GalladeRocks
Son of a Beach
The Pokemon Show
If you can't say anything nice...
Welcome to the club!
If you can't say anything nice...
Welcome to the club!
Episode 1: The Pilot
Summary-Piplup, Chimchar, and the rest of the gang attempt to film the pilot of their new TV show. However, things turn catastrophic when Munchlax gets cloned, Chimchar floods the theater, and Poliwhirl tries to fly a jet.
Episode 2: Star Tours
Summary-Snorunt opens up a tour of The Pokemon Show set. Also, Dusknoir brings his new girlfriend, Banette, who takes heckling to a whole new level. Plus, Mewtwo and Deoxys from Ysavvryl's The Ballad of Deoxys and Mewtwo guest star.
Episode 3: Love Tastes Like Chicken
Summary-A new Pokemon in Treasure Town, Torchic, joins the cast. Poliwhirl instantly falls in love with her and, with help from Snorunt and Corphish, tries to woo her. Also, the entire cast joins together to sing Bohemian Rhapsody.
Episode 4: Defective Detective
Summary-Chimchar is accused of stealing from Skuntank and Dusknoir, and is put on trial before the audience! It is up to his lawyers, Snorunt and Corphish, to save him. Meanwhile, Poliwhirl works behind the scenes to find the real culprit. Also, the cast of Qwilfish Hooks guest stars.
Episode 5: The Super Justice Bringing Crime Fighting Squad of Avenging Super Acquainted Pokemon Super Pals
Summary-After reading a comic book, Chimchar, Poliwhirl, and Snorunt decide to become super-heroes and convince Piplup, Corphish, Wigglytuff, and . But where there are super-heroes, there are super-villains. What will Piplup and Chimchar do as they come face-to-face with their most powerful foe yet?
Episode ??: Soothing the Savage Beast
Summary-Primeape's berserker antics finally become too much for the cast members, and they decide that it's finally time to civilize the crazed drummer. Many attempts end in failure, but eventually, they seem to find success. But is this for the better?
Episode ??: The Mew Show
Summary-After feeling that she hasn't been featured enough, Mew decides to take over the show. However, people quickly begin getting tired of her egotistic behavior in all of the acts. When Piplup tries to stand up to her, he finds himself kicked out of the theater, leaving Chimchar, Diglett, Poliwhirl, and the others to oust Mew from her spot, with some unexpected help from Skuntank and Dusknoir.
Episode ??: If Science Can't Fix It, Go With the Bazooka
Summary-Munchlax finally becomes fed up with constantly being the guinea pig for Lucario's many experiments, and he quits the show. Piplup, Lucario, Grovyle, and Chatot head out to bring him back, leaving the others to entertain the crowd with their skits. Chimchar stars in Chimp on Patrol and Bidoof stars in Poke-Veterinarian Hospital, so it's not an adventure to be missed!
Episode ??: Pokemon in Space!
Summary-Mew finally gets her big break when she stars in the full-length episode Pokemon in Space. Along with the newcomers Captain Scizor and Dr. Drowzee, this space adventure may be the best the show has ever seen! Eat your heart out, Luke Skywalker!
Episode ??: A Pokemon Show Carol
Summary-The cast celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with their own retelling of A Christmas Carol. Skuntank plays the part of the miserly Scrooge, and through an encounter with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, he may finally find the goodness in his heart. You know, all that sappy Christmas stuff.
Episode 13: Piplup's Big Break (Season Finale)
Summary-The season finale of the show has finally arrived, much to the relief of Skuntank and Dusknoir. Piplup is completely determined to make sure that this show runs smoothly without any kind of mess-up. Yeah, like that could ever happen. When all else fails, Piplup himself steps forth to save the show. Can he succeed?
Summary-Piplup, Chimchar, and the rest of the gang attempt to film the pilot of their new TV show. However, things turn catastrophic when Munchlax gets cloned, Chimchar floods the theater, and Poliwhirl tries to fly a jet.
Episode 2: Star Tours
Summary-Snorunt opens up a tour of The Pokemon Show set. Also, Dusknoir brings his new girlfriend, Banette, who takes heckling to a whole new level. Plus, Mewtwo and Deoxys from Ysavvryl's The Ballad of Deoxys and Mewtwo guest star.
Episode 3: Love Tastes Like Chicken
Summary-A new Pokemon in Treasure Town, Torchic, joins the cast. Poliwhirl instantly falls in love with her and, with help from Snorunt and Corphish, tries to woo her. Also, the entire cast joins together to sing Bohemian Rhapsody.
Episode 4: Defective Detective
Summary-Chimchar is accused of stealing from Skuntank and Dusknoir, and is put on trial before the audience! It is up to his lawyers, Snorunt and Corphish, to save him. Meanwhile, Poliwhirl works behind the scenes to find the real culprit. Also, the cast of Qwilfish Hooks guest stars.
Episode 5: The Super Justice Bringing Crime Fighting Squad of Avenging Super Acquainted Pokemon Super Pals
Summary-After reading a comic book, Chimchar, Poliwhirl, and Snorunt decide to become super-heroes and convince Piplup, Corphish, Wigglytuff, and . But where there are super-heroes, there are super-villains. What will Piplup and Chimchar do as they come face-to-face with their most powerful foe yet?
Episode ??: Soothing the Savage Beast
Summary-Primeape's berserker antics finally become too much for the cast members, and they decide that it's finally time to civilize the crazed drummer. Many attempts end in failure, but eventually, they seem to find success. But is this for the better?
Episode ??: The Mew Show
Summary-After feeling that she hasn't been featured enough, Mew decides to take over the show. However, people quickly begin getting tired of her egotistic behavior in all of the acts. When Piplup tries to stand up to her, he finds himself kicked out of the theater, leaving Chimchar, Diglett, Poliwhirl, and the others to oust Mew from her spot, with some unexpected help from Skuntank and Dusknoir.
Episode ??: If Science Can't Fix It, Go With the Bazooka
Summary-Munchlax finally becomes fed up with constantly being the guinea pig for Lucario's many experiments, and he quits the show. Piplup, Lucario, Grovyle, and Chatot head out to bring him back, leaving the others to entertain the crowd with their skits. Chimchar stars in Chimp on Patrol and Bidoof stars in Poke-Veterinarian Hospital, so it's not an adventure to be missed!
Episode ??: Pokemon in Space!
Summary-Mew finally gets her big break when she stars in the full-length episode Pokemon in Space. Along with the newcomers Captain Scizor and Dr. Drowzee, this space adventure may be the best the show has ever seen! Eat your heart out, Luke Skywalker!
Episode ??: A Pokemon Show Carol
Summary-The cast celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with their own retelling of A Christmas Carol. Skuntank plays the part of the miserly Scrooge, and through an encounter with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, he may finally find the goodness in his heart. You know, all that sappy Christmas stuff.
Episode 13: Piplup's Big Break (Season Finale)
Summary-The season finale of the show has finally arrived, much to the relief of Skuntank and Dusknoir. Piplup is completely determined to make sure that this show runs smoothly without any kind of mess-up. Yeah, like that could ever happen. When all else fails, Piplup himself steps forth to save the show. Can he succeed?
Piplup - The director and star of The Pokemon Show. He is easily stressed out by the constant state of chaos on the show, but he is adapting to it.
Mew - A sassy female Pokemon who believes that the entire show revolves around her. She is actually a phenomenal actress and singer.
Chimchar - Piplup's best friend and partner. He does his best to be a comedian, but he is constantly tormented by Skuntank and Dusknoir.
Poliwhirl - One of Piplup's closest friends. He is renowned as a stuntsmen, though not because of his skill.
Snorunt - Poliwhirl's best friend. He is always looking for a way to make an easy buck, or to simply reak havoc. A large number of his friends and relations also work backstage.
Grovyle - One of Piplup's greatest sources of guidance. Grovyle is always there to help control the chaos as much as possible.
Bidoof - A friend of Piplup who enjoys playing the piano.
Pikachu - The groovy dude who leads the band The Pandemonium. He usually sings lead vocals and rocks out on the keyboard.
Combuken - The hippest dude around who plays bass for the Pandemonium.
Loudred - A somewhat outspoken musician who plays sax for the Pandemonium.
Sunflora - A literal flower girl who plays lead guitar and tambourine for the Pandemonium.
Primeape - The wild drummer in the Pandemonium, he is in a constant state of movement. He just can't stand still, or stay quiet.
Croagunk - A gibberish speaking chef who always has something cooking in his kitchen, whether it be food or cannon blasts.
Lucario - A scientist who is constantly coming up with a new creation for every show, whether it be a cloning potion or a ghost detector.
Munchlax - Lucario's accident-prone assistant. He doesn't speak very much, and is constantly the subject of Lucario's experiments.
Torchic - A female Pokemon who clucks rather than talks. Despite this, Poliwhirl still has an enormous crush on her. There are many other Torchic, who she is friends with.
Chatot - A no-nonsense Pokemon who does everything he can to keep people within his rules and regulations, usually unsuccessfully.
Corphish - A good friend of Piplup and Snorunt, with a good heart. He likes to think of himself as a romantic, and he occasionally will help Snorunt in his money-making schemes.
Electivire - A large and imposing monster of a 'mon. He is very gentle despite his size.
Skuntank - A rather rambunctious audience member who comes to every show, alongside Dusknoir. The two have a balcony reserved specifically for them, which provides them the perfect position to heckle the performers on the stage below.
Dusknoir - A rather rambunctious audience member who comes to every show, alongside Skuntank.
88 - One of the stranger members of the show. His special talent seems to be throwing boomerang Magikarp, which is made even more special by the fact that he has no opposable thumbs.
Wigglytuff - The janitor and handyman of the show. He isn't too bright, but he is lovable.
Dugtrio - A pyromaniac who has a tendency to blow things up.
Garchomp - A scary and intimidating figure who lurks about the theater. He lives to be dramatic.
Slowbro - A large and lovable lug with a heart bigger than his brain.
Scizor - A manly-man if there ever was one, at least in the sense that a Ken doll is manly. He loves no one more than himself.
Drowzee - An eccentric man with eccentric ideas, although his genius is indisputable.
Absol - The newsman of the show's news program.
Azurill - A young friend of Piplup who does his best to help out.
Diglett - A small Pokemon who always seems to get in the way. Mew finds him particularly annoying.
Charizard - A dancing and singing phenomena whose routines traditionally end in disaster.
Meganium - Charizard's eternal partner who shares his disastrous fate.
Spinda - A bizarre figure who appears at the most random times and sings a constant tune. All he says is "Spinda Spinda". He is backed up by Zubat and Koffing.
89 - A musical extraordinaire. His instrument of choice is a group of Shroomish, who he literally beats music out of.
Delibird - A large group of Pokemon who quack rather than talk. They're all members of the orchestra.
Mew - A sassy female Pokemon who believes that the entire show revolves around her. She is actually a phenomenal actress and singer.
Chimchar - Piplup's best friend and partner. He does his best to be a comedian, but he is constantly tormented by Skuntank and Dusknoir.
Poliwhirl - One of Piplup's closest friends. He is renowned as a stuntsmen, though not because of his skill.
Snorunt - Poliwhirl's best friend. He is always looking for a way to make an easy buck, or to simply reak havoc. A large number of his friends and relations also work backstage.
Grovyle - One of Piplup's greatest sources of guidance. Grovyle is always there to help control the chaos as much as possible.
Bidoof - A friend of Piplup who enjoys playing the piano.
Pikachu - The groovy dude who leads the band The Pandemonium. He usually sings lead vocals and rocks out on the keyboard.
Combuken - The hippest dude around who plays bass for the Pandemonium.
Loudred - A somewhat outspoken musician who plays sax for the Pandemonium.
Sunflora - A literal flower girl who plays lead guitar and tambourine for the Pandemonium.
Primeape - The wild drummer in the Pandemonium, he is in a constant state of movement. He just can't stand still, or stay quiet.
Croagunk - A gibberish speaking chef who always has something cooking in his kitchen, whether it be food or cannon blasts.
Lucario - A scientist who is constantly coming up with a new creation for every show, whether it be a cloning potion or a ghost detector.
Munchlax - Lucario's accident-prone assistant. He doesn't speak very much, and is constantly the subject of Lucario's experiments.
Torchic - A female Pokemon who clucks rather than talks. Despite this, Poliwhirl still has an enormous crush on her. There are many other Torchic, who she is friends with.
Chatot - A no-nonsense Pokemon who does everything he can to keep people within his rules and regulations, usually unsuccessfully.
Corphish - A good friend of Piplup and Snorunt, with a good heart. He likes to think of himself as a romantic, and he occasionally will help Snorunt in his money-making schemes.
Electivire - A large and imposing monster of a 'mon. He is very gentle despite his size.
Skuntank - A rather rambunctious audience member who comes to every show, alongside Dusknoir. The two have a balcony reserved specifically for them, which provides them the perfect position to heckle the performers on the stage below.
Dusknoir - A rather rambunctious audience member who comes to every show, alongside Skuntank.
88 - One of the stranger members of the show. His special talent seems to be throwing boomerang Magikarp, which is made even more special by the fact that he has no opposable thumbs.
Wigglytuff - The janitor and handyman of the show. He isn't too bright, but he is lovable.
Dugtrio - A pyromaniac who has a tendency to blow things up.
Garchomp - A scary and intimidating figure who lurks about the theater. He lives to be dramatic.
Slowbro - A large and lovable lug with a heart bigger than his brain.
Scizor - A manly-man if there ever was one, at least in the sense that a Ken doll is manly. He loves no one more than himself.
Drowzee - An eccentric man with eccentric ideas, although his genius is indisputable.
Absol - The newsman of the show's news program.
Azurill - A young friend of Piplup who does his best to help out.
Diglett - A small Pokemon who always seems to get in the way. Mew finds him particularly annoying.
Charizard - A dancing and singing phenomena whose routines traditionally end in disaster.
Meganium - Charizard's eternal partner who shares his disastrous fate.
Spinda - A bizarre figure who appears at the most random times and sings a constant tune. All he says is "Spinda Spinda". He is backed up by Zubat and Koffing.
89 - A musical extraordinaire. His instrument of choice is a group of Shroomish, who he literally beats music out of.
Delibird - A large group of Pokemon who quack rather than talk. They're all members of the orchestra.
Episode 1: The Pilot
The murmuring of the crowd was barely audible behind the thick barrier of curtains. Pokemon rushed all around, moving crates, setting up props, mopping the floor, and other such activities. Somehow, every possible catastrophe had been averted. It was a miracle, but not one that would last for long.
"Ok, people, we're looking good so far! We're on in five!"
A small, penguin-like Pokemon strode among the workers, admiring little undertaking. On a night this big, everything would have to be perfect. So far, no mistakes had been made, but that could change in an instant.
"Piplup! Piplup!"
Piplup turned around to see his long-time partner running towards him. A mischievous smile was spread across the ape-like face. The fire on his rear was glowing more brightly than ever, probably with excitement.
"What is it, Chimchar?" Piplup asked. "Nothing wrong, I hope?"
"No, no, but look at this!" Chimchar beamed. He pulled out a small black remote from somewhere behind his back. It was covered in tiny red buttons.
Piplup sighed. "What is it this time? It had better not be like that slapstick-performing stick." He rubbed his cheek and winced as the painful memory of a rehearsal-gone-wrong came back to him.
"No, nothing like that," Chimchar shook his head. He pressed a few buttons and a pie suddenly floated down from the rafters. It hovered in the air, spinning like a flying saucer. It was covered in thick, yellow cream. Not a spot on the pie was bare of the frosting.
Piplup stepped back, both in surprise and caution. "Is that a remote-controlled pie?"
Chimchar's grin grew even wider. "Banana cream! And if you think that's something, watch this!" He pressed a few more buttons. There was a sudden crackling sound and sparks began flying out of the remote. "Uh oh."
"Hit the deck!" Piplup screamed. He dove to the floor and the small crowd of observers quickly ducked backstage. The pie began to spasm wildly in the air, and sparks continued flying from the remote.
Splat!
When Piplup looked up, he could hardly contain both a laugh and a groan. Chimchar's face was completely obscured in banana cream. The pie tin was still spinning on the floor where it had landed. "Oh, Chimchar, that's terrible!" Piplup exclaimed, rising to his feet.
"I know!" Chimchar nodded, sending small drops of cream flying off of his face. He smacked his lips. "It needs more salt." He turned away and began to walk off backstage. However, the cream still covered his eyes, and Chimchar found himself tripping over what seemed to be a yellow traffic cone. He flipped head-over-heels down the stairs and an enormous crash resounded up from above, accompanied by a screeching chicken a moment later. Piplup slapped his forehead. From the base of the stairs, a muffled cry was audible. "I'm okay!"
"Yikes!" the traffic cone griped. He managed to roll back onto his round black feet, only to fall back down again. A round blue Pokemon appeared beside him and yanked him back to his feet.
"You alright, Snorunt?" the new arrival inquired.
Snorunt was still mumbling under his breath as he answered. "Yeah, I'm fine! I'm not entirely sure anymore that filming a TV show was the greatest idea we came up with."
"Sorry about Chimchar, Snorunt," Piplup apologized. "He's been getting a little overzealous about his act lately. He's really hoping to leave a mark on the audience."
"Oh, he'll be fine with that!" Snorunt scoffed. "A long as he's still got that flying pie!"
"And the slapstick stick, too," Poliwhirl added, rubbing the white and black pattern on his stomach. "I swear, I couldn't eat right for a week after that blow!"
"I didn't know there was a right or wrong way to eat," Piplup frowned. Then, suddenly, a startled look crossed his face. "Poliwhirl, you're supposed to be on the sign!"
Poliwhirl looked blankly at Piplup. "The what?"
"The sign!" Piplup screamed, waving his arms wildly. "You need to bring the sign down! The show starts in one minute!"
"Oh, the sign!" Poliwhirl gasped. "I forgot! I'm going, I'm going!" He turned around rapidly and took off at a sprint...straight down the stairs. There was yet another crash, and a yelp of surprise.
"Hi Poliwhirl!"
"Hi Chimchar!"
Piplup sighed. "Something tells me he's not going to make it up there in time."
"I'll say," Snorunt agreed. "He ran the wrong way."
Piplup clutched his temples in anxiety. He could here the audience growing louder by the second. "We've got to do something!" he cried. He turned back to Snorunt. "Quick, go get Grovyle and Chatot. We need someone to stall!"
"What should we do?" Snorunt asked. "That crowd's not gonna fall for the culture of tap dancing with a flower pot on our heads."
"I don't know!" Piplup growled. "Have them give a safety statement to the audience, I don't know! Just get them and do something!"
"Ok, something it is!"
*****
The crowd of Pokemon was growing ravenous. Almost the entire population of Treasure Town had turned up for the debut of Piplup's new show. And now, they were being kept waiting. Even Sheriff Magnezone was bellowing his outrage, much to the mortification of his Magnemite officers. Suddenly, a hush came over the crowd. The curtain was parting.
"Welcome, citizens of Treasure Town!"
Grovyle stepped out from the parted curtain, spreading his arms to address the entire theater. "We are sorry for the delay in the show. We have had a few technical difficulties."
Snorunt's voice rung out from somewhere off-stage. "And by technical, he means Poliwhirl." The entire crowd snickered at the comment.
Grovyle cleared his throat loudly, silencing the comedian. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will leave you to my friend Chatot, who has some safety guidelines to share with you."
A large majority of the viewers groaned as Chatot hopped onto the stage. As he came out, Grovyle stepped back in, hoping that this would be long enough time for Piplup to settle the problems backstage.
"Gripe all you want, hoodlums!" Chatot shrieked at the crowd. "But try complaining when you don't have tongues!" At this, the theater grew silent. Chatot smiled. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome!"
He chose to ignore his challenger. "Ok, everybody, Safety Guideline Number One: When exiting the theater, be patient. No stampeding to the exit. Safety Guideline Number T-" Chatot stopped in mid-sentence. He leaned closer to the parting in the curtain, where he could here hushed whispering. The crowd sighed contentedly, happy that someone had enough mercy to save them from Chatot's lecture.
"Really?" Chatot gasped suddenly. He turned back to the crowd, eyes wide. "It has been brought to my attention that there is a celebrity in our midst! Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you...Mr. Pikachu!"
A small yellow figure danced out onto the stage, singing his own weird tune as he went. "Da da-da da da da-da da da!" The audience grew silent, bewildered looks crossing their faces. The newcomer was yellow like Pikachu, but something was strange about him. The lightning-bolt tail on his back flopped around apparently of its own accord, as did the pointed ears on the top of his head. They almost seemed to be taped down to his skin. Plus, his crimson red cheeks were noticably uncircular. One almost looked like a square, crudely drawn in red marker.
"Hey, everybody!" Mr. "Pikachu" bowed to the crowd. "Welcome to my video game franchise! Are you all having fun here tonight?"
Chatot was aghast. He glared hard at "Pikachu", seeing a familiar face underneath. "Why, you are not Pikachu! You are a runt!"
The poorly disguised Snorunt glared right back at Chatot. "Runt shmunt!" He gestured out at the crowd. "They're tourists! If they'll buy giant costumed dogs, they'll belive this!" As he spoke, he turned to fully face the crowd, trying to hide the fact that his tail was falling off.
"Why, you...you..." Chatot stuttered. "Fraud! Charlatan!"
The viewers were beginning to boo as Piplup ran onto the stage. He grabbed Chatot and Snorunt by their ankles and threw them back through the curtain. A few daring theater patrons applauded at the action.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to announce that you are now about to witness the first ever episode of The Pokemon Show!" Piplup panted, out of breath. The crowd cheered, and Piplup bowed. "Now, I proudly present to you...the beginning!" He ducked back through the curtains, and as he did, a platform began to rise up from the floor in front of the stage. A small group of Pokemon was perched on it, and with a trumpet burst, the Pandemonium began to play.
"One, two, three, four!" Pikachu (not Snorunt dressed as one) began calling the beats at the top of his lungs. As he did, the rest of the band erupted into action. Combusken began wailing away at his guitar. The smooth alto sound of the saxophone filled the room as Loudred held it to his lips. Sunflora rapped her tambourine against her hip in time with the beat. It was a small role in the band, but one she was proud of. Lastly, Primeape began screaming like a maniac as he beat away at his drum set. The crowd burst into raucous cheers.
As the band kept playing, the multiple stage curtains began opening one by one. One, two, three. The last curtain fell open, revealing a large white structure behind it. Standing at its very top was none other than Piplup, with Chimchar on his left side and the elegant Mew on his right. Down below, a large group of Pokemon danced into sight from stage left. As they entered, they sang:
It's time to play the music! It's time to light the lights! It's time to meet the stars on The Pokemon Show tonight!
Led by Chatot, another group of dancing Pokemon appeared from stage right. They continued the song:
It's time to put on makeup! It's time to dress up right! It's time to raise the curtains on The Pokemon Show tonight!
Now even Piplup was joining in the singing.
It's time to get things started on the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Poketational... There was a brief pause as Piplup stopped singing. Then, as suddenly as it had stopped, it started again. This is what we call our Pokemon Show!
There was a grinding of gears as an enormous sign began to lower down from the rafters. It read, quite predictably, "The Pokemon Show". Piplup grinned. Things were actually going right. It was then, however, that he noticed Poliwhirl sitting on top of the sign, yanking as hard as he could on the pulleys. Apparently, there were more troubles with the sign than previously thought.
"Poliwhirl," Piplup called. "Stop!"
It was too late.
With an enormous splintering of wood, the sign ripped away from the ceiling. The dancing Pokemon ran for cover as it plummeted towards the stage. Piplup groaned, grabbed Chimchar and Mew, and dove off their podium, which was crushed moments later by the doom-from-above.
As Piplup regained his footing, he looked up to see if Poliwhirl had survived the fall. To his relief, he saw him hanging from the edge of one of the balconies high above. He squinted, trying to make out what kindly Pokemon sitting in the box would help Poliwhirl to safety. Then, he realized with fear who was sitting in the box. "Oh no, not them!"
Two hearty laughs rang out from the balcony. "Skuntank, did you see that sign go down?"
"I didn't see a sign falling, Dusknoir. Just the ratings!"
The laughter rang out again as Poliwhirl pulled himself up enough to look over the railing. There, he found himself staring into the faces of Dusknoir and Skuntank. "Hey, what's your issue?" Poliwhirl challenged the cackling Pokemon. "That was a spectacular song being sung down there!"
"Yeah!" Skuntank scoffed. "And that was a spectacular dive you just took into our box!"
"I'd give it a ten," Dusknoir commented.
"Why's that?" Skuntank questioned.
Dusknoir pounded the railing and Poliwhirl's grip began to slip. "Because that's how many fingers are letting go of this rail!" With one more slam of Dusknoir's fist, Poliwhirl let go completely.
Piplup closed his eyes as Poliwhirl hit the stage. After a moment of silence, the crowd began to applaud. Skuntank and Dusknoir leaned out of the balcony and bowed to their admirers. "Really, ladies and gentlemen, thank you!" Skuntank grinned. "You're too kind!"
"And we have a low tolerance for that!" Dusknoir added. "So be quiet! Can't you see we're trying to ignore the show?"
Piplup turned away and walked backstage. Something told him that this was going to be a long night.
*****
Piplup, Chimchar, Grovyle, and Chatot sat in a circle backstage. Each of them had an Oran Berry Smoothie sitting on the table in front of them. After a long moment of silence, Piplup finally spoke.
"Ok, who's going first?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Ok, let's draw straws."
*****
The curtains parted as Piplup stepped out onto the stage. He did the best he could to ignore the boos echoing down from Skuntank and Dusknoir's balcony. "Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay in our show. We had a few technical difficulties, as I'm sure you could see."
"And by technical difficulties, he means Poliwhirl," Snorunt's muffled voice floated out from backstage.
Piplup cleared his throat in an attempt to regain the crowd's attention. "Anyway, here is our first act. Everybody, clap your hands for Doctor Lucario and his assistant Munchlax!"
Everybody clapped, minus Skuntank and Dusknoir, as Piplup ducked backstage and Lucario walked forward to center-stage. Behind him, Munchlax pushed what appeared to be a tea cart towards where Lucario was waiting. The tray was covered with beakers and test tubes bubbling with solutions of every color. "Munch munch," Munchlax chirped as he awaited Lucario's orders.
"Good evening, everybody!" Lucario addressed the crowd dramatically. "Are you ready for some science?" There was no answer.
"Ha!" Dusknoir cackled from above. "Looks like they're fighting science with silence!"
Lucario cleared his throat as he turned to Munchlax. "Now now, everybody, this will truly amaze you! The potion, Munchlax."
"Munch!" Munchlax nodded, picking up a beaker from the tray. The orange liquid inside frothed violently as he handed it to Lucario.
"Thank you, Munchlax." Lucario turned back to the crowd and held up the beaker like a prized trophy. "Behold, ladies and gentlemen! What I hold here in my hand is a cloning potion! If you drink even a single drop, a second you will sprout out from your head!" He had the attention of the viewers now. "Don't believe me? Allow me to demonstrate!" Lucario handed the beaker back to Munchlax. "Go ahead, Munchlax, demonstrate!"
Munchlax gulped loudly. "Munch?" Hesitantly, he held the solution to his lips. As he did, Lucario leaned against the cart, which moved under his weight.
"Yikes!" Lucario yelped as he fell to the stage. The cart rolled forward until it was eventually stopped...by Munchlax's stomach. The impact knocked the beaker upside down, dumping all of its contents directly down Munchlax's throat. Lucario jumped back to his feet in time to see Munchlax's body glowing white and trembling. "Oh no! Munchlax!"
"Munch!"
"Munch?"
"Munch munch!"
"Munch!"
Before anybody knew what was happening, there were dozens of Munchlax running around the stage in a panic. The crowd applauded, though whether it was for the success of the cloning potion or the ensuing chaos, Lucario couldn't tell.
"Hey, Dusknoir, look at that!" Skuntank yelled. "There's a hundred Munchlax down there!"
"Too bad this show's a hundred times the worse for it!" Dusknoir answered.
Piplup, Grovyle, and Chatot quickly rushed out from behind the curtain, ushering the many Munchlax backstage before they could do more damage. As they went, Lucario turned back to the audience. "Don't forget to tune in next week for more science!" Then, he was gone.
Piplup remained on stage as he gestured towards the center of the curtain. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chimchar!" he introduced hurriedly. It was obviously a stressful night for him.
The curtain fell open again to reveal Chimchar standing alone at center-stage. "Wocka wocka wocka!" he whooped, waving to the audience for applause. He got none. "Geesh!" he growled. "Is this an audience or a cemetary?"
"It'll be a cemetery soon enough!" Dusknoir called.
"Yeah!" Skuntank agreed. "We're dying of boredom up here!" This got the crowd laughing.
Chimchar scowled up at his tormentors. "Oh yeah? We'll make sure you get buried somewhere nice! We wouldn't want your old corpses stinking up the joint!"
"Pah!" Skuntank retorted. "I've gotten better come-backs from a can of beans!"
"Oh, now you're in for it!" Chimchar bellowed. He pulled out a bubble wand seemingly from thin air. "Everyone, behold, as I blow the world's largest bubble!"
"Hey!" Poliwhirl said indignantly. "I was planning to do that next week!"
With a huff and a puff, Chimchar blew into the bubble wand. Immediately, a shimmering soapy bubble began to expand outward. The viewers looked on in amazement as the shining sphere grew and grew until it even reached out over their heads.
"He's actually pulling it off!" Skuntank gasped in amazement.
"That's why I'm pulling this off!" Dusknoir grinned. He reached over and plucked off one of Skuntank's bristly whiskers.
"Yeow! What was that for?"
Dusknoir's smile grew. "For this!" He dropped the hair, which fell in a perfectly straight path. Its target: Chimchar's bubble. By now, it had expanded to fill almost the entire theater. The hair struck its target full on, and with the noise of a cannon being fired, the bubble exploded. Soap flooded the theater immediately, raining down from its deflated container. The audience was doused, but was now squeaky clean.
The balcony filled up with soapy liquid as well. "He's trying to drown us!" Skuntank wailed. "What kind of an act would that be?"
"An act of mercy!" Dusknoir answered.
"You've been a wonderful audience!" Chimchar called as the flood picked him up and washed him backstage. "Chimchar is still in the building! Good night!"
*****
Piplup groaned as he watched Chimchar float by on a river of soap. Tonight wasn't even remotely following the plan. Grovyle walked up to his employer. "Well, Piplup? What's your call?"
"Well," Piplup pondered. "All of these incidents have taken up almost the entire show. We've got to do something in these last five minutes if we're going to have any hope of saving the show."
Poliwhirl stepped out of the shadow, wearing a pair of flight goggles. Piplup decided that he wasn't going to ask why. "I'll save the show!" Poliwhirl declared.
"After you almost destroyed it before?" Piplup frowned. "I don't know."
"What other choice do we have?" Grovyle pointed out. "We're running out of options."
Chatot approached with the Guildmaster Wigglytuff in tow. "I've got plans for a finale everybody should love," Chatot declared. "It's a song I've planned. It's called A Tribute to All Countries But Mostly Treasure Town."
"I think Poliwhirl should go," Wigglytuff grinned, beginning to mop up the soap left by Chimchar's disaster. "Everybody loves a little destruction!"
"Alright, I'm convinced," Piplup sighed. "Poliwhirl, go wow the crowd. After all, what more damage could you possibly do?"
*****
"And now, I present our grand finale!" Piplup called to the audience. Poliwhirl stepped through the curtains and bowed. The flight goggles were still strapped across his eyes. "A stunt performed by Poliwhirl the Prodigous!" With that, Piplup ducked backstage. He was making sure to stay out of the range of any destruction this time.
"Hello!" Poliwhirl greeted cheerily. "I realize that you all think tonight could have gone better."
"We don't!" Skuntank shouted from the balcony.
"Yeah!" Dusknoir agreed. "We realize it was a stretch for you to even make it this interesting!"
Poliwhirl scowled. "Laugh while you can! For now, your socks are going to get blown right off!"
Piplup closed his eyes, hoping that the comment wasn't meant to be taken literally.
"Now, as you all know, this is the pilot of our show," Poliwhirl explained. "That is why I decided to be a pilot as well!"
Piplup's eyes snapped back open. "What?!?"
"Ok, boys, bring her out!" Poliwhirl ordered. The curtain behind him completely fell away, revealing an enormous jet parked on the stage. "Now, I will prove that this is a show worth watching by piloting this jet safely out of the theater!"
The audience grew silent, even Skuntank and Dusknoir. That's probably because they were all hiding beneath their seats.
Piplup sprinted onto the stage. "Poliwhirl! Don't even think about-"
But it was too late. Poliwhirl was already in the cockpit, readying for take-off. He began studying the dashboard closely as Piplup climbed inside. "Poliwhirl!" Piplup gasped. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Yes, I do!" Poliwhirl decreed. "I know perfectly well that the take-off button is right here!" With that, he pressed the biggest, reddest button he could see.
An automated voice rang out through the plane. "Armed missiles button activated. Firing all weapons in three, two, one..."
Poliwhirl looked up at Piplup. "Oops."
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!
After a few long minutes, the smoke and plaster finally settled. Somehow, the theater appeared to be undamaged. All the Pokemon were unhurt and the stage was intact.
Then, with a cracking rumble, the stage collapsed, the ceiling fell in, the back wall fell outwards, and the jet disassembled back into its natural elements. The audience screamed in terror. Miraculously, they were still unharmed.
Piplup finally managed to stagger out from the wreckage of the jet, hauling a semi-conscious Poliwhirl behind him. "I-is everybody alright?" Piplup inquired.
White flags were raised into the air from Skuntank and Dusnoir's balcony, which was currently resting on the ground floor. "We surrender, we surrender!"
As the audience members managed to rise to their feet again, Piplup walked backstage. He came back with an ecstatic Chimchar, a bitter Snorunt, a raging Mew, a frantic Grovyle, a shaken Chatot, and a smiling Wigglytuff. "Ok, everyone's okay!" Grovyle proclaimed. "You may leave the theater!"
"Remember the proper exiting technique!" Chatot reminded. "No stampeding!" His words were met with glares from the viewers.
"Come on back next week!" Chimchar called after the exiting crowd.
Piplup sighed. "Do you honestly think they'll come back after that?"
"Yes, we will."
Piplup looked down to see the young brothers Azurill and Marill standing before him. "You will?"
"Of course!" Azurill beamed.
"And everyone else will come too!" Marill nodded.
"But why?" Piplup inquired.
Wigglytuff answered the question. "Because everyone loves destruction!"
"Yep, that's right!" Marill smiled. "Everybody loved your show! You guys are really funny. Plus, hiding under our seats really gets our blood pumping!"
"See ya next week!" Azurill declared as he and his brother exited the theater. Piplup could merely gawk in disbelief.
Chimchar whooped loudly. "Yahoo! Looks like we're officially in showbusiness!"
"I'm not sure how much more showbusiness I can take," Piplup sighed. "Tonight was stressful enough."
"Don't worry!" Snorunt assured. "You'll get used to it. I've had a lot of my family in showbusiness before, and they took it fine." He paused. "Well, some of them turned out to be serial killers, but I'm sure that's just coincidence."
Piplup paled. "Yes, I'm sure."
As the actors all left the theater, Skuntank and Dusknoir managed to haul themselves out of the fallen box. "Wow!" Skuntank mused. "I haven't gotten a rush like that since my years in the service!"
Dusknoir turned to his accomplice. "You were in the Army?"
"No," Skuntank said as if it were obvious. "I was referring to customer service at Wal-Mart. Ha ha!"
"Yes, I'll admit, that was quite a show," Dusknoir smiled. "That is, if you've got a death wish."
Skuntank grinned as well. "So are we coming back next week?"
"Only if my wife will let me."
"You have a wife?"
"No, but I'll be looking for one."
The two Pokemon laughed hysterically as they exited the theater. The two hecklers were glad to know that this wasn't the end. This was only the beginning.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Munchlax and his clones sing Ode to Joy.
Munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch, munch-munch.
Munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch, munch-munch.
Munch munch munch munch, munch, munch-munch munch munch, munch munch-munch munch munch munch munch munch.
Munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch, munch-munch.
[Massive explosion]
Munch!
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