Near Mr. Coronet, Ash and his friends come across Pokémon Hunter J's goons trying to snag a group of wild Shieldon. Ash is about to come to their rescue, but his old friend and rival Gary gets there first with his Electivire. Once the men are gone, Gary explains that he's here in Sinnoh as part of a project to turn the area into a nature preserve for the Shieldon. Now that J's men are looking to kidnap them, Gary decides to move all the Shieldon to a safer location, and our heroes decide to help.

Pokémon Hunter J's minions aren't about to leave a valuable prize alone, and it's not long before they show up again to capture the Shieldon. Ash is ready to give J's men the battle of their lives, but Gary doesn't want to risk getting into a fight that could injure the Shieldon. Instead, Gary stirs up a Beedrill nest, and the angry Beedrill keep the minions distracted so our heroes can make a getaway.

As Gary and Ash lead the Shieldon on a perilous escape route across nearby cliffs, Pokémon Hunter J figures out where they're headed and shows up on her Salamence to steal the Shieldon herself. Despite Gary and Ash's best efforts to hold her off so Dawn and Brock can get the Pokmon to safety, J still manages to snag one Shieldon and escape. Determined to put a stop to her crimes, Gary and Ash sneak back to her base and bust their way through in order to get Shieldon back. J is about to take them on when she gets word that her original client no longer wants to purchase the Shieldon; with no money on the line, she's no longer interested in the Shieldon and immediately leaves. The Shieldon are safe again, but who knows where J will strike next?