lucario | 001/020 | ||||
Trivia
- Sceptile's habit of keeping a twig in its mouth is much like a 番長 banchō, a juvenile gang leader, a character type that was common in manga and anime in the 1960s and early 1970s.
- Sceptile is Ash's only:
- Pokémon to have evolved in two different regions.
- Pokémon caught in Hoenn to have a confirmed Ability.
- It is also his only Grass-type first partner Pokémon to have its Ability confirmed.
- Grass-type Pokémon to not know any Grass-type moves upon being caught.
- Sceptile is Ash's first:
- Fully evolved Grass-type Pokémon.
- Pokémon to have defeated a Mythical Pokémon in a battle.
- Sceptile has been referred to as a male in episodes such as Tree's a Crowd and Odd Pokémon Out, but only in western dubs.
Related articles
| Ash's Pokémon | ||||||
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| For a list of Pokémon Ash has temporarily owned, used, or commanded, see here | ||||||
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |