At Professor Sycamore’s research lab, Serena has to choose between Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie for her first Pokémon. After learning about the three with her new Pokédex, she tells the professor she made her choice even before she got there. It’s Fennekin!
Meanwhile, our heroes are on their way to Santalune City for Ash’s first Gym battle, and Bonnie is demonstrating just how much she loves to take care of Pokémon. She gives Pikachu a bath, then helps Fletchling clean its wings. The two Pokémon are happily settling in for some snacks when the Dedenne our heroes encountered earlier leaps out of a nearby bush and nabs the food! Bonnie wants Clemont to catch this adorable Pokémon for her, but it goes running off, and everyone follows.
Pikachu follows Dedenne into its burrow, but they end up at the base of a tall cliff, unable to get back to the rest of the gang. To make matters worse, the villains of Team Rocket have been observing the two Pokémon, and now their plan to catch Pikachu includes catching Dedenne, too!
Our heroes catch up, a fierce battle ensues, and Team Rocket is left empty-handed—but Dedenne has been hurt. To restore it, Clemont produces another one of his inventions. This electric generator quickly gets Dedenne recharged, but then Clemont can’t turn the machine off, and it explodes. Dedenne is OK, though, and with Clemont’s gift of healing electricity, it’s decided it wants to join the group. Clemont and Bonnie have a new Pokémon friend!
Meanwhile, as she travels through an ominous forest, Serena realizes it’ll be getting dark soon. She wants to find a Pokémon Center where she and Fennekin can stay for the night. She sees someone behind a tree and asks for directions—but what looked like a woman in a striped dress turns out to be a wild Vespiquen! When it attacks, Fennekin leaps to Serena’s rescue and scares it off. Then, Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff show up to investigate the sounds of battle—and point the way to the nearby Pokémon Center. Relieved and happy, Serena races Fennekin all the way there!
