Ep 17. Stopped in the Name of Love!

Ash and his friends are on their way to Lake Valor. They are in a forest and a young man named Xander comes riding along on a bicycle. He shows Ash and his group a contest ribbon that he won and brags about his Pokemon's abilities. Ash asks if he wants to battle and Xander agrees. Ash chooses Pikachu and Xander sends out his own Pikachu. The battle begins and Ash's Pikachu uses an electric attack, but Xander's Pikachu dodges it and uses its own powerful electric attack.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is in the forest as well, trying to capture Pikachu as always. They are hiding behind a bush and observe the battle between Ash and Xander's Pikachu. They use a machine to try and capture both Pikachu at the same time, but it malfunctions and captures only Xander's Pikachu. The group notices it and goes after Team Rocket, with Ash and Pikachu leading the way.

As they chase them, they arrive at a clearing where they see a beautiful Roserade dancing. Ash and his friends are amazed, and they see a young woman called Gardenia. She is a gym leader, and she greets them. The group is interested in challenging her, but Gardenia tells them that she cannot battle right now since she has lost her gym key.

Gardenia tells them that the key was stolen by a member of Team Galactic. Ash and his friends are surprised, and Gardenia tells them that Team Galactic has been rumored to be searching for something in the nearby lake. Ash and his friends decide to help her, and they go after Team Galactic.

They finally catch up with Team Galactic, who is on a boat. Ash and his friends board the boat, and they battle Team Galactic. They manage to retrieve Gardenia's gym key, and they return it to her. Gardenia thanks them and decides to battle Ash.

The battle begins, and Ash chooses his Turtwig to battle against Gardenia's Cherubi. Turtwig manages to avoid Cherubi's Confusion attack and lands a powerful Razor Leaf. Cherubi is defeated, and Gardenia's other Pokemon, Roserade, comes out to face Turtwig. It is a tough battle, but in the end, Turtwig manages to overcome Roserade.

After the battle, Ash and his friends continue on their journey to Lake Valor. On the way, they stop at a Pokemon center. While they are there, Brock spots a beautiful young woman and falls for her instantly. Her name is Holly, and she tells Brock that she works at a nearby restaurant.

Brock asks if she would like to go to dinner with him, and she agrees. They go to the restaurant, and Holly orders a lot of food. Brock is impressed and decides to help her eat it all. They enjoy their time together, and Holly tells Brock that she is also a Pokemon breeder.

The next day, Ash and his friends arrive at Lake Valor. They see a group of trainers battling, and they decide to watch. There is also a young girl, named Angie, who is watching the battles. She is a coordinator and is interested in entering a contest.

Ash and his friends decide to help Angie, and they enter the contest as well. Angie chooses a Pikachu that she has been working with, and Ash chooses his own Pikachu. They begin their coordination, and Angie's Pikachu is able to perform some amazing moves. Ash's Pikachu also does a great job, and the two end up facing each other in the finals.

It is a tough battle, but in the end, Angie's Pikachu emerges as the winner. Ash and his friends congratulate her, and she tells them that she is planning on entering the upcoming contest as well. Ash and his friends decide to stick around and watch her in the contest.

As they watch, they notice that something is wrong. Suddenly, a gigantic explosion rocks the entire area. The group looks in horror as they notice that the lake is being drained. Something terrible is happening, and Ash and his friends realize that they need to do something to help.