Showdown at the Po-ké Corral

Plot
As a crowd of people cheer on, Ash throws his Poké Ball, happy to be competing in the Pokémon League. However, upon throwing the ball, it comes right back at Ash, becoming larger. Just then, he wakes up with Mimey using the vacuum to clean his face. Ash walks into the kitchen where his friends and Delia are, and complains about Mimey. Delia replies that he cleans whatever is dirty, and then claims that Mr. Mime only listens to her.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is walking down a dirt path toward the Team Rocket HQ. They begin complaining about how they haven't successfully captured a single Pokémon for Giovanni. Too afraid to see what he would say, they quickly declare their resignations before trying to run off. Just then, the HQ explodes and a mysterious Pokémon flies out of the debris and into the sky. Team Rocket runs toward the HQ and finds Giovanni, just as a helicopter comes for him. Jessie asks if there is anything they can do, and Giovanni replies that they can do their job for a change. He then boards the helicopter with his Persian. With renewed confidence, Team Rocket aspires to catch more Pokémon.

At Professor Oak's laboratory, Oak is excited to see Togepi. Ash encounters Gary, and they immediately begin to argue before Professor Oak tells them that the two top Trainers of Pallet Town should get along. When both are in disbelief that the other could be considered a top Trainer, Professor Oak reveals that the other Trainers from Pallet Town eventually couldn't succeed because of their lack of skills. He goes on to say that Gary has ten Badges, while Ash has eight, and that the Pokémon League will be held on top of Indigo Plateau in two months, with more than 200 Trainers competing.

At Ash's house, the doorbell rings and Delia answers it, finding Team Rocket disguised as a news crew. They claim to be from the Pokémon News Network and want to interview Ash for a show called Pokémon Masters of Tomorrow. However, they are literally swept off their feet by Mimey doing his chores. Delia tells them that Ash is with his friends at Professor Oak's laboratory.

At the lab, Gary mocks Ash's Krabby and shows off his own, which is giant. He then goes on to say that he rotates his Pokémon, and that Ash probably doesn't. He also states that Ash probably uses the same Pokémon all the time. Brock asks what kind of Pokémon Gary would use against his Geodude; Gary replies that he would use a Water-type and have a Grass-type as backup, and asks Ash what kind of Pokémon he would use. Misty then answers that Ash would use Pikachu. Gary mocks him, saying that it would be a bad move to match an Electric-type with a Rock-type. Finally, Gary asks him how many Pokémon he has captured. Oak scans their Pokédexes and reveals that Gary has seen only 60 Pokémon, while Ash has seen more than 100. However, Oak adds that Gary has captured way more Pokémon than Ash. Gary then suggests to go see all of the Pokémon he caught, and Oak agrees.

The group enters a section of the lab where Oak keeps the Pokémon caught by the Pallet Town Trainers in their Poké Balls. Ash has his own shelf with his thirty Tauros's Safari Balls, and two regular Poké Balls belonging to Krabby and Muk, respectively. Gary is then mentioned to have caught over 200 Pokémon, meaning he has multiples of some Pokémon. Gary says that the more Pokémon a Trainer has, the better chance of winning. Ash retaliates, saying that Gary's Pokémon are not his friends, and that being friends with Pokémon is more important. Oak goes on to explain that people have different personalities, thus also having different ways of caring for Pokémon. He also says that Pokémon need to be respected and cared for like people.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket, out of their disguises, takes the back route to Oak's research field. By accident, Jessie kicks a pebble into a tree, and a horde of Kakuna drop down. In an instant, a swarm of Beedrill fly at them. Team Rocket flees, only to slam into a Snorlax.

Back at the lab, Oak explains his day, and says that he starts off by checking on all of the Pokémon's health. He then decides which to let out of their Poké Balls and into a habitat built especially for that type, and feeds them breakfast. By the afternoon, he studies Pokémon and has recently been studying individual Pokémon of the same types. Then, it is time for dinner and he puts the Pokémon back in their Poké Balls. As they walk through the field, a Doduo, revealed to be one of Gary's Pokémon, greets the gang. Oak states that Pokémon frequently become more like their Trainers overtime. After explaining that since Muk and Krabby usually stay with him, that they have become more like him, Muk rushes over and tackles Oak to the ground.

Later, Team Rocket, having escaped the Beedrill, climbs rocks to get to Oak's lab. Jessie accidentally grabs hands with a Geodude. Geodude blushes, but is thrown away. When Jessie puts her hand back down, it lands atop of a Sandshrew's head, angering it and provoking it into repeatedly scratching Jessie's face, then kicking her and fleeing. Suddenly, an angered Onix comes up from out of the ground and starts chasing Team Rocket.

Meanwhile, Ash remarks that Oak must have all of the Pokémon in the world, but he disagrees and says that there are many more undiscovered species of Pokémon. Ash then realizes that Togepi is a Pokémon no one ever saw before, and then remembers the mysterious Pokémon he saw at the beginning of his journey. Gary then suggests a battle for practice, and Ash accepts. Before they can begin, however, an explosion occurs at the far end of the field, and Oak realizes it was coming from the Electric Pokémon preserve. Upon arrival, they see that many Voltorb and Electrode have blown up because Team Rocket trotted onto their territory.

Team Rocket then tells them that they are there to steal Pikachu. As Gary and Oak are stunned to hear a talking Meowth, Team Rocket performs their motto. Gary challenges them to a fight, but before the fight begins, Ash's thirty Tauros stampede at them, sending them blasting off. Gary then departs, saying that he and Ash could have their battle at the Pokémon League; Ash agrees. At that, Oak makes Ash and his friends fix the fence his Tauros broke through. Irritated at first, Ash and his friends then begin working on the fence, knowing there is two months left before the Pokémon League starts.

Major Events

 * Mewtwo leaves Giovanni and destroys his headquarters.
 * Professor Oak reveals that the two other Trainers who left Pallet Town with Ash and Gary did not succeed as Trainers.
 * Ash, his friends, and Gary learn that the Pokémon League will be held at Indigo Plateau in two months.
 * Dub viewers learn that Ash has captured 30 Tauros at some point in his travels.
 * Gary is revealed to have obtained a Doduo and own more than 200 Pokémon from up to 60 different species.
 * Gary challenges Ash to a battle, but they are interrupted by the appearance of Team Rocket before they can begin.
 * Professor Oak encounters Team Rocket for the first time.