Ash and co. are continuing their way to Azalea Town. It is very hot outside. They are all very thirsty. Misty gets out her cantene, but it is empty. Ash asks Brock how far it is to the next town. Brock looks in his guide book and reports that there's a town close by. They see a pipe on a ground that is leaking water. A woman walks up to the pipe and fixes it. Ash and co. ask her if they can have some water, and she says yes. Brock asks for the woman's email address, but Misty takes Brock by his ear and pulls him away.

Misty finishes filling up her cantene with water. She introduces herself to the woman. The woman introduces herself as Sunrissa. Brock offers to fix up the pipe, but he gets sprayed with water from the pipe. When the pipe is fixed, Sunrissa leads them to her town, Bloomingdale. Ash and co. are led to Sunrissa's house. Misty notices that there's a green house next to Sunrissa's house. Sunrissa turns on the sprinklers. She says that she built her own water system so that she can get pure water from the mountains. Sunrissa then calls out to her Pokémon. Four Sunflora run out of the green house, and they get sprinkled with water. Ash looks up Sunflora in his Pokédex. He finds out that Sunflora need water to be happy, just like a flower. Sunrissa states that her Sunflora need to be happy for the Sunflora Festival. She explains that the Sunflora Festival is competition to see who has the best Sunflora.

A man walks up to Sunrissa's house and asks how she and her Sunflora are doing. Sunrissa replies that she is doing fine, and the man walks away. Sunrissa tells Ash and co. that the man is Sirus, a Sunflora trainer. Sunrissa also explains that many trainers do different things to make their Sunflora the best it can be. Some people bring their Sunflora to tanning salons, others make their Sunflora exercise. Brock walks up to one of Sunrissa's Sunflora. The Sunflora looks sad. Brock and Pikachu make funny faces to cheer the Sunflora up, but it doesn't work. Sunrissa explains that she wanted to enter this Sunflora in the contest, but lately it has been feeling depressed. Ash and co. agree to help Sunrissa with her depressed Sunflora. The sun begins to set, and the Sunflora head back into the green house. At night, Ash and co. search for a Pokémon Center for beds.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is sneaking around the town. They walk up to the green house. James picks the lock, and they go inside. They see many sleeping Sunflora. Their plan is to steal them all. Meowth also thinks they should enter the Sunflora contest because the winner gets a year's supply of instant noodles. Jessie and James dream big with the noodles. Jessie and James wonder how they are going to get the right Sunflora that can win the contest. Meowth shines his flashlight around the green house to wake up all the Sunflora. James observes each one. He notices that each Sunflora has different traits, but they all look the same to Jessie. Meowth then trips over and pushes a button. An alarm is activated. A net falls over on Meowth. Jessie and James quickly run out of the green house, leaving Meowth behind. Ash and co. wake up at the sound of the alarm. They run over to the green house. They find Sirus already there. Sirus points to Meowth who is tied up in ropes. Ash and co. immediately notice that it's Team Rocket's Meowth. Misty gets an idea. She asks Sirus if they can take control of Meowth. Sirus says that they can since it didn't cause any damage. Ash and co. lead Meowth back to the Pokémon Center. Meowth is grateful that it was rescued. Misty tells Meowth that now that it's free, it has to help them, otherwise it's going back to the green house. Meowth agrees to help.

The next day, Ash and co. bring Meowth to the green house again. Meowth is going to talk to the sad Sunflora to find out what's wrong. Sunflora tells Meowth its problems. Meowth then tells Ash and co. that Sunflora is sad because it hasn't seen its friend for a long time. Sunrissa assumes that her Sunflora misses Sirus's Sunflora. Suddenly, Meowth is lassoed and carried away by Jessie and James. Ash and co. pay Sirus a visit. Sirus tells them that he traded that Sunflora to Nurse Joy. So they stop by at the Pokémon Center, and Sunflora sees its friend again. Sunrissa's Sunflora is happy that it can play with its friend again.

The day of the festival begins. Many people are lined up with their Sunflora. Team Rocket is in the festival, too. Jessie and James have Meowth dressed up as a Sunflora, and Meowth will enter the contest. Meowth complains how uncomfortable he is, but Jessie and James demand that he stops complaining so that they can win the noodles. Three contestants enter the stage: Sirus, Sunrissa, and Team Rocket. The judges each observe all the Sunflora. They notice that there's something odd with Team Rocket's Sunflora. Suddenly, a Snubbull walks onto stage and sniffs Meowth. It's the same Snubbull from the rich lady's house. The Snubbull bites on Meowth's tail. Meowth screams in pain, revealing himself to the audience.

A bomb is thrown, and Team Rocket says their motto. Jessie and James pull the Snubbull off Meowth's tail, and Jessie throws Snubbull into the air. James then gets out a remote. He presses a button and a bunch of mirrors surrounds the crowd. The mirrors begin to reflect light on everyone, even the Sunflora. Because the light is very bright, the Sunflora's heads grow big and they collapse. Now that the Sunflora can't get in Team Rocket's way, a net is thrown on the noodles. Ash and co. block Team Rocket's path.

Jessie sends out Arbok, and Ash sends out Chikorita. Chikorita uses Vine Whip, but Arbok dodges the attack. Misty sends out Poliwag. Poliwag slaps Arbok with its tail. Arbok counters with Poison Sting. James presses another button, and the noodles are lifted into the air. Chikorita then uses Razor Leaf to cut the rope. The noodles fall back onto the ground. This makes James mad. He sends out Weezing. Pikachu is about to use Thundershock on Team Rocket when Chikorita pushes Pikachu to the side. Pikachu loses its balance and falls, causing the electricity to destroy all the mirrors. Now that the light is gone, the Sunflora are feeling better. Sunrissa's Sunflora uses Solarbeam, and Team Rocket blasts off again.

Now that Team Rocket is gone, the judges make their final decisions on the Sunflora. Sunrissa and her Sunflora are declared the winner of the contest. When the contest is over, Sunrissa thanks Ash and co. for helping her win the contest. Misty tells Sunrissa that it was all her hard work that made her win. Then Ash and co. continue their journey towards Azalea Town.

English Official Summary

The annual Sunflora contest is only a day away and yet our hero's new friend and Sunflora Trainer is unable to convince her star Pokémon to compete. Complicating things further, Team Rocket enters under pseudonyms, planning to win by whatever means are required.

Italian Official Summary

In cammino verso Azalina, i nostri eroi si imbattono nel festival annuale dei Sunflora, dove incontrano un'Allenatrice il cui Sunflora è troppo triste per gareggiare. Riusciranno a riportargli il sorriso sulle labbra?

Portuguese Official Summary

De volta a caminho do Ginásio de Azalea, nossos heróis descobrem um festival de Sunflora numa cidade próxima e conhecem uma treinadora cuja Sunflora está triste demais pra participar. Será que Ash conseguirá animá-la?

Spanish Latin America Official Summary

En su camino hacia el Gimnasio Azalea, nuestros héroes descubren un festival de Sunflora en un pueblo cercano y conocen a un Entrenador cuya Sunflora está demasiado triste para competir. ¿Podrán Ash y sus amigos alegrarla?

Spanish Official Summary

Solo falta un día para el concurso anual de Sunflora, y ahora la nueva amiga de nuestro héroe, y Entrenadora de Sunflora, no puede convencer a su estrella Pokémon para que compita.

English Great Britian Official Summary

The annual Sunflora contest is only a day away and yet our hero's new friend and Sunflora Trainer is unable to convince her star Pokémon to compete. Complicating things further, Team Rocket enters under pseudonyms, planning to win by whatever means are required.

Dutch Official Summary

Weer op weg naar de Azalea Gym, ontdekken onze helden een Sunflora festival en ontmoeten een Trainer met een Sunflora  die te verdrietig is om mee te doen. Kunnen onze helden hem opvrolijken?

French Official Summary

Il ne reste plus qu'un jour avant le début du concours annuel de Héliatronc, mais la nouvelle amie de notre héros (une Dresseuse de Héliatronc) n'arrive pas à convaincre son Pokémon vedette d'y participer.

German Official Summary

Morgen findet der jährliche Sonnflora-Wettbewerb statt. Doch die neueste Freundin unseres Helden schafft es nicht, ihren Pokémon-Star zur Teilnahme zu überreden.