Sam, a young Pokémon Trainer hailing from forty years before the main events, begins his journey in the forests near Arborville in Johto. There, a woman named Towa warns him about the "Voice of the Forest"—the Mythical Pokémon Celebi, known for time travel. She instructs Sam that hearing its distinctive sound requires standing still to avoid temporal displacement and gives him berry bread. While exploring, Sam witnesses Celebi pursued by a Pokémon hunter and intervenes to protect it. Shielding the injured Celebi triggers its powers, inadvertently hurtling both Sam and Celebi forty years into the future. Arriving injured and unconscious, Sam is found by Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Brock. He awakens distraught over Celebi's absence and learns of his time travel from the elderly Towa, who returns his personal sketchbook filled with detailed Pokémon illustrations. Sam joins Ash and his companions to find the wounded Celebi. He demonstrates resourcefulness, using an older-model, gray screw-top Pokéball to release his Charmeleon against the Iron Masked Marauder's controlled Sneasel and Scizor. Sam's sketchbook, containing entries resembling Pokédex data, helps him bond with Ash over shared experiences like witnessing a Metapod evolution. He guides Celebi to the Lake of Life for healing and later aids efforts to free Celebi after its capture and corruption by the Marauder's Dark Ball. During the climactic battle, Sam helps breach Celebi's forest armor and makes an emotional appeal to its memories, facilitating its liberation. After Celebi's near-fatal energy depletion and revival by Celebi from across time, Sam prepares to return to his own era. He shares a farewell with Ash, expressing confidence in their lasting friendship. Departing with Celebi, a post-credits sequence reveals Sam's identity as the younger incarnation of Professor Samuel Oak: Tracey Sketchit discovers Sam's sketchbook in Oak's laboratory, featuring a drawing of Pikachu and Celebi. Professor Oak further substantiates this connection by referencing Sam by name to Ash, despite never being told it. Sam's documented background includes no appearances beyond this narrative. His character arc explores temporal displacement, compassion for Pokémon, and artistic talent, culminating in the revelation of his future role as Kanto's foremost Pokémon researcher.