Japanese Title: Pokémon League Opens! Water Field!
Original Airdate: December 17th, 1998
US Airdate: October 30th, 1999
The one where... Krabby shows himself off to be badass.
It's day one of the Pokémon League Tournament and the trainers learn where they will be competing in their first round battle and who their first opponent will be. We find Ash as he's checking into the Pokémon Village where he's told his first battle will be held on the Water Field. Since Misty's specialty is water Pokémon she offers to let him use some of hers, but Ash declines. Professor Oak suggests that he not go into battle with Squirtle as his only water Pokémon and sends over Krabby as a back up. Against the advice of his coaches, Brock and Misty, Ash begins the battle by using his Krabby who's never fought before.
Tropes
- Beginner's Luck: Ash uses a Pokémon who has zero battle experience, and they win. Ash was not unaware of the pitfalls of this plan though, and had Squirtle and Pikachu on standby if it failed.
- Break the Haughty: The episode seems like it'll be one for Ash, as he's a beginner who chooses to use a Pokémon that's never battled before against an opponent more experienced that he is. But it turns out to be one for his opponent Mandi, who's cocky and self important attitude is shattered when Ash's Pokémon evolves and sweeps his entire team.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Once Krabby evolves after beating Exeggutor, Ash decides to use him against the rest of Mandi's team.
- David vs. Goliath: Ash starts his first preliminary round using Krabby while his opponent Mandi calls out Exeggutor. Not only was Krabby at a type disadvantage, but Exeggutor was a giant in comparison.
- Day in the Limelight: For Ash's Krabby/Kingler, which had been hardly featured, never being in Ash’s Party since being sent to Professor Oak over 60 episodes previously. Even 20 years later, this is Kingler’s most-remembered battle.
- Enemy Mine: Team Rocket are so ticked with Mandi that they hijack a commentator booth just to tell Ash that they are rooting for him.
- Epic Fail: Not for Ash, but for Mandi. He came in the battlefield with a team of experienced Pokémon with significant advantages over a Krabby with zero battle experience. What follows can only be described as a Humiliation Conga for Mandi. First, his Exeggutor gets defeated by Krabby's Stomp despite having a type-advantage. Then Krabby evolves into Kingler and proceeds to sweep the rest of Mandi's team, with Seadra being smacked by Crabhammer and Golbat being blasted out of the sky by Hyper Beam. And keep in mind, Ash has Squirtle and Pikachu, experienced Pokémon battlers, as his reserves in case Kingler loses.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Although the anime usually limits Pokémon to 4 moves per match like the games do, Ash's Kingler uses 7 moves in this match.
- Handshake Refusal: How Mandi is established as a Jerkass to Ash and Company. Team Rocket, and the viewer, picked that up earlier.
- Karma Houdini: Ash gets a lot cockier and more aggressively competitive in this episode, making it seem like he's set for a Break the Haughty in his first League battle. Instead he delivers a Curb-Stomp Battle to Mandi, turning the battle into Mandi's Break the Haughty and a validation for Ash, who ends the episode gloating and celebrating in front of the cameras.
- Land, Sea, Sky: Mandi's team has this dynamic: Exeggutor, Seadra and Golbat.
- Megaton Kick: Krabby's version of the Stomp attack, which topples Exeggutor.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: After Ash wins his first battle, Brock notes that the trainer's guide says winners should be graceful and reserved in victory. Ash isn't listening because he's dancing around in front of some reporters claiming he's going to win all his battles just like he did with this one.
