Ash & Co. are still on their way to Azalea Town. As they walk through a forest, they hear a strange cry coming through the trees, followed by a Pokémon gliding from tree to tree. Ash and Misty wonder what it was, but Brock identifies it as a Gligar. After seeing the Gligar, they walk a bit further, looking it up in the PokéDex. Ash shouts out, hoping to see Gligar again, when the ground below them gives way and they fall into a pit. Team Rocket appear, reciting their motto. They bring along some equipment and begin pumping water into the hole. Misty drops Togepi into the water. Seeing it struggling to swim, Gligar quickly jumps into the hole and just as quickly jumps out, much to everyone’s surprise. It flies into a tree, and is soon joined by a masked man, dressed as a Gligar, striking a heroic pose. He introduces himself as Gligarman, telling them that he is a Superhero. Team Rocket don't seem convinced, but after the rescue of Togepi, Misty does. He sends Gligar to attack Team Rocket. It glides down, landing on Jessie's face. She flails about, accidentally attacking James and Meowth as they try to help her. James manages to get her to hold still. As he is about to remove Gligar, Gligarman warns him off, pointing out Gligar's tail sting. James backs away, ordering Meowth to help her. He jumps, ready to use Fury Swipes, but Gligar jumps away at the last minute, causing Meowth to scratch Jessie across the face. Angered, she attacks him. Gligar then reappears, gliding towards Team Rocket and chasing them away. As they escape from the pit, Misty thanks Gligarman, but he tells her that she doesn't need to thank him. He picks Togepi up and jumps down from the tree, making a not very heroic landing. He hands Togepi back to Misty and jumps away into the bushes. A few seconds later, he reappears riding a motorcycle and hands them a whistle they can use to summon him. He then drives off, with Gligar perched on his shoulder.

Suddenly a girl rides up on a bike, asking if they have seen Gligarman. When they say they have, she apologises for any trouble he may have caused. Misty tells her that he was no trouble and that he saved her Togepi from drowning. Brock goes over to her, asking her name. She introduces herself as Latoya, asking him to let go of her hand. Misty drags him away. Ash asks Latoya if she knows Gligarman, asking if he really is a Superhero. She says that sometimes he believes he is. When Ash asks if she knows his true identity, she speeds off on her bike. Once she has gone, he comments that weather Gligarman is a Superhero or not, he seems to be a super Pokémon Trainer if he is able to control a Gligar.

As they walk through town, they come across loads of shops, all selling Gligarman merchandise. They enter one shop where they re-encounter Latoya. Ash asks her about Gligarman again, but her father, and the store's owner, Mr Parker appears, saying that he will tell them everything they want to know about Gligarman as he knows all there is to know about him. Ash asks him who Gligarman is, but he decides to show them instead. He pushes a button on a remote, causing a TV to lower from the ceiling and play a short cartoon showing Gligarman and Gligar defeating a giant spider-like monster. Ash asks why the Gligarman they saw earlier that day looked nothing like the one they were just shown. He explains that the movie was made several years ago, then gives Ash some Gligarman merchandise. Togepi wanders up Mr Parker, striking the Gligar pose they saw Gligarman do in the forest, causing Misty to suspect that he may really be Gligarman. He denies this, referring to her by name, and asking why she would think he were Gligarman. She tells him that for one, Gligarman is the only person in town who knows her name is Misty. Ash puts a Gligarman mask on him, revealing him to be Gligarman. He tells them that they must not reveal his secret to anyone.

But across the street, Team Rocket have been spying on Ash & Co. and have witnessed all that has happened in the shop. Angered that Gligarman made fools out of them, they decide to dress up as Super Villains to combat him.

In a large house overlooking the town, Latoya and her father show Ash & Co. around the Gligar Mansion. As they enter a lift, he tells them that Gligarman is the champion of Truth and defender of the Weak, but Latoya, reveals that her father invented Gligarman for a different reason; as a way to sell toys, but as they became more popular he made more toy, and stories to go with them. Eventually he sort of became Gligarman. Mr Parker tells them that one day he realised being a Superhero was a lot more fulfilling than being a businessman. Latoya says that she wishes he would go back to just selling toys, but he refuses, telling her that people need a Gligarman to depend on and look up to. The lift stops, and they exit into a huge room filled with computers. Gligar glides down and lands on Mr Parker's arm. Ash seems impressed. Mr Parker suggests training Ash as his replacement, but Ash politely refuses, telling him that he has his heart set on becoming a Pokémon Master. Mr Parker explains that he has no family who want to continue the Gligarman legacy. Brock volunteers, but Latoya takes it as a joke. Suddenly an alarm sounds. They rush to the computer monitors and see the shop being attacked by a band of Super Villains. Ash and Mr Parker rush to investigate.

They arrive at the store. Gligarman asks who they are, but Ash recognises them as Team Rocket. Seeing them, Jessie orders her "Metapod Men"; James and Meowth dressed up as Metapod, to attack, but Gligar fends them off. Meowth comes back piloting a giant Spinarak robot, which he uses to encase Ash and Gligarman inside a web. They drag them outside, ready to reveal Gligarman's identity. The shop workers, though still tied up, manage to rush outside and tell Gligarman to hang on, revealing that they know who he really is. Suddenly a new hero appears on the scene, introducing herself as Gligirl. She asks Gligar to help teach the villains a lesson. Recognising her as Latoya, Gligar flies up to her. She orders it to swoop down and cut Ash and Gligarman free. Ash orders Pikachu to attack, running between the Mecha-Spinarak's legs, tripping it up. Jessie orders James to grab Pikachu, but Gligirl orders Gligar to stop them using Poison Sting. Meowth tries using the Mecha-Spinarak's web against Gligar, but it stops it with Swift. Ash orders Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, shocking the robot and causing it to malfunction. It chases Team Rocket down the street before exploding, sending them blasting off again. After the battle, Ash and Gligirl strike the Gligar pose with their Pokémon as the crowd cheer on.

That evening, Ash asks Latoya what made her become Gligirl. She explains that when she saw her father in trouble, she grabbed the costume without thinking. She suggests that now her father can retire, but he doesn't seem to like the idea. Ash suggests they work together. They seem to like this, but start fighting over who should keep Gligar. And as they wave goodbye, Ash & Co. continue to Azalea Town on their Johto Journey.

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

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