Today on their adventure, Ash & Co. are walking through a leafy-green park, right in the middle of a busy city. As they are walking along, the bushes to the side of them begin to rustle, and up pops a Stantler. Ash looks it up in his PokéDex. After hearing the PokéDex entry, stating that Stantler travel in herds and prefer mountainous terrain, Misty begins to wonder what this one is doing in the city all on it's own. Brock explains that this Stantler is just a young one and that it probably got lost. He begins to approach it, acting Stantler-like in an attempt to not scare it off. He then notices an injury on it's leg, so tries to tempt it closer with some Pokémon food. It releases a purple mist from between it's horns before approaching. As Brock tries to calm the Stantler down, Ash and Misty notice a huge herd of Stantler behind him. They show Brock, who stands up and runs away as fast as he can, followed closely behind by Ash and Misty. The injured Stantler limps away through the trees as they run away. A little further down the path, Ash & Co. stop running; they've managed to lose the herd, though Brock seems suspicious since, only a few seconds before, the herd was right behind them. Brock seems worried about the Stantler, hoping that when it finds it's mother, she will be able to take care of it. Suddenly the bushes at the side of the path rustle and Officer Jenny walks out, asking if they are alright. Brock perks up, telling her about the Stantler herd. She asks them to go with her to the Police Station so she can fill out a report.

At the station, she explains to them that usually the park if full of families on vacation, but that recently a huge herd of Stantler has appeared and scared everyone off. Misty points out that Stantler usual live in the mountains, which Officer Jenny confirms, saying that she can't understand why so many of them suddenly appeared in the park. Brock begins to wonder if the Stantler are really there at all. Ash says that of course they were there, but Brock asks him how the whole herd seemingly disappeared without a trace as they were running away from them. He can't. Suddenly they hear a familiar screaming outside. They go to see what's wrong.

Stepping out of the station, they see Team Rocket running down the street. They stop in front of them, quickly reciting their motto. Ash asks them why they were running, so they explain that they heard that there was a huge herd of Stantler in the park. They decided to try and catch them all for the Boss. At first they could only find one, but from out of nowhere a huge herd appeared and chased them. Misty and Brock tell them that the same thing happened to them, and then the Stantler disappeared. Team Rocket, wondering about this, turn around to find themselves no longer being chased by the herd. Officer Jenny comments on how strange it is as in every case the herd mysteriously disappeared. A Stantler horn appears from around the corner of a building wafting the purple mist, but no-one notices this. What they do notice is the herd stampeding along down the street straight towards them. Team Rocket, noticing this, make a quick exit, and Officer Jenny orders Ash & Co. back into the Police Station. Brock stays outside, noticing something odd about the herd. Ash tries to run out and get him, but Jenny holds him back. The herd then reach him and, from the view of everyone inside the station, trample him. But outside, he's fine. From within the herd he notices the injured Stantler limping along. The herd slowly begins to fade away, and Brock runs over to the baby Stantler, reassuring it that everything will be alright and telling it not to be scared. This seems to calm it down.

A few minutes later, back in the Police Station, Brock bandages the Stantler's leg. The grateful Stantler then sits on his knee and goes to sleep. Ash asks what happened to the herd, so Brock explains that it was just an illusion caused by the lone Stantler because it was afraid. Officer Jenny asks how he worked it out, so he tells her that, as the herd was approaching, he noticed some of the Stantler running straight through the lampposts and buildings. She seems very impressed with his knowledge of Pokémon, and tells him so. He tries to chat her up but gets dragged away by Misty. What no-one seems to notice it something looking in through the window.

Up in their balloon, Team Rocket are spying on Ash & Co. They become angry upon learning that the herd they were chased by was only an illusion. Jessie says that they should still try and catch it, but Meowth wants to know what they should do if the Stantler tries to trick them again. James tells them that he has an anti-Stantler secret weapon that will help them. Jessie asks him how he managed to acquire this secret weapon, so he tells her that he used their remaining money to buy it. This doesn't go down well with the other two.

That night, Ash & Co. are camping inside the Police Station. Brock tells them that now it's leg has healed, they can let it go the next day so it can make it's way back to it's herd. Ash asks him if he's tempted to keep it, with Misty saying that it seems very attached to him. He explains that it's just looking for affection and that the best place for it will be back with it's mother.

The next morning they take the Stantler to a path, telling it that it leads back to the mountains. Stantler doesn't want to go, and walks up to Brock, rubbing it's head against him. Knowing that it needs to return to it's herd, Brock backs away from it and shouts at it to go home, telling it that he doesn't want it around. Saddened, the Stantler leaves.

Up in their balloon, Team Rocket see that Stantler walking along the path. They follow it.

Walking back through the park, Brock notices the Team Rocket balloon descending in the direction the Stantler went.

Back with Team Rocket, and they launch their secret weapon; a giant robotic Stantler. Jessie asks how it works, so James offers to demonstrate. On the ground, Stantler attempts to create another illusion, but it doesn't work on the robot. The robotic Stantler's mouth opens and shoots a net out, trapping Stantler. Jessie seems impressed and asks what the next step is. James tells them that they have to go down and retrieve the Pokémon themselves.

Running through the forest, Brock soon arrives on the scene, Ash and Misty still a fair way behind. James activates the robot, which shoots spears into the ground, blocking Brock's path and giving Team Rocket time to escape. Meowth asks if they are leaving the robot behind, which James confirms. Meowth then gets angry, telling him that they could at least recycle it or sell it for scrap. Brock sends out Onix, ordering it to use Tackle, then Bind destroying the robot much to Team Rocket's disappointment. After getting through the spears, Brock recalls Onix and continues to give chase.

Finally arriving, Ash orders Pikachu to use Thundershock, but Team Rocket are too far away and it's unable to reach them. Brock continues to chase after them, when a shadow quickly jumps up, cutting the rope attaching the net to the basket and slicing a hole in the balloon. Ash sends out Bulbasaur, ordering it to use Vine Whip to catch the falling Stantler. It manages to catch the net, but it suddenly breaks, and Stantler continues to fall. Brock rushes forward and manages to catch Stantler, saving it.

Elsewhere in the forest, Team Rocket are looking at their destroyed balloon as it hangs from the trees. They hear a noise behind them and turn around to see a huge herd of Stantler. Thinking it's another illusion, James throws the Stantler robot's remote control at them, but it hits one on the head before falling to the ground where it is promptly crushed under hoof. Angered, the lead Stantler charges, sending the Trio blasting off again.

That evening, Ash & Co. return Stantler to it's herd. They wave goodbye to it, glad that it's back where it belongs.

This episode guide has been written by The Librarian.

Characters appearing in this episode

Ash

Misty

Brock

Jessie

James

Meowth

Ash's Pikachu

Pokémon appearing in this episode

• Pikachu belonging to Ash
• Meowth

There are currently 0 comments on this story... you could be first!