Ash and friends are now in Fennel Valley, very close to the new site of the Battle Pyramid. They round the top of a hill and the Pyramid itself comes into view. Ash makes a fist and proclaims that he’ll be the Battle Pyramid Champion soon. As they descend the hill toward the Pyramid, Scott, Nurse Joy, and Chansey walk up to greet them. Nurse Joy eagerly runs forward holding out a scrapbook. She shows Ash pictures of himself in the Ever Grande Tournament and asks for his autograph.
Ash signs the book, saying that he’s never been asked for his autograph before. Nurse Joy then moves on to May and has her sign pictures of her performance at the Kanto Grand Festival. Brock rushes forward to Nurse Joy, angry about being left out, but Max pulls him away. Scott mentions to Ash that Brandon will be busy for the remaining hours of the day; Ash complains and gets a crestfallen look on his face. Nurse Joy offers a tour of the Pokémon Center area.
Inside, Nurse Joy shows the group an exercise room and then a “humongous” Contest stage (as quoted by May). She then pulls out her scrapbook and shows May pictures of her with Vivian. Outside, Nurse Joy shows the gang the hot springs and a multi-field training area. Ash asks May if she’ll help him train but she declines the offer. Nurse Joy steps forward and offers to battle him with Chansey.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket slouches along a nearby path, having lost “the twerps” again. Jessie complains that it’s James’ fault for choosing this path. James, not paying attention says that he didn’t choose this path, he chose this path. They discover the training areas and Nurse Joy getting ready to battle Ash on them. Brock steps in as the Judge for the match as Ash sends out Corphish. Max comments that it should be an even match since neither Pokémon has a clear advantage over the other.
Corphish starts off the battle with Crabhammer, which Chansey takes easily. Chansey comes back with a Doubleslap attack, and Ash orders a Bubblebeam. Next, Chansey uses Double-Edge. Corphish attempts another Crabhammer but Chansey easily knocks it out with Solarbeam. The two of them then rush Corphish off to the Pokémon Center.
As Team Rocket watches from the bushes, Meowth imagines giving Chansey to the boss and having him get clobbered in a wrestling match, only to then be healed by it. Inside, Ash and friends wait for Corphish’s recovery. Nurse Joy walks out with it and says that it’ll be fine by the next day. Down the hall meanwhile, Wobbuffet (wearing a badly-made Blissey costume) sticks its arm out from a side corridor to attract Chansey’s attention. Surprisingly, it works and Team Rocket pops out to tie it up and run off. As they run, Chansey’s Nurse Hat falls off and lands on Jessie’s head, angering the pink Pokémon. It breaks free of the ropes and blasts them off with a Solarbeam at Joy’s command.
That evening, Brock brushes Chansey as he and Joy sit on the Pokémon Center steps. May stands nearby against a tree, thinking silently. Meanwhile, Brandon observes a stone sliding puzzle inside the ruins of Fennel Valley. Ash walks up as Brandon solves it and a golden transparent tablet shines in front of them. He challenges Brandon to a rematch for the Brave Symbol, to which Brandon accepts. He tells Ash that he’ll be using his Registeel in the match.
Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash calls Professor Oak and has him send an old friend to him, in return for Aipom. Professor Oak is delighted at the chance to see Ash’s Aipom and they switch the Pokémon. Professor Oak tells Ash that he’ll find his Pokémon has learned a new move. At the lab, Aipom is startled to see someone other than Ash call it out and starts attacking Professor Oak. Outside the Pokémon Center later that day, the gang waits impatiently as Ash comes running up. May demands to know where he was, and Ash says that he was training with his old buddy.
At the Pyramid, the referee commences the match and Brandon releases Registeel as promised. May scans it with her Pokédex and learns that it is harder than any metal found on the planet. Ash sends out his Torkoal to confront the Steel-Type Pokémon and the match begins. Acting quickly, Ash calls for a Flamethrower and then a Body Slam. Registeel takes a direct hit and retaliates with Zap Cannon. Torkoal blocks the powerful Electric attack with a Flamethrower, followed by Registeel using Lock On to ensure a hit. Torkoal hides in its shell in an Iron Defense as Registeel fires another Zap Cannon. The attack hits, paralyzing Torkoal. Torkoal manages to use Body Slam on Registeel and transfer the condition. Registeel sends Torkoal flying towards the wall, but Torkoal uses Body Slam to stop the force and take no damage. It then turns around and uses Body Slam on Registeel, knocking it to the ground.
Ash commands a Heat Wave from Torkoal and Registeel takes a direct hit as Max comments that Heat Wave must be the new move Professor Oak mentioned. Brandon tells Registeel to use Sandstorm as Torkoal fires another Flamethrower. The Sandstorm hits the Flamethrower and consumes it, spiraling it back to Torkoal. Torkoal uses Heat Wave again and traps Registeel in a second fiery Sandstorm combination. Torkoal then jumps above the funnel and shoots straight down in a spiraling Body Slam, to hit Registeel harder than normal. Registeel uses a Lock On/Zap Cannon combination, and the attack seems to miss. May points this out, but Scott says that it won’t miss. The apparently-missed Zap Cannon turns around and smashes into Torkoal as the Sandstorm dies.
Registeel begins to fall over, but Torkoal falls unconscious first and is deemed unable to battle. Ash recalls Torkoal and meets Brandon in the center of the battlefield. Brandon tells Ash that he battled excellently and will be able to try again when Brandon returns from an expedition. That night, Brandon sets out with just his backpack into the forest as Brock exclaims to Nurse Joy that he’ll be able to stay longer. Max pulls him away as the referee waves to Brandon. Ash proclaims that he’ll be ready to battle upon Brandon’s return. Brandon signals back with a thumbs up and is gone.
