Ash and co. have left Pallet Town, and they are set for New Bark Town in the Johto region. In the forest, Pikachu points to a branch. Ash says that the branch looks very familiar. Misty realizes that they have been walking in circles and that they are lost. She starts blaming Ash for this. Ash gets mad at her and tells her that she should lead the way instead. Misty thinks that that's a good idea. She looks around the forest a bit. Ash is waiting to hear Misty's directions, and he teases her. Misty tells Ash that she has to think first. The two of them begin to yell at each other. Brock cuts in to stop the fight. Suddenly, Togepi jumps out of Misty's arms. Pikachu begins to follow Togepi. They head towards a lake only to find something glowing in the water. The glowing object is a Pokémon (Suicune). It leaps out of the water and disappears in the forest. Ash wants to catch the Pokémon, however he slides down the short hill. Ash's friends follow him down.

Team Rocket is walking down the road hungry again. They come up to a large building. James thinks that it might be a school. Jessie says that it must have a cafeteria. A flock of Fearow fly out of the trees. Team Rocket runs inside the building. Inside, Team Rocket manages to catch their breath. They then hear someone speaking to them. The man is Professor Elm and he thinks that Team Rocket is Nurse Joy. Professor Elm doesn't even bother to see that it is really Team Rocket. Jessie disguises her voice to make it sound like she is Nurse Joy. Professor Elm begins to talk about a Totodile that needs care. Totodile walks up to Team Rocket, and it bites Meowth's tail. Jessie says that she will take Totodile to the Pokémon Center. She grabs Totodile and runs off.

Ash and co. walk closer to New Bark Town. They see a sign that says that New Bark Town is straight ahead. Ash cheers. Misty wonders if they will see a similar Pokémon that they saw earlier. Brock carefully reads the sign again. Their new journey has just begun. Ash already can imagine his first Johto League match. He wants to head straight for the Johto League. Brock tells Ash that he needs to register first, and they head for the Pokémon Center. Brock can hardly wait to see Nurse Joy. When they arrive at the Pokémon Center, Brock sees Chansey instead. Chansey presses a button and a TV screen appears. A message states that Nurse Joy isn't available because she is at Professor Elm's lab. On the TV screen, NUrse Joy says that she will be back at 2:00pm. Ash looks at the clock and notices that it's already 3:30pm. Ash and Misty decides to wait for her return. Brock gets crazy and says that they can't wait because Nurse Joy might be in danger. Brock wants to go out and find her.

They walk down the road in search of Nurse Joy. Ash and co. comes across a building with a few police officers in front of it. Brock sees Officer Jenny and runs up to her. He's about to present her with flowers when Misty pulls him away. Ash tells Officer Jenny that they are looking for Professor Elm's lab. Officer Jenny says that they are standing right in front of it. Then Ash and co. runs inside the building. Nurse Joy is talking to Professor Elm. Apparently, Nurse Joy found out that Totodile was stolen. Professor Elm apologizes to her, but Nurse Joy doesn't want to hear his excuses. Ash and co. runs up to Nurse Joy and Professor Elm. Nurse Joy wonders what they are doing in here. Then Officer Jenny tells Ash and his friends that they can't just barge in the lab. Back outside, Professor Elm explains that a girl is suppose to pick up the Totodile because it is her first Pokémon. Then he holds out a Cyndaquil. Ash and co. are amazed at it. Professor Elm explains to them that new trainers in Johto can start out with Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile. Ash tells Professor Elm about Professor Oak. Professor Elm says that he knows Professor Oak really well because he was his top student. While Professor Elm is talking, Ash and Misty are playing with Cyndaquil. Brock is listening to Professor Elm's talk. Nurse Joy says that Professor Elm is a really nice person. Ash tells Nurse Joy that he was looking for her because he wanted to register for the Johto League. Nurse Joy apologizes because she wasn't back at the Pokémon Center in time. Another officer shows Officer Jenny some footprints that were embedded in the conrete. The footprints are from the thieves.

Growlithe sniffs something and it begins to run with everyone else following it. Team Rocket has been running away. Totodile is attached to Jessie's hair.

They stop for a rest. Jessie finds Totodile a pest. Meowth wants to call the boss saying that they have caught a new Pokémon. Jessie pushes Meowth out of the way saying that he will take all the credit for it. Meowth gets mad at this. Meowth and Jessie start to fight each other. While they are fighting, James walks in the phone booth. He deposits a coin and picks up the phone. Unfortunately, he forgot the boss's phone number. Jessie and Meowth notice this, and they tackle James down. Ash and co. walks up to Team Rocket. Officer Jenny says that she will arrest Team Rocket. Then Team Rocket says their motto. Ash tells Team Rocket that the Totodile belongs to a girl. Team Rocket doesn't care and they run away. Ash sends out Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip to trip Team Rocket. James sends out Weezing. Weezing uses Smokescreen, clouding up the area. Charizard is sent out, and it blows away the gas. Bulbasaur grabs onto Totodile with its vine, and it pulls Totodile out of Jessie's hair. Ash reassures Totodile that it will be safe now.

Officer Jenny sends Growlithe in battle. Weezing fires a Sludge attack at Growlithe, covering it with sludge. Then James sends out Victreebel which eats him again. Jessie sighs and sends out Lickitung. Ash battles with Squirtle. Squirtle uses Water Gun on Lickitung, scoring a direct hit. Then Pikachu, Charizard, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle attack Team Rocket's Pokémon at once. Team Rocket's Pokémon blasts off in the air. Without any Pokémon, Team Rocket stands in fear. Totodile walks up and blasts Team Rocket off with a Water Gun.

Later on, Professor Oak gets a call from Ash. He tells Professor Oak that he and his friends have arrived in New Bark Town. Professor Oak is happy by this. Then Professor Elm talks to Professor Oak for a while. Ash and his friends sigh. Totodile walks off into Nurse Joy's arms. Then Nurse Joy takes Ash's Pokédex and qualifies him for the Johto League. Ash will have to earn eight badges in order to make it in the championships. Nurse Joy tells Ash that he should head down to Violet City for his first badge. Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and Professor Elm waves goodbye to Ash and co. as they take off to Violet City.

English Official Summary

Ash begins his journey in Johto, a largely unexplored region said to be thickly populated with Pokémon entirely new to him and his friends.

Italian Official Summary

Ash inizia il suo viaggio attraverso la regione di Johto, una grande area inesplorata e popolata da Pokémon ignoti ad Ash e amici.

Portuguese Official Summary

Ash começa sua jornada em Johto, uma região bastante inexplorada e povoada por Pokémon inteiramente novos para ele e seus amigos.

Spanish Latin America Official Summary

Ash comienza su viaje por Johto, una región ampliamente inexplorada y poblada por Pokémon nuevos para él y sus amigos.

Spanish Official Summary

Ash empieza su viaje en Johto, una gran región inexplorada conocida por estar densamente poblada por Pokémon totalmente nuevos para él y sus amigos.

English Great Britian Official Summary

Ash begins his journey in Johto, a largely unexplored region said to be thickly populated with Pokémon entirely new to him and his friends.

Dutch Official Summary

Ash begint aan zijn reis in Johto, een regio die grotendeels onontdekt is en bevolkt wordt door Pokémon die nieuw zijn voor hem en zijn vrienden.

French Official Summary

Sacha entame son périple à Johto, une région peu explorée qui semble regorger de Pokémon que lui et ses amis ne connaissent pas.

German Official Summary

Ash beginnt seine Reise durch Johto, eine noch unerkundete Region, in der es viele neue Pokémon geben soll.