POKEMON THE MOVIE 2003: TOMORROW CAME Based on the short story "Reunions and Resolutions" by Jaelle and Orla And the "Pokemon" computer games created by Nintendo Written by Tyler Durden Final draft, 9th April 2003 (Hi. I'm the writer of this script and I'm now including these notes on the reasons why I wrote what I wrote in the way I wrote it for you to see what was going on in my head. This will hopefully explain a few things about what I've written and I hope you find it interesting. There are two drafts of this script but the first one I published on the Internet was a rewrite so this is really the third version.) FADE IN: 1. EXT. KANTO, JOHOTO, THE ORANGE ISLANDS AND HOENN. NIGHT. We see a group of islands from above. Three of which stick out because they are much large than the others. Small towns and large cities cover it. Artificial lights light these up. We move closer towards one of the islands: KANTO. (I wanted this to be a more adult version of a Pokemon film. Critics hate the childishness of the other official Pokemon films so I wanted to see if I could still keep Pokemon enjoyable for fans but also for non-fans. I wanted to tell those adults who'd paid no attention to what was happening in the other Pokemon movies that Pokemon live on a group of islands and so I started off with a view of these islands to establish them. Most of the scenes in the script take place at night because I think it fits the film's more grown-up, darker atmosphere. Also I though it would look stunning if it was ever actually filmed to see Kanto at night lit up by the electric lights of the towns and cities in it.) 2. EXT. KANTO. NIGHT. We are now closer to one of the islands. Same view as before. We can see more details of the cities. We move towards the west side of the island. A message comes on screen saying "The island of Kanto" 3. INT. CERULEAN CITY. NIGHT. It's a large city, lit up by street lambs and the lights in people's windows. We move across it from a view of its side. A message appears on the screen saying: "Cerulean City, 9:13 pm, 16th March 2053" (One theory of why Pokemon don't exist now but they do exist in the Pokemon TV series is that its set in the near future so I picked a date I thought was in a future far enough away to be plausible but still within a time that seemed tangible and so that's why its set in 2053) The message has faded from the screen. We move towards one building in the center of the city: This is the Cerulean Gym. A message comes up on the screen saying: "The Cerulean Gym" We get very close to the bottom of the front wall of the Gym and then move upwards towards the top floor. We move towards the window and go through it. 4. INT. MISTY'S BEDROOM. THE CERULEAN GYM. We move around the room at eye level to someone sitting down. It's a typical teenage girl's bedroom. There is a girl in her late teens sitting in a chair. This is MISTY. We move towards her and focus on her face. She faces camera. During the rest of the scene we see her face. She continues to face camera. MISTY: You'd better not ignore what I say and you'd better pay attention because this thing has gotten very complicated and if you want to hear it you need to know how it started. I'll put this as simply as I can ok? It started one year ago. All right so I was, still am I guess, a Pokemon Trainer and I met another Pokemon Trainer, Ash about ten years ago. We became friends and continued on our Pokemon journey together but I got tired of it and so I went back to the Pokemon Gym I used to run which I temporality gave to my sisters to look after. Ash continued on his journey but we continued to write regular letters to each other. Have you got that? Right now I was also sent letters by most of my friends. Basically everyone I knew, including Ash's mom, had found a new man or woman in his or her life. Get what I'm saying? Unfortunately that included my sister Daisy, and her guy, boyfriend, whatever, is, was called Fletcher and he's a real creep. Not only is he, was, I think I'll stick with is. Anyway not only is he nasty to me and everyone else he ever meets but he's also nasty to Daisy. I don't know what she sees, saw, in him. Probably his looks. He gets angry in public places and starts shouting at totally strangers and he thinks he's god or something. I got a letter from Ash one day saying he's finished his journey. He's caught all known species of Pokemon and he's coming to Pallet Town, which is his hometown and which he will have to pass Cerulean City to get to so I figured he could come and I don't know...share my pain or something. Unfortunately Daisy decides to marry Fletcher before Ash turns up and I'm, as you might imagine, pretty annoyed. Well that's just about it for the background. The stage is set. You got that so far? Because its about to get a lot more complicated. (This was based on a fan fic by Jaelle and Orla which was so good it inspired me to write this and the first chapter is basically made up of letters from Ash to Misty and Misty to Ash but there would be no way to show the letters on screen long enough for people to read them without making it boring. So I decided that we should have Misty narrate the story.) CREDIT SEQUENCE: 5. EXT. A TRAIN. NIGHT. We see a side view of a moving train passing through the countryside of Kanto as the credits roll. We hear a radio somewhere inside the train playing "Leaving Las Vegas" performed by Sheryl Crow. This song will probably have to be cut down to fit the length of the scene since its five minutes and ten seconds long. (Apart from being a great song I think, "Leaving Las Vegas" is very appropriate to use here even though its unlikely Ash is actually leaving Las Vegas. The song is about someone who leaves a place for good and Ash is leaving his life as a Pokemon Trainer for good.) 6. INT. THE TRAIN. ASH'S COMPARTMENT. NIGHT. A very tall and heavily built man in his late teens is lying in a bed in a first class compartment of the train. This is ASH. His eyes are open and its clear he's doing too much thinking to go to sleep. A rucksack with his pikachu, called PIKACHU, sleeping on its top is on the floor. The credits continue to roll. The music continues. ASH gets out of bed and leaves the compartment. (In the fan fic a lot of fuss is made over Ash being a lot taller and stronger a few years after the TV series finished and although I cut that down a lot I still had to have Ash as a tall, powerful guy. From the very first version of the script I had his first appearance down perfectly. He's been on his own for a long time, thinking too much I expect, so I thought he would probably be awake all night thinking instead of sleeping.) 7. INT. THE TRAIN. A CARRIAGE. NIGHT. It's the carriage of the train with ASH's compartment in it. We hear the music louder now. It's coming from the compartment two doors away from ASH. He closes his eyes. 8. EXT. LAS VEGAS. NIGHT. ASH IMAGING. We see a Las Vegas street lit up by gaudy neon. ASH imagines himself in Sherly Crow's place doing the things she describes in the song. This continues for a short while. (We are showing Ash's thoughts here because I don't think any other film I've seen has told you what a character is thinking so directly so I wanted to be the first to do that.) 9. INT. THE TRAIN. A CARRIAGE. NIGHT. ASH opens his eyes. He walks to that compartment and knocks on its door. A man opens it. The music is even louder. Flashes of ASH on the Las Vegas street appear that last for a few seconds as he move into a close up of ASH's face. After a few beats they stop and we zoom out. ASH: Would you please turn that down? MAN: This music? I like it. Fuck off. People are trying to sleep. ASH: Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Turn it down now or I'll hit you somewhere it will hurt I promise. MAN: Hey buddy... ASH hits him in the promised place and goes into the compartment. (I didn't want Ash to be a traditional hero. I wanted people to sympathise with him but he's just a very lonely man basically so I thought I'd have him do unpleasant things some times. That's why I had him hit this guy who was playing music too load. I know I've often wanted to do that. Just to emphasise this I had Fletcher, who is meant to be the bad guy, do almost exactly the same thing later. Hopefully you might wonder what the differences between Fletcher and Ash are.) 10. INT. A COMPARTMENT. THE TRAIN. NIGHT. It's like ASH's compartment. There's a radio on a desk. Ash turns the volume down. He walks out. 11. INT. THE CARRIAGE. NIGHT. Ash stands facing the MAN long enough to say his next line then walks back into his compartment. The music is much quitter. ASH: That's better. Thanks for your co-operation. 12. INT. ASH'S COMPARTMENT. ETC. Ash walks in and lies down again. You can no longer hear the music. He tries to get to back to sleep but he still can't. (Its not the music stopping him from sleeping, its his mind.) 13. INT. CERULEAN CITY RAILWAY STATION. NIGHT. The music and credits go on. We see the train pull in to a platform that contains a number of people suitable for the night time setting. ASH gets off the train carrying the rucksack on his back and PIKACHU on his shoulder. He walks along the platform. END OF CREDIT SEQUENCE. 14. INT. A VERY LARGE ROOM. THE CERULEAN GYM. NIGHT. It's clear that a party is going on here. We hear the song "Let's Stay Together" performed by Al Green on a sound system in the room. Waiters, who have been hired for the occasion, walk around serving people. We focus on MISTY and a handsome man about MISTY's age, BEN. They are watching FLETCHER, a big punk- rocker kind of guy, talking to DAISY, MISTY's older sister. She is about twenty. BEN is clearly a friend of MISTY's but its never gotten beyond that. ("Let's Stay Together" is also a good song to use here firstly because Misty thinks her sister and Fletcher won't stay together because of how nasty he is. Secondly I think she wishes she had stayed with Ash on his Pokemon Journey.) BEN: It's not fair is it? How can your sister fall for a git like that? MISTY: Because she's stupid? BEN: Yep, that'll be it. MISTY: Why do you care anyway? BEN: I'm just putting your thoughts into words, that's all. MISTY: Well please don't. I'm perfectly capable of putting my thoughts into words on my own. BEN: I'd say sorry but you're not really mad at me are ya? MISTY: No. I'm mad at Fletcher and my stupid sister. BEN: I knew it. MISTY'S P.O.V. A waiter is walking towards FLETCHER. By accident the WAITER, who is carrying a tray of drinks, knocks into him and the drinks spill on FLETCHER's clothes. (In the fan fic its very clear that Fletcher is unpleasant but I really couldn't show it very well on screen assuming this was made into a film. That's why Fletcher is so unfair to this waiter. I made him as annoying as possible here. P.O.V. is Point of View.) FLETCHER: What the fuck do you think you're doing? WAITER (In an upper class accent) I apologise sir. FLETCHER (Imitating the WAITER's accent) Oh you apologise. Oh I see. Well then I apologise to my good man. (Normal voice) Now fuck off back to waiter's school or wherever you were trained because you need a brush up on the fundamentals believe me. WAITER: With all true respect sir you knocked into me. FLETCHER: Why you... We focus back onto MISTY. MISTY: This Gym's reputation is already going down hill but with him here... (I didn't really have enough room in the script to include all of my ideas and all the ones in the fic and one idea that didn't go off very well, due partly to length, is that Fletcher is ruining the Gym because of how he's running it through putting pressure on Daisy to do things his way. Still I think I managed to get it in there just about.) BEN: I know. It's unfair but life isn't fair is it? MISTY: That's just what people who don't try hard enough to get what they want say. BEN: Well what exactly can you do to get what you want? Nothing as far as I can see. Well they'll be gone on they're honeymoon tomorrow so I guess that'll give you some time away from them anyway. MISTY: Oh they'll start their honeymoon before tomorrow if I'm right. Know what I mean? Anyway I've already done something. BEN: What? MISTY: Just made a quick phone call that's all. To a certain train a certain person is coming here on. BEN: Its Ash isn't it? You know you really seem to be obsessed with him. When are you going to tell him? MISTY: Tell him what? BEN: You already know what and if you don't you'll work it out. MISTY: I don't know so why don't you tell me. BEN: You do know, you just don't know you know. MISTY: What's that supposed to mean? BEN: Here comes trouble. DAISY is walking towards them. MISTY: Let's finish this outside shall we? BEN: Good idea. Just as the song finishes, they leave. This scene will have to be carefully timed so the song plays during this entire scene from the start to the end once. 15. INT. A CORRIDOR. THE CERULEAN GYM. NIGHT. MISTY and BEN come into the corridor and stand still facing each other. MISTY: I know what the thing you were talking about my saying was and I want you to know... She turns as the door opens and DAISY comes in. DAISY: Why do you feel you need to have meetings behind closed doors on my wedding day. BEN: Oh I'm sorry. We were just talking about... DAISY: I know what your talking about or at least what Misty is trying to talk about even if your not but just because she can't stand that I've found a good man and she hasn't... MISTY: Even if you had found a "Good" man, which, believe me you haven't, I'm only not going out with anyone because I want to. Not because no one would go out with me. (Misty is in love with Ash so she's been "Holding a torch" for him all this time.) FLETCHER: Don't worry about her Daisy. She's just jealous. They all turn to see FLETCHER standing in the doorway. MISTY: If you mean I'm jealous of you marrying my sister then your more insane than I thought. FLETCHER: No. I mean you're jealous of your sister getting to marry me. MISTY: I... BEN: Come on Misty. Lets get out of here. FLETCHER: Afraid are you? Afraid of a fight with me? MISTY looks like she's about to grab him by the throat and strangle him. BEN: Come on Misty. This dick's not worth it. Lets get out of here. He begins to walk away from FLETCHER and the room the reception is being held in. Reluctantly MISTY follows. DAISY: (Sarcastic) Well thanks for sticking up for me Fletcher. Boy am I glad I married you. FLETCHER looks furiously at her. (We begin to see more and more as things progress that Fletcher is being as bad to Daisy as he is to everyone else. She is trapped in the relationship however and feels she can't get out.) Another one of MISTY's sisters, VIOLET, comes into the corridor. VIOLET: Hey Daisy the party guests are missing their hostess. DAISY: Sorry. Come on Fletcher. FLETCHER: (Sarcastic) Sorry sir. I'm coming right away oh boss of mine. DAISY: Shut up. FLETCHER, VIOLET and DAISY leave. 16. THE WEDDING RECEPTION ROOM. NIGHT. Same as before. We see MISTY's final sister, LILY, waited by the door for MISTY, DAISY, VIOLET and FLETCHER who now come in. LILY: (To DAISY and FLETCHER) Ah. There you are. Its time to cut the cake. FLETCHER: Great. FLETCHER and DAISY walk off. (In the first draft we didn't get to see a lot of Misty's sisters but I wasn't really happy with that because they are in the fic a lot so I added a few more scenes with them in.) FADE OUT. FADE IN. 17. INT. THE CERULEAN GYM. THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY. NIGHT. It's a hallway with several doors leading off from it. ASH is walking down it. He stops at the last door and knocks. As he waits for the doors to open we close up on his face. He is imaging again. We see MISTY as she was during the TV series standing before ASH. She in this version is taller than him. (I stuck very closely to the fan fic for Ash and Misty's meeting. What I'm trying to say with this screenplay is change is bad. That's the basic concept behind it. I thought a good way to show this was to have the TV series versions of the characters suddenly transform into the way they are in the script so it looks like a few years have gone by in seconds. That's the way it would feel to Ash and Misty since they've had no contact between this film and the end of the TV series.) 18. INT. THE CERULEAN GYM. MISTY'S BEDROOM. NIGHT. Misty is in bed reading. A lamp is on. It's the same set-up as before. She hears the door knocking. She is naked. She gets up, puts on a dressing gown hocked to the back of the door and opens it. (Ash being the age he is now I had Misty just in a dressing gown as a temptation to Ash but not so much of a temptation to make you think his attraction to her is just sexual.) 19. INT. THE CERULEAN GYM. THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY. NIGHT. We are facing the door to MISTY's room. The image of the TV series MISTY is standing in front of it. The real MISTY opens the door and we see the TV series version mature into the real one before our eyes and the two merge together till they become one. 20. INT. THE CERULEAN GYM. MISTY'S BEDROOM. NIGHT. First we face ASH in the doorway but it looks like the ASH from the TV series in the prospective MISTY normally has of him since she is used to being taller than him. He matures and becomes the real one in the same way MISTY did. We really see how much bigger he is as an adult. From now on we see her on one side of the door but not ASH on the other side although we know he's there. (I wanted to emphasise the image of his rapid aging by leaving that as the last image of him you see for a while which is why it shows just Misty, who we've seen earlier, for the rest of the scene.) ASH: Hi Misty. You look more beautiful every time I see you. MISTY: Thanks. Jesus Christ Ash, when did you get so tall? ASH: (Sarcastic) It was a slow and steady process, starting from when I was born. How are you? MISTY: I'm fine. So did you just get here? I mean I was in bed when... ASH: Yes. I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't wait to see you. It's been a long time. PIKACHU: Pika Pikachu. MISTY: Sorry. Yes Pikachu I'd like to ask you how you are and talk to you as well as Ash. How are you? PIKACHU: Pikachu Pi Pi Pika Pi Pikachu. MISTY: Glad to hear it. ASH: How are things at the Gym going? MISTY sighs. MISTY: Not too good as you can see. I left my sisters in charge and they've obviously made a mess of it. ASH: Its not that bad. MISTY: I think you're delusional. ASH laughs. ASH: Well it took me a long time and a lot of hard work but I finally got it. We hear him search through his rucksack. We see his hand with a Poke Ball in it. He gives it to her. MISTY: Poke Ball go! She throws it to the ground and it opens to reveal a massive Gyrados that fills up most of her bedroom. ASH: I think you should call it back to the Poke Ball before you thank me. 21. INT. THE LIVING ROOM. THE CERULEAN GYM. NIGHT. It's a typical living room. We can see part of the stairs leading up from it. VIOLET is talking to DAISY. FLETCHER is in the same room listening to their conversation whilst pretending to watch TV. We close up on the TV se for a few beats before moving back to FLETCHER again. It is showing a clip from the movie "Shaft" (the Samuel. L. Jackson version.) FLETCHER closes his eyes. (I wanted to show Fletcher's motivation. He wants to be like Shaft. It seems to me he'd like the modern remake of it better than the original.) 22. A STREET. DAY. It's the scene in "Shaft" shown on the TV. FLETCHER imagines himself as Shaft who is walking along during the credit sequence with the "Theme from Shaft" as background music. 23. INT. THE LIVING ROOM. THE CERULEAN GYM. NIGHT. Same as before. Continuing from when FLETCHER closed his eyes. He opens them. VIOLET: Was that really Ash? DAISY: Yep. Weird hu? VIOLET: Weird doesn't cover it. FLETCHER: Ash Ketchum is up there now? DAISY: Yes. He's with Misty I think. FLETCHER: Thanks. I think I'll have a word with him. DAISY: Fletcher please don't... He gives her a look like he's ready to break her neck. DAISY: (Timid) never mind. FLETCHER goes up the stairs that we can see. 24. INT. MISTY'S BEDROOM. NIGHT. Same set up as before except Gyarados is gone. ASH is now inside the room. The door is open. ASH: So what's this situation with Fletcher? MISTY: The situation is I don't like him for reasons that will become obvious to you if you ever have the misfortune to meet him but he's marrying Daisy so I'll have to see him every day. What's worse is he'll take command of this Gym knowing him. He's a control freak but once he has control this place is going to just keep on going down hill. ASH: Right. Don't worry about Fletcher. I think I'll have a word with him. I'll soon persuade him to live somewhere else. (You'll notice that Ash wants to do to Fletcher the same thing Fletcher wants to do to Ash. This is more of the way I want people to dislike the hero of the film. Of course he will never be nasty to his friends. It keeps things in balance I think.) MISTY: I've been thinking about this Ash and I don't think you should... FLETCHER: My ears appear to be burning but I don't like what I hear. ASH and MISTY turn to see FLETCHER, who has come in through the open door. MISTY: Fletcher... FLETCHER: Hi. (Referring to ASH) Who's this prick? ASH grabs FLETCHER by the collar and shoves him against the bedroom wall. His hands stay on the collar. ASH: Perhaps I should be asking the same thing about you. MISTY: Ash and I were having a private conversation. FLETCHER: Your Ash? I wasn't expecting you to be as tough as this. ASH: (Sarcastic) Gosh, I guess what they say about life being full of surprises is true. Your Fletcher right? Misty described you perfectly. FLETCHER: (Tough) Let go of me or else I'll... ASH: Or else what? You'll use your psychic abilities on me. I'm sure someone of even your intelligence can see what position your in. Look: I'll make you a deal. You leave this room now and basically get out of my face or I'll beat the living shit out of you till you scream for mercy you arrogant prick. Am I getting fucking through to you? FLETCHER: I...all right. It's a deal. ASH: Come on Misty. Lets get out of here. MISTY: Where are we going? ASH: Dose it matter? MISTY: How will we get there? ASH: Do you really care how we get there or is the getting away part the important thing? MISTY: I guess the getting away part is the most important thing. ASH: Well then it doesn't matter how we get there dose it? (I guess I was trying to say something about life here. It doesn't matter how you get where you want to go as long as you end up there. It's a metaphor.) 25. EXT. CERULEAN CITY GYM. NIGHT. ASH and MISTY run out of the Gym's entrance. There's a really expensive looking bicycle leaning against the wall. ASH: This is your new bike that I promised you I'd get you eventually but don't thank me yet ok? I think we should get out of here first. MISTY looks slightly embarrassed. MISTY: I haven't really ridden a bike for a few years. ASH: I thought it was one of those things you never forgot how to do. MISTY: That's what I've heard but this isn't the time to find out. ASH: Ok. Grab hold of me. ASH gets on the bike. MISTY gets on and grabs his shoulder. MISTY: I hope Daisy will be all right on her own. I think Fletcher might be doing things to her. ASH: She'll be fine. Trust me. Lets get out of here. I think he'll do things to us if we hang around here for a while. ASH peddles the bike away at full speed. (I used a lot of fan fic dialogue there.) FLETCHER and DAISY come out of the Gym. FLETCHER looks around. FLETCHER: Where the hell is he? DAISY: Fletcher please... FLETCHER: If I have to warn you one more time... DAISY: Don't ok? Don't. We've lost them anyway. FADE OUT. FADE IN. 26. EXT. PALLET TOWN. NIGHT. We move across the side of Pallet Town that is covered with artificial lights but is smaller than Cerulean City and has a completely different look and feel. A message on screen says: "Pallet Town" We begin to focus on a small house with lights in the windows. We see ASH and MISTY arriving at the house on the bike. ASH and MISTY get off the bike and ASH rings the doorbell. We see the door with ASH in front of it and see an image of the way SASHA, ASH's mother, looked the last time we saw her. A woman in her forties who looks similar if not identical to ASH opens the door. This is the real SASHA. Again the two versions merge into one. We see her from behind ASH and MISTY so they are on either side of her as she stands in the doorway. ASH goes up to her and hugs her. PIKACHU is, as in every scene featuring ASH unless otherwise indicated, sitting on his shoulder. (In the fan fic she's called Sasha. Of course in the other Pokemon movies she's called Delia.) ASH: Hi Mom. SASHA: Ash it's so good to see you. It must have been five years since I've spoken to you. You look good. You look different. ASH: Well as you say it's been a few years. SASHA: Yes it certainly has. MISTY: Hi Miss. Ketchum. You are, if you don't mind me asking, technically not married anymore? (Its obvious that Ash's dad is either divorced from Delia or dead since we never get to see him during the TV series. He isn't even mentioned.) SASHA: No I'm not but please call me Sasha anyway. I'm fine. How are you? MISTY: I'm fine thanks. SASHA: And what about you Pikachu? PIKACHU: Pika. SASHA: Good. SASHA: Well please come in. I wasn't expecting you so late Ash, (talking to Misty) and I wasn't expecting you at all but please come in. There's plenty of room. MISTY: Thanks Miss...Sasha. I really didn't have any choice in coming, Ash practically dragged me hear. ASH: Funny, I thought I rescued you. MISTY: All right he rescued me. I'd be delighted to stay here for a while. SASHA: Good. SASHA goes into the house. ASH, MISTY and PIKACHU follow. 27. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE LIVING-ROOM. NIGHT. Everything looks cosy. There's a fire roaring in the fireplace. ASH, MISTY, SASHA and PIKACHU are sitting in armchairs arranged around the fireplace. SASHA: It's so good to have you back Ash. ASH: Thanks. Its good to be back. SASHA: Brock and Ben are coming over here tomorrow. I thought we could have a huge party to celebrate your return home. ASH: That would be good but can we start it later tomorrow rather than sooner tomorrow, if you see what I mean? I'm very tired. I'd like to go to bed soon. It's been a long day and it's already nearly one o'clock. SASHA: That seems fine yes. I'll talk about it with you tomorrow. (To MISTY) You'll sleep in the spare room ok? MISTY: That's fine yes. ASH yawns. (Notice that Sasha obviously knows Ash and Misty are just friends and not doing you know what...) 28. INT. THE CERULEAN GYM. THE LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. Same as before DAISY and LILY are in the room talking. DAISY: I hope Misty will be alright. LILY: To be honest its you I'm worried about. Misty did fine with Ash before and he looks a lot more dependable now. DAISY: What do you mean you're worried about me? LILY: You know what I mean and your going to have to face facts. Just remember I'm here for you. DAISY: Ok. Thanks. I guess I will have to...I don't know. LILY: Its ok. You hear me. Its ok. (That's the last we hear of Daisy and Fletcher however I'd like to think she left him and told him exactly why first. Hopefully in a very public place in front of people he wants to impress.) 29. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. NIGHT. It's clearly nighttime. The downstairs lights are on as we can see through the curtains. A message comes up etc: "The next day" 30. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. ASH, MISTY and SASHA are waiting for guests to arrive. Everything is set up for the party. PIKACHU is not in the room. (It's very difficult to write Pikachu's part. I've tried to include him only when really necessary but not so little that it doesn't feel tacked on.) SASHA: Your certain Pikachu won't join us? ASH: He doesn't like human parties very much. The doorbell rings. ASH answers it. He holds the door open for an unseen person. 30. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. NIGHT. We see a younger version of BEN as ASH presumably remembers him (he was never actually in the TV series) standing in front of the front door. Then he matures into the men we know already. ASH: Ben hi. BEN: I'm glad you remember me. ASH: How could I forget? Come in. Make your self at home. BEN: Thanks. Ben comes in and looks around whilst standing still. We see the living room from BEN's P.O.V for a few beats. (Beats=seconds.) Back to normal view: BEN: So where's the rest of the...group? MISTY: They're not here yet. BEN: Ok. (To ASH) How did the Pokemon Training go? I presume you've finished now? MISTY: (Playful) Be careful Ash. You might make him jealous. BEN: Hey I quit because I stopped enjoying it, not because I was no good at it. (I tried to make Ben a version of Ash that might have happened if he quit Pokemon Training. He seems happier. I'll let you draw your own conclusions from that.) MISTY: (Still playful) Whatever. ASH: Yes I have finished but I can't tell you what happened without telling you half of my entire life's story. BEN: Ok. I bet it feels good to be back. ASH: A little strange but yes, it feels good. BEN: So when are we going to get this party going? ASH: When everyone gets here. BEN: Ash there's something you should know... The doorbell rings. BEN: Never mind. I'll tell you later. I'll get the door. BEN answers the door. Again we can't see the person who rang until they enter the room. BEN: Brock good to see you again. ASH walks over to the door. 31. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. NIGHT. You guessed it: old Brock turns into the new version. 32. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. ETC... ASH: Hi Brock. Come in. BROCK comes in. Everyone AD-LIBS hello. BROCK: So how are you Ash? ASH; I'm fine thank you. We see more guests arrive although we don't hear them. Time passes. ASH: Well that's just about everyone. BEN: No Ash that isn't. The thing I was going to tell you earlier is Gary's coming. ASH: (Sarcastic) Oh I see. Well, well Gary is coming. You invite my worst enemy over to my "Welcome Home" party. How interesting. Boy am I glad I have you as my friend...(Suddenly shouting) Moron. What the fuck did you think you were doing? BEN: I didn't invite him here. ASH: Who did? BEN: Professor. Oak. ASH: When I next see Professor. Oak he's... The doorbell rings. MISTY: I'd better get that. ASH: Good idea. You don't want a corpse blocking our driveway do you? MISTY answers the door to another unseen person. MISTY: Hi Gary. I'm afraid Ash is a little... ASH: (Continuing her sentence) Incline to shoot you right now. Old GARY comes in. Changes to knew GARY as he walks towards ASH. GARY: Ash I appreciate that you may harbour a desire for vengeance but please remain inactive in this area till you've heard my person experience of the events we've witness. (Gary is trying to impress other people with the way he talks here. It fits in well with what he was like in the TV series.) ASH: What the hell are you saying? I can't understand a single word you just said. Do you consider your self so far above me now that you can sound like Nietzsche or some other intellectual? You're not fooling me. MISTY: Ash you talk differently to how you used to as well. ASH turns to her. ASH: (To MISTY) Well I guess my speech sort of developed over time. I mean all I've talk to you is Trainers for eight years and they all talk like this so I...hey I'm meant to be killing Gary aren't I? (To GARY) Sorry about that. Where were we? (When you go to a non-English speaking country you tend to pick up the language more quickly. It seems to me Ash would have picked up on the way Pokemon Trainers speak by now. Also it is another way things are different.) GARY: I believe I was about to suggest to you that your opinion of me is no longer accurate. You have understandably omitted in your assessment of me certain events within the recent past, which have altered my attitude from the state you believe it to be to an opposing one. I no longer consider myself superior to anyone without a good reason for such an opinion. ASH: (Sarcastic) My fucking hero. GARY: Despite such ironic statements as that which you have just uttered I can give you complete assurance... ASH: Speak fucking English for shit's sake. (Ash would be almost ready to hurt Gary now. You can tell.) GARY: Ok. I'm not the same as I was before. I've matured. I'm no longer the prick you think I am. It's different ok? Now are you going to...let's just start again ok? ASH: Fine but you are going to speak...the way you talk...got it? GARY: Ok. Ok. Have we started again now? ASH: Yes. GARY: Fine. So you finally made it back home? I thought you'd never find your way back. ASH: I like to think my sense of direction has improved. GARY: I'd love to think that too. MISTY: Gary I don't think... GARY: Its ok. Its ok. Ash and I can have a civilised discussion like adults can't we? ASH: I hope so. So where's your cheerleading squad gone? GARY: I got rid of those guys a long time ago. I don't need that kind of validation you know? ASH: I wouldn't have believed it and I still don't. GARY: Look I've gotta know if you'll except something that I'm about to tell you and you can't get away from ok? You know that Professor. Oak and you're Mom are getting married in a few days right? ASH: Yes. What's your point? If you're going to say that's cool I already know that. You don't have to congratulate me. GARY: When that happens we'll be...I don't know, step nephew slash step uncle. Do you accept that because if you do we've gotta start getting on. ASH: I...I...I... GARY: I don't need messing around Ash I need an answer. I'm willing to accept it, to "Kiss and make up", are you? ASH: I guess I have no choice. GARY: Good. Then let's make up. I'm sorry for all the bad shit I did to you in the past. Now you have to say the same thing. ASH: Ok I'm sorry. I'm a bit surprised by this turn of events but I can accept it. GARY: Goods. Friends? ASH: Friends. (The relationship in the fan fic between Ash and Gary is complex and difficult to define. The best way to explain it is Gary wants to be nice to people but doesn't want to admit it. I didn't want a relationship that vague in the script but I didn't want Gary as a bad guy either. I wanted him to have some good things and some bad things about him just like someone in real life. I wanted this screenplay's characters to seem as real as possible so I decided to have Ash and Gary set aside their differences. Gary was willing to admit he was wrong so Ash forgave him. Also according to the game instructions for Pokemon Red and Blue Gary and Ash were friends once and so I thought it would be nice if they became friends again. Unlike everyone else in this screenplay Ash and Gary have both been through exactly the same things: long Pokemon Journeys alone for a long time. This would make them closer. The relationship between Ash and Gary is something that I'm very pleased with about this script.) They shake hands. Both of them grin. GARY: You know you're too young to be my uncle. ASH: Lets call it cousins ok? They both laugh for a long time. They then embrace. GARY: Hey man I'm sorry for all the stuff I did. ASH: Me too. BEN: So you two are friends now? GARY: Yep. Best thing that ever happened to me. BEN: Who would have believed it hu? ASH: I wouldn't go that far but yes, we are friends. GARY and ASH laugh again. BEN: Great. Lets get this party started shell we? I think there's been a long enough delay. He switches on a sound system in the room and "All I wanna do" performed by Sherly Crow starts to play. It plays till the end once over the length of this scene like "Let's Stay Together" earlier. We basically see everyone having a good time throughout the rest of this scene. (Its very important to me that the music in this film comes from a visible source rather than from nowhere as it seems to in many other films. In real life music only plays if its on the radio etc... It's obvious why "All I wanna Do" is appropriate if you've ever heard it. Apart from the obvious reasons one of the first lines in "All I wanna Do" is "This is LA." This is the second song to mention a town in America and I was trying to suggest that Kanto is in fact an American island, probably in the Atlantic Ocean. It never actually tells us in the TV series where Kanto is and I wanted to tell people where it was.) 33. ASH'S HOUSE. THE LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. LATER. We see the mess left after the last scene. Everyone is gone except ASH and GARY who are sitting on the sofa with a drink each and one more for each of them on a coffee table in front of them. They are both drunk. They are both laughing, GARY is in the middle of telling a funny story. "Turn! Turn! Turn! (For Everything There is a Season)" performed by the Byrds is playing on the sound system. During this scene it plays out to the end and is then replaced by Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talking." (Obviously "Turn! Turn! Turn!" is a song about change so it fits in well here. Gary and Ash's relationship has changed. Also it fits with the film's theme of change. "Everybody's Talking" is about someone who goes to a place that's better than where he is now. Ash has left his Pokemon Journey and come to the better place of Pallet Town. Also its about feeling different from everyone else and feeling left out so the song fits in with how Ash is feeling. The drinking scene took place between Ash and James in the fic but I've changed little apart from that.) GARY: So eventually I ask him his name and he says he's Richard Grain. My dad's new research assistant, Richard Grain. ASH: He really had no idea you were Professor. Oak's grandson? GARY: No fucking idea I swear. Imagine what he said when I told him. They both laugh then ASH looks seriously at GARY. ASH: What happened between us? GARY: (Starting to slur his words) What do you mean, "What happened between us"? ASH: It was just ten years ago when we were friends and we'd joke around like this, I mean how come it stopped? GARY: I guess we both thought we'd be great Pokemon Trainers because of our family history and we both realised that we both thought that. Since then we've just been rivals trying to beat each other to prove who's better but I don't believe in who's better anymore and it doesn't matter anyway anymore dose it? (Its obvious that Ash thought during the TV series he would be the greatest Trainer ever even though he had no evidence to suggest it and its also clear Gary felt the same thing about himself. He was actually a good Trainer however. There's really little difference between them.) ASH: I guess not. Do you know how pissed off Professor. Oak will be when he realises you got drunk with me like this? GARY: Its nothing compared to how your mom 'll see it. ASH: Shit I think your... He tries to point his finger at Gary but he misses by a mile. He stares at his finger. ASH: ...disturbing far from where I'm pointing. GARY: So how are you doing with this Pokemon catching stuff? ASH: Some motherfucker called Fletcher took control of the management of Cerulean City Gym and stole the Pokemon I left in storage there. GARY: Shit that's fucked up man. ASH: I know. You don't mess around with my Pokemon. Its... GARY: (Very slowly with a puzzled frown on his face) Wait a moment: Fletcher? ASH: That's the guy's name: Fletcher. GARY: Punk rocker kinda guy right? Wears leather? Thinks he's Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator or something? ASH: Yep. GARY: I know him. I think he tried to sell your Pokemon to me. ASH gets up from the sofa. ASH: Son of a... He collapses on the floor and stays still for a few beats whilst GARY tries to remember meeting FLETCHER with a frown of deep concentration on his face. ASH's drink spills across the carpet. Eventually he realises ASH is no longer next to him and looks down at ASH. ASH is staring at the ceiling. ASH: There's a big crack in the ceiling. We'd better respire...um, repair it. GARY: What happened? ASH: I don't know. Maybe water got into the house some how and... GARY: I don't mean with the ceiling you moron. How'd you end up on the floor like that? ASH: I think I fell. GARY: Here, let me help you up. In a very uncoordinated way GARY stands and tried to help ASH up but ends up on the floor himself. More alcohol on the floor. GARY: Fuck it. This is a very comfortable floor. I think I'll stay here. ASH: You're off your head. GARY: So are you. So thinks (he means things) are that bad at the Gym hu? ASH: You can't imagine. GARY: Oh yes I can. Anyway I bought it to give to you. I guess it was yours since he told me. Its upstairs. I'll give it to you tomorrow. I don't think I can even remember what the words "Drive home," mean tonight. ASH: Thank you. I... GARY: Don't get all like...Ash on me now ok? ASH: Ok. Sorry. GARY tries to get the glass that is still on the table but it's just out of reach. GARY: Fuck. ASH: Misty should be screaming out for blood you know? GARY: How come? ASH: Because her Gym's a rack. Did I say that right? A rack. No that's not right at all...anyway I bet even with her being angry and all she's devastating beautiful. You know what about Misty? Every she does is just...divine. GARY: You love her don't you? ASH: Well of course I do but I can't tell her can I? GARY: Why not? ASH: Because the felling might not be neutral. We're just friends. We've been just friends for eight fucking years! For me the sun sets and rises for her. She's the reason I'm alive but I can't tell her. (Quiet, thoughtful) I'm scared to tell her. GARY: Women: just don't get involved man. That's my advice. Don't get involved ok? ASH: I...I have to. I love her, I always will but I can't admit it. I saved the fucking world and I'm too scared to say three words. I got no other reason to live but those words. My Pokemon Training is over, I hardly recognise anyone I used to know and I'm not even sure who I am anymore. I'm a stranger to these people and the one thing I live for doesn't even know how important she is to me. (This speech from Ash is very significant because it's when Ash first decides to leave after the weeding. This is why he leaves and when he leaves in a way as well.) GARY: Just tell her. What harm can it to...do? ASH: It could ruin our friendship and then we'd have nothing. GARY: You're a big boy; you can handle being on your own. Very big in fact. ASH: Don't even fucking say it or I'll hit you. GARY: Sorry. I won't never mention it again. ASH: Good grammar. Congratulations. GARY: Me very pleased about compliment. Me thanks you. They both laugh like...well two very close and very drunk people. ASH crawls over to the table and pulls it closer to GARY so he can reach it. ASH then lifts his glass in a toast. GARY doses the same. ASH: To the fuckyness and brilliance of life. GARY: I just want you to know ok, that you're the best fucking friend I've got. ASH: Ok but don't take it any further than that. I don't think of you that way. Laughter. Suddenly FLETCHER comes in. ASH: Oh look: it's the git. How you doing git? FLETCHER: I'm doing just great. How about you, you piece of shit? You know what? Since you turned up at the Gym Daisy's stopped talking to me. ASH: Hey who are you calling a piece of...that's it. Let's do this right now. I challenge you to let me kick your face in. Bearing in mind that ASH is practically unconscious by now he and FLETCHER start an understandably uncoordinated fight. They continue to battle without either side winning for a few beats then we... (I left it deliberately hard to tell if Ash is doing this to defend Misty's honour or if he doesn't like Fletcher. We still can't be certain if Ash is a nice guy or not.) FADE OUT. 34. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. ASH'S BEDROOM. MORNING. ASH is sleeping. His clothes are flung everywhere around the room, which looks like it belongs to a ten year old Pokemon fan. ASH moans. JAMES of Team Rocket, a man about ASH's age wearing a tattered Team Rocket uniform is standing over him. He shacks him to try and wake him up. ASH opens his eyes. A digital clock in the room says 11:01. (Since Ash hasn't been in this room since his tenth birthday it still looks the way it did then.) JAMES: Good morning ASH. (We see that James is now nicer as well. Another change. Also another hint that not doing something for to long however much you like it is better than doing it. James left Team Rocket and is a better person for it.) ASH opens his eyes wide in astonishment and alarm. ASH: Am I dreaming? What the hell are you doing here? What is going on? JAMES: No, your mom let me in, I'm waking you up. ASH: Very funny but... ASH tries to sit up, he realises his head hurts like hell and he leans back onto the bed again. He looks around the room. ASH: I need a decorator. JAMES: To protect the world... ASH: Give it a fucking rest! Jessie and Meowth aren't even in here. JAMES: Sorry, force of habit but never interrupt the motto ok? ASH: What on Earth are you doing here and don't say my mom let you in again. JAMES: I'm not longer with Team Rocket and so I wanted to approach you as something other than an enemy. ASH: And tell me you're sorry I suppose. JAMES: No. I'm not sorry. I was just doing my job. I wanted to just talk to you as a friend ok? You were such a great enemy. I thought it might be interesting to talk to you about it whilst I'm neutral. ASH: I have nothing to say to you. JAMES: Do you have anything to say to Professor. Oak? He's down stairs now. ASH: Yes, I have to tell him off about inviting Gary over but I can't even get out of bed right now, let alone go downstairs. JAMES: I don't think I should let him come up here. I came to get you out of bed. ASH: (Sarcastic) Great. (Normal) What time is it? JAMES looks at his watch. JAMES: Five past nine. ASH looks at the clock. ASH: I guess I forgot to wind it before I left. JAMES: You might be interested to know what I've been doing since quitting Team Rocket. ASH: Why not? The world has clearly gone insane so I might as well just accept everything anybody says. JAMES: Jessie and I got married and we started our Pokemon journey. Basically we quit to do that. Meowth started his own Team I think. ASH: (Sarcastic) Fascinating story. Bring Professor. Oak here now please. I need someone sane to talk to. JAMES: I came here to get you up and I'm going to get you up. ASH: No way. JAMES helps ASH, still in his clothes from the previous night, out of bed and out of the room. 35. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE KITCHEN. MORNING. PROFESSOR. OAK, a middle aged man wearing a lab coat on top of ordinary clothes, SASHA, MISTY, PIKACHU and GARY are in the room making breakfast. ASH, still help by JAMES, comes in. JAMES: Here you go. ASH: (Sarcastic) Thanks. I didn't recognise the room at first. Hi everyone. PIKACHU: Pika. ASH: Hi Pikachu. MISTY: Morning. How are you today Mr. Ketchum? ASH: I'm in the seventh circle of hell thanks. MISTY: Glad to hear it. PROFESSOR. OAK: I see it but I don't believe it. How you doing Ash? ASH: Professor. Oak. It would be great to see you if I was in the mood to feel great about anything. Plus you decided to invite Gary over you git. PROFESSOR. OAK: (Sarcastic) Thanks. I appreciate the compliment and don't get cute with me ok? I thought you guys might get to be friends again so I brought matters to a head myself and it worked didn't it? Aren't you happier now? (Just about everyone talks differently to how they did in the TV series. Another change of course.) ASH: I guess so I...my head hurts. GARY: (To ASH) I think you look how I feel. MISTY has been looking at ASH all this time like she's just realised something about him she didn't know before. ASH looks at her and notices this. (Now Misty knows Ash loves her.) ASH: Misty, what is it? MISTY: What? Oh sorry. Its nothing. She looks away. ASH: Anyway congratulations on you getting married to Mom. PROFESSOR. OAK: I don't have to call her that do I? ASH: Don't worry about it. PROFESSOR. OAK: I think the real congratulations go to you Ash for beating all five Pokemon Leagues and being the first Trainer ever to catch all five hundred know Pokemon. You're a genius. (We know of four leagues: Johoto, Kanto, the Orange Islands and Hoenn but it seems to me Ash's journey would continue long after the end of his Hoenn journey.) ASH: Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you. PROFESSOR. OAK: Don't mention it. You want some breakfast? 36. INT. THE HALLWAY. DOWNSTAIRS. ASH'S HOUSE. MORNING. It's the downstairs hallway in ASH's house. MISTY and GARY are in the hallway some distance away from each other. GARY approaches her. GARY: Hi. Would you mind taking a walk with me? Just through Pallet Town for a while. MISTY: Why? GARY: I thought you might want to talk about things away from the house. Something unspoken passes between them. MISTY: Ok. (They both know what Ash admitted last night.) 37. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE KITCHEN. MORNING. Everything is as before. Everyone except GARY and MISTY is present. PROFESSOR. OAK: So tell me what your gonna do now? ASH: I don't know. PROFESSOR. OAK: Well if you need a job just ask me. You can be my first senior lab assistant. Someone with your experience deserves it. You helped my research a lot. ASH: Thanks. Everyone's been so pleasant to me since I got back. SASHA: We've missed you Ash and weren't we always pleasant to you? ASH: Yes you were. I'd like to thank everyone here for what you've done for me. It's defiantly appreciated. Seeing everyone I love in one room like this...I don't know what to say except thank you. (I'm not sure exactly why I put this in since it contradicts the idea that Ash has already formed his plan of leaving them. I'll tell you what: just for once I'll let you interpret this scene for your self.) JAMES: Well go ahead and say it then. FADE OUT. FADE IN. 38. EXT. PALLET TOWN. MORNING. The sun slowly comes up during this scene. We see the beauty of Pallet Town that we can't see at night as GARY and MISTY walk through the streets. Everything is beautiful. Other people hurry past them. (I've tried to set as many scenes of this at night as possible but I had to be practical and set this one during the day. I was still determined for it to look amazing however. This scene is in the fan fic.) GARY: What are you gonna do? MISTY: About what? GARY: You know what. About what Ash said. MISTY: I don't know. Sometimes I think I'll tell him since he doesn't seem to remember but the next moment I wonder if he just said it because he was hammered. GARY: I've known you guys for a long time and although I don't think you like me, you might not even trust me, I'm certain telling him is the thing to do. MISTY: I didn't used to trust you and I certainly didn't used to like you but the way you've made friends with Ash again...I thought there was absolutely no good in you. I guess I was wrong. (In case this is the last ever Pokemon story, speaking chronologically of course since it would have to be made into a film only after the TV series ended, I've done something here. I've tried to end it with no grudges and every lose end tied up so I wanted Gary and Misty to be able to get on well together.) GARY: Thank you. It takes a lot to admit that you know? MISTY: Yes it does. GARY: You need to let Ash know even if you aren't certain he feels the same way. You might be destined to be with each other and in that case nothing should stand between you. Especially not fear and I told Ash the same thing. MISTY: I think I will tell him. He really does care for me. He even caught a Gyarados for me. GARY: He caught a Gyarados for you? Not even for himself? MISTY: Yep. Hell of a specimen too. It's bigger than most Gyarados. GARY: WHAT! On GARY's furious face we... FADE OUT. FADE IN. 39. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE KITCHEN. MORNING. Same set up before. JAMES, PIKACHU, SASHA and ASH are present. MISTY and GARY enter. JAMES: Hi. GARY: Hi. (To ASH) I'd like a word with you in private please. ASH: Ok. ASH leads GARY out through the door leading into the hallway. 40. ASH'S HOUSE. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY. MORNING. Same as before. ASH and GARY walk in. The door closes behind them. GARY: How the fuck did you capture that Gyarados? It's huge. ASH: It wasn't easy. Let me show you something. ASH takes the clothes that cover the top half of his body off to reveal several scares on the front of his body. He turns around to reveal to GARY the same thing at the back. He puts his clothes on again. (This is the level to which Ash will sacrifice himself for Misty.) ASH: That's what it takes to capture a Gyarados. Now let's go and help prepare for the weeding. It is tonight you know. GARY: That... ASH: Don't tell anyone. For any reason. Ever. Especially not Misty. 41. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE KITCHEN. MORNING. Same scene as before. Same people. ASH and GARY come in. MISTY: Ah Ash. Can I have a private word with you latter? ASH: Wow. This is becoming a theme. Anyone else want a private word with me later? JAMES: No. Just her. ASH: Good. Sure thing Misty. Come and see me whenever you want. ASH leaves. SASHA starts to put something in the kitchen's trashcan but notices the empty liquor bottles there and stop. SASHA: I don't think we should serve wine at the weeding. (We know that Ash will take an opportunity to get drunk so I needed a way to keep him sober at the weeding. The weeding scenes wouldn't work very well if I didn't do this.) 42. INT. ASH'S HOUSE. ASH'S BEDROOM. AFTERNOON. ASH is dressed in a tuxedo. He stands before a mirror in the room combing his hair. MISTY comes in wearing a bridesmaid's dress. She looks gorgeous. ASH: Wow. Misty you look... MISTY: Thanks. Try to finish your sentences more often. ASH laughs. ASH: So you want that word with me now? MISTY: Yep but its not going to be easy to say. I think I'd better come out and say it. Get ready for a shock ok? ASH: Ok. MISTY: Last night, when you were drinking, you said you loved me, always have, always will quote unquote. What I want to know is a: do you mean it, b: do you still think it and c: if the answer to the last question was yes, what do we do now? ASH sits down heavily on his bed. You can see this is a shock. ASH and MISTY remain silent for a few beats. ASH: Well I...this is unexpected. I don't remember telling you that. I... MISTY: I've warned you about not finishing sentences. ASH: I don't know what to say. MISTY: Say "I'll try to do better next time." ASH: You know what I meant. MISTY: Ok. I need to have an answer Ash. However sudden and difficult this is for you I need you to answer my question. ASH: If I answer yours you have to answer mine. MISTY: Ok. ASH: I've just got one very difficult question in fact, with two possible very short answers. I sure know which one I hope for. Do you love me? MISTY is silent for a few beats. MISTY: Yes. ASH: I meant it Misty. I love you. In a very passionate moment they embrace each other and kiss for a long time. MISTY: I love you Ash and I always will. ASH: Misty you are the most important thing in my life. I need you but I'm not certain I'm the one you want. If you think Fletcher gets angry when something upsets him you should see me, I'm depressed plus I drink too much. I'm a jerk. (This is supposed to show you how really unhappy Ash is and how worthless he feels he is. It really makes you realise why he leaves which is important since he will do it in just a few scenes time.) MISTY: No your not and I don't care about that stuff. ASH: Oh my God...you're perfect. MISTY smiles at first but it fades after a few beats. She sighs sadly. MISTY: This still leaves us with one question: where do we go from here? We've been "Just friends" for years. I don't know what to do about this now. Maybe if it had come sooner... ASH: It didn't come sooner. We'll just both have to decide. MISTY: I need a little time to decide this. Give me...just give me till after the weeding reception is over ok? ASH: Take all the time you need. I'm in the same position as you remember. MISTY: Thank you. For everything. For... ASH: For loving you? Why do I need to be thanked for that? 43. INT. A CHURCH. PALLET TOWN. AFTERNOON. We see various scenes of PROFESSOR. OAK and SASHA getting married. The song "Restless Eyes" plays throughout this scene and into the next one. Towards the end "Don't Be a Stranger" starts playing. We watch ASH watch MISTY from this moment on. He closes his eyes. ("Restless Eyes" is about someone losing someone else. Ash is in a way about to lose his mom and Professor. Oak just as much as everyone in the script will lose Ash. "Don't Be A Stranger" is about someone giving up their inhibitions and Ash has given up some of his but that was by accident (telling Misty he loves her) or because of another unworthy factor (telling Gary about his feelings.) He will not tell anyone he'll leave except if he has no choice so both these songs as appropriate here. We get to see inside Ash's head again in the next scene when he gets his imaginary desire of what he wants his relationship with Misty to be like.) 44. INT. A BALLROOM. NIGHT. ASH IMAGING. In ASH's imagination he and MISTY and dancing alone inside a massive ball room wearing the same thing they're wearing at the weeding. The song continues to play. ASH and MISTY get slowly closer to each other as the music plays. Eventually ASH's face is pressed right up to MISTY's. ASH: (Whispering) God I love you. They begin kissing. 45. INT. A CHURCH. PALLET TOWN. AFTERNOON. Same as before. The song hasn't ended yet. ASH opens his eyes. ASH: (Whispering) I love you but I can't deal with it. 46. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. PALLET TOWN. THE GARDEN. NIGHT. It's clear that the reception is being held in ASH's garden. It's nearly over but you can still tell what's going on. The debris from the reception is everywhere. The last few guest are leaving. We see the music is coming from a sound system. It continues into the scene for a short time. ASH, GARY, JAMES, BEN, PROFESSOR. OAK, SASHA and MISTY are the only ones left we recognise. GARY is talking to ASH, PROFESSOR. OAK is talking to SASHA and MISTY and JAMES are talking together. BEN comes up to them. BEN: Hi. MISTY: Hi. We were just talking about Ash. I told him I loved him just like you always wanted. BEN: Hey then this is a double celebration. JAMES: Doesn't look like too much of a celebration for Ash. They turn to look at ASH. JAMES'S P.O.V: ASH is watching sadly as PROFESSOR. OAK and SASHA walk away from the reception together talking happily. GARY is standing next to him. ASH: (Whispering) Good-bye Mom. I'll miss you. GARY: What was that Ash? ASH: Doesn't matter. The P.O.V. changes back to its original position. BEN: Well unfortunately I don't think missing Sasha is his only problem although the two kinda go together. MISTY: What do you mean? BEN: Well Gary, who seems to have total recall about last night despite his trying to drink himself to death, has told me a few things about what Ash said to him. We all react differently to being drunk I guess. Anyway Ash said that you, Misty, is the only reason he's staying here. That everything is too different to his old life as a Trainer for him to cope. He said he even thought about committing suicide. What he needs is to work with Pokemon but still be in our company and I just don't see how that can happen. (Unfortunately I found out when reading the first draft after it was finished that I repeated a lot of stuff from the drinking scene in this scene's dialogue. This scene has been re-written.) MISTY smiles. MISTY: Don't worry about it. I've got that sorted. I'm starting a new Gym now Fletcher has taken over the old one. Its here, in Pallet Town and Brock has already said he'll join me. If Ash wants to come that will do the trick won't it? BEN: It will but I'd tell him sooner rather than later. MISTY: Don't worry. I've got that planned too. 47. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE GARDEN. NIGHT. Same as before. Only MISTY, ASH and GARY are left. MISTY is standing far behind ASH. MISTY'S P.O.V: ASH is talking to GARY whilst he, GARY, works on a laptop. NORMAL P.O.V: We focus on MISTY. MISTY: (Whispering) Come on Ash. I need to talk to you alone. We focus back on ASH and GARY. GARY finishes typing into the laptop and looks up at ASH from his sitting position. GARY: It's all set. You can get your Pokemon from storage with this whenever you like. ASH: Thanks. GARY: You've got all your stuff? ASH: Yep. GARY: Look: Ash, I just want to make sure your doing this for the right reason. A real reason. ASH: I know how much you'd like me to stay but it won't work. There's two reasons why I have to leave really. First, although I'm happy for Mom and Professor. Oak and wouldn't interfere in their lives, now they're married things just won't be the same. My relationship with them won't be the same. Even when I see them I'll miss them. Its like, when you say "Tomorrow never comes", well it came and things have changed and they'll stay changed forever. They just remind me of that. (I really strayed from the fan fic from this point on. This is when things get really sad I think.) GARY: Well I'm in the same boat as you. ASH: No your not. GARY: What's the other reason? ASH: Same thing really. I just don't know anyone anymore. Don't know this place. I don't even know who I am. Being out there Training without anyone I know for so long changed me. Being around people I know makes me uncomfortable because they're not the people I knew. Even you but its clear no one else feels like that, at least not to such a degree. I don't know that walking away will bring me happiness, in fact I'm almost certain it won't but I also know I can't stay here. I'm not going to change my mind about going. (As you can see my point isn't very subtly put here: change is not good.) GARY: I'd say that was ok if it was but it isn't. ASH: I'm sorry Gary. I'm leaving. We focus on MISTY. MISTY'S P.O.V: ASH and GARY talking. Normal view on MISTY. MISTY: Come on. Back to ASH and GARY. ASH is putting the laptop in his rucksack. He finishes and closes the bag up. ASH: Well this is it I guess. GARY: I'm gonna walk you to the front of the house ok? ASH: Fine but when I walk away from the house you walk away too. No waving, no watching me leave ok? GARY: Fine. They walk away together. Focus on MISTY. MISTY: Shit. 48. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. A PASSAGEWAY. NIGHT. There's a passage way with the house on the left and the neighbour's fence on the right leading from the back garden to the front garden. ASH and GARY walk along and stop just before the gate at the end leading to the front garden. (The physical description of the garden is based on the garden of my own house.) GARY: I'll really miss you buddy. ASH: Me too. They hug then Ash opens the gate and leaves. GARY immediately walks back towards the back garden. 49. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. THE BACK GARDEN. NIGHT. MISTY is waiting for GARY and ASH she hopes. MISTY: Gary, where's Ash? GARY: He's gone. MISTY: I don't understand. GARY: He's gone for good. MISTY tries to run past GARY but he blocks her. GARY: He's gone ok? He's not coming back. He's gone. MISTY starts crying. GARY comforts her as we... FADE OUT. FADE IN. 50. INT. THE CERULEAN GYM. MISTY'S BEDROOM. It's the same set up as in scene four. We still see MISTY sitting on a chair. The chair is pulled up to the desk but we still can't see what's on the desk. MISTY: (Hesitantly. This is painful for her.) So he left and I didn't stop him. I returned to this Gym and persuaded Fletcher and my sisters to leave so I could run it again. I guess that's a good thing. It's been a year since Ash left now. I thought recording this, telling my story, would help me sort it out in my mind and somehow feel better about it. So much for that idea. (Close to tears) I can't...I just can't... She cries. We move out to reveal the desk and the cassette recorder on it. She presses its stop button. She closes her eyes. (As soon as I decided to have Misty narrate the story it brought up the question of why she was telling the story and whom she was telling it to. The only person I could think of whom it would be practical for her to tell it to is her self. I already had two endings in mind and I thought if I went with the happy one she could be recording it on the day she marries Ash as something to remind her of how they first became lovers. I'll get back to the endings in a minute.) 51. EXT. ASH'S HOUSE. NIGHT. MISTY IMAGING. MISTY is imaging this: ASH carrying his rucksack with PIKACHU on walks away from the house towards a road we can see in the shot. He stops part way through and turns round for a moment to stare sadly at his house before continuing to walk away. "How Do I Live" performed by Leann Rimes begins to play. FADE OUT. (Ah yes. The ending. Originally I was going to have a happy ending in which Misty finds Ash after he tries to leave and persuades him to stay. I decided against using it for two reasons. Firstly everything from the drinking scene onwards everything has been a build up to Ash's leaving and to have him change his mind at the last minute would feel like tacking it on to give the film the traditional happy ending. Secondly I thought must writers would have given it that ending because its traditional and they wouldn't be brave enough to give it a sad ending. I wanted to do something different. This ending feels right to me whilst the happy ending wouldn't have done.) CREDIT SEQUENCE The credits scroll down a blank screen. The song plays out to the end. "An Eternal Flame" plays after "How Do I Live" if the length of the credits permit's it. Once the credits are fished a message comes up reading "THE END" ("An Eternal Flame" is very appropriate because Misty thought her love for Ash and his for her would go on forever. It makes me seem like a sick asshole but I wanted people to feel really sad at the end because it drives my point across to them. "How Do I Live" is about someone who wonders how they could survive if someone they care about leaves them. This is probably what went through Misty's head when Ash left. When I say "THE END" at the end I am talking about the very end of the entire TV series not just this film. This is the last Pokemon story ever and now its over. THE END)