Edge/Kanto

In Pallet Town, a small group of children are trying to capture a Nidorina. Seeing the children struggling to do so, Edge walks up to them and teaches the children how to catch a Pokémon by mentioning that a Pokémon first needs to be weakened before throwing a Poké Ball at it. While explaining every one of his moves to the children, Edge sends out his Marill and commands her to use Water Gun. Nidorina slowly recovers and uses Double Kick, which Marill counters with Aqua Tail, sending the Nidorina crashing onto the ground, before Edge throws a Poké Ball and successfully captures the Nidorina, as the children cheer on his success. Edge then gives away Nidorina to the children, telling them to take good care of the Pokémon.

On their way back home, the children start to ask Edge about Professor Oak. Edge mentions that they don't need a "fossil" like Oak because he already can teach them everything they need to know. They mention Professor Oak's grandson, who he taught to be a great Trainer, but Edge boasts that he can beat him, no matter his training. Edge says goodbye to the younger children and heads home. Lost in thought thinking about Professor Oak, Edge accidentally bumps into a group of Team Rocket grunts, prompting the one he bumped into to scold him. Edge notices some Great Balls hanging on the Grunt's belt, and, realizing they are Pokémon Trainers, he decides to follow them. After some time, the Team Rocket Grunts stop, and Edge hides in some bushes nearby. He overhears the group speaking about a "Phantom Pokémon" inhabiting the Western Forest. After Team Rocket leaves for the Western Forest, Edge runs home to grab an armful of Poké Balls so he can capture the mysterious new Pokémon.

Entering the Western Forest, Edge spots another Trainer battling a strange, glowing Pokémon, Mew. The other Trainer, Robyn, sends out his Charmander to attack the wild Mew. Mew easily evades Charmander's attacks, however, prompting Robyn to recall his Pokémon. Shocked that Robyn surrendered so quickly, Edge impulsively comes out of the bushes and tells Robyn off. Determined to not let the Pokémon escape, Edge chooses Marill to battle against Mew, commanding her to use Water Gun, but Mew counters the attack, knocking out Marill with one hit. Mew leaves, leaving Edge and Marill in a daze. Robyn steps in and tells Edge that he made a foolish choice in battling Mew, as Mew was superior in strength; Robyn then leaves. Later, Team Rocket, still hot on Mew's trail, bump into Edge for a second time. One of the members starts yelling at Edge, but the others remind the Grunt that finding Mew is more important than the kid.

With the sun setting on the outskirts of Pallet Town, Edge heads home after a long day. Spotting Professor Oak's Laboratory, Edge decides to go and meet Professor Oak, and hopefully be given some good advice. When Edge enters the laboratory, in hopes that the professor would teach him how to be a great Trainer, he finds a dark, empty laboratory filled with hundreds of Poké Balls containing Pokémon. In one of the Poké Balls, located on a table with a tag on it, he finds a Bulbasaur. Amazed with the starter Pokémon, Edge shows the Bulbasaur his Marill (while both are still inside their respective Poké Balls).

Bulbasaur becomes frightened of Marill, just as Professor Oak arrives and mistakes Edge for a thief trying to steal the laboratory's Pokémon. Oak rushes up to him and accuses Edge of stealing, which sends the startled Edge tumbling back into a table, and the jolt accidentally releases a number of the laboratory's Pokémon from their Poké Balls. Oak is furious at Edge, and just as Edge is about to apologize, a Pidgey flies overhead and excretes on Professor Oak's face. Oak angrily orders Edge to return all of the Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls. After a while, Edgemanages to catch most of them.

A few Pokémon are still missing, and Professor Oak hopes that none have escaped the laboratory. Edgesays that he'll get them back too, but Oak stops him and accuses him of being a thief again. Edgedenies it and apologizes for entering uninvited but insists on getting them back. However, Professor Oak tells him that it is late and the sun is starting to set. Edgesays that he is not giving up and rushes outside. Oak follows him on a bicycle, insisting that Edgewill never find them unless he helps Edgeidentify the missing Pokémon, and adding that he'll turn Edge in after they find them.

The duo reach Viridian City where they find one of the laboratory's Pokémon, a Meowth, which Edge manages to return to its Poké Ball. Edge remarks that the last missing Pokémon should be the Bulbasaur, which they find shortly after. Frightened, it runs away into the closed Viridian Gym with Edge and Oak chasing after it. The inside of the Gym is dark and covered in cobwebs. Edge bumps into a statue of Giovanni as Professor Oak spots Bulbasaur standing next to the Gym's wall.

Professor Oak tries to persuade Bulbasaur to come, but Bulbasaur attacks him with a Tackle attack. Oak winces in pain as he argues back that he is supposed to be Bulbasaur's owner, implying that Bulbasaur should listen to him. Edge steps in front of Oak and tries to comfort Bulbasaur, saying that it's alright to be nervous at being in the outside world, that he understands how Bulbasaur was kept totally separate from the other Pokémon in the lab and only ever saw Professor Oak.

Bulbasaur quickly warms up to Edge. As Edge pets him and offers him something to eat, a Pokémon cry echoes in the Gym. The group looks up to find a wild Machoke that somehow found its way inside, and it suddenly attacks Edge. Bulbasaur snares the Machoke from behind with a Vine Whip to stop its fist from hitting Edge. Edge is amazed and asks Oak what Bulbasaur's best move is, but Oak has fainted from shock. Edge then realizes that Bulbasaur has a bulb on his back and quickly wonders if the bulb can be helpful, but Machoke attacks again.

Edge notices a small ray of sunlight shining through the closed window shades. Hitting on an idea, he quickly opens the shades and allows the sunlight to shine inside. Bulbasaur's bulb begins to collect the sunlight and shines, releasing a powerful Solar Beam and knocking Machoke out instantly. Professor Oak awakes and asks Edge if he knew about Bulbasaur's Solar Beam, but Edge admits that he only knew that sunlight is transformed into energy by plants, and thus assumed that it would help Bulbasaur. Oak laughs.

Professor Oak congratulates and rewards Edge by allowing him to keep the Bulbasaur. Edge is overjoyed. Now that the quest is complete, Edge states that he didn't break into Professor Oak's laboratory, he merely came to learn how to be a better Pokémon Trainer. In response, Professor Oak poses a question to Edge: "*what does it take to be great?*". Edge ponders this and Oak answers that it's what is in his heart that really counts. He comments that Edge's connection with Bulbasaur during battle was remarkable. He tells Edge that this is what he needs to become a great Trainer. Oak gives Edge a Pokédex, and asks him to help completing the Pokédex by encountering Pokémon. Once the Pokédex has been completed, Oak says that Edge might become one of the greatest Trainers to have ever existed.

As they exit the Gym, Oak suggests that Edge head towards Viridian Forest to properly begin his quest of completing the Pokédex, and the two part ways shortly thereafter. A few hours later, Edge enters Viridian Forest and ponders where to go next. Meanwhile, Robyn and his Charmander successfully defeat a Venomoth, but Robyn sighs in disappointment since he already owns one. Back with Edge, he is looking for a Caterpie when he sees movement in a bush and sends Marill to attack. However, he is attacked first by Robyn's Charmander, who believed Marill was a wild Pokémon. Edge becomes angry, but recognizes the boy as the one that found the Phantom Pokémon, Mew. Suddenly, they hear a loud noise and Robyn states that he found what he was looking for. A Kangaskhan shows up; Robyn doesn't lose any time and attacks her with Charmander. Robyn takes out his Pokédex, in order to see her information. When Edge shows his Pokédex, they realize that they are rivals with the same mission. Edge also learns that Robyn is the grandson of the famous Professor Oak.

The fire causes a lot of damage to the Kangaskhan and Robyn tries to capture her a couple of times with Poké Balls, but she escapes them; however, she doesn't attack. Edge perceives that something is wrong and stops Charmander's attack, and then runs to the wild Pokémon and looks at her belly. Her baby Kangaskhan in her pouch was poisoned, so Edge uses an Antidote to cure it. The mother Kangaskhan thanks him and leaves. Robyn is mad at Edge's intervention and they "formally" present themselves. With the same goal, they go in different directions.

As Edge arrives in Pewter City, a group of angry townspeople pursue a wild Pikachu that steals and eats their produce. However, every time they corner it, the Mouse Pokémon escapes using its electricity. After reading a poster that fell off a building, Edge decides that it would be in his best interest to give them a hand. Watching the townspeople's pathetic attempts to try to catch the Pikachu, including trapping it with a net, Edge challenges it to a battle and chooses Bulbasaur to defeat the troublemaker. Edge has Bulbasaur use Sleep Powder, which sends Pikachu to sleep, and subsequently captures the Mouse Pokémon. After his reward from the townspeople, Edge shows them his Pokédex and they watch in amazement.

Afterwards, in the outskirts of Pewter City, Edge tries befriending his newly caught Pikachu, but to no avail. Robyn shows up and reveals he is planning on challenging Brock, the leader of the Pewter Gym, and he challenges Edge to try to be the first to defeat Brock and win the Boulder Badge. Edge accepts the challenge and the next day, visits the Pokémon Center to prepare himself to the big battle ahead, but he finds the Pokémon Center closed due to damage from vandals, and the only Pokémon he has with full energy is the troublesome Pikachu.

Edge runs to the Pewter Gym's main arena to see a familiar face, Robyn. He and his Charmeleon are battling in the ring. After watching the battle, Edge registers, and prepares for his first battle against a muscular Trainer and his Graveler. Pikachu stubbornly refuses to battle for Edge and, as a result, he is forced to send out Marill to battle his opponent. The muscular Trainer predicts an easy win due to Marill's lack of health. However, Edge comes up with a strategy to take out his opponent, using one-hit knockouts and complimentary moves. He uses Water Gun on the Graveler, then follows up with Ice Beam, freezing and shattering the opponent's Pokémon.

Using this strategy, Edge battles several more Trainers using only Marill and Bulbasaur, and they are soon facing the Gym Leader, Brock. When the last battle begins, Bulbasaur and Marill are too exhausted to continue and Pikachu still refuses to fight. Brock orders his Onix to use Rock Throw, who dodges every rock except one, infuriating him and causing him to attack Edge. Believing Edge's wins have been nothing but dumb luck, Brock angrily orders Onix to use his most powerful move, Skull Bash. The rock snake forms a twister before launching himself towards Pikachu. Diving, Edge rescues him just in time. It leaves Pikachu with a wonderful feeling of being loved and has flashbacks of when Edge asked him to be friends. Suddenly, Pikachu launches a huge electric attack at Onix, but it has zero effect. However, the electric waves damage the Gym's sprinkler system, and Onix gets showered in water, and becomes weakened. Brock then orders Onix to use another Rock Throw, but Pikachu dodges a few before using his tail to redirect a final Rock Throw back at Onix, which knocks it out, earning Edge and Pikachu the victory. Admiring his new Boulder Badge, Edge tries to befriend Pikachu, but just as before, he pulls a dirty trick on him by shocking him. However, Pikachu follows up by climbing onto Edge's shoulders and nuzzles him with its cheeks, with the two finally becoming friends.

An injured girl is being attacked by an enraged Gyarados, with her Staryu defending her. Staryu nearly faints as Edge appears. Edge decides to help with his Bulbasaur. Thanks to the type advantage, Gyarados's Hydro Pump doesn't critically injure Bulbasaur. Edge then commands Bulbasaur to use Leech Seed, which drains some of Gyarados's health. However, Gyarados breaks free of Leech Seed due to sheer force, but Bulbasaur and Staryu's combined Vine Whip and Bubble Beam, respectively, finally manages to weak Gyarados enough for Edge to use the girl's Poké Ball and recall the rampaging Gyarados.

Edge wonders why a Water-type Pokémon would be in that area, so the girl tells him that the Gyarados belonged to her. She explains to Edge that while she was training the Gyarados last week, someone stole it. When she found it again, it was enraged. They wonder who could have been able to do something like that, and Edge decides that they should call Professor Oak from the nearby Pokémon Center to get his opinion.

When they call him, Professor Oak believes that the atrocity was the work of Team Rocket, a criminal organization that uses Pokémon as experiments. He also says that the Moon Stone, a rare stone that boosts Pokémon's powers immensely, had been found in Mt. Moon and that must be what Team Rocket is after. Edge and the girl decide to work together in order to get revenge on Team Rocket. She explains that Mt. Moon is on the way back to her hometown, Cerulean City, and she introduces herself as Misty as they run off towards Mt. Moon.

Edge and Misty are at the entrance to Mt. Moon hiding in some bushes from the Team Rocket Grunts. They all have the same purpose, to find the Moon Stone, a rock with a moon-shaped inscription that can enhance a Pokémon's power. They enter the cave, but it is too dark to see anything. Edge sends out Pikachu, who uses Flash to illuminate the cave, and the darkness is no longer a problem. Suddenly, Edge collides with a Rhyhorn, which turns out to belong to Team Rocket. The Grunts, along with Koga, surround them, and Edge challenges Koga to a battle.

Rhyhorn begins with Rock Throw, managing to bury Pikachu under rocks, only for Pikachu to recover and fire a blast of electricity, surrounded by electrified debris from Rock Throw. The attack successfully knocks out Rhyhorn, but then Koga injects a liquid that forces Rhyhorn to evolve into Rhydon. Misty realizes that her Gyarados was similarly abused, and furious at Koga's nonchalant attitude, she attacks the newly evolved Rhydon with her Staryu. Unfortunately, the attack is returned by Horn Drill, pushing Misty against the cave wall and causing her to faint. Rhydon stomps on Pikachu before moving in to finish Edge, but Pikachu slides out from underneath Rhydon, having charged itself tremendously. Using its tail, Pikachu cuts off a huge portion off the cave roof, blocking the cave and allowing Edge a chance to escape with the others.

Outside the cave, Misty regains consciousness, while Edge reveals that he pocketed the Moon Stone after Pikachu collapsed the cave. Arriving at a huge mansion, Edge is in disbelief that Misty actually lives there. Later, before they eat, Misty appears completely dressed up in fancy clothes and joins Edge and her maids to eat at the salon table. Edge retells the events of Mt. Moon to the maids, rather boastful of his accomplishment, but Misty informs him that they need serious training to prepare for future opponents from Team Rocket. Edge doesn't take the idea seriously and mocks Misty for underestimating him, after not being able to see him in action due to fainting herself. Offended, she storms from the salon.

Later that night, Edge is in his room when he is attacked by a mysterious wind. However, Bulbasaur saves him and he finds a Gyarados scale in the chaos. The next day, while pondering over the assault from the previous night, he confidently tells the maids that he will defeat the Cerulean Gym Leader that same day. The maids begin to laugh at the idea. In the middle of the laughter, Misty says that she can take him to the Leader. When they arrive at the Gym, Misty reveals that she's the real Gym Leader and attacks Edge with her Starmie. Edge is caught by surprise, while Misty taunts him and reveals that she was the one who attacked him the night before. Furious, Edge chooses Bulbasaur, but he is easily defeated by Starmie's Bubble Beam.

Edge is bewildered by Misty's actions, but the Gym Leader is visibly shaken at Edge's carefree attitude. Misty points out how Starmie wasn't strong enough at Mt. Moon, but cleanly knocked Edge over. Misty desperately pleads to Edge how they need to train to get stronger together, or else Team Rocket would flatten them. Realizing the importance of the matter, Edge finally accepts Misty's offer, much to her joyous relief. After a few days of intense training, learning each other's skills, the two separate to hone their skills individually. Hoping to see each other sometime soon, Edge leaves with a Cascade Badge on his T-shirt.

Bill is fixing his new invention, a transporter, in his Sea Cottage when he locks himself inside the machine by accident. The automatic process begins with Bill trapped in one side of the machine and a Rattata in the other side.

While walking through Route 25, Edge is shocked to find a Rattata with the head of a human and converses in human language. The Rattata introduces itself as Bill, a Pokémon expert; however, in the middle of the introduction, a Fearow grabs Bill by its talons and takes him away. Edge tries his best to save Bill by using his Pokémon, eventually succeeding when Pikachu delivers an electric attack from above that knocks the bird down and freeing Bill in the process. Despite the damage, Fearow recovers and goes into an offensive stance. Bill recognizes Fearow's movements and warns Edge that it will use Drill Peck. Spiraling like a torpedo, Fearow dives at Edge's Marill, appearing to pierce right through her. However, it is revealed that Fearow merely pierced a Double Team clone, which gave Marill time to freeze the Beak Pokémon with Ice Beam and allowing Edge to capture the Fearow.

Back at the Sea Cottage, Bill is transformed back into a human with Edge's help, and the two formally introduce themselves. Bill explains that his invention is meant to transport Pokémon anywhere, anytime, and offers to help Edge with his Pokémon's storage. Picking up one of Edge's Poké Balls, Bill is flustered to find Fearow inside; the very one that kidnapped him earlier. Bill asks Edge what they should do with Fearow, as it would clearly refuse to obey Edge's commands, and Edge decides to use the machine to teleport Fearow away. Edge opens one of the machine's doors and releases Fearow, while also bringing him out within the machine before quickly locking the door. As Fearow rampages inside the machine, attempting to free itself, Bill powers up the machine and successfully teleports Fearow away. As Edge questions where did Bill sent Fearow off to, Bill simply responds with a "proper location". Meanwhile, Fearow finds itself located at a large forest with countless Spearow and Fearow living there, and Edge's Fearow quickly settles himself there with the rest of its kind.

Edge and his Pokémon are out for some fresh air on the hills near Vermilion City when they spot a huge ship in the ocean. A few minutes later, Edge is in front of the majestic S.S. Anne. He decides to get in and sneaks inside unnoticed. However, his adventure in the ship is short; when he sees a suspicious Pokémon in one of the rooms, he screams, and the sailors kick him off the ship. As he thinks about the mysterious thing he saw, an odd old man interrupts and asks Edge if he can see his Pokémon. Amazed by his team, the old man introduces himself as the Pokémon Fan Club Chairman and takes Edge downtown to the Fan Club.

Inside the building, a group of Pokéfans chat about their favorite Pokémon and read their official magazine when the Fan Club Chairman, Edge, and his Pokémon arrive. Pikachu, Marill, and Bulbasaur instantly grab everyone's attention. A girl asks Edge about Marill, and Edge responds that he has had her since it was a Azurill. Edge mentions that his Pokémon have helped him in a lot of battles, only for the club members to fall silent instantly. The Fan Club Chairman explains that the Pokémon Fan Club doesn't like to force Pokémon into battles and they prefer un-evolved ones because they're cute. Suddenly, a desperate man enters the room saying his Exeggutor has been stolen. The Fan Club Chairman sadly remembers his stolen Abra, and seeing the old man crying, Edge offers to help and asks for information.

The members of the Fan Club tell Edge that the abductions happen the same time each month, and that the S.S. Anne is supposedly used by the Gym Leader to transport materials to Cinnabar Island. Knowing that the abductors would have to transport full-sized Pokémon, and recalling the suspicious Pokémon he saw earlier, Edge concludes that an investigation into the S.S. Anne is in order. Leaving Pikachu behind per the Fan Club Chairman's request, Edge re-enters the ship.

Back in the room where he saw the suspicious Pokémon, Edge finds a Poké Ball, but when he tries to touch it, he gets zapped; it turns out to be a Voltorb. In a short battle, Marill ends up paralyzed, and a man appears behind Edge, declaring that he deals with trespassers very harshly. Edge finds himself surrounded by the man, revealed to be Lt. Surge, and a bunch of Electric-type Pokémon ready to attack.

Edge discovers the intentions of Lt. Surge and his sailors: to make money from the Vermilion citizens's stolen Pokémon. Ready to punish Edge for his interference, Lt. Surge calls on his 'guard dog': a chained Electabuzz. With Marill paralyzed and unable to help him out, Edge dodges the powerful Thunder Punch, which breaks the ship's floor with its force. Lt. Surge orders Electabuzz to attack again, but unbeknownst to him, Marill has secretly dripped a trail of water on the floor leading to him and Electabuzz. At Edge's command, Marill uses Ice Beam to freeze the legs of Lt. Surge and Electabuzz, and with the smoke of a launched Poké Ball, Edge escapes safely.

Trying to find the exit while avoiding a horde of Magnemite, Edge is spotted by Lt. Surge on one of the security cameras. When Edge gets to the ship's deck, a Magneton attacks Edge from behind, and in the process, he lets go of his unconscious Marill. Before Edge can retrieve her, Surge reappears and grabs Marill by the arm, and prepares to throw the Pokémon overboard. Edge attempts to rescue it, but a quad of Surge's Magneton seal him in a tetrahedral barrier, leaving Lt. Surge to fling Marill off the ship and have Electabuzz attack Edge with Thunderbolt, before the Magneton drop Edge into the ocean as well.

While sinking, Edge recalls how he was in a similar situation years ago: his then Azurill evolved to save him from drowning, and history repeats itself as a Azumarill emerges from the water with Edge atop of her, landing on the ship's deck to Lt. Surge's surprise. In its evolved form, Azumarill easily deflects Electabuzz's electric attack and overpowers it in a show of strength, sending both Electabuzz and Lt. Surge into the air with a Seismic Toss.

Sometime later, the police arrest the crew of the S.S. Anne. Edge notes that while the police never managed to find Lt. Surge, all the abducted Pokémon were returned to their owners. The president of the Pokémon Fan Club approaches Edge, expressing disappointment at Azumarill's evolution, and demands the boy for news of his cute Abra. Edge explains that over the experience, the Abra had evolved into Kababra, followed by Alakazam; at this, the President keels over much to the alarm of the Fan Club members, and the sweat drops of Edge and Alakazam.

Edge takes part in a bike race along Route 11, having borrowed a bicycle from the Pokémon Fan Club Chairman, but when it starts, he finds himself far behind everyone. However, he catches up when everyone stops at a river filled with Tentacruel, forcing the cyclists to cross one at a time—all except for a Swimmer who informs him that Pokémon are allowed to be used in the race. Watching the Swimmer get across on his Slowpoke gives Edge an idea, and he sends out Azumarill in order to make a bridge of ice using Ice Beam, allowing Edge to gain considerable ground.

Reaching a fork, Edge finds the other cyclists opting to go the longer way instead of a shorter route through a forest infested by Bug-type Pokémon. Ignoring the warning of a Bug Catcher, Edge decides to keep his lead by going through the forest, by having Pikachu shock all of the wild Pokémon and Bulbasaur cut through the thick brush. Suddenly, a Beedrill hive falls on Bulbasaur's head, and Edge finds himself fleeing from the ensuing Beedrill swarm. Eventually, Edge trundles out of the forest, wincing from Beedrill stings but nevertheless far ahead, at which he and his Pokémon rejoice.

At Route 12, Edge finds the Swimmer and the Bug Catcher stuck at the dock, unable to continue due to a Snorlax blocking the way ahead. Edge tries getting Azumarill to attack Snorlax, but the attack fails; the Swimmer and Bug Catcher point out that Snorlax would simply Rest off any attack thrown at it. Coming up with a plan, Edge uses the Beedrill honey still coating his Bulbasaur to rouse Snorlax from his sleep—as a result, the awoken Snorlax chases after Edge for the honey all the way to the finish line; the sight shocking the announcer and onlookers. Sometime later, Edge mopes over how the 10,000 dollars he won in the race had to be all spent on his newly caught Snorlax.

Edge arrives in Lavender Town in the middle of a rainstorm and is looking for somewhere dry to stay. He tries to ask people for help, but they completely ignore him. While wandering around, he comes across an old man, Mr. Fuji, at a tombstone. Edge asks what he is doing; he explains he is paying his respects to his deceased Doduo. Edge also pays his respects. Mr. Fuji appreciates Edge's kindness and asks him to go to his house.

At Mr. Fuji's house, the old man explains the origin of the Pokémon Tower: a cemetery built to respect the souls of Pokémon. Edge wonders why Mr. Fuji's Doduo was not buried in the Tower; Mr. Fuji tells him that there are ghosts in the Tower, and as a result no one dares to go there anymore. Edge refuses to believe that there are ghosts, but Mr. Fuji states that the ghosts have made the townsfolk frightful and untrustworthy, in the same way Edge was treated. While Mr. Fuji explains, Edge is looking through old pictures of Mr. Fuji and his Doduo and stumbles upon one that has Robyn in it. Mr. Fuji informs Edge that Robyn went into the Tower about two weeks ago and never returned — these days, no one that enters the Tower ever returns. Intrigued by the mystery, and unwilling to back down from a challenge his rival took on, Edge runs into the building.

Inside the Pokémon Tower, Edge is taken by surprise by an eerie fog that begins to mysteriously form. A Psyduck suddenly appears from the mist, soon followed by other Pokémon, and as Psyduck draws near Edge, discovers that Psyduck is really a ghost. The other ghosts, along with Psyduck, prepare to close in on Edge. Bulbasaur is quickly sent out, and after a few unsuccessful attacks it manages to crush the decomposing Psyduck corpse with Vine Whip, causing Edge to vomit due to the disgusting sight. As the other undead Pokémon close in on the duo, Edge and his Bulbasaur make a dash for the exit, but Edge notices that the ghosts aren't following them. Noticing that the ghosts are not leaving the fog, Edge deduces that the corpses must be controlled by the fog, just as he sees a blast of fire coming at him. Dodging the attack, Edge recognizes Robyn's silhouette, but as he tries to run over to them, Robyn's Charmeleon continues to attack. When he gets a closer look, he sees that there is something different about Robyn's expression, as the latter stands alongside the ghosts in the fog.

Edge calls out to Robyn, but quickly realizes from the latter's eyes that his rival is being controlled by the mysterious fog of the Tower. While Bulbasaur fights the possessed Robyn and his Charmeleon, Edge deduces that Robyn is being controlled by a Gastly and tries to stop it by having Bulbasaur use Razor Leaf. Due to Gastly's gaseous body, the attack simply goes right through, and Charmeleon gets ready to subdue Bulbasaur with a massive Fire Spin attack. Quickly, Edge has Bulbasaur use the bulb on its back to suck in the Gastly and the fog it created, freeing Gastly's possessed victims before expelling Gastly in a Solar Beam.

Edge rouses Robyn from his stupor, but much to Edge's surprise, Robyn heads further into the Tower, determined to find the individual responsible for turning him into a mindless slave. On the way up, Edge barely avoids touching the corrosive venom from a Poison-type Pokémon, and at Robyn's demand, the culprit reveals himself to be Koga; an elite agent of Team Rocket. Koga reveals that Team Rocket had been using the Tower as a base of operations, and thanks to the townspeople fear of the Tower they had managed to carry out operations undisturbed. Robyn has his Charmeleon attack Koga; however, it proves to be only a projection, with the real Koga controlling his Pokémon from elsewhere.

Koga sends his Arbok after Edge and Robyn, who quickly unleashes its corrosive Acid. The boys run back to where Edge had encountered the zombies, and Robyn orders a Reflect from Charmeleon. Outside the tower, Koga observes the battle from a Golbat-shaped screen, and commands another Acid that appears to break past Charmeleon's defense and corrode it as well. Koga gloats at his victory, but is soon surprised as Charmeleon slashes Arbok cleanly in two. Robyn explains that Arbok had instead melted the Psyduck corpse from earlier, and points out that Koga's strategy of controlling his Pokémon from a distance meant that he couldn't see through the substitution ploy. Edge silently concedes Robyn's skill while Koga, crushing his screen in anger, swears vengeance on the two boys. Sometime later, Mr. Fuji thanks Edge for restoring life back to Lavender Town, and for giving his deceased Doduo a proper resting place, but Edge modestly credits Robyn for what happened. As he watches Robyn depart, Edge continues on his journey.

Edge is busy training Bulbasaur, but gets concerned when it begins acting strangely after defeating a wild Primeape. Edge's concern is lifted when he realizes that Bulbasaur has evolved into its next stage, Ivysaur. He is surprised by the arrival of a beautiful girl, although he doesn't know her name, who flatters him by telling him what a good Pokémon Trainer he must be, and then offers to boost his skills with a selection of "Pokémon items" that will make his Pokémon even "stronger". When he appears about to refuse, she becomes upset and then Edge agrees to pay her for a selection of items. They are both happy with this arrangement and she leaves Edge with his new items, although his Pokémon don't seem too impressed. Edge is given the chance to try out his new items when he is attacked by a wild Pinsir. He sends Pikachu into battle, using an HP Up. It doesn't seem to work, so he piles almost every item he bought onto his unimpressed Pikachu. He realizes as Pikachu is sent skyrocketing that he may have been cheated out of his money.

Sometime later, Edge checks into the Pokémon Center in Celadon City. While there, he receives a call from Professor Oak, who expresses his pleasure at Ivysaur's evolution. He also mentions Robyn's Charmander evolving into Charmeleon, and then adds that the third starter Pokémon, Squirtle, has been stolen from the lab.

As he leaves the Pokémon Center, Edge thinks about the number of bad people in the world, before running into the same girl from before, who is trying to sell her fake items nearby. When she sees Edge, she flees, but he gives chase, determined to regain his lost money. In an attempt to escape, she calls out her Wartortle to swim along Celadon City's waterways. Then, Edge calls out the recently caught Snorlax, which fills the waterway and bumps her back onto the pavement.

When Edge confronts her over the fake items, she feigns an apology and says the only reason that she tricked him was so she could see him again. Grabbing him in a hug, she begs him to forgive her, before pushing him violently away and attacking with Wartortle's Bubble attack. Edge is ready for her, and leaps onto Snorlax, bragging that she can't outsmart a Trainer with two Badges before commanding his Pokémon to use a Mega Punch, which levels the pavement and knocks out the girl and Wartortle.

While she's unconscious, Edge takes back his money, and using the Pokédex, learns that Wartortle is an evolved form of Squirtle which leaves him wondering. He leaves the girl to recover in her own time. However later that night at the Celadon Hotel, as he's getting ready for bed, Edge is furious to find that his Badges have gone missing, while the girl, whose name is revealed to be Roberta, and Wartortle gloat over their two new acquisitions, the Boulder Badge and the Cascade Badge.

At the Rocket Game Corner, a Team Rocket Grunt informs Ken that they are close to finding Roberta. Meanwhile in Celadon City, Edge attacks a Team Rocket Grunt and steals their uniform. Edge then enters the Rocket Game Corner, where he and the other Team Rocket Grunts are quickly ordered to enter a secret underground laboratory. Once in the laboratory, they are shown a half-formed Mewtwo, which is a new Pokémon formed from cells that the Grunts had obtained from Mew. However to complete the incomplete Mewtwo, they need more cells to be taken from Mew or they need to recover the disc that contains all their information on Mew, which was stolen by Roberta.

With this information, Edge begins to look differently at Roberta, as he realizes that she too is working against Team Rocket, but his thoughts are interrupted as he and the other grunts are mobilized towards a sighting of Roberta. Making his way to her location, he finds her surrounded by grunts. She reacts by coolly tossing the disc into her Wartortle's mouth, and warning Team Rocket that if they attack, the disc will be damaged. Team Rocket attack with Machoke and Hitmonlee, but in their attempts to protect the disc while also taking down Wartortle, the two Pokémon simply end up injuring each other, much to Roberta's delight. As she gloats, Edge is furious when he notices that she is wearing his stolen Badges as earrings.

The highest-ranking member of Team Rocket present loses his patience and calls out his Tauros, a Pokémon that he warns Roberta was the leader of his herd, King of the Safari Zone, and with the power to control other Pokémon by whipping his three tails. The Tauros commands all of Team Rocket's Pokémon at once, quickly neutralizing Wartortle and recovering the disc. With the tide of battle turning against her, and finding herself backed up against a cliff edge, Roberta switches Wartortle for her Ditto, much to the amusement of the Grunts present. As the Tauros charges her down, Edge can't stand by and watch and throws her to the ground, protecting her as the Tauros passes by overhead and tumbles down the cliff with Ditto.

Recognizing Edge, Roberta seems pleased to see him and calls him her "hero", but Edge is confused as to why she isn't more concerned about Ditto. Behind them, Tauros has made its way back up the cliff, but much to the Rocket Grunts's shock, Tauros turns all the Pokémon present against them. In the confusion, Roberta grabs Edge make a run for it, revealing Edge's identity as an infiltrator in the process. Using her Jigglypuff, Roberta escapes with Edge and the "Tauros" reveals itself to be Roberta's Ditto, who had been utilizing its power to transform into other Pokémon, before it is returned by Roberta to its Poké Ball. Watching Edge and Roberta make their escape, the Grunts curse their bad luck but note, at least, they completed their mission of retrieving the disc holding information on Mew.

Having escaped from Team Rocket, Edge reluctantly leads Roberta back to their base, comforting himself with the thought that they may be safe, since Team Rocket have succeeded in retrieving the disc about Mew. Roberta gleefully reveals that they haven't—she gave them a fake, and kept the real one so that she could be the one to capture Mew.

Roberta sends Ditto, disguised as Mew, to distract Team Rocket, just as they realize that the disc they retrieved earlier was fake. Seeing the Ditto-turned-Mew on their cameras, they immediately give chase. Roberta remarks Ditto should be capable of keeping Team Rocket occupied until they realize that Ditto can't replicate Mew's powers, and she shows Edge a modified Silph Scope. Roberta explains that Psychic-type Pokémon always emit unique brainwave patterns when they use their powers, and with the modified device it keyed particularly to Mew's wavelength, she can use it to locate Mew's current whereabouts and almost immediately gets a hit nearby on Route 16.

While they're searching, Edge tells Roberta about the half-formed Mewtwo he saw in Team Rocket's lab, but she seems uninterested, informing him that she's searching for Mew because of the money involved - as the mysterious 151st Pokémon, there's no limit to what she could demand for it. Just as Edge is expressing his disdain at both her and Team Rocket's prospective uses for the Mythical Pokémon, they are disturbed by the arrival of Mew itself. Reacting quickly, the two Trainers call out Ivysaur and Wartortle. Edge points out that while Ivysaur's Vine Whip is best for restraining Pokémon, it's useless if the target can't be seen. At this, Roberta calls for a Hydro Pump, prompting Wartortle to release rising pillars of water from underground. Mew's silhouette appears against the water, giving Ivysaur the opportunity to Vine Whip it and hold it still, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Team Rocket, bringing with them an exhausted Ditto and their own powered-up Jynx.

With Ivysaur's strength fading, Edge tells Roberta to take Mew and run while he holds off Team Rocket, explaining that he would rather see it in her hands than used by Team Rocket to finish Mewtwo. Before she has time to escape, however, a powerful Psywave from Jynx freezes them in place, snapping the Vine Whip and sending a bound Mew hurtling towards Jynx. In desperation, Edge calls out his Azumarill, who meets Jynx dead-on and is frozen solid by a powerful Ice Punch. This spurs Mew into action, prompting it to release a powerful attack which instantly knocks out both Team Rocket and Jynx. With one last look at the two Trainers, it vanishes.

Roberta is upset that it's gone, but Edge points out that at least it's safe from Team Rocket. Roberta agrees and cheerfully considers the money she's going to make from the pictures she was taking of Mew while Edge was locked in desperate battle. Edge is left furious as Roberta escapes once again with her Jigglypuff, but his anger fades when he realizes that she's slipped him a thank-you note and his two precious Badges.

Edge is trying to get out of Celadon City, but bumps into Robyn chasing after an unruly Magnemite he received at the Game Corner. After a short greeting, Robyn walks off and Edge mentions that "he is as friendly as ever." Suddenly, someone screams and Edge sees that two women are being attacked by wild Pokémon. He grins at a chance to be a hero and immediately sends out Pikachu; however, Charmeleon comes out instead. Edge is shocked and tries to call out all his Pokémon, only to send out Golduck, Machoke, Pidgeot, and Pinsir. As Edge realizes that the Pokémon all aren't his, the two women mistake Edge for "the famous Robyn" because he has a Pokédex, Charmeleon, and Golduck. Pestered by the women into showing off his skills, Edge decides to battle and orders Charmeleon to use Flamethrower, but mistakenly calls it "Charmander" - much to the Pokémon's comical complete lack of response, and leaving Edge to be trampled by the horde of wild Pokémon.

Sometime later, Edge recalls how the women called him a fake and insulted him after his spectacular failure, grimacing that he would have won with his own Pokémon on hand. Observing that all his Pokémon were switched with Robyn's, Edge trembles as he realizes he doesn't know how to use them, just as the Pokémon all get up and start training by themselves with a jog. Edge admires how Robyn trained his Pokémon so well, but figures that they wouldn't take orders from him—unless they could bond first. Much to the Pokémon's surprise, Edge calls them to stop training, and join him for a swim instead. Meanwhile, Robyn is training Edge's Pokémon. As Azumarill, Ivysaur, and Pikachu struggle to keep up, Robyn studies the Pokédex and looks at the Pokémon that got switched with his, deciding to train them his way.

After three days, Edge sits at a campfire with Blue's Pokémon. While the Pokémon no longer show aggression towards Edge, he notes that even after this time they still don't obey him, giving him only two Pokémon captures during the three days: Geodude and Horsea. Gazing into the distance, he spots a Ninetales and realizes it is fighting something - to be precise, Edge's Pikachu, being commanded by Robyn. Robyn orders a Toxic from Pikachu, who delivers the attack with a gash from its tail, and remarks that while Pikachu is an Electric Pokémon, it didn't mean a good Trainer couldn't teach it non-Electric attacks. He tells Pikachu to finish it, but the Ninetales gets away and charges towards Edge while also releasing fire at him. In response, Edge reflexively sends out Robyn's Machoke, much to Robyn's anger as he catches up. The two begin arguing about how they're treating each other's Pokémon when suddenly, Robyn's Machoke evolves into Machamp as it is attacked by Ninetales. With its new strength, Machamp successfully manages to pin Ninetales, allowing both boys to throw their own Poké Balls at it - Robyn's Poké Ball captures the Ninetales, and thus claims the Ninetales.

The next day, both Trainers have re-exchanged their Pokémon and gone their separate ways. Robyn furiously notes that while he trained Edge's Pokémon, Edge didn't help his Pokémon grow - aside from Machamp, who for some reason couldn't evolve until Edge held onto it temporarily; an observation Robyn chalks up to coincidence, as he ponders the strangely affectionate demeanor of his Pokémon, even Magnemite, who used to be disobedient is now snuggling him with affection. Meanwhile, Edge finds himself being comically chased by his own Pokémon, who adopted Robyn's serious attitude through training.

While pedaling down Cycling Road, Edge crashes as a result of a bouncing Tangela. It bounces toward a caravan of people who prevent Edge from getting closer to their "Princess." As it turns out, the princess is Erika, who apologizes to Edge for the citizens' hostility, and the mischief of her Tangela. Upon her apology, Edge challenges her to a Gym battle, which she accepts. However, she tells him that first he must prove his talent as a Trainer by capturing an Eevee. Unsure of where to find an Eevee is, Edge decides to contact Professor Oak, but fails to reach him. Edge does succeed in coming across Bill, who helps Edge by contacting all his researcher friends for advice.

Meanwhile, at the Celadon City archery range, Erika is approached by one of her servants, asking her to rethink her plan of sending Edge out to capture an Eevee. Suddenly, Erika sends out her Vileplume, having it launch a Petal Dance at the servant, at which the servant cringes, only to find that Erika was not targeting her, but a hidden Drowzee. Erika calmly informs her servant to be careful as she was followed, before thinking to herself that Eevee must be captured, as soon as possible.

The scene switches back to Edge and Bill, who have returned to Celadon City, where an Eevee was reported to have been seen using Fire-type attacks. As Edge prepares his Horsea for battle and Bill prepares his machine to detect Fire energy, an Eevee bounds in front of him. With Bill still looking for his to machine to detect Fire energy, Edge sends out Horsea, ready to face the Normal-type and commands Water Gun, but Eevee changes its shape and blasts Horsea with an Electric-type attack instead. Surprised, Edge sends out his Geodude. Edge commands Geodude to use Rock Throw, but Eevee changes shape again and defeats Geodude with a Water-type attack. Edge calls upon Ivysaur, but Eevee is one step ahead as it changes shape and launches a Fire-type attack.

Bill concludes that Eevee possesses the capabilities of Fire, Water, and Electric Pokémon simultaneously, and that fighting it isn't possible—a point that Edge doesn't agree with. Watching Eevee, Edge realizes that Eevee's ears tend to twitch just before it changes its type that counters that of his Pokémon; Eevee must sense the type of its enemy with its ears. Ivysaur is ordered to use Razor Leaf to cover Eevee's ears, and a following Solar Beam knocks the Pokémon out.

Eevee seems to exude fire, water, and electricity all at once as it lies defeated, prompting concern from Edge. Upon examining Eevee, Bill finds a gadget embedded in Eevee's ear that gave it the ability to switch between evolutions. Suspecting that Erika knows more than she's letting on, Edge heads for the Celadon Gym to confront her. Edge bursts into the Celadon Gym with Bill on his heels. He shouts for Erika to come out, but gets no response. They try to heal Eevee by placing it in a nearby machine. As Bill is looking around, he spots a report titled 'Eevee Reconstruction' while Edge wonders aloud about the identity of the people who hurt Eevee. Bill begins reading the book, which explains Eevee as a rare Pokémon capable of evolving into several advanced forms. As he reads about Eevee's reconstruction, Erika appears to finish Bill's quotation: if Eevee could be reconstructed with the ability to switch between its evolved forms, it would serve as a powerful weapon.

Erika congratulates Edge on catching an Eevee, and declares him worthy of facing her. Edge fumes and accuses Erika of reconstructing Eevee, and tasking him with its capture when it escaped. As Edge tells Erika that he doesn't need her stinking Badge, Erika calmly reveals her three Pokémon: Tangela, Bellsprout and Vileplume. In response, Edge sends out Azumarill, Ivysaur, and Pikachu, and the Gym Leader chuckles at the even match.

Erika sends out Tangela first, to which Edge responds with Ivysaur. He commands Ivysaur to use Vine Whip and reel Tangela in, but Tangela tosses Ivysaur away with little effort and defeats it. Edge switches Ivysaur out for Azumarill, while Erika sends Bellsprout out. Edge confidently thinks that Bellsprout can't handle his Azumarill, and commands Azumarill to use Covet. However, Bellsprout surprises him by catching Azumarill's attack, and delivering a Covet back by means of Mimic, fainting Azumarill.

Edge then sends out Pikachu as Erika sends out Vileplume. Pikachu dodges Vileplume's Petal Dance attack, but Vileplume switches to Swords Dance and sends its petals flying straight for Pikachu, wrapping it up firmly and reducing its health to dangerously low levels. As Edge grimaces over Pikachu, Erika taunts him for his subdued arrogance, then smiles and says that Edge can challenge her again without conditions since he has already captured the Eevee. With a startled look, Edge remembers Eevee, and as he looks at the restoration machine Erika remarks that Eevee is near its end; and the least she can do is put it out of its misery. Aghast at Erika's apparent attitude about experimenting on Pokémon, Edge hollers his determination to not let her get away with it, and calls for Pikachu to get back up. Through the petals binding its body, Pikachu releases an energy clone from Substitute, which Vileplume easily defeats. Erika mocks Edge for his futile strategy, but Edge grins and points out that while Erika and Vileplume were distracted, Pikachu had already reached the machine holding Eevee, and Pikachu indicates its determination to keep Erika away from Eevee.

Much to Edge and Bill's surprise, Erika walks over to Pikachu and compliments it for using the last of its health to defend another Pokémon, rather than fight. With Pikachu in her arms, Erika sets the machine to fully restore Eevee, revealing to Edge that she had heard from Brock and Misty and was only testing him. Months ago, they had obtained the Eevee Reconstruction report, along with news that a certain organization had been experimenting on Eevee, revealed to be Team Rocket. Clipping the Rainbow Badge to his vest, Erika requests Edge for his help, to which he accepts.

A few days later, Edge leaves with Eevee alongside him—a point that has Bill concerned, given that Team Rocket would be after Eevee and had attacked Celadon Gym, but Edge ignores his worries. Unbeknownst to them, a sinister woman sitting on her Kadabra watches them from above, and as she notes that Eevee has now been passed on to Edge, she vanishes.

Edge excitedly enters the Fuchsia Safari Zone, where he encounters his two guides, Pidgebots 1 and 2. Under Safari Zone rules, he leaves his Pokémon for safekeeping and hops on board a raft which will take him through the Safari Zone via a selection of waterways. Edge is excited to see the variety of Pokémon living in the Safari Zone, and eventually the raft soon comes across two Nidoking in the middle of a raging battle over a Nidoqueen. The violence has Edge worrying about the danger, and from the Safari Zone's control room the warden is pleased with how the guest, Edge, is receiving a thrill. The personnel chime in, saying that the Pidgebot security system is foolproof and will ensure the customer's safety in any scenario.

As he watches on, Edge decides that one of the Nidoking would be a great addition to his Pokédex, and as the Pidgebots look the other way, Edge produces a Poké Ball he managed to sneak in with him. Unfortunately, the Poké Ball misses the Nidoking and instead, accidentally captures the Nidoqueen they were arguing over. This enrages the Nidoking, and before Edge can get out of the way, they smash the raft to pieces.

Sometime later, Edge wakes to find a furious Pidgebot 1 berating him for breaking the rules, and informing him that they'll have no choice but to walk to the exit, since the Nidoking will probably be looking for him. In an attempt to keep him safe, it gives him a Safari Ball, which is the only Ball capable of capturing a Safari Zone Pokémon (besides the Nidoqueen that Red just caught, which Pidgebot 1 puts down to pure luck). Seconds later, the Nidoking appears and charges at him, and Edge attempts to capture it with the Safari Ball, but the enraged Nidoking simply bats it away, tearing at Edge with claw attacks and corrosive acid from its claws. Edge flings a rock at Nidoking to weaken it, but instead only angers it further and forces Edge to escape deeper into the Zone with the Pidgebot 1. Elsewhere, the Safari Zone staff have failed to locate Edge, only succeeding in recovering the broken Pidgebot 2, while Edge's Pokémon look on worriedly.

Still running from the Nidoking, Edge is struck by a spurt of acid on his leg, and Pidgebot 1 bravely dives in to defend him, getting badly damaged in the process. In return, Edge lures Nidoking away from Pidgebot 1, throwing a sharp rock at Nidoking, poking its eye out, and allowing him flee into the Zone with Pidgebot 1. As night falls, Pidgebot 1 warns Edge that Nidoking has now marked him as an enemy, to which Edge expresses concern for the Pidgebot. Embarrassed, Pidgebot 1 reminds him that it's just a robot, programmed to make sure that he reaches the exit safely, and he should be thinking more about his own safety than that of a robotic guide. Noting that the Safari Zone would only get more dangerous as they continue, Pidgebot 1 suggests they form a strategy as opposed to blindly forcing their way, but Edge is quickly captured by a Victreebel. Elsewhere in the Safari Zone, the Safari Zone personnel have mounted a search party for Edge, but have not yet succeeded in finding him. Worriedly, Pikachu cries out for its Trainer.

As the Victreebel that captured Edge moves deeper into the Safari Zone, it is revealed that Edge had not been swallowed, but simply bound by Victreebel's tendril. Edge is shocked to discover a whole group of Bellsprout, Weepinbell, and Victreebel, just before he is lined alongside a gathered group of other victims of Victreebel. Perching next to him, Pidgebot 1 explains to Edge that he was captured for the Flycatchers' evolution ritual, and he was needed as nourishment for the Pokémon, so he wasn't immediately eaten. Edge futilely tries to break free; a gesture that the Pidgebot admonishes, prompting Edge to agree to a strategic approach. As Edge pores through his inventory, Pidgebot 1 comes up with an idea.

As the evolution ritual begins, and the Victreebel begin to drain their victims for nutrients, Pidgebot 1 flies off with Edge's Poké Flute and blows it, waking up the entire group of Flycatcher Pokémon. At the same moment, Edge flings his Poké Doll, successfully distracting the Victreebel enough to make his getaway. Reviewing their strategy, Pidgebot 1 indicates concern that the Flute might have awoken other wild Pokémon, and sure enough, the two Nidoking Edge earlier encountered make their appearance. Quickly, Edge heads back to the tribe of Victreebel, causing the two groups to clash over Edge , and in the ensuing fight, Edge reveals his strategy of getting Nidoking to weaken Victreebel for capture. Succeeding in capturing one of the Victreebel, Edge uses it to fight Nidoking—by tying up Nidoking with vines and weakening it with Victreebel's Poison Powder, Edge manages in catching the Drill Pokémon. However, the other Pokémon quickly notice him.

The next day, the search party and Pikachu find their way into Victreebel territory, discovering Edge's cap just as ferocious Pokémon surround them from all sides. To their surprise, Edge appears atop one of the Nidoking, and much to the Safari Zone warden's disbelief, he reveals that he had captured the leader of the Nidoking and Victreebel's horde, respectively, and therefore the other Pokémon followed his commands, alongside several other Pokémon. Upon leaving the Safari Zone, Edge decides to send his Geodude, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Victreebel, Bellsprout, Weepinbell, Parasect, and Butterfree to Professor Oak's Laboratory, while grinning upon thinking of Oak's reaction at the amount of Pokémon he'd just captured.

In Viridian City, two people have gathered around the Vidirian Gym discussing Giovanni's 'Missing In Action' status. Meanwhile, Edge and Giovanni exit from Diglett's Cave's Pewter City exit. Edge has joined Giovanni on a search for Pokémon Fossils. With a few stones in hand, the two proceed to the city to have them examined. As they walk on, Edge suggests to Giovanni that he finds the man familiar, but Giovanni assures him that they have never met. Amidst complimenting each other, Edge remarks on how he's defeated Gym Leaders and members of Team Rocket; a comment that does not go unnoticed by Giovanni, whose expression turns serious, but nevertheless continues to humor Edge. As the two near the city, Edge and Giovanni notice a sudden change in temperature; the culprits being a pair of Magmar that had set the Pewter Museum of Science on fire. Edge promptly jumps into battle, determined to show off his skills, while Giovanni decides to watch his strategy.

Edge begins by calling out Snorlax to function as a wall while Edge thinks of how to continue; Giovanni silently admonishes his apparent lack of strategy. However, Edge switches to his newly caught Sandshrew and uses Sand-Attack to suffocate the flames. Giovanni thinks to himself Edge's victories were likely due to his inventiveness, then points out to Edge that while the Sand-Attack is striking the Magmar, all it seems to be doing is making the Magmar angrier. Following a bit more thought, Edge tells Sandshrew to run in circles, creating a sandstorm instead. The attack successfully knocks the Magmar off their feet and immobilizes them completely in sand.

Evaluating Edge's quick thinking and his ability to draw out a Pokémon's potential, Giovanni prepares to take care of Edge when the boy withdraws his Sandshrew, declaring he cannot attack the helpless Magmar; at this, Giovanni calmly stands down from his combative stance. Noting that the Museum of Science has been burnt into ruins, Giovanni gives Edge a translucent stone with a 'bug trapped inside', before the two wish each other luck and separate.

Watching Edge leave, Giovanni sneers at Edge's chivalrous nature, pointing out Magmar's persistence to track down enemies that defeat them; as he monologues the Magmar break free from their sandy imprisonment and lunge at him, only for Giovanni to promptly freeze them with his Cloyster. Declaring that Edge's foolishness would eventually spell his downfall, Giovanni has Cloyster split the still-frozen Magmar in two, and as he reveals a letter 'R' on his shirt, he decides that despite Edge's victories over Lt. Surge amd Koga, the boy is no threat to Team Rocket.

In the depths of Route 19, Edge, along with Azumarill and Horsea, are searching for HM03 with the Itemfinder. In a flashback, at a Pokémon Center, Edge consults with Professor Oak about the need of HMs to complete his journey, while also returning Sandshrew to Oak's laboratory. The fact that Edge's rival, Robyn, had already located the Hidden Machine, only fuels his determination to find it. Back in the present, Edge successfully locates the item, but to his astonishment, he discovers a Dragonite lurking in the waters nearby. The Dragonite asserts its territory and flings them out of the water.

Knowing that he cannot reach the HM unless he gets the Dragonite out of the water, Edge has Pikachu go underwater to lure Dragonite out of the water, with help from Ivysaur's vine. Pikachu successfully does so, and as Dragonite surfaces, Edge has Snorlax fight the Dragonite on the boulder they were flung on, while he quickly dives down to retrieve the HM. However, the combined weight of the Dragonite and Snorlax is too much for the boulders to bear, and everyone falls into the water.

Edge desperately tries to swim for the Hidden Machine, but Dragonite notices him and attacks; the attack misses Edge , but hits the HM and breaks it. Amidst attempting to dodge Dragonite's attacks, Edge is pinned under a heavy boulder, and as he loses his breath, he sees a Gyarados appear to face Dragonite. As the dragons fight, Edge is rescued by someone he guesses to be a mermaid in his state of semi-consciousness, who brings him to the surface.

On the surface, Edge is surprised to find himself supported by a Starmie; the presence of the Water Pokémon and the mermaid rouses his memories, more so when Gyarados looks back at Edge with a knowing glance. Seeing Dragonite getting ready to attack, Edge instinctively calls for a Hyper Beam, which Gyarados unleashes to match that of Dragonite. As the smoke clears from the clashing attacks, Dragonite falls back into the waters, defeated. The person who saved Edge pulls out the Hidden Machine from her pocket and notes that it is now useless because it's destroyed. The person admonishes Edge for not coming to her if he needed something to help him cross the sea. Edge exchanges a greeting with the person, who turns out to actually be Misty.

On the Seafoam Islands, the Legendary Pokémon Articuno flies around the island while Team Rocket are searching the island. Meanwhile, Misty is teaching Edge how to ride Gyarados. However, Edge doesn't have much success but eventually reaches the Seafoam Islands, which Misty explains is the nesting place of Articuno. In light of the destroyed HM03, Misty offers Edge her Gyarados, assuring him that the Pokémon has fully rehabilitated from the vicious behavior it exhibited when they first met. Taking Edge's Horsea in exchange, Misty leaves Edge, who is unsure of what to do with Gyarados but nonetheless thankful for a Surfing Pokémon in his possession.

Journeying deeper into the island, Edge notices the withered state of the vegetation and wonders if Articuno is nearby, but unknown to him, Team Rocket has already noted his presence. As he brings out his Pokémon to help in the search, Edge decides that it would be a good time to introduce Gyarados to the others. However, Azumarill, Ivysaur, and Pikachu are instantly wary of Gyarados as a result of their previous encounter and back away, in spite of Gyarados's friendly advances and Edge's reassurances. They are quickly interrupted with the appearance of a Muk; Gyarados instantly leaps into the fray while the other Pokémon, still wary of Gyarados, are unsure of whether to assist.

A frustrated Edge notes the others's reluctance to help Gyarados, Team Rocket reveals their presence to Edge, declaring their ownership over Articuno - the Legendary Pokémon having sealed itself in ice for its own protection. At once, the lead Grunt orders Muk to grab the immobile Articuno; Edge orders Gyarados to intervene, but the Pokémon shudders and roars in apparent agony. As Edge realizes that Gyarados seeing Team Rocket must have triggered it into reliving its traumatic experiences at the organization's hands, Muk is ordered to attack Gyarados while the grunts chase after the fleeing Articuno. Edge's Pokémon start to go after Team Rocket, but Edge calls them back to help Gyarados, who is unable to retaliate in its trauma. Alongside Eevee, who shared Gyarados's history of experimentation by Team Rocket, the Pokémon jump in to help out. Meanwhile, Team Rocket attempts to hold Articuno down, but the Freeze Pokémon deters them with a hail of ice.

For a moment, Edge's team appears to have the upper hand on Muk, but the Sludge Pokémon easily throws them off before preparing to smother Edge and Gyarados. Just then, Articuno reappears, releasing a wave of ice that freezes Muk, but leaves Edge and his team untouched. Suddenly, Gyarados snaps out of its pained state and Articuno takes flight, with Team Rocket still hot on its trail, as Edge watches them leave. Standing at the coastline, Edge laments letting Articuno escape, but congratulates his Pokémon on their acceptance of their new team member. Together, the Pokémon cheer as Edge declares the continuation of their quest.

At the Pokémon Mansion, members of Team Rocket pore through the building and its collection of research materials. Al furiously declares the team's determination to hunt down the traitor, Blaine. As Edge reaches Cinnabar Island, he spots a large blaze along the coastline and proceeds to investigate, identifying the cause as a clash between Team Rocket and a pair of Arcanine and Rapidash. Unfortunately, he is caught by the Team Rocket Grunts, and is nearly attacked by Al's Gengar when Blaine, the Trainer of the Fire Pokémon, reveals himself. Declaring himself as Team Rocket's real target, Blaine orders the Grunts to leave Edge alone; promptly Al has Gengar strike Blaine with Night Shade. Intervening, Edge releases Gyarados to attack the Grunts with Hyper Beam, allowing Blaine to escape on Rapidash with Edge.

Introducing themselves, Blaine explains that he was once a scientist as a part of Team Rocket, but a fireball appears to pursue them. Edge sends out Azumarill to intervene, but to no avail; the fireball subsequently reveals itself as the Moltres Team Rocket had captured at Indigo Plateau. Despite the efforts of Rapidash and Gyarados, Moltres easily outmaneuvers their attacks with its speed, while relentlessly plaguing the group with its vicious fire attacks. Blaine remarks that without a flying Pokémon to match, fighting Moltres would be impossible; amidst dodging Moltres's onslaughts Edge drops the Old Amber he had received. Identifying the Old Amber, Blaine quickly tells Edge to follow his Rapidash to his secret laboratory, while Blaine holds off Moltres using his Gyarados. With no idea what to do, Edge is left in confusion as Blaine calls for the boy to trust him.

At Blaine's laboratory in Cinnabar's volcano, Edge is no more certain of what to do next; a suspicion of Blaine trying to trap him earns Edge a furious kick from Rapidash. The Fire Horse subsequently gives Edge a report on reviving Pokémon Fossils; despite his persisting uncertainty, Edge activates Blaine's revivification machine as the scientist struggles against Moltres. Much to Edge's astonishment, the Fossil inside the Old Amber becomes a full-grown Aerodactyl, who flies out of the laboratory with Edge in tow.

Defeated by Moltres, Blaine struggles valiantly as he reaffirms his urgent mission: to capture his escaped creation, Mewtwo. Just as Moltres attempts to finish him off, Edge makes his appearance and rescues Blaine with Aerodactyl; the Gym Leader congratulating Edge on his success. Countering Moltres's attack, Aerodactyl succeeds in crippling Moltres's left wing with Hyper Beam, and the Rocket grunts beat a hasty retreat. Edge asks Blaine if he's okay, to which the latter replies in the affirmative, and indicates the urgency of his mission, leaving Edge after pointing the boy towards Pallet Town in the north.

At Silph Co., in Saffron City, Sabrina silently receives the Grunts' report of failure in Cinnabar; Koga alongside Articuno mocks her for the loss in spite of having Moltres. At the same time, Giovanni receives a report from Lt. Surge that Zapdos was successfully captured in the Power Plant. With the Mewtwo project moot, Giovanni declares the three Legendary birds as their new powerhouses.

Outside Saffron City, both Roberta and Robyn Oak are refused entry from all four entrances. Resorting to an aerial approach by means of Robyn's Charizard and Roberta's Jigglypuff, the two Trainers come across each other for the first time (much to Roberta's delight and Robyn's annoyance), and also discover the city is sealed up by a large, impenetrable barrier. Robyn eventually decides to return to Pallet Town for advice from Professor Oak.

Meanwhile, having just returned from Cinnabar Island, Edge decides to pay the Professor a visit, but is somewhat perturbed by the apparent lack of activity in town. In Professor Oak's Laboratory, Edge begins to ask Professor Oak about his inability to enter Saffron City, when the Professor starts attacking all of a sudden. In response, Edge releases Ivysaur to restrain Professor Oak with Vine Whip, but Professor Oak surprises them by exhibiting signs of Psychic power, and attacking Ivysaur with a Psybeam. Recognizing the handiwork of a Psychic Pokémon, Edge orders a Leech Seed from Saur, and as the "Professor's" energy is drained away it reveals itself as a Kadabra, which had been using its Illusionary Hypnosis powers on Sabrina's command. As the Gym Leader herself appears, she graces Edge with a warning before teleporting away: the Professor, along with the townsfolk, were kidnapped and held hostage in Saffron City. Before she teleports, Ivysaur uses Razor Leaf, but it goes right through Sabrina without doing anything to her.

As the illusion over Pallet Town fades away, Edge discovers that the laboratory is really in ruins, just as Robyn lands with his Charizard. Sharing an aerial photograph of Saffron City with Edge, Robyn indicates the presence of Team Rocket in the city, confirming Saffron as Team Rocket's headquarters, and that the clash between them and Team Rocket is nearing. Suddenly, Edge realizes that the Pokémon he sent to Professor Oak's Laboratory might be in danger. Sure enough, a quick check confirms Edge's Eevee to be gone, but Robyn's Pokémon are completely untouched. Robyn accuses Edge of acting the hero and thus jeopardizing the town, before declaring his own resolve for going after Team Rocket: to protect Pallet Town from being tainted by Team's Rocket's operations; the pristine, unspoiled land being the reason why his grandfather had his laboratory here, and why Mew was seen when the boys began their journeys. Warning Edge to stay out of the battle, Robyn departs on his Charizard, but Edge defiantly follows on Aerodactyl, determined to defend his own home as well.

Much to the boys' irritation, not only has their respective rival showed up, but the barrier over Saffron City proves itself to be completely impenetrable regardless of where they attack it. As Roberta watches them, Robyn uses his Golduck to transmit visuals to his Pokédex by scanning the city psychically. He eventually identifies the barrier as a Light Screen created by a Mr. Mime outside Silph Co. headquarters. Edge attempts to one-up Robyn by having Pikachu use Substitute, sending in an energy clone past the barrier, but neither Trainer is able to continue. The standstill ends as Roberta teases the boys, suggesting that they cooperate instead of compete with each other, a suggestion the boys concede to. As Golduck scans the city, Robyn instructs the Duck Pokémon to pass its information onto Pikachu's Substitute, and despite Mr. Mime's evasive attempts, a coordinated Thunderbolt from Pikachu successfully faints the Barrier Pokémon. The barrier lifts, allowing Robyn to rush into the city with Edge in tow, while Roberta gloats to herself on how she managed to get what she wanted with the boys doing the work for her. Charging along the streets, Robyn demands for his opponent to show themselves, while Lt. Surge watches them from the Silph Co. building.

Inside Silph Co., Edge barely catches up to Robyn, but before they can do anything else a trapdoor opens underneath Edge. Robyn attempts to catch Edge, but is stopped by a shuriken from Koga. In retaliation, Robyn releases his Pinsir to strike Koga with Vice Grip, but Koga's ninja armor, revealed to be a Grimer, quickly envelops the both of them, preventing further action from Robyn.

On the first floor, Edge finds himself trapped in a room surrounded by a very familiar electric field. Edge then realizes the identity of his adversary is Lt. Surge, who suddenly appears, heavily armed by his Electric Pokémon. Edge demands to know why a Gym Leader would align themselves with Team Rocket. Lt. Surges sneers at Edge that his membership in Team Rocket allowed him power that he never could have received as a Gym Leader, and to prove his point, he points out his Electrode launcher and Magneton shoulder pads are fruits of Team's Rocket's technology. While Lt. Surge talks, Edge sends in Pikachu to electrify Lt. Surge, but the attack proves futile against Lt. Surge's insulated underclothes. As he continues to attack Edge relentlessly, Lt. Surge reveals the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos to be the eternal source of his electric onslaught.

Back on the second floor, using the Golbat on his arm, Koga displays the visual of Edge suffering at the hands of Lt. Surge. Robyn is concerned about Edge, but is completely unable to do anything. Koga then has Grimer loosen its grip on Robyn slightly, and Koga offers Robyn a deal: he can either, as Professor Oak's grandson, convince the kidnapped researcher to cooperate with Team Rocket, or die. A resolute nod from Pinsir confirms Robyn's refusal to comply. Pinsir manages to get free from Grimer's grasp, but is promptly subdued by Koga's Ekans. Koga then has Golbat deliver a Razor Wind at Robyn's chest, seemingly delivering a fatal blow as Robyn collapses.

With Edge and Robyn facing off against Lt. Surge and Koga, respectively, Roberta is free to enter the Silph Co. building unfettered to accomplish her own objectives. However, when she enters a room on the third floor, she finds herself apparently outside where a large tower stands in the background. The scenario is revealed by Sabrina to be an illusion generated by her Psychic Pokémon, forcing Roberta to live her deepest fears. In retaliation, Roberta releases her Blastoise to battle, but Sabrina's Kadabra outmaneuvers with Teleport before knocking it down with Psychic. Sneering at Roberta for immediately using her strongest Pokémon, Sabrina has Kadabra hold Blastoise in a Disable before delivering a blow that shatters its shell.

However, Roberta promptly sends out another Poké Ball, surprising Sabrina when its contents are revealed to be the real Blastoise, who strikes Kadabra down with a Mega Punch. The other Blastoise reveals itself as Roberta's Ditto. Using her Horsea to release Smokescreen and wearing her modified Silph Scope, Roberta starts to taunt Sabrina in the dark as she prepares her counterattack.

Back on the first floor, Lt. Surge continues to torment Edge with his electric blasts and manages to defeat Pikachu. Edge's attempt to fight back with Ivysaur seems equally hopeless, until Edge has Ivysaur redirect the leaves it scattered from its Razor Leaf at Lt. Surge and Zapdos. The attack not only severs the wires directing Zapdos's electric power away from Lt. Surge, but also ruptures the Gym Leader's insulated suit, giving him a crippling dose of Zapdos's electricity that promptly knocks him out cold. Edge congratulates Ivysaur on a job well done and then pockets the Thunder Badge and Lt. Surge's electric-proof gloves, leaving the defeated elite agent with a warning on the undefeatable strength of a bond between a Trainer and his Pokémon. Free to go up to the second floor, Edge arrives just in time before the unconscious Robyn is about to receive another attack from Golbat.

On the second floor of Silph Co., Edge sees Robyn on the verge of taking another blow from Koga. Edge sends out Azumarill to intervene, but Koga is quick to send them both flying with his Golbat. Ordering Grimer off Robyn to immobilize Edge, Koga declares that Robyn was killed by a Razor Wind to the heart and prepares to behead the boy with his Golbat. However, Robyn surprises Koga by releasing his Pidgeot, who strikes Koga in the chest at the last moment. When Koga wonders how Robyn survived the Razor Wind to the chest, Robyn reveals that he was protected by a body armor that Robyn had equipped himself with prior to arriving in Saffron City.

Recovering from shock, Koga summons Articuno and surrounds Robyn in a Blizzard, threatening the boy to back off or he will decapitate Edge instead. Gloating, Koga proceeds to explain to Edge that back on the Seafoam Islands, Articuno defended Edge from the relentless attacks of Team Rocket, weakening its strength and allowing them to capture it. As Edge looks on in guilt, Koga continues to have Articuno attack the boys with its Ice-type attacks. Robyn then notices Koga wielding the Soul Badge, prompting Koga to remind them of the Badges' ability to control Pokémon at will. Stating Articuno to be under the control of the three Badges of the elite agents, and the Badge held by their unseen leader, Koga gloats about the power they wield before freezing Edge by his feet. At Edge's urging, Robyn attempts to escape, but Articuno traps him by blasting the wall with enough strength to shatter it, trapping Robyn's feet in ice. Having Articuno unleash its full power, Koga has the Freeze Pokémon completely encase Edge, Robyn, and Robyn's Pidgeot in ice, before turning to leave. Remarking on a sudden temperature spike, however, Koga is promptly stunned by an attack from behind, and as he turns back he finds to his horror that the boys have freed themselves.

As Robyn's Charizard blasts the room from the outside with its fire, the boys have Magnemite and Pikachu launch a combined attack on Koga, knocking him out. Robyn criticizes Koga for failing to think sufficiently ahead, while Edge admonishes Robyn for scorching the room. Failing to receive a visual from his Golduck, Robyn consults Koga's defeated Golbat, who shows Professor Oak being held in the basement. Upon hearing a scream from Sol on the third floor, the boys split up, but not before Robyn hands Edge the Soul Badge he got off Koga.

Deep within the Smokescreen, Sabrina proves herself a powerful wielder of Psychic powers as she surprises the girl by having her Kadabra deliver a successful attack. With Kadabra's Psychic Sabrina clears up the smoke cloaking her illusion, and with then, has Kadabra use Disable to prevent Roberta from moving. However, as Sabrina prepares to deal the finishing blow, Roberta mocks her for ignoring her looks, as if to prove Roberta's superiority in appearances, the girl's bust appears to jiggle. Angered, Sabrina has Kadabra use its spoon to slash across Roberta's chest, but as her dress tears, Roberta reveals the two Poké Balls she had secretly hidden on her chest. Releasing Clefairy and Jigglypuff, Roberta has her Pokémon attack Sabrina with Growl and Sing, respectively, disrupting Sabrina's psychic focus with the sound-based attacks. As the illusion vanishes, Roberta decides that she can't fight the Gym Leader and her powers, and leaves the room with Sabrina's Marsh Badge.

Elsewhere, Edge continues to scale the building and eventually finds his way into a room with a strange device that has the indentations of seven Gym Badges. Edge then overhears two Team Rocket Grunts outside who call the device the "Pokémon Badge Energy Amplifier". Suddenly, Sabrina makes her appearance, ordering the guards away. Recognizing her from the attack on Pallet Town, Edge releases Pikachu to do battle, but this Sabrina turns out to be Roberta in disguise, with the help of her Ditto.

Meanwhile in the first level of the basement, Robyn succeeds in locating Professor Oak with Koga's Golbat and unties him. As Robyn tries to untie him, the Professor tells him to rescue the townspeople that are being held in a battling facility below on the second level of the basement. As the two leave, the Professor reveals he was called on by Team Rocket to replace an escaped scientist, who had abandoned a horrific experiment he was working on.

Back at Edge's location, Roberta reveals to Edge her possession of the Marsh Badge. With the other Badges on him, Edge asks Roberta for the Badge, but Roberta offers him a trade as the only option: the Marsh Badge for the Moon Stone Roberta knows Edge has. Unable to convince Roberta with another compromise, Edge makes the swap. Edge is content with having the Badge, while Roberta is elated at achieving another step of her ulterior motive. As an apparent act of goodwill, Roberta informs Edge that the Amplifier is supposed to greatly increase the power of a Pokémon when activated by the seven Gym Badges, but secretly notes that the Amplifier is the key to creating a new Pokémon: her objective from the very beginning.

Suddenly, they are interrupted by the appearance of the real Sabrina, and as Edge places all his Badges into the Amplifier, he is stunned when nothing happens to Pikachu. As Roberta snatches the Amplifier from Edge, she admits that the Badges she'd returned to him were nothing more than fakes, before leaving an incensed Edge to deal with Sabrina. Mocking their infighting, Sabrina releases Moltres, and has Kadabra call on Articuno and Zapdos, surrounding Edge with the three Legendary birds.

Some distance away, Roberta gleefully replaces the fake Badges with Edge's real ones, but is dismayed when the pulse of energy released from the machine flies off. As the energy pulse flies back into the room where Edge and Sabrina stand, Edge is confused while Sabrina cracks a sinister, knowing smile.

Edge watches in horror as the energy from the Pokémon Badge Energy Amplifier combine Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres into a monstrous hybrid. From nearby, Roberta enters the room only to scream at the sight of the fusion and faints from sheer terror. As she directs a combined elemental blast that Edge barely manages to dodge, Sabrina reveals that Team Rocket had experimented on Edge's Eevee to attain their greatest scientific achievement. Sabrina then callously discards Eevee, since they have no use for it as an experimental creature. Continuing to attack Edge, Sabrina reveals Team Rocket's plan to have Edge and Robyn collect the Badges from the good Gym Leaders for them, before they had the boys destroyed, leaving no one to oppose their takeover and subsequent exploitation of Pallet Town.

The threat to his hometown jolts Edge into pressing on; a sentiment shared by Robyn as he reappears on his Charizard, having ensured the safety of Professor Oak and the townsfolk. However, Sabrina and the fusion still prove too strong for them. In inspiration, Edge realizes that Roberta must have wanted his Moon Stone for a plan, and uses the item on her Clefairy, evolving it into Clefable. To Sabrina's shock, Clefable promptly launches several attacks in quick succession; Robyn explains the phenomena as a result of its Metronome followed by Dazzling Gleam. Edge attempts an escape with the others as Clefable distracts the bird fusion, but Sabrina is quick to respond with a combined Sky Attack, sending the three Trainers plummeting to their doom.

Looking down, Sabrina expects her adversaries to not survive the fall, but Edge surprises her once again with a web constructed from Ivysaur's Vine Whip, catching him, Robyn, and the revived Roberta. As Sabrina calls on another attack, Edge, Robyn, and Roberta counter with Ivysaur's Vine Whip, Charizard's Flamethrower, and Blastoise's Hydro Pump, respectively, and in the process, Ivysaur evolves into Venusaur. Amidst the collapse of Silph Co.'s building, the combined attacks finally defeat Sabrina, and also separates the conjoined Legendary Birds. The three Trainers immediately evacuate, but not before Edge catches a glimpse of a familiar face, who smiles at him before disappearing out of sight.

The next day dawns, with the citizens of Pallet Town safe, the members of Team Rocket apprehended, its elite agents underneath the collapsed Silph Co. building, and the Pokémon they used all confiscated. Edge is surprised to find Roberta gone. Elsewhere, Roberta laments the failure of her plans and expresses her irritation at the presence of Professor Oak. At the same time, Robyn informs Edge that he'll be looking forward to challenging the latter, at the Indigo Plateau.

An explosion occurs in Blaine's laboratory and Mewtwo escapes, but all of it was simply a flashback of events in Blaine's nightmare. Feeling pain in his right arm, the scientist looks towards Cerulean City's northwestern sector, before continuing on his way on Rapidash's back.

At the Pokémon Center, Edge is informed by Bill of a "beast" that had attacked the northwest sector of Cerulean City, before disappearing into Cerulean Cave. Despite Bill's warning to stay away, Edge admits to himself he had already reached that city. Entering the desolate sector, Edge walks around while muttering the beast's description to himself, noticing that the nearby trees weren't crushed or burned, but rather twisted.

Reaching the opening of Cerulean Cave, Edge is startled to see that all of his Pokémon are in states of unease, until a sudden tornado catches them all. Through quick thinking, Edge manages to have all his Pokémon hold onto each other, but his Aerodactyl is unable to fly away with everyone against the tornado's power. With his Poké Balls blown away, Edge is unable to withdraw the Pokémon and they soon blow away as well, but Edge is quickly handed new Poké Balls from a mysterious person. As he recaptures all his Pokémon, the mysterious person reveals himself to be Blaine, who had rescued Edge on his Rapidash.

Blaine declares his purpose: to defeat the monster of Cerulean City creating the impregnable tornado, and to prove his point, he has Rapidash use Fire Spin, which is bounced back by the tornado. Explaining that the tornado appears to be a powerful Psywave that swirls outward in order to repel any attack thrown at it, Blaine reveals the beast as Mewtwo. As Mewtwo disappears to attack the pair from behind, Blaine uncovers his mutated arm and tracks it. To Edge's horror, Blaine delves into Mewtwo's history: due to an insufficient amount of cells from Mew to form a new creature, Blaine was forced to inject cells from his own arm to complete Mewtwo. In the process, however, some of Mewtwo's cells found their way into Blaine, thus mutating his arm, which over time will spread through his body and eventually kill him. At the same time, the shared cells also allow Blaine to track Mewtwo down, marking him as the only one who could deal with Mewtwo.

Declaring his fearless resolve in spite of Team Rocket hunting him down, Blaine has Rapidash trap Edge in a fireball wall for his safety, before charging into the tornado on Rapidash amidst Edge's protest. As Blaine charges at Mewtwo on his Rapidash, he announces his plan: to break Mewtwo's Psywave with an attack using an equivalent amount of energy, by blasting the energy through the tornado with his own body. To Edge's horror, Blaine crashes into Mewtwo, resulting in a huge explosion. As the dust clears, Mewtwo is nowhere to be seen, and with the fading away of Rapidash's fireball wall, Edge hurriedly checks on Blaine, who smiles at Mewtwo's defeat as he reveals his possession of a Master Ball. Edge admonishes Blaine for not using the Poké Ball of guaranteed capture, to which Blaine indicates that Mewtwo's power had rendered it impossible to get near enough to use the Master Ball. Remarking on Edge's compassionate nature, Blaine reveals that he had seen Edge infiltrate Team Rocket's base in Celadon City, and that Edge was the inspiration that led him to turn away from Team Rocket, and his cruel experimentation on Pokémon.

Praising Edge for his efforts, Blaine appears to collapse, but even as Edge calls his name, the Trainer is surprised by a rock striking him on the head. Turning around, Edge is shocked to see Mewtwo still capable of fighting, and releases Azumarill to do battle. To his surprise, Mewtwo forms a spoon from Psychic energy to toss Azumarill away. Blaine explains that it is Mewtwo's method for dealing with single opponents, while it psychic tornado is used against multiple foes. Blaine declares Mewtwo as the ultimate fighting machine, genetically engineered for combat and unmatchable by any force of nature.

Unable to deal with Mewtwo and its spoon-shaped weapon, Edge releases the rest of his Pokémon, much to Blaine's urgent dismay as Mewtwo predictably uses its Psywave to blow away Edge's team. However, Edge surprises Blaine and Mewtwo by flying in on Aerodactyl, and before Mewtwo can blow them away, Edge has Pikachu dive in at Mewtwo with the Master Ball in its mouth, successfully catching the Genetic Pokémon. As Blaine looks on in amazement, Edge reveals that he had to get Mewtwo to form the tornado so he could stand a chance of going near enough for the capture. Giving the Master Ball to Blaine, Edge encourages the scientist to rehabilitate Mewtwo by teaching it the kindness of humans. As Edge goes to congratulate his Pokémon, Blaine feels the pain in his arm, and by extension Mewtwo, subside, prompting him to recall the phrase of Pokémon Trainers: a person like Edge who trusts, and is trusted by his Pokémon. Supporting Blaine by his shoulders, Edge nods at Blaine's musings of trying a battle sometime, and agrees to a future challenge, as he rallies his Pokémon onward to their next destination: Indigo Plateau.

At the Viridan Forest, a young girl finds herself lost when a Dratini attacks out of nowhere, but in the nick of time, Edge intervenes by having Venusaur faint the Dragon Pokémon with a single Vine Whip. Realizing the girl has no Pokémon of her own, Edge lends her his Pikachu to use on a passing wild Rattata, giving her some tips in catching Pokémon while allowing Pikachu sometime in its home environment. With Edge's guidance, Rattata is captured as the girl's Pokémon, but as Edge mulls over the peculiar presence of Dratini, hordes of Golem and Weezing appear on all sides, forcing him to escape with the others on his Aerodactyl.

Back in Viridian City, the girl's friends admonish her for wandering into the forest. Edge introduces himself and declares his search for strong Trainers to battle, but is informed that the city has no Trainers strong enough to match him, except for the Gym Leader, who was supposedly invincible, but disappeared resulting in the closure of the Viridian Gym. Deciding to go to the Gym anyway, Edge releases Gyarados to cross the river to the Gym, scaring the others with his Gyarados's appearance. Just before he parts ways, Edge offers the girl some advice: while Pokémon can be scary at times, if a person treats them with a kind and gentle heart, they'll always be friends in the end.

Outside the Gym, Edge has Venusaur perform reconnaissance with Vine Whip, only to find nothing. Musing at how he and Professor Oak originally found Venusaur in the same place, Edge follows his Pokémon into the Gym, spotting a damaged statue of the Gym Leader. As Edge tries to jog his memory of the somewhat familiar face, a bright light shines as the Gym Leader himself reveals his presence, declaring to know Edge's name, and that he had waited a long time for Edge to show up.

As Edge wonders how the Gym Leader of Viridian City knows his name, the mysterious man continues to speak of the boy's experiences. At the mention of Diglett's Cave and Silph Co., Edge recalls his past experiences, and in his disbelief, the man then reveals that his name is Giovanni and he is not only a Gym Leader, but also the leader of Team Rocket. Recognizing their first encounter to be a test to see his abilities, Edge attempts to plan a strategy, but Giovanni cleanly sees through his doubts and drops all of his Poké Balls, challenging Edge to make the first move. Angered, Edge sends out Azumarill to attack, but in the short amount of time that he does so, Giovanni successfully releases his Cloyster and freezes Azumarill. Declaring the importance of a Trainer's own physical aptitude in addition to his Pokémon's, Giovanni compliments Edge on his traits of determination, spontaneity, and empathy, lamenting that the boy was not under his allegiance. Issuing a challenge, Giovanni adds a bet to the battle; he will let him go if he wins, but if he loses he will swear his loyalty to Giovanni and fight for him. Laying his own Poké Balls on the ground, Edge accepts the challenge under the same conditions as Giovanni.

The battle begins with both Trainers lunging for their Poké Balls on the floor, Edge successfully manages to send out Snorlax first, but Giovanni uses Edge's speed against him by having Nidoqueen Counter Snorlax's Ice Punch, before flinging the heavy Pokémon through the wall and out of the Gym. As Giovanni switches to Golem, Edge decides to have the ricocheting Pokémon bounce its way out of the Gym so Snorlax can attack, but Giovanni makes use of Snorlax's Headbutt shattering Golem to pummel Snorlax with Rock Throw, and faint it with Explosion.

Cornering Edge with his Beedrill, Giovanni reveals that Edge's selection of Snorlax simply led him to use Golem's attacks that would be best used outside buildings, indicating that he had read through each and every one of Edge's decisions. Asking Edge to give up, Giovanni is surprised as Edge releases Aerodactyl from behind himself. Giovanni barely realizes the boy's last-minute subterfuge as Edge commands a Hyper Beam from Aerodactyl, fainting Giovanni's Beedrill in one hit and creating a fog that blankets the field. As the fog clears, Edge is shocked to see Giovanni gone as the Viridian Gym begins to shake ominously and collapse. Edge attempts to rescue Azumarill, but is hurt by falling debris and barely manages to escape as the Gym comes crumbling down.

Getting to his feet, Edge sees a Nidoking who Edge reasons must have used Earthquake to destroy the Gym, while Giovanni compliments Edge's ability having forced him to switch to Pokémon of his type specialty, revealing his entire team of Ground-type Pokémon. Edge calls on Aerodactyl, but Giovanni easily has Rhydon use Iron Tail to faint Aerodactyl, before ordering Rhydon to drop Edge in a Fissure. The attack leaves Edge barely hanging on for his life and separated from his Poké Balls, as Giovanni declares himself the legendary master of Ground-type Pokémon. Quickly, Edge attempts to make a switch to his other Pokémon, but Giovanni has Dugtrio use Dig to break the opening mechanisms of the Poké Balls, preventing Edge from any further action.

Giovanni praises Edge on his bravery, but also reveals to Edge that while he went on his journey, Team Rocket already had control of the cities he visited. The master plan was to send all Pokémon captured by Team Rocket to Celadon City for experimentation and bio-engineering, then to Saffron City for battle training. The Pokémon were then shipped via Vermilion City to Cinnabar Island by the S.S. Anne, because the opposing Gym Leaders made a northern transfer impossible, before being brought to Viridian Forest to reawaken their primal instincts, creating an unstoppable Pokémon army for Giovanni in his supposed absence.

In light of this knowledge, Edge realizes that he is the only one who can stop Giovanni's plan, and to his surprise, Pikachu rolls its Poké Ball into his hand, being the only Pokémon Dugtrio didn't trap. Hollering his determination to defeat Giovanni and Team Rocket, Edge lunges for his final assault, as Giovanni declares Edge unable to order an attack from Pikachu in time before Nidoqueen impales him with Poison Sting. Much to the Leader's horror, however, Pikachu proves itself as it appears from the Poké Ball in time, already electrified and ready to attack. As Giovanni and Nidoqueen stand stunned, Edge orders a crippling Thunderbolt that causes heavy debris to fall onto Nidoqueen, fainting it in the process.

Edge explains that he had bypassed the drawback of Pikachu charging itself for attacking by having it charge inside the Poké Ball, giving it time to attack before Nidoqueen could attack. Giovanni screams the impossibility of Edge holding Pikachu's Poké Ball with it heavily charged with electricity, but by the corner of his eye realizes that Edge had been wearing electric-proof gloves he had taken from Lt. Surge. Lamenting his loss to be cemented by his organization's technology, Giovanni passes out—to which Edge responds Giovanni's downfall was due to the pain he sensed in Pokémon that Team Rocket had inflicted. Edge then pockets the Earth Badge from Giovanni's suit before passing out himself.

Sometime later, Edge awakens at a medical facility, much to the relief of Pikachu and the girl he'd met earlier. The girl explains that she had found Edge unconscious at the edge of Viridian Forest, and that the townspeople had gone into the forest to calm the raging Pokémon there. As Edge offers his help, the girl expresses a wish for a Leader to replace the previous one who had disappeared from the ruins of the Gym; an offer Edge accepts as he races away, promising to become the best Gym Leader ever.

The long-awaited championship tournament has begun at the Indigo Plateau, and the Pokémon Fan Club Chairman makes his excited appearance as a fan. Spotting a Spearow, the Chairman wonders who the Trainer is before Spearow's owner kindly requests the return of it, startling the man with his intimidating appearance. The mysterious man moves over to the counter to register himself in the tournament; noticing that Edge, Robyn, and Sol have all signed up as well, the man expresses his pleased sentiments.

To the roar of the watching crowd, Edge has Azumarill defeat his opponent's Kabutops, earning him a place in the semi-finals as his rival Robyn does the same. Revealing a history of Pokémon League winners from Pallet Town, Robyn declares his anticipation in facing Edge for the finals before leaving. Just then, Edge sees Roberta attempt to pull a trick on an unsuspecting Fisherman, by having her female Nidoran court his male Nidoran and encourage a trade of her Weedle for his Butterfree. Edge catches Roberta in the act and demands to know what she is doing in the tournament, but the girl calmly explains her presence by indicating her place in the semi-finals, and surprises Edge by declaring herself a Trainer from Pallet Town. Before Edge can follow Roberta to question her further, Bill makes his appearance with the match-ups for the semi-finals. To Edge's dismay, he must face Robyn for his semi-final match, meaning that he can no longer face Robyn for the finals.

As they join the spectators, Bill comforts Edge as Roberta faces off the mysterious "Dr. O". Roberta releases her Jigglypuff, while Dr. O reveals his Spearow; both Pokémon selections draw remarks of confusion from the crowd. Edge himself is familiar with Roberta's tactics, but Dr. O's selection of Spearow befuddles him. Confidently, Roberta accuses her foe of underestimating her as she calls a Tri Attack from Jigglypuff, gleefully declaring to have won all her League matches with the first hit. To her surprise, not only has Spearow not fainted, it retaliates with a Fury Attack that corners Roberta and Jigglypuff. Hurriedly, Roberta switches to Sing, instantly inducing drowsiness in the audience except for Robyn, who points out that Spearow's flight and distance in between have caused Sing to fail.

Annoyed, Roberta has Jigglypuff attack Spearow relentlessly, and as Spearow dodges every single one, Edge calls at Roberta to switch to aerial tactics. To his surprise, Roberta retorts that she has no Flying Pokémon, and Dr. O muses that perhaps Roberta had underestimated him, revealing his team of Pidgeot and Dodrio. Realizing Dr. O must know Roberta's weakness, the mysterious Trainer goes behind Roberta as she cringes, whispering a warning: "*No matter what your reasons, stealing will never pay*". Roberta is momentarily stunned by Dr. O's comment, before seizing the chance for Jigglypuff to lock Dr. O in Disable, letting her switch to Blastoise. Much to everyone's amazement, Roberta has Blastoise withdraw its forelimbs, letting her ride on its lower legs as it uses Hydro Pump to propel them into the air for an aerial attack, turning the tables on Dr. O. Just as Dr. O's identity is almost revealed, Dr. O has Spearow activate Mirror Move, creating a deflective shield the returns the attack at Blastoise and heavily damages it.

Once again cornered by Spearow, Roberta screams in terror at the Tiny Bird Pokémon, much to the confusion of everyone present. Confirming Roberta's phobia of birds, Dr. O explains that six years earlier, a girl was kidnapped by a giant bird Pokémon. As he had a grandson of the same age, he had helped in the extensive search and knows what the girl looks like, and in fact the very same girl had been caught on his security cameras stealing a Squirtle. Both Edge and Bill realize with a shock Dr. O's true identity, and as he reveals himself as none other than Professor Oak, he comforts Roberta on her traumatic experience. Trembling, Roberta orders a last-ditch Water Gun from Blastoise, but the attack is returned by Mirror Move. With Blastoise's defeat, Roberta loses the semi-final match to her dismay, as the Professor asks her to explain her motivations for the theft.

Confirming her abduction at a young age and her childhood with no home or family, Roberta states that the only link to her past was her birthplace of Pallet Town. When she had finally returned, she heard that the Professor had granted two boys a Pokédex for them to go on journeys, something she had yearned for dearly. As she tears up, Professor Oak gently admonishes her for stealing, before giving her his third Pokédex and officially recognizing her as a Trainer from Pallet Town. Roberta finally breaks down as the Professor consoles her. Elsewhere, Bill, having shared similar experiences of being snatched away by a bird Pokémon, bursts into tears as well, much to Edge's sweat drop as Edge says that Bill's experiences weren't nowhere near as horrifiying as Sol's.

In the locker room, Robyn meets his grandfather as the latter catches his breath. Robyn remarks that either him or Edge would have to fight the Professor, but his grandfather reveals having won an earlier tournament, and declares his decision to withdraw from the competition. With Sol ineligible to participate due to her loss, the battle between Edge and Robyn is announced to be the final battle, much to Edge's elation.

The rivals Edge and Robyn begin their much-anticipated battle for the title of the Pokémon League, with Professor Oak, Bill, and Roberta among the excited audience. A simultaneous drop of their Poké Balls reveals Robyn's Charizard and Edge's Venusaur, much to Bill's shock as the odds are stacked against Edge. Taunting Edge for a misprediction, Robyn orders a Fire Spin that Venusaur barely dodges, but as Charizard lunges in for a follow-up attack, Venusaur surprises it with a burst of Poison Powder. Edge follows with a Razor Leaf that Robyn is forced to assist his addled Charizard in dodging, before Edge switches for Snorlax to continue.

However, Robyn is quick to respond with his Machamp, and through its four arms, it blocks Snorlax's limbs and prevents it from attacking. At Robyn's invitation, a show of physical strength begins on the battlefield. Eventually, Machamp easily lifts Snorlax with its four arms, before spinning it about to render Snorlax dizzy and slamming it onto the floor. As the floor cracks from the sheer impact, Robyn sneers at Edge for his earlier care of Machamp. Bill is certain that Edge has a backup plan, when he realizes that Edge secretly commanded Snorlax to use Harden in anticipation of further attacks from Machamp. However, Robyn surprises everyone by having Machamp Karate Chop the field, using the shattered debris as a lever to catapult Snorlax into the air and out of the battlefield. Professor Oak, muses at his grandson learning to be flexible like Edge in his battle strategies. Just as Snorlax is about to be disqualified for going out of bounds, however, it plummets from mid-air and crushes Machamp with a Mega Punch and follows up by poisoning it with Toxic, as the spectators scramble in fright. Edge calls to Robyn, teasing him for underestimating Snorlax's maneuverability, while the Professor notices that Edge has learned to apply knowledge to his instinctive tactics, like Robyn.

Noting Machamp to be down to a third of its health, Robyn switches in the Ninetales both boys had encountered. Realizing Snorlax to have taken heavy damage itself, Edge retrieves Snorlax as both boys exchange friendly banter; Professor Oak chuckles at how the two have not only learned each other's skills, but also emulated their respective traits. As Edge mulls over his next choice, a shadowed foursome watch the boys silently, seemingly evaluating to themselves the better of the two.

Eventually, Edge's apparent indecision forces Robyn to launch his attack; dodging the flames, Edge releases Azumarill. Using Fire Blast, Robyn surrounds Edge and Azumarill in the formation of flames, and also sends Azumarill crashing into the ceiling on a current of super-heated air. A substitution to Pikachu ends similarly, and to keep up the fire attacks, Robyn brings Charizard back into the fray. To the horror of the spectators, Edge makes a switch back to Venusaur, which causes Bill to become angry at Edge for his decision. Mocking the sentimentality of Edge to finish the match with the Pokémon they received from Professor Oak, Robyn sends in Charizard for the kill when a Vine Whip securely binds Charizard. Robyn is surprised at the presence of a cloud in the arena, to which Edge explains that Azumarill and Pikachu had formed the lightning cloud when they were flung up to the ceiling; Azumarill's water was super-heated and condensed in midair while Pikachu electrified the cloud. With Venusaur's vine acting as a lightning rod, Charizard is not only trapped but severely shocked by the combination attack of Edge's three closest Pokémon, and as the smoke clears, Charizard eventually collapses. The crowd roars for Edge, who, while congratulating his Pokémon, eventually faints from exhaustion.

Shortly after, the award ceremony is held for the three Trainers of Pallet Town, with Roberta being considered in third place since Professor Oak withdrew from the competition. As the trio head home, the Mythical Pokémon Mew, who had been watching all the while outside the stadium, flies away.