The mysterious Pokémon researcher named Dr. Yung has engineered a revolutionary Mirage system which brings back extinct creatures like Kabutops and Armaldo from computer data. Ash, Professor Oak, and their companions receive an invitation from Dr. Yung to the Mirage Mansion where they witness the apparatus' astonishing capabilities. Amid a clash between Dr. Yung's Mirage Pokémon and Ash, the machine malfunctions, and a Mirage Aerodactyl swoops in to embezzle Dr. Yung. A stranger called "The Mirage Master" shows up and announces that the system can produce Pokémon with no flaws. Ash, Misty, and Professor Oak struggle to subdue the crazed criminal and escape with their lives.