Pokemon Learning League

Outlines

Written By

Timothy Whitfield

(Episode opens with Iris, Axew, Brock, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Fennekin sitting around in a clearing in the Petalburg Forest and Serena casually speaks to the audience.)

Serena: Oh, hello.

Iris: Hi.

Axew: Axew.

Brock: Hello.

Ash: Hey, there.

Pikachu: Pikachu.

Iris: It sure great out today. Right, Axew?

Axew: Axew.

(Pan over to Ash and Pikachu near the river, splashing water in their face.)

Ash: Ahh. That’s feels good, doesn’t it, Pikachu?

Pikachu: Pikachu.

Brock: So, Serena. I see that you and Fennekin are doing well together.

Serena: Yeah. I guess we are, aren’t we?

Fennekin: Fenne.

Serena: Well, what are you doing on your journey?

Brock: Right now, I’m studying to become a Pokemon doctor.

Serena: That’s interesting. Anything else you do?

Brock: Well, I’m also a breeder and I make special Pokemon food.

Serena: Really?

Brock: Yep. Here, give Fennekin some of this.

(He hands her some Pokemon food.)

Serena: Thanks. Here, Fennekin.

(She holds it out to her. She sniffs them, takes one out of her hand and eats it. She then eats the rest of it.)

Serena: You like it?

(She nods her head.)

Serena: That’s good.

(Serena’s stomach grumbles.)

Serena: I guess I’m getting a little hungry.

Brock: Don’t worry. I’ll make us a special lunch. Hey, Ash and Iris?

Ash: What is it, Brock?

Brock: Could you go into the forest and get some fruit?

Iris: Okay.

Axew: Axew.

(They both head off to the forest.)

Serena: Hey, Brock. Do you think I can help you with the lunch?

Brock: Sure thing, Serena.

Serena: Thanks.

(She spreads out the table cloth, sets the plates and silverware in place and places the napkins. Then, Fennekin starts up a fire.)

Brock: Thanks, Fennekin.

Fennekin: Fennekin.

(He places a cooking rack over it.)

Serena: So, what kind of food are you making?

Brock: Oh, I’m making some food using some new recipes I found.

Serena: Nice. Well, I have a few recipes that you can try out.

Brock: Okay. That would be great.

(Now, we cut to Ash, Pikachu, Iris and Axew in the forest getting ready to pick some fruit.)

Ash: Okay, let’s get to it.

Pikachu: Pika.

(Pikachu quickly climbs up the tree. Ash tries to follow him up fast, but he slips down the trunk and on to the ground. He gets back up.)

Iris (playfully): Oh, come on, Ash. Don’t be such a kid.

Axew: Axew.

Ash (playfully): Nice try, Iris, but that’s not going to work.

(They both climb up the tree and pick the apples from it. Then, they put them in their backpacks and jump to the next tree and pick some pears from there. Then, they jump to the next tree and pick some peaches.)

Ash: Hey, Iris. What do you think Brock is going to make with this fruit?

Iris: I don’t know, Ash.

(They put the peaches in the bag, jump down from the tree, land on the ground and return to the campsite.)

Brock: The fruit looks great.

Both: Thanks.

(He and Serena begin making the food. Brock puts a skillet pan onto the cooking rack and places some apples in. Later, some grilled peaches, sautéed apples, a peach and berry salad, apple enchiladas, pear pockets, pear sauce, roasted corn, some bread rolls and cooked ham are on the table.)

Ash: Wow! It looks great.

Pikachu: Pika.

Brock: Well, let’s dig in, then.

(They all start eating.)

Iris: Mmm, this is delicious.

Axew: Axew.

Brock: Thanks. Serena came up with some really good recipes.

Serena: Thank you, Brock.

Ash: You guys did a great job.

(Later, they all relax by the creek.)

Ash: Man that was really good.

Pikachu: Pika.

(Serena spots a girl with blue hair in a ponytail, amber eyes, an orange shirt with a yellow stripe in the middle, blue jean shorts and sneakers sitting under a tree with a Shinx.)

Ash: Hey, what’s that girl doing over there?

Iris: I don’t know. Let’s go over and see.

(Cut over to the girl named Nicky and her Shinx.)

Nicky: Hmm. Maybe it should be about a trainer who joins up with an evil Pokemon group. What do you think, Shinx?

Shinx: Shinx. (He shakes his head.)

Nicky: Yeah, I didn’t think so, either.

(She spots Ash and the others coming over to her.)

Nicky: Oh, hello. I’m Nicky.

Brock: Pleasure to meet you. I’m Brock.

Serena: I’m Serena, and this is Fennekin.

Fennekin: Fenne.

Ash: I’m Ash. This is Pikachu.

Pikachu: Pikachu.

Iris: I’m Iris, and this Axew.

Axew: Axew.

Ash: So, Nicky, what are you doing there?

Nicky: I’m trying to think of a good idea for a story.

Brock: Yeah, and what do you have so far?

Nicky: Well, right now, I don’t have anything. I’ve been having trouble thinking of what it should be about. I want it to be unique and strong.

Serena: Well, maybe Lex can help you out with that.

Nicky: Really?

Serena: Yeah.

(She pulls the PokePilot out of her backpack and calls Lex, who is doing some animation on some leaves falling off a tree.)

Lex: Oh, hi guys. How are you doing?

Ash: We’re doing well, Lex.

Lex: Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Nicky.

Nicky: Thanks. Same to you.

Serena: Say, Lex. What were you doing just there?

Lex: Oh, I was busy animating some leaves falling off this tree.

Iris: Oh. And how it’s going so far?

Lex: It’s coming along well. It’s been very tricky to make it look realistic and natural.

Brock: I’m sure it is.

Lex: Yeah. So, what’s up with you guys?

Ash: Well, we just finished this great lunch Brock and Serena made.

Lex: All right.

Nicky: They came over wondering what I was doing. I’ve been having trouble coming with a good story, so I want to know how I should do it.

Lex: Of course. If you want to write a good story, you should write out an outline before you get started.

Nicky: All right, but where do I start?

Lex: A good place to start is to do a character sketch. Write down what your character’s name is, the age, physical description, what they like to do, and etc. Make sure you do this for every character that’s involved. Let’s say the character’s name is Phil and he likes to help out abandoned Pokemon, and his friends

Iris: Okay, what’s next?

Lex: Now, you outline your setting. Think about where the story could be taking place, what the name of it is and what it’s like. You can also put in a short description of the size of it, the weather, the ambiance etc.

Ash: All right, what else is there?

Lex: Next, think about what the major conflict of the story is. Put down who is involved in it and how it’s manifesting. For example, the conflict could be about someone stealing a precious artifact from somewhere and your character goes on a quest to try and get it back.

Serena: Okay, now what?

Lex: The next step is to outline some main events. As you write your story, your characters have to go through certain events as the story progresses, so it’s important to outline them, but it’s fine to start writing with a loose outline.

Brock: Well, is there anything important to do?

Lex: Yes. When you start to shape a story, try to start at a scene that you think would make the best sense. When you do this, think about what kind of action the characters are doing and try to plan out some of the plot points at the beginning.

Oh, and when you start to write it, leave some room to flesh it out some more.

Nicky: All right, what else is there?

Lex: Next, sketch out the basic events of the plot. It’s important to know where your characters are going, so you should think about what should happen to them and they do about it.

Iris: Okay, what’s next?

Lex: Now, include some information about your characters’ past. Come up with a good backstory for your character as it’ll deepen the conflict and events of the story.

Ash: All right, what’s left?

Lex: Lastly, try to keep the conflict in mind as you get to the end. Think about how the conflict should be resolved throughout and sketch the event that you think you’ll end with.

Nicky: Writing an outline is pretty complex.

Lex: It is, but here’s something to keep in mind. When you’re writing one, don’t worry about the order you do it in. Write it in the way you think makes the most sense.

Nicky: Oh, okay then.

Lex: Okay, guys. Would you like to put together an example of one?

Serena: Sure, Lex.

(Pan up to an upper panel.)

Lex: All right, you guys ready to go?

Ash: You bet.

Pikachu: Pika.

Lex: That’s good. Let’s say you’re thinking about doing an adventure story about a young woman. What do you think the character’s name should be, what is she like and who is the main villain?

Brock: I think that her name should be Michelle Smith, and she has brown hair in a bun, blue eyes and she’s a tough intrepid adventurer that embarks on perilous journeys, discovering unseen treasures. The villain is named John Freeman and he wants to harness the power of certain artifacts.

Lex: All right, Brock. Now, what do you think should be the main conflict?

Ash: She and a crew of her friends go on a quest to find the missing half of an ancient amulet that can summon evil spirits and wreaks havoc and they have to stop John before he gets it.

Lex: That’s good, Ash. Now, what are some of the major events Michelle goes through?

Iris: She meets up with an archeologist named Grant that helps them out, avoid avalanches find the other half of the amulet, get captured by the henchmen and try to escape, and John plans on unleashing the spirits.

Lex: That’s a good one, Iris. Now, what should be the setting for it?

Serena: It takes place high up in the mountains.

Lex: That’s good, Serena. Now, how do you think the conflict should be resolved?

Nicky: Michelle has a final battle with John to gain control of the amulet and return the spirits to it.

Lex: Okay, Nicky. All right, what should Michelle’s backstory be?

Ash: She went on an exploration with her father once, and loved the thrill of explore and discovering new places and going to great lengths to get there. So, she decides that that’s she wants to do with herself.

Lex: Good, Ash. What are some of the basic events that goes on with Michelle and her crew?

Iris: They find clues to the secret location, some get injured and Michelle treats them using special techniques she picked up, goes on perilous paths to get there and Michelle gets to know Grant more and forms a strong bond with him.

Lex: Okay, Iris. Lastly, for the final climatic scene, how should it start?

Brock: John climbs to the peak puts the amulet together and releases the spirits onto the world, Michelle and the others arrive too late, and Michelle and John have a huge battle.

Lex: That’s good, Brock. You guys did really great.

Iris: Thanks, Lex.

Axew: Axew.

Lex: No problem, Iris. Now, I better get back to animating this. See you guys later.

Serena: Bye, Lex.

(She puts the Pokepilot back in her backpack.)

Ash: Okay, Nicky. You ready to do the outline?

Nicky: Yeah.

Brock: Good. Have you thought about what your story is going to be about?

Nicky: Yes, I have. It’s a coming-of-age story that’s about how a young girl who frees her hometown from the reigns of a tyrant leader.

Brock: That’s great. Now, let’s see if the audience wants to do it.

Iris: All right. (She looks at the viewers.) Hey, you guys want to do it? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Okay.

(Cut to Nicky’s sheet of paper.)

Brock (V.O.): Okay, let’s do it. What is the main conflict? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) She decides that she’s had enough of living in constant fear and rebels

Serena (V.O.): What should be the girl’s name and what is she like? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Her name’s Carrie and she has black hair, a red-and-blue shirt, brown eyes, white shoes and dark blue pants.

Ash (V.O.): What are some of the major things happen to her? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) She challenges the leader to a battle, loses to him and gets banished and decides to go out on a perilous journey. Okay.

Nicky (V.O.): Okay, what should the hometown be like? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) It’s under strict laws where the leader controls almost everything they do and if anyone tries to speak out against him, the army will arrest them. Sure, why not.

Ash (V.O.): What happens to her along her journey? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) She meets a lot interesting people, forms a strong relationship with some of them and grows stronger and wiser along the way. Yeah.

Brock (V.O.): How should the third half begin? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) It should starts with her returning home, seeing how everything’s gotten worse, gives the orders to her army and decides to go face the leader once again. All right.

Serena (V.O.): What should Carrie’s backstory be? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) When she was growing up, she saw how her family have been very miserable and helps them find ways of doing things without the leader knowing. That’s good.

Iris (V.O.): Finally, what does Carrie go through? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) She develops new skills and

strategies, forms an army of her own and starts planning out how they’re going to free the town. All right.

(Cut back to them and Brock speaks.)

Brock: Great job, guys.

Nicky: Thanks for the help, guys.

Ash: Hey, no problem, Nicky.

Pikachu: Pikachu.

Nicky: You know, Shinx. I think this story is going to turn out well.

Shinx: Shinx.

(She starts writing it. Pan over to Serena looking at her.)

Serena: Nicky is going to make a good writer.

Ash: You said it, Serena.

Pikachu: Pikachu.

Brock: Well, this turned out to be a pretty good day.

Iris: Yeah, it did.

Axew: Axew.

(They all turn to the viewers.)

All: Thanks a lot, guys.

Pikachu: Pikachu.

Axew: Axew.

Fennekin: Fenne.

(Cut to them back near the creek.)

Ash: Well, that was a good episode. Did you guys like it? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) Good. Well, we’ll see you later.

(They all wave goodbye to the viewers and continue relaxing and enjoying themselves. The scenery irises out, ending the episode.)