Ash and co. are continuing their way towards Eterna City. Brock is cuddling with his newly won Pokémon Egg. Dawn tells Brock that it will be even more exciting once it hatches. Then they suddenly see a few trainers rushing their Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. Ash asks a trainer with a knocked out Zigzagoon what happened. The trainer tells Ash and co. that a Buizel jumped out of nowhere and attacked his Zigzagoon while he was fishing. The trainer advises Ash and co. not to go fishing. Then the trainer runs off. Ash definitely wants to check out the Buizel.

Ash and co. have decided to go fishing. Dawn notices that Ash is using a strange type of fishing lure. Ash tells her that he got it from Misty. Dawn doesn't know who Misty is, so Brock explains to Dawn that Misty was a former friend of theirs, and now she is the Cerulean Gym leader. Dawn wants to try out the lure for herself, but Ash doesn't let her. The two fight over the lure until a familiar person interrupts them. It's Zoey. Dawn shows Zoey the ribbon she won at the Floaroma Contest, and Ash shows Zoey the badge him won from Oreburgh City. Zoey is impressed by the winnings. Zoey explains that she still only has two ribbons because she lost the previous contest. Zoey asks Dawn if she plans on entering the Hearthome contest. Dawn says yes, and she is thankful that Zoey told her about it. Zoey is now near the lake because she wants to catch a water Pokémon. Dawn shares the rumor about Buizel with Zoey.

Suddenly, Dawn's fishing pole starts to trigger something. Dawn rushes towards the pole and pulls the Pokémon out of the water. It is Buizel! Dawn looks up Buizel in her Pokédex. Dawn wants to capture the Buizel. She sends out Piplup. Ash and Brock know that the battle will be close, but whoever has the stronger moves will win the battle. Piplup starts off with Peck, but Buizel manages to dodge the attack. Then Piplup fires a Bubblebeam at Buizel, but Buizel dodges the attack again. Buizel then uses its Water Gun attack. The attack hits Piplup, but Piplup still manages to stay on its feet. Piplup tries another Bubblebeam. Buizel uses its Aqua Jet attack to soar right through the Bubblebeam and attack Piplup. While Piplup is confused, Buizel uses another Aqua Jet to attack Piplup. Piplup then faints.

Buizel wants to take Zoey on next. Zoey accepts Buizel's challenge. She sends out Glameow. Glameow first starts off by jumping high into the air. Then it uses Shadow Claw, but Buizel dodges the attack. Buizel jumps up and fires its Sonicboom attack at Glameow. Glameow begins to knock the Sonicboom attacks out with its Fury Swipes. Buizel fires another Water Gun at Glameow, but Glameow dodges the attack by jumping into the air. Buizel also jumps into the air and meets up with Glameow. Glameow uses its Shadow Claw, and Buizel uses Aqua Jet. Both Pokémon collide into each other. Unfortunately for Zoey, Buizel's attack was stornger, so it manages to take Glameow down to the ground. Then with one last Aqua Jet Buizel finishes Glameow off.

Now it's Ash's turn to battle. Ash decides to use Pikachu for the battle since electric Pokémon have an advantage to water types. Pikachu starts off with a Thunderbolt. Buizel easily dodges the attack. It then counters back with Sonicboom. Pikachu dodges the attacks with its Quick Attack. Pikachu then tries to tackle Buizel, but it misses. Then Pikachu quickly uses its Iron Tail on Buizel. Buizel gets hit by the attack, but it manages to recover quickly. Buizel then sends a few more Sonicbooms at Pikahcu. Pikachu is able to withstand the attacks. It attacks with its Volt Tackle. Buizel tries to knock Pikachu off balance with its Water Gun, but it doesn't work. Pikachu fully hits Buizel with all its might. Buizel falls to the ground. Ash throws an empty Pokéball at Buizel, hoping to catch it. Buizel escapes from the Pokéball and uses another Aqua Jet to throw Pikachu into the water.

Now that Pikachu is in the water, Buizel has the advantage. Ash orders Pikachu to try and get back on shore. Before Pikachu can swim to shore, Buizel jumps out of the water and kicks Pikachu deep into the water. Then it uses its Sonicboom attack. Pikachu is launched out of the water and lands in Ash's face. Pikachu is knocked out. Buizel has beaten Ash and co., and as proof it steals their fishing rods. Ash and co. aren't about to give up yet. The still want to capture Buizel, so they run off to find it.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is lurking nearby. They have watched the battle with Buizel. Meowth thinks that Buizel would make a perfect gift for the boss, and he shares his story with Jessie and James. After hearing Meowth's story, they all agree that Buizel would be perfect for the boss.

Ash and co. come across a waterfall. Nearby they find all the fishing rods that Buizel has stolen from trainers. Ash finds his lure and is glad that it's still in one piece. They wonder if Buizel is nearby. Suddenly, they hear Buizel's voice. Buizel is practicing its moves on boulders. Suddenly, Buizel spots Ash and co. This gets Buizel angry. It shoots a Water Gun attack right at Ash and co., but instead of hitting them, the Water Gun hits a tree. An Oran Berry falls off the tree. Buizel picks it up and eats it. Ash wants to have another battle with Buizel. Buizel hears this, and it suddenly uses its Aqua Jet on Ash. Ash notes that Buizel is crazy for attacking him without notice. Brock thinks that Buizel might be doing some special training. Ash wants to special train, too. He orders Pikachu to use Iron Tail. Both Ash and Pikachu attack the waterfall, but nothing happens. Then Dawn sends out Piplup. It uses its Peck attack on the waterfall, but still nothing happens.

Next, Buizel begins to train its legs by jumping on top of the rocks. Ash and Pikachu do the same, except Ash falls down on his first try. Dawn's Piplup jumps on them too. Soon later, Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup meet up with Buizel at the top. Buizel is the first to jump down. While it is falling, Buizel uses a Sonicboom followed by a Water Gun at the bottom. When the attacks hit the bottom, Buizel soon comes down afterwards and lands perfectly. Ash and Pikachu dive in next. Buizel did a much better than job than them. Dawn encourages Piplup to be careful. Piplup dives into the water. Its luck is the same as Ash and Pikachu's. Dawn thinks Piplup should rest for awhile since it did it best. However, Piplup doesn't want Buizel to beat it. Piplup jumps out of Dawn's arms and begins to climb the wall of rocks again up to the top. Piplup dives into the water, while using Peck at the same time.

Suddenly, a net is casted on Buizel. It's Team Rocket from their balloon. Team Rocket says their motto. Zoey doesn't recognize Team Rocket. Brock explains who Team Rocket is, and Zoey thinks that they are a bunch of losers. Ash sends out Turtwig. Turtwig uses its Razor Leaf attack to cut the rope. Buizel falls from the balloon. Dawn catches Buizel and lands into the water. Piplup then dives in and begins to pull them to shore. Jessie sends out Seviper, and James sends out Carnivine. Both Pokémon charge for Ash and co. Pikachu uses its Thunderbolt on Team Rocket's Pokémon. Then both Piplup and Buizel use their own attacks on Team Rocket, and Team Rocket blasts off again.

Dawn congratulates Piplup and Buizel for defeating Team Rocket. Buizel then asks Dawn and Piplup to battle it again. Dawn accepts Buizel's challenge, and this time she plans on capturing Buizel. The battle starts off with Piplup using Bubblebeam and Buizel using Water Gun. Unfortunately for Dawn, Buizel has the upper hand, as it manages to hit Piplup with Water Gun. Piplup comes back with its Peck attack, an attack that Buizel easily dodges. Buizel uses its Sonicboom at Piplup, but Piplup dodges the attack. While Piplup is still in the air, Buizel hits it with Aqua Jet. Then Buizel uses Water Gun, but Piplup is able to dodge the attack. However, Piplup isn't so lucky the second time, because it gets hit by Buizel's Water Gun again. Brock notices that Buizel is able to dodge every attack that Piplup throws at it. Zoey tells Dawn to battle Buizel just like it is a contest. Zoey's helpful advice gives Dawn a few good ideas.

Dawn's first order to Piplup is to spin while using Bubblebeam. Piplup obeys Dawn's command. The bubbles begin to spin around Buizel. Buizel has no idea of what's going on since it has never experience contest combinations before. Then Piplup jumps into the air with a Peck attack. It collides head on with Buizel. Buizel falls to the ground. Dawn takes out an empty Pokéball and throws it at Buizel. The ball wiggles a few times. Unfortunately, Buizel was able to escape from the Pokéball. Buizel immediately uses a Sonicboom on Piplup. Piplup slides backwards and falls into the water. Brock notices that Piplup looks pretty tired. Dawn suddenly gets an idea. She orders Piplup to stay in the pool. Buizel charges towards Piplup with its Aqua Jet attack. Before Buizel can attack Piplup, Dawn orders Piplup to use Whirlpool. Piplup creates an enormous Whirlpool and launches it at Buizel. Buizel soon becomes trapped in the Whirlpool. Finally, Piplup uses its Bubblebeam attack again. The attack hits Buizel head on. When the Whirlpool disappears, Buizel falls to the ground. Dawn throws her Pokéball again. This time Buizel stays in the Pokéball.

Dawn is glad that she finally caught Buizel. Suddenly, Piplup falls over and faints. At sunset, Zoey tells Ash and co. that she will return the fishing rods to their rightful owners. She tells Dawn to try and get Piplup to a Pokémon Center. Zoey then plans on sticking around the river to find a water Pokémon for her to catch. Finally, Ash and co. wave goodbye to Dawn, and they continue their way towards Eterna City.

English Official Summary

On the way to Eterna City, our heroes go fishing in hopes of catching a powerful Buizel that's been spotted in a nearby river. They're joined by Zoey, Dawn's friend and rival, who's in the area to do some fishing, but it's Dawn who ends up with Buizel on her fishing line. Buizel defeats Dawn's Piplup and promptly challenges Zoey. Zoey's Glameow is no slouch, but Buizel wins that battle and then still has the energy to take on Pikachu and win! Now all three Trainers are determined to catch it—and so is Team Rocket, who's secretly observed the entire scene. Buizel is in the middle of a workout when Dawn and her friends manage to find it again. But Team Rocket catches it in a net and tries to take off in their balloon, and Ash's Turtwig cuts Buizel loose with Razor Leaf. Dawn also tries to rescue Buizel, although Buizel doesn't seem convinced that it needs any help at all! In fact, freed from the net, it helps defeat Team Rocket and still wants another battle with Piplup. It's clear that Buizel is a strong, powerful Pokémon, but this time Dawn and Piplup realize they have a creative edge. By using the combinations they've been developing for Contests, Piplup is able to defeat Buizel and Dawn can finally catch it in a Poké Ball. Zoey stays behind to do some fishing for a new Pokémon of her own, but Dawn and her new Buizel are headed to Eterna City for Ash's next Gym battle!

French Official Summary

Alors qu'ils font route vers Vestigion, nos héros tentent de pêcher un puissant Mustébouée qu'ils ont repéré dans une rivière des environs.

German Official Summary

Auf ihrem Weg nach Ewigenau treffen unsere Helden auf Lucias Freundin und Rivalin Zoey – und ein beeindruckendes Bamelin, das Lucia gerne fangen möchte!

Italian Official Summary

Sulla strada per Evopoli, i nostri eroi vanno a pesca, sperando di catturare un potente Buizel che è stato avvistato in un fiume vicino.

Portuguese Official Summary

A caminho da Cidade de Eterna, nossos heróis encontram a amiga e rival de Torneio de Dawn, Zoey – além de um impressionante Buizel que Dawn adoraria capturar!

Finnish Official Summary

Matkallaan Eterna Cityyn sankarimme kohtaavat Dawnin ystävän ja kilpakumppanin Zoeyn, sekä mahtavan Buizelin, jonka Dawn haluaisi napata!

Spanish Latin America Official Summary

En su camino hacia Ciudad Eterna, nuestros héroes se encuentran con la amiga y rival de concurso de Dawn, Zoey, ¡más un impresionante Buizel que a Dawn le encantaría atrapar!

Spanish Official Summary

De camino a Ciudad Vetusta, nuestros héroes van a pescar con la esperanza de atrapar un poderoso Buizel que han visto en un río cercano.

English Great Britian Official Summary

On the way to Eterna City, our heroes go fishing in hopes of catching a powerful Buizel that's been spotted in a nearby river. They're joined by Zoey, Dawn's friend and rival, who's in the area to do some fishing, but it's Dawn who ends up with Buizel on her fishing line. Buizel defeats Dawn's Piplup and promptly challenges Zoey. Zoey's Glameow is no slouch, but Buizel wins that battle and then still has the energy to take on Pikachu and win! Now all three Trainers are determined to catch it—and so is Team Rocket, who's secretly observed the entire scene. Buizel is in the middle of a workout when Dawn and her friends manage to find it again. But Team Rocket catches it in a net and tries to take off in their balloon, and Ash's Turtwig cuts Buizel loose with Razor Leaf. Dawn also tries to rescue Buizel, although Buizel doesn't seem convinced that it needs any help at all! In fact, freed from the net, it helps defeat Team Rocket and still wants another battle with Piplup. It's clear that Buizel is a strong, powerful Pokémon, but this time Dawn and Piplup realize they have a creative edge. By using the combinations they've been developing for Contests, Piplup is able to defeat Buizel and Dawn can finally catch it in a Poké Ball. Zoey stays behind to do some fishing for a new Pokémon of her own, but Dawn and her new Buizel are headed to Eterna City for Ash's next Gym battle!

Russian Official Summary

По пути в Этерна Сити наши герои встречают подругу и соперницу Доун Зои, а также впечатляющего Буизеля, которого Доун очень хотела бы поймать!

Dutch Official Summary

Onderweg naar Eterna City ontmoeten onze helden Zoey, de vriendin en Wedstrijdrivaal van Dawn—plus een indrukwekkende Buizel die Dawn dolgraag wil vangen!

Norwegian Official Summary

På veien til Eterna City, møter våre helter Dawns venn og konkurranserival Zoey - i tillegg til en imponerende Buizel som Dawn gjerne vil fange!

Swedish Official Summary

På vägen till Eterna City träffar våra hjältar Dawns vän och tävlings-rival Zoey—plus en imponerande Buizel som Dawn gärna skulle vilja fånga!

Danish Official Summary

På vej til Eterna City mødes vore helte med Dawns veninde og rival, Zoey – samt en imponerenden Buizel, som Dawn frygteligt gerne vil fange!