EmeraldSky
Make the Colors in the Sky!
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Tales from the Stage Door
Episode 0: Meeting at the Stage Door
[We open on the interior of a run down theater somewhere in Celadon City. After a few quiet moments of looking at the worn seats, chipped stage, frayed curtains, and broken instruments, a door opening gets the camera's attention.]
Ash(voiceover): Here we are, guys...the Iris Theater!
[the camera focuses on who spoke, a black haired boy with a red cap with a blue Poke Ball design. His friends, however, are less than impressed at the sorry state of affairs. A red haired girl, Misty, examines a worn seat]
Misty: If you're thinking about restoring this old theater, Ash, we have our work cut out for us.
[Elsewhere, an older boy with tanned skin, Brock, notices a slip of paper on the stage.]
Brock: Hey, look!
[Ash runs over and looks at the paper]
Ash: "To whoever finds this letter, please understand that the state in which you now see the theater is not my doing--I wanted so much to run the theater for many years, but now my health prohibits it. By the time you read this, I will be gone to join Arceus in the heavens. I implore you to do what you can to restore the theater to its rightful glory, and share your talents with a new generation...signed, the owner."
[A black haired girl, Dawn, brushes away a tear.]
Dawn: So the owner has died?
Misty: Poor guy...
Brock: I heard a story about this place once....
[everyone sighs--Brock can get long winded when he tells a story]
Misty: Keep it short?
Brock: It was said that the spirits of the three performers that regularly played here still haunt this place, seeking other performers.
[A brown haired girl with a red bandanna tied on her head, May, gasps at this.]
May: Are they going to kill us?
Brock: Furthermore, to call them out to the world of the living, you have to name them and tell them its show time--and if I remember right, they are friendly spirits. (May heaves a sigh of relief)
Ash: So, what were their names?
Brock: Now that, the teller who told me this tale didn't tell me, as no one really knows what their names are any more.
[Not one to back down from a challenge, Ash steps on the stage and calls three random names backstage]
Ash: Alex! Celebi! Deminia! It's show time!
Misty: Deminia? (Dawn giggles at the name)
Ash: So? I just called three random names and nothing happened...
[at that very moment, the camera zooms to the backstage as three transparent figures appear there. The one in the middle appears to be wearing a sparkling red dress, and her brown hair is tied into a neat bun with a few strands hanging down. The one on the left is wearing a fancy off-white dress with her blonde hair in soft curls. The one on the right, the only male of the group and another blonde, is wearing a white tuxedo with a white tie. As soon as the figures appear, they disappear out of the view of the camera and warp onstage]
Celebi: (appears before Ash and co.} Who are you? Why are you here?
Misty: We're--
Deminia: (appears on Celebi's right} Have you come to take our home away?
Dawn: No!
Alex: (appears on Celebi's left) As the Guardians of this theater, we won't let you defile our home.
Ash: We're not defiling the theater, we're restoring it to its former glory, as your master wished!
Deminia: So, you're trying to bring people back here? Thank you!
Celebi: Deminia, this is no time to be silly. (looks at Ash and co.) How do you intend to restore this place?
Alex: Celebi, did you have to be so mean? They're only trying to help.
Ash: Well, we know it will be a daunting task...
Brock: Understatement of the year. (gestures to the frayed curtains and banged up lights behind him)
Ash: But seeing as your master loved this place, we're going to fulfill his dream and last request in his stead.
Deminia: Thanks so much!
Ash: Aw, it was nothing!
Celebi: If that is truly Master's last request, then don't let me stop you.
Alex: We had some great times performing in this theater. We performed for loads of people.
Celebi: Yeah. (smiles nostalgically)
Brock: What kinds of acts did you do?
Celebi: Instead of telling you... why don't we show you?
Deminia: I'll go first. (motions the Pokemon over to a chair that looks antique and moth-eaten, sitting down in it) A long time ago, there was a beautiful princess, who was very kind and loved by everyone. One day, a mean old witch, jealous of the princess's beauty, cursed her into being a swan. The princess was very heartbroken, and every day she thought...
Celebi(in her saddest voice): Who will come and rescue me?
Deminia: For many years, the princess sat in the middle of the pond wondering this question. Then one day, a young prince came to the pond. Mesmerized by the swan in the middle of the pond, he tried several ways of getting this swan to come to him....
[A clock with the words "Time Passes" appears for a moment before we return to the group. Brock is especially enjoying the tale]
Deminia: ...When he returned to the castle, he was greeted with high praise. The princess came out and gave the prince a nice big kiss. They were married three months later, and lived happily ever after.
Brock: Bravo! Encore! (he leads the applause)
Alex: Deminia tells great stories. She captures the heart of her audience. (he summons a violin and starts tuning it)
Celebi: Blow them away, Alex.
[Alex starts to play a set of reels on the violin while Celebi searches for her sketchpad. When the second tune begins, Ash joins in on Pokeflute. When the set is complete, everyone roars with applause just as Celebi returns with her sketchpad)
Celebi: Now it's my turn. (starts drawing Alex)
Alex: Oh, no. Here it comes. {hides behind the curtain)
[Celebi draws a bouquet of roses in Alex's hand, and they appear in reality]
Alex: Huh? (sniffs the roses)
[Celebi draws bees coming out of the roses]
Alex: AH! BEES! (drops the roses and runs)
Celebi(tears off the sheet and gives it to Ash as Alex is getting rid of the bees): For you.
Ash: Thanks... (admires the picture}
Misty: Let me try that pencil....
[A harp chord get everyone's attention, and everyone looks to see Brock clad in silver shirt, black pants, and a green jacket with gold trim and a cape to match]
Ash: Oh brother, Brock's in spoony bard mode...
Brock: As thanks for your storytelling prowess, perhaps you would like me to tell you a tale in return?
Deminia: Yes, please. {smiles}
Celebi: Spoony bard?
Alex(comes back, tending to bee stings): Celebi, bees are not amusing.
Celebi: Then why were they laughing?
Ash: Wait, what?
[sure enough, he hears tiny giggles as they return to a beehive that Misty's drawn]
Ash: I must be seeing things...
May: We'll be right back...
[We see a pair of claymation Ash hands at a desk, trying to write something, but then wadding up the paper wad and tossing it away. A female announcer says "You're watching 'Tales from the Stage Door'!" as Ash keeps trying to start and rejecting more stories. When the camera pans back behind Ash, we see all the rejected paper wads make a Pikachu face.]
[We rejoin the group on stage. Brock is playing a calm melody on his harp as he waits for Misty to finish prepping a canvas]
Misty: Ready when you are, Mr. Spoony Bard.
Brock: Hey! (everyone giggles as we zoom inside the paper)
Ash(voiceover): Okay, guys, calm down....go ahead, Brock.
Brock(voiceover): This story's called "The Clever Chatot"
Alex(voiceover): Go ahead.
Brock(voiceover): Okay... (he plays some more for a moment, then begins) There was once a boy that worked as an artisan--let us call him Ryu. (a pencil appears and draws a brown haired boy clad in an Asian style tunic). Ryu had a special pet--a Chatot he had raised ever since it was a hatchling. (the pencil draws a Chatot on the boy's shoulder) This Chatot was a very happy bird, and had an incredible vocabulary compared to other Chatots.
Chatot: Hello! (squawk)
Brock(voiceover): Every morning, the Chatot would perch on her master's windowsill (we see the Chatot doing that) and call to Ryu...
Chatot: Good morning, master! Good morning! (the boy yawns and climbs out of bed with a smile)
Deminia (voiceover): What happens next?
Brock(voiceover): Ryu and his Chatot were the best of friends. (we see the boy and the Chatot nuzzle each other) One day, Ryu was hired to remodel a wealthy magistrate's home, and took his Chatot along. (we see the boy and the Chatot arriving before a huge mansion-like house)
Ash(voiceover): And the Chatot chewed everything up? (we see the Chatot reduce the mansion to wood shavings)
Brock(voiceover): Nice try. (Misty erases the wood shavings and redraws the mansion again) We have already said that Ryu and his Chatot were the best of friends. (the boy and the Chatot nuzzle again, making the audience say "Aww...")
Misty(voiceover): So anyway... (the pencil draws the mansion back in as Brock plays another interlude)
Brock(voiceover): While up on a wall, Ryu realized he had forgotten a brush, so the Chatot went and fetched it for him. (we see the Chatot offering the brush to the boy) And when her master moved a little too close to the edge, the Chatot would say...
Chatot: Be careful, master, be careful!
Celebi(voiceover): Smart Chatot.
Deminia(voiceover): Probably very pretty, too.
Brock(voiceover): The other workers and servants also loved the Chatot, and spent what free time they could teaching her new words and songs. (we see a girl whistling a few bars of "Pokemon Johto" to the Chatot)
One day the owner of the mansion came to see how the work was coming along (Kamon is drawn in the scene in a tunic-like outfit), and saw Ryu making the preliminary sketches to a mural of Dialga that was to be on one wall. (we see the boy sketching a Dialga on some paper)
Celebi(voiceover): Makes me want to draw some more now!
Deminia(voiceover): After the story, Celebi.
Brock(voiceover): The landowner asked Ryu (Kamon mouths the words as Brock impersonates his voice) "What is that supposed to be?" (the boy mouths the words as Brock does a voice similar to Ash) "That is the Lord of Time, Dialga." (as himself) Ryu replied.
Chatot: The Lord of Time, Dialga! The Lord of Time, Dialga! (squawk)
Brock(voiceover): The landowner chuckled when he saw the Chatot. (as Kamon) "And does this Pokemon belong to you?" (as Ryu) "The Chatot is mine, sir." (as himself.) Ryu replied.
Celebi(voiceover): That was probably a big mistake.
Deminia(voiceover): That Chatot is probably smarter than it seems.
9Brock plays another interlude as the scene changes back to Ryu's house]
Brock(voiceover): The next day, a servant girl came...(Brock pauses when he doesn't see an appropriate illustration on the paper) Um, I said, the next day a servant girl came...
[We return to the real world, where we see Misty dozing on the canvas]
Ash: Earth to Misty... (waves a hand in Misty's face.)
Misty: Oh! (to Brock) Lay off on the harp for a while, that interlude put me to sleep.
Celebi(yawning): Harp music is always soothing....
[whistle interlude as we go back inside the paper, which shows Ryu looking out at an empty path]
Misty(voiceover): That's better than a harp--at least a whistle won't put me to sleep. (giggles)
Brock(voiceover): Anyway...The next day, a servant girl came to Ryu's house, (the pencil draws in Misty walking up to the boy's house) and said to him (the Misty in the drawing mouths the words as Brock impersonates her voice) "My master wishes to buy your Chatot, and would like to offer you a thousand pieces of silver for it."
Misty(voiceover): I'm not that high pitched, am I? (laughter)
Deminia(voiceover): What did Ryu say?
Alex(voiceover): Dem, Ryu loves his Chatot too much. Surely he wouldn't sell it for a thousand pieces of silver…
Brock(voiceover): You'd be correct in that regard. Ryu told the servant girl (as Ryu) "Tell your master that I decline his offer, as my Chatot is not for sale."
Chatot: Not for sale! (squawk) Not for sale!
Brock(voiceover): Naturally when the landowner heard of Ryu's refusal, he was furious. (we see Kamon with an angry look and steam coming from his ears)
Deminia(voiceover): Ryu better look out. Angry people never show any remorse for their actions.
Alex voiceover): So then what?
Brock(voiceover): The landowner had Ryu arrested (the pencil draws Ryu being led away by some soldiers) and demanded the Chatot. (Kamon shouts some angry gibberish at Ryu) When Ryu refused (Ryu shakes his head no), the landowner had him thrown in prison. (the soldiers literally throw Ryu across the page and into the next, where the pencil is finishing up a scene of a prison.)
Ash(voiceover): And then Crono bailed him out! (Frog's theme plays for a moment as Ryu is freed by a 16 bit sprite of a boy)
Misty(voiceover): Nice try, Ash. (the sprite is erased)
Ash(voiceover): RPG rule #59: If thrown in jail, your sentence will usually last all of three seconds.
Celebi (voiceover): So after Ryu was thrown in jail...
Deminia(voiceover): Did the Chatot try to find him?
Alex(voiceover): Ash seems to have an overactive imagination....
Celebi(voiceover): Like someone else we know...
Brock(voiceover): Yes...the Chatot, after searching the whole city for her master, found him sitting alone in his cell, and flew in through the bars.
[the Chatot flies in through a barred window and nuzzles Ryu]
Brock(voiceover): Ryu was elated to see his Chatot again, and said to it (as Ryu) "I'm so glad to see you, my friend! See how the landowner stops at nothing to get me to turn you over to him! I was thrown in here all because I would not sell you to him! You were mine ever since I hatched you, so why does he desire you so?"
Chatot: I don't know either! (squawk)
Brock(voiceover as himself): For many days, the Chatot came to visit her master and bring him food without the jailer knowing...
Ash(voiceover): And then Ryu got bailed out?
Brock(voiceover): I'm getting to that part, okay?
Celebi(voiceover): Impatient, too.
Deminia(voiceover): Poor, poor Ryu...
Brock(voiceover): One day, the jailer happened to see Ryu and Chatot in the cell. (the pencil draws in a Rocket grunt in armor gasping as the Chatot arrives) Despite the best attempts, the Chatot evaded every form of capture. When she saw the landowner present with the guards, she taunted him, saying..
Chatot: Mr. Magistrate! Can't you hear how the people cry to Arceus under your hand? You'll never catch me! (sticks out her tongue at Kamon as she flies away)
Brock(voiceover): The landowner ordered all the town guards to find the Chatot, but she and her master had escaped in all the commotion, and both kept a low profile for quite some time. Eventually, the landowner gave up on the Chatot.
Misty(voiceover): Now Ryu was bailed out, happy?
Celebi(voiceover): Whatever happened to the landowner?
Deminia(voiceover): Did he leave them alone?
Brock(voiceover): Actually, the Chatot had a clever plan...
Deminia(voiceover): Tell us!
Celebi(voiceover): Be patient, Deminia.
Brock(voiceover): Some time later, Ryu sent his Chatot out to fetch him some food. (we see the Chatot flying away.) She had just gotten into town when she heard music (Ash joins in on whistle and Dawn on fiddle in the background) and saw people dancing and celebrating (the pencil draws in some colorful dancers as Happini joins in on tambourine). She knew the song the musicians were playing well--it was a song heard at the New Dawn Festival, just before people would pray to the Great Lord Arceus for blessings in the new year.
Sure enough, she spotted the landowner that had wronged her master two years before making his way into the Temple of Arceus. (the pencil draws a Japanese-esque temple, which Kamon enters)
Deminia(voiceover): Bet the Chatot came up with a clever plan to return the favor...
Celebi (voiceover): Let's listen to the rest.
Brock(voiceover): Just as the landowner had asked the priest to begin the required intercession for him before Arceus (the pencil draws Dawn in a white robe with blue trim saying gibberish before an Arceus statue), the Chatot flitted behind the statue to watch and wait. (we see the Chatot do this) As the priest left to tend to others seeking blessings and prayers, only the landowner and the statue of Arceus were left in the room.
Just then, a low male voice seemed to boom from nowhere (as Arceus) "If the many you have oppressed were to tell how you have oppressed them, the woes would be many!" (as himself) The landowner looked around to see who had spoke, but found no one. (Kamon looks blankly around the room)
Deminia(voiceover): Haha! The landowner's in for it now!
Celebi(voiceover): Hush, Dem.
Brock(voiceover, as Kamon) "Who's there?" (as himself) the landowner cried. (as Arceus) "I am Arceus." (as himself) the voice replied. (as Arceus) "For many years I have heard the people cry under your hand, so maybe if you confess what you have done, I may be more inclined to show you mercy."
(as himself) The landowner fell prostrate before the statue many times, so much so that he even hit his head on the floor. (we see Kamon doing this. The Chatot peeks out from behind the Arceus statue and winks before disappearing again)
Deminia(voiceover): What did the Chatot make him do next?
Brock(voiceover): The landowner continued to prostrate himself--perhaps if he did it enough, Arceus would be merciful on him! (we see Kamon doing this and periodically bonking his head on the floor) (as Arceus) "First, sell half your possessions and give the money to the poor." (as himself) the voice continued. (as Arceus) "Second, prostrate yourself before me 365 times to remind yourself to be humble and never abuse the people again!"
(as himself) The landowner complied with such fervor, (we see Kamon doing this), that by the time he departed the temple, he was dazed and bruised from hitting his head on the floor so many times. (we see Kamon staggering out of the temple with mini winged Arceuses spinning around his head) But only Ryu and his Chatot knew the truth: the voice the landowner had heard was really the Chatot mimicing Arceus. (the Chatot winks again as Ryu walks into the crowd, the Chatot on his shoulder. A harp interlude begins as a crowd cheers.) Ryu and his Chatot were hailed as heroes, and they lived together for a very long time...the end. (the scene swirls back to the present, where Brock is playing one last harp interlude and Misty is drawing the last scene)
Deminia(leads the applause): Very nicely done!
Celebi: I must say that I'm very impressed.
Brock: Thank you! (he takes a bow)
Misty: And thank you! (sticks the pencil back behind one ear)
Celebi(goes to the back, and comes out with a reel of film] I forgot we still had this...
Deminia: Ooh! Is that the "Jared vs. Natu" cartoon?
Celebi: Yes. Which one do you want to see?
Alex: Let's show them "Natu in a Haystack, and Nidorans too"
[Ash wheels out the projector and lets Celebi thread it in. Once Misty pulls down the screen, Ash starts it]
[CARTOON 1]
Celebi(laughing): I love that cartoon.
Deminia: Poor Jared tries so hard to catch that Natu…
Alex: With all of the problems he had in the first 9 episodes… we never knew what happened next. Episode 10 was hard to find.
Misty: Who said we can't make a new one and extend it, with the original creator's okay and blessing?
Deminia: *eyes sparkle* Could we really?
Celebi: I'm sure the original creator wouldn't mind. The cartoon had quite a following.
Misty: Why not? I have these magical pencils.... ::flips to a new page of drawing paper::
[On Our Way plays as a title card appears: "Back to the Drawing Board with Misty"]
Deminia(voiceover): Jared would always come into his house, mostly covered in scratches, and complain that he didn't like his wife's Natu.
Misty(voiceover) Hang on, what does Jared look like?
Celebi(voiceover): Spiky purple hair, silver eyes, wears a royal purple robe with silver swirls, really fond of the Ghost-types. Never seen without his Misdreavus or Gengar.
Deminia(voiceover): A lot like the Trainer called Morty, only he looks different.
[The pencil follows the guardians' instructions until the boy on the paper looks more or less like what they described.]
Misty: How's that?
Deminia(voiceover): That's perfect!
Celebi(voiceover): Now, like Deminia was saying when she got too far ahead of herself, Jared usually walks into his house and leans against the door. He's covered in scratches and he looks at his wife, complaining about how much he doesn't like her Natu.
Jared: I wish you'd get rid of that Natu!
Deminia(voiceover): To which his wife, Sara, would smile at him and reply...
Celebi(voiceover, as Sara): I love you, Jared. If you find my Natu, I'll give you a nice reward.
Deminia(voiceover): Jared, who loved his wife very much, would head back outside after this encouragement.
Ash(voiceover): And a piano falls on him! (a piano lands on Jared with a KRONG!) Of course, it was the Natu that dropped said piano. (we see a Natu giggling at the flattened Jared)
Deminia (voiceover): *giggling* Not quite.
Celebi (voiceover): Jared would go on a small adventure to find this Natu hiding somewhere in the town. The first episode showed the Natu with a flock of Spearow. When Jared made a grab for the Natu, it hopped away, leaving poor Jared to be attacked by the angry Spearow.
Misty(voiceover): Now where have I heard that before....
Ash(voiceover): I was desperate at the time, okay?
Deminia (voiceover): So Jared sends out his Gengar, who scares off the Spearow. Episode 1 leaves off after that.
Celebi (voiceover): The Gengar is funny in his own right.
Misty(voiceover): How so?
Celebi (voiceover): He would always do funny poses when he came out of the Pokeball. Sometimes, he'd even put on sunglasses and pose.
Misty(voiceover): What kind of sunglasses? (the pencil draws some black shades on the Gengar)
Deminia(voiceover): Those do very nicely.
Celebi(voiceover): Now let's give them an adventure to go on to catch that Natu.
[The pencil looms over a white screen]
Misty(voiceover): Okay, start describing and I'll draw.
Deminia(voiceover): Oh! Let's stick them in a cave!
Celebi(voiceover): With a sleeping Ursaring.
[the pencil draws in the background of the cave and a snoozing Ursaring]
Deminia (voiceover): The Natu should do something really mean...
Celebi (voiceover): Like peck the head of the Ursaring to wake it up, then flee as fast as it can.
[The Natu does this, and the Ursaring wakes with a roar]
Deminia[voiceover]: Jared's in for it now....
Alex(voiceover): He better run.
[and run Jared does...smack into a tree.]
Celebi(voiceover): Uh-oh....
Alex(voiceover): The Ursaring's coming! (dramatic sting)
Misty(voiceover): Okay, Brock...
[A record scrape is heard as we zoom over to the orchestra pit, where we see Brock in conductor's attire]
Brock: What?
Misty(voiceover): If I want music, I'll say so, okay?
Ash(voiceover): Oh, come on, can't we have the William Tell Overture or the Can Can and a crazy chase?
Misty(voiceover): Okay, we can have a crazy chase scene with music....
Ash(voiceover): Maestro....
[Brock winks in Ash's direction, then leads the orchestra in the Can Can as Jared runs to flee the Ursaring. Deminia laughs in the background)
Alex(voiceover): Run, Jared! Run!
Celebi(voiceover): Run like that Ursaring's gonna eat you, because it's gonna try!
Dawn(voiceover): Ooh..., is there a saxophone player in the house?
Misty(voiceover): No, why?
Dawn(voiceover) This would make it funnier!
[a TV remote appears in the scene and hits the Fast Forward button, changing the music to "Yakety Sax"--or rather, "Yakety Pokeflute"]
Deminia(voiceover): Yeah!
Celebi(voiceover): The Ursaring is catching up!
Alex(voiceover): Find somewhere to hide, and quick!
[Jared dashes behind a tree, allowing the Ursaring to run right past him]
Alex[voiceover]: Poor Jared. He still didn't get the Natu.
Celebi(voiceover): Maybe next time.
[We return to Misty drawing the last scene...]
Celebi: That was fun.
Alex: Yeah!
Deminia: Our very own Jared vs. Natu series!
Misty: So what shall we call it? (we zoom back into the first panel again)
Deminia: Natu Frenzy?
Celebi: I think we want something that makes a bit more sense.
Brock: That gives it a theme song, of sorts. (signals the orchestra to play "Flight of the Bumblebee")
Celebi: What about 'Flight of the Natu'? (the song falls apart)
Deminia: Does anyone else have any objections to that title?
[Nincadas chirp]
Deminia: Okay, then.
Celebi: Then it's settled. That's the title we'll go with.
[the letters appear in the first panel with a poof]
Deminia: Yeah!
Celebi: Great job. (smiles as she starts the projector)
[CARTOON 2]
Celebi: Oh? Are you going to play something for us, Ash?
Deminia: Is it going to be enjoyable?
Misty: Just be thankful you're not listening to him practice.
Dawn: Practice being a relative term.
Ash: Maestro...
[The orchestra plays an A note, which Ash plays back to show he's in tune. Once all is quiet, the orchestra gives him a soaring introduction before Ash begins a melody Misty recognizes as Lugia's theme. When Ash hits the second round of Lugia's Song, Alex joins in on violin, Which throws Ash off, as the arrangement he has is for solo Pokeflute and orchestra]
Celebi: Hold on, everybody!
Alex: Huh? (stops playing)
Celebi(pulls out a regular pencil): Lucky for me I know how to write music. I wrote all of Alex's and Deminia's pieces before every show. Now I just need some paper.
[May arrives with blank music paper]
Celebi: Thank you, May. (starts writing Lugia's Song for Pokeflute, violin, and orchestra) Hmm....
(meanwhile, Ash is practicing Pokeflute as Celebi works)
Celebi: Done. Ash, Alex, I need your approval.(Alex walks over and inspects the music)
Ash: I can probably play this... (takes his copy of the sheet music and starts sightreading it. Alex does likewise with his part)
Celebi: This could be my secondary part--writing the music for the house band.
[Before long, the Pokeflute and violin meld together. Celebi and Deminia sway to the tune for a while, but then Alex hits a wrong note, which causes Ash to hit a wrong note...]
Celebi: Oh, no! (Alex quickly corrects himself.) This is going to be a disaster!
Ash: Now, where were we? At the part where you come in over a drone from me?
Alex: Yeah.
Celebi: Make it good. I want to see how well you two cooperate.
[The two try that section of the movement again--at least until Ash discovers that all the notes on his line of the music have been doodled on--and he looks to see Happini doing the same to Alex's line. Alex sheepishly giggles while Celebi sighs and goes to get more sheet music]
Deminia: Celebi's very enthusiastic about music. She can even sing, but....
Alex: Good luck getting her to sing. She doesn't sing very often.
Misty: Why?
Brock: Stage fright?
Deminia: She would never tell us.
Alex: Every time we asked, she'd get angry. It always made me wonder if a ghost could have an aneurysm.
Ash: I won't ask her to sing if she doesn't want to...but if Brock wants to perform something...
Brock: Name the song and I'll play it if I know it--or even tap dance if you want.
Dawn: Yeah! Tap dance to something!
Alex: That would be interesting.
Deminia: Go for it!
Celebi(as she returns): Hm?
[Ash finds a grand piano by stage right--a few quick notes finds that it is way out of tune]
Misty: I'll tune the piano for you! (goes to work)
May: I found some percussion... (we see May has a number of drums, bells, spoons, and other percussion instruments in her arms)
Dawn(offstage): Now who would leave a tuba back here?
Crystal: Much less play one?
[everyone eyes Alex]
Alex: Oh, no. My specialty is violin, not tuba.
Deminia: Come on, Alex~.
Celebi: Yeah, just because your specialty isn't tuba doesn't mean that you can't play it.
Alex: That's not going to work with me, Celebi. No amount of pep-talking will.
Deminia: Please? Pretty please~?
Alex: No. No, no, no, no, no!
Misty: Oh, come on, be a sport!
Ash: I'm wondering where they even found the tuba, anyway...
Alex: Why me, though? Why not Celebi?
[Celebi just draws, ignoring Alex completely.[
Alex: ...
Dawn: Oh, come on, do it for us?
[Alex sighs, knowing he can't win.]
Brock: Are you guys ever going to play something for my tap dancing debut?
Misty: What debut?
[we look out at the audience, where we find that there has been no audience the whole time]
Alex: Fine, I'll do it, on one condition.
Deminia: Name it.
Alex: I want all of us to have a batch of Celebi's cookies after we're done.
Celebi: Deal. Now get that tuba.
Brock: No cookies until I get a few oom-pahs from you.
[some minutes later, Ash is at the piano, Alex sighs as he takes the tuba, and Celebi finds an old washboard backstage]
[Brock walks outstage, only to hear a few tuba blats]
Alex: Do I get my cookies now?
Ash: No, we have to let Brock dance to said oom-pahs.
[Alex groans as Brock strikes a pose to signal the "band" he's ready. Ash leads everyone a ragtime tune, while Brock proceeds to tap dance to. Celebi keeps the beat, and Alex keeps puffing away begrudgingly as Brock continues stomping and jumping. Finally, the song ends, prompting applause from the Pokemon. Brock takes a bow, and the band follows suit]
Alex: Now, cookies!
Celebi(laughs): All right. (departs offstage as Alex sets the tuba aside)
Ash: At any rate, I'll be looking forward to many more shows with you guys...
Celebi(from backstage): We won't be going anywhere for a while. So don't worry, okay?
Deminia: Yeah!
Ash: We're going to get this place back to its former glory, and make your master proud!
Brock: You realize that would be easier said than done?
Alex: With us by your side, you can do anything.
Celebi(comes out with a plate of warm, fresh cookies): Anything is possible with willpower and determination.
Deminia: So none of you should worry. All of us will make it through okay.
[CREDITS ROLL]
(After all the credits run, we see Ash pacing the stage again)
Ash: So we said we'd get this place back to its former glory...although where do we begin?
(harp chord)
Ash: I didn't ask you, Brock...
Celebi: How about we make Alex do it?
(the sound of metal clanging is heard backstage, ending the show)
Episode 0: Meeting at the Stage Door
[We open on the interior of a run down theater somewhere in Celadon City. After a few quiet moments of looking at the worn seats, chipped stage, frayed curtains, and broken instruments, a door opening gets the camera's attention.]
Ash(voiceover): Here we are, guys...the Iris Theater!
[the camera focuses on who spoke, a black haired boy with a red cap with a blue Poke Ball design. His friends, however, are less than impressed at the sorry state of affairs. A red haired girl, Misty, examines a worn seat]
Misty: If you're thinking about restoring this old theater, Ash, we have our work cut out for us.
[Elsewhere, an older boy with tanned skin, Brock, notices a slip of paper on the stage.]
Brock: Hey, look!
[Ash runs over and looks at the paper]
Ash: "To whoever finds this letter, please understand that the state in which you now see the theater is not my doing--I wanted so much to run the theater for many years, but now my health prohibits it. By the time you read this, I will be gone to join Arceus in the heavens. I implore you to do what you can to restore the theater to its rightful glory, and share your talents with a new generation...signed, the owner."
[A black haired girl, Dawn, brushes away a tear.]
Dawn: So the owner has died?
Misty: Poor guy...
Brock: I heard a story about this place once....
[everyone sighs--Brock can get long winded when he tells a story]
Misty: Keep it short?
Brock: It was said that the spirits of the three performers that regularly played here still haunt this place, seeking other performers.
[A brown haired girl with a red bandanna tied on her head, May, gasps at this.]
May: Are they going to kill us?
Brock: Furthermore, to call them out to the world of the living, you have to name them and tell them its show time--and if I remember right, they are friendly spirits. (May heaves a sigh of relief)
Ash: So, what were their names?
Brock: Now that, the teller who told me this tale didn't tell me, as no one really knows what their names are any more.
[Not one to back down from a challenge, Ash steps on the stage and calls three random names backstage]
Ash: Alex! Celebi! Deminia! It's show time!
Misty: Deminia? (Dawn giggles at the name)
Ash: So? I just called three random names and nothing happened...
[at that very moment, the camera zooms to the backstage as three transparent figures appear there. The one in the middle appears to be wearing a sparkling red dress, and her brown hair is tied into a neat bun with a few strands hanging down. The one on the left is wearing a fancy off-white dress with her blonde hair in soft curls. The one on the right, the only male of the group and another blonde, is wearing a white tuxedo with a white tie. As soon as the figures appear, they disappear out of the view of the camera and warp onstage]
Celebi: (appears before Ash and co.} Who are you? Why are you here?
Misty: We're--
Deminia: (appears on Celebi's right} Have you come to take our home away?
Dawn: No!
Alex: (appears on Celebi's left) As the Guardians of this theater, we won't let you defile our home.
Ash: We're not defiling the theater, we're restoring it to its former glory, as your master wished!
Deminia: So, you're trying to bring people back here? Thank you!
Celebi: Deminia, this is no time to be silly. (looks at Ash and co.) How do you intend to restore this place?
Alex: Celebi, did you have to be so mean? They're only trying to help.
Ash: Well, we know it will be a daunting task...
Brock: Understatement of the year. (gestures to the frayed curtains and banged up lights behind him)
Ash: But seeing as your master loved this place, we're going to fulfill his dream and last request in his stead.
Deminia: Thanks so much!
Ash: Aw, it was nothing!
Celebi: If that is truly Master's last request, then don't let me stop you.
Alex: We had some great times performing in this theater. We performed for loads of people.
Celebi: Yeah. (smiles nostalgically)
Brock: What kinds of acts did you do?
Celebi: Instead of telling you... why don't we show you?
Deminia: I'll go first. (motions the Pokemon over to a chair that looks antique and moth-eaten, sitting down in it) A long time ago, there was a beautiful princess, who was very kind and loved by everyone. One day, a mean old witch, jealous of the princess's beauty, cursed her into being a swan. The princess was very heartbroken, and every day she thought...
Celebi(in her saddest voice): Who will come and rescue me?
Deminia: For many years, the princess sat in the middle of the pond wondering this question. Then one day, a young prince came to the pond. Mesmerized by the swan in the middle of the pond, he tried several ways of getting this swan to come to him....
[A clock with the words "Time Passes" appears for a moment before we return to the group. Brock is especially enjoying the tale]
Deminia: ...When he returned to the castle, he was greeted with high praise. The princess came out and gave the prince a nice big kiss. They were married three months later, and lived happily ever after.
Brock: Bravo! Encore! (he leads the applause)
Alex: Deminia tells great stories. She captures the heart of her audience. (he summons a violin and starts tuning it)
Celebi: Blow them away, Alex.
[Alex starts to play a set of reels on the violin while Celebi searches for her sketchpad. When the second tune begins, Ash joins in on Pokeflute. When the set is complete, everyone roars with applause just as Celebi returns with her sketchpad)
Celebi: Now it's my turn. (starts drawing Alex)
Alex: Oh, no. Here it comes. {hides behind the curtain)
[Celebi draws a bouquet of roses in Alex's hand, and they appear in reality]
Alex: Huh? (sniffs the roses)
[Celebi draws bees coming out of the roses]
Alex: AH! BEES! (drops the roses and runs)
Celebi(tears off the sheet and gives it to Ash as Alex is getting rid of the bees): For you.
Ash: Thanks... (admires the picture}
Misty: Let me try that pencil....
[A harp chord get everyone's attention, and everyone looks to see Brock clad in silver shirt, black pants, and a green jacket with gold trim and a cape to match]
Ash: Oh brother, Brock's in spoony bard mode...
Brock: As thanks for your storytelling prowess, perhaps you would like me to tell you a tale in return?
Deminia: Yes, please. {smiles}
Celebi: Spoony bard?
Alex(comes back, tending to bee stings): Celebi, bees are not amusing.
Celebi: Then why were they laughing?
Ash: Wait, what?
[sure enough, he hears tiny giggles as they return to a beehive that Misty's drawn]
Ash: I must be seeing things...
May: We'll be right back...
[We see a pair of claymation Ash hands at a desk, trying to write something, but then wadding up the paper wad and tossing it away. A female announcer says "You're watching 'Tales from the Stage Door'!" as Ash keeps trying to start and rejecting more stories. When the camera pans back behind Ash, we see all the rejected paper wads make a Pikachu face.]
[We rejoin the group on stage. Brock is playing a calm melody on his harp as he waits for Misty to finish prepping a canvas]
Misty: Ready when you are, Mr. Spoony Bard.
Brock: Hey! (everyone giggles as we zoom inside the paper)
Ash(voiceover): Okay, guys, calm down....go ahead, Brock.
Brock(voiceover): This story's called "The Clever Chatot"
Alex(voiceover): Go ahead.
Brock(voiceover): Okay... (he plays some more for a moment, then begins) There was once a boy that worked as an artisan--let us call him Ryu. (a pencil appears and draws a brown haired boy clad in an Asian style tunic). Ryu had a special pet--a Chatot he had raised ever since it was a hatchling. (the pencil draws a Chatot on the boy's shoulder) This Chatot was a very happy bird, and had an incredible vocabulary compared to other Chatots.
Chatot: Hello! (squawk)
Brock(voiceover): Every morning, the Chatot would perch on her master's windowsill (we see the Chatot doing that) and call to Ryu...
Chatot: Good morning, master! Good morning! (the boy yawns and climbs out of bed with a smile)
Deminia (voiceover): What happens next?
Brock(voiceover): Ryu and his Chatot were the best of friends. (we see the boy and the Chatot nuzzle each other) One day, Ryu was hired to remodel a wealthy magistrate's home, and took his Chatot along. (we see the boy and the Chatot arriving before a huge mansion-like house)
Ash(voiceover): And the Chatot chewed everything up? (we see the Chatot reduce the mansion to wood shavings)
Brock(voiceover): Nice try. (Misty erases the wood shavings and redraws the mansion again) We have already said that Ryu and his Chatot were the best of friends. (the boy and the Chatot nuzzle again, making the audience say "Aww...")
Misty(voiceover): So anyway... (the pencil draws the mansion back in as Brock plays another interlude)
Brock(voiceover): While up on a wall, Ryu realized he had forgotten a brush, so the Chatot went and fetched it for him. (we see the Chatot offering the brush to the boy) And when her master moved a little too close to the edge, the Chatot would say...
Chatot: Be careful, master, be careful!
Celebi(voiceover): Smart Chatot.
Deminia(voiceover): Probably very pretty, too.
Brock(voiceover): The other workers and servants also loved the Chatot, and spent what free time they could teaching her new words and songs. (we see a girl whistling a few bars of "Pokemon Johto" to the Chatot)
One day the owner of the mansion came to see how the work was coming along (Kamon is drawn in the scene in a tunic-like outfit), and saw Ryu making the preliminary sketches to a mural of Dialga that was to be on one wall. (we see the boy sketching a Dialga on some paper)
Celebi(voiceover): Makes me want to draw some more now!
Deminia(voiceover): After the story, Celebi.
Brock(voiceover): The landowner asked Ryu (Kamon mouths the words as Brock impersonates his voice) "What is that supposed to be?" (the boy mouths the words as Brock does a voice similar to Ash) "That is the Lord of Time, Dialga." (as himself) Ryu replied.
Chatot: The Lord of Time, Dialga! The Lord of Time, Dialga! (squawk)
Brock(voiceover): The landowner chuckled when he saw the Chatot. (as Kamon) "And does this Pokemon belong to you?" (as Ryu) "The Chatot is mine, sir." (as himself.) Ryu replied.
Celebi(voiceover): That was probably a big mistake.
Deminia(voiceover): That Chatot is probably smarter than it seems.
9Brock plays another interlude as the scene changes back to Ryu's house]
Brock(voiceover): The next day, a servant girl came...(Brock pauses when he doesn't see an appropriate illustration on the paper) Um, I said, the next day a servant girl came...
[We return to the real world, where we see Misty dozing on the canvas]
Ash: Earth to Misty... (waves a hand in Misty's face.)
Misty: Oh! (to Brock) Lay off on the harp for a while, that interlude put me to sleep.
Celebi(yawning): Harp music is always soothing....
[whistle interlude as we go back inside the paper, which shows Ryu looking out at an empty path]
Misty(voiceover): That's better than a harp--at least a whistle won't put me to sleep. (giggles)
Brock(voiceover): Anyway...The next day, a servant girl came to Ryu's house, (the pencil draws in Misty walking up to the boy's house) and said to him (the Misty in the drawing mouths the words as Brock impersonates her voice) "My master wishes to buy your Chatot, and would like to offer you a thousand pieces of silver for it."
Misty(voiceover): I'm not that high pitched, am I? (laughter)
Deminia(voiceover): What did Ryu say?
Alex(voiceover): Dem, Ryu loves his Chatot too much. Surely he wouldn't sell it for a thousand pieces of silver…
Brock(voiceover): You'd be correct in that regard. Ryu told the servant girl (as Ryu) "Tell your master that I decline his offer, as my Chatot is not for sale."
Chatot: Not for sale! (squawk) Not for sale!
Brock(voiceover): Naturally when the landowner heard of Ryu's refusal, he was furious. (we see Kamon with an angry look and steam coming from his ears)
Deminia(voiceover): Ryu better look out. Angry people never show any remorse for their actions.
Alex voiceover): So then what?
Brock(voiceover): The landowner had Ryu arrested (the pencil draws Ryu being led away by some soldiers) and demanded the Chatot. (Kamon shouts some angry gibberish at Ryu) When Ryu refused (Ryu shakes his head no), the landowner had him thrown in prison. (the soldiers literally throw Ryu across the page and into the next, where the pencil is finishing up a scene of a prison.)
Ash(voiceover): And then Crono bailed him out! (Frog's theme plays for a moment as Ryu is freed by a 16 bit sprite of a boy)
Misty(voiceover): Nice try, Ash. (the sprite is erased)
Ash(voiceover): RPG rule #59: If thrown in jail, your sentence will usually last all of three seconds.
Celebi (voiceover): So after Ryu was thrown in jail...
Deminia(voiceover): Did the Chatot try to find him?
Alex(voiceover): Ash seems to have an overactive imagination....
Celebi(voiceover): Like someone else we know...
Brock(voiceover): Yes...the Chatot, after searching the whole city for her master, found him sitting alone in his cell, and flew in through the bars.
[the Chatot flies in through a barred window and nuzzles Ryu]
Brock(voiceover): Ryu was elated to see his Chatot again, and said to it (as Ryu) "I'm so glad to see you, my friend! See how the landowner stops at nothing to get me to turn you over to him! I was thrown in here all because I would not sell you to him! You were mine ever since I hatched you, so why does he desire you so?"
Chatot: I don't know either! (squawk)
Brock(voiceover as himself): For many days, the Chatot came to visit her master and bring him food without the jailer knowing...
Ash(voiceover): And then Ryu got bailed out?
Brock(voiceover): I'm getting to that part, okay?
Celebi(voiceover): Impatient, too.
Deminia(voiceover): Poor, poor Ryu...
Brock(voiceover): One day, the jailer happened to see Ryu and Chatot in the cell. (the pencil draws in a Rocket grunt in armor gasping as the Chatot arrives) Despite the best attempts, the Chatot evaded every form of capture. When she saw the landowner present with the guards, she taunted him, saying..
Chatot: Mr. Magistrate! Can't you hear how the people cry to Arceus under your hand? You'll never catch me! (sticks out her tongue at Kamon as she flies away)
Brock(voiceover): The landowner ordered all the town guards to find the Chatot, but she and her master had escaped in all the commotion, and both kept a low profile for quite some time. Eventually, the landowner gave up on the Chatot.
Misty(voiceover): Now Ryu was bailed out, happy?
Celebi(voiceover): Whatever happened to the landowner?
Deminia(voiceover): Did he leave them alone?
Brock(voiceover): Actually, the Chatot had a clever plan...
Deminia(voiceover): Tell us!
Celebi(voiceover): Be patient, Deminia.
Brock(voiceover): Some time later, Ryu sent his Chatot out to fetch him some food. (we see the Chatot flying away.) She had just gotten into town when she heard music (Ash joins in on whistle and Dawn on fiddle in the background) and saw people dancing and celebrating (the pencil draws in some colorful dancers as Happini joins in on tambourine). She knew the song the musicians were playing well--it was a song heard at the New Dawn Festival, just before people would pray to the Great Lord Arceus for blessings in the new year.
Sure enough, she spotted the landowner that had wronged her master two years before making his way into the Temple of Arceus. (the pencil draws a Japanese-esque temple, which Kamon enters)
Deminia(voiceover): Bet the Chatot came up with a clever plan to return the favor...
Celebi (voiceover): Let's listen to the rest.
Brock(voiceover): Just as the landowner had asked the priest to begin the required intercession for him before Arceus (the pencil draws Dawn in a white robe with blue trim saying gibberish before an Arceus statue), the Chatot flitted behind the statue to watch and wait. (we see the Chatot do this) As the priest left to tend to others seeking blessings and prayers, only the landowner and the statue of Arceus were left in the room.
Just then, a low male voice seemed to boom from nowhere (as Arceus) "If the many you have oppressed were to tell how you have oppressed them, the woes would be many!" (as himself) The landowner looked around to see who had spoke, but found no one. (Kamon looks blankly around the room)
Deminia(voiceover): Haha! The landowner's in for it now!
Celebi(voiceover): Hush, Dem.
Brock(voiceover, as Kamon) "Who's there?" (as himself) the landowner cried. (as Arceus) "I am Arceus." (as himself) the voice replied. (as Arceus) "For many years I have heard the people cry under your hand, so maybe if you confess what you have done, I may be more inclined to show you mercy."
(as himself) The landowner fell prostrate before the statue many times, so much so that he even hit his head on the floor. (we see Kamon doing this. The Chatot peeks out from behind the Arceus statue and winks before disappearing again)
Deminia(voiceover): What did the Chatot make him do next?
Brock(voiceover): The landowner continued to prostrate himself--perhaps if he did it enough, Arceus would be merciful on him! (we see Kamon doing this and periodically bonking his head on the floor) (as Arceus) "First, sell half your possessions and give the money to the poor." (as himself) the voice continued. (as Arceus) "Second, prostrate yourself before me 365 times to remind yourself to be humble and never abuse the people again!"
(as himself) The landowner complied with such fervor, (we see Kamon doing this), that by the time he departed the temple, he was dazed and bruised from hitting his head on the floor so many times. (we see Kamon staggering out of the temple with mini winged Arceuses spinning around his head) But only Ryu and his Chatot knew the truth: the voice the landowner had heard was really the Chatot mimicing Arceus. (the Chatot winks again as Ryu walks into the crowd, the Chatot on his shoulder. A harp interlude begins as a crowd cheers.) Ryu and his Chatot were hailed as heroes, and they lived together for a very long time...the end. (the scene swirls back to the present, where Brock is playing one last harp interlude and Misty is drawing the last scene)
Deminia(leads the applause): Very nicely done!
Celebi: I must say that I'm very impressed.
Brock: Thank you! (he takes a bow)
Misty: And thank you! (sticks the pencil back behind one ear)
Celebi(goes to the back, and comes out with a reel of film] I forgot we still had this...
Deminia: Ooh! Is that the "Jared vs. Natu" cartoon?
Celebi: Yes. Which one do you want to see?
Alex: Let's show them "Natu in a Haystack, and Nidorans too"
[Ash wheels out the projector and lets Celebi thread it in. Once Misty pulls down the screen, Ash starts it]
[CARTOON 1]
Celebi(laughing): I love that cartoon.
Deminia: Poor Jared tries so hard to catch that Natu…
Alex: With all of the problems he had in the first 9 episodes… we never knew what happened next. Episode 10 was hard to find.
Misty: Who said we can't make a new one and extend it, with the original creator's okay and blessing?
Deminia: *eyes sparkle* Could we really?
Celebi: I'm sure the original creator wouldn't mind. The cartoon had quite a following.
Misty: Why not? I have these magical pencils.... ::flips to a new page of drawing paper::
[On Our Way plays as a title card appears: "Back to the Drawing Board with Misty"]
Deminia(voiceover): Jared would always come into his house, mostly covered in scratches, and complain that he didn't like his wife's Natu.
Misty(voiceover) Hang on, what does Jared look like?
Celebi(voiceover): Spiky purple hair, silver eyes, wears a royal purple robe with silver swirls, really fond of the Ghost-types. Never seen without his Misdreavus or Gengar.
Deminia(voiceover): A lot like the Trainer called Morty, only he looks different.
[The pencil follows the guardians' instructions until the boy on the paper looks more or less like what they described.]
Misty: How's that?
Deminia(voiceover): That's perfect!
Celebi(voiceover): Now, like Deminia was saying when she got too far ahead of herself, Jared usually walks into his house and leans against the door. He's covered in scratches and he looks at his wife, complaining about how much he doesn't like her Natu.
Jared: I wish you'd get rid of that Natu!
Deminia(voiceover): To which his wife, Sara, would smile at him and reply...
Celebi(voiceover, as Sara): I love you, Jared. If you find my Natu, I'll give you a nice reward.
Deminia(voiceover): Jared, who loved his wife very much, would head back outside after this encouragement.
Ash(voiceover): And a piano falls on him! (a piano lands on Jared with a KRONG!) Of course, it was the Natu that dropped said piano. (we see a Natu giggling at the flattened Jared)
Deminia (voiceover): *giggling* Not quite.
Celebi (voiceover): Jared would go on a small adventure to find this Natu hiding somewhere in the town. The first episode showed the Natu with a flock of Spearow. When Jared made a grab for the Natu, it hopped away, leaving poor Jared to be attacked by the angry Spearow.
Misty(voiceover): Now where have I heard that before....
Ash(voiceover): I was desperate at the time, okay?
Deminia (voiceover): So Jared sends out his Gengar, who scares off the Spearow. Episode 1 leaves off after that.
Celebi (voiceover): The Gengar is funny in his own right.
Misty(voiceover): How so?
Celebi (voiceover): He would always do funny poses when he came out of the Pokeball. Sometimes, he'd even put on sunglasses and pose.
Misty(voiceover): What kind of sunglasses? (the pencil draws some black shades on the Gengar)
Deminia(voiceover): Those do very nicely.
Celebi(voiceover): Now let's give them an adventure to go on to catch that Natu.
[The pencil looms over a white screen]
Misty(voiceover): Okay, start describing and I'll draw.
Deminia(voiceover): Oh! Let's stick them in a cave!
Celebi(voiceover): With a sleeping Ursaring.
[the pencil draws in the background of the cave and a snoozing Ursaring]
Deminia (voiceover): The Natu should do something really mean...
Celebi (voiceover): Like peck the head of the Ursaring to wake it up, then flee as fast as it can.
[The Natu does this, and the Ursaring wakes with a roar]
Deminia[voiceover]: Jared's in for it now....
Alex(voiceover): He better run.
[and run Jared does...smack into a tree.]
Celebi(voiceover): Uh-oh....
Alex(voiceover): The Ursaring's coming! (dramatic sting)
Misty(voiceover): Okay, Brock...
[A record scrape is heard as we zoom over to the orchestra pit, where we see Brock in conductor's attire]
Brock: What?
Misty(voiceover): If I want music, I'll say so, okay?
Ash(voiceover): Oh, come on, can't we have the William Tell Overture or the Can Can and a crazy chase?
Misty(voiceover): Okay, we can have a crazy chase scene with music....
Ash(voiceover): Maestro....
[Brock winks in Ash's direction, then leads the orchestra in the Can Can as Jared runs to flee the Ursaring. Deminia laughs in the background)
Alex(voiceover): Run, Jared! Run!
Celebi(voiceover): Run like that Ursaring's gonna eat you, because it's gonna try!
Dawn(voiceover): Ooh..., is there a saxophone player in the house?
Misty(voiceover): No, why?
Dawn(voiceover) This would make it funnier!
[a TV remote appears in the scene and hits the Fast Forward button, changing the music to "Yakety Sax"--or rather, "Yakety Pokeflute"]
Deminia(voiceover): Yeah!
Celebi(voiceover): The Ursaring is catching up!
Alex(voiceover): Find somewhere to hide, and quick!
[Jared dashes behind a tree, allowing the Ursaring to run right past him]
Alex[voiceover]: Poor Jared. He still didn't get the Natu.
Celebi(voiceover): Maybe next time.
[We return to Misty drawing the last scene...]
Celebi: That was fun.
Alex: Yeah!
Deminia: Our very own Jared vs. Natu series!
Misty: So what shall we call it? (we zoom back into the first panel again)
Deminia: Natu Frenzy?
Celebi: I think we want something that makes a bit more sense.
Brock: That gives it a theme song, of sorts. (signals the orchestra to play "Flight of the Bumblebee")
Celebi: What about 'Flight of the Natu'? (the song falls apart)
Deminia: Does anyone else have any objections to that title?
[Nincadas chirp]
Deminia: Okay, then.
Celebi: Then it's settled. That's the title we'll go with.
[the letters appear in the first panel with a poof]
Deminia: Yeah!
Celebi: Great job. (smiles as she starts the projector)
[CARTOON 2]
Celebi: Oh? Are you going to play something for us, Ash?
Deminia: Is it going to be enjoyable?
Misty: Just be thankful you're not listening to him practice.
Dawn: Practice being a relative term.
Ash: Maestro...
[The orchestra plays an A note, which Ash plays back to show he's in tune. Once all is quiet, the orchestra gives him a soaring introduction before Ash begins a melody Misty recognizes as Lugia's theme. When Ash hits the second round of Lugia's Song, Alex joins in on violin, Which throws Ash off, as the arrangement he has is for solo Pokeflute and orchestra]
Celebi: Hold on, everybody!
Alex: Huh? (stops playing)
Celebi(pulls out a regular pencil): Lucky for me I know how to write music. I wrote all of Alex's and Deminia's pieces before every show. Now I just need some paper.
[May arrives with blank music paper]
Celebi: Thank you, May. (starts writing Lugia's Song for Pokeflute, violin, and orchestra) Hmm....
(meanwhile, Ash is practicing Pokeflute as Celebi works)
Celebi: Done. Ash, Alex, I need your approval.(Alex walks over and inspects the music)
Ash: I can probably play this... (takes his copy of the sheet music and starts sightreading it. Alex does likewise with his part)
Celebi: This could be my secondary part--writing the music for the house band.
[Before long, the Pokeflute and violin meld together. Celebi and Deminia sway to the tune for a while, but then Alex hits a wrong note, which causes Ash to hit a wrong note...]
Celebi: Oh, no! (Alex quickly corrects himself.) This is going to be a disaster!
Ash: Now, where were we? At the part where you come in over a drone from me?
Alex: Yeah.
Celebi: Make it good. I want to see how well you two cooperate.
[The two try that section of the movement again--at least until Ash discovers that all the notes on his line of the music have been doodled on--and he looks to see Happini doing the same to Alex's line. Alex sheepishly giggles while Celebi sighs and goes to get more sheet music]
Deminia: Celebi's very enthusiastic about music. She can even sing, but....
Alex: Good luck getting her to sing. She doesn't sing very often.
Misty: Why?
Brock: Stage fright?
Deminia: She would never tell us.
Alex: Every time we asked, she'd get angry. It always made me wonder if a ghost could have an aneurysm.
Ash: I won't ask her to sing if she doesn't want to...but if Brock wants to perform something...
Brock: Name the song and I'll play it if I know it--or even tap dance if you want.
Dawn: Yeah! Tap dance to something!
Alex: That would be interesting.
Deminia: Go for it!
Celebi(as she returns): Hm?
[Ash finds a grand piano by stage right--a few quick notes finds that it is way out of tune]
Misty: I'll tune the piano for you! (goes to work)
May: I found some percussion... (we see May has a number of drums, bells, spoons, and other percussion instruments in her arms)
Dawn(offstage): Now who would leave a tuba back here?
Crystal: Much less play one?
[everyone eyes Alex]
Alex: Oh, no. My specialty is violin, not tuba.
Deminia: Come on, Alex~.
Celebi: Yeah, just because your specialty isn't tuba doesn't mean that you can't play it.
Alex: That's not going to work with me, Celebi. No amount of pep-talking will.
Deminia: Please? Pretty please~?
Alex: No. No, no, no, no, no!
Misty: Oh, come on, be a sport!
Ash: I'm wondering where they even found the tuba, anyway...
Alex: Why me, though? Why not Celebi?
[Celebi just draws, ignoring Alex completely.[
Alex: ...
Dawn: Oh, come on, do it for us?
[Alex sighs, knowing he can't win.]
Brock: Are you guys ever going to play something for my tap dancing debut?
Misty: What debut?
[we look out at the audience, where we find that there has been no audience the whole time]
Alex: Fine, I'll do it, on one condition.
Deminia: Name it.
Alex: I want all of us to have a batch of Celebi's cookies after we're done.
Celebi: Deal. Now get that tuba.
Brock: No cookies until I get a few oom-pahs from you.
[some minutes later, Ash is at the piano, Alex sighs as he takes the tuba, and Celebi finds an old washboard backstage]
[Brock walks outstage, only to hear a few tuba blats]
Alex: Do I get my cookies now?
Ash: No, we have to let Brock dance to said oom-pahs.
[Alex groans as Brock strikes a pose to signal the "band" he's ready. Ash leads everyone a ragtime tune, while Brock proceeds to tap dance to. Celebi keeps the beat, and Alex keeps puffing away begrudgingly as Brock continues stomping and jumping. Finally, the song ends, prompting applause from the Pokemon. Brock takes a bow, and the band follows suit]
Alex: Now, cookies!
Celebi(laughs): All right. (departs offstage as Alex sets the tuba aside)
Ash: At any rate, I'll be looking forward to many more shows with you guys...
Celebi(from backstage): We won't be going anywhere for a while. So don't worry, okay?
Deminia: Yeah!
Ash: We're going to get this place back to its former glory, and make your master proud!
Brock: You realize that would be easier said than done?
Alex: With us by your side, you can do anything.
Celebi(comes out with a plate of warm, fresh cookies): Anything is possible with willpower and determination.
Deminia: So none of you should worry. All of us will make it through okay.
[CREDITS ROLL]
(After all the credits run, we see Ash pacing the stage again)
Ash: So we said we'd get this place back to its former glory...although where do we begin?
(harp chord)
Ash: I didn't ask you, Brock...
Celebi: How about we make Alex do it?
(the sound of metal clanging is heard backstage, ending the show)