Flint takes them to a cafe, where the owner treats them to cocoa and sandwiches. Ash is still angry, saying he cannot understand, and was so excited to battle the strongest Gym Leader. Flint begins to tell them how Volkner was not always this way, and was once called the Lightning of Sunyshore. He, along with the mysterious bartender, remember when Flint was young and battling punks in Sunyshore with Chimchar, and Volkner appeared one day. They battled and Volkner lost badly, but they continued to battle each other and eventually Volkner was able to beat Flint. Flint said they continued to fight, and Dawn asks if they hated each other. Flint says no, and the bartender explains they respected each other, but males are not honest that way. One day they had their first team battle against a rouge poacher with a Houndoom, and it hurt them and their Pokemon badly. As they lay hurt, Volkner smiled at him, and they became good friends from that day on.

Ash asks what happened to that Volkner, and the bartender explains that when Flint turned 20, he left for the Elite Four. Volkner became the strongest Gym Leader, but Flint became Elite Four. Volkner began to lose interest in battling and turned back to his original hobby, tampering with machinery. He built the solar panels and walkways, and the Sunyshore Tower which controls them, converting the entire city to electric energy, putting battling aside. When finished, his will to do anything vanished, and it felt all over for him, as he was bored with or finished everything he'd done.

Flint begins to explain that's why he wanted the burning personality Ash to meet Volkner, but Volkner walks in then saying it was no use. Flint nervously asks how long he'd been there, but Volkner ignores him and orders his regular. Flint begs him to understand why he feels this way, but Volkner mockingly says Flint only ever comes back to lecture him, calling him Mr. Elite Four. Flint becomes angry and grabs him, and Volkner continues his mocking, asking him to punch him if he wants to. Flint says Volkner's not worth it before screaming at him where did his paralyzing, shocking battler of a friend go? Volkner says they are no longer kids and to grow up. Flint begins to fire back, but they are broken up by the bartender who suggest Flint battle in Volkner's place. Flint and Ash accept, and Volkner says he doesn't care what anybody does.

Meanwhile, James has a prized bottle cap stolen by a cleaning robot and takes chase.

Flint and Ash begin to battle, three on three. Sunyshore Gym's referee is a robot as well, all apparently created by Volkner himself. As Flint's large Infernape takes out Ash's Buizel and smaller Infernape easily, the bartender tries to get Volkner to care, commenting how it's been a long time since Volkner watched Flint battle, and how unfortunate it is that he obviously feels nothing while watching these battles anymore. Volkner tries to leave, saying all battles start this way and end the same, and he doesn't care. Then Ash sends out his Pikachu, and Volkner watches. As the battle, Volkner continues to look completely bored. Pikachu gets smashed by Flare Drive and In Fight again and again, and Volkner begins to flash back to his and Flint's tag battle, in which he battled very similarly.

Pikachu is flung back by a powerful attack, and Ash catches it before it hits the wall, flinging both of them against it. Suddenly Volkner is wide awake and staring intently. He remembers doing the exact same thing, using himself to brace his Pikachu's impact against a tree. Then he orders a Thunderbolt attack, finally landing a hit on the poacher's Houndoom. Back in real time, the bartender comments how Flint and Volkner were the best paralyzing combination, and how that battle is what helped him to get out of the poaching world. He takes off his glasses, showing he has the same scar above his eye as the poacher in the flashbacks. He says Volkner still has things left to do as a Gym Leader, and Volkner looks like he is beginning to believe this as well. As the battle comes to a close, he sees himself in Ash, and watches, finally feeling interested and excited by the battle even as Ash loses badly to Flint.

Meanwhile, James has lost two bottle caps to the city, and vows revenge, furious and out of his mind. Team Rocket begins to plot Sunyshore Tower's demise.

Back in the Gym, Volkner, looking smug, tells Flint he still has work to do as a Gym Leader, delivering paralyzing, shocking battles to trainers. Flint happily exclaims his friend's name, in disbelief. Volkner thanks Flint and the bartender for opening his eyes, but the bartender says to thank Ash instead. Volkner tells him he is a good battler, and he felt heated up just watching. Ash is beside himself with happiness as Volkner accepts his challenge for a battle. Flint and Volkner smile at each other, friends once again!