Ash and co. are slowly walking on the road. They are very tired. Misty wonders how Ash is going to train for his next gym battle if all his battles are against Team Rocket. Team Rocket is not too far away from Ash and co. They are using their binoculars to see what Ash and co. are up to. Jessie thinks that they should pick on someone else to battle, and James agrees with her. Because Ash and co. have more Pokémon than they do, it would be pointless to battle each time. James adds in that Ash even has a Charizard that can beat them.

Now Ash and co. are walking along side a cliff. Ash says that he has other Pokémon to use with his battles. Misty and Brock thinks that it is unfair that Ash keeps on using Charizard because there aren't many Pokémon that stand a chance against Charizard. Team Rocket agrees, and they yell out, "No fair!" An echo is cast out throughout the whole valley, and Ash and co. hear the echo. Brock yells out, "Hello," and an echo is sounded again.

A girl rests upon a higher part of the cliff. She tells Ash and co. that someone was yelling, "No fair." Brock falls in love with the girl and tells her that she is very far. The girl states that it is very easy to hear an echo throughout the whole valley. She shouts out, "Oh Charla!" Three flames shoot out from behind another cliff. Team Rocket sees these flames, and they wonder where they came from. Brock reads his guide book and finds out that they are in a Charizard habitat. The girl introduces herself as Lisa, a Charizard trainer. She senses that Ash has a Charizard, and she wants to meet it.

Lisa invites them all to the Charizard habitat, and they agree to come with her. Charla, Lisa's Charizard, flies down with a balloon attached behind her. Lisa gets on top of Charla. She tells Misty and Brock that they can ride in the balloon. Ash has to ride on his Charizard because there isn't enough room in the balloon. Lisa is surprised when she hears that Ash has never ridden on his Charizard before. Nevertheless, Ash decides to give it a try. He sends out his Charizard and tells it that he needs a ride. Charizard refuses to give Ash a ride. Lisa taunts Charizard, and this gets Charizard going. It decides to give Ash a ride.

After a rough start, Ash and Charizard are in the air. Misty shouts out to Lisa that her Charizard is great. Lisa can't hear her, and she uses a telephone to call them. In the balloon is another telephone which rings. Misty picks it up. She asks Lisa if all the Charizard carry passengers. Lisa tells Misty that all the other Charizard are wild, and they don't get much contact with humans. So Lisa protects the Charizard from poachers. Misty wonders if Lisa is bringing them to jail, and Lisa tells her that she can see that they are good trainers. Lisa leads the way to the Charizard Valley. Ash and his Charizard begin to have a rough time again. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is using boards to slide down the cliff. They plan on going to the Charizard Valley to steal all the Charizard.

Finally, Lisa and Charla make it to the Charizard Valley. When they land, Lisa explains that all the Charizard are naturally train. That means that the Charizard train on their own, and they don't rely on humans. That is why they are the best out there. Misty thinks that Ash's Charizard could use some training. Lisa agrees considering they are having a rough time arriving. Ash and his Charizard finally make it to the Charizard Valley. Ash thinks his Charizard doesn't need any special training. His Charizard shows off by shooting fire out of its mouth. Lisa sighs, stating that only weak Charizard show off like that. Charizard then shoots a fireball. Pikachu dodges, and the fireball lands on Ash. Ash quickly dives into the pool to put out the fire.

Ash gets out of the pool. Lisa tells Ash that his Charizard could use some serious training. This makes Ash angry because he think his Charizard is much better than the others. Lisa tells him that the Charizard in the valley are at a very high level, and his Charizard doesn't stand a chance. Ash thinks that Lisa is wrong, and he wants to prove it by having a battle. He challenges Lisa and Charla to a battle. Lisa declines Ash's challenge because Charla has been trained by her, however Ash is able to battle any of the wild Charizard. Ash thinks that his Charizard can beat any other Charizard.

Lisa leads them all into the valley. She spots a Charizard that Ash can battle, and Ash and his Charizard agrees to battle it. Ash's Charizard walks up to the wild Charizard. It uses a sneak attack by hitting the wild Charizard with Flamethrower. The wild Charizard does an overkill Flamethrower, burning Ash's Charizard to the ground. Then the wild Charizard walks away. Ash's Charizard is able to get up. Lisa spots out another Charizard that Ash's Charizard can battle. She says that this wild Charizard is the gentlest of them all. Ash's Charizard agrees to battle again. It uses Flamethrower on the wild Charizard, but the attack had no effect on it. The wild Charizard slashes Ash's Charizard with its tail, causing Charizard to be beaten again. Lisa tells Ash that his Charizard doesn't stand a chance against the wild Charizard in the valley.

Ash's Charizard gets back up to its feet. It still wants to battle the wild Charizard. Ash's Charizard tries to battle, but it gets beat up each time. Lisa tells Ash that his Charizard better give up, or else it will get hurt. Ash's Charizard is knocked out of the valley. Lisa tells Ash's Charizard that it should try again later when it gets stronger. Then Lisa closes the gate. Charizard gets up and pounds on the gate because it wants to go back in to battle. Team Rocket sees that their chances for capturing any of the Charizard are very slim. However, they have a secret weapon ready.

Lisa opens the gate up again. She tells Ash's Charizard to stop pounding on the gate and to go back with Ash for training. Ash's Charizard doesn't want to go back. Because Ash's Charizard is insisting on battling, Lisa lets Ash's Charizard have a battle with Charla. Charla throws Ash's Charizard in the pool. Lisa then tells Ash's Charizard to cool down and think how it can improve itself. She closes the gate.

It's night time now, and Charizard has been standing in the pool ever since it was scolded by Lisa. Ash understands the pain that Charizard is feeling. Ash knows that Charizard wants to stay to become stronger, but he has to decide whether to leave Charizard or not. Team Rocket is still looking down at Charizard. Meowth says that Charizard wants to become stronger and become the best that it can be. Team Rocket cheers for Charizard. Charizard drifts to sleep, but Team Rocket throws rocks at it so that its flame doesn't get wet. Lisa and Charla are peeking out from the gate. Lisa notices that Ash's Charizard has a lot of heart.

The next day, Ash wakes up. He sees that Charizard has made it through the night. Team Rocket is riding down in their robot. They drive up to the gate and pound on it. Ash's Charizard flies in front of them. Then it uses its Flamethrower on Team Rocket, and Team Rocket blasts off into the sky. Lisa opens the gate. She tells Charizard that it can now train with them. Ash wonders why Lisa is letting Charizard train with her. Lisa tells Ash that his Charizard has proven that it wants to become stronger. Ash stares at Charizard and tells it that it should stay at the valley and get stronger. Ash then turns away. Ash then runs away, and Misty and Brock run after him. Pikachu turns back, and Charizard gives Pikachu a thumbs up. Even though Ash doesn't want him to stay, he knows that it's for the best.

English Official Summary

When Ash hears of the nearby Charicific Valley, he is sure a quick trip would be just the thing to reignite his Charizard's flagging spirits. When they reach the valley, though, they find its dragon denizens anything but cordial. Judged weak, and denied entrance to the valley, Charizard is left more dejected than ever.

Italian Official Summary

Quando Ash sente parlare di un luogo dove si allenano i Charizard selvatici, pensa che poterebbe essere il posto ideale per il suo Charizard. Un’importante lezione che cambierà la loro amicizia aspetta Ash e il suo Pokémon!

Portuguese Official Summary

Ash descobre um local de treinamento para Charizard selvagens e decide que esse é o lugar certo para treinar seu Charizard. Mas duras lições serão aprendidas que mudarão a amizade de Ash e Charizard pra sempre!

Spanish Latin America Official Summary

Ash escucha de un lugar de entrenamiento para Charizard salvajes y decide que es el lugar para perfeccionar la fuerza de su Charizard. Pero las duras lecciones a aprender cambiarán la amistad de Ash y Charizard para siempre.

Spanish Official Summary

Cuando Ash oye hablar del cercano Valle Charicífico, está seguro de que un viaje rápido es lo que necesita para volver a alzar los ánimos de Charizard.

English Great Britian Official Summary

When Ash hears of the nearby Charicific Valley, he is sure a quick trip would be just the thing to reignite his Charizard's flagging spirits. When they reach the valley, though, they find its dragon denizens anything but cordial. Judged weak, and denied entrance to the valley, Charizard is left more dejected than ever.

Dutch Official Summary

Ash hoort van een trainingsplaats voor wilde Charizard en gelooft dat zijn Charizard daar sterker kan worden. Maar de harde lessen die ze daar leren, zullen de vriendschap van Ash en Charizard voorgoed veranderen!

French Official Summary

Lorsque Sacha entend parler de la Vallée Dracaurifique, il décide d'aller y faire un tour pour remotiver son Dracaufeu démoralisé.

German Official Summary

Als Ash vom nahegelegenen Nationalpark hört, denkt er, dass er dort sein Glurak wieder munter machen kann.