Pokemon Learning League

Dealing with Criticism

Written ByTimothy Whitfield

(Episode opens with an aerial view of Virbank City on a clear midafternoon. The Sun is shining down and the light shimmers off of the solar panels on some of the buildings. Theres no breeze in the air. We dissolve to the entrance, where we see Cilan, Iris, Axew, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Bonnie, Dedenne, Clemont, Black, Talia, Linda and Steven coming into the city. Bonnie speaks to the others.)Bonnie: This is a really nice place, right, Dedenne?Dedenne: Dedenne.Clemont: Some of the buildings here look pretty advanced.Serena: Yeah, they do.(Now, we pan over to Talia and Black talking with Steven.)Black: Hey, Steven. After youre done with this film, whats you next one going to be about?Steven: Itll be about a trainer who has an encounter with interstellar Pokemon.Talia: That sounds cool.Steven: It will be, and if you two want, you can be in it.Both: Okay.Steven: Well, lets get to the PokeStar Studio.(They go on down the street. Its bustling with people going to or from the studios.)Ash: Boy, everyones really getting ready for the festival.Iris: I dont blame them for that.Bonnie: How do you think their films are going to turn out?Cilan: Who knows? They could be good. (As they go on, they stop by the main entrance to the Roy Vista Studios. The television building is near the gate, the main building has a Combusken, a Braixen, a Fraxure, a Krokorok, a Leafeon, a Croconaw and a Chansey on the faade holding the roof as the caryatids, the water tower has a Kirlia doing a pirouette on it and the theater buildings behind the main one. They marvel at the look of it.)Ash: So, this is where the festivals going to be at?Linda: Yep. Clemont: I have to say, that is quite impressive.Serena: Yeah. What sort of films have been made there?Linda: All kinds, including the first animated Pokemon musical.Ash (impressed): Thats cool.(Moments later, they arrive at the PokeStar studio.)Steven: Well, you ready to get to it, guys?(They all nod their heads and head on inside. A montage goes on where they start editing the film together. They look over putting together the training montage.)Steven: Hmm. This shot could be a little longer.Clemont: Yeah, and put in this shot here.Steven: All right, then.(He inserts the shot in.)Talia: Hmm. How about putting in this shot?Steven: Okay.(Now, we see then recording the sound effects using various objects and contraptions and then remixing it. Afterwards, they record the music. Then, they re-record some of the dialogue.)Linda: All right, guys, try to give a bit more emotion for these scenes.Others: Okay.(Moments later, they have something to eat. Montage ends with them looking over the final cut of the film.)Steven: So, guys, do you think this looks good enough?(They think for a brief moment and then nod their heads in agreement.)Steven: Very well, then. Thatll do.Ash: All right.Pikachu: Pika, Pikachu.Steven: Yeah. You guys were terrific.Cilan: Thank you, Steven.(He takes the film off the reels and puts it in a film can. They leave the studio and head to the Pokemon Center. Just then, Bonnies and Dedennes stomach grumbles.)Dedenne: Dede.Bonnie: Oh. Im getting hungry.Cilan: Okay. I have a new recipe we can try. How about you, Clemont?Clemont: Of course.Cilan: All right, then.(They head over to a park area, where they set up the table cloth, the napkins & the utensils. Moments later, they have omuraisu, sukiyaki, zoni, pizza casserole, spaghetti and French dip sandwiches laid out on the table.)Ash: Well, guys, let's eat.Pikachu: Pika.(They starting eating. As they do, they each give a satisfied look on their faces.)All (satisfied): Mmm.Pikachu (satisfied): Pika.Fennekin (satisfied): Fenne.Axew (satisfied): Axew.Dedenne (satisfied): Dede.Talia: This is really delicious. Serena: Yeah. You two did a great job.Cilan & Clemont: Thank you.Cilan: If you want, we can give you some of the recipes.Steven: Okay, then.(They look over and see the Sun setting. It gives off a red/yellow glow as it goes down.)All (in awe): Ahh.Serena: Doesnt that look beautiful?Ash: It sure does.(They continue on eating. Moments later, they clean up the area and head down to the Pokemon Center. A few minutes later, they get there and go inside.)Nurse Joy: Hello, there.Serena: Hey, Nurse Joy.Nurse Joy: How are you all doing?Ash: Great. Nurse Joy: I take it you all want rooms for the night?(They all nod their heads.)Nurse Joy: All right, no problem.Cilan: By the way, are you going to the festival tomorrow?Nurse Joy: Of course. Its going to be a lot of fun.(Now, we dissolve to moments later, where theyre in one of the guest rooms, chatting. Theyre all in their night clothing)Steven: Really? Thats a big challenge for you.Ash: Yeah, but I will be the greatest Pokemon Master someday.Steven: Thats great, Ash. I wish you luck on that.Ash Thanks.Cilan: Say, Steven, what made you decide to start making movies?Steven: Well, I love to tell and write good stories, and I want people to be entertained by them, so I thought itd be fun to tell them by turning some of them into films.(Now, we pan over to Iris, Bonnie and Clemont talking with Talia and Black.)Clemont: So, Talia, whats your hometown like?Talia: Well, Lentimas Town is a pretty nice town. Its right near Reversal Mountain and theres a lot of volcanic clay, but many people there have adapted to it. Clemont: Really?Talia: Yeah. In fact, some of them have found uses for the clay, like making potteries and even porcelains. Also, theres a place called the Strange House thats said to be haunted.Bonnie: That sounds spooky.Talia: Oh, you have no idea how spooky it really is.Bonnie: Youve been there?Talia: Yep.Iris: Thats great. (She looks over to Black.) How about you, Black?Black: I came from Aspertia City, and there are a few good places worth visiting.Clemont (intrigued): Really? Like what?Black: There are a few lookout points where you can look across to the other towns, and theres even one where you can see the whole Unova region. Also, theres a forest not too far from it where you can find all kinds of Pokemon.Clemont: I see. Sounds interesting.Iris: Yeah, it sure is.Black: I see. You visited there before, Iris?Iris: Yeah. Cilan, Ash and I did.Black: Thats good.(Now, pan over to Serena and Linda.)Linda: So, Serena, what kinds of performances are you working on for the Pokemon Showcases?Serena: Well, Im working on one with Pancham and Fennekin. After that, Ill work on some more. Linda: Thats sounds pretty good.Serena: Yeah. Hey, Linda.Linda: Yes, what is it?Serena: What was it like when you and Steven did your first short film together?Linda: Well, it was certainly interesting. A friend of mine, Randy, had met Steven a day before and told me about the short film he was working on, and that he was looking for a co-producer. He thought itd be great if I gave it a shot, so I did.Serena: Thats good, go on.Linda: On the first day I got there, he told me the premise of the film and what the story was about. I thought it was interesting, so we started working out certain story details, the Pokemon we were going to have with us, the casting and the location, and all that went very smoothly. Serena (understanding): I see. What else happened?Linda: Well, after that, we went down to Undella Town to start shooting, but then thing got really tough.Serena: How so?Linda: There were days where the waves were too rough, a nasty storm passed through and did a lot of damage, then we had a hard time trying to get some of the Pokemon to work and tensions were going on with some of the actors.Serena: Oh, thats pretty bad.Linda: Oh, it was, but we were able to get through it and got the film done. Serena (amazed): Thats pretty amazing.Linda: Yep. Weve worked well together on every film weve done since, and weve learned a lot more about each other.Serena:(Steven gets up from the bed.)Steven: Well, well better get some rest. See you in the morning, guys.Ash: Okay, see you.(Steven, Linda, Talia and Black get up from the beds, leave the room and go head into the room across from them. Now, they each pull their sheets up, get under them and then lay out on the beds.)Ash: Pikachu, are you excited for tomorrow?Pikachu: Pika.(Pan down to Serena on the lower bunk.)Serena: Hey, Iris. You want to sleep with me?Iris: Okay, sure.(She gets into bed with Serena and they each start to fall asleep peacefully. We dissolve to the next morning, outside the Center, where we see the Sun coming up over the horizon. A golden yellow light slowly comes over the city. Cut back to the room, where the light starts brightening it up. Iris awakens, sits up and stretches out her arms.)Iris: Good morning, Axew.Axew: Axew, Axew.Iris: I see you slept well.Axew (happily): Axew.(Serena wakes up and stretches out her arms.)Serena: Hey, Iris.Iris: Hey, Serena. How are you?Serena: Im doing fine.(The others wake up. Then, they get up from their beds and make them. Afterwards, they leave the room and go to the bathrooms. Steven and the others come out from their room. Black: Hey, guys.Cilan: Morning, Black. You guys ready for today?Black: You bet.(Moments later, they come out to the lobby.)Nurse Joy: Good morning. I hope you all slept well.Ash: Yes, we did, Nurse Joy.Pikachu: Pika, Pika.Nurse Joy: Thats good.(They head over to the stand and get some breakfast. Minutes later, they leave the Center and head to the studio.)Serena: Hey, you think Luke will be there?Iris: He probably might be here.Talia: Um, whos Luke?Ash: Hes a great Pokemon trainer, as well as a filmmaker. Hes made some good films you need to see sometime.Talia: Oh, all right, then.(They continue on down. Moments later, they arrive at the studio gate and are about to enter, when they see Quinn and Diana coming up to the gate, as well.)Iris: Hey, you guys.Diana: Hey, everyone. Hows it going?Ash: Were doing great. Pikachu: Pika-chu.Quinn: Thats good.Cilan: Guys, this is Linda, Talia, Steven and Black.Others: Hi.Diana: Hello.Quinn: Pleasure to meet you all.Diana: So, you guys going to the film festival?Ash: Thats right.Quinn: Thats good.(They show the guard their festival passes. She opens the gate for them, and they all walk in. They go through the gate and head over to the theater building.)Quinn: So, Steven, whats the movie youre going to show about?Steven: Its about an underdog Pokemon wrestler who is given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to face off against the current wrestling champion.Diana: That sounds pretty good. Steven: Oh, it is.Cilan: How about you two?Diana: Oh, youll just have to wait to see it.Cilan: (gives a small chuckle.) Okay, then.(Diana turns over to Steven.)Diana: Im guessing youve taken a bit of criticism for your films before, right Steven?Steven: Yeah, but I learned to deal with it with each film.Quinn: Thats good. Would you like to know others ways of dealing with it?Steven: All right, sure. (Diana pulls out the Pokepilot, turns it on, and it displays the various ways of handling criticism.)Diana: To start with, if someones giving you helpful criticism, try to see if theres any truth behind it. If that person has your best interest in mind, consider that he or she might be right.Ash: Okay, what else?Quinn: Try to post-pone your reaction. It may sound weird, but letting your emotions settle down will allow you to approach a situation in a more rational manner.Talia: Thats pretty good.Diana: Theres more. Another way is coming up with a plan to address it. When you decide that your friends are right about what they said, write down what you need to improve on and plan out how youll do it. Cilan: Thats pretty helpful. What else?Quinn: You can try to figure out whats really being said to you. Some people tend to get defensive when being criticized. So, if youre going to handle any sort of criticism, try not focus on the hurtful aspects and try to get the message within it.Bonnie: Okay, then. Now what?Diana: One other way is to understand what that person's true motives are. Basically, if someones criticisms are destructive and hurtful, try to empathize with them and think about what would make them act in that manner. For example, they could be in a bad mood, or they might have a personal issue with something.Steven: Thats pretty good. Anything else?Quinn: Yes. If people are criticizing you simply out of jealousy or anger, just ignore them and keep doing what you do. It may be simple, buts it quite effective.Black: Those are all really good tips.Diana: Yes, they are. Oh, one other thing: try to accept that youre not perfect. Yes, its very blatant, but if you want to take in any sort of feedback, dont keep thinking or acting like youre flawless.Linda: Okay, then.Diana: Thats good. So, how about we show you guys something?Serena: All right, Quinn.(Pan to the left to a lower-left panel, where we see several people receiving criticism from others.)Diana: Well, guys, you ready to do it?Bonnie: Yeah.Dedenne: Dede.Quinn: Thats the spirit. Now, this trainer is criticizing this other trainer about his training style. How do you think he should handle this?Cilan: He can try and see if theres some truth behind it.Diana: All right, Cilan. Now, this is telling him that her Pokemon are super weak and that hes a terrible trainer. How do you think he should handle this?Bonnie: He should ignore her and continue what he does.Quinn: Okay, Bonnie. This girl has made a batch of Poke Puffs, but this boy told her that they were bad and she was bad at cooking. How do you think she should handle this?Ash: She should get what his real motives are.Diana: Very well, Ash. That was great, guys.Iris: Thanks, you guys.Axew: Axew.Both: Youre welcome.(Diana switches the Pokepilot off and puts it back in her pocket.)Cilan: Well, lets get going.(They resume over to the theater building. Moments later, they get there and head inside. There are a few people in the main lobby. Its decorated in movie-themed ribbons and streamers for the festival. Ash spots Luke in the crowd.)Ash (calling out): Hey Luke.(Luke looks over and sees them.)Luke: Hey, guys. Howve you been?Ash: Weve been great.Luke: Thats good.Steven: Please to meet you. Im Steven.Linda: My names Linda.Talia: Im Talia.Black: And Im Black.Luke: Nice to meet you all.Steven: Ash and the others told us you make good films.Luke: Yes, I do.Steven: Well, maybe sometime, how about we work on one together?Luke: Sure.(Steven and Luke shake each others hands.)Bonnie: So, Luke whats your newest movie about?Luke: I wont give away much, but I will say its a superhero film.Iris: Thats pretty cool.Luke: Oh, yeah. Guys, Id like you to meet Jim.Jim: Pleasure to meet you all.Quinn: Thank. Same to you. Luke: Well, see you guys later.(Luke walks away.)Serena: What do you guys say we continue what we did before?Cilan: All right, then. Lets see if the audience is up for it before we do.Black: Hey, you guys mind if I do this one?Clemont: Go right ahead, Black.Black: Okay. (He glances over to the audience.) You guys ready to go? (He casually waits for an answer from the viewers for one second.) Okay, then.(Dissolve to the remaining scenarios.)Iris: Okay, lets do it. This coordinator is telling this girl how she being rough her Pokemon and how she needs to change that. How do you think she should handle it? (She casually waits for an answer from the audience for one and a half second.) Hold off on her reactions. Sure, why not.Clemont: This boy has been told that he needs to work on his attack combinations. How do you think he should handle it? (He casually waits for an answer from the audience for one and a half second.) By making a plan to address it. Okay.Serena: This young man is being told by the gym leader that hes a good trainer, but he needs to work with his Pokemon more. How do you think he should handle it? (She casually waits for an answer from the audience for one and a half second.) Try to figure out what was really being said to him. All right, then.(Dissolve back to them and Cilan casually speaks to the audience.)Cilan: You guys did great.Quinn: Well, lets get going.(They head inside to the screening room, where there are many people seated in front a huge screen. They get into their seats. Nurse Joy comes up in front of the screen, holding a microphone and addresses the crowd.)Nurse Joy (enthusiastically): Hey, everyone. Ready to get started?(The crowd cheers in an uproar.)Nurse Joy: Thats great. Now, our first film is an animated short where a Pokemon trainer named Maggie is trying to catch a crazy, nonchalant Bunnelby. Enjoy.(She steps down, goes over to the row Ash and the gang are sitting at and takes a seat.)Ash: Thisll be a good one.Iris: Yeah.Cilan: That was a pretty good introduction there.Nurse Joy: Thanks.(The lights dim, and the film starts up. Moments later, the audience is laughing in an uproar.)Maggie: Excuse me, but you look just a Bunnelby. Bunnelby: Um, come here.(He comes closer to him.)Bunnelby: Now, dont go telling everyone this, but confidentally (Yelling) I AM A BUNNELBY!!(He jumps around and then goes behind a tree.)Bunnelby: Try to get me.(He pulls back behind it. Maggie looks around to find a hole in the tree.)Maggie: All right, you! Come on out!(She looks inside the hole. Just then, Bunnelby pops up from the left side of the tree and holds up a sign saying, Pretty silly, isnt she?)Bonnie: (laughing.) Thats pretty good.Dedenne (giggling): Dede.(Afterwards, we see a romantic drama where a teenage girl becomes attracted a boy who, in turn, is a monster.)Isa: How long have you been there?John: It doesnt matter. You look beautiful in that.Isa: Why, thank you.John: Oh, theres one thing that I want to do.Isa: What?John: Just hold still and Ill show you.(He gets in closer to her and they kiss each other. We see the crowd groaning at the moment.)Cilan: This is one of the blandest romances Ive ever seen.Serena: Yeah, you said it.Linda: I think we could make a better romance film than this.(Now, we see them watching a featurette about a valiant Combusken out on a quest to find seven mystical objects and stopping an evil menace. We see Combusken and a Gardevoir coming into a Pokemon village in total destruction and many Pokemon knocked out.) Combusken: (gasps in shock.) What did this?Gardevoir: I dont know.(Combusken scans the area and spots a Gabite and goes over to it.)Combusken: Pardon me, but who did this to you?Gabite: (groans.) It was it was King Medicham.Combusken: King Medicham?Gabite: Yes, but be careful. Hes very dangerous and really strong. Combusken: Okay.(Now, we cut to see the villain, King Medicham, wreaking havoc on another village.)Combusken (calling out, O.S.): Hey, you!(He looks down to see Combusken down.)Medicham: You dare to get in my way? Combusken: Thats right. Im here to stop you.Medicham: (chuckles evilly): Oh, is that so?(He glares at him with a confident look on his face.)Medicham: Huh. Very well, then. But if you think you can beat me, then you are sorely mistaken.Combusken: Oh, youll see.(Medichams fist gets surrounded by yellow sparks, which grow into a ball of electrical energy. He then throws the punch at Combusken, but he blocks it. He tries to throw another one, but Combusken grabs it. Then, his claw glows light blue and uppercuts Medicham sending him flying and crashing to the ground. He gets up.)Combusken: Now, what was it that you were saying about me not being able to beat you?Medicham: Oh, now youre in for it!(He fires his hands together, forms a sparking light yellow orb in between them and hurls it at Combusken, but he quickly moves out of the way. He fires more at him, but he keeps dodging each one. Moments later the battle continues on, but both are getting really exhausted.)Ash: This is getting intense.Pikachu: Pika.Iris: Oh, yeah.(Cut back to the screen.)Combusken: Is that all you got?Medicham: Grrr, take this!(He fires an orange beam from its hand at Combusken. He counters by putting his hands together and forming a ball of red-orange fire in between them. He then fires a round orange flame at the beam, which collides with it, causes a massive explosion and sends both flying.)Combusken: I think its time to end this.(His fist gets surrounded in a red-orange flame. He goes charging towards Medicham, who tries to block it, but it does no good and Combusken punches him in the chest, doing significant damage and knocking him out.)Gardevoir: Way to go, Combusken.Combusken: Thanks. Lets put everything right.(He puts all seven objects together to form a model of the eternal dragon.)Combusken: Now, Dragon, come forth!(The objects start glowing and suddenly, the dragon emerges from. It looks like Rayquaza, but its much longer, bigger and has dorsal scales on its back.)Dragon: You who has summoned me, speak your wish now.Combusken: Dragon, we want you revive and restore all the villages and Pokemon destroyed by King Medicham.Dragon: Very well. (Its eyes glow orange-yellow and we now see the destroyed being fully restored and the Pokemon are revived.)Dragon: You wish has been granted.(The dragon vanishes and the objects scatter across the Earth.)Combusken: So, how long until we get to use them again?Gardevoir: Itll be about a year.Combusken: Okay. Where do you think we should go now?Gardevoir: Who knows? Well just have to see.(They head into the distance to another area. As the credits roll, the crowd cheers and applauds it.)Ash: Man that was very intense.Pikachu: Pika.(Now, we get to Stevens film. Sarona goes into the managers office and sits down in front of him.)Manager: Sarona, Im sure you know about the upcoming exhibition match with the champion.Sarona: Yeah.Manager: Well, he picked you to be in it. Sarona (surprised): What? Why?Manager: Because its a big chance for you. You cant pass this up.(She gives a distraught look. Moments later, she and Electabuzz arrive at the park. Talia has a doubtful look on her face, her arms down and sighs. Her trainer, Janusz, spots her coming.)Janusz: Hey, there Sarona. Hows the training going?Sarona (depressed): Its going fine, Janusz.(She sits down on the ground and looks up at the sky. Electabuzz comforts her.)Janusz (concerned): Whats the matter?Sarona: Its just, well, will this really be all worth it? I mean, theres no way were going to beat them.(Janusz walks over to her and looks her in the eye.)Janusz (honestly and sincerely): Sarona, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. This could be your only chance to show everyone that youve got what it takes. Sure, you might not beat them, but you can try to last with them.Sarona: You really think so?Janusz: Yeah.(She briefly thinks for a minute.)Sarona (confidently): All right, Ill do it!Electabuzz: Electa!Janusz: Thats the spirit! Lets get to the gym.Tyranitar: (grunts in agreement.)(Now, we see a training montage go on, from Sarona & Electabuzz doing one arm push-ups, punching a punching bag, sit ups. Afterwards, she start sprinting across the city and run up the steps of the library and does a little dance.)Steven: We did a great job on that.Clemont (agreeing): Yeah, we did.(Now, we cut to the climatic wrestling match. The champ, Claudio, and his Blaziken pull a head and arm throw on the two, but they both get back up and pull off a suplex move.) Announcer: Unbelievable! Sarona & Electabuzz has managed to bring them down on their back.(They both manage to get back up and the match resumes. Eventually, it gets to the point where both teams are struggling, nearly ready to pass out.)Claudio: This is much tougher than I originally thought.Blaziken: Blaziken.Sarona: Come on, Electabuzz. Lets do it.Electabuzz: Electa.(It nods its head and they perform a Biel throw and bring them down on their backs, and are about to pin them but they narrowly escape it and barely get back up.)Claudio: That was a good, but now watch this.(They both come towards them and do a cross body maneuver and they pin them down to the mat.)Iris: Ooh, that was very painful.Referee: The winner is Claudio!(The crowd cheers loudly.)Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, youve just witnessed one of the greatest wrestling matches youll ever see.(Janusz runs up to her.)Janusz: Sarona, are you all right?(Sarona and Electabuzz get up and she rubs her head, groaning in pain.)Sarona: Yeah, well be fine.Janusz: Oh, good. You were great out there.Sarona: Thanks. What do you say after this, we have some dinner?Janusz: Of course.(They affectionately hug each other and then she picks him up on his feet, while the spectators cheer on. As the credits roll, most of the people applaud the film, but some give an indifferent look, and others sit with their arms folded.) Cilan: I think most of them liked it.Linda: Yeah, they do.(The lights come on, Nurse Joy gets up from her seat and goes up in front of the screen.)Nurse Joy: All right, everyone. Time for a break. (Everyone gets up from their seats and heads out to the lobby. They head over to the concessions and get some snack foods.)Bonnie: That cartoon was really funny.Dedenne: Dede.Clemont: (chuckles.) Yeah. You guys did a great job on it.Quinn: Thanks, Bonnie. And your film was great, Steven.Steven: Thanks.Luke (O.S.): Hey, guys.(Luke comes over to them with one other person, Jim. Jim has black hair, green eyes, is wearing a light blue shirt, beige jean shorts and sneakers.)Clemont: Hey, guys. You enjoying the festival so far?Luke: Yes, I am. Jim: Same here.Luke: Steven, I really liked your movie.Steven: Well, thank you.Luke: Youre welcome. Jim: I have something to say about it, as well.Steven: All right, what is it?Jim: Well, it was good, but it could have been a bit better.Steven: Okay, how so?Jim: There were moments that felt a little bit rushed. Also, some of the shots were a bit shaky. Steven (understanding): I see. Okay, Ill work on it. Thank you.Jim: No problem.Cilan: Come on, guys. We better head back in there.Ash: All right, Cilan.(They all turn over to the audience.)All (casually): Thanks a lot, guys.Pikachu: Pika, Pika.Axew: Axew.Dedenne: Dede.(Dissolve to minutes later, where theyre back in the theater, getting ready to watch a superhero film about three female superheroes from another planet coming to defend the Earth.)Serena: Well, that was an interesting episode. Did you enjoy it? (She casually waits for an answer from the audience for one second.) Oh, okay. Well see you later, then.(They casually wave goodbye to the viewers and we pan up to movie starting, where we see, on screen, the film starts with a prologue. Then, we iris in, ending the episode.)