This episode is essential viewing because: May's Wurmple evolves into Silcoon. Jessie's Wurple evolves into Cascoon.

Ash and co are relaxing on the beach after Ash captured Corpish. Ash and his Pokemon sit in a circle while he polishes his Pokeballs. Brock, May, and Max are at a nearby table cleaning dishes. May says Ash must really like to keep his Pokeballs clean and Brock explains that part of being a trainer is making sure your Pokemon are happy and polishing their Pokeballs makes them very happy. Max comments that he has never seen May polish her pokemon's pokeballs which emberasses her a bit. She tells him that she plans to but she hasn't got around to it yet. Ash stops his polishing and stares at the shiny Pokeball. He then looks around at his Pokemon and asks if they are hungry. At this, Corphish turns and scuttles up to a nearby patch of seaweed. The seaweed soon disappears, but at the end of it is a long rope. May wonders why there is a rope at the end of a bush of seaweed. Max remarks that maybe someone is fishing for it and at the same time Ash tells Corpish to stop. Corphish notices it is eating the rope and tugs hard, causing it to tear and smack Ash in the face and he flies into a tree. Brock and co look nervously as Corphish happily walks by.

When the food is prepared, everyone releases their pokemon. Ash introduces everybody to Corpish and they give him a warm welcome but he slams them. May picks up Wurmple and Torchic and yells at Ash, saying that her Pokemon aren't going to play with a bully. Ash tells her that Corphish doesn't mean it and that is just how it says hello. May looks down to see it happily looking up at her and sighs. Everyone sits down to eat as Max and Ash compliment Brock on his fine cooking. Max then notices May isn't eating and wonders why. She tells Max she's worried over Wurmple since it doesn't eat and just lies there as it usually loves to eat. She then kneels down by it and asks it if it would like some food, but it just shakes its head. Torchic pushes its bowl towards Wurmple, but it still shakes its head. Suddenly, Corphish enters and starts eating the bowls and May shouts at it as Ash tells Corpish that food is for May's pokemon.

Corpish doesn't care and happily looks at Ash. Then suddenly a claw grabs Pikachu and they look up to see Team Rocket. They say their motto as Meowth places Pikachu in a cage. Ash wants Pikachu back but of course they don't. Pikachu tries to shock its way out, but the cage is shock proof. Jessie leans over the side and says goodbye as the balloon begins to lift. May looks down at Wurmple and tells it to help get Pikachu back. It lazily nods and May has it use string shot, snatching the balloon. James and Jessie are annoyed and tell Meowth to put the gas on. He does so and the balloon begins to pull them. Ash and co grab onto the string and pull back. The pulling holds on for a few seconds until Ash tells Corpish to help and it cuts the string and Ash and co fall back and the balloon falls on the ground. May gets up and angrily yells at Corphish. Brock reminds her to take it easy as they'll find Pikachu. Max agrees and comments that no matter how many times Team Rocket gets away, they always find them again as they rush off to find Pikachu.

In a small clearing, Team Rocket moans in their fallen balloon. James says he is sick of always falling, but they all brighten up when they notice Pikachu is still with them. Suddenly, Ash and co rush up causing Team Rocket to sigh. Ash tells Corphish to free Pikachu with bubble, and it fires the little bubbles at the balloon. The balloon explodes sending Team Rocket flying and Pikachu with them.

James calls out Cacnea to retrieve Pikachu, but it just hugs him. Jessie calls out Seviper who snags Pikachu with its tail before it is able to reach Ash. May calls out Wurmple and has it hook Pikachu with string shot. May and Brock pull the string which causes Seviper to let go and Pikachu falls in Ash's arms. May looks down at Wurmple and thanks it for its help as Jessie remarks that her Wurmple is much better. She releases it and begins to model it, but May isn't impressed and adds that her Wurmple is stronger which angers Jessie. She starts to yell saying that her Wurple's cuteness tops Wurple's strength. Then Jessie's Wurmple starts to glow which shocks Jessie and May looks at her Wurmple who also starts to glow. It seems that both pokemon are evolving and May and Jessie happily look down at how their pokemon evolve. May's Wurmple evolved into Silcoon as Jessie's evolved into a Cascoon. Ash excitedly tells May her Pokemon evolved and he scans it with the dex. May and Jessie happily pick up their Pokemon, each exclaiming that they are one step closer to the beautiful Beautifly they both desire. James and Meowth look at Jessie's Cascoon, which has mean eyes, then to May's Silcoon which has happy eyes. They look at each other and Meowth tells him it is time to get Pikachu. James tells Cacnea to attack, but Ash quickly has Corphish counter it with crabhammer. Pikachu then blasts the rockets off with a thunderbolt.

Everyone cheers, but then suddenly Corphish collapses! Brock feels its head and exclaims that it has a fever and needs to get to the Pokemon Center. Ash wants to return Corpish to its pokeball but he realises he left his pokeballs at the camp. He pulls Corphish on his back and tells the others that he'll carry Corphish to the nearest Pokemon Center. They all try to tell him to go to camp first, but Ash exclaims that there is no time. He asks Treecko and Taillow to go back to camp with the others and Pikachu follows Ash. Ash ascends a hill with his Pokemon at his side. Corphish suddenly begins to steam and Ash realizes it is getting worse and he needs to get Corphish some water. They come to a nearby stream where Ash fills a leaf full of water. He pours it into Corphish's mouth and its temperature dies down. Ash then realizes that Team Rocket's interruption gave him no time to eat. Pikachu notices a berry tree and they each take a berry. Ash comments on how good the food is when he hears a faint growling. He looks down to see that he has stepped on a Shroomish who is becoming angry now! Ash freaks and runs when the Pokemon releases a stun spore.

At camp, May wonders if Ash has reached the center already and Max says he should have by now. Brock replies saying that Ash will never give up when it comes to helping his Pokemon, and that should be enough hope for them.

Ash makes it to a large river and spies the Pokemon Center just a ways across. He begins to wade through the river when suddenly a large school of Carvanha leaps from the water. Ash falls back to show and places Corphish down. He freaks out and scans them with the dex as they angrily leap from the water. He looks around until he spies a small boat behind some bushes. He begins to sail out when the school leaps from the water. Ash tells Pikachu to shock them, and they all fall back underwater. After a few seconds, the whole school leaps up again, and this time, they reach the boat. They all begin to chomp down, breaking apart the boat. Ash leaps out and rushes to shore just as the boat sinks. He sighs and tells Pikachu they'll follow the river till they find a bridge. Ash carries Corphish along the bank when he spies a bridge up ahead. But as they approach, they see that the bridge is broken. He then gets a plan and puts Pikachu and Corpish on a board and crosses the water with holding Pikachu and Corpish above the water. As they near the other side, the Carvanha school approaches. Ash tells Pikachu to leap to shore and it does so and there he shocks the Carvanha. They then approach Ash from a different side and Pikachu shocks them too but a few escape the shock and attack Ash. Corphish looks down at Ash who informs it that no matter what he has to get across. He tells it to hold in and they'll be across soon. A lone Carvanha leaps from the water and smacks into Pikachu, causing it to fall back. They head for Ash again but Corpish helps and releases a bubblebeam attack, blowing them away so they arrive safely at shore. He thanks Corphish who smiles then slumps.

At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy informs Ash that he got it there just in time. Ash thanks her for her help and she tells him it was no problem. She then sighs, saying she can't save her net. Ash looks to see a broken net which is actually part of the one Corphish broke! Ash embarrassedly laughs and explains what happened.

That night, Brock and co sit by the fire reading books. Ash's Pokemon lie next to a tree. May suddenly asks if they hear something, and Brock says it sounds like an Aron. They then decide to investigate and as they walk they find a tape plaer. Suddenly, cages spring from the sand and trap everyone, but Taillow flies up just in time. Everyone hears the laughter of Team Rocket as they emerge. They walk up to the group exclaiming that they finally have Pikachu, but they notice it isn't there. May comments that Pikachu is with Ash. James then wonders where the third cage is and he kicks the ground, causing the cage to spring up around them! Team Rocket becomes depressed and screams to be let out. Treecko tries to slam the cage, but its attempt fails. Then water begins to reach Brock's foot and it becomes flood.

At the Pokemon Center, Ash lies at the bedside of Corpish. He tells it to hang in there and it happily smacks his head with its pincer, but Ash just chuckles. Meanwhile, the water is now getting closer and everyone begins to worry. Brock then notices the tape recorder and Taillow and has a plan. The next day, Ash thanks Joy and kneels down to his fully healed Corphish. Suddenly, Taillow flies in with the tape recorder around its neck. Ash plays it to hear Brock telling him their problem along with everybody's voices on the background. Ash thanks Joy again and rushes to their aid. The water is now up to everyone's necks, and they scream out for rescue. May and Max suddenly notice Corpish speeding toward them and they become excited. Nurse Joy steers a boat with Pikachu and Ash who wave to them. Ash then orders Corphish to break the cages, and it breaks them all with a crabhammer.

On the docks, Team Rocket bows to Ash and co, exclaiming that they aren't worthy and thanking Ash. They then get up with nets and say that won't stop them from taking Pikachu. Ash just sighs and has Pikachu send them flying with thunder and a bubblebeam from Corphish. Everyone cheers and Brock begins to flirt with Joy. May and Max kneel down and thank Corphish and May apologizes for yelling at it earlier. It then happily smacks each of them with its pincers. As everyone winces in pain, the episode ends...

This episode guide has been written by shinymay.

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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