Pokemon Learning League

Listening Skills

Written By

Timothy Whitfield

(Episode opens with Brock, Iris and Axew coming to the gateway into Camphrier Town on a mostly sunny day in the early afternoon. There are a few clouds in the sky and they’re blowing in a pleasant breeze. The town has a calm atmosphere to it. Brock casually speaks to the audience.)

Brock (casually): Oh, hello, guys.

Iris (casually): Hey, there

Axew: Axew.

(They head on inside and immersed in the town’s atmosphere and the Old World feel of it. Brock breathes in the air and sighs with comfort.)

Brock: It really feels nice here, doesn’t it, Iris?

Iris: Yeah.

Axew (agreeing): Axew.

Brock: What do you say we have a look around here?

Iris: All right.

(They head on through the town. As they do, they take notice of the Shabboneau Castle on top of the hill and are impressed with its unique architecture.)

Brock (impressed): Wow! Would you look at that?

Axew: Axew.

Iris: Yeah. Who do you think is the leader up there?

(Brock pulls out a Kalos guide book and looks through it.)

Brock: It says here his name’s Lord Shabboneau.

Iris: I see.

(They continue on through. Just then, Iris catches the smell of something sweet.)

Iris: Hey, Brock. Do you smell that?

(Brock gives a quick sniff.)

Brock: Yeah. It’s coming from over there.

(He points to the right of them and they head over to the source. Moments later, they come to an open-air market, where one of the stands has Quick Tarte Tatin, Lemon Soufflés, and Tulipes with Raspberry Sorbet.)

Brock: These look really good.

(A girl, named Rachel, appears behind the stand. She has long, blue & curly hair, purple eyes, is around Iris’s age, and is wearing a blue shirt with a pink stripe down the middle, beige jean shorts and flats.)

Rachel: Hello, there. I’m Rachel.

Brock: Hey. Mind if I ask what that is?(He points to the Tarte Tatin.)

Rachel: Oh. This is a Quick Tarte Tatin. All it is, is just skillet-baked caramelized apple tart.

Iris: Oh, that sounds good.

Rachel: Would you two like to try a sample?

Both: Sure.

(They each take a small piece of it, put them in their mouths and start chewing. They get a satisfied look on their faces.)

Iris: This is really delicious.

Axew (agreeing): Axew.

Brock: Oh, yeah.

Rachel: That’s good. If you want, you can have this one.

Brock: Huh? Are you sure, Rachel?

Rachel: Sure. I have another batch ready to go.

Brock: Well, thank you.

(She puts the rest of it in a plastic bag and hands it to Brock. He puts it in his bag. He pays her the right amount of PokeYen and she puts out a fresh batch of Quick Tarte Tatin on the table.)

Rachel: You two have a good day.

Iris: Thanks. You too.

Axew: Axew.

(They head on through the rest of the market. One stand has different kinds of fudge, and another has a wide variety of cheese.)

Iris: Everything here looks really good.

Axew (agreeing): Axew.

Brock: Yeah.

(They continue on through until they spot… Shauna, who is getting some berries.)

Brock: That girl sure is getting a lot of berries.

Iris (curiously): Yeah, but what for?

(Shauna looks over to them and notices Iris’s Axew. She comes over to them.)

Shauna: Hey, there. That’s a cute Axew you have there.

Axew (flattered): Axew.

Iris: Thanks for that.

Shauna: No problem. I’m Shauna, by the way.

Brock: Please to meet you. I’m Brock.

Iris: And I’m Iris.

Shauna: Well, what brought you guys here?

Iris: This seemed like a nice town and we wanted checking it out.

Shauna: That’s good.

Brock: What are you getting those berries for?

Shauna: Oh, they’re for some Poke puffs I’m going to make.

Iris: Poke puffs?

Shauna: Yeah.

(She goes into her bag and pulls out one.)

Iris (getting it): Oh. That looks very good.

Shauna: Thanks. (She breaks off a piece of it.) Here.

Iris: Okay.

(She hands it to Axew, who takes it, puts it in his mouth and chews.)

Axew (satisfied): Axew.

Iris: You like that?

(Axew nods his head.)

Brock: Say, you want to come with us for a while?

Shauna: Sure.

(They leave the market and head on through the town.)

Brock: So, Shauna, what are you training to become?

Shauna: A great Pokemon Performer.

Brock (intrigued): Really?

Shauna: Yep. I’ll be participating in Pokemon Showcases.

Iris: That’s good. What do you do in them?

Shauna: Well, they’re broken up into two parts. The first part is the Theme Performance, where we either groom our Pokemon, make Poke Puffs or give a performance using props.

Iris: All right, what’s the other part?

Shauna: It’s the Free-style Performance. That’s when the Pokemon and their trainers perform together on stage, while showing what they can really do.

Brock: Sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun for you.

Shauna: Oh, it will be.

(They continue on through. A few minutes later, they come to a secluded area, which has a big tree that bears Wacan berries, flowers cover the area and there are a few people in it.)

Iris: Hey, Shauna, you want to have a practice battle here?

Shauna: Of course.

(Moments later, we see Iris and Shauna getting ready to battle, with Brock being the judge.)

Brock: This battle will now begin!

Shauna: Bulbasaur, I choose you!

(She tosses her Pokeball up and Bulbasaur emerges from it.)

Bulbasaur: Bulbasaur!

Iris: Come on out, Gible!

(She tosses the Pokeball up and Gible emerges.)

Gible: Gible!

Shauna: Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!

Bulbasaur: Bulba!

(Two dark green vines come out of the sides of the bulb and hits Gible, doing some damage.)

Iris: Gible, counter with Shadow Claw!

(One of his hands becomes surrounded by a black aura with a purple outline. It then takes the form of a claw and Gible slashes Bulbasaur with it, doing some damage to it.)

Shauna: Now use Energy Ball!

(Bulbasaur condenses a lot of energy to the top of its bulb and an orb of light green energy forms. It aims and fires it at Gible.)

Iris: Dodge it and use Aerial Ace!

(He moves out of the way of the attack. Then, its body becomes surrounded by white streaks and flies into Bulbasaur, hitting it and doing damage.)

Shauna: That was a good move, Iris.

Iris: Thanks, Shauna.

Shauna: Now, Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!

Bulbasaur: Bulbasaur!

(Razor-sharp leaves come out from under its bulb and they fly at Gible, dealing a great deal of damage.)

Iris: Use Dig!

(Gible uses its hands and digs into the ground. It then comes backs up and attacks Bulbasaur, doing some damage.)

Iris: Great job, Gible.

Gible: Gible.

Iris: Now, use Flamethrower!

(It fires a red-orange stream of fire from its mouth at Bulbasaur.)

Shauna: Counter with Solar Beam!

(It gathers light in its bulb, and then fires a bright yellow beam from it at the flamethrower. Both attacks collide and explode on contact, sending both Pokemon flying back and doing a lot of damage to them.)

Iris: Nice counter there.

Shauna: Thanks. Bulbasaur, use Petal Dance!

(Its bulb glows bright yellow and fires multiple bright glowing pink petals in a twister-like fashion at Gible, doing damage.)

Iris: Gible, Iron Head!

(He lowers his head and the fin on his head turns into iron from the base of it. It then starts charging towards Bulbasaur and directly hits it, doing a great deal of damage and nearly knocking it out.)

Shauna: No, Bulbasaur!

Iris: Now use Flamethrower!

(It fires a red-orange stream of fire from its mouth at Bulbasaur.)

Shauna: Quick, dodge it!

(It struggles to get out of the way, but it manages to get out of the way and barely misses the attack, but Gible redirects the attack and it directly hits it, dealing a lot of damage. It struggles to remain standing, but it falls to the ground and passes out.)

Brock: Bulbasaur’s unable to battle. Gible’s the winner, and the victory goes to Iris.

(Shauna goes over to Bulbasaur. She kneels down to its level.)

Shauna (gently): Are you okay, Bulbasaur?

(It opens its eyes nods its head.)

Bulbasaur (tired): Bulba.

Shauna: Oh, good. You did great out there.

(She gives it an Oran Berry. Now, we pan over to Iris going over to Gible.)

Iris: You were amazing, Gible.

Gible (exhausted): Gible.

(Shauna comes over to them.)

Shauna: That was a really good battle, Iris.

Iris: Yeah. Those were some great move.

Shauna: Thanks. So were yours. (She takes out another Oran Berry.) Here.

(She hands it to Iris, who takes it and gives it to Gible, who eats it.)

Gible (happily): Gible.

Iris: Oh, that’s good.

(Dissolve to moments later, where we see all three lying out on the grass and looking up at the clouds in the sky.)

Shauna: Hey, that one looks like Diancie.

(She points to it.)

Brock: Yeah, it kind of does. (He spots another one.) There’s a Vanillite.

Iris: Aww, that looks cute. (She spots a different one.) Ooh, there’s one that’s one a Delcatty.

Shauna (relaxed): Yeah.

(Brock sit up.)

Brock: Hey, Shauna.

(Shauna sits up.)

Shauna: Yeah, Brock?

Brock: Would you like to know how you can build upon your battle skills?

Shauna: Okay.

Brock: All right, then. When coming up with a good strategy, have them be flexible and carefully planned out, as well as testing some of them out. Oh, and make sure you don’t push your Pokemon too far.

Iris: Yeah. Work with your Pokemon on their accuracy and the timing of the attacks, while also trying to master some new ones. Be careful when you do that.

(As they go on, we see Shauna starting to droop her head to the left side, stretches out her legs & arms, and gets a relaxed look on her face, all while still trying to focus on they’re saying.)

Iris: Uh, are you all right?

(She shakes her head and sits back up.)

Shauna: Oh, sorry. I got too relaxed there.

Iris: That’s all right. Did you hear what we were saying?

Shauna (honestly): Well, I only got some of it before I started drifting off.

Brock (understanding): I see. Don’t worry about it. What you need to do is improve on your listening skills.

Shauna: Okay, but how do you think I should do that?

Brock: To start with, try to listen with an open mind. Block out other thoughts and concentrate on the speaker.

Shauna: Okay, go on.

Iris: Another way is to remove any distractions. Don’t let anything else draw your attention away when someone’s speaking. Also, try to be close enough to the person talking.

Shauna: All right, what else?

Brock: Well, that’s all we got.

Shauna: Oh, okay.

Iris: Well, let’s see if Diana has more to tell you.

Shauna: You really think she can help?

Brock (reassuring): Of course. (He goes into his backpack & takes out the Pokepilot, turns it on and calls Diana, who is working on some choreography.)

Diana: Hey, guys. What’s up?

Iris: We’re doing fine, Diana. What kind of dance are you doing there?

Diana: It’s a new kind of Bachata I came up with.

Brock: That’s pretty interesting. Oh, Diana, this is Shauna.

Shauna: Hey, there.

Diana: Hi, Shauna. So, what have you been doing?

Iris: Brock and I met her at an open-air market and we just had a practice battle.

Diana: That’s great. What else?

Brock: We were telling how she can improve on her battle skills, but she got too relaxed and only got some of what we said, so do know any other way she can work on her listening skills?

Diana: Sure. One way is to be aware of the person’s gestures. Keep a sharp eye on the person’s body language and the eye movements.

Iris: Okay, now what?

Diana: You listen for certain ideas. When you do this, you pick up on little bits of information that’ll give you an idea on what the person is talking about.

(As she speaks, small figures are animated to the words being spoken.)

Shauna: Oh, that’s pretty helpful. What else?

Diana: Another way is to put whoever’s speaking to you at ease. Try to make them feel free to talk by keeping their needs and concerns in mind, as well as encouraging them to continue. Also, try to maintain eye contact, but not stare at them.

Brock: That’s good. Anything else?

Diana: Yeah. Empathize with the person. When listening to anyone, try to look at certain issues from their perspectives.

Shauna: Doing any of that will really help me improve on my listening.

Diana: Yes, it certainly will. So, how about I show you guys something?

Iris: Okay, Diana.

Axew: Axew.

(Pan up to an upper panel showing various people listening to others.)

Diana: Okay, you guys ready?

Shauna: Oh, yeah.

Diana: Very well. This man, Kirk, is trying to listen to someone giving him tips on Pokemon training. What do you think he should do?

Shauna: Hmm. He should listen closely for certain ideas.

Diana: All right, Shauna. Now, this lady is listening to this other lady about how to handle a loss in a healthy way. What do you think she should do?

Brock: She should try to empathize with her.

Diana: Okay, Brock. This girl is being told the ways she can improve on her Contest moves. What do you think she should do?

Iris: Be aware of the gestures he’s using.

Diana: Good one, Iris. Lastly, this boy is listening to this woman, who is giving him tips on how he can bond with his Pokemon. What do you think he should do?

Brock: He should try to put her at ease.

Diana: Very well, Brock. You guys did great.

Shauna: Thanks a lot, Diana

Diana: No problem, Shauna. Well, time to get back to practicing. See you guys later.

Brock: See you.

(He turns off the Pokepilot and puts it back in his backpack.)

Iris: So, Shauna, would you like to do something else before we get back to it?

Shauna: Oh, sure.

Iris: That’s good, but let’s see if the viewers are up for it.

Brock: All right. (He turns over to the audience.) You guys want to do it? (He casually waits for an answer from the audience for one second.) Oh, okay.

Shauna (off-putted): Who is he talking to?

Iris: He’s just talking to the audience.

Shauna: I see. Isn’t that a little weird to do?

Iris: Yeah, it is, but they can be pretty good around this point.

Shauna: (understanding): Oh, okay.

(Dissolve to images of various spots where Shauna is listening to certain people.)

Brock: Okay, let’s do it. Here, Shauna is getting advice on what berries would be the most effective. What do you think she should do? (He casually waits for an answer form the audience for one second.) Pay attention for certain ideas. Very well, then.

Iris: Here, this man is telling her about what kind of moves she could do. What do you think she should do? (She casually waits for an answer form the audience for one second.) Beware of the man’s gestures. Okay.

Shauna: Here, this woman is telling me her own experiences about entering Pokemon Showcases. What do you think I should do? (She casually waits for an answer form the audience for one second.) Empathize with you. All right, then.

Iris: Lastly, this boy is going to tell her about how she can works on some strategies. What do you think she should do? (She casually waits for an answer form the audience for one second.) Put her at ease. Sure, why not.

(Dissolve back to the section and Shauna casually speaks to the audience.)

Shauna: Thanks, you guys.

Brock: Well, Shauna, you ready for us to tell you again?

Shauna: Yes, I am.

Brock: That’s good.

(Shauna sets herself up for them. A few minutes later.)

Brock: Basically, it helps to get certain moves down just right, as well as getting closer with you Pokemon.

Shauna: Thanks for the neat advice, guys. This’ll really help with some of my performances.

Brock: Hey, no problem, Shauna.

Shauna: So, where are you going to after leaving here?

Iris: Hmm. We haven’t thought about that, yet.

Shauna: Well, how about heading to Santalune City?

Brock: Okay, then.

Iris: What do you guys want to do, now?

(They think for a brief moment.)

Shauna: How about we do a little training?

Iris: Okay, sounds good.

(They turn around and face the audience.)

All: Thank you, guys.

Axew: Axew.

(Dissolve to moments later, where they’re doing some training with their Pokemon.)

Brock: That was a pretty good episode. Did you enjoy it? (He casually waits for an answer form the audience for one second.) All right, then. We’ll see you next time.

(They all wave goodbye to the audience and return to training. It irises out, ending the episode.)