History Recap / PokemonS1E14ElectricShockShowdown

* WakeUpCallBoss: Whether Ash rightfully earned his first two badges or not, there's no denying that Lt. Surge is the first Gym Leader that Ash has to defeat in a clean cut battle, no sprinklers or Team Rocket interruption whatsoever.

Ash and friends have finally made to Vermilion City, but they soon discover that the Vermilion Gym Leader is the brutal Lt. Surge, who is notorious for having a record of trainers running to the hospital with their injured Pokémon. After being mocked by Surge for being a weak baby, Pikachu decides battle Surge's main Pokémon, Raichu, its evolved form. The match ends badly as Pikachu is badly crushed by its larger opponent (both figuratively and literally), and is taken the Pokémon Center for recovery.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Surge's early dialogue establishes his ideology, how he evolved his Raichu as rapidly as possible, and how he focused exclusively on powerful, brute force attacks. When Ash is trying to figure out his strategy for the rematch, Brock recalls this boasting...and deduces that's Surge's AchillesHeel: Raichu evolved ''too'' fast and it never learned the speed attacks it can ''only'' learn in the Pikachu stage.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Surge's early dialogue establishes his ideology, how he evolved his Raichu as rapidly as possible, and how he focused exclusively on powerful, brute force attacks. When Ash is trying to figure out his strategy for the rematch, Brock recalls this boasting...and realizes that's Surge's AchillesHeel: Raichu evolved ''too'' fast and it never learned the agility-based attacks it can ''only'' learn in the Pikachu stage.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Surge's early dialogue establishes his ideology, how he evolved his Raichu as rapidly as possible, and how he focused exclusively on powerful, brute force attacks. When Ash is trying to figure out his strategy for the rematch, Brock recalls this boasting...and realizes Surge unknowingly and unwittingly revealed his AchillesHeel: Raichi evolved ''too'' fast and thus never learned the agility-based attacks it can only learn in its Pikachu form.

* LargeAndInCharge: [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131026204017/pokemon/images/1/1d/Lt._Surge_anime.jpg Lt. Surge makes the heroes look positively tiny by comparison]].

* PowerWalk: The twerps and Pikachu pull one off before the second battle with Lt. Surge.

* EagleLand: Surge comes across as a solid Type II, before proving himself a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
** When Ash allows Pikachu to choose between remaining as himself and evolving to a Raichu, he chooses the former to prove himself. The duo has chosen to avoid thunderstones ever since.
** This also establishes a fierce rivalry between Ash's Pikachu and almost any Raichu they come across.

* FlatWhat: Lt. Surge gives a hilarious one when he sees that Pikachu used his tail to dodge Raichu's Thunderbolt.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
* GracefulLoser: Lt. Surge, surprisingly. Despite his [[{{Jerkass}} bullying attitude]] towards Ash and being [[JustForPun completely shocked]] by Raichu's defeat, Surge takes Ash's victory quite well and even applauded him for a job well done. Even his Raichu congratulates Pikachu's hard earned victory.

* GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

** Ash, Misty, and Brock easily see through Team Rocket's disguises, a far cry from subsequent episodes where they fail to recognize them every time. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that Jessie and James start reciting the motto when they first meet up before being [[DopeSlap slapped]] by Meowth.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* WorthyOpponent: Surge comes to see Ash as this.

* PowerupLetdown: Lt. Surge's philosophy of evolving your Pokémon as quickly as possible comes to bite him in the ass during the rematch. Raichu, although much stronger than Pikachu, didn't have the chance of learning the speed moves it could only get in its Pikachu stage. This makes Raichu unable to land a hit on the now-evasive Pikachu, whether it is Body Slam or Thunderbolt. Eventually, Raichu exhausts itself and becomes vulnerable to Pikachu's speed attacks.