AG066

Exploud and Clear! (Japanese: 一触即発！バクオングVSジュプトル！！ Critical Situation! VS !!) is the 66th episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 340th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on March 4, 2004, and in the United States on February 19, 2005.
==Blurb==
Ash and friends are eating lunch in the woods when they notice that Treecko has wandered off. After failing to convince the Grass-type to come down from a tree, lunch is disrupted by a rampaging Loudred. Its Trainer, Guy finally catches up with his Pokémon and makes it stop.
Ash and Guy decide that both troublesome Pokémon need exercise, so they battle. While battling, both Pokémon evolve at the same time, into Exploud and Grovyle. The battle continues, but Exploud won't listen to Guy. It hits Grovyle hard and runs off.
Grovyle catches up with Exploud at a waterfall, and the two begin to battle again. Exploud still won't listen to Guy. Team Rocket interrupts, trying to capture Exploud, but Guy protects his Pokémon. Pikachu and Exploud send Team Rocket blasting off.
Guy and Exploud reconcile, and Ash and Guy decide to finish the battle.
==Plot==
The group have stopped for a lunch break as they near Petalburg City for 's upcoming Gym battle with Norman. Max points out that is secluding itself up in a tree and appears to be in an unhappy mood. Ash climbs up and tries to cheer Treecko up, but it doesn't work. runs up the tree and knocks Ash away, also attempting to assist Treecko, but it again doesn't work. Max is concerned by Treecko's behavior, but Ash assures him that things will be fine. Suddenly the group begins hearing a something, and soon its source, a rampages through their picnic spot. It continues dashing along toward its , . Guy attempts to calm Loudred down but can't seem to, until he jumps on its back. Next, Guy introduces himself to the group and reveals that he is on a journey to enter the Hoenn League, and Ash declares that he is going for his fifth Badge to also compete in the League. Guy is impressed, admitting that he has only earned two Badges so far. Guy says that not very long ago, Loudred has grown to be a troublemaker that sometimes has trouble listening to his commands. Max admits that he understands the irritation of traveling with someone for a while, which annoys his older sister . Ash considers Treecko's current odd behavior, and suggests a would help ease Loudred's angst. Guy agrees to the idea. As Ash goes to select his own Pokémon, Treecko leaps down and is determined to battle Loudred.
Treecko commences the battle with a which appears to do no damage. Loudred counterattacks with a that traps Treecko, but it manages to break free by using . After this, Loudred responds with a that knocks Treecko back, and follows up with . Treecko dodges the seismic waves and sends Loudred flying into a tree with a powerful attack. After this, both Pokémon glare at each other, and start to evolve at the same time. As everyone seems to be awed and surprised that Treecko and Loudred simultaneously evolved, Ash's newly evolved reveals that it has learned a new move, . The battle continues and Grovyle charges in with another Leaf Blade, when Guy commands his newly evolved to dodge. But instead of dodging, Exploud sends Grovyle flying back with its newly learned attack. After this, Exploud begins rampaging once again and Grovyle tries to stop it with Bullet Seed, but it does nothing. Grovyle uses Quick Attack, but Exploud hits it away and continues charging, and Guy and the group goes after Exploud. Meanwhile, stand near a cliff, starving and exhausted. Jessie, James, and all run to the foot of a cliff and spot Guy's Exploud drinking from a waterfall, and realize that it is the evolved form of Loudred, a Pokémon with which they have had . Just as Jessie and James are about to walk away, Meowth stops them and declares that Exploud would be the perfect alarm clock for . Jessie and James instantly have a change of heart and set their sights on catching Exploud.
The group and Guy start calling Exploud's name but get no response. As Guy begins to feel disheartened, Ash offers him hope that they'll find Exploud soon. Ash notices that Grovyle is becoming agitated, but it refuses to return and instead leaps into the trees. Guy looks up at Grovyle and is reminded of how tame Loudred used to be when it was a . Meanwhile, the Rocket trio put their plan into action with James firing corks into Exploud's orifices as it sleeps. With phase one complete, James captures Exploud in a net. But not long after, Exploud breaks free and blasts Team Rocket off, releasing a loud cry in the process. Grovyle hears this cry and proceeds towards it. Grovyle makes it to the waterfall and stares Exploud down for a while, until they resume their previous battle as the sun comes out. Grovyle charges in, and Exploud uses Stomp. Grovyle dodges and uses Pound, only to provoke Exploud to strike back with Hyper Voice. After taking the hit, Grovyle lands a direct hit with Bullet Seed that knocks Exploud down. The rest of the group arrives at the waterfall and the real battle begins. Ash commands Grovyle to use Leaf Blade while Guy orders Exploud to dodge. But instead of dodging, Exploud takes the hit head on. Grovyle goes in for another Leaf Blade and Guy again commands Exploud to dodge. Exploud once again ignores Guy's command and blocks Grovyle's attack, while Grovyle breaks free using Pound. After Guy scolds Exploud to listen to his commands, it walks away just as Team Rocket prepares for another ambush.
Just as Guy notices Team Rocket in the bushes, James fires five heat-seeking corks at Exploud, but Guy pushes it out of the way just in time. As the corks return toward Exploud, uses to destroy them. Subsequently, Team Rocket once again gets blasted off by Pikachu's and Exploud's Hyper Voice. Feeling touched that Guy saved its life, Exploud helps him up and it explains that it wants to continue training with him, making the two hug each other. After this, Grovyle and Exploud resume their battle once again.
==Major events==
* 's evolves into and learns .
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
* Ash's Grovyle
* 
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Max
* Jessie
* James
* (fantasy)
* 
===Pokémon===
Pokémon Trainer's Choice: 
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; evolves)
* (; newly evolved)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ('s; flashback)
* ('s; evolves)
* ('s; newly evolved; debut)
* (; flashback)
==Trivia==
* The English dub title is based on the phrase "loud and clear".
* While is trying to catch , James says, "Normally I say gotta catch 'em all but I think I'll pass on this one.", referring to the original catchphrase of Pokémon, which had mostly been dropped from the franchise by this point.
* remains outside of its for the entire episode.
* Face Forward Team Rocket is used as background music during Team Rocket's first attempt to catch Exploud.
* This is the first time one of Ash's Pokémon has evolved since his in Current Events, 141 episodes earlier. This marks the largest number of episodes between one of Ash's Pokémon evolving to date.
** Coincidentally, both episodes involve his first partner Pokémon of that region evolving.
===Errors===
* When Exploud is drinking the water from the waterfall, it says "" instead of "Exploud".
* In one of the scenes where Exploud is sleeping and Team Rocket is plugging its holes, Exploud's mouth is colored yellow, similar to Loudred, instead of its normal periwinkle.
===Dub edits===
* The crosshairs on Team Rocket's bazooka are removed for the airing. This was left unaltered for the airing, the DVDs, streaming releases and the foreign dubs.
* During the Boss fantasy scene, the glass that is holding is slightly altered so it does not resemble a wine glass. The color of the glass's contents is also changed to be waterlike in appearance.
====Pokémon Trainer's Choice====
* Question: Trainers, which one of these Pokémon is the best choice to battle ?
* Choices: , , Medicham
* Answer: OK, Trainers! If you chose Medicham, you were right!
==In other languages==
066
Category:Episodes written by Aya Matsui
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hiroaki Shimura
Category:Episodes directed by Norihiko Nagahama
Category:Episodes animated by Yumenosuke Tokuda
Category:Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon evolves
Category:Episodes in which a main character's Pokémon learns a new move
de:Rums! Da kommt ein Krawumms!
es:EP342
fr:AG066
it:RZ066
ja:AG編第66話
zh:宝可梦 超世代 第66集