As Ash and his friends near the Safari Zone, they come across a ranch, where they see a herd of Tauros. Wanting to catch one (believing they are in the Safari Zone), Ash tries to have Pikachu face down the stampede, but Pikachu refuses because he is massively outnumbered. When Ash sends out Charmander, it is immediately pinned by a Growlithe. After a brief trade of Flamethrowers by the two Fire Pokémon, Ash and friends are introduced to Lara Laramie, of the Laramie Ranch, a ranch that preserves and raises wild Pokémon. Brock immediately recognizes the name, as it is said that Pokémon bred by the Laramie clan are of superior breeding. After Ash realizes that they are not in the Safari Zone, Lara invites them to a local festival, as a Pokémon race will be held the next day. Lara intends to race with her Ponyta, a Pokémon whose mane will burn anyone it does not trust. When Ash tries to touch Ponyta, his hand is burned, and he has Squirtle put out the flames. Lara's main opposition is Dario, a Dodrio Trainer. Lara explains that the winning team of Pokémon and Trainer will be named as an honorary member of the Laramie clan.
At the festival, while many are cheering Lara on, Dario arrives to tell Lara that her Tauros have suddenly begun attacking each other over a bout of confusion. After they arrive on the scene, Lara tells Growlithe to tame the Tauros, but during all this Ponyta is spooked, causing Lara to be thrown off, injuring her arm. As Ash tries to rein in Ponyta, the audience learns that Team Rocket is behind spooking the Tauros and incapacitating Lara, at the request of Dario: Dario intends to win the competition by any means necessary, while Team Rocket seeks to make money from the Laramie fortune.
With her injured arm, Lara would not be able to ride Ponyta, but after seeing Ash try to rein in Ponyta, she tries to convince Ash to take her place. At first, neither Ash nor Ponyta feel right about it (Ponyta showing its reluctance by burning Ash again), but Lara insists that both stand to gain from winning (Ash from his Trainer skills, Ponyta from its upbringing). Ash and Ponyta use the entire night to prepare for the race.
At the race, many pairs have entered: along with local farmhands and their Pokémon, Dario and Dodrio, Ash and Ponyta, Brock and Onix, Misty and Starmie, as well as the all-Pokémon team of Pikachu and Squirtle (representing Ash's entry), all enter the race. When the race starts, Dario and Dodrio quickly take the lead, while Pikachu and Squirtle quickly fall to the back of the pack , though they do eventually catch up. At the same time, Team Rocket has already begun eliminating the opposition - two well-aimed slingshot shots manage to spook a Tauros, and he runs into a Nidorina, and they take their frustrations out on each other. After a sprint comes a steep uphill portion, where Pikachu is forced to push Squirtle up the hill, putting them far behind once again. Then, the racers come upon a downhill section where another violent accident occurs: an Electrode and its Trainer roll down the hill uncontrollably, and a pitfall trap dug up by Team Rocket manages to take out the Electrode and its Trainer as they were rolling downhill with increasing speed. This gives Dario a significant lead, while Electrode's Explosion attack manages to incapacitate a Sandslash, Raticate, but most importantly Ash and Ponyta. Ash and Ponyta, however, are able to continue, thanks to Pikachu's ThunderShock and the fact that the two Pokémon were still lagging far behind.
Farther up ahead is a stepping-stone portion, which Dario and Dodrio cross with ease. However, this does not bode well for the two closest chasers: Brock and a farmhand with his Rhyhorn - when Rhyhorn attempts to jump on a stone, it sinks. This forces both out of the race (as Brock, with the largest Pokémon in the race, couldn't cross due to Onix's fear of water). This leaves only four teams still racing: while Ash and Ponyta navigate the stones, Starmie and Squirtle swim across the water easily. At the next portion, teams must make a stop and allow their Pokémon to eat an entire plate of Pokémon food before sprinting to the finish. Dario and Dodrio are the first to arrive, but the other racers catch up due to Dodrio's three heads fighting over who gets to eat first. Desperate to eliminate the other three teams, Dario is forced to use Team Rocket's assistance once more (from which Ash and Misty learn of Dario's alliance with Team Rocket). Ash tells Pikachu and Squirtle (who had both been scarfing down Pokémon food during Team Rocket's motto) to take care of Team Rocket, but Arbok's Glare paralyzes them, while Starmie is blinded by Weezing's Sludge. This allows Dario enough time to take off towards the finish.
As Misty implores Ash and Ponyta to keep going (leaving Team Rocket to herself and the three Pokémon), Team Rocket causes Ponyta to literally get fired up, shocking Arbok. Weezing tries to attack Ponyta despite James telling it not to use gas, but Ponyta's flames ignite Weezing's Smog, and it explodes, sending Team Rocket flying. Now desperate to make up ground, Ash and Ponyta race towards the finish line. When Ash and Ponyta catch up, Dario then orders one of Dodrio's heads to Peck Ponyta, slowing it down. Everyone is then startled when Ponyta evolves through sheer will to win into the much-faster Rapidash, and soon Ash and Rapidash manages to overtake Dario and claim the victory in a photo finish. Believing that he had been cheated, Dario orders Dodrio to attack Rapidash, but is sent flying by a kick from its powerful hooves.
As the festivities wrap up, Ash and friends bid farewell to the Laramie Ranch, and continue on their way to the Safari Zone. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is seen in a nearby forest, tied to a tree by Dario, who blames them for his loss. The episode ends on the trio being pecked repeatedly by Dodrio after Meowth insults it.
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