It starts off at Viridian City where there are reports of pok�mon theives. Ash strolls in, and officer Jenny blames Ash because he's an outsider. He shows her the ID on his pok�dex, and tells her that he needs to get pikachu to a Pok�mon Center. They hop on her motorbike, and race off to the center. Misty comes struggling after him angrily, with her burnt bike from Ep.1. Team Rocket (Jesse, James and Meowth) float by on the hot air balloon and takes off the wanted poster of them from the sign.

At the Center, Nurse Joy gets a Chansey to quickly take Pikachu off on a stretcher, and Ash's left waiting. He sees the video phones so he gives his mom a call, and feels discouraged. His mom gives him some encouragement, and says good bye.

Then Ash sees a mural on the wall and notices a picture of the bird (Houou) he saw at the end of Ep.1. The front desk phone rings, so he picks it up to hear Professor Oak. He show Oak the picture of the bird he saw and Oak thinks he's talking non-sense. Then Misty comes yelling about her ruined bike. She wants payment, and suddenly pikachu comes out on a stretcher, and says it'll have to rest a while.

Then it shows Team Rocket floating above the Center and they throw Ekans and Koffing through the glass ceiling, Then they appear Amongst Koffing's Smoke Screen, and do their Motto for the first time. They want to steal pok�mon so Ekans and Koffing attack, and Nurse Joy, Ash and Misty hide in a small room. Suddenly the lights go out, and so Nurse Joy uses a mechanical wheel run by a group of pikachus to get the power going again. They start sending all the Pok�balls from the Pok�mon Center to Pewter City when Jesse and James bust in. Ash tries to send some Pok�balls to fight with but Misty says to run and let her handle it. She sends out Goldeen. Ash and Nurse Joy and pikachu are followed by Ekans and Koffing, when the group of pikachus come and thundershock. Then when Team Rocket comes, Pikachu tells Ash to give more power, so he gets on the burnt bike and pedals and then pikachu gives a gigantic thundershock, and blows the Pok�mon Center sky high. Then Team Rocket loses, but they decide to go after the powerful pikachu. Now Ash and Misty are travelling together, and are in Viridian Forest, when Ash encounters a caterpie and gets ready to catch it...