After our Heroes dock on Lily Of The Valley Island for the Sinnoh League competition, Ash completes his registration and calls Professor Oak to thank him for the good-luck flowers and card. Ash also asks the professor if he will send the Pokémon he’s been keeping for Ash at his lab, and Professor Oak happily agrees.

Team Rocket, as usual, has a plan to steal Ash’s Pokémon, and grabs five of them during the transfer. The villains are soon sent blasting off again, but Ash’s Poké Balls go flying as well!

Our Heroes quickly find the Poké Balls, but they’re empty! So our Heroes set off to find Ash’s missing Pokémon. One by one, Corphish, Totodile, Snorlax, and Bayleef are all found safe and sound.

Team Rocket isn't through yet, though, and they go after Ash’s last missing Pokémon, Cyndaquil, with a seemingly invincible robot! During the battle, Cyndaquil evolves into Quilava, and uses its newly learned Eruption move to send Team Rocket blasting off a second time.

As the opening ceremonies begin, Ash notices that Nando, Barry, and Conway are all competing—as well as Paul. And so, as he looks forward to his first-round battle against Nando, we leave Ash at the beginning of the next chapter in his continuing journey to become a Pokémon Master!