Team Rocket's latest misguided Pokémon-snatching scheme digs them into a deep hole, deep enough that they accidentally bury their shovels in the head of a very irritated Steelix! Steelix goes on a rampage and Team Rocket runs away, bumping into Ash and his friends in the middle of their mission to help a lost Bidoof find its home. Steelix hits Team Rocket with an attack that blasts Meowth into the midst of Ash and the gang, while Jessie and James are off on their own.

Ash's group runs for a nearby waterfall, escaping into a rocky pass that Steelix can't fit into. On the other side is the lost Bidoof's home village, but all the Bidoof are trapped there because they're afraid of Steelix. Jessie and James join the stranded group but decide to hide while Meowth and our heroes try to calm Steelix and save the village.

Building stronger walls to keep Steelix out is only a temporary solution—they need to get the shovels out of Steelix's head! Meowth lures Steelix to another narrow pass where the others are waiting, and even though Team Rocket is sent flying by yet another Hyper Beam, everyone else works together to get two shovels out. The last shovel is still stuck, but once the Bidoof team up, they get it out and stop Steelix from charging into a waterfall. Reminded once again of the power of teamwork, Ash and his friends can leave their new Bidoof friends and head for their next destination.