Can you sing? Can you dance? Can you jump on stage and prance? Sign up for the Talent Show, show us your stuff! Be careful though... you don’t want to mess up and fluff! Nine Months Six - “Five on Stage” Story Written by The Freedom Fighter Anime Characters who Actually Talk: Ash Ketchum - 14 Gary Oak - 14 Misty Waterflower - 14 Brock Slate - 16 Samurai Solid - 14 Bug Trainer (dubbed Buggy for this story) - 15 Tracey Sketchit - 15 Richie Sparky - 14 May Oak - 16 Daisy Waterflower - 17 Melanie Shrub - 17 Giselle Gravelpot - 15 New Characters: Richie’s Friends/Band Members ( ) denotes a character action, an in-story author’s note, or the song being played [ ] denotes translated Pokémon speech **** denotes a scene change Disclaimer: For purposes of this fic, only the extras belong to me. “Nine Months” is rated PG, although some chapters don’t qualify for that rating. Download the earlier episodes! See what you’ve been missing! http://www.acmecity.com/games/mythical/292 ************************************************************************ September 24th, 9:00 a.m., Viridian City Senior High School, Main Classroom Building Several students are gathered around one of the billboards, where all of them are reading an advertisement about the upcoming Talent Show. Ash: (reading the ad) The Viridian City Senior High School Student Government Association presents the 17th Annual Fall Follies Talent Show. Gary: (also reading) Come and show off your personal talents for the whole school to see! Misty: (reading as well) Tryouts are September 29th after school in Vileplume Arena. Brock: (what else, reading!) Be there or be square! Ash, Gary, Misty, and Brock: (together) I’ll show everyone that I’ve got the talent to be in show business! (turning towards each other) Did you say something? Nothing! Nothing at all! With that, the four separate and go their separate ways, all off to class, but knowing them, they probably have their minds on the show. ************************************************************************ September 26th, 4:30 p.m., Viridian City Senior High School Dormitory Village, 202 Flame Hall Ash is sitting at his desk, trying to think of an act that would impress the judges for the talent show. Gary, on the other side of the room, was doing the exact same thing. Pikachu and Eevee, who were watching a funny TV show (“Lieutenant Surge’s Neighborhood”), take their eyes off for a moment and join their respective trainers. Ash: Hey Pikachu, do you think I’d be able to impress them if you were able to do some stupid pet tricks? Pikachu: (angry) Pika pi pi chu pi pika, pi? Pikachu-chu? [Who do you think I am, Ash? Scooby-Doo?] Gary: Like someone’s going to want to see that act, Ash. I can see you now... you’ll be ordering Pikachu around, when you suddenly fall off the stage! He begins to laugh hysterically at the thought. Ash, obviously angered by this act, tries to make his own comeback. Ash: And I bet you can come up with something better? Gary: Of course. Besides, I’m not going to be stupid and tell everyone that I’ve got a Pokémon here... remember what happens if someone finds out? Ash: I know, I know... Gary: Anyway, I’m going to attempt to recite the whole English alphabet while juggling four rocks between my hands. Eevee: Vee eevee! [How exciting!] Pikachu: (sarcastically) Pi pika... pi pikachu pi pikachu chu pikapis pika pika. [Oh yeah... as exciting as watching two turtles run the mile.] Ash: Oh yeah... I can see it now... Ash imagines Gary get up to about “E” before one of the rocks hits him the head, causing him to lose his concentration and thus send the others flying wildly into the audience. Gary: You’re right, that might not be such a good idea. Ash: (sighs) Then what are we supposed to do? Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. Ash goes to open it and in comes Samurai. Ash: Hey, Samurai! Samurai: What’s up, Ash? Ash: Me and my roommate, Gary, are trying to think of an act that’ll impress the judges at the Talent Show. Gary: Any ideas? Samurai: Well, you guys can join me and my friends in our act. Ash: Cool! Gary: Just what is your act, anyway? ************************************************************************ 5:00 p.m., 115 Rhinestone Hall Ash and Gary follow Samurai into his room, where a Bug Catcher (dubbed Buggy for this story) and Tracey are sitting on his bed. Samurai: Ash, Gary, I’d like to introduce you to Buggy, my best friend... Buggy: Pleased to meet you. Samurai: And my cousin’s boyfriend, Tracey. Tracey: Welcome to the group, guys! Gary: Group? Samurai: Yeah! We’re going to become a boy band! Ash: A boy band? Aren’t those types of music groups hazardous to your health? Buggy: Maybe, but at least it improves its your chances of getting a girlfriend. Tracey: (holding up a picture of Rebecca) Tell me about it... isn’t that right, my love? Samurai: Stop swooning over my cousin! She’s not that cute, I tell ya! Gary: Ahem... can we get started? The tryouts are Monday, after all! Buggy: Sure thing... let me show you what we’re working with... He turns on a cassette player, and joins Ash and Gary on the side of the room as Samurai and Tracey begin to dance wildly, while singing in a similar fashion. (Sing to the tune of ‘N Sync’s “Tearin’ Up My Heart”) Samurai and Tracey: (singing simultaneously) You’re tearin’ up my heart when I’m alone But it’s bliss when we talk on the phone Don’t ever go and leave me, I’ll feel the pain Whenever I’m alone. (End music) Samurai: So, what do you guys think? Ash: You mean we have to get up on stage and dance like we’ve got bugs in our shorts? Gary: Not to mention singing lyrics that don’t even make sense. Buggy: That’s the beauty of it! The girls will only care how much you can shake your booty! They don’t care if you can sing or not! Tracey: (glancing at Rebecca’s picture again) Ain’t that the truth... Samurai: (takes the picture, and rips it up) Stop staring at Rebecca’s picture, Tracey! She’s not that cute! Sheesh! Samurai then storms out of the room. Ash, Gary, and Buggy crowd around Tracey as he pulls out another picture from his pocket. Tracey: Just what is he talking about? Look at that cute smile of hers. Ash: You’re right! How can you not like a face like hers? Gary: I have to agree with him though. Ash: What do you mean? Gary: Well, would you have a crush on your own cousin? Buggy: Good point. Still, he probably wishes she wasn’t his cousin. Tracey: Yeah, I’ll bet. He doesn’t even know what he’s missing... ************************************************************************ September 27th - 28th - 29th Ash, Gary, Samurai, Buggy, and Tracey decide to spend most of the weekend trying to come up with a good song... and a matching dance routine... to present to the judges at the tryouts the next day. After several hours of memorizing lyrics, stepping on each others’ toes, and remembering that they had homework assignments due Monday morning, the quintet finally finished practicing. All that was left was the actual tryout... After waiting over an hour for their turn, the quintet steps on to the stage to begin the performance. The two judges begin to squeal with delight as the five boys dance and sing and even swoon (Samurai tries to sway one of them by giving her a rose). It didn’t take long for the two of them to make their decision... Ash, Gary, Samurai, Buggy, and Tracey were performing at the Talent Show that Friday night. ************************************************************************ October 2nd, 8:30 p.m., Viridian City Senior High School Dormitory Village, 202 Flame Hall Ash and Gary are examining some last minute lyric changes the night before the Talent Show. Unfortunately for them, they’re about to be rudely interrupted... Ash: (singing) I do... worship boo... Gary: Ash, it’s ‘I will worship you!’ It’s not that hard to read my handwriting! Ash: Well, I’ve seen four year olds write more legible than this piece of junk! Gary would have gotten into a fight with Ash right there and then, if someone hadn’t knocked on the door. Ash: I wonder who that could be. Gary: Open the door and find out! Ash does so, and Richie barrels into the room, followed by four other boys. Richie: Ash! Gary! Gary: What do you want? Richie: I want you and your so-called “boy band” to drop out of the show so we can win! Ash: Why should we? Why don’t you prove that you’re better than us on stage? Richie: Cause it’s much easier this way! Richie motions for his four friends to gang up on Ash and Gary. Just then, May appears in the door. May: Gary! Ash! I just wanted to wish you guys good luck tomorrow... what the heck is going on around here? Richie: (giving May the once over) And what brings you here, sweetcake? Gary: She’s my older sister, Richie! Richie: (turning to May) So you’re an Oak, huh? Figures... even the hottest dames like you are nothing but trash. May picks up Richie by the collar and slams him into the door. Richie’s four friends cower in fear. May: I don’t care if you insult my younger brother Gary, or even Ash! But you crossed the line when you insulted me! I have a boyfriend on the football team, you know. I can call him in an instant to help me teach you and your friends a lesson. Richie: Sorry, we didn’t mean any harm! Now let me down! May does so, and Richie and his friends run out of the room and towards the stairs. Richie: (yelling) I’m warning you, Ash Ketchum, Gary Oak! Don’t dare show your face at the auditorium tomorrow night! With that, the five of them disappear. May turns back to Ash and Gary. May: That ought to take care of those guys. Gary: (sweatdrops) Thanks, sis. May: No problem. Ash then breaks out in tears, and runs towards the restrooms. Gary and May watch him leave. May: What’s wrong with Ash? Gary: Oh, he’s just angry because you just said you had a boyfriend. May: Really? I didn’t know he was interested in me. I hope he’ll be okay... I really don’t have a boyfriend, you know. Gary: Why would you need one anyway? Like someone would date you anyway... Um... I’m pretty sure you’ve all got a good idea of what happens next... ************************************************************************ October 3rd, 8:00 p.m., Vileplume Arena An audience of over two thousand is gathering for the show. After a long wait, the lights dim, and the curtains open, revealing Daisy in a simple white evening gown. The crowd applauds and whistles with approval. Daisy: Good evening, everyone! Welcome to the 17th Annual Fall Follies Talent Show! I’m Daisy Waterflower, your MC for tonight’s show. I hope everyone’s ready for two hours of excitement as the most talented members of the Viridian City Senior High School student body attempt to show off their talents to win one hundred dollars and this nifty trophy! She holds up a small six inch gold trophy, shaped like a tree leaf. Daisy: You know, I wouldn’t mind entering the show to win this trophy myself, but of course they wouldn’t allow the show to be held by the swimming pool. (sighs) Oh well, looks like I’m going to have to find some other way to “get my kicks!” (laughs wildly, before realizing that no one’s laughing with her) “Get my kicks!” It’s a joke, people! You have to kick your legs to swim in the pool... never mind. Anyway, don’t forget to cheer on your favorite act! The act who gets the loudest cheers wins! Now, let the show begin! The first few acts turn out to be no good, but they pick up as the show goes on. Notable acts include Misty’s tap dance routine (which she only got applause for because of the skimpy suit she was wearing), May’s contortionist act of turning into a human pretzel (she unfortunately needed about three people to pull her out afterwards), and Seymour’s egg juggling act (which after a few tricks ended up all on his face). Let’s pick up towards the end of the show... ************************************************************************ 9:11 p.m. Daisy: Next up, meet two people you’d never expect to see together. Yet, they calaborated this act so they can show off their dancing skills. Please give a round of applause for Brock Slate and Melanie Shrub! The music begins playing as Brock comes in, dressed in a loose black t-shirt and matching black jeans. Melanie follows him out, dressed in a very revealing green dress which included a slit that nearly came as high as her thigh. The two tango briefly before they break apart: Brock to one side to sing, while Melanie to the other to dance for the guys. (Sing to the tune of Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca”) Brock: (singing and gesturing towards Melanie) She’s into grass Pokémon An Oddish and a Bulbasaur I’ll know that I have won When she goes and falls for me She’s going to be gone If I don’t act real fast So here goes: I’m singin’ the right tone To please her really fast She’ll make you take your clothes off and go swimming in the lake She’ll make you live the life of the insane and then claim that you’re a fake Like her old boyfriend named Jake (Oh yeah!) Coming in from the out She’s rocking la Vida loca She’ll push and pull you to bed She’s rocking la Vida loca Her hair is the darkest of black And her bow’s the color of a Metapod She will work you hard Rocking la Vida loca Rocking la Vida loca! Melanie then pulls out a candle from backstage and lights in. The crowd watches as Brock rips his shirt, throws it to Daisy (who obviously wasn’t impressed), then lies down flat on the stage. Melanie proceeds to poor the wax onto his chest... and it doesn’t take long for Brock to jump up and run and scream all over the stage. He finally exits, and Melanie follows, after blowing out the candle and bowing to the audience. Daisy: (throwing the shirt aside) Okay, that was unexpected... (looking at her script) All right, who’s next? Richie and his four friends come out, decked in boy band apparel. Appropriately, the girls begin to scream and squeal in delight, drowning out Daisy’s voice, and forcing her to abandon the stage and let the five boys do their thing. (Sing to the tune of Backstreet Boys’ “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”) Richie: (singing, and not very well, I might add) So many words can heal your heart It’s hard to see when you’re mad at me So hard to feel you Can we talk it over at least? Richie’s Best Friend: (singing, slightly better than Richie) The souls of light will soon release Into the sky so can I see your beauty My every wish would come true Thanks to you... All Five: (singing somewhat together) Please tell us why you’re so mad at us Did we do something wrong last night at the bar Tell us why we cannot sleep with you now We must’ve insulted your heart The five continue to sing, pleasing every single female. Even Melanie backstage found herself falling in love with the so-called boy band. Finally, at least to the relief of the guys, they finished, and left the stage. Daisy: (combing her hair as she returns to the stage) Wow... it’s going to be tough to beat that. But this next boy group will attempt to do so. Please welcome “United Five!” Ash, Gary, Samurai, Buggy, and Tracey step on stage, dressed in suits. Again, the girls go crazy, and the guys try to contain their disgust towards them. The music begins. (Sing to the tune of 98 Degrees’ “I Do (Cherish You)”) Gary: (singing) All I am, all I’ll be Anything that you want I’ll gladly get it for you When I see your eyes Sparkling at me When you laugh I can feel All my tensions disappear Your hair brushes mine And a million good feelings Seduce me ‘cause I All Five: (singing in harmony) I will worship you For the rest of my life You don’t have to think for yourself I will embrace you still I can feel it in my soul And my actions aren’t in control I’ve waited forever to reveal my love for you If you’re asking will I worship you forever I will The quintet continues to sing, and even better than Richie’s band. After the song, the group gets a standing ovation from everyone. The girls, the guys, Daisy, and even the judges. Even some of the acts come out to congratulate them. Brock: (shaking Ash’s hand) Man, Ash, you are the ladies’ man! Ash: Aw shucks, you don’t have to compliment me, Brock! Melanie: You guys did really good. I hope you win. Richie: I hope you don’t! Gary: Who asked you anyway? Daisy: Attention everyone! The judges have reached a decision. And the winners are... the “United Five!” The crowd rejoices, except for Richie and his band, who depart out the back door. The quintet walks over and gets the trophy from Daisy. Samurai: Thank you, all of you! Buggy: You love us! You really love us! The crowd rejoices once again. The five boys take a bow and are showered with flowers and autographs from the girls. Even if they would never sing together again, the five of them knew that these “fifteen minutes of fame” were good enough for them. ************************************************************************ 10:00 p.m. After a while, mostly everyone had left to return to their dorms... with the exception of Ash, Gary, Samurai, Buggy, Tracey, Daisy, Misty, May, Melanie, and Brock. Gary: I can’t believe it worked! Buggy: Of course it worked! We united our voices on stage, and the crowd saw that. Ash: No wonder we were irresistible. Misty: Don’t push your luck, guys. Not everyone was pleased with your performance. Samurai: You mean Richie and his goons? Forget about them. Melanie: Like they actually had any talent anyway. Brock: Yeah... unlike me and Melanie. May: Are you sure about that, Brock? If I remember correctly, the crowd was cheering for Melanie, and not for you. Brock: But that’s impossible! Didn’t they like my charming voice? Daisy: To tell you the truth, you sounded like you had a frog stuck in your throat. The whole gang laughs at Brock, who bows his head in embarrassment. Their laughter ceases, though, when they hear a noise from the stage. Giselle appears, dressed in her Pokémon Tech uniform. Giselle: Am I in time for the show? Daisy: (looking at her watch) Sorry, the show was over about half an hour ago. Giselle wasn’t paying attention at all, as she pulls out a cassette player and plays the tape inside. She begins to dance around while taking off her jumper, revealing a white short sleeve buttoned shirt. (Sing to the tune of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time”) Giselle: (singing) Oh baby baby How was I to know the truth? That you really loved someone else? Oh baby baby I shouldn’t have taken my eye off you Cause now you’re some other girl’s boy. Ash, Gary, Samurai, Buggy, Tracey, and Brock begin to watch Giselle’s movements with unwavering eyes. Misty, May, Daisy, and Melanie, though, don’t show as much interest. Misty: Oh great... the last thing we need... a dancing private school girl. Daisy: Okay, I’ve officially seen everything tonight. Anyone for a nice quiet game of blackjack? The girls agree, and they leave the gym, leaving the boys alone to admire Giselle’s song. To be continued... Geese, is it just me, or are these chapters getting a little longer and a lot harder to write? A couple of quick notes: - Thanks to Bookcat87, who provided the suggestions for most of the songs I parodied in this chapter. I really couldn’t have come up with the song ideas without her. - The lyrics are similar to their originals, I just changed them to not only adapt to the show, but also to spice them up a little with comedy. - I’m aware that some people do not like pop music, and that’s fine. But please don’t judge this chapter by that aspect, and instead judge it by how well the parody worked. - The “Rebecca” mentioned is the same one who is the daughter of Anthony (“The Punchy Pokémon”). She is not Samurai’s cousin, nor is she Tracey’s girlfriend! Those were just made up for this story. I think that’s it. If you want to see more pieces of insanity from this series, then stay tuned! I’m hoping that next few chapters will delight you as well. E-mail comments, suggestions, or even questions that you might have, to my new e-mail address, jgg121@yahoo.com! Please respond! I need your support to keep this series going! Copyright Date: 5/9/00