Continuing on their way to Nacrene City, Ash & co. find a Dwebble making its shell while having a lunch break. However three larger Dwebbles appear and steal the smaller Dwebble's shell, and after a short conflict which involved Pansage getting injured Ash & co. decide to help Dwebble gets its shell back. However Dwebble is shell-less, outnumbered, and refuses to accept help in this endeavor and we soon discover Pansage's injury is more worse then everyone thought. Meanwhile the Rocket Trio meet up with Pierce and he gives them their next mission involving them stealing meteorite information from a research lab. Will Dwebble be able to get its shell back? How serious is Pansage's injury? Can Team Rocket steal the meteorite information? And will Cilan be able to get anyone to eat a sandwich one halve at a time?

To Make A Shell, You Must First Start With A Conveniently-Shaped Rock:
The episode starts with Ash & co. having stopped for lunch near a river in a small rocky valley. Cilan is gracefully making a potato salad sandwich describing all the steps he took in making it until Iris interrupts by gobbling the sandwich. Though Cilan is happy Iris is enjoying his cooking he asked Iris doesn't she want it cut but Iris says she likes it the way it is. We then complete the trio by going to Ash and see he's resting at the picnic table with a rumbling stomach but he gets right up as soon as Cilan gives him a sandwich and starts gobbling it down too.

Ash: Man, you make the greatest sandwiches in the whole world Cilan.
Comment: Gee Ash was sure quick to give Brock's "best cook" title away. I would also like the note that though Cilan gave Ash the sandwich cut in half, Ash is eating both halves like it's a double decker burger.

Ash asks Pikachu what he thinks of Cilan's cooking and it gives an accepting "pika pika" and Iris says Axew likes it too. However Axew gets interested in some rocks and wanders over as Iris asks what it's doing and Pikachu follows it. Axew looks around the rock but Pikachu pulls it back but it starts talking in an urgent way and both it and Pikachu look around the rock to see a shell-less Dwebble tapping against a rock which looks like a Dwebble shell. Ash & co. come over and see this and Cilan says that he never saw a Dwebble without a rock on its back. After Ash checks his Pokedex and hears about how Dwebble makes its home in a rock, they figure that's what it's doing and Cilan says they're about to see a rare occurrence as Dwebble flips over the rock and starts digging into it. Dwebble starts spitting something which Iris questions and the Pokedex says that it uses a special liquid to make digging through rocks easier. They continue to watch Dwebble carve the rock until it finally considers it suitable to go and stay in. With its shell on Cilan says that's what Dwebble normally look like and Iris says it looks like a cream puff and it looks cute (luckily it has a shell just in case Dawn tries to pulls it cheeks).

Granite Theft Shell:
As the Dwebble walks off there's a rumbling and three large shells break through the ground and the Dwebble stops to see three larger Dwebbles with equally larger and slightly more decorative shells in front of it.

Ash: Look at all those Dwebble, awesome!
Iris: Maybe they're friends.
*The biggest Dwebble command the other two to attack the first Dwebble*
Comment: Yup, they look to be the best of friends.

Ash wonders what's going on as the small Dwebble tumbles over a few times and seeing the two lackey Dwebbles ready to use Slash uses Protect (a move it can only learn through a TM...) to defend itself. Ash asks why are the larger Dwebbles are attacking the small Dwebble as it attacks with its own Slash but the lackey Dwebbles do a double Protect knocking the small Dwebble back and they counter by slamming it with their shell (no, I don't know what attack that is, neither the show nor Bulbapedia says) which knocks its shell off. The leader Dwebble comes over and puts the small Dwebble's newly made shell on its shell and the two lackey Dwebbles use that special liquid to cement it on (they never show them but I think it's obvious it was them spraying the liquid). Ash yells at the three large Dwebbles to knock it off but they dig away and the small Dwebble starts to dig after them. Ash cheers the small Dwebble on as Cilan sends out Pansage and tells it to use Dig (hmm, I guess it could be useful against Fire-type Pokemon) to help the small Dwebble.

Sometime later Pansage surfaces and Cilan asks what happened but the small Dwebble also surfaces though it's still missing its shell. Cilan goes over to it and says that they saw everything and is sorry it lost its shell but it freaks out and runs away. Ash & co. start chasing after the Dwebble as Iris jumps ahead and cuts it off saying it doesn't have to be afraid but it starts running the other direction. However that direction leads it to Ash and Cilan and as they and Pikachu try to calm it down it attacks with a Slash and misses Pikachu but smashes a rock which sends a piece of rock straight at Pansage's face knocking it down. Cilan runs over to check on Pansage as well as Dwebble who has calmed down and is seemingly apologizing. A scene transition later and we see Cilan spraying Pansage's wound with a Super Potion and Pansage is sitting up alright. Dwebble once again comes up and apologizes as Pansage and everyone else accept its apology saying they know it was just upset from having its shell taken. Iris suggests that Dwebble could make a new shell but it shakes its head "no" and Iris says it wants its shell back with Cilan saying of course it does as it worked hard to make it. Ash says that they'll help Dwebble get its shell back but it refuses and dig away, however Cilan decides that they'll help anyway.

Fever-On, Apply Rock To The Forehead:
We see Pierce waiting outside a tunnel and after a car passes the Rocket Trio appear. Pierce gives them a nod and they head into the tunnel as another car passes and they vanish. Deeper in the tunnel Pierce says they're inside an abandoned subway tunnel saying it's the "perfect location" as James agrees explaining what it's perfect for (you know James there might have been a reason why Pierce didn't say that information, out loud). Pierce tells them their next mission to get more information on the meteorite (is it me or were they pronouncing meteorite strangely?) and Meowth mentions "meteometal" which Pierce says is right (though how did Meowth know that?). Pierce uses a ring to project a screen showing them a building called the "Antimony Research Lab" and they are to infiltrate it and get the information it has on the meteorite. Jessie says it sounds like a "fun time" and Pierce says that he'll see how good they are.

Back to Ash & co., Pidove flies back to Ash and he asks if it found the Dwebbles which it responds with a "no" head shake. Pansage surfaces from the ground only to reveal it was equally unsuccessful. Iris wonders where the larger Dwebbles went and the small Dwebble then surfaces revealing it hasn't found anything either (I thought it didn't want Ash & co.'s help?). Cilan says that it's late and they should have dinner and invites Dwebble. That night, as they're eating and asking how Dwebble likes Cilan's cooking, Pansage suddenly falls back and Cilan feels its head to found it has a fever which Ash says it could have gotten from being hit by the rock (how?). Dwebble once again feels bad for having caused the rock to hit Pansage as Cilan says they don't have any potions but Iris says that she'll take care of it as she and Axew saw some herbs which cures fever... wait a second, that's the music from Dragonspiral Tower! Anyway Iris and Axew run off to get the herbs... sorry I mean we jump cut to Iris mixing the herbs and feeding it to Pansage. She says that Pansage should be fine after a night's sleep as Ash tells Iris and Axew they did a great job though Dwebble still looks concerned. That night around a still lit campfire (yes, that's not dangerous at all...) Cilan wakes up to see Dwebble still watching Pansage and asks if it's still worried and says everything will be alight. He tells it that it should get some sleep so it could get its shell back tomorrow so it tucks Pansage under the blanket and lays down to sleep.

Over the the R Plot (see what I did there? ), the Rocket Trio scale to the top of the wall and put on goggles which shows them the security lasers and we get a quick montage of them sneaking around the lasers and breaking into the lab. We meet back with them in the ceiling of a tall room and noting the room is filled with lasers James releases a handheld box which flies down like a helicopter and upon landing unfolds a "stand" which starts transmitting the information back to them (because apparently you don't need to find an access point like a USB port to access a computers mainframe, you just need to be touching it ). James encounters a password but does... something... which cracks it (apparently the laboratory uses video game symbols for their top secret information passwords) and gets the meteorite information.

Divide And Launch Off:
Next morning Pansage is doing backflips as Ash and Cilan thank Iris once more for making the cure. Dwebble walks up and Cilan tells Pansage that Dwebble was up all night looking after it and that it's now time to find Dwebble's shell. Suddenly the three large Dwebbles surfaced from the ground (apparently Pansage forced them out) but start to run away as Axew gives chase followed by Iris who tells it to not let them get away. At first it looked like Axew lost them but the three large Dwebbles simply hid in their shells initially tricking Axew but blow their cover by laughing as Ash & co. catch up. Ash demands they give the small Dwebble (yes, I'm calling it "small Dwebble" again) its shell back but the small Dwebble tries to attack however it's knocked back by the two lackey Dwebbles using their shells. Iris says the small Dwebble is outnumbered 3-to-1 and Ash sends Pikachu in to help but the small Dwebble stops it as it wants to fight them alone. Ash asks if the small Dwebble thinks it can get its shell back on its own and it shakes in head "yes" as Ash tells it to go for it. The leader Dwebble tells one of its lackeys to attack with a Slash as the small Dwebble also does a Slash but it gets knocked back. Cilan and Ash says that without a shell the small Dwebble is defenseless as it tries another Slash only to hit a Protect and smacked with a shell knocking it out as the three larger Dwebbles dig away.

Later Ash tells the small Dwebble it's impossible for it to take the three larger Dwebbles on and they start making a plan to split them up and Cilan says that they'll use his Pokemon food. The food is laid out and Pikachu, Axew, and Pansage are holding the food ball strings as the three larger Dwebbles appear. Cilan gives the command for them to start running in different directions which caused the three larger Dwebbles to chase after the now "runaway" food bowls. The small Dwebbles first goes after one of the lackey Dwebbles but as soon as it tries a Slash it's brushed off. The small Dwebble leads the lackey Dwebble into a rocky area where the small Dwebble can have some protection. The small Dwebble spots a loose rock just as the lackey Dwebble find it and uses an X-Scissor (which Dwebble learns at level 35. I tell you this because Dwebble evolves into Crustle at level 34...) but the small Dwebble jumps out of the way causing the loose rock above to be shaken free and falls on the lackey Dwebble... which launches it off (I guess with Team Rocket no longer being "blasting off again" the show is lacking in its "launch off" quota). The lackey Dwebble didn't launch far though and the small Dwebble finds and finishes it with an X-Scissor and Slash combo as Ash & co. cheer it on. The small Dwebble then goes after the second and last lackey Dwebble with a surprise Slash. The second lackey Dwebble tries attacking with its shell but the small Dwebble tricks it into getting stuck between two tall rocks and the small Dwebble sends it launching off with an X-Scissor which knocks it out upon landing.

Bringing Down The Don:
Ash & co. and the small Dwebble finally confront the leader Dwebble and it realizes it's missing its lackeys which Iris points out it's on its own and Cilan adds in that it makes things fair and square. The leader Dwebble tries hitting the small Dwebble with its shell but the small Dwebble dodges and tries doing a Slash. However the leader Dwebble turns its shell toward the small Dwebble causing it to stop or else hit the shell it's trying to get back and the leader Dwebble smacks it away. Ash and Cilan discuss this as the leader Dwebble tries to attack the small Dwebble with a Slash but the small Dwebble jumps out of the way. The leader Dwebble uses Smack Down though which hits Dwebble causing it to fall back down like a rock (insert Rock-type joke here). The small Dwebble get backs up and charges at the leader Dwebble but before making contact it makes a sharp turn having the leader Dwebble chase after it. The small Dwebble tricks the leader Dwebble into getting stuck under a small arch and does an X-Scissor.

However the leader Dwebble is not down yet and knocks the small Dwebble away but the small Dwebble starts glowing (being at least level 35 it normally wouldn't be surprising) and red cracks start appearing. This turns out to be Shell Smash (which Dwebble learns at level 37...) as Iris explains to Ash that it decreases the small Dwebble's Defense (and Special Defense) in exchanged for increased Attack (and Special Attack and Speed). The white shards from the Shell Smash go into the small Dwebble's claws to create a large X-Scissor which smashed the leader Dwebbe's shell while freeing the small Dwebble's stolen shell. The small Dwebble stares down the now shell-less leader Dwebble which digs away as the small Dwebble inspects and puts back on its reclaimed shell as Ash & co. congratulate it.

Finishing the R Plot, the Rocket Trio give Pierce the meteorite information and Pierce says that he sees why they were the first to be sent to the Unova region. They say they don't need praise and have to leave as they vanish with a woosh of Pierce's coat and he too vanished leaving an empty subway tunnel.

Ash & co. say their goodbyes to Dwebble but as they set off Dwebble runs up to them, more specifically Cilan. Cilan asks Dwebble what's rong and Iris says that the thinks Dwebble wants to go with Cilan.

Cilan: I get it. Getting your home back all by yourself was heavy and fair, and worrying about Pansage was delicate and light. Fantastic, the perfect Pokemon for me! We're a good match!
Comment: "Perfect Pokemon for me"? What do you have to say about that Pansage?

And with said and a toss of a Pokeball, Cilan catches Dwebble! Ash congratulates Cilan as well as Pansage (guess he's okay not being considered Cilan's perfect Pokemon ), Iris, and Axew. With a new Pokemon in Cilan's party and the group overall, Ash & co. continue on their journey and toward Nacrene City.