Ash and friend are continuing their journey. It starts to rain and they start to run looking for shelter. They find a house which they think is deserted. Inside they see another Pikachu mirroring Ash's Pikachu. Misty picks up the new Pikachu and finds out there is something weird about its face. She drops it. Brock says that maybe this is a new type of Pikachu. Ash says that he wants to catch it. Pikachu uses Thundershock on it and Ash throws a Pokéball. The Pokéball is knocked away by someone with the same clothes as Ash on. The only difference is that the other person has green hair. Brock says that the person is a girl and calls it men's intuition. The girl introduces herself as Duplica and that they are in the House of Imitate. The other Pikachu turns into a Ditto. Misty bends down and pets it. Duplica says that Ditto can turn into anything by using an attack called Transform. Ash gets out his Pokédex to get more information on this unusual Pokémon. Duplica says that this particular Ditto is still learning to change its face when it transforms. Ash says that a Ditto sounds boring. Duplica replies by challenging Ash to a match, one on one.
Duplica leads them to a stage and they start the battle. Duplica chooses Ditto and Ash sends out Bulbasaur. Ditto uses Transform and turns into a Bulbasaur. Ash's Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf on Ditto. Ditto then uses Vine Whip and knocks all of the leaves away. It then grabs Bulbasaur with its Vine Whip and Ash gives up. Ditto turns back to its real shape. Ash wonders how the original could have lost. Duplica takes Ash and friends into a dressing room filled with hundreds of clothes. She goes through a rack and comes out dressed as Nurse Joy. She goes through another and comes out as Officer Jenny. Brock says that she doesn't capture the adult charm of the characters she is portraying. She goes through the rack again and comes out dressed as Misty. Ash is still gloomy because he lost to Ditto. He wonders how he could have lost to a 'fake'. Brock says that Duplica must have a lot of knowledge training a Ditto because she would have to know every Pokémon's attacks so she could use them in battle. That is how she knew what move to use against your Bulbasaur. Misty says that Duplica would have to study Pokémon a lot and would make a great Pokémon Master. Duplica says that she doesn't want to be a Pokémon Master just a Ditto trainer and a star. We see a flashback from Duplica. She is on a stage with Ditto. First of all she dresses up as some Pokémon and does imitations of them. She says to Ash and friends that she started all of this because she liked to imitate Pokémon. Back to the flashback, Duplica asks for volunteer Pokémon in the audience to come up onto the stage. First up a Machoke comes up. Ditto uses Transform and becomes a Machoke but there is one problem, Ditto's face remains the same. The crowd start to talk among themselves. Next up comes a Voltorb. Ditto uses Transform and becomes a Voltorb. Ditto's face still remains the same. People from the audience yell out that Ditto has a dumb face and can't even transform properly. Ditto gets angry and uses Selfdestruct, one of Voltorb's attacks. Duplica says that people don't want to see Ditto do imperfect transformations. They want it done right. The lights suddenly go out. A spotlight illuminates the stage. Team Rocket come on and say their lines. At the end Ash claps slowly and says that the show is over, go home now. Jessie says that they are here to take Ditto. Meowth grabs it and Weezing uses Smog Attack and fills the room with smoke. By the time it clears Team Rocket are gone with Ditto. We are taken to a house that has Meowth's balloon on top. Team Rocket are inside with Ditto. James says that they have finally won and actually stolen a Pokémon. Jessie says that the boss will be very happy with them. They act out a scene that they think will happen when the give Ditto to the Boss. Jessie says that before they give Ditto to the Boss they should have a little fun with it. Jessie holds a picture in front of Ditto's face, so that James and Meowth can't see it, and asks Ditto to Transform into what this person would look like if they were an adult. James peeks a look at the picture and sees that it is a young boy. Jessie says it was her first love. Ditto Transforms into the picture frame but it still has its own face. James and Meowth are laughing. Jessie turns around and punches them. Ditto then licks her. Jessie turns her attention back to Ditto. She holds a book with a picture of Dratini in it. She tells Ditto to Transform into the Dratini. Ditto transforms into the book but still it can't change its face. Jessie says that it better get it right next time or she will turn it into jelly. Ash, Misty, Brock and Duplica are sitting in a circle on the floor. Misty is reassuring Duplica saying that they will help to find her Ditto. She says that Pidgeotto and Zubat are already out looking for Team Rocket. Ash is still a bit depressed that he lost the battle. He said he has done a lot of thinking and that the power and progress of Ditto relates directly to the abilities of the Trainer. Just then Pidgeotto and Zubat return. They have found Ditto. Duplica says that she has any idea of a way to get Ditto back. Back at the Team Rocket house Ditto is trying to transform into Meowth but it still can't transform its face. Meowth says that Ditto better get it right or it will regret it. Ditto swirls its face around and it changes to Meowth's face. Ditto has finally learned how to transform its face. The lights go out and we see four people facing a wall in Team Rocket uniforms. They turn around one by one and say the Team Rocket motto.
Ash: Prepare for trouble
Brock: And make it double double
James: Quit imitating us
Misty: To protect the world from devastation
Duplica: To ignite all peoples within our nation
Jessie: This is insulting
Ash: To denounce the evils of truth and love
Misty: To extend our reach to the stars above
Ash: Ash
Misty: Misty
Brock: And Brock
Duplica: Duplica that's right
Brock: Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light
Duplica: Surrender now or prepare to fight all of us
Pikachu: Pika Pika
Team Rocket is not pleased because Ash, Misty, Brock and Duplica got some of the words wrong. Ash and Misty now understand why Team Rocket always say their motto, it is because it is fun. Ash and friends ask for Ditto back but they can't tell which one is which because Ditto looks like Meowth. Jessie says that they perfected Ditto's Transform under expert training. Duplica thanks them and say that now Ditto will be the Pokémon she has always wanted. Jessie and James start to cry and Ash say that maybe they should solve this without a battle. Jessie agrees and hands over one of the Meowths. It is the wrong one of course. Team Rocket get into the hot air balloon and take off with Ditto.
Duplica knows that it Meowth that she got was the real one and not Ditto. She yells out to Team Rocket "Hold it right there!" She then throws Meowth at the balloon. Ditto bites Jessie's arm and jumps down from the balloon. Duplica runs over and catches it. James yells out that it is time for Plan B. A cannon lowers itself from under the balloon. Duplica gets Ditto to use Transform on the cannon. Pikachu jumps into the cannon and Ditto fires it toward the balloon. At the same time Team Rocket fries a net out of their cannon. Pikachu comes towards the net and does a Thundershock which shocks the net, balloon and Team Rocket. The Thundershock also puts a hole in the balloon sending Team Rocket blasting off again. Ditto turns back to normal and Duplica hugs it. Ditto then Transforms into an exact copy of Pikachu. Ash says that Ditto did a great job. He then asks which Pikachu is his. Duplica says that he needs to keep training.
Back at the House of Imitate Duplica is just finishing putting up a t sign on the front of the building. When she finishes she announces that the House of Imitate is now officially re-opened. Ash and friends clap and then they leave. Ash says he wishes he could catch a Ditto because it is all of the Pokémon is one. We see Team Rocket in a clearing with a totally wrecked balloon. They are trying to put something on Meowth. It is a Dratini suit. They say it is the only way they can still impress the Boss. Meowth scratches both of them then they all start fighting. Looks like it is going to be a tough evening for them.