Ash and co are still on the road to Olivine City. Misty looks up at the storm clouds. She tells Ash and Brock that it’s getting dark, and asks if they think it’s going to rain. Ash says it sure looks like it. They then hear a camera shutter in some bushes. As they look over, they see Todd taking pictures of two Bellossom. Ash jumps out of the bushes, calling for him, but he trips and falls. Pikachu hits the ground and Todd takes a picture, and he also takes one of Ash hitting the ground. He laughs and tells Ash that those shots were perfect and to wait till they see their expressions. Ash replies weakly that he can’t wait. Brock and Misty walk up and tell Todd it’s good to see him. He says it’s good to see them to and he has been doing fine.
Ash tells him it has been a while and there is a flashback of when they left each other. Ash and co headed to Cinnabar Island while Todd went to the mountains to take more Pokemon pictures. When the scene shifts back to the present, Misty asks Todd if he got a lot of good pictures. Todd pulls out a photo album and shows them a picture of a cute Bellsprout, a sad Gloom, a funny Weepinbell, and a happy Hoppip. Misty comments that Todd seems to be focusing on grass Pokemon, and he tells her he must have the most complete candid photo album of grass Pokemon out there. He then says what he really wants to shoot is the legendary Pokemon, Articuno.
Ash looks in up in the pokedex and says that it would be neat if it was real. Todd says it is, and that some kids told him that villagers in the area have seen it around here. Ash and co decide to help Todd search for it. Suddenly it starts to snow and our heroes look up to see a bright light flying across the sky. Todd thinks it’s an Articuno and prepares to take a picture of it. Ash thinks it’s a meteor and it is coming straight at them. Ash dives and pushes Todd out of the way just as the thing crashes into the ground, leaving a huge crater. Todd says it definitely wasn’t an Articuno, and Ash looks to see a frozen Sunkern in the hole. He looks it up in the pokedex. Misty wonders why a Sunkern would fly through the sky and why it would be frozen. Brock says he doesn’t know, but they got to do something fast, so he wraps the Sunkern in a blanket and picks it up. Todd tells them how he saw a lodge up the hill, so they rush off. Team Rocket pop out the bushes. Meowth argues that the twerps have all the luck, since they found a cool new Pokemon, but Jessie and James say they’ll snatch it too when they go for Pikachu.
A woman is in front of the lodge sweeping as Ash and friends run up to it. She says they look like they are in a hurry, and they explain that they found a frozen Sunkern and they need to do something fast. The lady invites them in. There she puts a pan down and fills it with scolding hot water. Brock puts the Sunkern in. The ice melts instantly off the Sunkern and it awakens. Todd says that the ice must have only slowed down its metabolism, and they all are happy. Misty comments that Sunkern sounds like it’s singing in the bathtub. Brock then remembers that they didn’t introduce their selves, and everyone does. The lady introduces herself as Sophia, and she says she was glad to help the Sunkern since everyone knows this place as the Sunflora Lodge. Brock says that’s good, since Sunkern is the pre-evolution of Sunflora. Sophia tells them that they call it the Sunflora Lodge because, then she interrupts herself, saying that they probably wouldn’t want to hear an old lady with one of her long stories.
Suddenly, tea and food is placed on the table and she tells them that if they insist, she’ll tell them. Ash and friends all have the little sweat beads on the back of their heads. They each comment of how they are stuck here listening to this old lady’s life story and how they’ll be here forever, but Brock just wonders if she has any string cheese. Ash blurts out that he’d love to hear her story, so they all sit down to hear it. She explains to them that it was about fifty years ago. She had a sweetheart named Marcello, who was leaving to work in another town for a few months, and then they were to marry. She waited and waited for him everyday, but after many seasons changed, he still hadn’t returned. What she didn’t know was that Marcello had been involved in a horrible accident and he had been unconscious for months.
Still she waited, until finally one day, a letter arrived from him. She remembered what it said perfectly. It talked about him coming by the lodge tomorrow, and if she was married or in love with another, that he wishes her happiness, but if she still accepted him, he told her to place a Sunflora in front of the lodge so he’ll know. She immediately ran out and asked every Pokemon trainer she could find if they had a Sunflora, and when Marcello arrived the next day; she had thousands of Sunflora around her. He ran to her and they hugged. The next day they were married. But their happiness didn’t last long. Just after a few years, Marcello passed away because the accident left him weak. When the story is over, Ash and co are crying very hard. They say that the story was so sad, but they were glad they heard it. Jessie and James are in the ceiling listening through a hole. They are also balling their eyes out. They say it was the most beautiful story they ever heard and it touched them deeply. Meowth says that if it were in Spanish, they would make it a telenovela. Sophia shows them a picture of her and Marcello with the Sunflora that day. Ash tells Sophia that she must miss her husband, and suddenly a man replies that not as much as one would think.
Ash looks to see a man in a rocking chair. He gets up and they ask who he is. He says he hates to disappoint them, but he’s Marcello. This shocks them. He apologizes for his wife and tells them that his wife loves romance novels, and she loves putting them in it. She asks him how today’s story was and he says it had him tearing up, and they both laugh. Ash wonders that if you can’t trust a little old lady, whom can you trust? Todd looks at the picture and tells them it’s interesting. He asks them if the Sunflora are real and Sophia says that they are. She says that during the winter, the south slope is warm, which makes the Sunflora return every year, and every year for forty-nine years, they had their picture with the Sunflora. She pulls out an album and hands it to Todd. He skims through it and says that they are really good.
Brock says that since it’s their 50th, this year will be their golden year. Sophia and Marcello look depressed. Todd looks through the album some more and realizes that hundreds of Sunflora would be a great shot, and he offers to take their picture this year. Sophia exclaims that they don’t think there will be a picture this year. Todd is shocked and asks if they want one. They say they’d love to have one but this year the south slope has been unusually cold. Marcello explains that for the first time in fifty years, there isn’t a single Sunflora on the south slope. Todd tells them that they should go to the south slope anyway and get their picture. Sophia and Marcello think it over and agree that since it’s their 50th, they should go, with or without Sunflora. Ash and friends suit up and prepare to go.
Misty asks Brock why he is taking the Sunkern and he explains that since it’s the pre-evolution of Sunflora, maybe it can find out what happened to them. Todd takes a bon voyage shot and they head out. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is on the roof. They say this will be the perfect time to strike since the twerps will be to busy with the Sunflora and Pikachu will be distracted. Ash and co head up the slop. Sophia and Marcello tell them that the large slope ahead is the south slope.
Todd takes some pictures and says that no wonder the Sunflora don’t come there; it’s too dark and gloomy. Marcello explains that a few weeks ago, Sunflora were everywhere. It then starts to snow and Sophia tells them that this reminds her of the first time her and Marcello crossed the bridge to get up here. She tells a story about them crossing a bridge. She slips and falls, but Marcello grabs her. Her backpack falls down the gorge. She tells Marcello to let her go or they will both perish, but he says he’ll never let go. He pulls her up and they hug. Back in reality, they actually do hug. Misty loves the ending and they talk about love triumphing over everything. Brock asks that if Sophia and Marcello had to cross a bridge to get her, how come they didn’t. Sophia says they got her. Ash can’t believe he trusted the old lady again. Marcello says that did happen, just not to them. Sophia explains that she saw it on a reality show. Ash and co are baffled. Suddenly the snow really starts to come down. Brock explains that it is too early for snow.
Misty comments that whatever is making the snow probably was the one that froze the Sunkern. Suddenly, a huge machine with a tube snow blower on top comes over the slope. It has a large R on it. Ash and co guess that that is the cause of this. Team Rocket appears and says their motto. Todd says that he would’ve thought these three losers would be gone by now. They tell him to go infest a dark room and call him a shutterbug, and Wobbuffet pops out. Jessie says that speaking of bugs, bug off, and she pushes Wobbuffet out of the way. Todd starts to take pictures of Wobbuffet when Jessie blocks his view and asks if he’s shooting a horror picture. Meowth then turns a knob and snow is blown at Ash and co. Sophia says this reminds her of the time they were in a snowstorm. She then drifts into a story of her collapsing and telling Marcello to go on, while he tries to keep her awake. Misty cuts in saying it’s a nice story, but there is no way they will believe it.
Sophia then says that the end is when a ranger finds them frozen in two intertwining bodies of ice. Misty calls them back to reality and asks if they realize they are being attacked yet. Jessie tells Meowth to put it on full blast and soon the whole slope is covered in snow, including Ash and co. Jessie gets mad because they can’t tell where Pikachu is now, so she tells him to turn it off. He does and Ash and co pop out of the snow. Team Rocket sees Pikachu. Pikachu tries to use thunderbolt, but it’s stuck. Ash then releases Bulbasaur, who runs in toward Team Rocket. Jessie tells Meowth to turn the snow machine on and bury Bulbasaur. Meowth tells her to make up his mind because he is getting finger fatigue. The snow buries Bulbasaur and it can’t move. James tells them there is no job like a snow job and Meowth says he is the Abominal Snow Meowth. Jessie then releases Arbok and tells it to go grab Pikachu. Arbok grabs it from the snow, but it still is stuck and can’t attack.
Jessie then says to bring it here. Arbok brings it to her. Bulbasaur tries to break free, but it can’t. Sunkern then jumps from Brock’s arms and uses sunny day. The sky around them brightens. The snow then melts all around them, freeing Bulbasaur. Team Rocket start to get a blasting off feeling. Ash has Bulbasaur use solar beam, which just misses Team Rocket. Arbok throws Pikachu as it runs. Pikachu then is free. James tells Meowth to get them out of there, and he pushes a button, which makes the balloon appear. They tell Ash that they could stay and battle, but they are going to let them slide this time. Ash says bye then Pikachu uses thunderbolt, sending them blasting off. They all congratulate Sunkern and Todd takes a picture of it. The sun is shining brightly on the slope now, but no Sunflora are present. Ash and co tell Sophia and Marcello to take the picture with Sunkern this year.
Brock then remembers that Ash won a Sun Stone when he won the bug catching contest. Ash pulls it out and checks it in the pokedex. He then sets it down by Sunkern, who evolves into Sunflora. The couple is happy to have one Sunflora. Sophia comments that she doesn’t want the competition since the Sunfloras are prettier than she is. Suddenly, the Sunflora calls and the hundreds of Sunflora all appear over the horizon. Brock says that the new Sunflora must have called them all back. Soon hundreds of Sunflora are present. Todd tells the couple to get in the pose they were in fifty years ago and they do. He takes the shot just as a dazzling icy light that resembles an Articuno flies by the background. He tells everyone what he thinks he saw, and Brock says it may have been Articuno that brought the bad weather to the slope. They all decide to go investigate the mountain. The four wave good-bye to the couple and continue down the road to search for Articuno...

Thanks To GoldenNoctowl77 For Writing this for us