Ash, Misty and Brock have finally reached the Safari Zone. They enter the Wardens house to pay their money an get some Safari Balls. The Game Warden is a grumpy old man that carries a gun around in his hand. After threatening Ash and friends with the gun a few times he gives them a box of Safari Balls and takes their entry money. Misty is using her time to admire some of the Warden's pictures that are hanging on the wall. They are all pictures of the Warden and a Dratini. The Warden sees her looking at the pictures, snatches the one she is looking at, and then storms off into his office.
Ash decides to call Professor Oak and tell him about his impending adventure. Professor Oak says that when the Safari Zone was first opened a lot of rare Pokémon were caught and taken out, now some Pokémon are extremely rare. Ash tells him about the picture and the Professor says that if the Warden knows that there is a Dratini in the park he is probably keeping it a secret. Ash respects this and hangs up. Meanwhile the menacing Team Rocket is eavesdropping on the roof. They hear about the legendary rare Pokémon Dratini and decide that it would be a good present for the Boss. Ash and friends leave the building to be met by Team Rocket. They are half way through their motto when the Warden gets angry and he starts shooting at them. They fall off the roof. Ash says that they better go because they don't have enough money to enter the Safari Zone. As Jessie and James think about this Ash gets ready for the Pokémon battle that will be sure to come next. Much to Ash's surprise the Rockets agree and decide to stay in the Wardens office the whole time.
Ash and friends continue into the Safari Zone. A herd of Tauros stampeding. Ash and Brock throw Safari Balls and catch one each. Ash sees a Rhyhorn and gets ready to throw a Safari Ball. Just as he throws it the herd of Tauros come past again and Ash catches another one of them. The Rhyhorn runs away deeper into the Safari Zone with Ash and friends hot on its tail. Back at the Wardens office Jessie and James have drawn their guns and are asking the Warden about the Dratini. The Warden knocks their guns away and tries to escape. He is restrained by Jessie and James but breaks free. Jessie uses Arbok's Wrap attack to keep him still. She continues questioning him about the Dratini. The Warden won't say a thing about it. James and Meowth try the Good Cop - Bad Cop strategy but still nothing. They try to torture him by making him listen to the closing theme of the Japanese show and holding onion soup under his nose but still the Warden won't talk. The Warden breaks free of Arbok's hold and attacks Jessie, James and Meowth. Jessie calls in their secret weapon, a robot. The robot grabs the Warden and starts tickling him. He finally gives up and tells Team Rocket where to go.
Meanwhile Ash, Misty and Brock are fishing. Misty is showing them her lure. She uses her Misty Special, one that looks just like her. She casts the line in and hooks a Gyarados. They barely escape the angry Gyarados. They then see the Warden coming up to them still in the arms of the tickling robot. He tells them what Team Rocket have done to him and what their plans are. Ash panics and runs off towards the lake. Meanwhile Team Rocket has found the lake that contains the Dratini. They put on scuba diver gear and dive into the lake in search of the mysterious Pokémon. Jessie spots one and tries to coax it to shore, but in her hurry she steps on James' and Meowth's breathing cords and suffocates them. The Dratini swims placidly to Jessie but before she can get it James and Meowth surface, gasping for breath and scare it away. Jessie is now in a hysterical rage. She beats James and Meowth with he fists. She suggests they go back to their old ways and she takes out a time bomb. They think that when the bomb explodes that the shock waves will knock out any Pokémon and they will float to the surface so that they can get them.
Ash and friends reach the lake. They tell Team Rocket to stop and say that they don't have any Safari Balls to catch Dratini anyway. Jessie replies by throwing the time bomb into the lake. The Warden and Ash dive in after it, much to the dismay of Misty. She sends out Staryu to retrieve Ash. Ash tells Staryu to take the Warden up and he continues towards the bottom of the lake. He gets the time bomb and swims towards the surface. As he goes up he runs out of air. Just before Ash blacks out he sees a dark shadow underneath him. Everyone looks up as the clouds start to darken. A storm is coming. A beam of light comes up from the middle of the lake. Dragonair, a Dragon Pokémon, says Dexter. Ash smiles down at the others from the back of the mighty Dragonair. He throws the time bomb to Team Rocket who receive the full blast of it. They blast off again.
The Warden starts at Dragonair. He realizes this is the Pokémon that saved his life when he was younger. A Dratini, obviously Dragonair's baby, is swimming around too. The Warden cries for joy. He has helped to protect the Dratini and Dragonair and now they are reproducing. Later, Ash calls Professor Oak and tells him about the Legend of Dratini. He then sends the Professor all of the Pokémon he caught in the Safari Zone. He watches and laughs as the Professor gets stampeded by a herd of Tauros. Looks like Professor Oak has some work to do looking after these Pokémon.