EP203

← EP202 : The Big Balloon Blow-Up

Original series

EP204 : Right on, Rhydon! →

The Screen Actor's Guilt

EP203   ムチュールにもうむちゅう！！スーパースターはポケモンがおすき？ Muchul is Daydreaming!! Do Superstars Like Pokémon?

First broadcast Japan June 21, 2001 United States June 1, 2002

English themes Opening Born to Be a Winner Ending

Japanese themes Opening めざせポケモンマスター (Whiteberry) Ending 前向きロケット団！

Credits Animation Team Ota Screenplay 園田英樹 Hideki Sonoda Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane No additional credits are available at this time.

The Screen Actor's Guilt (Japanese: ムチュールにもうむちゅう！！スーパースターはポケモンがおすき？ Muchul is Daydreaming!! Do Superstars Like Pokémon?) is the 203rd episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on June 21, 2001 and in the United States on June 1, 2002.

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

Synopsis

Ash and his friends are on their way to the next Johto League Gym in Olivine City when they pass through an unnamed town. The group sees a herd of screaming girls running down the street, and Brock chases after them; Ash and Misty follow him. As the trio runs after the girls, a mysterious man gives them an odd yellow ball telling them to 'hold onto it for him', and Ash complies. The man runs away saying he'd be back later, and drops his hat on the way. Ash unwraps the yellow ball to find a Smoochum in it.

Smoochum kisses Ash and Misty, and tries to kiss Pikachu while Ash reads Smoochum's Pokédex entry. Smoochum retrieves the dropped hat, and runs to Brock, who puts it on his head. Then, the screaming girls re-appear and pummel the trio. Togepi, Smoochum, and Pikachu are thrown out of the chaos, and Togepi and Smoochum follow a Skiploom into an alley. Unable to get Ash's attention, Pikachu follows them. The ladies realize that Brock isn't who they were looking for and disband. The trio look at a screen in the streets and realize the man who gave them the Smoochum was a movie star named Brad. Misty then realizes Togepi, Pikachu, and Smoochum are missing.

Team Rocket is then shown watching the Pokémon from a screen, controlling the robitic Skiploom with a remote. Togepi and Smoochum follow the Skiploom into a small hole in a building, but Pikachu can't quite fit. James takes Togepi and Smoochum into his arms while Jessie gets Pikachu out with rubber gloves. Jessie puts Pikachu in a rubber sack, and begins cuddling Smoochum when Ash and the gang arrive. Ash sends out Bayleef and Totodile. Bayleef uses Razor Leaf to cut Pikachu out while Totodile uses Water Gun to release James' grip on Togepi and Smoochum. Meowth tries to attack with the Robo-Skiploom, but Totodile blasts it away with Water Gun. With Team Rocket wet, Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, sending Team Rocket blasting off.

Brad is seen looking for Ash in the streets when the girls re-appear. Before they can get to him, one of his managers pulls up and lets Brad get in the car, but he warns Brad about roaming the streets. Smoochum gets excited after seeming a limo, and Ash and his friends acknowledge that it must be Brad's, so they follow it. They come to a large dome arena that's blocked off by screaming girls, so they look for another way to get in.

Inside, Brad tells his manager that he can't go on with the show until he gets his Smoochum back; but his manager refuses to let him do that, and suggests that Brad get rid of Smoochum in exchange for a tougher Pokémon to fit his image. Brad refuses and reveals that he was only a star because Smoochum believed in him and made him believe he could do it. His manager says he'll look for Smoochum and leaves with Brad to go downstairs.

Outside, Ash tries to climb a tree to get into one of the upstairs windows, but seeing Brad leave the room, they give up with the idea and enter the front door when they open. Inside, they try and get through Brad's manager to go backstage and give back Smoochum, but Brad comes out and gets Smoochum before his manager can refuse them. They all go into the green room backstage until Brad has to leave to get ready.

Backstage, Team Rocket steal two backstage guard's uniforms, but Brad's manager comes and tells them both to throw Ash, Misty, Brock, and Smoochum out of the building. Team Rocket escort the group to the stage and then catch them with a net, but Smoochum falls out of the net.

Back in the green room, the manager tells Brad that the kids got thrown out of the building, and Brad accuses him of being behind it. Brads runs to find them.

Jessie tries to convince Smoochum to get into a cage, but Smoochum doesn't want to. Meowth, playing with the drop cords on the stage, accidentally draws the curtains open, revealling themselves to all the audience, which cries for Brad—who is still back stage being held up by his manager. Hearing his Smoochum's cry, Brad runs onstage to save Smoochum, but Team Rocket is ready to battle. Using Weezing, James orders it to Tackle Brad, who easily evades it. Jessie sends out Arbok who uses Poison Sting, but Brad evades it, too. After evading another of Weezing's tackles, Weezing slams into Jessie who releases Smoochum on accident. Brad catches Smoochum, and the crowd goes wild, but then is confused by Brad's affection to Smoochum.

Arbok's Headbutt misses and makes the drop cords release the net, freeing Ash and the gang. Ash sends out Bayleef and defeats Arbok with Vine Whip, but Weezing uses {m|Smoke Screen}} and blocks everyone's view. Ash sends out Noctowl to clear the air, and once done, Brad commands Smoochum to use Sweet Kiss, sending Team Rocket into a daze. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, sending Team Rocket blasting off.

The crowd applause, but then Brad reveals that it wasn't an act. The crowd then bursts into more screams and chants, "We love brad!" over and over again.

The episode ends with Ash, Misty, and Brock looking at another screen on the side of the street; this time, Brad is starring with Smoochum in a new movie. Now, all the girls have Smoochums in the town. Ash and his friends continue on the road to Olivine City.

Major events

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Smoochum

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Misty
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Brad Van Darn
• Vidso

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Murkrow

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Togepi (Misty's)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Bayleef (Ash's)
• Totodile (Ash's)
• Noctowl (Ash's)
• Arbok (Jessie's)
• Weezing (James's)
• Smoochum (Brad's, Smoochy; debut)
• Charizard (in Vidso's fantasy)
• Houndoom (in Vidso's fantasy)

Trivia

• This episode's English title is a reference to the Screen Actors Guild.
• This is the third episode in which Pikachu imitates other characters in the anime.
  • This time it imitates Tauros, Wobbuffet, Cyndaquil, Bellsprout, and Totodile.
  • The other episodes are Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden, For Crying Out Loud and It's Still Rocket Roll to Me.
    • The imitation of Wobbuffet and Bellsprout makes this episode the first in which Pikachu mimics a Pokémon not belonging to Ash or Misty.

In other languages

• French: Sacrés Acteurs
• German. Die große Show
• Hebrew: נשיקה קטלנית neshika katlanit
• Italian: Una star dal cuore tenero
• Mandarin: 迷唇娃迷死人，超級巨星喜歡神奇寶貝
• Portuguese (Brazilian): Um Beijo Doce Demais
• Spanish:
  • Iberian Spanish: El superhéroe del cine
  • Latin American Spanish: ¡La imágen del actor!

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← EP202 : The Big Balloon Blow-Up

Original series

EP204 : Right on, Rhydon! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.