Ash and friends are still on their way to Vermilion City and still lost. They stop by a pond for a break when they see an Oddish taking a drink. Ash wants to catch it but Misty already has Starmie out. She weakens it and throws a PokéBall but a Bulbasaur pops out of the bushes and deflects the ball. Ash sends out Butterfree to catch the Bulbasaur, but Bulbasaur deflects its sleep powder and escapes. The continue on their journey and keep getting caught in traps, until Bulbasaur’s owner, Melanie, finds them and saves them and brings them back to her cabin. It turns out that she helps injured, sick, and abandoned pokémon, and they decide to help. Meanwhile, Team Rocket decides to steal all the pokémon, while Brock could make a startling decision.