Ash, Brock, and Misty are yet still journeying to Olivine City, Team Rocket regularly viewing up schemes to steal Pikachu behind an oak tree. When everything was finally ready, Ash and his companions travel down the rocky road, quietly discussing a certain issue. Team Rocket, seeing Ash and his friends, quickly dash to the middle of the road, disguised in professional clothing. They swiftly took out a device, which resembled a small submarine, and waited. Ash was asked if they could test out the device known as the PokéPod, describing it was indestructible, Brock asking curiously if it was broken. With no other perfect choice, Team Rocket was forced to hesitantly test the device. Jessie took Pikachu and straightaway put it inside the device, unable to get it out, but only to be opened with a golden key. Unfortunately, Jessie did not have the key. With a surprise, Meowth revealed who the group really were: The malicious Team Rocket. With an order from it's trainer, Weezing used it's Smokescreen attack, allowing Team Rocket to run away. Jessie threw the PokéPod to the reluctant Wobbuffet, who was indeed hiding behind a large rock. Lying to Ash, Team Rocket roughly stated that they did not know where the device had gone. With a shout, Wobbuffet emerges from behind the rock, facing Ash and Team Rocket, and holding the device.

Ash ran after it and with an order from Jessie, Wobbuffet made it's dash. It tripped and threw the device containing Pikachu into a nearby platform. With a long trip, Wobbuffet splashes into a river and falls down a waterfall with the key pinned around it's solid blue neck. Ash tries to get Pikachu out of the device, only to notice that it would not budge. He demands the key, only to notice that Wobbuffet was the holder of the key. James couldn't bear to think about it going over the waterfall, Team Rocket getting worried that they would not see their beloved Wobbuffet again. They felt that That was the only way of getting their hands on Pikachu. Ash thought hard, finally coming to a point where he told the others that Pikachu had no means of receiving food, or drinks. With a swift run, Team Rocket ran out into a nearby clearing, and dashed around to find the hot Meowth air balloon. They go to the edge of the waterfall and looked down, Brock suggesting to follow the stream. Team Rocket locate their balloon, and start to propel it high towards the clouds, finally flying over the stream, seeing Wobbuffet far below, which was happy to see them. It bumps into a Quagsire. Following the Quagsire's instructions, Wobbuffet turns left, and swims to the shore. Team Rocket located Wobbuffet at the same time, seeing it swing from vine to vine.

They came to the edge of a cliff, Ash falling over. Brock and Misty slide down and Team Rocket falls down the edge. James looking straight at Brock and Misty noticed that they did not have the key, and does another rough search in the clearing. Pikachu shouted from it's device, hanging from a branch. Wobbuffet however, landed on the top of a moving blue truck, driven by no other than Gonith himself. Wobbuffet looks up frightfully, and spots Jessie, saluting her, letting go of the truck. Team Rocket mad a run to a nearby clearing, sicne they spotted the police. Officer Jenny concentrating on the issue of the truck without looking at Team Rocket was confronted by Ash and his friends, saying they want to assist. Wobbuffet is holding on for dear life and after telling the entire story, Brock asks why they have to catch up with the truck. Officer Jenny stated that it was the master theif, Gonith. Brock apparently recognized the name, finally knowing that he was the Golem trainer who snuck into banks to steal everything. Jenny quickly alerted the other staff, and asked to seal off the bridge, blocking Gonith. There is no other route and Wobbuffet was scared. Wobbuffet gets in front of the windshield and he uses the unfunctioning wipers. Unaware of the barricade, a police officer drove straight into the blocking police cars.

Gonith put on the brakes as the bridge started protruding upwards, Jessie finally viewing what had happened. Instead of running to Jessie, Wobbuffet fell into the Golem air balloon, with Gonith beside it. Gonith flew out of the balloon, due to Wobbuffet's Counter attack. Jessie cheered for it, but as no longer cheering when the Golem balloon was blown away. Jessie tried recalling Wobbuffet from her Pokéball, but missed twice. Meowth quickly crawled out of the Meowth balloon and broke the link, Wobbuffet jumping out and making a bigger hole, sending Team Rocket blasting in all directions. Ash tried to break the PokéPod with a huge hammer, only to believe that it was defenitely indestructible. Ash was alerted by the strange sound of Wobbuffet making it's way into a river. With a swift movement, Ash held Chikorita, finally enabling it to use it's Vine Whip attack to save Wobbuffet. Unfortunately, the vines could not hold Wobbuffet's entire body, and loosened, sending Wobbuffet onto another truck, which steered into the river. James was worrying more than ever about Wobbuffet, finally seeing Jessie imitating it. James finally looked up with disbelief, and saw Wobbuffet on a boat.

Both Ash and his friends, and Team Rocket, chased after the speedy boat, trying to get to it before the other party. Not hearing Jessie's advice of using the break because it had fainted, Wobbuffet let the boat steer by itself. Wobbuffet managed to find the sterring wheel in it's hands once Jessie and Ash crashed onto the boat. Jessie shouts to pull the throttle back to stop the boat, finally breaking it. They quickly look up just in time to see Gonith escaping, but nearly crashing into a nearby Lapras boat. Wobbuffet found itself on Gonith's motorcycle, noticing it's friends are about to hit a nearby brick wall. Ash told Totodile to shoot Water Gun against the bridge, stopping slowly, due to the force of Totodile's attack. Due to commendation from ash, Wobbuffet danced around happily. Team Rocket arrived, only to find Ash. Frowning, she asked them where Wobbuffet had went, getting a reply that it was being taken hostage by Gonith himself.

Up in a burnt building, Gonith wanted to trade a helicopter for Wobbuffet, Wobbuffet finally getting yelled at by Gonith due to it's stalking movements. Deciding to investigate through the opposite side of the buildin, Ash and friends quickly dash to a nearby staircase. Ash and his friends met the scene of Team Rocket reciting their infamous motto. After, James suggested that they had dug a tunnel perfect for escapes, so if they had Wobbuffet returned, they would enable Gonith to use the escape tunnel. Gonith growls at James, and sents Golem out, only to be confronted with Ash's Totodile, who uses Watergun on Golem. Golem does Double Team to have a result of three.

Totodile gets flung across the air, due to Golem's strong Double Punch attack. It falls to the ground in front of Gonith. It slowly recovers, and Golem finishes it off with a Tackle attack. Wobbuffet quickly used Counter on an imcoming attack by Golem, sending it flying over to Gonith. With a crash, Gonith fell outside the building, a few police finally arresting him. Ash thanked Totodile, making it dance happily yet again. Team Rocket was found to be in the new Wobbuffet air balloon. They had the key, but requested Ash to chase them for it. Noctowl was released from Ash's Pokéball, poking a deep hole into Team Rocket's Wobbuffet hot air balloon.

Due to the shaking of the balloon, the key fell out of the balloon. Ash unlocks Pikachu, finally setting it free! Ash ordered Pikachu to use a Thunderbolt, finally sending the enemies blasting off. Ash congratulated Pikachu, happy with their efforts. Officer Jenny is glad to see Pikachu safe, and salutes Ash and his friends for helping capture Gonith. After getting Pikachu back safely and aiding in the capture of a dangerous criminal, ash and his friends continue on their journey to Olivine City. Wobbuffet is on top of a bridge, with Jessie, James and Meowth holding on. Jessie asked Wobbuffet to help them up, but it continues saying it's name.