This episode is essential viewing because: Team Magma introduced.

The episode starts without a title or theme song, and the narrator is telling the audience that AshCo (May sounds like Delia) are heading to Oldale Town where Ash can register for the Hoenn League. When he suggests to Pikachu that they race there since it isn’t very far, and exhausted looking May tells him to slow down. He tells her that she’s walking to slow and that they won’t get there by nightfall at this rate. She then mentions her bike and Ash is guilt-tripped into slowing down for her.

Later, May asks Ash why Pikahcu isn’t inside its pokéball and Ash says that Pikachu likes it better staying outside. May then wonders if Torchic minds being inside its pokéball and realizes that she doesn’t know anything about it. Ash suggests that she looks it up in her pokédex (which now has a female voice). She does so but then Ash points out an azurill and May decides that it’s so cute that she wants it. Ash then tells her to catch it and May throws a pokéball. She cheers when it goes into the pokéball. However, the azurill quickly escapes, looking none too happy. Ash tells her that she will never catch any pokémon that way. May gets slightly annoyed and asks what she’s doing wrong. Ash tells her that she has to weaken it first. She then sends out Torchic, but the problem is, she doesn’t remember any of its attacks. Torchic then goes after the azurill, but runs into a tree in attempt to peck it. May gets mad at it for not waiting for her commands and Torchic starts to cry. She feels a little guilty and Torchic once again goes after the azurill. May commands a peck attack, but Torchic misses the azurill and starts to peck a tree. May tells it that the azurill is in a different direction and Torchic chases it again. AshCo chase after the two. The azurill goes into some bushes and Torchic sends an ember attack after it, accidentally hitting a marill and an azumarill as well. All three get mad at Torchic and use their water gun on it, knocking it out. May is really worried about Torchic, and Pikachu uses thunderbolt to scare all of the water pokémon away. Ash explains that fire types, like Torchic, are week against water types. May feels guilty and Ash suggests that they should get to the pokémon center in Oldale Town.

On their way there, they come across some tall stone structures and Ash wonders what they are. May says that they’re probably some old buildings, but then a man (who sounds just like Lance) comes and explains that they’re actually ruins that he is studying. He introduces himself as Professor Alton and asks why they’re running. They ask him where the pokémon center is. He points it out to them over a hill and they thank him and run off.

When they reach the pokémon center, May asks Joy if Torchic will be alright, and she assures them that all it needs is a good night’s sleep. May is relieved and she asks Ash if he would show her around. He agrees, but first he needs to make a phone call. He calls Professor Oak, whom May recognizes as the man her brother always listens to on the radio. She introduces herself and says that her brother will be jealous to hear that she actually spoke with Professor Oak. The Professor then wishes AshCo luck on their journeys and hangs up.

Meanwhile, JessieCo are on the phone with Giovanni, who is annoyed at them for calling on his personal line. He asks if they have some good news, but they just ask for money, and he gets even more annoyed and says no. However, he says that if they can successfully set up Team Rocket in the Hoenn region, then they may get some money and he hangs up. JessieCo interpret this as a promotion and get excited about it. Giovanni then mentions to his persian that he is willing to lose those three to find out more about Team Aqua and Team Magma.

Ash is showing May around the pokémon center and shows her where trainers sleep. May makes a comment on how nice the rooms are. He shows her the lobby where trainers exchange information. She asks if they talk about things like where the best place to go shopping is, et cetera, and Ash says that they all talk about pokémon instead. Someone mentions that there is a new gym leader in Petalburg City and Ash asks them who it is. Before they can answer, however, May pulls Ash away by his arm and Ash gets annoyed at her. She mentions how hungry they are and they go off to eat. While they’re eating, May mentions how useful pokémon centers are and Ash reminds them that they’re for trainers to rest between hard training sessions. May says that they’re both trainers, so they’re not really abusing the pokémon center. Alton comes and joins them.

JessieCo are trying to dig into the pokémon center when Meowth and James notice the smell of the food. Jessie yells at them for their laziness and James and Meowth point out that since they’re the only Rockets in Hoenn, they’re already number one. Jessie mentions that Butch and Cassidy might take over if they have that kind of attitude and Meowth and James start digging. They’re doing all little cheer, “a shovel here and a shovel there, and we’ll soon be sitting in the boss’s chair,” with wobbuffet cheering them on in the background.

Professor Alton shows AshCo the room that Joy was kind enough to lend him to do his research. Ash notices a picture of the ruins and asks about them. Alton says that there’s a legend about the ruins that says that there is a gateway to the world of ancient pokémon that have been living for thousands of years without changing. Ash says that he wants to meet an ancient pokémon and May decides that pokémon might be more interesting than she originally thought. Unfortunately, any attempts to get into the temple have caused it to crumble, so the contents of the chamber are unknown.

Fortunately, he has a tablet that tells them how to get inside, but they apparently need four keys to open it.

Four members of Team Magma are watching from outside with heat-seeing goggles.

Fortunately, Alton has a tablet that tells them how to get inside, but they apparently need four keys to open it. Suddenly the lights go out and Team Magma appears with a bunch of houndooms with some kind of armor on. They want Alton to go with them to the ruins, but he refuses. Joy comes to ask what’s going on, but she is grabbed by one of the male Magmas. They then ask him again, and, concerned for everyone’s safety, he agrees. AshCo and Joy are thrown into a room that is closed and locked. Ash asks Joy if she knows who these people are, but she doesn’t. They all become worried about the pokémon who are being treated and Pikachu points out an air duct. Commercial break.

JessieCo come up slightly behind the pokémon center and the Magmas show up and ask what they’re doing there. JessieCo then brag about the top Rockets in Hoenn and send out Arbok and Weezing. The houndooms then use the attack that sends pokémon back into their pokéballs (heh…I forgot what it’s called) and JessieCo then retreat back into their hole. One Magma then makes a comment on how everything he’s heard so far must be true.

AshCo are going around in the air ducts and Ash gets a little annoyed at May for coming, but she doesn’t want to miss out on the adventure. They then come to a split and wonder which direction to go. Pikachu listens (for what??) and points to one direction. Pikachu then comes to another split and points to the exit. Ash finds the master key that Joy told them about and May figures out how to get the power back on.

Alton demands to know why they brought him there and they explain that only he knows how to get in. Alton says that they need four keys to get in and one Magma presents four colored spheres to Alton. Alton then says that he still won’t let them in, but they threaten to kill the people at the pokémon center (well, they actually said that Alton didn’t care about their fate, which I interpreted as “kill” and I think Alton did, too), so Alton agrees. He puts the spheres in the correct holes and the chamber opens, revealing carvings on the walls that depict pokémon and humans living together peacefully. This fascinates Alton, but it is apparently not what the Magmas are looking for. The Magmas then take off in a helicopter. AshCo come to see if Alton is okay.

JessieCo are now at the ruins and quietly recite their motto. Meowth then finds the spheres and wobbuffet comes out and says his name very loudly, attracting the attention of AshCo and Alton. They then battle and Pikachu defeats Arbok with a quick attack and a thunderbolt, blasting JessieCo off again. Alton then puts the keys in back in their proper places. The sun comes up, making the whole chamber glow, and the big stone in the middle moves, revealing a staircase. They go down it to discover a huge underwater lake with lots of relicanth in it. Alton makes a comment on how the chamber really is a gateway between the present and the past.

Joy is happy to report that Torchic has completely recovered. Ash asks if anything else has been found out about the Magmas, but Joy says that Jenny is still working on it. They then prepared to move on and Alton comes and tells them that pokémon and humans lived together in peace and harmony in ancient times. They all say their goodbyes and head toward Petalburg City. Ash wonders who the gym leader is and May acts like she doesn’t know.

This episode guide has been written by KasumiMizuno (kim rh).

Characters appearing in this episode

Ash

Brock

Max

May

Jessie

James

Meowth

Ash's Pikachu

Pokémon appearing in this episode

• Pikachu belonging to Ash
• Meowth

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