Ash and the group are continuing their journey when it begins to rain. While looking for shelter, they stumble across an old house in the middle of nowhere. Believing it to be deserted, they go inside and are confronted by a Ditto that has taken the form of Ash's Pikachu. However, its face still looks like a Ditto's, which leads to Brock thinking it is a new kind of Pikachu. Ash tries to capture it, but a girl dressed as Ash appears and reveals that it is her Ditto. Ash is still unconvinced of it's usefulness in a battle, so the girl - who introduces herself as Duplica - challenges him to a battle. Ash chooses Bulbasaur and tries to attack using Razor Leaf, but Duplica's Ditto Transforms and wins using a Vine Whip attack.
Later, Duplica explains that she wants to be a Ditto Master and a star, but she cannot because her Ditto is unable to mirror the other Pokémon's faces. Whenever it transforms it still has the face a of a Ditto, much to the disappointment of her audiences. Then Team Rocket appear and try to steal Ditto, in the hope that they can get it to transform into Dratini and present it to Giovanni as a Legendary Pokémon. Using Weezing's SmokeScreen, they are able to escape with Ditto.
Once they are away from the house, Jessie and James try to test Ditto's power by having it turn into a Meowth, and are angered when it is unable to change its face. Eventually they are able to threaten it into transforming correctly.
Then Ash, Brock, Misty and Duplica appear dressed in Team Rocket uniforms and say their motto, much to the irritation of the real Team Rocket. They demand Ditto back, and are surprised when they see two identical Meowths. Team Rocket try to trick them by giving them the real Meowth and escaping in their balloon with Ditto. But Duplica says she can tell that this isn't her Ditto, even though it looks identical to the other Meowth. She throws Meowth at the balloon, causing Team Rocket to drop Ditto. Duplica tells it to transform into a cannon and fire Pikachu at the balloon. After being hit by Pikachu's ThunderShock, the balloon bursts and Team Rocket are blasted off again.
Now that Ditto can transform perfectly, Duplica reopens her theater for performances. She thanks Ash and his friends and they leave, with Ash hoping to catch his own Ditto someday.
The episode ends with Team Rocket attempting to put a Dratini suit onto Meowth, who scratches them.
