When most people think of the human characters in the Pokémon series,♑ it's only natural for them to think o⛦f Ash first and foremost. It makes sense, especially because he is the main character of the series and he is the owner of Pikachu, who is the most popular Pokémon of all-time in terms of pop culture.
But is Ash really that great? Does he actually deserve all the attention he gets? I mean, he has been trying to accomplish his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master for 20 seasons now, and he still hasn't achieved this dream! Plus, his character has a lot of negative personality traits, such as being super cocky at times or being s🌊hort-tempered and impatient in moments that provoke them, and these aren't generally traits you want to see in a protagonist you want to be rooting for. Almost makes me wonder if people like Ash for his character or because of his association with the extremely likable and interesting Pikachu?
You want to know who else is extremely likable and interesting? Brock, that's who! That's right, I'm talking about the character who went from being a formidable Gym Leader to becoming a sidekick of Ash, assisting him on his journey to become a Pokémon Master. I would argue that Brock is the more fascinating character, though. Whether it be the fact that he was abandoned by his own parents and left to tওake care of his massive family by himself at a young age, or that he is super caring of others (humans and Pokémon) and will do stuff like cooking to make sure they are happy, or even the slightly creepy fact that Brock falls in love with every female in existence 𓄧is kind of endearing.
Sure, Brock may be Ash's sidekick in the show, but t🔴here are just so many interesting things about Broc♔k that separate him from Ash, making him more than "Ash's traveling companion." In this list, I will be looking at the 20 things that Brock can do (or has done) that Ash cannot.
20 ✨Rock-Solid Gym Leader 🧸
Gym Leader of Pewter City. This is the prestigious title that Brock held before he decided to accompany Ash on his own journey to become a Pokémon Master. In this role, similar to the other Gym Leaders in the series, Brock tes𒆙ted the battle skills of various Pokémon Trainers who were brave enough to face off against his assortment of powerful Rock-type Pokémon. One of these Pokémon Trainers was Ash himself, who found out the hard way how difficult it was to defeat Brock. Brock's On🍌ix dominated Ash in their first battle, but in the second meeting, Ash almost cheated his way to victory by setting off the fire sprinklers to weaken Onix so that Pikachu could effectively zap it to oblivion. Ultimately, Ash decided to forfeit because he felt bad for almost cheating to win, but Brock took pity on him and gave him the Boulder Badge in the end.
19 🌺 🔥 Brock The Family Man
Having to raise nine kids would be a daunting task for any grown adult, never mind a 15-year-old. But, that is exactly what Brock ended up having to do at that age. After both his parents left him, Brock assumed the role of having to raise his nine younger siblings, and he was up to the challenge as well. Having to do daily things for his brothers and sisters like cooking and cleaning, as⛎ well as having to take care of the house and Pewter Gym, Brock was able to balance all of these things and really grew into the mature person that we all know and love. Ash would not know the feeling though since he is an only child and was raised comfortably by his mother. It really shows too, because it always seems that Ash can barely take care of himself.
18 Ma🦩n Of Medicine
Some say that laughter is the best medicine, and Brock definitely brings the laughs with his goofy antics. But, contrary to that belief, medicine is still the best medicine and Brock is aspiring to be someone who specializes in medicine. If you couldn't guess from that hint, it is a Pokémon Doctor that Brock wants to become so that he can help take care of injured Pokémon. He clearly is determined as well. He even left his best friends so that he could go back to his hometown and train to become a certified Pokémon Doctor. Trying to attain a Ph.D. in Pokémon seems like a difficult task, but it is all the more admirable that Brock is working so hard to become one. This is clearly not a profession that Ash would be interested i✅n, but if he tried I don't think he would be successful since he gets frustrated pretty easily.
17 ܫ𓃲 The Apprentice
We have already established how impressive of a feat it was for Brock to become a successful Gym Leader prior to him leaving to join Ash on his journey. But, even more impressively, Brocᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚk has helped to groom his own successor to the Pewter Gym throne. After Brock left, the Pewter Gym was in rough shape and he wanted to fix it. So 🀅Brock responded by returning home and basically inspired his little brother, Forrest, to become the new Gym Leader. Heck, Brock believed in his brother so much that he straight up gave Forrest some of his own Pokémon to be used for Gym battles! And Forrest has displayed some impressive skill on the show, having almost defeated a Latias in battle, which is a LEGENDARY Pokémon by the way! I'm sure when Ash eventually achieves his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master then he can train his own apprentice, but until then he has himself to worry about.
16 The Need To 🍸Breed ✨
The life of a Pokémon Breeder is a peaceful one. This is because you are essentially choosing to raise and 𓆉breed Pokémon to make them, and future generations of Pokémon, happy and healthy, rather than to use them for their battling abilities. Actually, it was Brock's original dream to become a dedicated Pokémon Breeder and was the reason why he left his life as a Gym Leader. This makes sense because Brock is so good at taking care of others, and this includes Pokémon. Even though Brock has since changed his job aspirations to trying to become💟 a Pokémon Doctor, he still exhibits the same nurturing qualities towards Pokémon anyways, so he essentially is still a Pokémon Breeder (minus the title).
15 ꦑ Master Chef
Among Brock's many talents, and probably his most signature, is his ability to cook delicious food for both humans and Pokémon alike. Coming from a background where he ended up having to cook and feed his siblings every day, it makes sense that Brock has perfected his craft of making delectable dishes for humans. But even cooler, he has also perfected making Pokémon food as well, so that he gains the trust and friendship of the Pokémon he is feeding. Think of Brock as the Gordon Ramsey of the Pokémon universe, but with📖out the yelling or cursing. Ash, on the other hand, is not known for cooking at all. It's a good thing he has Brock around to cook for him though, or else he might have 🅠starved by now.
14 𓆉 A Mega-Evolving Master
Mega Ev🍨olution is a relatively newer form of evolution and a specialized one at that. To achieve it, a Pokémon Trainer has to combine a Key Stone with the Mega Stone that his/her Pokémon is holding. Sounds complicated? Well, to make it even more intricate, there are only 46 different Pokémon that are able to Mega Evolve. Even though Ash has a Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution in Charizard, he has still not found himself utilizing this powerful new type of evolution. Brock, though, has not only Mega Evolved his Steelix into a Mega Steelix, but he was the first character in the series to perform a Mega Evolution! In terms of the anime, this makes Brock a pioneer of this newer evolution. Perhaps one day, Ash will do it too. When will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine.
13 🅺 Brock The Fashionista ꦍ
When Ash and Brock both decided to enter the Pokémon Dress-Up ♎Contest, which is essentially a contest where Pokémon are judged on how well they can imitate other Pokémon through dressing-up or impersonations, I think most people would have assumed that Ash would have won because his Pikachu is a . Much to the surprise of everyone though, Brock ended up winning the competition with his Croagunk, who expertly impersonated a Politoed and impressed the judges in the process. This win led to Brock receiving a Pokémon Egg that would go on to hatch into a Happiny, but more importantly, the competition victory over Ash is something that Brock can brag about anytime Ash gets a bit too cocky.
12 A Strange Kind Of Radar ♈
Brock has a very, uh, "unique" skill where he can identify cross-dressing men because he "lacks attraction" towards them. Surprisingly, this has come in handy on a number oꦐf occasions, especially because there have been times where male antagonists, like Team Rocket's James, have disguised themselves as women to try and trick Ash and his friends. This is not an ability that Ash can say he has, so Brock one-ups him in this regard. Although, it is important to note that Ash is the only cross-dressing male to have fooled Brock. This occurred when he dressed up as a girl named "Ashley" to gain a🌜ccess to the Celadon Gym, which he was previously barred from entering. I don't know how Ash fooled Brock with his disguise, but it is pretty impressive nonetheless.
11 🎉Ultra-Prepared 🍷
Where would Ash be without Brock's insanely high preparation skills? Equipped with a seemingly bottomless bag that is very similar to the magical bag , Brock always seems to have something to help out with any situation. Think you might be lost? Brock can pull out a map to help find your way. Is ဣyour Pokémon hurting or hungry? Oh, would you look at that, Brock can just magically whip out some health potions or Pokémon food. His preparedness is so crazy that he once pulled out a whole dining table and tea set from his (also magical?) backpack. Without Brock, Ash's Pokémon journey would have probably been a total disaster. I mean, have you seen his tiny🌠 backpack? I bet it isn't even magical!