Ep 29. Sparks Fly for Magnemite
Ash and his friends arrive at a power plant on their way to Vermillion City, where they come across a Magnemite and its herd. When Pikachu tries to greet the Magnemite, it suffers an electric shock due to its steel composition. Brock explains that Magnemite are powerful electric-type Pokémon that generate large amounts of magnetic energy, and that they are attracted to power plants. Suddenly, an alarm goes off as the power plant faces a crisis due to the sudden malfunction of a generator. The plant supervisor, named Ethan, informs the group that a young Magnemite has gotten inside the generator. If it is not rescued, it will get severely injured or worse.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ash and his friends volunteer to help. They venture into the inner depths of the generator, where they come across powerful bolts of electricity zapping every which way. When they finally find the Magnemite stuck in one of the gears, Brock senses that it's in danger of being hit by one of the bolts. Ash takes command and decides to use his trusty Poké Ball to catch the Magnemite. With Pikachu by his side, Ash carefully tries to lure the Magnemite with a piece of metal so that it can come closer, but the plan doesn't work out. The Magnemite zaps them both with a series of electric shocks.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket is plotting to steal electricity from the power plant by creating a magnetic wave. They believe that if they can create a force that is strong enough, they may be able to escape the power plant undetected with their loot. James brings out his own collection of Magnemite and Magneton to help create this wave, but something goes wrong — the magnetic force causes a power outage all over the city.
Ash and his friends rush out of the plant to see what's going on, and soon they find the damage caused by Team Rocket. They know that they must stop Team Rocket at all costs and restore the power. Ash quickly remembers the Magnemite inside the generator and runs back with the others to rescue it. But when they reach the generator, they find that Team Rocket is already there, trying to steal the Magnemite.
A fierce battle ensues, and Pikachu is able to take out James's Magneton with a powerful electric attack. But Jessie and Meowth use their ultimate weapon, a huge vacuum cleaner, in an attempt to suck up the Magnemite. With few other options, Ash sends out his Pidgeotto to take care of the vacuum cleaner, while Brock sends out his Zubat to take on Meowth. In the ensuing chaos, the Magnemite is freed and flies back to its family.
The crisis has ended, and the power is restored to the city. Ethan thanks Ash and his friends for their heroic actions and gifts Pikachu with a Thunder Stone, which they can use to evolve Pikachu into its final form, Raichu. However, Ash decides against evolution and chooses to keep Pikachu as it is, knowing that their bond is stronger than any amount of evolution. The episode ends with Ash and his friends continuing on their journey to Vermillion City.
