Japanese Title: Pokémon the Movie!
Original Airdate: November 6, 1998
US Airdate: October 8th, 1999
The one where... They're going Hollywood, baby!
A famous movie director comes to town and everybody wants to be the star. Since he only wants Pokémon in his movie, Ash, Brock, Misty and Team Rocket fight hard to make sure it's their Pokémon that will star opposite Wigglytuff.
Tropes
- Angst Coma: After enduring the panic and stress of Team Rocket kidnapping the other Pokemon and channeling his massive psychic powers to save them, Psyduck is so exhausted he faints dead away.
- Artistic License – Film Production: As Rule of Funny demands, but Averted in at least one place: Schpielbunk deliberately films the script's last scene first.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: By the end of the episode, Wigglytuff's love for Psyduck appears to become genuine.
- Big Ball of Violence: The movie was supposed to end with a fight between two groups of Pokémon, but devolves into this when Team Rocket gets in the way. Schpielbunk thinks this makes it more entertaining and even decides to join in.
- Hey, That's My Line!: Team Rocket is offended by Schpielbunk's very similar motto.
- Leave the Camera Running: In-universe. When Ash, Misty, and Brock notice the camera is still rolling, they take the time to speak to the camera.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The gang comments how great it would be to star in a movie. This episode aired around the same time that Pokémon: The First Movie came out.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Three guesses who Clevon Schpeilbunk is a parody of.
- Oh, Crap!: When Schpielbunk asks the Pokémon to sing, right on cue, Jigglypuff appears and everyone has this reaction.
- Psyduck also has this reaction when Team Rocket captures the other Pokemon and Misty yells at him to do something. He runs around panicking and apparently develops a major stress headache...which unlocks his full psychic powers. After Psyduck saves the other Pokemon, he faints from the emotional exhaustion and is comforted by Wigglytuff.
- The Prima Donna: Wigglytuff can be hard to work with.
- Ridiculous Procrastinator: Ash is still finding excuses to not train.
- Shout-Out: One of Schpeilbunk's films is I Saw What You Ate Last Tuesday.
- To Shakespeare: Pokémon in Love is very similar to Romeo and Juliet. Lampshaded by Misty.
- Show Within a Show: Schpeilbunk's film Pokémon in Love.
- Taking the Bullet: In the film, Psyduck takes an arrow meant for Wigglytuff.
- Throw It In!: Schpielbunk decides to keep the scene with Team Rocket attacking, though he says Glad I Thought of It.
- You Just Ruined the Shot: Team Rocket stumbles onto a film set when trying to steal Pikachu.
