Ash and co. continue their exploring on Izabe Island. Everyone has stumbled on a wasteland. Lots of holes are shown in the wasteland. Max checks his PokeNav, but it doesn't point to their location. Brock can't even find a map of Izabe Island. May points out those holes in the ground and how they are scary looking. Max finds it weird on how they are all the same size. Ash wonders if there is something down in the hole. He throws a rock into one of the holes. A Trapinch emerges from the hole and it eats the rock. Ash looks up Trapinch in his Pokedex. The Trapinch disappears into the hole again. Max thinks that the holes were created from Trapinch.

A woman pulls up in her car. She tells Ash and co. to leave the place at once because it is very dangerous. Brock falls in love with her. The woman tells them that her name is Elisa. Max pulls Brock away. Ash doesn't think that the place is dangerous. He takes one step foward and the ground gives in. He falls begins to fall down. Elisa quickly grabs a rope and she throws it at Ash. Ash quickly grabs the rope and hangs on. Elisa pulls him up to safety.

Elisa explains to them that beneath the holes is a Trapinch cavern. She tells them that it's almost impossible to stay updated with the labyrinth because of the Trapinch. Everyone gets into Elisa's car and they head for safety. While Elisa is driving, Ash and co. sees a lot of wild Pokemon. Suddenly, they hear someone screaming. A man is getting chased by a wild Donphan. The man screams for help. Elisa sighs and she sends out her Meganium. Max is impressed with the Meganium. May looks up Meganium in her Pokedex. Meganium lets out a purple aroma. The Donphan stops running and it slowly walks away. Elisa thanks Meganium and she puts it back into its Pokeball.

The man thanks Elisa for saving him again. Elisa introduces the man to Ash and co. His name is Hal and she tells them that they've known each other since they were kids. Elisa asks Hal how he got into trouble again. Hal tells her that he was looking for something. Then he sees a Trapinch. This was what he was looking for. The Trapinch has a transmitter on its back.

Deep down below, Team Rocket is spying on Ash and co. through their telescope. They plan to use their Diglett machine to destroy Ash and co. Max asks Hal why he has a transmitter on Trapinch's back. Hal tells him that he is searching for a lake in the Trapinch labyrinth. Ash and co. become really excited by this. Elisa thinks that it's all a dream, but Hal disagrees. May and Max wants to hear Hal's story, and so Hal decides to tell it to them.

Hal starts his story. It starts out on how Hal had actually fell into a Trapinch labyrinth at one time. His parents warned him to stay away, but Hal couldn't resist. Hal recalls a flashback of when he was a kid. He accidently falls into one of the Trapinch holes. Hal sinks into the dirt and passes out. When he wakes up, he sees an enormous lake. At the other side of the lake, are a bunch of Trapinch. Hal wonders why the Trapinch are gathered together. Suddenly, the Trapinch evolve into Vibrava. Hal is completely amazed at how the Trapinch evolved. All of a sudden, Hal is back outside.

Hal's flashback and story ends. Ash looks up Vibrava in his Pokedex. May assumes that the Vibrava helped Hal get back outside. Hal thinks that May is correct. Elisa doesn't believe his story at all. Brock now knows on why Hal became a researcher. Max notices that Hal's Trapinch got away again. May finds the Trapinch walking down the hole. Hal tells them that Trapinch is heading down to the lake because it's the evolution season now.

Suddenly the ground begins to shake. Team Rocket bursts out of the ground in their machine. They grab Pikachu with the mechanical claws. Team Rocket comes out and they recite their motto. Ash demands for Pikachu back, but Team Rocket refuses to give Pikachu back to him. Ash orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but the Thunderbolt doesn't work. Meowth tells them that their Diglett machine is a ground type. Brock sends out Ludicolo. Ludicolo begins to jump around and play with Max. Brock tells Ludicolo to use Water Gun. Ludicolo fires a Water Gun at the Diglett machine. The machine explodes and it falls into the Trapinch hole. The Trapinch munch on the machine with their teeth. Hal thinks that the Trapinch are upset because their nests were attacked. After a few seconds, the machine is completely gone.

Team Rocket and Pikachu sink through the dirt. Ash is now worried and goes after Pikachu. Elisa runs after him and they both slip through the dirt. All of them, slide through a long dark tunnel. At the top, Brock, May, and Max discuss what just happened. Hal finds the location of the Trapinch with the transmitter. Hal reassures them that it will be okay. He walks towards the hole and accidently slips. He falls to the ground. Hal gets up and he starts to walk towards the Trapinch.

Meanwhile, Ash and Elisa are calling out for Pikachu. Elisa tells Ash that they have to take a certain route to get out of the hole. Trapinch begins to walk at another direction. Ash and Elisa decides to follow it. Team Rocket continues to drag along in the labyrinth. They are very tired and hungry. A Trapinch walks right in front of them. Meowth thinks that they should steal the Trapinch and give it to the boss. James asks why the boss would want it, and Meowth tells one of his stories again.

Meowth explains on how the boss is getting hungry, but he can't open a walnut. Then the Trapinch comes in and cracks the walnut open for him. Then the boss says, "Meowth and friends were nice to give me a great gift." Team Rocket cheers. Then James notices that the Trapinch has run off. Jessie gets mad and blames it on James. Meowth hears that someone is coming and they run off to hide. Hal walks in. He continues to look for the Trapinch. Team Rocket finds out that Hal is also looking for the Trapinch. They plan to let Hal guide them right to the Trapinch. Hal walks along and Team Rocket silently walks behind him.

Brock, May, and Max hope that nothing bad has happened to Hal. Max walks towards the hole. He slips and he begins to fall, but May grabs onto him. She also falls, but Brock quickly grabs onto May. Then they all fall in. Ash and Elisa continues to look for Pikachu. Brock, May, and Max drops in right infront of them. Trapinch looks around for something. Trapinch digs a hole from the wall. Suddenly, a huge flood rushes towards them. All of them are running as fast as they can. Brock says that the Trapinch must've known that the flood was coming.

The flood swallows up Ash and co. and they fall down to a lake. Everyone looks at the lake in amazement. It must be the lake that Hal was talking about. Pikachu calls out to them. It is standing on the other side of the lake. Ash swims to Pikachu, and he happily hugs Pikachu. Max sees the Trapinch with the transmitter again. Hal walks out of the labyrinth. He looks up and sees the lake. Hal excitedly looks at the lake. Elisa calls him over. She is happy that everyone is safe. Team Rocket looks at the lake behind a rock. They want to capture the Trapinch and Pikachu.

Elisa apologizes to Hal for not trusting him. Hal asks Elisa if she always trusted him deep down inside. Elisa says yes and blushes. Ash points out to a swarm of Trapinch standing there. The Trapinch start to glow. The transmitter falls off on one of the Trapinch. All of the Trapinch have evolved into Vibrava. Everyone is shocked to see all the Trapinch evolving at one time. Meowth tells Jessie and James that Vibrava have dragon Pokemon traits. Jessie and James are thinking of all the money they could make from the Vibrava.

The Vibrava lift off the ground and fly away. Suddenly, Team Rocket puts a net over the Vibrava. Ash and co. exclaim, "Team Rocket!" Brock gets mad and he sends out his Ludicolo. Ludicolo plays with Max again. Elisa sends out her Meganium, too. Ludicolo fires a Bullet Seed which hurts Team Rocket. Meganium uses Razor Leaf, and the net filled with Vibrava breaks. Team Rocket now gets mad. Jessie sends out her Dustox and James sends out his Cacnea, which hugs him. Dustox fires a Poison Sting and Cacnea unleashes a Pin Missile at Ash and co. The Vibrava blocks off the attacks with their Supersonic. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt on Team Rocket and they blast off again.

Now Ash and co. have to figure out how to get out of the place. The Vibrava approaches Ash and co. They lift them up to the ground again. Then everyone waves goodbye to the Vibrava. A sunset begins to form and they bid farewell to each other. May is glad that Hal saw the lake again. Hal wants to keep the lake a secret so that the Trapinch can evolve in peace. Hal admits to Elisa that he only wanted to find the lake again for her. They both blush at each other. Ash and co. are happy for the both of them, and they continue their journey

Thanks to Sableye for the Guide