Upon arriving at the polluted industrial town of Gringey City, Ash and his friends notice that Pikachu has become faint and sparks are coming out of his cheeks. They subsequently rush to the Pokémon Center as they are watched by a shadowy Pokémon, as well as Meowth. Jessie and James begin to recite their motto, though a foul stench forces them to stop. Meowth, who is inside his own protective container, gives them scuba suits to wear, and says he will stay there to pump oxygen and fresh air to them. He instructs them to dive into the water and swim through the pipes to the Pokémon Center, but they refuse. Meowth responds by pushing a button that delivers Jessie and James an electric shock, and they reluctantly enter the sludge-filled sewer waters.
