ET07

After watching a performance by Duplica and her Ditto, Misty decides to try to capture a Ditto herself. Ash and Brock, however, hear about a Hidden Village where incredibly powerful Pokémon are said to live, protected by a goddess. Misty and Duplica head for Route 13 to capture a Ditto, while Ash and Brock head for a bus. Before he can get on, Pikachu gets interested in a strange shell, and the bus takes off without Ash, Brock or Pikachu noticing that they are separated.

The shell turns out to be a Squirtle's. They chat for a bit, and Squirtle points out that Ash is missing. Pikachu doubts that Ash would ever abandon him, though Squirtle is skeptical. He points Pikachu to another abandoned Pokémon, Charmander, who has been waiting for his master for ten days. Squirtle proposes that they travel to the hidden village, where wild and abandoned Pokémon live in peace. Pikachu recalls that Ash and Brock were headed for the village, so he decides to tag along in hopes of finding Ash.

Meanwhile, Ash is searching for Pikachu frantically. He phones Misty, asking if Pikachu split up and went with her. To help search, Misty leaves Duplica and returns to Ash.

As Pikachu, Charmander and Squirtle are traveling through a forest, they meet a little boy named Tommy who can speak Pokémon language. Tommy and his adoptive mother, a Kangaskhan, know where the Hidden Village is and offer to lead the three lost Pokémon there.

The group meet Meowth, who leads them to Jessie and James of Team Rocket. With Meowth's help, they trick the Pokémon into traveling with them. After many adventures (such as being trapped in Koga's Gym and protesting the construction of a dam), the group finally reach the Hidden Village, welcomed by Melanie. The Pokémon are happy to arrive, but Pikachu is disappointed because Ash has not yet arrived at the village.

Team Rocket start trying to steal Pokémon, but they are stopped by a tough Bulbasaur. Kangaskhan swiftly defeats them, and they are caught by Officer Jenny.

Shortly afterward, a Trainer named Damian arrives looking for Charmander. Damian explains that he did intend to return for Charmander, but he got in an accident and was sent to the hospital. Pikachu is inspired to leave the village and search for Ash. After going down a waterfall and floating downstream, he finds Ash, and they are happily reunited.

• The Team Rocket trio appears for the first time.
• Pikachu gets lost, finds the Hidden Village, and is later reunited with Ash.

Debuts

Humans

• Joe
• A.J.
• Samurai
• Duplica
• Tommy
• Melanie
• Jessie
• James

Pokémon debuts

• Psyduck
• Starmie
• Ekans
• Koffing
• Ditto
• Charmander
• Bulbasaur
• Diglett
• Slowpoke
• Jigglypuff
• Bellsprout
• Weepinbell
• Raticate
• Parasect

Humans

• Ash Ketchum
• Brock
• Misty
• Giselle
• Joe
• Duplica
• A.J.
• Samurai
• Tommy
• Melanie
• Jessie
• James
• Koga (flashback)
• Aya (flashback)

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Psyduck (Misty's)
• Starmie (Misty's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Ekans (Jessie's)
• Koffing (James's)
• Ditto (Duplica's)
• Charmander (Damian's)
• Squirtle
• Kangaskhan
• Oddish
• Bulbasaur
• Diglett
• Dugtrio
• Slowpoke
• Butterfree (multiple)
• Tauros (multiple)
• Golem (multiple)
• Fearow
• Jigglypuff (multiple)
• Bellsprout (multiple)
• Weepinbell
• Psyduck
• Raticate (multiple)
• Venonat
• Parasect
• Charizard (fantasy)
• Jynx (fantasy)
• Kakuna (fantasy)
• Metapod (fantasy)
• Ditto (fantasy)
• Magikarp (fantasy)
• Magnemite (fantasy)
• Machamp (fantasy)
• Parasect (fantasy)
• Oddish (fantasy)
• Gloom (fantasy)
• Porygon (fantasy)
• Golem (fantasy)
• Koffing (fantasy)
• Arbok (fantasy)
• Caterpie (fantasy)
• Weedle (fantasy)
• Arcanine (fantasy)

• Although a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle appear with similar background stories to those owned by Ash in Pokémon the Series, they do not appear to be the same ones he captures later in the manga.
• During Duplica's show, the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is referenced.

Translation edits

• Jessie's breasts are larger in the original, whereas the Viz version shrinks them down.
• When Tommy grabs onto Jessie's chest, he is trying to drink from her breasts in the original version, while he is simply trying to ride her in the Viz version. The artwork is edited so that Tommy is no longer clasping Jessie's breast in his mouth.
• Officer Jenny has bare legs in the original. In the Viz version, they are colored black to make it seem as if she is wearing tights.

This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga.