Following Paul releasing Chimchar, Ash offers it to join his team. Delighted, Chimchar joins Ash. The next day the final rounds of the Tag Battle Tournament begin. Dawn and Conway beat their opponents, while Brock and Holly go up against Ash and Paul. Paul refuses to work properly with Ash and quickly ends the battle, even at the risk of knocking Ash's Staravia out. The final round then begins, with Ash choosing to use his new Chimchar. Despite their lack of cooperation, Ash and Paul manage to barely work together in the battle between Dawn and Conway. With Chimchar under a new trainer, and Ash facing a team that has the advantage, who will win the tournament?
A young boy named Ash Ketchum embarks on a journey to become a "Pokemon Master" with his first Pokemon, Pikachu. Joining him on his travels are Brock, a girl-obsessed Rock Pokemon Trainer, and Misty, a tomboyish Water Pokemon Trainer who may have a crush on him. Ash and Co. end up traveling through various regions, including Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, and then enter the Pokemon League competitions there.
Along the way, they run into many confrontations with Jessie, James, and Meowth, a trio of Pokemon thieves who are apart of an evil organization called "Team Rocket". But every time Team Rocket try to do their evil deeds, they fail thanks to Ash and his Pokemon.