Ash's Torkoal (Tom's Version)

Ash's Torkoal (Japanese: サトシコータス Satoshi's Cotoise) is the fourteenth Pokémon that Ash Ketchum caught in the Hoenn region.

Hoenn
Torkoal first appeared in All Torkoal, No Play. The gang found Torkoal in the Valley of Steel being attacked by a group of Magnemite and a Skarmory. After the group of Steel-type Pokémon left, it thanked Ash and ran off. Torkoal was later found being attacked by the same Pokémon again. With the help of Pikachu, May's Torchic, and Skitty, Torkoal made the other Pokémon flee; however, it fainted afterwards. After Brock nursed it back to full health it heard a roar echo through the valley and again ran off incredibly fast. Later, Torkoal, once again with the gang, fended off a wild Magneton while May rescued Torchic from a long fall off of a cliff. As they reached the end of the valley, a Steelix revealed itself as the leader of the Steel types in the valley and began a battle with Torkoal. Despite the type disadvantage, Steelix was able to dominate the battle. Ash thought back to Flannery's Torkoal and then commanded it to use Overheat. Steelix was then defeated, and before the other Steel types attacked, Steelix got up and issued respect to Torkoal. Ash then asked Torkoal if it wanted to join his team. Torkoal agreed to the idea and tackled Ash to the ground.

In the next episode, Ash introduced Torkoal to the rest of the gang's Pokémon, which it greeted by releasing smoke from its nostrils. At a games carnival thrown by Team Rocket Torkoal attempted to go on its back legs to kick a soccer ball, but ended up falling flat on its back. It was captured by Team Rocket along with Treecko and Bagon, but rescued by the intervention of Watt, Wattson, and Electrike. After Electrike evolved into Manectric, Torkoal was so happy that it engulfed them all in smoke. Ash and Wattson then decided to have an informal rematch, and Ash decided to put Torkoal up against the newly evolved Manectric. Torkoal was shown quickly to be very good defensively, using Iron Defense to avoid damage from Manectric's Bite, and its shell was tough enough to absorb Tackle without taking damage. Torkoal pushed back with an Overheat, the powerful attack blasting through Manectric's Thunder Wave and scoring a direct hit. Manectric then began to use Charge, and held firm even against two more Overheats and a Flamethrower. Manectric let loose a devastating Thunder Wave, which Torkoal couldn't counter as its power had been drained from successive Overheats. Thunder Wave hit and knocked out Torkoal in a single hit.

In Balance of Power!, Ash used Torkoal as his second Pokémon in his Petalburg Gym Battle against Norman, Torkoal went up against Norman's Slakoth. Torkoal used Flamethrower while Slakoth used Blizzard, with Flamethrower overpowering Blizzard and hitting Slakoth, defeating it, causing Torkoal to cry emotionally. Torkoal then went up against Norman's Vigoroth, Torkoal used Overheat which was dodged and Vigoroth used a powerful Scratch, defeating Torkoal in one hit.

In Pearls are a Spoink's Best Friend, Torkoal befriended a Spoink and, along with Ash and the gang, helped it to recover its lost pearl.

In From Brags to Riches, Torkoal and Salamence battled Dominick's Tropius and Swalot in the Ever Grande Conference. It managed to hold on after being hit by Bullet Seed, as its Iron Defense was more than enough to block the attack. It was blown back by a powerful Gust, but managed to hit Tropius with Flamethrower. After a collision of Torkoal's Overheat and Tropius's Solar Beam, both Pokémon were knocked out of the battle.

Sinnoh
Torkoal was the second Pokémon Ash used to battle Tobias's Darkrai after Heracross in The Semi-Final Frontier. It launched a Flamethrower that was countered by a powerful Dark Pulse which wiped out Torkoal upon contact.

Personality and Characteristics
Torkoal has a habit of crying and releasing smoke from its nostrils and back when it is happy. It will usually do this every time it's released from its Poké Ball and when it wins a battle. Although not ill-intended, the smoke will usually blacken any surrounding object or person. This was demonstrated relatively often when Torkoal was first captured.

Ash's Torkoal, as Brock points out, is quite an emotional individual and very friendly towards people and other Pokémon. It has a slight comic element to it, most notably when it tried to play a soccer carnival game in Manectric Charge and falling over in the process.