Japanese Title: The Great First Pokémon Panic!!
Original Airdate: July 17, 2003
US Airdate: May 22, 2004
This Torchic...well, Combusken now...was a whole lot more trouble than it was worth.
When May witnesses the beaching of a Wailord, Ash and Max are left at a Pokémon Center tending a set of starters. Things get complicated with the starter Torchic evolves into Combusken and runs amok.
This episode features examples of the following tropes:
- Badly Battered Babysitter: The heap of trouble that Ash, Max and their Pokémon have to endure because of the starter Pokémon, especially once the Torchic evolves.
- Call-Back:
- Max lets his affinity for Treecko show through when he first calls the starters out.
- Ash likewise namedrops Treecko as his favorite Hoenn starter when showing the starters to Stephanie.
- Crocodile Tears: Corphish uses one to trick Pikachu just so the former would keep on fighting the troublesome Torchic.
- Foil: The starter Pokémon in this episode are mostly the opposites of the starters possessed by the group.
- The starter Mudkip is a crybaby and cowardly, while Brock's Mudkip is very confident.
- The starter Torchic is a bit of a jerk, while May's Torchic is very kind and shy. Then the starter Torchic evolves into Combusken.
- The starter Treecko appears to be female, though it's not explicitly stated in either the original or the dub, while Ash's is heavily implied to be male over the course of the series, and is more personable than Ash's Treecko, who is a loner.
- Imagine Spot: After Brock mentions that he got an Onix as his starter because his dad was the Rock type Gym Leader, Max imagines his dad (a Normal type Gym Leader) gifting him a Slakoth.
- Irritation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: The starter Treecko imitated Ash's Treecko by putting a twig in her mouth like it, though with a flower bloom on it.
- Mythology Gag: In an Imagine Spot, Ash and Max present Combusken to May with the games' evolution message."Congratulations, May! Your Torchic evolved into Combusken!"
- Precocious Crush: The starter Treecko develops one on Ash's Treecko.
- Ship Tease: Again, it's not explicitly stated that the starter Treecko in the episode is female, but it sure seems to take a liking to Ash's Treecko. Particularly when he stands up to the starter Torchic.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: When the starter Torchic evolves into Combusken, it really becomes a jerk.
- Trauma Conga Line: Ash and Max do not have a fun time in this episode.
- We Want Our Jerk Back!: May immediately gets suspicious when her brother has suddenly started acting nice to her.
