ANP #034: Tile-Up!
(Cue OP-On Our Way-as the song plays, we see various shots of the Pokemon cast in the backstage area, getting ready for a show: Misty walks past one member of the lighting crew, making her trip and drop her paints, which color some of the notes on Brock's sheet music. He tries to clean the music, only to get walloped by a basketball in the face (thrown by May) Pikachu runs past all of this, down a hallway, and through a door with a star on it marked "Ash". He cries "Pika!" and points at a clock, which is ticking dangerously close to "Show Time!" Ash notices the time on the clock and ducks behind a screen to get ready, when he finishes, he's now decked out in a red top hat (with the same design as his cap) and tails. Ash then runs head on at the camera and makes a flying entrance onto a stage as the song concludes)
Female announcer: And now, it's time for the Ash and Pikachu Show!
(Pikachu climbs onto Ash's shoulder and smiles as the title card flies in from the right, a short clip of "On Our Way" in the background)
(Suddenly, Brock appears in the scene in his normal clothes and sunglasses)
Brock: There can only be one explaination for white tile in a dressing room--we must have black, red, blue, green, and yellow tiles too! (smiles over one last hit of music as the scene fades out)
(Applause as Ash runs onstage to greet the crowd)
Ash: Thank you! Tonight's show is a little different...we're going to be looking at a game that's taking the world by storm! (light applause) All you need to play are some magnetized tiles... (the lights come up on some round tiles that look like Charmander, Squirtle, and Pikachu heads. Ash grabs the tiles and puts them in a box of other similar tiles) a stylus magnet... (Ash pauses to grab what looks like a giant version of a Nintendo DS stylus) ...a board to hold the tiles... (the lights appear on a game board that looks like the two screens of a DS) and someplace to hold the tiles you've removed from the board. (the lights appear on a box by the board) What's the name of this game?
(Nicadas chirp as the audience awaits the answer)
Ash: The answer? Trozei! (applause as a neon sign that spells "Trozei" drops down from above) And who better to tell us more about Trozei than a Trozei champion? So join me in welcoming the lovely Janpai to the stage. (applause as an auburn haired girl wearing a T-shirt with Trozei tiles on it and jeans comes onstage, shakes hands with Ash, and makes herself in a chair facing the board.)
Brock(offstage): My LOVELY one!
Janpai: Good thing I brought my stylus magnet! (reaches for her own stylus magnet from her pocket and picks up Brock by the ring he supposedly wanted to offer her) I'll move Mr. Loverboy here off the board! (proceeds to drop Brock in a box backstage. Misty watches from stage right, amazed.)
Misty: I didn't have to draw the cane this time!
Brock(offstage): You stay out of this. (laughter)
Janpai: You'd be surprised at what Trozei magnets can pick up! There have been reports that they can pick up ships!
Misty: Good thing all they ever have to pick up is these little magnets. (admires a Squirtle tile)
Ash: While we get ready for your interview, Janpai; let's watch this. (starts the projector)
(CARTOON-"The Ultimate Test", part 1)
(We return to the theater, where Ash and Janpai face each other. The Trozei board unveiled earlier is now dimmed.)
Ash: So, Janpai; let's begin by telling the audience a little about Trozei.
Janpai: Trozei is a game of skill that at first seems complicated, but it's actually quite simple. It's also a very old game--you can see ancient Trozei tiles and boards in the Pewter Museum. Back then, the tiles were made out of painted chunks of magnetite. Now, they're pieces of plastic with magnets inside.
Pikachu: Pika... (picks up a Pikachu tile and looks at it)
Ash: So, how did you get started playing Trozei?
Janpai: My dad had a set of Trozei boards at home, and he showed me how to play. After beating him too many times...(Janpai is interrupted by light laughter) people started asking me to teach them, then the local Trozei Federation heard, and the rest is history! (applause)
Ash: Now, how do you play Trozei, anyway?
Janpai: Well...words alone can't describe it, so if I had an artist in the house...
Misty: That would be me! (leads Janpai and Ash backstage)
(On Our Way interlude plays as title card appears-'Back to the Drawing Board' with Misty". Misty's face appears in the o in "Board")
(A white screen appears, presumably to simulate a blank piece of paper.)
(Brock is drawn on the screen in his normal clothes)
Misty(voiceover): Okay, Janpai, start describing and I'll draw.
Janpai(voiceover): Well, first our player needs a magnet and a board! (the pencil draws a stylus magnet in Brock's hand, followed by a Trozei board.)
(The camera focuses on the board, into which various Pokemon tiles fall into)
Male announcer: Remove 50 tiles...and begin! (the number appears at the top left of the screen and a whistle is heard)
Janpai(voiceover): The object of the game is to remove the specified number of tiles before time runs out. (a time limit of five minutes appears under the number of tiles to remove) You can only remove tiles in groups of four of the same Pokemon; and they have to be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. (circles appear around legal groups on Brock's board.) You can also move the tiles around to make legal groups.
(Brock begins making and removing the legal groups by tracing around them with his magnet, which makes them disappear. Before long, his counter reads 25, until he notices an exclamation point icon sandwiched within several tiles)
Brock: What's that?
Janpai(voiceover): That's a Chance icon...remove it, and you can remove other groupings of four, like T's and L's, or smaller groups for a short time.
(Brock creates a grouping of Geodudes and traces over it, causing the icon to activate as the tiles disappear. He begins removing tiles in other groupings, until a Ditto tile is dropped into the board. He uses it in a grouping of three, and all four disappear)
Janpai(voiceover): Ditto tiles are special. (a second Ditto tile is dropped in the board) They act as wild cards, so you can use it as a fourth tile if the need arises. (Brock creates another grouping with the second Ditto tile) Remove consecutive groups of four or very large groups to make one appear. (a third Ditto tile is dropped in the board as Brock removes three groups in a row.) But be aware that the game ends if all 55 spots on the board are filled up before you remove your quota, or you run out of time. (the Mario 'hurry up!' fanfare is heard as the timer dips below a minute)
Misty(voiceover): Hurry, Brock!
(Brock removes his last three groups with 54 seconds to spare! He smiles as 'Winner' appears on his board, which then turns into 'The End')
(Janpai watches as Misty draws the last scene)
Janpai: Now that we know how to play Trozei...why not have a round ourselves?
Ash: Sure! (a second board is unveiled, which fills up with tiles)
(Brock, now in referee's attire, stands between the two boards. Ash is at the left board, Janpai on the right)
Brock: Ruby board ready? (Ash nods) Sapphire board ready? (Janpai nods) Remove 50 tiles in three minutes! (the time and quota appears on both boards) And three, two, one... (blows his whistle)
(The audience cheers as both magnets start creating and removing groups. Janpai gets an early lead while Ash struggles to find some legal groups. Misty leads the cheering on the left side, and May leads the cheers on the right side.)
(After a few minutes, Ash realizes he has some unused Ditto tiles on his board, and starts to get ahead of Janpai! He smiles as he traces his last group...)
Brock: (blows whistle) Game Set! This match's winner is...ASH! (cheers erupt from the audience as Ash bows to the crowd and shakes hands with Janpai)
Janpai: Wow! You learn quickly! Great match, too; by the way. (starts the projector)
(CARTOON-"The Ultimate Test", part 2)
(We join Ash, Janpai, and Pikachu onstage)
Ash: Well, we're out of time for tonight...
Janpai: Up for a rematch?
Ash: Let me say goodbye first, then we'll rematch...I hope you had fun tonight, and we'll see you next time! (waves, then returns to his board)
Pikachu: Pika pi! (waves, then blows a whistle to begin the rematch between Ash and Janpai as the curtain closes. On Our Way reprise plays as the credits roll. After all the credits run, the curtain reopens to reveal the rematch in progress)
Ash: Hey, do you mind? (the curtain quickly closes)
THE END
