In Twin Leaf Village, a 10 year old girl named Dawn beings her PokA©mon Journey! So like most trainers in the Sinnoh Region, they star off in Professor Rowan’s lab with either with Turtwig (Grass-Type), Chimchow (Fire-Type), or Piplup (Water-Type). Well Dawn not only gets herself lost, but some of the PokA©mon end up getting out of Rowan’s lab!? So Dawn ends up going to the forest to help find them! And ends up having to fight an Ariados to save Piplup, but in turn Piplup also saves her. And when they get back to the lab, Dawn finally selects her PokA©mon, and do to her little encounter in the forest, Dawn chooses Piplup, and Dawn starts on her new Journey!

Dawn and Piplup begin their journey together as Trainer and Pokemon, and also enter their first PokA©mon battle with a Buneary! And low and behold they run into Pikachu and like the other two female leads, Pikachu fired Dawn’s bike to a crisp. Not only dat, but Dawn runs into Team Rocket. And her and piplup defend pikachu and with pikachu they sent them blasting off again. And Dawn takes it to a Pokemon center. Ash heads off to catch up with Dawn and ends up running into Brock. And Ash catches his first Sinnoh PokA©mon, a Starly! B-story: Team Rocket find their way to one of his family’s Summer homes and ends up that Cheeves calls up his family and Jessabelle

Ash and Brock, whom are back together, end up running into a new trainer whose stuck up. And end up getting the brush off from him. Then Ash and Brock finally catch up Dawn, and just in the nick of time, to help save Pikachu! And sends Team Rocket blasts off! And then the gang heads back to Rowan's lab, and gets a package from his Mom with his new look. Dawn joins the team, and Ash, Brock, and Dawn end up running into that snobby trainer, and his name is Paul, so Ash ends up battling Paul, in a 3 on 3 battle and ends up at a draw! Is Paul a new rival?

Dawn and Ash argue over the best technique for catching a PokA©mon. Meanwhile, Dawn fights a battle with a bard named Nando.

Pikachu is caught between several forces as Team Rocket, Turtwig and Ash fight over him.

Paul and Ash display their differences as they do battle with each other.

Piplup helps PokA©mon in trouble and perfects a move for Dawn’s first contest.

The gang discovers a Team Rocket gym that is designed to steal PokA©mon.

Dawn can't be swayed from her quest of catching a Buneary she encounters in the forest.

Imitation Poketches are discovered in Jubelife City.

Dawn’s first PokA©mon contest gets underway with Ash deciding to compete as well; Dawn meets a new trainer named Zoey.

The Jubilife City contest continues as Zoey battles Ash, Dawn and Jessie.

Ash and friends investigate the reduction in the Bird PokA©mon population.

Brocko heals an injured Nuzleaf and is captured by Team Rocket.

Ash watches Paul’s battle with Roark as he waits for his turn to compete.

Ash finally battles Roark and his Rock PokA©mon.

Team Rocket resurrects Ancient PokA©mon who causes trouble in Oreburgh City.

Ash and Roark have a rematch at the Oreburgh gym.

Dawn meets a new PokA©mon and sets it free, but later decides she wants it back.

The gang works with Team Rocket to catch Pikachu and Meowth from J, a PokA©mon hunter.

The gang meet two trainers who prevent their PokA©mon from evolving. meanwhile, Team Rocket reveals a PokA©mon evolution machine.

Ash lends Aipom to Jessie for her battle with Dawn after Team Rocket saved the PokA©mon.

Team Rocet anges a Steelix that procedes to wreack havoc on a Bidoof colony.

Ash loans Pikachu to a woman who lost her PokA©mon.

Ash and friends finally arrive in Floaroma Town, the site of the next Pokemon Contest. Dawn learns that a class about cooking Poffin will take place that day and wants to join so that she can use them to win the Floaroma Contest. When they arrive at the place they are greeted by Forsythia, the class teacher. As the class begins Ash's poffins turn out burnt while Dawn's taste bad. As they try to make better ones they learn about Forsythia's shy Roserade and how it does not like to be around people. However when Team Rocket attacks, Roserade might be their only hope.

Ash and Pikachu are helping Dawn to train Pachirisu to control its electricity. During the training one of Dawn’s childhood friends named Kenny arrives at the contest hall. He immediately begins telling Ash and Brock funny stories of Dawn which gets her angry, not to mention he has a Prinplup, the evolved form of Piplup. Kenny reveals that like Dawn he also lost to Zoey and her Glameow. While they catch up and Kenny and Ash battle, James and Meowth are sent on a mission to find a new contest pokemon for Jessie. Their target just happens to be Kenny’s Prinplup.

As the Floaroma Town contest begins, Pachirisu's stage fright puts Dawn in a state of panic. However, Dawn pulls out a Poffin which snaps Pachirisu out of it, and she puts on a great appeal. While she worries weather or not she will make it to the next round, Jessie and Kenny pull of great appeals, and soon all three of them make it to the next round. In the first round, Dawn must face Jessie. After struggling for a little bit, Dawn manages to pull off a win. As the contest winds down, the final battle is Dawn vs. Kenny. Will Dawn beat her childhood rival and win her first Contest Ribbon.

On the way to Eterna City, Ash and the others arrive at a Pokemon Center where they are accused of trying to steal food. They find out that the center is run by Nurse Joy and her two daughters Marnie and Paige. After they clear things up, Ash, Dawn, and Brock decide to help the three. When Marnie needs to go deliver her dad’s lunch to him at the Valley Windworks, Nurse Joy has Paige go feed the local pokemon. Paige decides to show Ash her pokemon friend Suicune! However, the legendary pokemon is not at the lake it usually is. At the Windworks, the Marnie and Paige’s dad uses his Ampharos to fend off a Team Rocket attack. However, the explosion causes the wires to be damaged and with a storm coming, the Pokemon Center loses power. Nurse Joy decides to go to the Power Plant and figure out the problem. Paige then decides to go using Drifloon. They try to stop her, but the wind carries her, Pikachu, and Drifloon away! They head to the Power Plant and the power has been restored. Ash tells them about Paige and borrows Marnie’s Drifloon to go after her. With the storm getting fiercer, will Ash be able to save Paige, or will Marnie be forced to call on an old friend to save her?

On the way to Eterna City, Ash and Dawn run into a TV crew who are recording local battles. Ash and Dawn decide to find a local pair of trainers who are on a winning streak and challenge them. They run into the trainers, named Ryan and Bryan and challenge them to a battle. The brothers agree as long as it is a tag battle. They agree and pit Turtwig and Piplup against Croconaw and Quilava. Soon Turtwig and Piplup end up attacking each other, leading to their defeat and a fight begins between them. After seeing the battle, Team Rocket steals Croconaw and Quilava. Now Ash and Dawn must help get them back so that they can have a rematch and show them their true strength, as well as redeem themselves.

Ash, Dawn, and Brock arrive in Eterna Forest where they immediately have to chase Aipom who is trying to get some Honey spread on a nearby tree. They meet the girl who spread the honey, Cheryl, who reveals that she was trying to capture a Burmy so she can find a special kind of honey called Enchanted Honey. She needs to capture a male Burmy, and she finally succeeds in doing so. Now she needs to evolve it into Mothim so that she can use it to find the honey. However, Team Rocket shows up and steals Burmy so that they can use Mothim's power for themselves.

Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Cheryl continue to look for the Amber Castle so they can find some Enchanted Honey. While following Mothim, they run into a girl named Gardenia. After seeing Ash's Turtwig, Gardenia asks Ash for a battle. Ash agrees and he quickly thinks he has victory after she recalls Cherubi and is confident in Turtwig's speed. However, Gardenia's Turtwig is extremely fast and takes down both Turtwig and Staravia. Ash then realizes he must train even harder for the Eterna Gym. While they continue their search, Gardenia tells them to find a Combee to help them in their search. Before they can go find one, Team Rocket shows up to cause trouble.

Continuing their search for the Amber Castle, Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Cheryl chase after a Combee hoping it will bring them to a Combee Wall, and the Amber Castle. After losing Combee twice, they finally manage to come to a cliff which has tons of Combee Walls hovering in the valley below. The find a cave behind it and head into it. Also inside the cave, Team Rocket decides to start digging for some honey. This angers the Combee and they start attacking. Ash and the others arrive and confuse the Combee and send Team Rocket packing. After accidentally knocking down a Combee Wall, the finally find the Amber Castle. Inside they see the ruler, Vespiquen. Cheryl asks for some of the honey, but Team Rocket breaks in and start attacking. The army of Combee attack back and the ensuing battle threatens to destroy the castle.

On the way to Eterna City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock decide to stop and watch a pokemon costume contest. They are extremely excited to watch it, and when they find out that the prize for winning the contest is a pokemon egg, they decide to enter. Brock enters Croagunk as a Politoed, Dawn enters Piplup as a Weedle, and Ash enters Pikachu who will do impressions of other pokemon. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is also entering the contest. As the first round gets underway, Ash, Brock, Jessie, and James all make it past, while Piplup accidentally uses Bubblebeam, making Dawn lose. As the final judging is about to begin, Jessie and Meowth decide to skip the contest and steal the pokemon egg.

While heading for Eterna City, Ash and the others come across a trainer and his defeated Zigzagoon. He tells them that he was attacked by a wild Buziel that is incredibly strong. They decide to go after it so that one of them can capture them. At the river they encounter Zoey, who is looking for a Water-Type. They finally encounter the Buizel, but one by one, Piplup, Glameow, and Pikachu are all defeated. They then follow Buizel to its training ground and try the same training. At the same time they must also defeat Team Rocket, who want Buizel to themselves.

Ash and the others stop so that Dawn can introduce everyone to Buizel. However Buizel could care less. Ash decides to please Buizel by battling it with Turtwig, with the result of Turtwig being badly injured and taken to the Pokemon Center. There they meet an unexpected visitor in a member of the Sinnoh Elite 4: Lucian. Lucian tells them about the Champion League, a league you can enter after you beat regional leagues. Following the conversation, Buizel wants to battle with Lucian, and he accepts Buizel’s offer. Lucian’s choice of pokemon is his Bronzong. However, Bronzong quickly defeats Buizel, damaging its fighting attitude, and worrying Dawn. Meanwhile Team Rocket plans to steal Bronzong and Buizel.

Ash, Dawn, and Brock finally arrive in Eterna City. They head to the museum where the rare Adamant Orb has been stolen by thieves. They soon run into both Gardenia and Nando. Since the thieves used a Sunflora to help rob the museum, they believe Nando and his new Sunflora are the thieves. Ash, Dawn, and Brock send out their pokemon to try and catch the real thieves, and they even have help from Viridian City's Officer Jenny. The poilce officers then begin their search for Nando's Sunflora, who has just run into Pikachu and Piplup. Meanwhile, Team Rocket, who are the real thieves, hideout is a small room since the entire museum is sealed off, but they are soon found by Pikachu, Piplup, and Sunflora.

The day finally arrives where Ash will challenge Gardenia for his second Sinnoh Badge. As the battle begins Gardenia and her Cherubi seem to have the upper-hand while using the weather to their advantage. Ash brings out Staravia and scores an early win, but can he repeat the success when Gardenia chooses Turtwig and whatever pokemon she has in store? Meanwhile, Team Rocket try to sneak into the gym to get Pikachu but end up in a underground filled with treasure.

After leaving Eterna City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock travel down Cycling Road to Hearthome City, the location of the next gym and contest. Soon Brock's egg begins to glow, so they head to a nearby pokemon center. When they get there it seems to be abandoned. However, Nurse Joy and Chansey are there, but Nurse Joy acts extremely sad since her center has looked like a dumped ever since Cycling Road was built, and she thinks she is no longer needed since no one stops by. They try to cheer her up (as well as eventually help her restore the center), since they need her to help with Brock's egg. In the center, the egg finally hatches into Happiny. Brock and Happiny instantly take a liking to each other, and Brock gives her a bath and starts to work on a stone for her to hold. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is lurking around the center and plan to steal Happiny so they can evolve it into Chansey and run their own hospital and become rich.

Continuing on their way to Hearthome City, Ash and the others come across a giant river. They discover there is a steamboat they can take that will bring them to a location near Hearthome City. They go on the boat and let their pokemon out to enjoy it. Ash, Dawn, and Brock decide to go shopping before the ship leaves, and they leave Pikachu and Piplup in charge. While they are at the store, Pachirisu accidentally falls on the ships control and the ship begins to set sail! To make matters worse, Team Rocket is on the ship with all the pokemon ready to be stolen.

On the way to Hearthome City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock stop at a pokemon center. On the TV they watch a battle between Lucian and the Sinnoh Champion: Cynthia. When Ash hears that Cynthia is in nearby Amity Square, he rushes off to meet her. When they arrive at the square, Paul is also there and challenges her to battle. Cynthia agrees and the two begin their battle. However, Paul soon losses four of his pokemon to Cynthia’s powerful Garchomp and calls off the battle. He takes his pokemon to the Pokemon Center where Cynthia then heals them. Meanwhile, Ash might learn more about Paul and how he treats his pokemon, while Team Rocket plan to steal Paul’s pokemon.

Continuing their journey to Hearthome City, Ash and friends are traveling through the woods when a worried Glameow and Misdreavus come over to them. They follow the pair and find Zoey, who has sprained her foot. They help her back to her camp when she introduces them to her new Shellos. Zoey also reveals that in the Hearthome Contest, trainers not only have to use two pokemon in the battle rounds, but in the appeal round too! Zoey then offers to help Dawn in her training, as well as demonstrating her combination. Meanwhile, Jessie takes a break from catching Pikachu in order to show the two coordinators up.

On the way to Hearthome City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock stop by a scenic lake to relax and let their pokemon out. While relaxing, an Electrike comes running by and accidentally attack them, and shocking Ash. Electrike's trainer, Jaco, comes over to apologize. Jaco tells them that he is a breeder. A man comes over to Jaco and tells Ash and the others of the Training Center for electric pokemon that is nearby. While there, Jaco confesses that he would rather breed Flying-Types, but he is stuck in the center raising an Electrike that he does not have faith in. However, Brock does convince him to let him help take care of Electrike for a little while. Meanwhile, Team Rocket see the dedication that Electrike is putting forth, which inspires James and Meowth to help, while Jessie decides to capture it.

Continuing their journey to Hearthome City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock become lost in the woods. When it starts to rain, they head under an old gate to stay dry. They notice that on the other side it is not raining so they continuing walking. They finally arrive at the pokemon center, where Professor Oak and Johanna are. They tell Ash and Dawn of the playoffs being held to determine the worlds greatest trainer and coordinator and tell them to compete. The two agree, and end up facing Cynthia and Johanna! Although it seems they will lose, both of them prevail. Even more strange, all the Nurse Joys and Officer Jenny's suddenly love Brock, Jessie becomes a TV Star, James find tons of rare bottle caps and Giovanni finally wants Meowth instead of Persian. However, this may just be one big illusion.

Continuing the journey to Hearthome City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock stop to eat lunch. After eating Turtwig brings them to a cliff where a Hippopotas is stuck on the cliff. After helping it, the Sinnoh Now staff shows up and tells them they were filming it and it accidentally got lost from its family. They decide to help the pokemon get back to its family, and must do it before Team Rocket captures the easily tricked pokemon.

Continuing their journey to Hearthome City, Ash, Dawn, and Brock comes across the rare pokemon Shieldon. Before they can marvel at the rare pokemon, Hunter J and her minions return, and they want Shieldon! While battling her minions, they run into Gary! They hold J off long enough for them to get away. They then plan to meet up with Professor Rowan. Meanwhile, Team Rocket decide to sneak aboard J's ship to "teach" her a lesson. J then has her minions surround they area where Ash's group is, but they manage to find a way out. J then corners them and attacks. Despite Ash battling his hardest, J manages to get one of the Shieldon. Ash and Gary then sneak aboard J's ship to get it back.

Continuing the journey to Hearthome City, Dawn decides to make a pit stop at a local pokemon center in order to get a new PokeTch function. However, Nurse Joy then reveals that the center giving it out is on the other side of the woods, so Dawn heads there. On the way, Team Rocket intercept them and drag them into a cave to take a picture with their pokemon. Before that can happen a group of rock pokemon roll throw, causing them to all run. Ash, Dawn, and Brock wind up separated from each other in a maze. To makes matters worse, some of the pokemon are lost too. While they try to find each other in the maze, Team Rocket tries to keep them separate so they can catch all of their pokemon.

Ash and friends have almost arrived at Hearthome City. Before they can continue their journey, a girl named Mira appears and says she will teleport them to Hearthome City. However, she ends up teleporting them to a nearby lake and asks Ash, Dawn, and Brock to help her retrieve her Grandma's pendant from the sunken town. When they get attacked by a Gyarados, Mira finally tells them the whole story. The so called pendant is actually a pokeball with one of Mira's old pokemon in it - a Sandshrew. After seeing how much Mira cares for it, the three decide to help her despite the lies she has been telling.

Ash heads for the Hearthome Gym for his battle, only to find out that the gym is closed. Nando then tells them about the Hearthome Tag Battle Tournament, which they decide to compete in. Before that happens, Dawn must compete in the pokemon contest. The contest won’t be as easy as she thinks, not only must she pull off a double performance, but do so while competing with Jessie, Zoey, and Nando. All four of them pull off great opening appeals, but when the Final 8 are selected, Dawn is not one of them. She is crushed at the loss and leaves to be alone. The final round then comes down to Zoey and Nando, but who will achieve victory?

Taking Nando’s advice, Ash and Brock decide to enter the Hearthome Tag Battle Tournament. In order to cheer her up following her contest loss, Ash also enters Dawn in the tournament. As everyone is paired up with their partners, Ash finds out that his partner will be none other then Paul! Things are just a strange for Dawn due to her partner, Conway, being a little to attached to her. Meanwhile, Brock gets lucky when he is paired with the beautiful Holly. As the tournament begins, Dawn and Conway, and Brock and Holly manage to pull off wins, but can Ash and Paul set aside their differences and work together?

Ash and Paul, Dawn and Conway, and Brock and Holly have all made it to the next round of the Tag Battle Tournament. Due to the big crowds at the pokemon center, Brock helps Nurse Joy out, while Dawn and Conway try to figure out strategies for the upcoming matches. Meanwhile, Paul is training Chimchar and is forcing it to battle Torterra, Ursaring, Murkrow, and Elekid all at once. When Ash and Dawn find out they are angered. Things go so far that even Nurse Joy intervenes to help Chimchar. After heading back to the center, Paul finally reveals why he trains Chimchar so hard.

Following Paul releasing Chimchar, Ash offers it to join his team. Delighted, Chimchar joins Ash. The next day the final rounds of the Tag Battle Tournament begin. Dawn and Conway beat their opponents, while Brock and Holly go up against Ash and Paul. Paul refuses to work properly with Ash and quickly ends the battle, even at the risk of knocking Ash's Staravia out. The final round then begins, with Ash choosing to use his new Chimchar. Despite their lack of cooperation, Ash and Paul manage to barely work together in the battle between Dawn and Conway. With Chimchar under a new trainer, and Ash facing a team that has the advantage, who will win the tournament?