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| Season | Pokémon: Master Quest (Season 5) · The Johto League Silver Conference arc (EP265–EP272) |
| Episode | Season 5, episode 60 · English episode 269 · Japanese episode 272 · Bulbapedia code EP270 |
| English title | Can’t Beat the Heat! |
| Japanese title | ライバルたいけつ! カメックスVSリザードン!! Raibaru Taiketsu! Kamekkusu Tai Rizādon!! — “Rival Confrontation! Kamex vs. Lizardon!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 17 October 2002 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 27 September 2003 · Kids’ WB |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Ready Go! – Naomi Tamura · Pokettāri Monsutāri – Kana |
| English opening | Believe in Me – David Rolfe |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Bayleef (US) · Blastoise (Japan) |
| Previous episode | The Ties That Bind (EP269) |
| Next episode | Playing with Fire (EP271) |
Plot episodeAsh beats Gary
Can’t Beat the Heat! is the 60th episode of Pokémon: Master Quest, the fifth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 269th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 272, Bulbapedia code EP270). It first aired in Japan on 17 October 2002 and in the United States on 27 September 2003. It falls within the season’s The Johto League Silver Conference stretch (EP265–EP272).
Although it carries the Master Quest title card and theme, Kids’ WB counted this episode as part of Season 6; VIZ’s DVDs and streaming services include it in Master Quest.
Synopsis

The epic battle continues Gary still feels he can out maneuver Ash no matter how creative his rival is. But Ash refuses to give in continuing to come up with new strategies on the fly. Eventually it comes down to Gary’s blastoise against Charizard. However, Ash has Charizard use basically the same strategy to defeat the blastoise, that he used to defeat Claire’s dragonair; by changing the battlefield. Ash wins much to his own amazement. Gary calmly walks away from the field. Later, they meet and Gary congratulates Ash, giving him Gary’s half of the pokéball saying he now knows Ash was never a loser.
Major Events
- Ash defeats Gary
- Rivalry ends
- Delibird leaves TR
- Magnitude’s only anime use
- Ash vs Harrison begins
Trivia
- The English title plays on the saying "if you can’t stand the heat…".
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Johto storyline.
- The Who’s That Pokémon? segment features Blastoise in Japan, where it almost always matched the episode, but Bayleef in the US, where 4Kids picked the Pokémon at random.
Changes in the English Dub
- Team Rocket motto variations and dub-only fourth-wall jokes (“Meowth has been dropped from the rest of the season”, EP265). Move-name errors: Headbutt → “Skull Bash” (EP216–217), Take Down (EP220), Outrage → “Attack Rage” (EP253), Bind → “Wrap”, Scary Face → “Leer” (EP271), Ice Beam → “Cold Beam” (EP257). The announcer repeatedly calls Harrison “from Silver Town” instead of Littleroot (EP270, EP272).
- Notable exceptions kept in the dub include the “OK!” instrumental in EP270’s final round and most of EP271’s score
Part of our Pokémon: Master Quest guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.
