The Mandarin Island Miss Match

Plot
On Mandarin Island, Ash finishes off a Butterfree with Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf. Later on, as Ash and Misty eat, Tracey tells them that Prima is going to give a lecture on the island. Misty is ecstatic, and tells Ash and Tracey that Prima is her hero. She hears a voice behind her, and turns to see Prima herself. Misty and Tracey introduce themselves while Ash chokes on his sandwich. She walks past them, however, and bends down to look at Togepi.

Nearby, Meowth watches from the bushes while Jessie and James eat. James sees Prima and recognizes her, but cannot ascertain her name. Prima then looks out at the ocean, and makes many philosophical comments about nature. Ash asks for a battle, but Prima ignores him. Ash arrogantly interprets this as an admission that she is afraid to battle and goes off in search of someone else.

Ash eventually does find an opponent who accepts his challenge. As Prima watches, Ash offers to let the boy set up the rules and they agree on two Pokémon each. Ash sends out Squirtle, and the boy releases a Persian. Squirtle uses Water Gun, but Persian dodges it. It uses Thunderbolt, but Squirtle uses Withdraw. It then pops out of its shell and Skull Bashes Persian, knocking it out. The boy then sends out a Tauros, who Tackles Squirtle right away, knocking it out. Ash withdraws Squirtle and sends out Charizard, but Ash still cannot control Charizard and it burns him.

Prima continues to watch as Tauros uses Take Down. Charizard then uses Flamethrower, knocking out Tauros in one hit. He then flies into the air and attempts to burn everything in sight. Ash tries to call it back, but the recall beam from the Poké Ball misses. When Ash gets burnt by Flamethrower again, Prima intervenes, sending out her Slowbro, who uses Disable, immobilizing Charizard in midair. It then brings it down to the ground, and Ash succeeds in calling it back. Prima asks Ash if he knows what he is doing, and he defends himself by saying that he was in the top sixteen in the Indigo Plateau Conference. Unimpressed, Prima asks the trio to come to her demonstration later, and they enthusiastically accept.

Later, Ash and his friends watch Prima battle from the stands of Mandarin Island Stadium. Team Rocket also sneaks in, dressed as food vendors. James now fully recognizes Prima, and they plan to steal her Pokémon. The demonstration goes on for a while and Prima defeats every Pokémon she goes up against. Ash watches intently, determined to try and pick up some tips. After the demonstration, Prima invites Ash and his friends to her house for some tea. There, Ash announces his suspicions that Prima is trying to teach him reverse psychology. Prima tells them that every person has a particular way of acting in and out of battle. She then explains that she is like the water, usually going with the flow, but when she is in battle, she becomes as cold as ice. She walks outside, and tells Ash that the most important thing is knowing where his strength lies. She then insists that Ash may be strong in some ways, but he needs to develop what comes from the inside.

Ash then challenges Prima to a battle once again, which she accepts. They agree on one Pokémon each, and send out their Pokémon. Ash uses Pikachu, and Prima chooses Cloyster. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, but Cloyster Withdraws into its shell. Pikachu then uses Agility, but is knocked back by Cloyster's Reflect. Next Pikachu uses Thunder; it hits Cloyster, but it begins glowing red. Tracey warns Ash that this is Rage, which increases its Attack level. Pikachu tries a Quick Attack, but is defeated by Aurora Beam and Take Down.

Prima calls back Cloyster, and looks at Pikachu to see if he is okay. She tells Ash that he has the skills he needs to be a Pokémon Master, but adds that he needs to remember that his Pokémon are the ones who win the Badges. She then tells him that with his Pokémon and friends by his side, he will always succeed. She finally reveals that if he wins all of the Gym Badges in the Orange League, he will be presented with an "Honorable Trainer" trophy.

Suddenly, Team Rocket arrives and ask Prima for a CD recording of her lecture. She replies that it is on tape only, and whispers to Ash and his friends that it is $18.95, shocking Team Rocket before they say their motto. Misty correctly guesses that their original plan was to steal Prima's Pokémon, but they tell her that they decided to go after Pikachu, figuring they would lose against Prima. Ash gets ready to fight, but Prima tells him that she will take care of it. She immediately sends out Jynx, who uses Ice Punch and freezes Team Rocket. Jynx then uses Blizzard and blows them into the sky. The pieces from the ice block rain down, making sparkles in the sky.

That evening, Prima tells Ash that the nearest Gym is on Trovita Island, which is straight across the bay on the other side of Mandarin Island. Ash and his friends thank Prima before heading off.

Major Events

 * Ash and his friends meet Prima of the Kanto Elite Four.
 * Ash battles Prima, but is defeated.
 * Ash learns from Prima that there is an Orange League Gym on Trovita Island, and decides to head there.