Ash, Misty, and Brock find themselves in the mountains. Fuchsia Gym is just over the mountain, but Brock doesn't know which one. Looks like they're lost again!
Team Rocket is about to have a picnic when an explosion rocks the earth. They find that their lunch is on their heads. They get angry and decide that someone will pay for this! Ash, Misty, and Brock head for the road to find a number of large trucks passing by. Something happens on the road, and the trucks crash into each other. A Diglett pops up out of the road. Pikachu tries to talk to it, but the Diglett disappears. The chief comes out of the truck and pounds the ground, angry at the Diglett for ruining all their plans. Thanks to the Diglett, they cannot finish building their dam. The chief has even set up a special division for dealing with the Diglett, and has called for Pokémon trainers to help. Ash explains that they're Pokémon trainers, but then Gary shows up with his fan club, and four busloads of Pokémon trainers. Gary fires off his usual round of Ash insults and shows off his fan club. Meanwhile, Jessie and James watch from a bush. Jessie decides that they could try to win the reward, since they're Pokémon trainers as well.
There is a great meeting where the chief explains about the Diglett. Jessie and James watch from a cliff above. They decide that they could try to steal the trainers' Pokémon, but James realizes that they haven't got a chance with their Ekans and Koffing. Meowth suggests Plan B, the Principle of Induced Evolution... The Diglett attack the meeting and causes one of the buses to fall over. Gary, the show-off, decides that he can stop the Diglett all by himself, and throws a Pokéball. A Pokémon starts to come out, but instantly returns to its ball. A Diglett brings the Pokéball back to Gary. Gary gets mad and throws out his best Pokémon, but it won't come out either. Frustrated, Gary throws out all of his Pokéballs. The other trainers do the same, but the Pokémon won't come out. The result is a large pile of Pokéballs. The Diglett just burrow the Pokeballs back to their trainers. Ash sends out his Squirtle, but it won't come out either. Gary realizes that the Pokémon don't want to battle the Diglett for some reason. Meanwhile, the chief starts playing Whack-A-Mole with the Diglett, having no success at all. (Diglett can pull their heads in and out of the ground at the speed of light.) Gary decides that trying to fight the Diglett is futile, and leaves with his fan club.
Ash, Misty, and Brock are enjoying a bath in the hot springs. Ash asks Pikachu why the Pokémon wouldn't fight, and he points to the Diglett. The group quickly puts their clothes on and chase Pikachu and the Diglett, as the chief of the dam project continues trying to whack the Diglett with a mallet. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is having no luck with the Principle of Induced Evolution. Pokémon need a certain degree of experience points before they can successfully evolve, but Team Rocket's experience is nothing but losing. They hug their Pokémon and start shedding tears, wondering if they would ever evolve. As their tears make contact with their Pokémon, they start to evolve! Meowth explains that their time to evolve just happened to be now.
Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu continue to chase the Diglett to a part of the forest where the Diglett and Dugtrio are putting up plants and plowing the ground. Putting up the dam would destroy their efforts and cause the forest to be unlivable. That's why the Pokémon wouldn't fight. The chief understands the situation and decides not to build the dam. Their conversation is interrupted by the Team Rocket motto. Team Rocket shows off their new Pokémon. Ekans has evolved into Arbok, and Koffing has evolved into Weezing! But Team Rocket is still Team Rocket, and Ash sends out Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt attack which Arbok dodges. Arbok dives underground and Weezing follows. For a few moments, all that can be heard are the monotonous droning of Diglett and Dugtrio. Suddenly, something happens underground. Arbok and Weezing are ejected from the hole, beaten and bruised. The Diglett and Dugtrio send a wave of dirt, which Team Rocket surfs on until they crash into the beginnings of the dam project.
Our heroes leave the area in search of Fuchia Gym.