AG086

Lights, Camerupt, Action! (Japanese: 映画はバクーダに乗って！！ The Film's Riding on !!) is the 86th episode of the, and the 360th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on July 22, 2004 and in the United States on July 16, 2005.

Blurb
Ash is ready for his next badge—which means heading to Mossdeep City. To get there, Ash and friends will need to take the ferry in Lilycove City. On their way there, the kids encounter a Trainer named Elijah and his Camerupt, stuck in a river. They help get Camerupt out, and Elijah explains that he travels around, showing movies to the small towns in the area.

Traveling together, the group falls into a Team Rocket trap, and Camerupt is stolen. Corphish attacks the thieves and they get Camerupt back. While camping out in the woods, the kids reminisce about the last time each of them went to the movies, describing the movies each of them saw.

They arrive in a town, and Elijah sets up the equipment and begins to show the feature: "Plusle & Minun and the Princess Rescue". Team Rocket bust up the screening and run off with the equipment. Brock stays behind to entertain the crowd, while Elijah, Ash, May, and Max chase down the thieves. A trail of film leads the kids straight to Team Rocket, and Ash’s Grovyle takes them out.

Elijah shows the rest of the movie, and everyone enjoys it—even Team Rocket, watching from a hiding place in the bushes.

Plot
Having just earned the, and with only two more to go before he could enter the Hoenn League, triumphantly declares that they're heading to his seventh Gym battle, before Max points out that Ash has no idea what or where that Gym is. After consulting his guide, announces that they're now on their way to Mossdeep City, which they will reach by way of ferry in Lilycove City. On the way, they encounter Elijah, whose heavily burdened has gotten stuck in the river. With the help of Ash and, Camerupt is soon across the river. When Max asks what his Camerupt is carrying, Elijah reveals that he runs a portable movie theater, with all of the equipment stored on his companion's back. Since Elijah and the gang are going in the same direction, they decide to travel together.

Meanwhile, Ash is being shadowed by, who are looking to capture as usual. , meanwhile, notices from up high that Camerupt is carrying movie equipment. For extremely dubious reasons, Meowth decides that Camerupt and the theater system would be perfect gifts for. James and Jessie are less certain, but decide to go ahead with the scheme anyway. Team Rocket ambushes Ash and friends with a classic pitfall trap at the next river crossing. After cutting the short, they steal Camerupt and prepare to make their getaway. Ash is quick to call out his, which promptly frees Camerupt and sends Team Rocket blasting off with a. With Team Rocket now temporarily indisposed, the group continues to a dangerous mountain path. While fantasizing about "'s Expedition", May herself nearly gets flattened by a boulder, which then blocks the narrow road. Unable to advance, the party camps for the night.

Over dinner, Elijah mentions that his work is very dangerous, but he does it anyway because he feels he has an obligation to those he entertains. Elijah also reveals a letter he got from a young girl,, in a town without a movie theater which has reinforced his determination to continue his dangerous unpaid job. Ash, Brock, Max, and May reminisce about movies they saw before leaving on their journey. Elijah offers to read the group the narration of the new and  movie (it is a silent movie for reasons that aren't explained). The group reaches the town the following morning and the group resolves to stay in the town long enough to see the movie. The villagers happily greet Elijah as they arrive, and they meet Mariah on the way into town.

The movie starts later that night, with Elijah narrating (the movie is a slapstick comedy about the kidnap and rescue of a princess). However, the movie is cut short by the intervention of Team Rocket, who appear from behind the screen, once again bent on stealing the movie equipment. Jessie calls out to use  and in the subsequent confusion steal the projector. Leaving Brock and to entertain the crowd, Ash, May, Max, and Elijah dart off to find Team Rocket. Finding a trail of film that Team Rocket dropped, they soon trace Team Rocket. quickly sends Team Rocket flying and gets back the projector, and relieves Brock (who's been singing the only song he knows over and over again). The show goes on (and it is revealed that Pikachu is a star), with even Team Rocket sneaking in to watch.

Major events

 * learns that the next Gym is located in Mossdeep City, and decides to head there via Lilycove City.

Humans

 * Max
 * Jessie
 * James
 * (fantasy)
 * Gary Oak (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * Brock's siblings (flashback)
 * Norman (flashback)
 * Caroline (flashback)
 * Elijah
 * (movie; flashback)
 * Caroline (flashback)
 * Elijah
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)

Pokémon
Pokémon Trainer's Choice:
 * (Elijah's)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie)
 * (movie)
 * (movie)
 * (movie)
 * (movie)
 * (movie)
 * (movie)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (can become giant; movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (can become giant; movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)
 * (movie; flashback)

Trivia

 * This episode features a brief appearance of characters from the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga series in the movie "The Gluttonous Visitor, Clefairy" (the title is a parody of the title of the seventh movie "The Sky-Splitting Visitor, Deoxys"), which is the only time characters from a manga series have appeared in the anime.
 * The title of this episode is similar to an earlier episode and both episodes focus on movies. Both dub titles are also a reference to the phrase, "Lights, Camera, Action!".
 * The movie May described, about a luxurious spaceship with a Natu and Xatu in love who are separated because of an ice asteroid, is a parody of the movie ' while the ship as displayed in the film is similar in design to the titular spaceship from '.
 * The movie Max described, about a giant destroying a city and battling against  fighter pilots and a giant  is based upon the Japanese television show.
 * The movie they watched at the end, about a Princess being taken by an  and being rescued by  and, is similar to the story of , which could be a reason why the movie is.
 * In Ash's flashback,, Ash's mother, and are visible in the audience. This marks Gary's first appearance in the Hoenn saga.
 * The Pichu Brothers make a cameo appearance in a flashback showing a scene from Camp Pikachu.
 * Brock once again performs his song and dance when asked to delay a crowd, like an earlier episode.
 * This episode was the first to air in Japan after the theatrical release of Destiny Deoxys.

Errors

 * The in the last movie that Brock saw had the voice of an.
 * When Team Rocket got blasted off earlier, James's Chimecho was heard despite it being in its Poké Ball. But after getting blasted away again by Ash's Grovyle, Jessie's Seviper disappears and Wobbuffet was seen even though he was in his Poké Ball.

Dub edits

 * Unlike in the manga from which he originates, Red's Clefairy is implied to be female in the dub.

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

 * Question: Trainers, which one of these Pokémon evolves into ?
 * Choices:, ,
 * Answer: OK, Trainers! If you chose, you were right!

In other languages
Projektor an und Action! EP362 AG086 AG編第86話 精灵宝可梦 超世代 第86集