Japanese Title: Four Heavenly Kings Canna! Ice Battle!!
Original Airdate: June 3rd, 1999
US Airdate: April 15th, 2000
The one where... Ash meets an Elite Four member. (Again.)
Ash, Misty and Tracey are on Mandarin Island where Ash has just won three battles in a row. But, he finally meets his match when they run into Prima, one of the very best trainers on the Orange Islands. Misty is thrilled to meet her hero because she also trains water-type Pokémon, but, it's Ash who learns a very valuable lesson from this trainer who also sets him on course for a chance at another Orange League badge!
Tropes
- The Ace: Prima is admired by just about every character besides Ash (who later comes around) and has the skills to demonstrate exactly why.
- Adapted Out: Out of the five Pokémon Lorelei/Prima used in the games, only Lapras is absent. Apparently, because Ash himself has a Lapras.
- Ash Face: Happens to Ash twice, being completely charred black by Charizard when it refuses to obey him.
- Bowdlerize: All screenings after the first broadcast removed a very close shot of Prima's torso, where her boobs take up half the screen and Ash peers over them to talk to her.
- Break the Haughty: What happens to Ash after his ego gets too big.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Prima's Slowbro makes quick work of Charizard. She also defeats her unnamed opponent's Pokémon rather easily (though his Machamp and Marowak were weak against her Slowbro and Dewgong respectively).
- Dub Name Change: The Japanese name Kanna was changed to Lorelei for the English localization of the games, but changed to Prima for the anime. Rumor has it that it was due to trying to match the characters' Mouth Flaps (namely due to how "Prima" has the same amount of syllables as "Kanna"). Dogasu's Backpack
has debunked this theory, pointing out that it's far more likely 4Kids just screwed up and didn't realise she was a game character. The dub also removes any mention of her being part of the Elite Four, even though the Japanese version put the equivalent name (Shitennou, Four Heavenly Kings) right in the episode title, which also indicates that 4Kids simply didn't make the connection. - Even the Girls Want Her: Misty is very much a fangirl of Lorelei/Prima.
- Humiliation Conga: After mouthing off about how great a trainer he is and how he "can handle anything", Ash sends out Charizard, which proceeds to burn him to a crisp twice and disobey him in full view of everybody and has to be stopped by the very person Ash was bragging to.
- Ms. Fanservice: Lorelei/Prima is quite obviously designed as this, with long legs and a noticeable bust.
- Jerkass Ball: Following a recent winning streak, Ash gets extremely arrogant and behaves like a total ass to everybody. He gets better after he loses to Prima.
- Even happens to Charizard. Instead of just incinerating Ash as usual, he goes around attacking everyone nearby until Prima's Slowbro puts a stop to him.
- Mythology Gag: The Japanese title refers to Prima's role as part of the Elite Four. Had they kept the reference, it could easily been called "Prima of the Elite Four".
- No-Sell: Cloyster's shell protects it from Pikachu's attacks.
- Out of Focus: Team Rocket show up at the end for a battle that's so short that it almost seems like the writers didn't want to break their streak of appearing in every episode since the second.
- Pun: When Ash is flamethrowered by Charizard, two are made at his expense:Misty: Now you really look like Ash.Trainer: Huh. Looks like your little plan just backfired.
- Shock and Awe: Ash's unnamed opponent sends out a Persian that knows Thunderbolt, much to Ash's surprise. It isn't quite enough to take out Squirtle, however.
