Talent Showdown Read online

  “You’re forgetting one thing,” Meowth said. “You need a Pokémon in your talent show act. Those are the rules.”

  Jessie’s face clouded. “That’s right,” she said. “I wonder which Pokémon to choose?”

  Meowth cleared its throat. It danced a little tap dance. It did a back flip. Then it landed in a split.

  “I’ve got it!” Jessie said.

  “Yes?” Meowth asked hopefully.

  Jessie took out a Poké Ball. She threw the ball, and a large, pink Pokémon popped out.

  “Lickitung can accompany me on the piano,” Jessie said. “Right, Lickitung?”

  Lickitung unrolled its long, sticky tongue. It flopped its tongue onto a piano in the store. It licked the keys, plunking out a strange tune.

  “Just perfect!” Jessie said, beaming.

  But Meowth looked upset. So did James.

  “How come we don’t get to be in the talent show?” Meowth and James moaned together.

  “Seeeeel,” came the answer in a deep voice.

  Jessie, James, and Meowth spun around. The Water-type Pokémon was glaring at them. It didn’t look dazed anymore.

  “What’s the deal with that Seel?” James asked. Then he smiled. “Hey, I made another rhyme.”

  Jessie bopped him on the head again. “Rhyme time’s over, James. It looks like the Seel has woken up from the flute’s spell.”

  “Seeeel,” the Pokémon replied angrily.

  James took a Poké Ball from his pocket.

  “No problem,” he said. “I’ll just seal that Seel inside this ball.”

  James tossed the Poké Ball at the Seel.

  Seel butted the ball away with its head.

  “This isn’t going to be so easy,” Meowth said.

  Seel slid across the floor toward James.

  “Nice Seel,” James said nervously. “Good Seel.”

  Seel lowered its head and picked up James. Then it began to spin James around on its nose, as if James were a giant ball.

  “Do something!” James yelled as he spun around and around.

  Meowth sprang into attack position. But before it could lunge, Seel tossed James into the air.

  James flew across the room and crashed through the front door.

  “Seel!” The Water-type Pokémon sped through the open door and down the street.

  “It’s getting away!” Meowth cried. It started to chase after the Water-type Pokémon.

  Jessie stopped Meowth.

  “Let it go,” Jessie said. “We were just testing out the flute today, anyway. Tomorrow night, that Seel will be ours.”

  “You’re right Jess,” James said. “And so will all the other Pokémon in town!”

  At the end of the day, Ash and his friends found a campsite in the town park. As the sun set, they set up their sleeping bags. Misty built a campfire, and Brock cooked dinner.

  Pikachu and Togepi played hide-and-seek in the sleeping bags.

  Ash sat cross-legged in front of the fire, deep in thought. He had to come up with an act for the talent competition!

  “Maybe I can sing,” Ash said. He cleared his throat. “The Poké Trainer went to town, riding on a Ponyta. He stuck a Gym Badge in his cap and called it —”

  “Pikaaaa!” Pikachu cried. Pikachu and Togepi were holding their ears and frowning.

  “Ash, stop making that terrible racket!” Misty said.

  Ash sighed. “It wasn’t that bad, was it?” he asked.

  Pikachu and Togepi nodded their heads.

  Brock set a plate of food in front of Ash. “Cheer up, Ash,” Brock said. “You’ve won lots of contests. You’ve earned lots of badges. Why is this one so important?”

  Ash lowered his eyes. “I want to beat Gary,” Ash muttered. “He’s never going to let me forget this if he wins.”

  Brock shook his head. “Gary only wins if you let him bother you,” he pointed out. “If you ignore him, then you’re the winner.”

  Ash didn’t look convinced.

  “Still,” Misty said. “Gary is pretty annoying.”

  “You can say that again,” Ash agreed.

  The friends dug into their delicious supper. Pikachu and Togepi ate special Pokémon food that Brock had prepared for them.

  When they were finished, Brock cleared the plates. “I’ll do the dishes,” he volunteered.

  “Squirtle can help,” Ash said. He released Squirtle from its Poké Ball. “Squirtle, help Brock with the dishes!”

  “Squirtle!” said the Water-type Pokémon.

  Squirtle filled a basin with water. Brock washed the dishes in the basin, and Squirtle rinsed them off with sprays of water.

  Ash decided not to worry about the contest. He played hide-and-seek with Pikachu and Togepi instead.

  Ash was hiding in a sleeping bag when a beautiful melody filled the air.

  “Hey, Geodude, don’t try so hard. Take that rock pile, and lift it higher …”

  Ash poked his head out of the sleeping bag. It was Brock, singing a song!

  Misty heard it, too.

  “Wow, Brock,” Misty said. “You have a great singing voice. I never noticed it before.”

  Brock blushed. “I always like to sing when I work,” he said.

  Ash jumped to his feet. “That’s it!” Ash said. “Brock, you can enter the talent competition!”

  Brock looked unsure. “I don’t know, Ash,” Brock said. “I’ve never sung in front of people before.”

  “You’ll be great!” Ash said.

  “Don’t forget,” Brock said. “I need Pokémon in the act, too.”

  Now Misty looked excited. “Brock, I think Ash is on to something. We can all help. It will be fun!”

  “What do you mean?” Brock asked.

  “I used to perform with my sisters at the Cerulean City Gym, remember?” Misty pointed out. “We had to swim, make the music, design the costumes, do everything ourselves. I think I can put together an act for us.”

  “What do you say, Brock?” Ash asked. “We can all be in this competition together.”

  Brock hesitated. “All right,” he finally said. “I’ll give it a try.”

  “Great!” said Misty. “Watch Togepi. I’ll be right back.”

  Misty sped off down the street. Ash and Brock finished cleaning up the campsite.

  Almost a half hour later, Misty came back to the park. A guitar was slung over her shoulder. In her arms she carried a pair of cymbals, a set of bongo drums, and a pole with silver chimes attached.

  “Where’d you get this stuff?” Ash asked.

  “I rented it from a music store I noticed down the street,” Misty said. “The owners were kind of weird, though.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I think I got what we need.”

  She set up the chimes so that the pole stood on two legs in the ground. She handed the cymbals to Ash.

  “Brock, call on Geodude,” Misty said.

  “Sure,” Brock said. He opened Geodude’s Poké Ball.

  Geodude looked like a big, round, rock with two strong, muscular arms.

  “Geodude!” it said in a deep voice.

  Then Misty threw a Poké Ball. A Water-type Pokémon that looked like a blue-green seahorse popped out.

  “Horsea!” said the Pokémon.

  “Okay,” Misty said. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll play guitar. Brock will sing. Geodude can bang out the beat on the drums. Pikachu and Togepi can dance. And Horsea will play the chimes.”

  “How does it do that?” Brock asked.

  “Just watch,” Misty said.

  Horsea shot quick streams of water out of its snout. The streams hit the chimes one by one, making them ring. It played a short and pretty tune.

  “Cool!” Ash said. He looked at his cymbals. “What do I do with these?”

  Misty avoided his eyes. “Uh, you bang them when the song is over.”

  “That’s it?” Ash asked.

  “Yeah,” Misty said. “But it’s a very important job. You’re like the grand finale.” />
  Ash brightened. “Yeah, you’re right. Just as long as I’m in the act that’s going to beat Gary!”

  “We won’t beat Gary unless we rehearse,” Misty said.

  “Right!” Brock said. “So what song should we do?”

  “Well, it’s a Pokémon competition,” Ash said. “Why don’t we do the Pokémon Trainers’ song?”

  “Great idea!” Misty said. “Geodude, hit it!”

  Geodude bounced up and down, setting the beat.

  Brock started to sing.

  “I want to be the very best,

  like no one ever was …”

  Misty closed her eyes as she played the guitar.

  Geodude drummed to the beat.

  Horsea shot water at the chimes.

  Pikachu and Togepi danced to the music.

  Ash waited for the last line to play his part.

  “Gotta catch ’em all, Pokémon!”

  Bang! Ash crashed the cymbals.

  “That was great!” Misty said. “We just might beat Gary after all.”

  Misty and Brock put Horsea and Geodude back inside their Poké Balls.

  “Get some rest,” Misty told them. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow!”

  Ash couldn’t wait until the talent show!

  Suddenly, another melody filled the night air.

  A strange melody.

  “What’s that?” Ash asked.

  Misty and Brock listened.

  “It sounds like a Poké Flute,” Brock said. “But I’ve never heard anything exactly like it before.”

  Ash turned to Pikachu. “What do you think, Pika — ”

  Ash gasped.

  Pikachu and Togepi were walking out of the campsite, toward the sound of the music.

  Ash dove after them.

  “Where are you two going?” he asked, grabbing them both in his arms.

  Misty quickly snatched Togepi and put the baby Pokémon safely inside her backpack.

  But Pikachu struggled to get out of Ash’s arms. It ran toward the music again.

  “Pikachu!” Ash cried. “Come back!”

  “Bulbasaur, I choose you!” Ash yelled. He threw a Poké Ball, and a Pokémon that resembled a small dinosaur appeared.

  “Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to get Pikachu!” Ash cried.

  “Bulba — saur!”

  The green plant bulb on Bulbasaur’s back opened up, and two long vines shot out. They reached out and wrapped around Pikachu.

  “Way to go, Bulbasaur!” Ash said. “Now bring Pikachu back to me.”

  But Bulbasaur didn’t obey. Instead, it slowly lowered Pikachu to the ground. Then Bulbasaur and Pikachu both walked toward the sound of the music.

  Ash ran after them.

  “Ash, I think the flute music has them under some kind of spell,” Brock said, running behind him. “We need to make the sound stop somehow.”

  Ash stopped. “I think I know what to do,” he said. He started singing as loud as he could. “The Poké Trainer went to town, riding on his Ponyta …”

  Ash’s off-key voice drowned out the sound of the flute.

  Bulbasaur moaned. Pikachu held its ears. Then they both turned around and smiled at Ash.

  Ash stopped singing. The night was quiet. The flute music had stopped, too.

  “Pika!” Pikachu jumped into Ash’s arms. “Pika, pika, chu.”

  “Bulbasaur,” added Bulbasaur.

  “I know you didn’t mean to run away,” Ash told his Pokémon. “That flute music had something to do with it.”

  Misty caught up with them.

  “Ash, didn’t Sally say that she heard some strange music when her Seel disappeared?” Misty asked.

  “That’s right!” Ash said.

  Brock looked thoughtful. “A flute that can lure Pokémon away from its Trainers,” he said. “That could be dangerous in the wrong hands.”

  Ash nodded. “You’re right. But nobody got our Pokémon. Right, Pikachu?”

  “Pika!” Pikachu said happily.

  “Let’s get some rest,” Misty suggested. “Maybe we can figure this out in the morning.”

  “Good idea,” Ash said yawning.

  Outside the park, Team Rocket was fuming.

  “When that meddling Misty came into our store, I couldn’t believe our luck,” Jessie said.

  “We should have had Pikachu all to ourselves by now,” James complained.

  Meowth held its paws over its ears.

  “I can still hear that terrible singing,” Meowth said. “I’ve heard alley cats make better music.”

  “That annoying amateur, Ash, will be singing a different tune tomorrow,” Jessie said. “We’ll get Pikachu, and all of the Pokémon in the talent show.”

  “Of course!” James said. “But what if Ash and his friends try to spoil our fun?”

  Jessie grinned. “We’ll take care of them,” she said. “I have a plan.”

  The next morning, Ash and his friends headed for the rehearsal hall. Inside, Pokémon and their Trainers sat quietly in folding chairs.

  Sally waved them over. Her Seel sat next to her.

  “Hey Ash,” Sally said. “I found my Seel. It came back to me last night.”

  “That’s great!” Ash said. “Now you can be in the contest.”

  Gary and his cheerleaders approached them. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “This is dress rehearsal. Performers only.”

  “We are performing,” Ash said. “And you won’t believe our act.”

  “That’s right,” Misty said. “I’m going to sign us up right now.”

  Misty walked over to the registration table.

  “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Gary sneered. He turned around and went back to his seat.

  A man in a tuxedo spoke into a microphone onstage. “I’m glad to see everyone here,” he said. “I’m Mr. Sullivan, the emcee and manager of this talent show. Now it’s time for our next act to rehearse: Dan and his Dynamic Duo.”

  A boy Ash’s age stepped onstage and sat behind a piano. Two Pokémon followed him: a Pikachu, and an orange-red Charmander. The little Fire-type Pokémon looked like a lizard with a flame on the end of its tail.

  Both of the Pokémon wore bow ties. They gathered around a Pokémon-sized microphone.

  Dan played a song on the piano. The Charmander and Pikachu sang along.

  “Char char char.”

  “Pika pika pika.”

  Ash’s Pikachu hopped up and down in its seat. When the song was over, Pikachu smiled and applauded.

  “Pikachu!” it told Ash.

  “You’re right, Pikachu,” Ash said. “That act will be hard to beat!”

  The emcee came back onstage.

  “Let’s get Brock’s Rockin’ Band up here now,” he said.

  Brock turned to Misty. “Did you come up with that name?” He looked nervous.

  “Don’t worry, Brock,” Misty said. “We’re going to be great!”

  Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu climbed onstage. Misty and Brock released Geodude and Horsea. Misty set up the chimes. Ash grabbed the cymbals. Pikachu and Togepi stood next to Brock, ready to dance.

  “Hit it, Geodude!” Misty said.

  Bam! Bam! Bam! Geodude banged out the beat.

  Ash waited for Brock to start the song.

  Brock opened his mouth.

  Nothing came out.

  “Brock, what’s wrong?” Ash asked in a harsh whisper.

  “I — I can’t do it,” Brock said.

  “You call this an act?” Gary shouted out from the audience.

  Ash tried not to panic. He had to think of a way to help Brock.

  “I’ve got it!” Ash cried. He ran out into the audience, up to a girl wearing a top hat.

  “Can I borrow this for a few minutes?” Ash asked.

  “Sure,” the girl replied.

  The audience started to mutter and whisper.

  Ash ignored them. He got Horsea to fill the hat with water. Then he took some dishes from his backpa
ck and put them in the water.

  “Here you go, Brock,” Ash said, putting the hat in front of his friend. “Just like home.”

  Puzzled, Brock stared at the dishes. Then he broke into a smile.

  “Thanks, Ash,” Brock said. “Let’s do it!”

  Geodude banged out the beat again.

  Brock washed the dishes. Then he started to sing, just like he always did when he was doing housework.

  “I want to be the very best …”

  The audience went wild. They clapped and cheered throughout the whole song. Pokémon danced in the aisles.

  “Gotta catch ’em all! Pokémon!”

  Ash slammed the cymbals together. The audience burst into applause. Ash scanned the crowd, hoping to see the look on Gary’s face. But his rival was nowhere in sight.

  Some of the girls in the audience called out to Brock.

  “Can I have your autograph?”

  “You are the best singer!”

  Brock blushed and smiled.

  Ash couldn’t believe it. This was better than he’d hoped for!

  Creak!

  Ash looked up at the sound of the noise.

  A heavy stage light hung on the ceiling, right above Brock.

  One of the screws had come loose.

  The heavy light swung dangerously above Brock’s head.

  “Brock, watch out!” Ash cried.

  Brock couldn’t hear Ash. Too many girls were trying to get his attention.

  Misty saw the danger, too. She ran toward Brock.

  “Togi! Togi!” Togepi called after its Trainer.

  Creak! The heavy light swung back and forth.

  Ash pulled a Poké Ball from his belt. Maybe Pidgeot, his Normal- and Flying-type Pokémon, could create a wind gust and blow Brock out of the way.

  Ash threw Pidgeot’s Poké Ball into the air.

  At the same time, the light came loose. It plummeted to the stage.

  “Noooooo!” Ash yelled, horrified.

  Togepi moved its little arms back and forth.

  Misty was right behind Brock, trying to push him out of the way.

  Suddenly, Brock and Misty disappeared!

  The light crashed to the stage, landing right where Brock and Misty had been standing.

  Ash scanned the hall. Brock and Misty reappeared across the room, safe. They ran up to the stage. Misty quickly picked up Togepi.