Bulbapedia

AG087

← AG086 : Lights, Camerupt, Action!
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
AG088 : The Garden of Eatin' →
Crazy as a Lunatone
AG087.png
AG087   EP361
神秘！宇宙から来たポケモン！？
Mystery! A Pokémon from Space!?
First broadcast
Japan July 29, 2004
United States August 20, 2005
English themes
Opening This Dream
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening チャレンジャー!!
Ending いっぱいサマー!!
Credits
Animation Team Ota
Screenplay 武上純希 Junki Takegami
Storyboard 秦義人 Yoshito Hata
Assistant director 秦義人 Yoshito Hata
Animation director 志村泉 Izumi Shimura
Additional credits

Crazy as a Lunatone (Japanese: 神秘！宇宙から来たポケモン！？ Mystery! A Pokémon from Space!?) is the 87th episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 361st episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on July 29, 2004, and in the United States on August 20, 2005.

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Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
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Blurb

Ken and Mary of the Pokémon Mystery Club (PMC) are once again looking for a Pokémon from outer space, checking the site of a meteor crash. A Lunatone emerges and zaps them, erasing their memories of the encounter.

Meanwhile, Ash and friends reach Volley Town, finding it strangely deserted. They walk into the Pokémon Center for assistance but Nurse Joy is zoned out and unhelpful. Brock doesn't believe it's the real Nurse Joy.

Team Rocket sneaks into the Pokémon Center, but bump into Ash and friends. When Nurse Joy approaches, they all run, and hide in a storage room. There, they run into the frightened Lunatone. It tries to use Psychic on them, but passes out instead.

Nurse Joy returns to normal and treats Lunatone. It needs moonlight to survive, so they decide to take it up to nearby Camerupt Point where the full moon shines. They hide the Pokémon from the PMC in a cart and pull it up the hill, but are cut off by Team Rocket. Team Rocket gets into a fight with the Pokémon Mystery Club.

The PMC sends Team Rocket blasting off. Pikachu, Mudkip, and Beautifly team up to drive off the PMC, but they won't be defeated. The full moon rises and Lunatone charges up and send the pair off with Hidden Power. The kids then bid farewell to Lunatone.

Plot

At the crack of dawn, a meteor crashes on Earth and sends out a shock wave felt for miles. The Pokémon Mystery Club, which consists of Ken and Mary, are psyched about this, so they hurry to check it out. Taking out their flashlights and equipment, they use their skills to construct a mechanical vehicle with robotic arms and quickly locate their target. Next, they use a missile launcher to blast it enough to get samples. Out of the meteor comes a bright glow, and within seconds, the Meteorite Pokémon Lunatone rises up from the rocks. The PMC is thrilled by the rare find, though Lunatone proves too agile to catch. As Lunatone sees its chance, it uses telekinesis to lift the heavy vehicle, distracting Ken and Mary. They desperately try zapping it, but Lunatone just absorbs the energy. Lunatone opens its eyes and freezes Ken and Mary in the red glow of Hypnosis before fleeing to nearby Volley Town.

Ash and his friends are making their way to Lilycove City and they decide to stop at Volley Town, ostensibly to rest at a Pokémon Center. When they arrive, Volley Town resembles more of a ghost town with its empty streets. They discover that the Pokémon Center is also deserted, without even a Nurse Joy behind the counter to welcome them. Just then, Joy emerges from the back room, having heard them, coming to investigate. When asked to heal Pokémon or let them stay, Nurse Joy rudely refuses and tells them that this is a bad choice for a Pokémon Center, and walks out. Everyone is flabbergasted at Nurse Joy's strange behavior. Brock, however, considers himself the "Nurse Joy expert" and takes out his Joy photo album from his backpack. He claims to know them all very well, and no Joy would ever act like that without reason. But anyway, since Volley Town Joy is so stubborn, they decide to enjoy a good meal while at the Center.

People and Pokémon alike chow down, but Lombre suddenly seems to be picking up something and walks over to investigate it. Seconds later, Brock realizes that Lombre is missing and its dish is still full. Two figures appear from behind the bushes. Instantly they suspect Team Rocket, but are shocked to realize that these people have a Pokédex machine they are using to get info on Lombre. After getting the info, they decide to remove their masks and reveal themselves as Ken and Mary from the PMC, a duo that Ash and Brock remember from when they helped a Cleffa. Ken and Mary inform them about the meteor crash and their encounter with a Lunatone, a Pokémon from outer space. Thinking fast, they say their goodbyes and rush off to look for it.

The group decides to return to the Center to rest up, and the Rocket trio, while spying on them in the bushes, decides to follow them. Unfortunately for Team Rocket, it's closed by the time they get there, so they resort to climbing through a window. However, they make a bit too big of a crash when landing inside. Naturally, Ash and company investigate the crash and come to a long hallway where they spot the mysterious shadows. Max wonders aloud if it is the Pokémon from outer space, though the Rocket trio confirms their identities and intentions to reach the meteor first. Joy's voice interrupts them, and nervously, Team Rocket and the group go into hiding in the Center's storage room. A rustling sound coming from some nearby boxes causes James to turn his flashlight in that direction and he discovers Lunatone. Ash checks his Pokédex for info, and it classifies Lunatone as the "Meteorite Pokémon", affirming its extraterrestrial origins. Suddenly, the light clicks on, and Joy appears in the doorway. She's definitely surprised they found Lunatone and is even more surprised when Team Rocket threatens to capture it. Sending out Cacnea and Seviper, they try a combined Needle Arm and Bite. Lunatone opens its eyes and easily takes care of them with a Psychic blast, knocking them both out. However, after such a powerful attack, Lunatone collapses on the floor, tired out. Brock offers to help Joy with Lunatone's treatment. Meanwhile, Meowth is conversing with Lunatone in the corner and is genuinely concerned about it. However, he is overruled by his teammates, who insist on using force. They command their respective Pokémon to use Needle Arm and Poison Tail. Realizing that Lunatone is too tired to battle, Ash has Pikachu interfere and send Team Rocket blasting off with a Thunderbolt.

While examining Lunatone at the table, Joy declares that it's in a really weak condition, and there's only one way they can heal it. They will have to expose it to moonlight, and she points out that Camerupt Point is the ideal location. As they embark on their journey through the mountainous pass, they bring Lunatone with them in a big cardboard box on wheels, along with some other aid equipment. Pikachu is in there too, to keep an eye on Lunatone and make sure it's okay, and that it doesn't go crazy. Suddenly, they run into the PMC once again, who asks if they've seen the meteor or the mysterious moon-shaped Pokémon. The group leads Ken and Mary on a wild goose chase, giving random directions, and then passing by, glad to get them out of their way. Ken remains suspicious, so they take out their kit and once again build a machine to help them find it. The group and Joy have nearly reached the top, and Max is the first to notice a distant formation in the rocks which resembles the back of a Camerupt. Joy affirms they have reached Camerupt Point, adding that the moon should rise right about now.

A big round yellow object rising above the mountains proves only to be Team Rocket in their balloon, still not having given up. As they stretch out their mechanical claw to grab Lunatone, Ash leaps to intervene, but the PMC in their own mecha come in between Team Rocket and Lunatone first. After a bit of verbal arguing, Ken and Mary's vehicle shakes Team Rocket's balloon up a bit and proceeds to send Team Rocket blasting off. Ash and his friends turn their attention to stopping the PMC. Pikachu tries an Iron Tail attack but is knocked back by the machine’s arm. Mudkip uses Water Gun, hitting them a little, but suffers the same fate. May tries a different strategy, using her Beautifly’s Silver Wind, dealing them a lot of damage. Mudkip and Pikachu use Water Gun and Thunderbolt again, though their efforts fail to make any difference. Suddenly, Joy notices that the moon is rising. Everyone watches as it slowly rises, and Lunatone uses its Moonlight technique, replenishing all its energy. Lunatone uses its Hidden Power, destroying the machine, and sending the PMC blasting off. Ash expresses pride for being involved in solving such a huge mystery and helping a rare Pokémon like Lunatone. However, they soon part, as Lunatone is headed back to its distant home beyond the atmosphere. Everyone waves and slowly watches as Lunatone drifts off.

Major events

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, please see the timeline page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

TV episode debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

Pokémon Trainer's Choice: Gulpin

Trivia

  • The episode's English dub title is a play on the phrases "crazy as a lunatic" and "crazy as a loon".
  • The design of Ken and Mary's Pokédex is based on the Game Boy Advance SP. It also uses the "Dexter" voice rather than the "Dextette" of Ash and May's Hoenn Pokédexes.
  • When Brock shows the others a book with pictures of other Nurse Joys, the tanned one from The Joy of Pokémon is shown. However, at the time of her appearance, Brock was with Professor Ivy and did not travel with Ash. However, it is possible he learned about her through independent research.
  • This is the first episode to use music from Gotta Dance!!. However, it is replaced in the dub.
  • Jessie's Dustox is the only Pokémon belonging to a main character to not be featured in this episode.
  • None of the choices given in the Pokémon Trainer's Choice would be effective, as they do not have a type advantage over the Bug-type Illumise.

Errors

  • When everyone is eating, Lombre is eating with the other Pokémon, but when Brock notices it's missing, its bowl is isolated from the rest.
  • Either there are two Pokémon Centers, or the scenario of the Pokémon Center changes from one place to another during the episode. At first, when the group enters the Center, there is a building behind them. Later, they are hiding behind a bush, right where the building was.
  • When Chimecho appears during Team Rocket's motto, it seems to have two spikes on its back instead of one.
  • During the battle between Team Rocket and the Lunatone, when Jessie tells Seviper to use Bite, the 'R' on her shirt is reversed.
  • When Team Rocket blasts off the first time, Chimecho can be heard even though it hadn't come out of its Poké Ball. After Team Rocket's second blast off (by the PMC), it can be heard again.
  • The Chimecho error

    The Chimecho error

  • Jessie's shirt error

    Jessie's shirt error

Dub edits

  • In the original Japanese version, Nurse Joy's watch has the time 19:19. In the English dub, it was changed to 11:54 for unclear reasons.

Pokémon Trainer's Choice

  • Question: Trainers, which one of these Pokémon is the best choice to battle Illumise?
  • Choices: Parasect, Gulpin, Lanturn
  • Answer: OK, Trainers! If you chose Gulpin, you were right!

In other languages



← AG086 : Lights, Camerupt, Action!
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
AG088 : The Garden of Eatin' →
Project Anime logo.png This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.
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