At the start of the episode, Ulrich walks up to his friends, who are all crowded around Yumi. They seem to be sad, but Ulrich can't figure out why because no one is talking to him. Then, the bell rings and everyone heads for class. In Spanish class, Odd explains to Ulrich that Yumi's father lost his job and the Ishiyama family may be moving back to Japan so he can look for work. Shocked, Ulrich asks the teacher if the can go to the Infirmary so that he can get out of class. He drags Yumi out of class and they have a serious conversation. Ulrich makes up excuses for why Yumi can stay, but Yumi says they may or may not be moving. Yumi's optimism doesn't make Ulrich feel any better. She sarcastically suggests that he write to the President to stop them from moving, but Ulrich takes it quite seriously.
That night, Ulrich writes letters to the President, but he hates all his drafts. As he tries to concentrate, the radio blares. The man on the radio announces the lottery numbers for a thirty million euro prize. If the Ishiyamas had that money, they wouldn't have to move. Ulrich jots down the numbers: 6, 22 ,10 ,47 ,13 , 37 and the mega-number; 14. At the Ishiyama house, tempers are boiling over. As the family eats dinner, Mrs. Ishiyama tells her husband if he went to see the temporary employment agency. Mr. Ishiyama is stressed out and scolding Yumi but she did not do anything. Mr. Ishiyama asks Yumi something else? Disgusted, Mrs. Ishiyama pulls out of her seat and walks off. At Kadic, Jeremie, Aelita, and Odd are wondering where Ulrich is. Suddenly, a time reversion sweeps by, bringing everyone back to morning. Immediately, Jeremie finds out it was not XANA's doing. It had to have been someone well-versed in the operations of the supercomputer. Outside of school, Ulrich fills out an entry for the lottery at a street vendor's store.
In class, Ulrich tells Odd that he wants to be alone. Once class was over, Ulrich heads over to Yumi's house, giving them a lottery ticket. Her parents thank him for the ticket and as Ulrich leaves, he asks them not to tell Yumi that he was the one who gave the lottery ticket. Yumi does something wrong and gets scolded and asks. It was Yumi's fault. As the Ishiyamas listen into the radio, they are shocked as the man reads out the exact same numbers on the ticket. Incredibly, they beat out the 1:14,000,000 chance of winning. Yumi walks in, wondering what all the commotion is about. Mrs. Ishiyama tells Yumi, despite Ulrich's request, that Ulrich gave them the lottery ticket. In the lab, Aelita figures out that Ulrich activated the time reversion. Later on, when Aelita, Odd, Jeremie, and Yumi are at their usual meeting spot, Ulrich walks in. Yumi says that her parents aren't accepting the money, stating that Ulrich should keep the money. They berate him for his irrationality, secrecy, betrayal, lack-of-foresight, and selfishness in his actions. Then, they banish Ulrich from the group and walk off. Depressed as ever, Ulrich talks to Sissi. In Lyoko's Desert sector, dozens of Crabs are marching through. Meanwhile, Herb and Nicholas are washing their hands in the bathroom. After Herb leaves, one of XANA's ghosts possesses Nicholas.
During class, Jeremie detects an activated tower. When the bell rings, the gang leaves for the Factory without Ulrich. As class ends, the teacher tells them to think of ways they can improve the quality of living in Africa. A possessed Nicholas follows Team Lyoko as they leave. In the Factory, Jeremie virtualizes the others into Lyoko's Desert sector and brings up their vehicles. Then, Nicholas jumps down from the lab's support beams and tosses Jeremie against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Nicholas starts zapping the computer interface. On Lyoko, Aelita sees a swarm of Crabs as she rides on the Overboard. Yumi asks if she's really seeing them. Aelita replies, "There are no mirages on Lyoko." As the three fly away, they hear Nicholas' laughter instead of Jeremie. Yumi is shot down and they all hide behind a ridge. Yumi says she can really feel the pain from the laser, which isn't supposed to happen. At Kadic, Sissi is watching Ulrich practicing Pencak Silat. Herb comes in saying he can't find Nicholas, commenting on his flickering eyes and distorted voice. At hearing this, Ulrich runs off toward the Factory. On Lyoko, a swarm of Crabs are approaching the Lyokons. Aelita uses her Creativity to raise a sand wall, temporarily halting the Crabs' advance.
When Ulrich reaches the lab, he is attacked by Nicholas. Ulrich tries to kick him, but his leg goes right through him. Instead, he tricks Nicholas into entering the elevator and pulls out the wires, trapping him. On Lyoko, the Crabs start burrowing into the sand wall, destroying it. Ulrich slaps Jeremie on the cheek to wake him up and heads down to the Scanner Room, via a hatch in the floor. Jeremie manages to repair the damage Nicholas caused and once again, the Lyokons don't feel pain. Ulrich virtualizes into their position and they hold off the Crabs' attack. The Crabs then take a defensive position, protecting the activated tower. Jeremie virtualizes their vehicles and the plan is for Odd to take Aelita to the tower, while Yumi and Ulrich attack the Crabs. Odd and Aelita take off, dodging laser fire and weaving through the legs of the Crabs. Yumi and Ulrich fly above the Crabs, shooting at them as they pass by. As Odd drops off Aelita at the activated tower, Nicholas electrifies the elevator, taking him back to the lab. Aelita deactivates the tower, just as Nicholas is electrocuting Jeremie. Immediately, the ghost leaves Nicholas and he is left unconscious.
Afterwards, they see Nicholas at the Infirmary. As they walk out, they let Ulrich back into the group. Ulrich admits that he was selfish in his actions and decides that he will give the prize money to an organization that builds wells in Africa. Yumi gets a call from her mother and finds out that her father found a job. Yumi won't be moving after all.
This episode contains examples of:
- Body Surf: XANA does this with Nicholas this time, after previously doing it with Sissi, Jeremie and Jim.
- Elevator Action Sequence: Briefly with XANA!Nicholas and Ulrich, trapping him in the elevator by severing the connection for a good while.
- Feel No Pain: Subverted, as the warriors don't feel much pain normally, but after XANA!Nicholas programs them to feel pain and not be devirtualised when killed, they all feel pain, and can be permanently killed.
- Gilligan Cut: Yumi jokingly tells Ulrich to write to the president about Yumi, which is exactly what the next scene shows him doing, to no avail.
- Leave Me Alone!!: After being disowned from his group, Ulrich hangs up with Sissi, but after she admires him training his martial arts, he politely tells her he'd rather to be left alone. However, Sissi points that's the least thing he needs when feeling depressed, and that he need to be with his friends.
- Mood Whiplash: The intense chewing out Ulrich receives from the group is followed almost immediately by Herve and Nicholas getting into a childish fight.
- Never Win the Lottery: A Variation. Ulrich wins the lottery by way of time travel, which Jeremie and co. disapprove of, not before giving the ticket to Yumi's parents who gracefully decline the money and Ulrich gives it to an African well-building association.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Ulrich using the "Return to the Past" without permission from anyone in order to keep Yumi and her parents from moving wasn't the best idea. Especially since using the feature allows XANA to get stronger. The Lyoko Warriors immediately kick him out upon him revealing he was the culprit.
- Oh, Crap!: Ulrich gets one before getting blasted in the chest by a Krab.
- Timeline-Altering MacGuffin: The lottery numbers; 6, 22, 10,47, 13, 37, and 14 are on a ticket which Ulrich gives to Yumi's parents to help solve their money woes. Unlike other examples of this trope, the gang do not approve, and the family do not take the money.
- What the Hell, Hero?: It really goes without saying, but Ulrich going behind everyone's back and returning to the past, despite knowing that XANA grows stronger every time it's used, in order for the lottery ticket to be of any use was in no way well received by the group.
- Worldbuilding:
- Yumi's parents are further explored as being argumentative at not finding a temp job.
- According to Aelita, you cannot see mirages on Lyoko.
