Lights, Camera, Quack-tion is an episode of Liam's Adventures of Pokemon the Series.
Plot[]
Ash and his friends are at a campsite, training for the Pokémon League, when they meet a Trainer named Katrina. Though Brock tries to make an advance, Ash quickly accepts an offer to battle her Raichu with Pikachu. However, before the battle begins, Team Rocket suddenly appears with a net in an attempt to steal Pikachu, but they catch Raichu instead. After they realize this, Raichu breaks free, and uses a Thunderbolt and Mega Kick to knock Team Rocket over. As they are preparing to send Team Rocket flying, a voice yells, "Cut!" It turns out that during this entire exchange, they had been filmed without their knowledge by a producer.
The producer introduces himself (in the style of Team Rocket's motto, much to their bewilderment) as Cleavon Schpielbunk, an acclaimed director. Though Ash and Misty had never heard of him, Brock easily recognizes him as the producer of his favorite movie I Saw What You Ate Last Tuesday. Schpielbunk reveals he is in the area to cast a Pokémon for his all-Pokémon production, Pokémon in Love, after his male lead, an Abra, had teleported off the set over its costar, a Wigglytuff with a prima-donna attitude. Everyone is interested in being part of the movie, and send out their Pokémon to audition, including Pikachu, Raichu, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Vulpix, and Psyduck (though Misty originally wanted Staryu). The Pokémon easily pass though after showing off their dancing skills.
Then, Schpielbunk wants the Pokémon to sing. However, as if on cue, Jigglypuff appears and puts everyone to sleep. After waking up, Schpielbunk wants everyone to sing with Wigglytuff. When Meowth mentions to her that he works alone, he and Team Rocket's other Pokémon are attacked with Double Slap. As a result, an enraged Team Rocket leaves to comfort their Pokémon. After realizing that show business is tough, Pikachu, Raichu, and Vulpix dejectedly leave the stage. Only Psyduck, who Misty claims is too stupid to get off the stage, gets the part. Brock comes to Psyduck's defense and claims that it was only acting stupid.
Later, Brock asks Schpielbunk for a plot summary of Pokémon in Love, and learns that Psyduck and Wigglytuff are lovers who are caught in a family feud between Psyduck's fellow Water-types and Wigglytuff's Normal-types. However, just as the movie reaches a climactic battle, ruffian Fighting-types appear, and a stray arrow hits Psyduck, fatally wounding him. The family feud ends after Wigglytuff shows remorse over Psyduck's death. While Brock is amazed at Schpielbunk's brilliance, Misty claims that it isn't original at all, instead being similar to Romeo and Juliet. Despite this, Ash and his friends agree to assist the production. Meanwhile, Team Rocket begins plotting their revenge on behalf of their Pokémon.
Schpielbunk begins filming by shooting the climactic scene, with Staryu providing rain effects, Pidgeotto providing wind effects, and Pikachu and Raichu embedded among the large mass of Normal and Water types for thunder effects, as Pikachu and Raichu have their respective groups attack each other. However, as Wigglytuff and Psyduck prepare to enter the fray, Pikachu is thrown into Wigglytuff, and it responds adversely. Just then, smoke fills the area and Team Rocket appears. However, this only causes all of the Pokémon to turn their attention on Team Rocket. Schpielbunk then orders his crew to join the brawl.
Ash and his friends take the opportunity to pose in front of the now-unattended camera, but they refocus when Team Rocket gets the upper hand and kidnaps all of the Pokémon, except Psyduck, with the help of a large magnet on a crane. As both Misty and Wigglytuff prompt Psyduck to take action, Psyduck manages to snap and, in his brief moment of Psychic powers, uses Confusion to free everyone and send Team Rocket flying. As Psyduck passes out from exhaustion, Wigglytuff comes over to him, concerned, while Ash leads all of the Pokémon to cheer for Psyduck.
That night, Ash is worried as another day was wasted from not training, but Brock and Misty console him. Schpielbunk then expresses his belief that Ash's adventures would be great movie material, and that any male lead would have plenty of female fans. This piques Brock's interest and he immediately tries to sign up. Meanwhile, Wigglytuff and Psyduck are alone by the lake, while Team Rocket are precariously stuck in a tree over a steep descent.
Major events[]
- Nao and Sumire encounter the recurring Jigglypuff for the first time.
Characters[]
Humans[]
- Nao
- Sumire
- Brock
- Katrina
- Misty
- Ash
Pokémon[]
- Jigglypuff (anime)
- Psyduck
- Wigglytuff
- Meowth
- Vulpix
- Raichu
- Arbok
- Weezing
- Cloyster
- Tauros
- Chansey
- Gyarados
- Blastoise
- Magnemite
- Krabby
- Doduo
- Raticate
- Togepi
- Abra (mentioned)
- Staryu
- Pidgeotto
Trivia[]
- Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture: Venonat
- Pokémon senryū summary: Venonat, on a night stroll, good evening.
- Type: Wild replaced Meowth's Song as the Japanese ending theme.
- The premise of Pokémon in Love is based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with Psyduck as Romeo, Wigglytuff as Juliet, and their respective types being the Montagues and the Capulets, though the two differ on how they end, presumably due to the original source's double suicide scene.
- This episode's English dub title is a reference to the popular movie phrase "Lights, Camera, Action!"
- This episode is featured on Volume 13: Psyduck from Viz Media's Pokémon All-Stars series.
- In the English dub, I Saw What You Ate Last Tuesday is a reference to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. Originally, the film that Brock liked was called There's Nothing I Like More Than Breakfast.
- Katrina has actually seen the aforementioned movie in the original, whereas in the English dub, she says she "almost saw it".
- In the English dub, when the Pokémon are dancing, the Pokémon Dance Mix plays as background music. In the original, Lucky Lucky was played instead.
- When Pikachu and Raichu simulate lightning for the climactic showdown, in the English dub, they both use Thunder Shock. In the original they both use Thunder.
- Meowth's "two paws down" line in the English dub is a reference to the film critics "Siskel and Ebert" who, in their show At the Movies, gave films either a "Two Thumbs up" or "Two Thumbs Down" review.
- Misty's mention of Brock being a "great choice" for Schpielbunk's new movie was originally her requesting if she could be in it as well.
- In the Hungama TV, Cleavon Schpielbunk's name was changed to Karan Johar, a real-life Indian film director.