On their way to Ecruteak City, Ash and his friends stumble across a Bug-Catching Contest. They learn the rules of the contest from the event announcer. Each participant is given a special Park Ball. They are to enter the National Park and, using only one Pokémon, catch the strongest Bug-type Pokémon they can find. Whoever gets the strongest one wins the competition and, in addition to keeping the Pokémon they catch, also gets a Sun Stone. While Misty isn’t too keen, Ash decides to enter the contest to get a new Pokémon. While registering, he encounters Casey, who tells him that she is entering the contest as well, and that she intends to beat Ash no matter what the cost.
