"From the green side contestant channel, our challenger enters—the young trainer from Pallet Town, Ash! And it's worth noting that he is none other than the twin brother of Lord Red!"
The announcer's voice filled the Water Field arena, his tone brimming with anticipation. "Yesterday, during the attempted theft of the Sacred Flame, it was Ash's passionate vow that stirred the fire's divine nature and safeguarded it. Let us welcome Ash with a roaring applause!"
Cheers rippled across the stands. It was obvious: the announcer carried high hopes for Ash's debut.
"On the red side," the voice continued, "we have the magician trainer known for his flamboyant style—Mandi the Magician!"
The crowd applauded politely as Mandi twirled his cape dramatically, already basking in the attention.
"This will be a three-on-three elimination battle! The third official match of the Water Field begins now!"
At the referee's signal, the bell rang.
"Now it's showtime. Ash, thank you in advance for granting me the victory," Mandi smirked, tossing his Poké Ball high.
"You're way too arrogant! I won't let you—" Ash began hotly.
But before he could finish, a familiar voice rang from the commentary box.
"Don't you lose to that pompous clown! Show him what you're made of!" Jessie screeched.
From the corner of his eye, Ash saw the unmistakable figures of Team Rocket waving among the media section.
"Yeah, fight with your usual spirit! Battle with passion!" James added enthusiastically.
"I'm not cheering, but don't make us look bad, twerp," Meowth muttered.
Ash blinked in disbelief. How did they even sneak in?
Before the answer could come, four Officer Jennys marched in from behind, exposing the trio's false reporter disguises and swiftly escorting them out. The crowd laughed as the Rockets were shoved away protesting and flailing.
"Ohh, multiple Jennys? So they all came here to officiate security for the League," Brock muttered, his cheeks flushing bright red.
"Let me guess… You're memorizing their differences again?" Misty groaned.
Brock nodded dreamily. "Well, the Jenny in Viridian dyes her hair a shade darker, the one in Celadon's uniform skirt is just a little shorter, and the one in Goldenrod wears a perfume that smells like stinki—"
Misty pushed him away with an exasperated sigh. "Focus! This is Ash's match!"
The referee signaled both trainers.
"Go, Krabby!" Ash shouted, sending his still underdeveloped Pokémon splashing dramatically into the water.
"Exeggutor, it's showtime!" Mandi countered, and the towering palm-headed Pokémon emerged with a rumble.
Without hesitation, Mandi snapped his fingers. "Exeggutor, use Psychic!"
Exeggutor's eyes glowed, unleashing a powerful ripple of psychic waves across the pool.
"Krabby, dive!" Ash reacted quickly.
With a splash, Krabby disappeared underwater, narrowly avoiding the shimmering psychic blast.
From the stands, Gary folded his arms, analyzing coolly. "Hiding underwater won't be much help. Exeggutor's a Psychic-type—it can turn the water into a weapon."
As if on cue, Mandi raised his hand. "Exeggutor, show them true magic—whirl the water with Psychic!"
The pool surged, twisting upward as Exeggutor lifted the very waters into a spiraling vortex. The whirlpool caught Krabby, dragging it helplessly inside.
"Ash, call Krabby back! Switch to Pikachu!" Brock urged from the coaching box.
Ash fumbled for Krabby's Poké Ball, but the torrential splash interfered with the recall beam. He gritted his teeth. I can't switch… I have to trust Krabby.
"Finish it, Exeggutor—Seed Bomb!" Mandi commanded confidently.
Seeds burst out, hammering into the spinning waters. But just then, Krabby burst out of the vortex, climbing onto Exeggutor's branches with its claw latched tight.
"Krabby, hold on and use Leer!" Ash shouted.
Krabby's eyes flashed menacingly, unnerving Exeggutor and lowering its defenses. Then, with stubborn strength, Krabby bashed it with a sudden Stomp attack, catching Exeggutor right across the face and toppling the giant Pokémon.
"Exeggutor is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising his flag.
The crowd erupted.
"That kid never even trained Krabby much… probably Grandpa's lab feeding it well!" Gary snorted from the stands, though a smirk betrayed his impressed amusement.
"Amazing!" Misty gasped.
"I… I honestly didn't see that coming," Brock admitted in disbelief.
But Ash's grin was wide, his eyes shining. "That's my Krabby!"
As if responding to the praise, Krabby's body glowed bright white. In seconds, it grew larger, its single claw ballooning to massive size. Waves splashed as Ash's Krabby evolved mid-battle into a powerful Kingler!
The audience roared.
Wasting no momentum, Kingler charged back into battle. With devastating force, it unleashed Crabhammer and Hyper Beam in succession—smashing through Mandi's Qwilfish and then slamming Golbat from the skies.
Within moments, all of Mandi's Pokémon lay defeated.
"The battle is over! Ash from Pallet Town claims victory, sweeping the match with only his Krabby—no, his newly evolved Kingler!" the announcer cried, his voice nearly cracking with the excitement of the upset.
"Kingler, we did it!" Ash shouted, leaping onto the Water Field platform and hugging his massive, clawed Pokémon without fear.
The cameras zoomed in on Ash's radiant smile as he eagerly waved, almost begging for an interview. The TV crew stumbled to catch up, laughing at his overflowing enthusiasm.
Ash's first Indigo League victory had shaken the Water Field—and left every spectator wondering how far Pallet Town's "other twin" could go.