This episode is essential viewing because: May and Max meet Prof. Oak.

Ash and co are on their way to the next gym as Ash admires his badges. He asks Brock where they go to now and Brock tells Ash that the next gym is in Fortree City. Ash becomes excited and wants to go immediately but May tells Ash Fortree is quite far away. They then arrive in Littleroot Town and on top of the hill we see Professor Birch's laboratory. Ash can't wait to see Birch's expression when he sees them and May can't wait to show the professor all the Pokemon she has captured since the last time they met but then a jeep jumps off the hill with the professor driving the jeep. The professor stops next to him and they greet each other and professor Birch comments he's about to pick up professor Oak at the harbor. Ash is shocked and Birch remarks that the two are having a bit of a disagreement so he invited Oak over to prove him wrong. Birch then asks if Ash would like to join him and of course he wants that so he and Brock jump in the jeep as May and Max wait at the lab for them. Prof. Birch drives off as Max is excited to meet prof. Oak.

As the jeep speeds over a mountain trail, Birch points out a Skarmory. Ash and co admire it when they suddenly see an old man in a wagon pulled by a Camerupt right in front of them. Birch freaks out and swerves the jeep, just missing the man and his Pokemon. But everything seems to be fine and as they drive off, they don't notice that prof. oak is sleeping with a cowboy hat on the old man's wagon.

Meanwhile, May and Max admire the new starter trio Birch is taking care of at the lab. Joshua, Birch's assistant, holds a Mudkip as May and Max pet the new Torchic and Treecko. Joshua comments that it has been awhile since May got her Pokemon and May remembers all the things that happened to her on that day. May then comments that she has come a long way since then. Max cuts in, remarking that she still isn't very good with Pokemon, and it ends with May chasing her brother around the lab. As they run, Max bumps into somebody and the man tells him to be more carefull as the man lifts his head and reveals himself as prof. Oak. Max is shocked as prof. Oak greets all of them. Max starts to inspect prof. Oak and when done inspecting, he pulls out a few photo's and asks prof. Oak for an autograph, who happily signs them. Oak then wonders where Ash and Brock are and Joshua informs him that they went to the harbour to pick prof. Oak up. Max then asks Oak if he brought any Pokemon with him. Oak tells him to calm down and then reaches into his pack. He then calls out the three Kanto starters. Max happily inspects them.

Team Rocket is spying on May and co are they are happy to see the six starter pokemon and Meowth suggests to steal them and give them to the boss as he tells him his boss-dream again and Jessie and James are excited.

Meanwhile, Max is busily inspecting the bulb on Bulbasaur's back. He tells Oak that it has such a healthy look to it and Oak comments that he tries his best. Max then begins to prod the bulb with his finger, and Oak warns him to stop. Suddenly, Bulbasaur turns around and tackles Max away. May asks her brother if he's all right and he seems impressed with the strength of the tackle. Max then goes over to the other two starters and begins to pull at their heads. The two become annoyed and flamethrower and water gun him in the face. The whole time Max seems to enjoy being attacked. Prof. Oak laughs and comments that if Max likes them so much then he can have the responsibility of looking after them today. Max doesn't believe it and Oak comments that if he is up to it he'll let him. Max says he'll do his best and May tells Oak she'll try to help as well. Bulbasaur then reaches out his vine to May which freaks her out at first but then she realises it wants to shake "hands" so she shakes the vines and she starts to like the Bulbasaur.

Then a large Skiploom machine rises above the forest and Team Rocket launches a net at the pokemon and steals all of them. May and co yell at them and tell them to bring them back but Team Rocket flies off as everyone follows except Joshua. Oak tells Joshua to wait for Ash and Joshua nods. At the docks, Ash and co are dumbfounded at why Oak hasn't gotten off the ship. Birch calls Joshua to find out he arrived but is now chasing after Team Rocket to retrieve the starter Pokemon. Birch says they'll get back as soon as possible.

Oak, May, and Max have come to a river and wonder where the Rockets have disappeared to. Oak thinks for a moment, and then notices a cave behind a nearby waterfall. The three decide to investigate. They notice a bunch of lights hung up inside and know something is up. Meanwhile, Joshua hands Max's pack to Ash and co and the jeep speeds off to find them. Oak and the kids slowly walk through the cave, unaware that a motion tracker has picked up on them. It causes a door to trap them inside. The three continue on as a camera watches them. Soon they come to the six starter Pokemon. They rush to reclaim them, but suddenly fall into a pitfall trap. May tries to call out her Pokemon, but a large vacuum suddenly sucks them up. It turns out the vacuum was attached to James, and the three Rockets taunt their captives before rushing off. As they go, a large metal gate shuts on the hole. Outside, Birch steers the car through a large rocky canyon. Birch informs the others that they are perfectly safe, but they begin to disagree when Birch drives the jeep off a ledge. In the hole, May and the others await Ash and co's arrival to save them.

Team Rocket is now celebrating their victory with a toast inside their secret base. A fountain is shooting water up behind them. They then watch the cameras to make sure their captives are still there. Oak seems to be very stiff and in a weird pose, but since Team Rocket is dumb, they just assume he's frozen with fear. It turns out that Max placed one of the photos in front of the camera, and the group is now climbing out of the hole. Max manages to get through one of the grates on the gate and Oak tells him to release the Pokemon to help get them out.

Max has Torchic and Charmander heat the cage they are in with embers, then has Mudkip and Squirtle cool the bars with water gun, and then has Bulbasaur and Treecko pound the bars away. Now free, the Pokemon leap onto Max and hug him for helping them out. Outside, Ash and Brock wonder how they are ever going to find the others. Birch whistles and a Poochyena suddenly appears. He has it smell Max's pack and it picks up the scent. The three then follow it down the canyon. Inside the cave, the Pokemon have now helped May and Oak out of the hole. Oak thanks Max for his hard work and May thanks Bulbasaur for its help. Team Rocket is now stuffing their faces and acting drunk inside their base. May and the others notice her Pokeballs just inside. May wonders how they can get past the Rockets and Oak notices a Zubat sleeping on the ceiling. Oak has it use supersonic to hurt Team Rocket's ears, and Bulbasaur then grabs the Pokeballs with vine whip.

May thanks Bulbasaur and the group rushes back to the entrance. When they get there, they find out it has been sealed. An alarm then sounds and Team Rocket checks the monitor to find the group at the entrance. Jessie checks the hole camera and wonders how Oak can be in two places at once. The photo then slips out of view and Jessie realizes they have been fooled. James then finds out the Pokeballs are gone and the three become enraged. Meowth presses a switch and a cage wall traps Oak and the others from going back the way they came. However, it turns out a Dugtrio is inside the cage as well. It makes a hole and Oak tells the group to use it to escape.

The hole leads to an underground spring where Max notices a Gyarados sleeping with its head on a rock. Oak says they better be quiet so they don't wake it, and the group begins to tiptoe away. Team Rocket makes it to the cage to find that the group has dug out. James lifts the bars and they follow them down the hole. Meowth goes down first and finds Gyarados sleeping. He makes sure he's extremely quiet, but Jessie and James come down at the same time arguing at who should have gone first. This wakes the Gyarados up and the three receive a hydro pump.

Ash, Brock, and Birch are now running along the river. Birch notices a sad Poliwrath and then a group of Zubat sleeping on a tree. He tells the others that Zubats rarely ever leave caves and something is weird. He then notices the waterfall and the group rushes to check it out. Oak and the others have now come across another steel door. Max sees the side has a small hole, but none of them are small enough to fit through. Max then decides to call through it hoping someone will here. As Ash and co inspect the door by the waterfall, Poochyena hears Max and rushes off. The others soon follow. They make it to the second door and call to Max. The group is now reunited, but they still have to find a way to get out. Oak inspects the door and tells Ash to have water Pokemon dampen the sides of the door and then have Pikachu shock it. Brock calls out Lombre and Mudkip who do as ordered, and then Pikachu shocks the door. Oak then tells Max to pick which Pokemon he wants to use. Max says he'll use the water types, Oak picks the grass, and May uses Skitty. The three then order the Pokemon to tackle the door, and they manage to smash it down. Everyone cheers but they are suddenly interrupted by Team Rocket saying their motto on a loudspeaker. Oak and the others rush to Ash and co just as the Skiploom mecha bursts from the secret base's mountain roof. The mecha releases many hands to reclaim the Pokemon, but they all dodge. Pikachu then tries to shock it, but it's no use. Brock's Pokemon use their water guns, but still it does nothing. Team Rocket gloats at how great their mecha is.

Birch then explains to Ash how they can stop the mecha. He says that they all need to attack together. Max has Charmander and Torchic use embers, Brock has his Pokemon use water guns, and Skitty use Blizzard. The mecha then begins to crack and Pikachu blows it up with thunderbolt and sends Team Rocket sky high into the sunset. As they go, Oak says a haiku about Starmie relating to the scene. The next morning, Ash and co leave Little Root Town Harbor on a ferry waving goodbye to the professors.

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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