Having made what they believed was a perfect getaway, Team Rocket landed their balloon in the middle of the forest and clambered out, dumping the swag bag containing their captive Pokémon on the ground. The crooks were elated, as they believed they had finally managed to grab Pikachu in the confusion.
"One out of two's not bad," chuckled Jessie as she put on some electric-proof rubber gloves and reached into the bag. "All right, so that Vigoroth was an elusive catch, but at least we finally got Pikachu! Now out you come, Pika..."
But as Jessie lifted the Pokémon out of the bag, she was taken aback when she realised that she was holding Torchic, not Pikachu!
"That sure ain't Pikachu!" gaped Meowth.
"It's a Torchic," groaned James, before Torchic turned to him and let off an Ember attack right in his face!
"This is all wrong," bemoaned a disappointed Jessie at Torchic. "You're so teensy. Most definitely not Team Rocket material!"
"We'd be laughed right out of the Boss' office," moaned James, his hair smoking a bit from the Ember attack.
"But if we can use this Torchic to go back and bag Pikachu, then everything will be fine," pointed out Meowth, with a sly look on his face.
While Team Rocket were busy working out their plans, Ash and the others had hurried into the woods after them, determined to find and recover Torchic.
"I doubt they got too far by this time," said Ash.
"Yeah, they've probably landed their balloon already to check over what they stole," added Misty. "They're not exactly smart at making clean getaways."
"Let's split up and look," suggested Norman. "Caroline and I will go this way."
As Norman and Caroline headed off one way, the others began to search along another path.
"I sure hope they have luck finding Team Rocket and Torchic," brooded Misty, hugging Togepi close to her chest.
"Relax!" said Max confidently. "Knowing my Dad, I bet they'll find them!"
"Your Mom and Dad are both really great," complimented Ash, before getting back to the more pressing matters at hand. "If I only had my Noctowl with me, this search thing would be a piece of cake!"
"Yeah, but you don't, Ash!" said Misty irritably. "So we'll just have to search the old fashion way."
"My sentiments exactly!" said Max, as he suddenly pulled out a magnifying glass and examined the ground for clues. "Hmm, they sure didn't leave any tracks behind."
"Perhaps that's because they flew off in a balloon," pointed out May sarcastically, exasperated by her brother's ignorance.
"Oh, that's right," said an undeterred Max. "Then it's time to get the old noggin out of neutral and come up with a flawless theory! And with Ash as my right-hand man on the scene, we'll solve this in no time!"
"You're kidding, right?" said Misty testily. "Who do you think you are, Sherlock Holmes?"
"No, but I can be just as good," said Max with a cocky expression.
"Give me a break!" snapped May, pressing her fist against the top of Max's head.
"Wahh! May hit me! I'm telling!" wailed Max, as he suddenly rolled about on the ground like a total crybaby.
"Max, don't cry," Ash said consolingly, a little embarrassed by the whole scene.
"Don't bother, he's just faking it," grumbled May.
"Well, sooner or later, that fake cryin' stuff was bound to get old," admitted Max as he immediately dropped the act.
"Will you cut it out, Max!" snapped Misty. "We've got more important things to worry about!"
"She's right, what about Torchic?" added May, still greatly worried for her Pokémon.
Just then, Norman and Caroline reappeared and hurried over to them.
"Kids, we've located the crooks' hot-air balloon!" said Norman optimistically.
With Norman and Caroline leading the way, the small group soon reached a large clearing, where Team Rocket's Meowth-shaped balloon was indeed in sight, resting on the ground. As they all took cover behind some bushes, they could clearly see a miserable Torchic locked in a cage, which had been placed right in front of the balloon basket.
'My poor little Torchic!" cried May. She and Max rushed out of cover and were just starting to race towards Torchic, when they were stopped by a loud and fierce yell from Misty:
"Hold it! You two get back here right now!"
So startled were they by the ferociousness of Misty's tone, that both May and Max found themselves obeying without thinking and they ran right back into the cover of the bushes.
"What's the big idea, Misty?" demanded May impatiently. "We've got to save my Torchic!"
"Don't you think it's a little suspicious that Torchic has been left in the open, unguarded and just waiting for us to rescue it?" pointed out Misty. "This has to be a trap!"
"Yeah, I bet Team Rocket have laid a whole load of pitfall traps out there," agreed Ash. "If we rush in there, we'll probably get caught and trapped like Torchic."
"So how do we get in there without getting captured ourselves?" asked Max.
"If we could find some way of detecting any potential pitfalls, we could navigate around them," suggested Norman.
"Hey, I know!" said Ash, as an idea came to mind. "Misty, do you think you can get your water Pokémon to clear us a path with their water guns?"
"That's a smart idea, Ash!" said Misty approvingly, and she quickly pulled out two Poké Balls from her backpack. "Mudkip, Staryu! I choose you!"
There came a flash of light as both Poké Balls opened up, and Mudkip and Staryu emerged, all ready to help out.
"Okay, guys. Use your water guns together on the ground of the clearing in front of us," instructed Misty.
The two water Pokémon obeyed at once and fired their water guns at the ground before them. Sure enough, the pressure from the combined water blasts caused two coverings to be swept away, revealing two large pit-holes, which had been intended to trap anyone who walked unsuspectingly over them.
"Oh man," breathed May as she realised their narrow escape. "Another second and we could have been stuck down there!"
With the path now clear, the group cautiously emerged from hiding and approached the balloon. As they got closer, Team Rocket emerged from hiding from behind the other side of the basket.
"Drat! And you twerps so very nearly fell for our double pitfall trap," fumed Jessie.
"I guess our old traps aren't as effective as they used to be," sighed James.
"How dare you steal someone-else's Pokémon, much less stealing my little girl's first Pokémon!" Norman angrily rebuked Team Rocket.
Jessie scoffed at Norman's condemnation. "Looks like a big bad mad Dad!"
"We ain't scared!" laughed Meowth defiantly, as Jessie and James let out Arbok and Weezing again.
"Oh yeah?" said Norman furiously, as he sent out his Vigoroth, who used a tackle attack on Arbok, knocking the snake right down into the dirt.
"So you wanna play rough? Now, Weezing, go!" snorted James, as he instructed Weezing to launch forward to attack.
"Oh no you don't!" yelled Misty. "Staryu, Mudkip! Use your water gun attacks again!"
Misty's two Pokémon reacted fast and fired their powerful water guns at Weezing, blasting it right into James and knocking them both against the side of the balloon basket.
As Weezing was knocked out of the fight, Arbok managed to wrap its tail around Vigoroth, ensnaring the berserk monkey and rendering it helpless.
"Pikachu, Vigoroth needs help!" said Ash decisively. "Try a tackle attack on Arbok!"
Valiantly, Pikachu jumped through the air and slammed right into Arbok's back, forcing the stunned snake to release its hold on Vigoroth.
As the battle raged on, Max took advantage of Team Rocket being distracted and sneaked over to the cage containing Torchic, which he picked up and hurriedly brought over to May.
"Thanks, Max! You're the best!" said May gratefully as she quickly let Torchic out of its cage and gave it a comforting cuddle.
"You're welcome, sis. It was nothing," said Max with fake modesty.
May glowered furiously at Team Rocket. "How dare you crooks steal my sweet little Torchic and lock it in a cage! Torchic, Amber attack!"
Torchic looked at May in confusion.
"Uh, you mean Ember," corrected Max with an exasperated groan.
"Oh yeah, that's right" said May with an embarrassed blush. "Torchic, use Ember!"
Closing its eyes, Torchic let off a powerful Ember attack. But because it was not looking where it was aiming, the hot blasts missed Team Rocket completely and instead impacted with the unfortunate Max, who fell to the ground in a daze!
"Uhh! It's one thing to see Ember on TV, but another thing to feel it!" groaned a scorched Max with a weary smile. "I'm impressed again!"
Apparently oblivious to her brother's pain, May tried to think of another attack to try. "Let's see, what else?"
"There's peck," suggested Max helpfully as he tried to get back to his feet.
"Hey, that's right!" said May eagerly. "Torchic, use peck!"
But again, because May had failed to clarify the target of the attack, instead of attacking Team Rocket, Torchic began mercilessly pecking poor Max right in his rear end!
"Ow! It picked the wrong person to peck!" complained Max, as an abashed May looked on, feeling very foolish.
Fortunately, Torchic's help was not required for the battle, which was drawing to a close. Freed from the grasp of Arbok's tail, Vigoroth slammed into the large cobra and sent it crashing right into Team Rocket, knocking the villains back into the basket of their balloon in an undignified heap.
"Now, Pikachu, thunderbolt them!" grinned Ash, and Pikachu promptly fired another thunderbolt right at Team Rocket. As the crooks got electrified, their balloon exploded, sending them all flying into the air!
"Why couldn't we have grabbed that Vigoroth instead of a tiny Torchic!" wailed Jessie.
"From now on, I'll just be happy with whatever we get!" moaned James.
"Well I'd be happy if we just get a life!" grumbled Meowth.
And as they sailed through the sky and disappeared from view, the villains cried in miserable unison:
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
With the battle over, May happily picked up her Torchic and gave it another fond hug.
"Torchic, I'm so glad to have you back!" she said in relief, as the cheerful Torchic affectionately rubbed its head against May's.
"May, your Torchic has sure grown awfully fond of you," smiled Norman approvingly.
"I'm so happy for the both of you," added Caroline.
Misty grinned. "Wow, May's really bonded well with her Torchic, just like Togepi and I have!"
"Togi Priii!" chirruped Togepi in agreement.
"That is so cool!" grinned Max. "So is that how a Pokémon Trainer bonds with their Pokémon, Alf?"
"Excuse me, the name's Ash," muttered Ash, prompting another amused giggle from Misty.
With the dramatic events of the day over, they all headed back to the Gym. And after enjoying a delicious dinner courtesy of Caroline, it was soon time for Ash, Misty and May to set off and continue their journey.
"I guess it's time for you three to get going," smiled Caroline as they all gathered outside the Gym entrance. "Do you have everything, May?"
"Don't worry, Mom," smiled May, when all of a sudden, Max came next to her with a bag on his back.
"Since you don't know anything about Pokémon, I should go too!" he stated somewhat bluntly, much to May's surprise as well as Ash and Misty's.
Norman seemed to think this was a good idea. "Your brother does know a lot about Pokémon, and he just might be a big help to you."
"And a lot less worry for me," added Caroline.
"Ash and Misty, would it be too much of a bother if Max travelled along with you and May?" asked Norman.
"That's fine with me, right Pikachu?" said Ash.
"Chaa!" said Pikachu with a cheery nod.
"Yeah, I suppose it's okay," smiled Misty, with an encouraging squeak from Togepi.
"Thank you, guys," beamed May.
"This is going to be awesome!" said Max enthusiastically, as Norman handed two rectangular cases to Ash and May.
"I thought you two might like to have these," he smiled. "Badge cases to hold your winning Gym badges."
"Thanks a lot, Norman," said Ash as he and May gratefully took the cases from Norman. "This is cool! Let's go and do our best, May!"
"Yeah, sounds good," said May a little more timidly.
"And Son, this is for you," said Norman, as he handed Max a handheld electronic device.
"Really? For me? Oh wow!" exclaimed Max as he eagerly took for machine from his father.
"Uh, what exactly is it?" asked Misty.
"A Pokémon navigator! I've been wanting one!" explained Max as he happily opened up the device, revealing a small computer screen inside.
"With one of those, you'll always know exactly where you are," added Norman.
"That's terrific! Now we won't have to worry about Ash getting us lost ever again!" beamed Misty, prompting an irritated look from Ash.
"And I'll take good care of it!" cried Max cheerfully as he marveled at his new device.
"I suggest you first travel to the closest Gym from here, and that's located in Rustboro City," said Norman.
"Okay," said the three Pokémon trainers in unison, as they, along with Max, set off, waving goodbye to Norman and Caroline as they did so.
"Goodbye, kids! Take care!" called Caroline.
"You do your best!" said Norman encouragingly.
"You got it!" promised Ash with a grin.
"We will. Bye!" added May.
"Thanks for everything," said Misty.
"Hurry up, you slowpokes!" cried Max, who was already eagerly ahead of them.
"Don't worry, we're right behind you," said May, as she and the others caught up with Max, and they all set off into the sunset.