The day of the Solaceon Contest has finally arrived, and Dawn, Kenny, and Jessie are all determined to win. As the contest gets underway, all of them pull off dazzling appeals. When the final eight are selected, Dawn is not included. Dawn congratulates Kenny and Jessie. The final match comes down to Kenny and Jessie, and in a startling upset, Jessie defeats Kenny and wins her first ribbon. Kenny leaves town for the next destination that evening, while Dawn begins to sulk, trying to figure out why she keeps losing. The next day Zoey shows up and is ready to get Dawn back to winning form.
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.