Get the Show on the Road

Plot
May is riding her bike towards Littleroot Town. Although today is the day she will receive her first Pokémon from Professor Birch, she admits that she would rather just travel, and is not really interested in training Pokémon. Suddenly, a Duskull appears next to her and scares her. She speeds off, loses control and crashes into a tree. She continues onward, before stopping briefly to take in the view when she reaches a cliff overlooking Littleroot Town.

Meanwhile, Ash is also arriving in Littleroot Town but all he can think about is trying to heal Pikachu. He then wonders if there's a Pokémon Center in town, and hopes that Nurse Joy can inspect Pikachu to see if he's okay. On the upper deck, Team Rocket hears the call for Littleroot Town. All are eager to enter this new land except for Jessie, who reminisces about her past and subtly reveals that she has been to Littleroot Town before. She enters a depressed state, and as James presses for answers, Jessie doesn't elaborate. When the boat docks, Ash disembarks and asks the port attendant where the Pokémon Center is. He is saddened to learn that there is none in the small town. He is about to give up when he remembers Professor Birch, and wonders if he would be able to heal Pikachu. He calls Birch's lab, only to find that he is out doing field work. Joshua, his assistant, tells Ash to stay where he is and that he will alert the Professor to the situation as soon as possible.

Ash waits on a bench, anxious for any word from the Professor. Out of the blue, Ash hears a screeching noise. He looks up to see Professor Birch in a SUV. Birch asks if Ash is the one who called about Pikachu, and he immediately responds. He carries Pikachu into the SUV and they speed off. Along the way back to the lab, Birch quickly diagnoses Pikachu with an electric overload, and Ash adds that he was strapped to Team Rocket's giant magnet. If the Electric Pokémon doesn't receive immediate attention, he might explode from all the energy. Their only hope is to drain all of it out of Pikachu. Once at the lab, the Professor attaches a machine to Pikachu's cheeks, while Joshua turns it on. However, Pikachu's electricity levels are so high, they cause the machine to explode. Pikachu then escapes, and Ash runs after him. Upon finding out Ash isn't carrying any other Pokémon, Birch grabs the three starter Pokémon and runs after the young Trainer. Joshua reminds Birch that the starters are supposed to be for May who is due to arrive that day, and Birch tells Joshua to ask May to wait until he gets back. As he explains this, Ash is desperately calling out and searching for Pikachu, but the Pokémon is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, May arrives at the lab. Joshua tells her that the Professor will be right back, but she ignores him and goes looking for Birch. She is unaware that he has fallen off a cliff and landed on top of a Poochyena while looking for Pikachu. After recovering, he apologizes to the Pokémon, but it just appears to get angrier. Two more Poochyena appear and they all begin to growl at the Professor. He realizes that they're about attack. Although initially proud of his knowledge, he soon realizes that their anger is directed at him, and runs away trying to escape from them.

As he takes shelter in a tree, May arrives and inquires as to why he is climbing a tree. Relieved that somebody has arrived, he tells May to get one of his Pokémon from his bag to ward off the Poochyena. Hesitantly, she takes out a Poké Ball and sends out Mudkip. The Professor tells her to command it to use an attack, but May is unfamiliar with the Pokémon's moves. Birch tells her to have it use Water Gun. When she commands it, the Water-type Pokémon sprays her in the face. Frustrated, Birch falls from his branch and is being pursued once again. He calls after Mudkip, who rushes to his side. Birch commands the Pokémon to use Water Gun on the Poochyena, scaring them off. Birch then realizes that Ash and Pikachu are still missing, and has May follow him.

Pikachu continues to weaken and become frightened. When Ash approaches him, Pikachu's eyes glow red as he furiously attacks him with Thunderbolt, thinking he is an enemy. Birch and May reach the area and see Ash dive off a cliff to save his friend. Luckily, he manages to grab onto a branch, but he is far from danger. Pikachu continues shocking him, and even bites him at one point to try to get away. Eventually, Ash calms Pikachu down, and he slowly realizes who is holding him. The Trainer makes it back up the cliff and meets up with the Professor and May.

Just then, Team Rocket appears in their latest mecha, a giant battery robot. When May and Birch inquire about them, Ash informs them about the trio and their evil ways. Meowth brags about the mecha's ability to absorb electricity and grabs Pikachu with one of the machine's arms. Team Rocket then has the machine put suction cups on Pikachu's cheeks to absorb his electricity. As James and Meowth celebrate the fact the machine is filling up with energy, Jessie yells at them, saying that Pikachu is getting stronger. After getting most of the energy drained, Pikachu shocks the machine, and a stray bolt of electricity fries May's bike. Then, the robot blasts Team Rocket off by exploding on them. This time, Jessie is happy, claiming she feels completely recharged thanks to Pikachu. However, the Electric Pokémon collapses on the ground, causing Ash to panic once again.

Back at Birch's lab, the Professor determines that Team Rocket's machine drained all the excess energy out of Pikachu until his levels were returned to normal levels. After a rest, he says that Pikachu should make a full recovery. With that situation over, Birch now turns his attention to May and her first Pokémon. He first shows her Treecko, but May thinks the Grass-type looks scary. Mudkip is next, but May says she doesn't want it because it refused to listen to her. Finally, the Professor reveals Torchic, a Fire-type. The Pokémon hops up to May and begins brushing up against her leg. She then decides that she will take Torchic as her first Pokémon. Birch gives her six empty Poké Balls and a Pokédex. She makes a few comments under her breath, Birch wondering what she said before she tries to cover it up.

The next morning May looks at her bike, angry that it has been destroyed. She goes to find Ash and scold him, but when she opens the door, she finds Ash still asleep by Pikachu's bedside. May softens up and watches as Ash mutters a few things in his sleep and Pikachu awakens. The Pokémon soon wakes up Ash, and Pikachu's reassuring nudge instantly cheers Ash up. May then realizes that her bike can wait. Outside, May releases Torchic and Ash soon steps outside. May greets him and Pikachu leaps off Ash's shoulder to meet Torchic. The two Pokémon soon play around, and Ash comments that Pikachu has already made his first friend in the Hoenn region. Later, Birch and Joshua inform the pair that their next destination should be Oldale Town's Pokémon Center to register for the Hoenn League. May makes a few remarks about going alone. Then, she purposely says she would have, but Pikachu destroyed her bike. May asks Ash if she could come along with him, and Ash agrees. The pair waves goodbye to the Professor and his assistant before beginning their walk towards Oldale Town.

Major Events

 * Ash arrives in Littleroot Town and meets with Professor Birch.
 * Ash meets May, a beginning Trainer.
 * May encounters Team Rocket for the first time.
 * Pikachu accidentally destroys May's bike.
 * Team Rocket accidentally heals Pikachu.
 * May starts her Pokémon journey with a Torchic, a Pokédex, and six Poké Balls.
 * Ash and May decide to travel together.