Pokémon the Movie 2000

A collector named Lawrence III attempts to capture the legendary Pokémon Lugia, but his plan requires first trapping Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. This interference disrupts the global weather and throws the balance of nature into chaos. While traveling through the Orange Islands, Ash Ketchum and his companions must find sacred spheres and work with Lugia to restore environmental harmony and fulfill an ancient prophecy.

This Japanese animated adventure was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, marking the fourth of 28 films he directed. It followed his 1998 work, Pikachu's Vacation, and preceded Pokémon 3: The Movie in 2000. The voice cast features Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Otani, Mayumi Izuka, Satomi Korogi, Tomokazu Seki, and Megumi Hayashibara. The production involved a crew of 53 and a cast of 37.

The film was a financial success, earning 134 million USD against a budget of 30 million USD. Audience reception is mixed but generally positive, with a 6.7 rating on TMDB from 970 votes and a 6.1 rating on IMDb based on 26,000 votes. These viewers rated the film higher than professional critics, who gave it a 4.4 rating based on 67 reviews.