A Psyduck, wearing a red ribbon, dashes frantically through the tall grasses of the Kanto plains. It turns to look at the three Pokémon following it, shadowed by the grass. The red look in their eyes tells Psyduck that it's in trouble.
Meanwhile, Ash and friends have settled down on the rocky banks of a river. Pikachu shocks Phanpy, immune to electricity, as May fills up the water and Ash packs up. The Psyduck comes running out of the grass on the cliff above and lands on the smoldering fire below. Psyduck jumps into the river and cools down. Suddenly, a Machop, a Machoke, and a Machamp jump down from the cliff and surround Psyduck. Psyduck runs from them and they follow it, eventually cornering it by some cliffs.
Machoke grabs Psyduck by the head as Phanpy prepares to attack. Machop uses Karate Chop on Phanpy and sends it backwards. Ash orders a Rollout attack and Phanpy smashes into Machop. Machamp then uses Karate Chop, which Phanpy counters with Defense Curl. Ash then commands another Rollout and Machamp is hit. Machop, Machoke, and Machamp all surround Phanpy and Pikachu uses Thunderbolt. The Superpower Pokémon run away as Phanpy approaches Psyduck.
May asks Psyduck if it's all right and Ash asks if it wants to come with them. Psyduck and Phanpy quickly become good friends. Psyduck is given some Pokémon food, and while it eats wildly, May scans it with her Pokédex. She notices the ribbon around its neck and says that it must have a trainer, Ash finishing that they know what to do with the Psyduck then. Psyduck glances up at everyone and then goes back to its food.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Machop, Machoke, and Machamp kneel before a girl with a paper fan. She tells them that they aren't supposed to come back without Psyduck and when she opens her eyes, they better be off finding it. She opens them to find that they are gone and mutters to herself that good help really is hard to find.
Ash and friends walk down the forest path with Psyduck in companionship. Pikachu, Psyduck, and Phanpy play as they walk along in front of the gang. Jessie, James, and Meowth watch from above hanging in the trees like Kakuna. Meowth spots Psyduck and says they're going to steal it for the boss.
He tells Jessie and James to picture the boss in his undershirt doing chores around the house. James objects to picturing that as Meowth goes on to say that the boss has stubbed his toe when Psyduck comes along and seeing that Psyduck doesn?t have a brain, Giovanni is happy that he does. James rejects that that idea wouldn't work.
Meowth tries another idea: the boss is pacing at work and he stubs his toe on the desk when Psyduck comes along and he forgets the pain. James rejects that idea too, saying that the boss would be wearing shoes at work. Meowth's final idea is that the boss is eating ice cream and he gets a brain freeze from eating too fast when Psyduck comes along and makes it better. Jessie and James decide that the idea might work and they cheer for getting a corner office and other good things.
Jessie and James then put on disguises and advertise grass sledding to Ash and friends. May things that it could be dangerous so Jessie says that "Jamal" will demonstrate. James objects to the idea, saying that he could get hurt but Jessie makes him go anyways. She lets him go down the hill and he screams most of the way down. Ash and the others are about to leave when they discover that Psyduck wants to go and is already on a sled. They decide to go and are soon having the time of their lives. Ash rides with Pikachu, Max rides with Brock, and May gets a sled to herself as Psyduck rides with Phanpy. As they continue on, May comments that she was wrong about the danger.
Jessie pushes a button and pinball bumpers pop up in the middle of the hill and the sleds start bouncing around like a pinball game. James tells Jessie that she's getting good at it as Meowth swoops in and snatches Psyduck and Phanpy with a net while the others are sent into a soccer net. With snowboards, Jessie and James begin to slide down the hill as they say their motto. The gang tries to follow them but they reach the balloon and liftoff quickly.
Suddenly, Machoke and Machamp run past and jump onto the balloon as Ash and friends follow on the ground. The balloon crashes and Jessie and James send out Seviper and Cacnea, who turns around and hugs James. Machop arrives and jumps into the grounded balloon, taking Psyduck and Phanpy back to the gang. Machoke and Machamp then send Team Rocket blasting off again with Cross Chop.
The net comes off of as the Superpower Pokémon move in to take Psyduck. Phanpy blocks it as a carriage pulled by two Ponyta arrives. The girl from before steps out and sees Psyduck, dashing over to hug it. She invites everyone to come with her. In the carriage, she tells them her name is Emily and says that her Psyduck runs away a lot. When they arrive at her mansion, Emily notices that Psyduck is all dirty. Psyduck struggles with the maids as they carry it to the bath. Emily then puts it on a cushion and makes it smell pretty with some perfume.
At the dinner table, Psyduck won't eat a thing; Emily says that it wouldn't eat anything lately. Max says that it was eating like a Munchlax a little while before and she is shocked to find this out. Brock remembers Psyduck eating crazily before and he begins to think. Later, Ash and May have a practice battle between Phanpy and Squirtle.
Ash orders a Rollout attack and Squirtle uses Water Gun as Psyduck watches longingly from the window. Phanpy dodges as Emily says that she doesn't permit her Psyduck to fight. Brock tells her that battling is a way for trainers to communicate and have a sense of unity. He continues that Psyduck may think that its life is empty and lonely. Psyduck continues to watch the battle as Emily realizes what's wrong with her Psyduck.
Phanpy is about to hit Squirtle in a Rollout when Psyduck jumps in and pushes Phanpy out of attacking Squirtle. Phanpy continues to roll and smashes Ash into the pond. Psyduck jumps in and begins splashing Ash. Ash splashes back as Squirtle comes over and hits Ash with a Water Gun. Pikachu joins the fray as Brock, Max, and Emily come outside.
Smoke begins to fill the area as Team Rocket arrives in a Chimecho balloon. Jessie, James, and Meowth say a shortened version of their motto. Meowth grabs Psyduck with a metal claw as smoke continues to come from Seviper. Ash releases Grovyle and orders a Leaf Blade. Psyduck falls from the balloon; Emily catches it as Grovyle pops it with a Bullet Seed. Team Rocket is grounded and Seviper and Cacnea jump out of the balloon. Phanpy uses Rollout as Emily asks Psyduck if it's okay. Psyduck points at the dirt on Emily and laughs, making Emily realize that it likes being dirty.
Psyduck then prepares to battle Cacnea. Cacnea uses Sandstorm as Max tells Emily to remember what attacks Psyduck can use. She recalls Focus Punch, Fury Swipes, Hydro Pump, and Confusion. Max tells her to have it attack, but she can?t figure out which attack. He says that Focus Punch would be good so she commands it and Psyduck does. Psyduck then uses Fury Swipes and Meowth comes into the skirmish. Meowth and Psyduck both use Fury Swipes on each other. Emily decides to use another attack, Max telling her to choose her own. She orders a Hydro Pump and Meowth is blasted away.
Seviper then tries to use Poison Tail, but with Max's command, Psyduck dodges. Psyduck then uses Confusion to slam everyone into the balloon. Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt to send Team Rocket blasting off again. Jessie complains that that?s twice in one day; James says that it?s new and improved. Meowth says that if they want to be improved, they should improve their plans.
On the ground, Psyduck rejoices at having battled. Its stomach rumbles and Emily asks how hungry it is, a little or a lot. Psyduck holds out its arms to each side, signaling that it is very hungry. Later that day, Emily and her four Pokémon, Machop, Machoke, Machamp, and Psyduck, see Ash and friends out as they leave. Emily states that she wants to go on her own journey someday. Ash and friends then head out once again for Saffron City and May's first Kanto Pokémon Contest.
