ANP #69: A Roselia By Any Other Name....
(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 wearing his normal clothes and sunglasses)
Brock: A Roselia by any other name...is still a Roselia. (smiles over one last hit of music as the scene fades out.)
(Applause as Ash runs onstage and waves to the crowd)
Ash: Thank you! Tonight we feature one of May's best known rivals on the contest circuit...one who's never without his Roselia! So, please welcome Drew to the stage.
(applause as Drew appears onstage, Roselia in tow. May smiles as Drew shakes hands with Ash and makes himself comfortable)
Drew: Thank you....and hello to you too, May.
May: Hi, Drew!
Drew: Although she's my toughest opponent on the circuit, I have no hard feelings towards May...(reaches to nibble on a cracker until he notices the box of crackers is gone) Hey! Who took all the crackers?
(We look backstage at a trail of cracker crumbs as Munchlax strolls backstage, munching on the crackers. He's about to enter May's dressing room until May blocks his entrance.)
May: Oh no you don't! (chases after Munchlax)
(Back onstage, Ash and Drew wince at the crashing, pushing and shoving coming from backstage.)
Drew: All that just to rescue a box of crackers?
Ash: You know Munchlax...has to eat everything that could conceiveablly be edible. (walks over to the projector and starts it as the noise continues)
(CARTOON-"Win, Lose, or Drew", part 1)
(We see a pair of CGI Ash hands watching from the audience as Drew enters a contest arena. Vivian announces "You're watching 'The Ash and Pikachu Show'!" as Roselia sprays flower petals everywhere. as we look closer on the petals, we see that one of them is Pikachu's face!)
(Meanwhile, Drew helps May clean up the backstage area.)
May: Sorry about Munchlax...he eats everything in sight sometimes. (Munchlax sighs from a time out corner) No more crackers for you!
Drew: It's okay, you just neeed to train him to resist his urges to eat.
May: I think I'll do that...
(Later, the backstage area looks noticeably cleaner.)
Drew: My half's clean...so I'll go see if there's anything else to clean up.
May: Okay! (May continues working as Drew walks off. Suddenly, a whir of a pencil sharpener gets his attention. Closer inspection reveals Misty about to go to work at the drawing board.)
Drew: Hmm...interesting pencil... (sits down to watch as Misty goes to work. Roselia joins him a few moments later)
(On Our Way interlude plays as the title card appears: "'Back to the Drawing Board' with Misty" Misty's face appears in the o in "Board")
(A blank screen appears, simulating a blank piece of paper)
Misty(voiceover): Oh, Drew! Didn't expect to see you there! I thought you were helping May clean the backstage area.
Drew(voiceover): I finished my half, and I was looking to see if anything else needed cleaning when I found you.
Misty(voiceover): Okay...I feel in the mood to do another Ash comic today...
(Ash is drawn on the screen in his normal clothes)
Drew(voiceover): Let's make him do a commercial! I love doing those!
Misty(voiceover): You got it! (draws the director, Max, some staff and TV cameras)
(The director starts prepping Ash for a commercial. Ash is wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses and has a pizza box with a Pikachu face on it)
Girl: Okay, your line is: 'On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh Pika Pizza. Take it from me, folks, they're the hottest pizzas around', okay?
Ash: Got it, Rubina. (adjusts the sunglasses)
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 1! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza. (holds the pizza box upside down, making the pizza fall to the ground).
Rubina(voicover): Cut! Now the pizza's all over the place!
Ash(sweatdrop) Sorry...
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 2! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pika...uh...Pika Puka...Puka Shika....bleh! My tongue's tied!
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 3! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
(We see Ash trying to untie his tongue after getting it tied on the last take)
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 4! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
(We notice that Ash has failed to get his tied tongue untied, so he's now playing it like a guitar.)
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 7! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza. Take it from me, folks...they're...um...uh...line?
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Take 12! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot--(suddenly realizes the pizza box is a little TOO hot.) GAH!!!
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Take 25! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza. (Before Ash can say any more, a stampede of Pikachus knocks him over)
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Take 39! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash(in a drone): On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza....
Rubina: Cut!
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard. It's now a little bit darker outside)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 64! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: On a hot day like today, (a Pidgey squawks overhead, and a white splotch appears on Ash's arm) I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza. Take it from me, folks; (another white splotch appears on the pizza box as another Pidgey squawks overhead) They're the hottest pizzas around!
Rubina(voiceover): At least you said the line....
(We blip to see Ash reading over the script)
Ash: It's not that I can't say the line, I'm just nervous.
Rubina(voiceover): I know, we'll keep trying till we get it right, okay?
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 128! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
(Nincadas chirp)
Rubina(voiceover): HELLO??
Ash: Oh! (he starts to talk fast) On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Puka Pisha.
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard. It's now even more darker outside than before)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 256! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash(mumbling): Ona hoday li today, Ilito enoya horesh, Pikazza.
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard)
Max: Take 512! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
(We see Ash eating the pizza)
Ash: Whah?
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard. He looks groggy eyed and it's now nighttime outside)
Max: Pika Pizza, take 1024! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash(dryly): On a hot day like today, I like to enjoy a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza.
(We blip to see Max holding a clapboard, the take number reeds 1337)
Max: Pika Pizza, take leet! (claps the clapboard)
Rubina(voiceover): And, action!
Ash: I LIKE PIZZA!
(A Pika Pizza box zooms up at the audience)
Brock(voiceover): You heard it from Ash, folks! Everyone loves a hot, fresh, Pika Pizza any time of the year. Go pick one up today!
Rubina: And that's a wrap...finally. (the clapboard reads "The End')
(Roselia is laughing profusely as Misty draws the last scene)
Drew: You like that, huh? (suddenly, the sounds of instruments tuning get his attention) Huh?
Ash: Drew, there you are! Brock and the band are about to play!
Drew: This should be interesting....
(Brock snaps a few times to count the band off, then music begins)
Brock: Feel the courage, and a rush of energy!
Today is brand new, come on; let's go!
Don't forget your PokeNav,
Everything is good to go!
Rivals face off, a battle begins!
I'm determined...ready? Let's go!
Looking out there at the sea and all this brand new land,
Lilycove City, a sunset is waiting there....
A double battle soon begins! See the fire burning?
I ride a motorcycle,
And I'm riding, this mighty wave!
Wanna, wanna, wanna do this!
I have a dream inside me that will never ever sleep!
Here I come, to this brand new town!
Let's go look for some new friends!
Welcome them aboard our whole new team!
Feel the courage, and a rush of energy!
Today is brand new, come on; let's go! (applause. Roselia is especially impressed.)
Drew: That was actually GOOD! (applauds some more. Ash starts the projector as the applause dies down.)
(CARTOON- "Win, Lose, or Drew", part 2)
(We join Ash, Pikachu, Drew and Roselia on stage)
Drew: I do want to say I had a great time this evening, even if a Munchlax spoiled it.
Ash: Me too..we're about out of time for tonight, so we'll see ya next time!
Pikachu: Pika! (waves goodbye as the curtain closes. "On Our Way" reprise plays as the credits roll)
THE END