May, a 10 year old girl, rides her bike up a hill to Littleroot Town. She introduces herself and says that she is going to see Professor Birch where she gets her first Pokémon. However, May is more interested in traveling to new places. A Duskull comes nearby and scares May. Scared, she trips on her bike and lands in a tree. The Duskull then floats away. May admits that she is not too fond of Pokémon. Beyond the lake is Littleroot Town.

Ash and Pikachu are on a boat to Littleroot Town. Ash has Pikachu wrapped in a blanket. He stares hopelessly at the sick Pokémon. Ash quietly tells Pikachu to take it easy. He promises Pikachu that he will take it straight to the Pokémon Center as soon as they arrive. Team Rocket is also on the same boat as Ash. Jessie says that Littleroot Town is a town where colors will never change. She seems to enjoy the place already very much. James asks Jessie if she has been in Littleroot Town before. In a calm voice Jessie speaks to James and Meowth in a weird way. James and Meowth both sigh.

When Ash arrives at Littleroot Town, he asks a man for the location of the nearest Pokémon Center. The man tells Ash that Littleroot Town doesn't have one. Ash stares at Pikachu and then gets an idea. He gives Professor Birch a call. Professor Birch's assistant answers the phone. He tells Ash that Professor Birch is out conducting an experiment. He tells Ash to stay on while he tells Professor Birch. Ash hangs up the phone and sits on a bench. He tells Pikachu that everything will be fine. Suddenly a car pulls up. A man asks for Ash. He is Professor Birch. Professor Birch takes a look at Pikachu and tells Ash to come with him to his lab. While driving, Professor Birch sees that Pikachu has symptoms of a discharge. That means that Pikachu is unable to release its electricity in a normal way. He asks Ash if Pikachu was with any high voltage. Ash tells Professor Birch that Pikachu was exposed to an electric magnet. He takes a road to through the forest to the lab.

At the lab, Professor Birch's assistant has everything prepared. They place Pikachu on a table. A device is then hooked up onto Pikachu. Professor Birch tells Ash that this will get rid of Pikachu's trapped electricity. Unfortunately, there is too much of electricity in Pikachu's body. The machine ends up in an explosion. Confused, Pikachu runs out of the lab and into the forest. Professor Birch asks Ash if he has any Pokémon with him. Because Ash doesn't have any other Pokémon, he gathers up the starter Pokémon. Professor Birch's assistant reminds Professor Birch that those Pokémon were for May. Professor Birch tells his assistant to just have her wait when she arrives. Team Rocket is behind a bush. Jessie sighs knowing that now they have to chase after Ash. Professor Birch finally catches up to Ash. He tells Ash that Pikachu might explode if the trapped electricity takes over Pikachu. They decide to split up to search for Pikachu.

May arrives at the front doors of the lab. Professor Birch's assistant tells her to wait since Professor Birch went out for an emergency. May doesn't want to wait, so she decides to look for Professor Birch. Ash desperately tries to find Pikachu. He stops for a moment and then starts searching again. Professor Birch trips and falls. He bumps right into a Poochyena. Professor Birch apologizes, but the Poochyena doesn't seem to be happy with him. More Poochyena surrounds Professor Birch. They begin to chase him up a tree. May comes and sees Professor Birch stuck in a tree. He tells her to open up the bag and get a Pokéball. May throws the Pokéball and out comes Mudkip. She tells it to use Water Gun. Mudkip squirts water at May's face. The branch splits and Professor Birch falls. He tells Mudkip to use Water Gun at the Poochyena. Mudkip uses Water Gun which scares the Poochyena off.

Pikachu walks slowly through the forest. Ash comes up to Pikachu. The only thing Pikachu sees is a shadow. Scared of the shadow, Pikachu releases a powerful Thundershock at Ash. Professor Birch and May head towards Ash. Ash gets up and walks towards Pikachu. Pikachu's electricity prevents Ash from getting any closer to Pikachu. Professor Birch tells Ash to get away from Pikachu. Ash tells him that he has to help. Pikachu runs away and falls off a cliff. Ash runs right off the cliff to get Pikachu.

He dives down, grabs ahold on a branch, and catches Pikachu. Hanging on a branch, Ash promises Pikachu that he will help it. A rope is dropped down to Ash. Ash grabs hold on the rope, and Professor Birch and May begin to pull him up. Pikachu tries to squirm out of Ash's hands. It sinks its teeth into Ash's arm. Seeing that Ash isn't afraid, Pikachu trusts Ash. Together they are pulled up back on the ground.

Everyone catches their breath for a few seconds. Pikachu licks Ash's arm hoping that it will heal. Ash tells Pikachu that he is okay. Suddenly, Team Rocket comes out with a robot. They then say their motto. Ash tells Professor Birch that Team Rocket are bad guys. Meowth explains to Ash and co. that their robot absorbs all of Pikachu's electricity. A mechanical arm is extended out, and it grabs onto Pikachu. The meter begins to rise as Pikachu's electricity is being absorbed. Ash and Professor Birch are amazed at the amount of electricity that Pikachu had trapped inside. The trapped electricity finally is gone. Lightning bolts fly in and out of the robot. One of the bolts fries May's bike. The robot explodes, and Team Rocket blasts off again. Pikachu then falls to the ground.

Everyone is goes back to the lab. They hook Pikachu up to the machine. Professor Birch's assistant reports that all of Pikachu's levels are back to normal. Professor Birch realizes that Team Rocket's robot took away all of Pikachu's trapped electricity. May peeks behind the room. She knocks into a vase, but catches it just in time. Hearing the noise, everyone turns around and sees May. May introduces herself to Ash, and Ash does the same. Professor Birch says that Pikachu should be fine the next day. Then Professor Birch asks May if she is ready to choose her first Pokémon. Ash is surprised that May is going to be a trainer.

Professor Birch sends out Treecko first. May thinks Treecko looks very scary. Ash thinks Treecko is really cool. Next up is Mudkip. May doesn't like Mudkip because of her experience with it before. Finally, Torchic comes out. May thinks Torchic looks okay. She decides to choose Torchic as her first Pokémon. Professor Birch also gives May some Pokéballs and a Pokédex.

May stares at her burnt bike. Angry, she decides to take it out on Ash. She opens to door slightly. She sees Ash sleeping next to Pikachu. Pikachu wakes up and decides to nap next to Ash. Ash then wakes up and hugs Pikachu. May is glad that everything is okay. She softly shuts the door. May then sends out Torchic. Seconds later Ash walks outside. Pikachu jumps down from Ash's shoulder to play with Torchic. Later, Professor Birch tells Ash and May that they have to go to a Pokémon Center to register for the Hoenn League. May says that the nearest Pokémon Center is in Odale Town. Since her bike is destroyed, she offers to travel with Ash to Odale Town. Professor Birch thinks that that is a good idea. Together Ash and May head to Odale Town.