035. Episode Inspiration: Air Time!

This is the sixty-first submission for my attempt at looneytunerian's Pokeshipping 100 Theme Challenge.

35. Episode Inspiration: Air Time!

“I’m… completely re-laxed, professor,” Ash said through almost gritted teeth. The look on his face – not to mention the continuous shiver throughout his body – showed anything but that, though. It was completely obvious to Misty that her friend had little to no confidence in himself, and she knew Brock could see it as well. In fact, the only beings here that weren’t any of the wiser were their pokémon themselves. (Pikachu nodded excitedly at Ash while Togepi squirmed with joy in Misty’s arms.) 

What should she say? What could she say? Nothing seemed to come to mind that she knew would wash away Ash’s anxiety. He wasn’t one that easily got over his emotions once they got started, that she knew. Maybe the smaller stuff, sure, but this was big. This was his entire hometown and several places in and out of Kanto hearing him publicly speak for the first time. He was very well being counted upon by his mother, neighbors, and Professor Oak to represent Pallet to the whole world! That’s just too much pressure! Maybe if Gary was also on a journey through Johto, collecting badges and earning a name throughout the region, it might not hurt Pallet Town’s reputation so much if Ash flubbed up his interview after Gary’s. However, Gary wasn’t on a journey. He found his calling. He didn’t really need to travel anymore, at least not for the gyms and leagues. So, Misty knew that there was no failsafe for Ash. No one who could clean up after him or give him some leverage. There was just her, Brock, and all their pokémon. And all she could hope for was that would be enough.

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So what if the interview didn’t run as smoothly as they’d all hoped? So what if possibly hundreds if not thousands heard him make that first step fumble? So what if there were people out there who didn’t think much of Pallet Town? More than likely, they’d never heard of the place nor cared much about it before Ash spoke live on the radio. So, it didn’t really matter. What did matter was the fact that his interview went a lot better than what was initially dreaded. It not only spoke volumes of not just Ash’s ability to focus but also Mary’s ability to keep her radio sessions on track. (Then again, it should have come to no surprise since Mary was a seasoned professional.) 

That’s why Misty hoped he caught her genuine tone when she said, “I think you were great.” As for why she sounded so sappy, at least to her own ears? No reason. In fact, she felt completely embarrassed that her words came out like that. Like some lovesick puppy? No thank you. Here’s hoping a certain Ketchum boy didn’t catch that tone in her voice, though. She’d never live it down otherwise.

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This was going to be even more nerve-wracking than the interview, Ash thought. You see, the fortunate thing with the interview was the fact that it was only a couple minutes long and he had to speak with his own words. So, there was no façade he had to put on. No character he had to take in order to get through his brief talk with Mary. It was all pure, unfiltered Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. That was easy, aside from the short panic attack right at the beginning. It was especially easy when you compare it to reading the full act of a radio drama live to audience of possibly thousands of people. Who were those jerks that decided to ruin the tape records?! Because of them, Ash had to take on an even more emotionally harrowing trip through showbiz! This wasn’t his expertise nor was it even on his career map, if you wanted to call it that! And yet, here he was in the recording booth with his friends, DJ Mary, and the Dugtrio Trio about to perform a chapter from some fantasy story taking place in the Middle Ages or something. Well, here’s hoping he didn’t screw up this stint. 

“Alright, so, before we actually go live with the performance, the producer says we can actually do a cold read,” said Mary as she entered the large recording booth. She was going over the script with everyone when it was first handed over until the producer – the flamboyant man who invited Ash and his friends to the radio show – had called her outside to talk for a second. “He also wanted me to give you all brief descriptions of your characters so that you’ll have a better understanding of the drama and everything. I was going to do that, anyway, but he’s my boss, so… Any questions?” She looked around at the group with an expectant look and her hands placed firmly on her hips. 

“Being used to the limelight, I can assure you that Te- uhh the Dugtrio Trio doesn’t have any questions,” said the female member of the comedy troupe. Ash and his friends had introduced themselves to both performers but for some reason they couldn’t recall the others’ names… if the two had even given their names. 

“Oh but I do,” Misty said with a raise of her hand. 

“Yes, Misty?” replied Mary. 

“What exactly is a ‘cold read’?” she asked with a cute tilt of her head. 

“It’s kinda like a rehearsal where we can gage everyone’s performances and see if there’s anything we need to tweak before going on for real. Sometimes a cold read can go through a whole act but since we’re on very limited time, we’ll only have a few minutes to go for maybe a scene or a half.” Almost out of nowhere, Mary gave the kids a thumbs up with a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you guys do just fine. You can count on me!” 

This made Ash and his friends smile with relief. “Thanks, Mary,” they all said in unison. 

She giggled in response, feeling mostly confident in herself but with a nagging underside of anxiety. “Okay, so, let’s go over descriptions first.” She turned to Ash as she looked down at her description list. “Ash, you’ll be playing Prince Goldenrod, a fine and upstanding young man who has been on many travels with his friends and trusty pokémon. He has a regal air to him despite his clothes passing him off more as a well-to-do peasant. We basically have the idea that he’s dressed up kinda like Robin Hood with a tunic, hat, tights, the whole enchilada.” Ash nodded, feeling a bit thrilled at playing someone who sounded pretty cool. 

“Brock,” Mary said, calling the older boy’s attention, “you will be playing Friar Silex, a young man of the cloth who decides to follow Prince Goldenrod during his travels so as to broaden his horizons and help more of those in need. He can be quite stoic but is always generous and lawful to those in unfortunate situations. His outfit is more or less what you think a friar would wear with a long hooded robe and stuff.” Brock nodded as well before taking up the script and skimming over it for his lines. 

Smiling to mostly herself, Mary turned to Misty before saying, “Next is Misty. Your role is that of Mistina the Warrior. A proud, courageous, justice-seeking young woman who knows her way in a fight.” 

Just with Mary’s first sentence alone Ash could imagine Misty’s character crystal clear. He fought the reflex to shut his eyes and just held the script close to his face, using it as a median point so he could better imagine this Mistina… and wonder who the writer was for this drama to have a character with so similar a name to his own friend’s. 

“When Prince Goldenrod first encountered her, it was during a harrowing battle against a horde of outlaws and their pokémon. Things were looking dark for our hero when out of nowhere, a flash of red struck through the mob! It ran left and right and all around these bandits, taking them out one by one with ease, and it wasn’t until every last one of them were felled that Prince Goldenrod finally got a good look at his savior. And that savior was Mistina. She wears mostly red metal-plated armor with a bit of frill to the skirt, boots that go thigh high, and a puffed sleeve that sits opposite to a large shoulder plate piece.” Unbeknownst to Ash, as he was still heavily fixated on his copy of the script, Mary had actually done a bit of movement while going through her description reading. It seemed someone had a favorite character, a couple of the others mused internally. 

What no one else realized, though, was that Mary wasn’t the only Mistina fan in the room. Now, he might deny it but if anyone else were to take a quick look through Ash’s thoughts, they’d undoubtedly say that he was quite interested in the character. In fact, some would say he was infatuated with the character. Whether or not that had anything to do with the performer herself? That was all up for Ash to decide. For now, however, he was quite alright with living in his ignorant bliss and imagining a cool and feisty young woman with short red hair. And what a bliss so ignorant, really, that he didn’t even hear Mary’s descriptions for the Dugtrio Trio nor the initial setup for the cold read. It was only when he had Brock’s hand on his shoulder to jostle him that he broke from his reverie and back to the anxiety-ridden reality of performing live for an audience. Although with the daydreams of Mistina the Warrior, it made it just a little bit more bearable.

And so I'm back! (From outer space~) Did you miss me? Just to let you guys know, I'm better and dealing well with my loss. I have moments where I miss my father, especially around dinner time (because 'family meals' and all that), but I've been able to persevere through it and have gotten the ball rolling again. So, here you go~ 

More themes-turned-drabbles! (I gotta come up with a better name for it than this, seriously.) And while this episode was much more fun and creative, there was still a major lacking in the Pokeshipping-ness. ^_^;; But you can't say I'm not trying with these, right? I know I can definitely feel it in my brain. (Major brain strain? ;P)

And now, I shall leave you with this post in hope that one day I shall be able to actually look upon my own writing without immense shame. Because so far, I can't even make myself to even skim the paragraphs. ^____^;;;; Maybe one day I'll also get a beta?

Art & Writing © Yours Truly, Hakui-Kitsune
Ash Ketchum, Misty, Brock, Jessie, James, Pikachu, Meowth, Togepi, & DJ Mary © Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Gamefreak Inc., OLM Inc., The Pokemon Company (& International), & Pokemon USA
Pokeshipping 100 Theme Challenge © looneytunerian