Ash and friends are still headed for Sootopolis City and are in a rocky area of Izabe Island. May collapses on a rock due to exhaustion, wondering where the next town is. Brock mentions that the bridge to take them into Riado Town is not too far ahead. The bridge comes into sight and Pikachu bounds out into the middle. It stops in the middle and jumps up on the railing. Brock notices that the water is moving way too fast for the bridge to be save just as the bridge is blasted into the air by a geyser.

Pikachu clings on to what’s left of the bridge. Ash goes to get Pikachu but it jumps back up and knocks him over. On the other side of the river, an Absol stands on the ruins of the bridge. May looks it up in her Pokédex. Two men confront the Absol but it just soars to the top of the mountain behind them in three swift leaps.

Ash and the others are taken into town where the villagers explain that the Absol started coming down from the mountain a short while ago and that since they started coming, bad things happen to the town. The bridge that collapsed earlier is the third bridge that was broken. They say that they’ve hired a team of Absol Hunters who are really just Jessie, James and Meowth. Hiding, the three whisper to each other that they were only doing the “Absol Hunter” business so they got free food but then they plan to steal Pikachu and Absol for the boss. Meowth imagines what the boss would say when he received a “Disaster Pokémon” and it’s not very pleasant.

Outside, the villagers ask the “Absol Hunters” to go and hunt the Absol. A boy named Nicky comes up and yells at them all that the Absol are not the reason for the disasters and that his brother Gordon ran away and was not attacked by an Absol. He runs up the path of the mountain and Ash, May, Brock and Max follow. The villagers tell the “Absol Hunters” that they should go too but they just wait saying that they can catch up. When they do go, they tire out very quickly.

Ash calls out for Nicky to stop and asks what the whole story is behind his brother Gordon. Nicky explains that his brother Gordon believed that the Absol were not the cause of the disasters and went off to prove it. Team Rocket finally catches up with them and pretends to have lots of energy, being “Absol Hunters.” Instead of doing anything about the Absol, however, they end up on top of a humongous round boulder. Nicky leads the gang further up the mountain and shows them the peak: Squaretop.

While Max and Nicky show no signs of tiring, Ash, Brock and May are worn out from the hike. Brock discovers water coming out of the rock face of the cliff and May notices water on the ground. Absol waits for them atop Squaretop. Meanwhile, the boulder that Team Rocket is on starts rolling so they lean one way to make it stop but it just goes that way instead. Absol jumps off the mountain and corners Max, Nicky and Pikachu who fires a warning blast of electricity at it.

Suddenly, the rock wall behind the three bursts open and water rushes out. All three are sent over a cliff. Nicky clings on to a branch with one hand while Max and Pikachu lay bent over it like a clothesline.

Nicky loses his hold on it and begins to plummet to certain death but the Absol grabs him and brings him back up. Max and Pikachu also fall off the branch and Ash releases Swellow to catch them.

It successfully retrieves Max but doesn’t have time for Pikachu. As Pikachu falls, a Heracross catches it and brings it to safety. Nicky recognizes the Heracross as his brother Gordon’s and then notices Gordon nearby. Nicky hugs his brother as he begins the story of what happened to him.

He had found an Absol and sent out his Heracross to battle it. Having Heracross use Horn Attack, he knocked the Absol off balance and it began to slide down the mountain. Using his rope, his lassoed a tree branch and swung Tarzan-Style to save the Absol.

He continues that the Absol often get the blame for disasters and he went off on a journey to see other Absol and to see if they too got the blame which they did. Absol are hard to find and hard to study when found. The group wonders about the water and the bridge that broke earlier. Gordon explains that the water source for the river is under the mountains and something is making it fill up faster. The water is then released faster and with more pressure which causes the bridges to break.

Gordon says that the water could break free again soon and cause the town to be completely destroyed and that was why Absol was going down there: to warn them. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is still rocking on the boulder as Gordon and they others rush towards Riado to save the it.

Water bursts from the mountain and begins rushing down it. The Absol fires off a Hyper Beam to knock a boulder in the way of the rushing flood. Heracross attacks the boulder with a Hidden Power. Ash releases Grovyle, Torkoal and Corphish and has them use Bullet Seed, Flamethrower and Bubblebeam. May has Beautifly, Combusken, Skitty and Bulbasaur use Silver Wind, Fire Spin, Blizzard and Petal Dance. Ludicolo and Mudkip use Bullet Seed and Water Gun.

But, even with all of the attacks, the boulder doesn’t budge until Absol dashes up close and blasts it with another Hyper Beam. It blocks the water and sends it down two directions. Team Rocket attacks but they are blasted off with a single Razor Wind from Absol.

That evening, the villagers apologize to Absol and the gang heads out for Sootopolis again.

English Official Summary

Ash is approaching the next town on Izabe Island when a sudden surge in the river destroys the bridge he was about to cross. An Absol is spotted in the wreckage, and the locals arrive to capture it. The town's bridges were mysteriously destroyed after the usually reclusive Absol began to appear in town about a month ago, so people now blame Absol for the disasters. Absol escapes, but the town has hired Absol hunters: Team Rocket in disguise! One boy, Nicky, still believes Absol is harmless—his brother, Gordon, set out to prove Absol's innocence weeks ago but never returned. Ash joins Nicky to find the truth, and they spot Absol just before a geyser erupts from a cliff, stranding Nicky, Max, and Pikachu. To everyone's surprise, Absol helps save the day, as does a Heracross that turns out to belong to Gordon. Gordon has finally returned after learning more about Absol. With his help, our heroes figure out that Absol was trying to warn the townspeople about the spring that feeds the river. There's much more water in the spring than usual, which means it could burst and flood the town. Sure enough, the water bursts out of the rocks, and it takes everyone's Pokémon working together with Absol to divert the flood with a giant boulder. A soggy Team Rocket makes a half-hearted attempt to nab Pikachu, but Absol puts a quick stop to that. With their homes now safe, the locals realize that Absol was harmless after all, and everyone is now a little wiser for the experience.

French Official Summary

Alors que Sacha approche de la prochaine ville sur l'Île d'Izabe, une crue soudaine de la rivière détruit le pont qu'il s'apprêtait à traverser. Un Absol est repéré dans les débris et les habitants locaux se précipitent pour le capturer.

German Official Summary

Ash nähert sich dem nächsten Ort auf der Izabe-Insel, als eine plötzliche Flutwelle die Brücke über den Fluss zerstört. In den Trümmern steht ein Absol, das die Anwohner fangen wollen.

Italian Official Summary

Ash si sta avvicinando alla città dell'isola di Izabe, quando un'improvvisa piena del fiume distrugge il ponte che stava per attraversare. Tra le macerie è avvistato un Absol che gli abitanti del posto tentano di catturare.

Portuguese Official Summary

Um Absol aparece para avisar uma vila de um perigo, mas os aldeõs acham que é ele que está causando problemas. Poderão nossos heróis esclarecer esse mal-entendido?

Finnish Official Summary

Absol ilmestyy varoittamaan kylää vaarasta, mutta kyläläisten mielestä se itse aiheuttaa ongelmia! Pystyvätkö sankarimme selvittämään väärinkäsityksen?

Spanish Latin America Official Summary

Un Absol aparece para advertir a la aldea del peligro, ¡pero los aldeanos creen que es él quien causa los problemas! ¿Podrán nuestros héroes aclarar este malentendido?

Spanish Official Summary

Ash se aproxima a la siguiente ciudad que está en Isla Izabe cuando de repente se levanta una ola del río destruyendo el puente que estaba a punto de cruzar. Los vecinos de la zona ven a un Absol entre los escombros y van a capturarlo.

English Great Britian Official Summary

Ash is approaching the next town on Izabe Island when a sudden surge in the river destroys the bridge he was about to cross. An Absol is spotted in the wreckage, and the locals arrive to capture it. The town's bridges were mysteriously destroyed after the usually reclusive Absol began to appear in town about a month ago, so people now blame Absol for the disasters. Absol escapes, but the town has hired Absol hunters: Team Rocket in disguise! One boy, Nicky, still believes Absol is harmless—his brother, Gordon, set out to prove Absol's innocence weeks ago but never returned. Ash joins Nicky to find the truth, and they spot Absol just before a geyser erupts from a cliff, stranding Nicky, Max, and Pikachu. To everyone's surprise, Absol helps save the day, as does a Heracross that turns out to belong to Gordon. Gordon has finally returned after learning more about Absol. With his help, our heroes figure out that Absol was trying to warn the townspeople about the spring that feeds the river. There's much more water in the spring than usual, which means it could burst and flood the town. Sure enough, the water bursts out of the rocks, and it takes everyone's Pokémon working together with Absol to divert the flood with a giant boulder. A soggy Team Rocket makes a half-hearted attempt to nab Pikachu, but Absol puts a quick stop to that. With their homes now safe, the locals realize that Absol was harmless after all, and everyone is now a little wiser for the experience.

Russian Official Summary

Переправа через мост превращается в настоящую трагедию, когда Пикачу падает в реку. Эш бросается за ним, и сталкивается с одиноким Абсолом, покемоном, который появляется перед наступлением катастроф. Жители деревни считают именно его ответственным за все несчастья, перед наступлением которых он появляется. Вот и в этот раз жители считают, что произойдёт новая катастрофа. Эш и его друзья ведут расследования и находят подтверждение страхам местных жителей. Но вместе с юношей, который считает Абсола невиновным, наши герои понимают, что на самом деле, Абсол старается предупредить жителей о грядущих бедах.

Dutch Official Summary

Een Absol duikt op in een stad om te waarschuwen voor gevaar, maar de inwoners denken dat hij de problemen veroorzaakt! Kunnen onze helden dit misverstand ophelderen?

Norwegian Official Summary

En Absol dukker opp for å advare en landsby mot farer, men landsbyboerne tror det er den som står bak problemene! Kan heltene våre rydde opp i denne misforståelsen?

Swedish Official Summary

En Absol verkar vilja varna en by för någon fara, men byborna tror bara att den försöker ställa till problem! Kommer våra hjältar att kunna klara upp det här missförståndet?

Danish Official Summary

Da en Absol forsøger at advare en landsby om en lurende fare, tror landsbyboerne, at det er dén, som er årsag til problemet! Kan vore helte udrede misforståelsen?