With the business of the Red Gyarados over, Ash decides to challenge the Gym Leader Pryce but he isn’t in there. A lady named Sheila tells Ash and his friends that Pryce goes up to the mountains every morning to meditate under a waterfall. They hurry after her. Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth; who were waiting at the gym, tail them. After finally catching up with Sheila, they see Pryce. Ash is shocked to see that Pryce is the man who saved them on the pridge in the previous eppisode. Pryce says that it would be pointless to battle Ash, because his emotional bonds with his Pokémon have dulled their senses. After Ash protests, Pryce sends out his Dewgong. He tells Ash that if he can beat Dewgong, hhe will get his Gym Battle. Ash battles him with Phanpy and quickly loses. Pryce leaves after the battle, with Ash following close behind. Sheilah yells that it's dangerous to go into the mountains alone. Team Rocket, who witnessed the whole battle, follow Ash. Soon, Ash gets separated from Pikachu, and Team Rocket from one another. Jessie spots Ash and Starts the motto, and when James says his line they realise that they were both in the same bush. The chase for Pikachu eventually leads to the edge of a cliff, where Ash is cornered. Suddenly, Pryce appears and calls Team Rocket idiots for trying to forcibly steal someone elses Pokémon. Weezing launches a Smokescreen, sending Ash, Pryce, and Pikachu over the cliff. Ash sends out Noctowl to help Pryce and Totodile to break their fall using water gun. At the top of the cliff, Team Rocket is arguing over whose idea the Smokescreen was, when Misty, Brock, and Sheila appear. Brock asks if they saw Ash, and Jessie and James run away, leaving Meowth to spill the beans. Sheila sees a small gully for them to climb down. At the bottom of the cliff, Pryce makes a spicy herbal medicine to restore Totodiles energy (having exhausted itself from the Water Gun). Pryce thanks Ash for how his Pokémon reacted under duress, but that as close as he is with them, he must retain strict discipline. Back up at the top, Sheila explains that Pryce used to love his Pokémon. Because he treated his Pokémon so coldly, and his favoring of the ice type, people began calling him 'Icy Pryce'. As she, Brock, and Misty, descend the cliff, Pryce sees an old leg bracelet, which he says belonged to his Piloswine. Now at the bottom, Sheila explains that Pryce once had a Piloswine, that one day just left. Pryce elaborates to Ash, saying that he and Piloswine were once in a national tournament against a Magmar. He and Piloswine were both badly injured, as Pryce ran to protect it. One night, Piloswine just left the snowbound cottage they were recovering in, and Pryce never saw it again. Ever since, Pryce stopped treating Pokémon as friends. They soon enter a cave covered in a thin layer of ice. Ash sees a figure frozen in the ice. With a shock Pryce realizes it is his Piloswine! Pryce notices that it's holding herbs used to treat burns. Ash deduces that it got trapped after looking for herbs to help his friend. Ash then uses Cyndaquil's Flamethrower and Pikachu's ThunderShock to revive Piloswine. Piloswine still remembers Pryce, to the old man's delight. Pryce tells Piloswine to use Rest, and explains to Ash what that move does. They then exit the cave and reunite with Sheila, Misty, and Brock. Sheila is also excited to see Piloswine again. Just then, Team Rocket descends, and starts another battle. Pryce takes Arbok and Weezing head on with Piloswine, and beats them both. Pikachu sends them off again, and everyone celebrates. Back at the Gym, Pryce tells Ash that he will battle him tomorrow.
