Anime is infamous for having irresponsible parents. As fun as the premise of action and adventure is, parents will often indulge in it at the expense of their children. In Pokémon, this happens with Ash's father, but there may be another set of parents even more irresponsible in this regard-- Brock's.
Flint and Lola are infamous for leaving Brock alone to look after his ten younger siblings. It also prevented him from pursuing his own dream of becoming a Pokémon breeder. Even when the parents do come back into the children’s lives, it’s not always with their bests interests in mind. Here’s a look at why Brock's parents left, how it affected their children, and what happened when they finally came back.
Flint’s reason for leaving is straightforward and simple. He went on a journey to become a great Pokémon trainer. Unfortunately, when this didn’t go as well as he had hoped, he couldn’t bring himself to face his family. The reason for Lola’s disappearance isn't as definite. According to Flint in the English dub, she tried to keep the family together after Flint left but sadly passed away. In the original Japanese dub, she left the house after she got tired of arguing with Brock’s father. The anime novelization said that she left because she couldn’t handle being the Pewter City Gym Leader in Flint’s stead. It’s revealed in the special episode “A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!” that she, too, went on a Pokémon journey. Whatever the case, it’s apparent that she wasn’t there for her children, either.
It’s worth noting that while Flint wouldn’t return to his family for a long time, he would be there for them when they really needed him. He was living as a rock-seller on the outskirts of Pewter City. This way, he could watch his sons and daughters from afar and come to them if they ever truly needed it. Sure enough, he revealed himself once Brock expressed his desire to go out into the world to become a Pokémon Breeder. He realized that it was time to take responsibility as a father and a Gym Leader so his son could follow his own dream. He even gave Brock a chance to let loose on him for all of the neglect, though Brock instead took that chance to tell him how to take good care of his siblings.
Lola’s return was a little harder to justify. When she reentered her family’s lives, she imposed her own whims on them and had the Pewter Gym reworked into a Water/Rock Gym. Not even Flint could oppose his wife, so he went back to being a hermit on the edge of town. Once more, it was up to Brock to be the man of the house, stand up to his mother and restore the Gym to its rightful, traditional state.
The worst part about the Pewter Gym being remodeled was that it happened twice. The second time, it was a part of Team Rocket's plans and both parents fell for their tricks during the episode "Grating Spaces!". Not only does Brock have to retake the Gym again, but he scolded both Flint and Lola about letting the Gym be remodeled. At this point, Brock was more of an adult than either of his parents.
It's important to think about how Flint and Lola’s absence affected Brock as a person. By having to be the man of the house, Brock learned a great deal about maturity and responsibility, both of which are showcased throughout his time with Ash and the others. This doesn’t make his parents any better for forcing him to grow up sooner than he should have, but it certainly seems to have helped him in the long run.
