Chapter 36: The Spheal of Approval

After May's first Pokemon Contest in Slateport City, the couple decided to stay in the city for one more day. Ash and May went shopping, then the two decided to go to the Oceanic Museum, but they found out that it was closed. Ash looked in the guide book, but as he reads, a boy named Marius appeared and thought the couple were going to steal the museum's exhibits.

He calls them thieves and he then sends out his Spheal, commanding it to use its Water Gun. Spheal disobeyed and attacked its own trainer instead. Marius then commands it to use Body Slam, the couple dodged the attack, which caused Spheal to bounce and knocked Marius onto the ground.

Marius orders his Spheal to use Blizzard and Ash tells Pikachu to counter Blizzard with Thunderbolt. Spheal is easily knocked out, what surprises Marius. May explains him that Water-type Pokémon have a weakness to Electric-type moves. Ash advises Marius to return Spheal to its Poké Ball so that Spheal can rest.

Captain Stern, the curator of the museum then comes, and Ash and May explain to him that they weren't trying to steal museum's property. After Marius's apology, Captain Stern explains that he had to close the museum because of an unexpected event, but invites Ash, May and Marius to come to the museum anyway.

Jessie, James and Meowth observe the scene from hiding and make a plan to steal Ash's Pikachu and then rob the museum. Ash, May and Marius admire the Oceanic museum's exhibits. Marius tells him that his dream is to become a scientist and travel the sea in the submarine that Captain Stern is currently building.

Captain then takes the three to his office to explain why has he closed the museum: he received a sample of an unusual dark rock from the bottom of the ocean that underwent extremely high temperatures.

Ash and May are astonished because they cannot understand how can there be heat at the bottom of the ocean, but Captain Stern tells them that it may be work of a Pokémon. Just when he finished explaining, Team Rocket's voice is heard from the museum's courtyard and they appear to be selling snow cones. Ash, May and Marius go outside to buy it, while Captain Stern stays in the museum.

Ash, May and Marius are enjoying their icy desserts, when it occurs to May the museum is closed and the snow cones salesmen ought to know that. However, Team Rocket persuades them to continue eating. When the three are almost unable to move due to freezing effects of snow cones, Team Rocket reveals their true identity and steals Ash's Pikachu, putting him in a metal cage, and traps the three in another metal cage too.

Meanwhile, three Team Magma members including Tabitha break into the building and steal the curious stone. Captain Stern confronts them, but Tabitha distracts him with his Mightyena's Shadow Ball to escape. Team Magma members are now running out of the building.

Team Rocket spots them and figures that whatever it is that Team Magma is stealing must be valuable, so they decide to steal it from them. Marius tries to break the cage using his Spheal's Body Slam, but he disobeys again. Ash commands Corphish to break the cage with Crabhammer.

Team Rocket blocks Team Magma's way by sending out Seviper and Cacnea. Jessie commands her Seviper to use Poison Tail but Tabitha's Mightyena tackles it. James tells his Cacnea to use Pin Missile, but Mightyena uses Double Team to raise its evasion, making Cacnea's attack miss. Seviper tries to use Wrap, but Mightyena's Iron Tail hits first, sending Seviper flying into Team Rocket who then blasts off, dropping Pikachu's cage. The cage falls on the ground and opens.

Ash, May, and Marius then arrive with Captain Stern running behind them. He sends out his Sealeo and attacks Mightyena with Aurora Beam. Mightyena dodges and the beam hits the ground, exploding. Explosion blasts Mightyena off right into Tabitha causing him to drop the stone case. Marius catches it and hands it over to Captain Stern. Other two members of Team Magma send out their Mightyena.

Ash sent out his Corphish and Pikachu to battle against Mightyena alongside Sealeo. Captain Stern sent someone to get Officer Jenny, when the time was suitable. All three Mightyena use Hyper Beam while Corphish, Pikachu and Sealeo use BubbleBeam, Thunderbolt and Aurora Beam, respectively. The attacks collide, causing an explosion. Smoke covers the area, the man runs away fast. Marius joins him and the slid down the cliff and ended up in the sea.

The two held onto Spheal and they started swimming towards the city.

Meanwhile, Captain Stern hands the stone case to Ash, telling him to run while Sealeo distracts them using Blizzard. Ash runs with Pikachu and Corphish, but despite Blizzard, Mightyena uses Shadow Ball and hits ground in front of Ash. The explosion sends Ash flying. While in the air, Ash drops the case.

The case opens and the stone falls on ground and splits into two pieces, one being significantly bigger than the other. Pikachu runs to save the stone, but Mightyena gets there first, steals the bigger part of the stone and gives it to Tabitha.

Team Magma's helicopter arrives and Mightyena uses Shadow Ball to distract Captain Stern and Ash while Team Magma is getting aboard. As Ash and Captain Stern watch the helicopter furthering away, the police arrives along with Marius and one of Stern's assistants.

Ash apologizes to Captain Stern for dropping the stone, but Captain Stern tells him it doesn't matter because he retrieved the smaller part of the stone which will be sufficient for his research.

They bid their farewells to Captain Stern, as the couple wave to him goodbye, as they begin their way to Mauville City, where our chapter ends.