Ash, Misty, and Brock have reached town on the exact same day that the carnival. It's full of rides, shows, and (much to Brock's delight) girls. Ash and Brock done party costumes and join in, but Misty and Pikachu edge away to go on some rides. After riding a swing ride and a Merry-go-round, they stop for some ice cream. As they think about what to do next, they hear a woman yelling. They peer behind some bushes and listen in as a magician's assistant chews him out for not having paid her. He and his Exeggcute beg her not to go but she walks off. Misty approaches and asks if he is okay. The magician then starts to beg her to help him, introducing himself as Melvin and telling her that he's always dreamed of getting a show in Las Vegas. Misty is hesitant at first, but then she agrees to help him for one day only.
Later, the show begins, and Misty is dressed up in a Goldeen type outfit. The stands are almost completely empty which consoles Misty, as she doesn't want anyone she knows to see her. Unfortunately, Ash and Brock show up and call to her. She blushes and they sit down. The show begins with Melvin "juggling" Exeggcute. The crowd is unimpressed and demand some real magic. Melvin pulls out a baton and waves it around. A small flame spurts out, and the crowd is upset. Melvin tries again and flames flow out, soaring all over the place and setting off the sprinkler system. The people demand their money back, throw some junk at Melvin, and storm off.
When the carnival manager hears about what happened, he fires Melvin, who starts to feel sorry for himself all over again. Ash also feels sorry for him, and Misty tries to cheer him up. Ash tells him to think up some new tricks for his act to spice it up. Exeggcute cheers and Melvin agrees to try. Meanwhile, Team Rocket floats by overhead. Jessie and James are sunbathing on top of the balloon (don't ask) and plot about what they'll do. Melvin tries some new material and makes a bouquet of flowers pop out of his baton. They all fall off, however, ruining the effect. Melvin tells Ash and his friends how long he'd wanted to be a magician and Ash gets another idea. He tells Melvin that he can put on a Pokémon magic show and quickly dons a swami type outfit. He whips out a box with three holes and tells Misty, Brock, and Melvin that he can make all sorts of things come out. Melvin tells him to make some fire appear and he taps at the middle hole. Flames pour out, burning Melvin who doesn't seem to mind. Ash then taps at another hole and water gushes out, drenching Melvin. Misty ponders how he does it, and we go inside the box to see. Inside sit Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Squirtle is currently using his Water Gun to provide the water and it's obvious that Charmander had supplied the fire. The box is a little small, however, and Charmander's tail burns both Squirtle and Bulbasaur. They get angry and start fighting. The box falls apart and they all tumble out, Charmander burning everyone once again.
After everyone gets cleaned up, Ash comments on how Exeggcute doesn't seem capable of doing much. Exeggcute gets angry and their eyes start to glow. Melvin asks everyone to stop, and Ash complies. Melvin, understanding what just happened, tells Ash to turn around three times and act like a Bulbasaur, which he does. Brock comments on how odd Ash is acting, and Melvin smiles.
In a few minutes, Melvin has Ash pulling him and Exeggcute in a cart deep into Leaf Forest. Team Rocket watches them from above. Meowth asks what they plan to do, and Jessie replies that they'll see. Misty and Brock hurry along the path, following the tracks. Brock again wonders why Ash is acting so strangely and it occurs to Misty that he's under a spell from Exeggcute's Hypnosis attack. Since Exeggcute belongs to Melvin, he can make Ash do whatever he wants. They continue to follow the path.
Soon, Melvin tells Ash to stop and use his Pokédex on some Pokémon in the trees. The turn out to be Exeggutor. Melvin commands him to weaken them, and as he does so, Melvin catches all of them. Soon, the cart is full of Pokéballs. After Melvin has enough, he tells Ash to return his Pokémon. Melvin tells himself that with all the Exeggutor, he can hypnotize everyone at the carnival into coming to his show. Suddenly, Team Rocket shows up, and do a rather elaborate motto with a disappearing cabinet and everything. Melvin applauds, but Team Rocket only demands that he hand over the Exeggutor so they can use their hypnotic powers. Exeggcute jumps out of the cart and confronts Team Rocket. They gather together and start to glow. They then merge together and evolve into another Exeggutor. He then uses Hypnosis to put Team Rocket asleep. They try to look away, but all the other Exeggutor are doing it too. Soon, they slump over, fast asleep.
Melvin tells the Exeggutor to stop using Hypnosis, but it is too late and they've all hypnotized each other. They start to run away in the direction of town, nearly running over Brock and Misty. The two run ahead to find Melvin and Ash lying on the ground after being trodden on by several Exeggutor. Pikachu shocks Ash awake, and he wonders why he's in the forest. Melvin tells them all the situation and informs them that they are out of his power. Back at the carnival, the Exeggutor stampede through, causing panic and destruction. Ash and his friends arrive and look over the damage. The manager runs up to them and tells them to clear out, as he has planted a time bomb in the middle of the area to blow up the Exeggutor when they come back. Misty is horrified and tells him that the Exeggutor aren't acting under their own power. They are already rapidly approaching as the manager runs off. Ash decides that he'll have to stop them. He rushes towards the stampede with the rest soon behind.
Ash confronts the still running Exeggutor and sends out Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Squirtle's Water Gun makes the feel better and Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf only gives their leaves a pruning. Since they won't be able to help, he returns them and tells Charmander that it's all up to him. Charmander uses Flamethrower and succeeds in stopping one of the Exeggutor. He uses it again and again, but there are still several more stampeding Exeggutor when he gets tired. Misty tells Melvin to use his fire trick again, but he is hesitant. Misty points to Charmander and tells him that if he was able to go that far, Melvin should at least try. At this, Melvin steps up. With the help of Charmander, who as recovered, they stop all of the Exeggutor and Team Rocket. They all then retreat towards the forest with Team Rocket stuck in among all of them.
Melvin's Exeggutor approaches and he gives him a hug. The time bomb goes off behind them, but they are relieved that no one was hurt. Charmander breaths a sigh of relief, then suddenly starts to glow. He grows up slowly and evolves into Charmeleon! Ash gives him a hug, and he burns his ear slightly. That evening, Ash and his friends set off, reminding Melvin to follow his dreams. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is still caught in the group of Exeggutor. Will they get out?