Ash and co are now walking along a small stream towards their next adventure. May holds up her fingers in a photo position and pretends she is a camera interviewer talking about her. She talks to herself, saying how she is going to be a great Pokemon Contests Competitor. Ash, Brock, and Max get bored and decide to check out the Pokenavi for info on this area. Max exclaims that there are many different types of Pokemon in this area, which entices Ash. May continues to fake broadcast her life when she suddenly "zooms in" on a waterfall up ahead. She then wonders how they are going to scale it and Brock has an idea. He grabs a rock and ties it to a rope, then has Lotad water gun t up the waterfall. The rock wraps onto a branch above the waterfall and Brock pulls it tight. Brock exclaims that he'll go up first and they can follow. He begins to climb with Lotad on his shoulder.

After a while, May helps Ash up and everyone is then up the waterfall. Ash thanks May for the help and compliments Brock on a great idea. May begins to explain that she had a better idea but Brock beat her too it. She begins to explain how she would have her "oh so cute" Silcoon use string shot to get them up, but it just makes the rest nervous. Ash then notices a foggy lake behind them. Max checks the Pokenavi to see that the current in this lake spreads around a small island. They then decide to check it out. Brock pulls ahead of the group and motions back to the others that the ground gets a bit muddy up ahead. Our heroes soon step out of the fog which puts them at the edge of a large lake.

All along the lake are Mudkips! Ash notices them and uses the dex to scan them. May remembers her earlier encounter with Mudkip on the first day of her training, and decides that she wants a cute water type. They all look out over the lake where two Mudkips are talking on a small rock. May rushes up exclaiming that she is going to catch one, but as she nears the lake a large Mudkip jumps from the bushes. May looks just in time to be sprayed with a water gun. May sighs, saying she just doesn't have good luck with water Pokemon. Suddenly, everyone notices a small Mudkip being pulled away by the current. Brock orders Lotad to rescue it and it leaps into the water. Lotad reaches the Mudkip and scoops it into its lily pad, but the current begins to pull it too. Brock calls for it, but the large Mudkip comes to the rescue. It pulls Lotad to shore and Brock runs up and thanks it. The Mudkip leaps back with an angry look on its face, and Brock tries to explain that May meant no harm and they are just here to observe. The Mudkips falls back into the bushes as the others approach. Brock picks up the small Mudkip and begins to play with it.

In the bushes near them, an old man with a hairstyle much like Mudkip's gills and head flipper pops out. He begins to yell at Ash and co, asking what they are doing to the Mudkip. May puts up her "camera" again and begins to narrate, but Ash interrupts and tells the man that they meant no harm. He explains that he and his friends stumbled upon the lake and Brock saved the Mudkip. Brock blushes and laughs. The man then understands and Ash introduces everyone. The man then introduces himself as Numaji, and tells them that he is here to study the Mudkip. Ash walks up to Numaji and begins to prod at him while making fun of his name. Numaji tells him to back off, and Ash nervously laughs. Brock asks Numaji why he spends all his time studying the Mudkip, and he explains that Mudkip are very social and interesting Pokemon, but they need a lot of protection. Numaji then takes them to his cabin where they all sit down for lunch. Brock asks Numaji how he helps out the Mudkip in the area, and he informs him that he breeds the Mudkip. Ash looks at a nearby desk to see an incubator with several Mudkip eggs inside.

Numaji explains that the eggs need special care while May does her "reporter" act. Brock then adds in that he has never heard of Numaji, which agitates him. He begins to name off some of his achievements, but even Ash and May comment that he is unknown to them. Max then says that he remembers reading something about him in Pokemon Monthly, and Numaji exclaims that he was in that magazine. Max then informs Numaji that Brock is a breeder also, which entices Numaji. He asks Brock if he would like to help him with the Mudkip, and Brock says he would be glad too. Outside, Numaji shows Ash and co to a Mudkip nest. An egg inside begins to hatch, and a newborn Mudkip appears. The first thing it does is….spray May! Brock then asks Numaji about the larger Mudkip. Numaji explains about how usually when the Mudkip grow old enough, they lave the safety of the lake for better waters, but that particular Mudkip decided to stay to protect the young ones. Brock seems to take a liking to Mudkip at this statement. Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth are listening in at a nearby fence.

They pull away and begin to argue as to whether enter or leave. Jessie argues that they go see what's inside, but Meowth says they can't get by the fence. Jessie says she knows how and releases Seviper. James calls out Cacnea which hugs him to death. Jessie has Seviper poison tail the fence but nothing happens. James then orders Cacnea to tackle it, but it accidentally tackles him, sanding him crashing into the fence and breaking it. A few cans on some string begin to rattle which alerts Numaji that someone is trespassing. He tells Ash and co that he has to go investigate, and rushes away. May begins to narrate her life again, and she, Ash, and Max chase after him. Brock goes to, but the Mudkip from before leaps out. Brock asks it why it's here, and the Mudkip runs away. Brock chases the Mudkip to the lake, but finds that it is missing. He calls for it and it slowly comes out of the bushes. Brock informs it that he doesn't want to hurt it, but it still is nervous. Brock pulls out some Pokemon food and offers it to Mudkip. The Mudkip still pulls back and Brock sighs. Ash and co make it to the shattered fence and Numaji says someone must have intruded.

He looks around for a few seconds then steps on a soda can. He picks it up wondering where the trespassers could've gone. Team Rocket then leaps from the bushes and say their motto. Numaji is confused and Ash explains that Team Rocket is probably here to steal the Pokemon. Numaji the yells at the rockets, saying they aren't going to steal the Mudkips. At this, Team Rocket becomes very enticed. They begin to talk about stealing the Mudkips. Jessie says she would love a cute Pokemon and James begins to jump for joy. May cuts in, asking Numaji if the Mudkip are safe in the lake. Numaji says they can swim away if intruders come, but if the intruders were to destroy the small dam up ahead, the Mudkip would get caught in the current and would be easily snatched up. Ash freaks out and says he just gave away the secret and Numaji covers his mouth. Team Rocket hears this little conversation and James releases Cacnea. He orders it to destroy the dam, but it just whacks him into it, smashing it down and spilling water into the lake. Brock is still trying to win over the Mudkip when they both notice the coming current.

Brock releases Forretress and has it use rapid spin to blow the water back. He then uses this time to release Lotad. He and Lotad gather the baby Mudkips and bring them to shore, but they soon realize that two Mudkips are still out there. The large Mudkip leaps into the water and brings the two to shore just as Forretress looses the wave. All the Mudkip are safe on a hill, but Brock soon notices one Mudkip who is being washed away. The large Mudkip jumps into the water and grabs onto the baby, but it to gets caught in the current. Brock rushes along the river's edge calling to it. Ash and co arrive to see what's going on just as the Mudkip goes over the falls! Mudkip grabs onto a rock in the middle of the waterfall and holds on for dear life. Brock comes to the edge of the river and calls down to it.

He looks around and spies the rock and rope from earlier. He ties himself to it and leaps down to rescue Mudkip. He becomes level with it and tries to persuade it to trust him. After a lot of convincing, Mudkip leaps into his arms with the baby and Ash and co pulls them up. Back to safety, Numaji asks Brock if he's all right. Brock says he is, but they suddenly hear a loud crash. Ash and co turn to see a giant robotic….person with shovels for hands! OH MY! It turns out to be Team Rocket, who say their usual "we're going to steal the Pokemon routine". They begin to use the shovels to scoop the Mudkips up as Ash and co tell them to stop. Brock tries to think of an idea, but he can't seem to. He then notices the robot's foot starting to sink and realizes that he can use the muddy bank to his advantage. He tells Ash and co his plan and then has Lotad and Mudkip use water gun on the bank below the robot.

Team Rocket begins to laugh, saying that a little water never hurt anyone, but they suddenly realize that they are sinking. Lotad continues to water gun the ground while Mudkip tackles the robot to free the baby Mudkips. With the Mudkips free, Ash has Pikachu thunderbolt the robot, sending the rockets blasting off again. On the banks, Brock congratulates Mudkip. Ash says that they make a great team and Numaji agrees. He then tells Brock that he should have Mudkip. Brock asks if that would be wise seeing as how it protects the babies, but Numaji says that it has been here long enough and needs a good trainer to let it see the world and get stronger. Ash, May, and Max tell him to take it, and Brock asks Mudkip if it wants to go with him. Mudkip thinks it over for a little bit, then happily jumps into his arms. Brock promises to take good care of it and Numaji tells him to make sure they work as a team. The scene then rises with Brock happily hugging his new Mudkip.

Thanks To GoldenNoctowl For Writing this for us