During a lunch break on their way to Cyllage City, our heroes are being spied on as usual. Yes, Team Rocket is lurking around, but so are two adorable Pancham! Serena offers them some of their Pokémon food, but they’re not satisfied until they gobble up all of it—and our heroes’ lunch, as well! But there’s no time to react, because Team Rocket takes advantage of the confusion to net Pikachu, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie and speed away in their Meowth balloon!

Jessie, James, and Meowth have grand visions of how the Boss will reward them for this impressive haul, but they quickly get into a fight about who should get the credit for the catch. And it turns into a real fight, between James’s Inkay and Jessie’s Wobbuffet, which causes an explosion in the balloon that frees our heroes’ captured Pokémon! Meowth is sent flying off alone and ends up hanging from a tree, where he spots the other Pokémon and convinces them to cut him down. Pikachu—who’s well aware of Meowth’s double-crossing ways from their long history together—is reluctant, and Froakie is suspicious, but Chespin and Fennekin welcome him with open paws.

Jessie and James go looking for their partner in crime and run into the two Pancham from earlier—and an angry Pangoro protecting them! After it runs the villains off, Jessie trips over a Pumpkaboo sleeping in the ground—and promptly catches it, much to James’s surprise.

Meanwhile, Pangoro and Pancham have run into our heroes’ Pokémon, and a frightened Chespin unleashes a Pin Missile that accidentally destroys the bamboo sprig Pangoro always carries in its mouth. Without its beloved bamboo, the Pokémon is left weak and ill. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie finally find the Pokémon and immediately set out to find a new bamboo sprig so Pangoro can get its strength back. They’re successful, but when they get back, Meowth has shown his true colors once again, and the Team Rocket trio has Pangoro and Pancham all tied up! But as they try to drive our heroes off with their attacks, Ash makes a risky dash for Pangoro and manages to get the bamboo sprig into its mouth. Fully restored, Pangoro bursts out of its bindings and sends the villains blasting off again!

All the harm has been repaired, and our heroes are ready to get going again…as soon as they finish their interrupted lunch!