The episode starts off with Ash, Iris, Cilan, and their Pokémon taking a break on the way to Castelia City. Ash is looking at his badges in his badge case and admiring his newly won Basic Badge, and musing to Pikachu that he only has six left to earn. Axew wanders over to where their backpacks are all piled on the ground, and is looking at Ash’s egg, when it suddenly begins to shake and glow! Axew is so startled that he falls over backwards, and then excitedly draws everyone’s attention to the egg, and everyone gathers around to watch the egg hatch.