Ash and co. are in a forest lost again. Ash tells his friends that they aren't lost. Brock adds in that they just don't know where they are. Brock says that they are now stuck in a spooky forest. When Ash hears the word "spooky," he tells everyone that he knows a way out, and he runs ahead of the group.

It has gotten dark, and Ash admits to his friends that they are lost. Misty notices the spookiness of the forest. Suddenly, they hear a strange sound. Misty doesn't like the sound. Thinking that it is her friends, she tells them to stop. Unfortunately for her, Ash and Brock aren't making the sounds. Then suddenly, a spooky face appears on a tree scaring the group. They run as fast as they can only to see another tree with a spooky face. Then a red light surrounds them and the faces disappear. Gary comes out and tells the group that the faces were just illusions. At Gary's side is a Hoothoot who caused the red light. Ash looks up Hoothoot in his Pokédex. Gary then tells everyone that they need a Hoothoot to get through the forest or they will be lost forever. Misty asks Gary why he is still in the forest if he has a Hoothoot. Gary tells her that he lost track of time because of his Pokémon catching. Then he walks away. Brock suggests that they get a Hoothoot to get out of the forest. Ash and co. searches the forest for a Hoothoot. They search through trees, bushes, and the grass. Then suddenly they hear a cry from a Hoothoot. It is standing beside Misty. Misty tries to move away from the Hoothoot, but Hoothoot follows her. Ash sees that Hoothoot is just trying to say hello. Then Hoothoot pecks at Ash's head and it runs away. Ash and co. desperately try to follow it. They are confronted with a bunch of stones. Brock wonders if it is another illusion. They continue to chase Hoothoot. Ash can't run any longer, and so he tells Pikachu to use Thundershock. Hoothoot senses the attack coming, and it begins to peck at Ash's head again.

An old-looking woman approaches the group. The Hoothoot walks beside her. Brock thinks that the woman is an illusion because she is very ugly. The woman gets mad at this. She introduces herself as Hagatha and says that they will need her in order to get out of the forest. Hagatha tells the group that she runs her own buisness. Her job is do lend people Hoothoots so that they can get through the forest safely. She says that Pokémon cause the spooky things, and that Hoothoot have the power to see through the spooky things. Misty concludes that Gary must've gotten his Hoothoot from Hagatha. They ask Hagatha if they can use one of her Hoothoot. Hagatha tells them that there is a problem. She only has one Hoothoot left. Brock thinks that the Hoothoot is in a fine condition. Hagatha tells him that for some reason, this Hoothoot doesn't guide travelers through the forest safely. She tells them a story about how a few days ago, a guy used this Hoothoot and still was lost in the forest for three days. Ever since, no one has used the Hoothoot for guidance. Hagatha tells them that the other Hoothoots will be back by tomorrow. Ash tells her that they can't wait. He thinks that all Hoothoot needs is a little training. Hoothoot jumps away from Ash and onto Misty's lap. Hagatha tells her that Hoothoot only likes pretty girls. Misty calmly pets the Hoothoot.

Team Rocket is also lost in the forest. James is studying the map, but he hasn't found a way out of the forest. Then suddenly, Ash and co. walks right by Team Rocket. Team Rocket is amazed at their discovery.

Meanwhile, Ash and co. have just ended up at the same place as they were before. Hoothoot sighs in disappointment. Then suddenly more illusions appear. A bunch of blue floating circular things surrounds them. Team Rocket is spying on Ash and co. behind a tree, and they don't see anything. Hoothoot tries to use its power to destroy the blue things, but it fails. Misty tells Hoothoot to not give up. The blue things form a monster which scares Hoothoot off. Ash and co. get scared too from it and they run for safety. Team Rocket thinks that Ash and co. have lost their minds. When they find safety, Ash gets frustrated at Hoothoot for not trying. He lectures about how Hoothoot needs to try harder. Hoothoot gets angry at Ash and runs back to Misty. Misty sighs and asks Hoothoot to try to help them. Not only will Hoothoot be helping them, but it will be helping itself by becoming a stronger Pokémon. Hoothoot decides to give it a try.

Suddenly, a rope wraps around Pikachu. Pikachu gets pulled up into the air. Ash quickly jumps up and grabs onto the rope. He has an idea of who the cause is. Team Rocket comes out and says their motto. Ash gets thrown off the rope, and Pikachu is put into a box. Ash demands for Pikachu back, but Team Rocket refuses to give it to him. They get into a wooden boat and sail away on a rope. The rope breaks. The boat falls and the box containing Pikachu flies out of Team Rocket's possession and into Ash's hands. Ash opens the box and Pikachu jumps in his arms. Team Rocket wants Pikachu and Hoothoot. Jessie sends out Arbok and James sends out Victreebel which attacks him again. Ash sends out Bulbasaur. Before the battle can begin Hoothoot runs around in circles. A faded white fog surrounds them and a Dragonite is revealed. Team Rocket wants to capture the Dragonite. Dragonite starts to run off with Team Rocket following it. Ash and co. couldn't see the Dragonite though.

Then suddenly, a bunch of Ashs appear. They all begin to talk claiming that they are the real Ash. Pikachu begins to get a headache and shocks everything around it. The Ashs disappear leaving the real one standing. Then a faint scream is heard from Misty. A bunch of bug Pokémon surrounds her. Brock tries to tell Misty that the bug Pokémon are only illusions. Misty claims that they seem to be real. Hoothoot begins to run off but is stopped by Ash. Ash tells Hoothoot to help Misty because she is the one that believes in it. Hoothoot gets its confidence back and uses a strong Foresight to see right through the illusions. A bunch of Haunter and Gengar are revealed. They were the ones that were creating the illusions. Bulbasaur uses a Vine Whip on them, and then Pikachu shocks them with Thundershock. The ghost Pokémon then disappear.

Ash tells Misty that he has finally trained Hoothoot. He picks Hoothoot up, but Hoothoot pecks him again and heads straight for Misty. Misty tells Ash that Hoothoot was only listening to him because it liked her. When daylight comes, Ash and co. find themselves at the same place where they were before, or was it? An old woman comes up to them. Ash and co. think that she is Hagatha, but the woman yells at them saying that she is Agatha, Hagatha's twin sister. Ash and co. are finally out of the forest, and they continue their way to Violet City. Meanwhile, Team Rocket imagines themselves at a beach, but they are really still in the forest surrounded by the Haunter and Gengar.

English Official Summary

Who would be foolish enough to brave a thick forest in the dead of night without a Hoothoot guide? Certainly not Ash Ketchum, but when he settles for the only guide available—an inept Hoothoot with no sense of direction—maybe he would have been better off alone...

Italian Official Summary

Chi può essere così stupido da affrontare un'intricata foresta nel cuore della notte senza una guida Hoothoot? Certamente non Ash Ketchum...

Portuguese Official Summary

A floresta pode ser bem assustadora de noite, especialmente se você está perdido! Nossos heróis precisarão de ajuda para sair dessa. É então que Hoothoot aparece para o resgate!

Spanish Latin America Official Summary

El bosque puede ser un lugar temible por la noche, ¡especialmente si estás perdido! Nuestros héroes necesitarán algo de ayuda para salir de este embrollo. ¡Hoothoot, al rescate!

Spanish Official Summary

¿Quién sería lo suficientemente tonto como para hacer frente a un espeso bosque a altas horas de la madrugada sin una guía Hoothoot? Desde luego no Ash…

English Great Britian Official Summary

Who would be foolish enough to brave a thick forest in the dead of night without a Hoothoot guide? Certainly not Ash Ketchum, but when he settles for the only guide available—an inept Hoothoot with no sense of direction—maybe he would have been better off alone...

Dutch Official Summary

Het bos kan een enge plek zijn 's nachts, vooral als je verdwaald bent! Onze helden hebben hulp nodig om uit de problemen te komen. Dan schiet Hoothoot ze te hulp!

French Official Summary

Qui serait assez fou pour oser s'enfoncer dans une forêt dense en pleine nuit, sans l'aide d'un guide Hoothoot ? Certainement pas Sacha...

German Official Summary

Wer ist wohl so dumm, mitten in der Nacht einen dichten Wald ohne Hoothoot-Führer zu betreten? Doch gewiss nicht Ash Ketchum…