Cliff showed up to protect Ash and his friends from a group of Beartic then brought them back to his home in order to take a break. He made an attempt to capture Meowth but was unsuccessful. Cliff then took the group into the forest to try to return the Cubchoo they found to its family. When they got separated from Pikachu, Oshawott, Tepig, Axew, Meowth, and Cubchoo, he used his Mienfoo to help guide them through the forest.