Given how long the Pokémon anime series has been airing, there's bound to be some inconsistencies here and there in its continuity. Some of them are in the lore of the series like the Arceus-or-Mew dilemma. Others think of the continuity of the anime, like how Ash always checks his Pokédex even for Pokémon he's already met. However, one rare type of inconsistency comes up when the English dub makes characters say things that aren't present in the original anime.
One of these plot holes comes up with regard to Brock's mother Lola. In the early English dub, it's stated that she passed away. However, audiences are later shown that she's alive and well. This seems odd, but perhaps there's an explanation for it. Finding a justification for claiming Brock's mom is dead requires a look at the situation, what spurred the false comment and how its existence can still work within the continuity of the rest of the series.
The claim came about in the episode "Showdown in Pewter City." At the time, Flint found Ash dejected over his loss to Brock. He gave Ash a look at Brock's home life, where they saw him caring for his ten younger siblings by himself. Brock's father left on a Pokémon journey and never came back, and while his heartbroken mother tried to keep the family together, she sadly passed away -- at least, this was what Flint would have Ash believe. Meanwhile, the claim about Brock's mom passing away isn't in the original Japanese version of the anime. Instead, it's said that Lola left the home after she got tired of arguing with Brock's father. As such, her status remains unknown for much of the original series.
Another version of Lola's fate is given by Pocket Monster: The Animation, a novel series penned by the original series' chief writer Takeshi Shudo. In these books, Lola tried to run the Pewter Gym in Flint's absence, but she couldn't handle the pressure and left. These books, despite the author behind them, have multiple plot points that are contradicted by later seasons, so anything written here should be taken with a grain of salt. In any case, the intention to kill off Brock's mom was clearly never in the original plans for the series.
Flint's claim in the Dub was further contradicted by a special episode titled "A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!" Brock returned home following his journey with Ash through Johto to find his mother had renovated the Pewter Gym. When he went to confront his mother on the matter, he found her hanging a painting in the house, saying that she was becoming an art connoisseur. This was apparently one of many phases, along with studying astrological signs and yodeling. In other words, not only is she not dead but she's been leading an active lifestyle rich with new experiences.
As for why Flint told Ash what he did in the English dub, there could be several explanations. It could be that Flint, having not returned home in ages, only knew about his family through hearsay and distant observations and was thus spreading misinformation. It could be that when Lola left him, he considered her dead to him and acted as such. It could even be that he intentionally avoided telling Ash any truths about his family that the boy didn't need to know; this would also explain why he never revealed that he was Brock's father until the end of the episode. Since Lola's "death" never comes up again, the reasoning behind Flint's statement is left open to interpretation.
Whatever the case, it's nice to see that Brock's mother is in fact alive and well. As interesting as it might be for a series like Pokémon to tackle such a mature theme as dead parents, it would greatly clash with the lighthearted mood of the rest of the series. Her being alive not only avoids that issue but also allows for more story fun story opportunities with the character. It's ironic that in one of the few times the English dub tried to take the initiative with more mature themes, it ended up backfiring.
