Nine Months Ten - Making the Band Written by Globie Characters Who Actually Talk: Ash Ketchum, Gary Oak, Misty Waterflower, Richie Sparky, Samurai Solid - 14 Giselle Gravelpot, AJ Kamensky, Buggy - 15 Brock Slate, May Oak, Scott McGwire (*), Jeanette Fisher, Tracey Sketchit (**), Lily and Violet Waterflower - 16 Daisy Waterflower, Melanie Shrub, Dario Novetella - 17 * - Exchange Student from Vancouver, BC, Canada ** - Exchange Student from Anchorage, AK, USA New Characters: Joe Jameson, D.J. Waterstone, Sean Dukakis, Mikey Ishida, Greg Chen and other Boy-band Wannabes, Alpo Stumperhugen () = 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 fanfic, The Freedom Fighter owns his extras, I own the ones I created...I also have all the rights to Scott...he's my character. "Nine Months" is rated PG, although some chapters don't qualify for that rating. ************************************************************************ November 7th, 12:30 PM, Viridian Sr. High Cafeteria Ash (Looking at a poster): Hey, cool... Tracey (Coming behind him): What is it? Gary: It's a boy-band try out. Brock: Kinda like that ABC show. AJ: "Making the Band?" Richie: Yeah, that. Scott: Sounds cool... imagine all the girls chasing you down. Samurai: And screaming when you appear... Ash: I could impress May like that... Gary: You still think my sister likes you? Ash: So? She might be a little old... Gary: Look, forget her. Ash: Are you telling me to back off? Gary: Hey, chill! I just wanted to say that Misty likes you now. Ash: WHAT? You can't be serious! Gary (Angry): Ask her yourself. Gary storms away, and Ash could only look back in stunned silence. Ash: Huh? ************************************************************************ 4:30 PM, Viridian High Dorms, 412 Flame Hall AJ was in his dorm, busy trying to put together a video to send off to the producers of the show so they would consider him... AJ: (After falling) Hey, help me up here! Gary: That was bad. Scott: (Sweatdrops) Oh... yeah. AJ: Like any of you two could do any better! Gary: Like we can. Scott: I dunno... I could try. AJ: I dare you to. Scott: Are you challenging me to enter? AJ: Yeah... see how much better than me you are. Gary: Scott, you're not really gonna! Scott gets up, and Gary grabs the camera from AJ. Scott begins to sing "Bye, Bye, Bye" by N'Sync, and suddenly, a bunch of girls begin to gather near the doorway, and giggle. AJ: Okay, so you can sing, can ya dance? Scott: No! Gary: Why not? Oh, wait... your knee. Scott: Duh! AJ: Guess you won't be getting on the show, then. Scott: We'll see about that. Gary: I've got some stuff to do, so I'll catch you later. ************************************************************************ November 11th, 9:30 AM, Viridian High, Main Classroom Bldg., Room 327 Tracey: Scott, did your application come back? Scott: Yeah, it did. Tracey: Oh, cool! Scott: I just made the top 25... it's not a big deal. Tracie: Hey, you can't dance. Scott: (With clenched teeth) Ix-nay on the ance-day, Tracie! Tracie: Huh? I never learned pig Latin. Scott: Shut up! Mr. Robertson: Will you two both shut up? Scott: (Looking at the letter) I've got a bad feeling about this... ************************************************************************ 12:30 PM, Viridian High Cafeteria Gary: Open the envelope! See what it says! Richie: Okay, I'm opening! Brock: Ash, you got one too? Ash: Yeah, so? AJ: Both of you open it! Ash and Richie both open their envelopes, and look at the letter. Ash: Dear Mr. Ketchum, your application has been received, and after extensive toil over 4,000 tapes, you have been selected to be part of the top 25 for "Making the Band." Ritchie: ...Trials begin on Friday afternoon, at Vileplume Arena in Viridian High. Brock: I'm guessing a lot of the girls will be there. Melanie: Hey, boys. What are you doing? Gary: Oh, nothing. Samurai: Ash, Richie, you got picked for "Making the Band"? Ash and Richie: Yeah. Samurai: I heard Scott got one too... Tracie: He can't dance, so you can take him out of the running in a hurry. Ash: I can just sing, and I'm gonna do it... I'll make the band. Richie: You think it's gonna be that easy? Think again. AJ: There's gonna be a bunch of pros there, too. Ash: But hey, you don't know until you try, right? Everyone nods in agreement. ************************************************************************ November 15th, 2:30 PM, Viridian High, Vileplume Arena Inside the arena, 25 guys had gathered from all across the island to be squeezed into a 5-man band. Ash looked nervous when he saw the legendary manager and agent to some of Indigo Island's biggest stars, Alpo Stumperhugen, appear on stage. Alpo: Now, I know you're all here, ready to begin, but first... The guys look behind them, and see a line of the people who will be guiding all of them through the process. As each is introduced, Ash got more and more excited. Scott: Hey, calm down, Ash! Ash: I can't! I'm just too excited! Scott: Well, I can see that. Ash: Aren't you excited? Scott: Not really... I thought I'd never make it so far. Ash: Like you would... you can't dance. Scott: Did Tracey tell you that? Ash: Uh huh... Scott: That kid's gonna pay! Suddenly, all the attention goes back to Alpo as he points to the exit. Alpo: Now, we're gonna go up to the mountains to our real training location! All: What? Alpo: You heard right... a ski lodge up near the Indigo Plateau. Some murmur in excitement. Alpo: Hope you brought skis! ************************************************************************ November 16th, 7:30 AM, Indigo Plateau Ski Hill Everyone was up early this Saturday morning, as the first shoot of the video was going to happen today, and on the performance of the wannabes on said video, the producers will pick the next 15 who will move on to the next round. Ash: I'm going to bomb this. Scott: I just wanna go home. Ash: Are you homesick? Scott: I don't even wanna be here! Ash: Then why come? Scott: I wanted to prove to AJ that I could make it! Ash: Well, too late to back down now. The chair lift arrives at the top and the 25 gather on the top. They are each assigned a part to a song that they have recorded earlier. This is now the video part of it. Scott, Ash and Richie all make it down without a problem, but some of the exhibitionists decide that it was necessary for them to show-off on the slopes, and did so. Alpo: Well, I guess that went well. Ash: (To Scott) I just hope I don't get booted. Scott: I just want to get booted. Ritchie: What, giving up already? Scott: (Sharply) Not on your life! Ash: But Scott... Scott: (Putting on a faux-face) I'm gonna make this... oh, yeah! Richie: Okay...whatever. Then, a bunch of guys come forward as Richie skis off toward the lodge. Mikey: Hey, guys, that twerp getting on your nerves? Sean: He's been like that all day. DJ: Yeah, like this guy is too determined to make it. Greg: We all are... aren't we? Ash: Hey, I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet. Scott: I'm Scott, from Vancouver. Mikey: I'm Mikey, from Grey Town over on the Western Isles. DJ: I'm DJ, from Cerulean City. Sean: Sean, from Mikan Island Greg: Greg, from Saffron. All: Pleased to meet you. Ash: I guess we'd better go and have some fun. Sean: Wanna come with us, Ash? Ash: Sure! As the group leaves, DJ stands alone with Scott. Mikey: Hey, DJ, aren't you coming? DJ: In a sec! He turns around, and looks at Scott. DJ: I heard you wanted to go. Scott: I never even wanted to be here in the first place! DJ: Why are you here, then? Scott: Oh, a teammate of mine on the football team dared me. DJ: (Sighs) I guess all guys need to defend their egos. Scott: Are you saying that I have a big ego? DJ: No, no, no... that's not what I meant. Scott: Then what do you mean? DJ: Just hang in there... you'll do fine. You did great on skis. Scott: Thanks... Ash: (From a distance) Are you guys coming? Scott and DJ: Yeah, we are. ************************************************************************ 7:30 PM, Indigo Plateau Ski Lodge Restaurant Everyone was sitting at their places at the table, with some confident of their triumph and others worried of their future... the first 10 were going to be kicked off tonight. Mikey: Well boys, here we are. DJ: Confident? Scott: Not really. Ash: Oh, yeah! Greg: Ditto. Sean: I dunno. Alpo taps a water glass, and everyone looks on. Alpo: Okay, here's our list of the next 15... He reads down the list, and some people find that a 2-ton weight has been lifted off them, or find themselves worrying and stressing to themselves that they would be called next. Alpo: ...Ash Ketchum... Ash: Yes! Alpo: ...Mikey Ishida... Mikey: Whoo! Alpo: ...Scott McGwire... Scott didn't say a thing. Alpo: ...DJ Waterstone... DJ high-fives both Scott and Greg. Alpo: ...Greg Chen... Greg gives a thumbs-up. Alpo: ...and Sean Dukakis. Sean: Yes! The 10 individuals who weren't called begin to cut their losses, and heal their wounds. They would be leaving the compound on the morning train back down to Viridian. For Ash, it means an extra-helping of ice cream. For DJ and his group, it's a big test that they have just passed. For Scott, it meant at least an extra day of being stuck up here... ************************************************************************ November 17th, 4:30 PM, Indigo Plateau Ski Lodge Scott is in his room, getting ready for the next group of cuts that will cut the group down from 15 to 8. The rest of the 8 would get to miss a week of classes, and when it's over, a group of 5 will emerge. Scott: I just don't get it... first I didn't wanna be here, now I do. Tracey (On the phone screen): Just hang in there, bud. If you get cut tonight, I'll be seeing you in class tomorrow. Scott: As if I will attend classes! Tracey (On screen): And why not? Scott: We'll wait and see. ************************************************************************ 7:30 PM, Indigo Plateau Ski Lodge Restaurant The group, whose table had shrunk considerably, gathered once again at dinner time to be cut, from 15 to 8... the group sat together, as usual, and began to wait for the results. Alpo: ...Ash Ketchum... Ash: All right! Alpo: ...DJ Waterstone... DJ: Put 'er there! Both DJ and Ash give each other high fives. Alpo: ...and Mikey Ishida... Mikey: Yeah! Scott looks relieved when he didn't hear his name called, as he excuses himself. He went to call Tracey, but suddenly, a bright glowing shape appeared on his chest. It looked like a symbol of some sort... (It's the symbol from Matt's Crest of Friendship from Digimon...) but when it disappeared, he ignored it, and went to make the call. Greg: Hey, what's the next level? Ash: I dunno. Alpo: Well, I was about to get to that. Mikey: Come on, spit it out! DJ: Let's get this over with. Sean: Well? Alpo: You're all off to the Oranges for a week. Sean: Sweet. DJ: Which island? Alpo: A secret one... owned by the network. Everyone begins to murmur excitedly. Alpo: Well, on Monday, we move out...the pay phone's over there if you need it, and for those of you eliminated, the 11:30 train to Viridian is tomorrow for you. With Ash as our only cast member still in the hunt for the final 5, will he make it? Or will he fall flat and bite the dust, like Scott and Richie? To be continued...