The episode starts off with the opening music of the gameboy just like all the other ones in Pallet Town and it says Ash has 3 weeks left to the Pokemon League and is behind in training, but training hard, or is he? It shows him and Brock watching T.V. it is a Pokemon League battle with Bruno using his Hitmonchan. Misty turns it off though and tells Ash he better start training. Ash says I was training that they were watching Bruno of the Elite 4 and his tic tacs. Brock says they were learning his secrets and Misty asks Ash what they are and Ash doesn't know and Brock's head droops and Misty puts on a weird face and says I guess they're too secret to be known. Ash wishes that Bruno would help him train and Ash's mom says I know where he is. Ash doesn't believe her at first, but then she says he trains up in the mountains and Ash jumps up and says we're going to the mountains today! It then shows Brock and Ash panting hard sitting down and offering to stop for Misty so she can rest. Misty isn't tired at all, but says okay lets find a place where I can rest sarcastically.
Later Ash and Brock are complaining how hungary and tired they are. They meet and old lady that is complaining how people keep stealing her meatballs and look down at the plate she has and sees it empty. She looks up and sees Ash and Brock eating them, Brock says perfect and Ash says just the right amount of muskrat. Misty says they must be really hungary to eat them when they see in the distance Jesse and James. They yell at them to stop and the old lady goes after them with her broom hitting them hard making them drop the 3 bags of meatballs they were carrying. Meowth fast forwards through their motto making them sound like chimp munks. Jesse complains here mouth hurts after it and James says he bit his tongue. he tells Ash that since they always lose to them they gave up and are living off the wilderness and Meowth puts in and the lady's meatballs. they leave and Ash asks about the mountain. The lady tells them that the mountain is known for their overgrown Onix and Brock is interested that the fertile soil must make them grow bigger. A few hours later they say Ash looks down and says hey look is that a road?
Brock says that it isn't and was probably made by a really big creature, an Onix. Right then and Onix comes up and they run for their lives, Misty thinks they're going to die when a man further ahead beckons them to jump behind a rock. They do so and the Onix goes by them leaving them unharmed. Ash turns to thank him and Brock and Ash's face go into looks of awe. Misty asks them who is it and they say that it is Bruno. brock gets on his knees and begs him to help Ash train saying that my friend can sometimes be dumb and do stupid things and he really needs your help to train for the Pokemon League. Brock motions for Ash to get down and he kneels and says please help me and Brock motions that isn't enough and pulls him down so his head is on the ground and makes Ash beg. Bruno agrees as long as they do everything he tells them to do and they agree. They start the lesson by carrying two buckets of water, (Misty doesn't participate in these lessons) and it is supposed to make them physically strong and balanced. Ash is okay for a couple of steps then falls over splashing Misty and Brock. Ash smiles sheepishly and says I've got to work on balance. They next lesson is chopping wood and this is supposed to give Ash a good grip. Misty mutters he needs to get a grip when Ash chops the wood and sends a piece flying in Misty's direction hitting her in the face and knocking her off the log she was sitting on.
Ash again smiles sheepishly at Misty's shoes and legs (all we can see of her behind the log) and says I guess your head got in the way. The next lesson is to peel a twig and Ash peels it perfectly and Bruno takes it and says to them always pack a fork and breaks the twig in two using them as chopsticks. Ash is a little discouraged by this and Misty thinks all his lessons are phony. Brock says to test his super speed and reactions I'm going to sneak up behind him and hit him with this stick. He should sense me and stop the attack. He has a day dream about him doing so and goes behind them and puts all his force behind the stick. bruno is still eating and doesn't react and the stick collides with his head giving him a huge bump and he says that hurt then falls over. Brock then says my image of him has been shattered and it shows a picture of Bruno and it falls into bits and pieces. Ash asks what the secrets of Pokemon Training are and Bruno says there are none. I came up here to catch a strong Onix. Strong pokemon strong trainers and that leaves Ash, Brock & Misty groaning. Team Rocket overhears the conversation and says all we have to do is catch a strong Onix and we'll be as good as he is. Meowth says that they'd have to attack Onix unexpectedly and Jesse and James say luckily we have an unexpectable weapon and Meowth says what an unexcepted joke *sigh*. Then a huge Onix comes along and Team Rocket shoots their gun weapon off at it hitting it and making it mad. It rises up to full height and Team Rocket runs for their life. They spot a cave and go hide inside it.
Onix starts banging himself against it making the cave start to cave in and Team Rocket shouts for help. Ash, Misty & Brock come around this time and Ash says we have to save them. Brock sends out his smaller Onix and Misty says water pokemon are weak against water pokemon and uses staryu. Ash says two water pokemon are better than one and chooses squirtle. Brock orders Onix to use his tackle attack, but Onix is small compared to the big one and ends up hurting itself more. Misty tells staryu to use watergun, and says staryu can't do it alone to Ash and he orders Squirtle to use water gun too. Meowth says to Team Rocket now we can run for it and looks around for them. Way ahead running away Team Rocket says we're one step ahead of you and Meowth goes after them. Onix is recovering from the watergun attack and uses it's tail to whap staryu and squirtle. Bruno suddenly appears and tells Ash, Misty, and Brock to call their pokemon back. The Onix then whaps it's tail at the edge of the deep ditch they are standing on and Ash falls in. Misty and Brock say Ash no! and Pikachu jumps down and uses his thundershock attacks.
Onix just takes a few seconds to recover and Ash grabs Pikachu saying electric attacks don't affect rock and they huddle together waiting for Onix to attack them. Bruno jumps down really fast and picks up Ash and Pikachu and saves them from Onix. He says I'll take care of them and Ash says what pokemon will you use eagerly a fighting type? bruno says I'm not using and Ash is taken aback and Misty and Brock are surprised. Bruno jumps down and asks Onix why are you acting like this attacking me and onix dives at him several times, but is too slow. After a few time Bruno jumps on Onix's head and Onix whaps his tail against it's head making himself dizzy.
Bruno then orders Onix to tell him why he is acting this way and says to not be afraid of him. He closes his eyes and concentrates then starts feeling around Onix's body. Eventually he gets the right spot and says this will only hurt for a second and pulls out a sandslash. Ash says what's that and pulls out his pokedex to analyze it. It tells him the info on sandslash, a mouse pokemon evolved from sandshrew. Burn lets the sandslash go and asks Onix if he wants to come with him. Nix wants to and Burn captures him in a pokeball and jumps back up to be with Ash, Misty, and Brock. he tells them the true secret is for pokemon and humans to care for each other like Ash and Pikachu and Pikachu and Ash look at each other and start laughing and the episode ends saying it is one day closer to the Pokemon League!