Ash begins his journey in Johto, a region largely unexplored and populated with Pokémon entirely new to him and his friends.

In Pokémon battle, Ash soundly defeats an ambitious young trainer, who runs away dejectedly. Before Ash can comfort the novice, though, Team Rocket steps in, convincing the lad that Ash won by foul play, and recruiting the girl to their cause.

Ash and friends discover a forest where Pinsir invaders are causing heavy deforestation. Investigation reveals the root of the problem: Team Rocket is carelessly harvesting sap from a nearby wood, thereby upsetting the balance of nature.

Ash and friends are fortunate enough to stumble into a small valley where Donphan are used to harvest precious stones. Not so fortunate are the valley's residents; Team Rocket is on the heels of the young trainers and already hatching a plan to steal the stones for themselves.

Who would be foolish enough to brave a thick forest in the dead of night without a Hoothoot guide? Certainly not Ash Ketchum… but when he settles for the only guide available-an inept Hoothoot with no sense of direction-maybe he would have been better off alone?

Upon finally making their way out of the forest, Ash, Misty and Brock find themselves at the outskirts of a large city called Flowender. Wondering what they should do next, Misty suggests that they relax and do some sight seeing. Brock quickly jumps in and tells Misty that he cannot relax in a city full of girls that need his protection.As Ash, Misty and Brock walk along the city streets, they stumble across a young lady who advises them to see the Pokémon Exhibition.

Our heroes make their way to Cattailia City, a town recognized for its magnificent buildings. A patrol car barrels down the street, and knowing that Officer Jenny must be inside, Brock gives chase. However, a few seconds later, he trips over a thin web. Ash and Misty catch up with him and after Togepi notices something approaching, a Spinarak appears.

While walking through the middle of town, our friends notice that it is full of huge mansions. Apparently, Palm Hills is famous for its sprawling estates and sweeping lawns. Ash, Misty and Brock then come across a very large mansion and stand at the gate in complete amazement. While gazing at this majestic mansion, three butlers are seen in the background searching for something.

Brock saves a lost and frightened Stantler fawn and carefully nurses it back to health before releasing it. Little does he know that Team Rocket lies hidden nearby, waiting to capture the defenseless fawn.

Ash encounters a wild Chikorita and engages it in battle, thinking to add it to his team, but as Team Rocket watches the battle from afar, they decide the Chikorita would be better suited to their own nefarious uses.

Professor Oak's errand - to deliver the mysterious GS Ball to a Pokéball expert - is interrupted when a Quagsire with a penchant for spherical objects steals the GS ball for use in a nocturnal ritual.

When Team Rocket attacks Ash and his friends, a brave young Trainer and her flock of Ledyba come to the rescue. With a bolt of electricity, Pikachu makes quick work of Team Rocket, but they look to capture a prize anyway: the same bolt from Pikachu sends one of the Good Samaritan's Ledyba flying right into their clutches.

Team Rocket can't believe their luck when the Blissey employed in a Pokémon Center willingly gives them the center's entire food supply. As they abscond with the grub, however, an collective pang of conscience tells them to return their ill-gotten booty. However, they are ashamed lest this act of decency ruin their carefully cultivated reputation as troublemakers.

As Ash, Misty and Brock are walking through town looking for the Violet City gym, a little girl and boy are seen fighting over Pikachu. The kids, by continually grabbing and poking Pikachu, make him launch an all-out thunderbolt attack. Ash quickly picks him up, but although saving the kids from Pikachu's attack, he takes the full brunt of it. A rather attractive woman then comes running out, calling for Zackie and Lizy (the boy and girl fighting over Pikachu). Upon learning that our friends were on their way to the Violet City gym, she introduces herself as Miss Priscilla, a teacher from the Pokémon Academy.

As our heroes stare in amazement at the Violet City gym, Jessie and James, in a rather pathetic disguise, make their appearance pretending to be conducting a survey on behalf of the Pokémon Bureau. Although Ash, Misty and Brock have never heard of it, they let Jessie examine Pikachu to see if he meets the official Violet City gym standards. Jessie and James confiscate Pikachu and run off.

Cute and cuddly is one thing, but a bawling Marill is too much even for Misty. When all Misty's attempts to toughen up the picayune Pokémon fall short, Team Rocket takes her by surprise. Misty is left with no help or hope in sight, save for little Marill.

Team Rocket's most recent super vehicle, the Arbotank, is their ticket to world domination - until Togepi and its newfound Sentret buddy climb inside and inadvertently initiate a cross-country joyride that wreaks unstoppable destruction on everything in their path.

When Ash hears of the nearby Charicific Valley, he is sure a quick trip would be just the thing to reignite his Charizard's flagging spirits. When they reach the valley, though, they find its dragon denizens anything but cordial. Judged weak, and denied entrance to the valley, Charizard is left more dejected than ever.

The annual Sunflora contest is only a day away and yet our heroes' new friend and Sunflora Trainer is unable to convince her star Pokémon to compete. Complicating things further, Team Rocket enters under pseudonyms, planning to win by whatever means are required.

Ash is battling some kid in the neighborhood he was in. Ash used Chikorita while the kid used Raticate. Chikorita took quite a beating but still would not give up. Ash, seeing that Chikortia is a bit to exhausted tries to calls it back and uses Pikachu. Chikorita refuses to go in its Pokeball. Ash was holding up the battle until dark all because he could not call back Chikorita.

Our heroes chance upon a Hoppip, the fluffy 'Cottonweed' Pokémon that is able to drift for miles on a passing wind. The Trainer of this Pokémon, whom they meet soon after, uses it and several others of its kind to help her forecast the weather.

The legendary Gligarman grows old and begins to bend under the weighty task of fighting crime. When Ash and friends wander into town, they bring with them a challenge that threatens to be Gligarman's last - Team Rocket.

The group meet Mary, a girl who lives on a Mareep farm and wants to compete in the upcoming Mareep Festival.

When the most promising trainee at a Pokémon dojo abandons battle altogether, opting to gather information for his comprehensive Poké-database instead, it's up to Ash and friends to convince him that battling, and life for that matter, is more than just a matter of probability.

Our heroes are walking through a thick forest, Brock thinks there's something wrong with his map but Misty thinks they're just lost again. A tall kid comes up to them and asks if they've seen any Cyndaquil around, which are supposed to be all over this area. Ash gets excited and starts to look around for one.

Ash carelessly makes enemies of the Slowpoke-worshipping residents of Azalea Town, but sees a chance at redemption when Team Rocket arrives to capture each and every one of these revered Pokémon.

Ash, Misty, Brock and the girl are walking through the woods, the girl explains that getting PokeBalls is a lot more complicated than people think. They approach a large tree but fall into a covered hole. Team Rocket comes and Meowth lassos Pikachu with a rope, then Jessie puts him into an electric-proof jar.

Ash and friends have delivered the GS Ball safely to Kurt and are heading to the Azalea Town Gym for the next badge. Misty thinks Ash will have a tough time with without Charizard but Ash is confident that Cyndaquil has the firepower he needs.The Azalea Gym is a large dome with a forest-like environment inside. Misty becomes nervous, then a Caterpie drops down in front of her and she freaks. A boy standing up on a tree branch says that this is in fact the Gym and that bug Pokemon are the best. Misty isn't thrilled. Ash introduces himself and the boy says he's Bugsy, the Gym leader.

An inexperienced young Trainer mistakenly scares off his own Farfetch'd. Ash and friends are happy to help, but will have to find it before Team Rocket, their stomachs as empty as their piggy bank, can get their hands on this savory Pokémon.

At the Pokémon Swap Meet, our heroes befriend a young Pokémon trainer who's having difficulties finding a trading partner willing to accept his Wobbuffet. When Jessie inadvertently deposits her Pokéball across from his in the exchanger, this young trainer gets more than he had bargained for.

Our friends have stopped at a Pokémon Center. Ash calls Professor Oak, he's going to send his Tauros back. Professor Oak says that's okay, but he wants to keep Heracross a while longer. Ash tells Heracross to do whatever the Professor tells it.Nurse Joy complements Ash on taking such good care of his Pokémon. Brock flirts with her, but she says she has to examine more Pokémon for the upcoming Fire and Rescue Grand Prix and she goes, leaving Ash wondering what the Grand Prix is.

Ash and friends enthusiastically volunteer to watch over a troubled trainer's school of Wooper, but as always Team Rocket interferes, this time hoping to use the Wooper's soothing qualities to pacify Giovanni.

Passing through a mountain, Ash and friends are once again confronted by the pesky Snubbull that chases Team Rocket around...

Ash and friends befriend a group of wild Houndour.

Ash and Misty's "friendly" rivalry is tested when they both try to capture a Totodile at the same time. Unable to determine whose Pokéball had captured the wild Pokémon, the two must battle it out to determine the Totodile's new master.

When Ash and friends hear of a virtually undefeatable trainer operating nearby, they seek her out, only to see first Brock's Vulpix and then Ash's Cyndaquil take heavy abuse from her Skarmory-despite its disadvantage against the Fire element.

Ash's Totodile falls head over tail for a passing Azumarill, but is still unsuccessful in having its feelings requited when Team Rocket kidnap the Pokémon before Totodile's eyes.

Ash has his sights set on a rare and brightly-colored Noctowl, but this Pokémon's hypnosis leaves Ash's team unable to tell reality from illusion, much less stand up to another Pokémon in battle.

When an Ursaring attack leaves Team Rocket and our heroes in compromising positions, compromise they do, members of each team being paired with members of the other. But such a pairing one would guess to be doomed from the start… and one would be right this time.

Ash and co. are wandering through a forest, as they slowly make their way to Goldenrod City. They’d prefer to be quickly making their way to Goldenrod City, as, according to rumor, this forest is full of Ghosts. As a precaution, Misty sends out Psyduck to protect them, since it’s the only one who knows any Psychic attacks. The kids are pushing their way through the underbrush, when a dark, grinning face pops out of the bushes, terrifying them all! Misty shoves Psyduck in front of her, but it runs back behind her, and retreats into its Pokéball. Ash approaches the supposed Ghost, who Bites him hard on the hand... but then it raises its other head from the bushes - it’s not a Ghost Pokémon at all, it’s a Girafarig!

A Pokémon Fortune Telling boom turns out to be a Team Rocket plot to steal Pokémon from local trainers. The engineers of this plot, though, are not the Team Rocket regulars, but by the formidable Butch and Cassidy.