ANP #012: Swinging REALLY Low
(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)
(We join Ash on the stage as he tunes an acoustic guitar. Pikachu is nearby, clutching a harmonica)
Ash: Oh, hi! I didn't see you there! Tonight we're going to do another musical episode, so Pikachu decided he wanted to play a duet with me. (applause as Ash tunes some more) You ready, Pikachu?
Pikachu: Chu! (puts on a small black hat and sunglasses)
(a rousing harmonica and guitar
duet fills the air, prompting Misty to peek onstage and listen)
Misty: Woo! Go, Pikachu! (leads the clapping while Ash breaks off to solo, but before Pikachu can solo, a loud, low pitched note makes the theater rattle.) What was that?
Ash: Beats me....(to Pikachu) Let's start your solo again... (plays the conclusion of his solo, but the same loud note distracts Pikachu)
Pikachu: Pika pika chu? (pockets his harmonica)
Misty: I'll go check and see what that noise is...(disappears offstage for a moment)
Pikachu: Cha... (he slumps to the ground, bored)
Ash: I know, Pikachu...maybe this cartoon wil cheer you up...(starts the projector)
(CARTOON-I'm Your Venusaur!)
(We join Ash and Pikachu on the stage, Pikachu is practicing "On Our Way" on his harmonica, when the theater rattles again.)
Pikachu: Pika!
Ash: I thought Misty was checking what that noise was...
(At that moment, a "KA-CHUNK!" is heard, followed by cries of "Help! Get me out of here!" Misty returns to the stage with a smug look on her face.)
Misty: That ought to keep Brock busy for a while!
Ash: What will?
Misty: Getting the tuba he was playing off of him after I chunked it over his head!
(Pikachu pictures a mental image of Brock stuck in a tuba...making him double over in laughter!)
Ash: ::sigh:: Now you have Pikachu all wound up...
Misty: Come on, Pikachu...you can serenade me while I draw. (starts
backstage, Pikachu in tow)
(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, simulating a blank piece of paper)
Misty: Okay...how do you suppose Brock even found a tuba, anyway? (the pencil draws Brock on the screen)
Pikachu(voiceover): Pika chu pika... (the pencil draws a huge pile of musical instruments by Brock) Pipika pika chu...(Brock starts digging through the pile, making various instruments go flying in different directions) pi pika pi chuka. (Brock surfaces from the pile holding a tuba over his head, while the Zelda 'got item' fanfare plays)
Misty(voiceover): Hmm... (the pencil draws Brock in a cheesy marching band uniform standing on a football field. Pikachu giggles in the background) You think he looks silly performing at halftime? (the band starts marching and playing a medley of Pokemon songs)
Pikachu: Pika... (the band starts forming such shapes as a Poke Ball, a Beautifly, and Ash's hat...but before Brock can play anything else, he's buried in football players, prompting the cheerleaders to cheer "The End!"
(A "THACK!" is heard as Misty finishes drawing)
Ash(offscreen): You're not getting me to play one even if you paid me to do it!
Brock(offscreen): Please?
Ash(offscreen): No.
Brock(offscreen): Please?
Ash(offscreen): No.
Brock(offscreen): Please??
Ash(offscreen): No....
Brock(offscreen): Please?
Ash(offscreen): NO!!!! (Misty rushes onstage to see Brock and Ash arguing)
Misty: What's going on?
Ash: Brock wants me to play tuba with him! (gestures to a second tuba, plus a smaller tuba, nearby)
Pikachu: Pi pika... (starts projector as Ash, Misty, and Brock continue fighting)
(CARTOON-My Father's Song)
(We return to the stage to see the Trio now holding the tubas from earlier. May peeks onstage and giggles)
Ash: Don't ask, okay?
May: I bet you guys are going to sound like the sewage duct! (laughs some more)
Ash(to Brock): You owe me 1000 credits when we're done...
(The Trio proceeds to play a surprisingly good sounding rendition of the
"Sabre Dance". May's eye's widen, impressed, as the audience applauds)
Brock: Your 1000 credits. (offers a 1000 credit bill to Ash)
Ash: Gee, that wasn't so bad...(pockets the credits) In fact, let's play some more!
(The lights go down and the credits roll as a tuba version of "On Our Way" plays)
THE END