208: Fly Me to the Moon
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No no, the narrator..... oh, yeah there are some whirlpools after all. He explains the only Pokemon that can traverse through the Whirlpools are the Corsola, which are heading to Pudgy Pidgey Isle. Misty cries out in distress, eyes sparkling as she cries she just wishes she could get a Corsola, while Togepi mutters uncomfortably to itself, confused by Misty's recent return to her old, fired up self. But despite being full of piss and vinegar now, Misty is on the beach and the Corsola are on the beach, and she cries out oh if only she had wings as the surf crashes dramatically on the rocks. But she might as well ask someone to....
Fly Me To The Moon
The local fellow drops his bag down and tells Misty he can get her to Pudgy Pidgey Isle, even though he just got done telling her that there was no way there. He explains that he is the caretaker for the local Pudgy Pidgeys, and Brock points out a picture of them in his guidebook. Ash thinks they look like normal Pidgeys but the Caretaker replies that he'll see when he gets there. Well, since he's a strange loner on a deserted beach they've just met, the young children happily agree to come with him.
They come to an old rope bridge on their way, swinging precariously over a series of whirlpools in the river beneath (apparently the Whirl Islands are humanity's way of saying, "Fuck you nature, we'll build homes even in a place you've made as inhospitable as possible") and Misty takes the lead, crossing over when a sudden gust of wind twists the bridge and sends them all flying forward to the other side, crashing into the ground.
The Caretaker - and possible serial killer - struggles to his feet and calls out, and suddenly we discover he isn't a loner, he has friends.... fat friends!
Podgy Pidgeys!
Yes apparently the "Pudgy Pidgey" of this isle are much like the birds of New Zealand, they've lost the need for flight and become ground-based, chubby little fatasses!
High above in their Happy Buddha Face Meowth Balloon, Team Rocket eye with interest the fat little Pokemon. Jesse asks what the Pidgey are and Meowth says they're Pidgey, and when James points out they're pudgy, Meowth notes that this IS called Pudgy Pidgey Isle!
The Caretaker arrives at his home, a nice sized wooden affair with fat-ass Pidgeys milling about pecking at the ground. He explains this is the only home on the Isle and he is the only human (An FBI Profiler would have a field day with this) but then a sudden flash of feathers zoom by the twerps, and they look up on the roof where a smaller, slimmer Pidgey wearing a little aviator's hat (AWWWW) sits. The Caretaker introduces him as Orville, and it leaps off the roof and flies high in the air, not an unusual sight for a Pidgey except for on this island full of fatasses. The Caretaker takes them inside where on one wall sits a painting on the wall of Pidgey flying towards the sun, something that doesn't really fit in with all the fatasses waddling about outside. He explains that in the old days Pidgey used to be used to deliver telegraphs, but the advent of the telephone saw them used less and less, and now even a little far out of the way place like Pudgy Pidgey Isle has a fancy video phone. Ash uses it to contact Professor Oak, who is pleased to hear they have made it to Pudgy Pidgey Isle and points out that the Pokemon should not be forgotten. The Caretaker agrees, saying the Pokemon Protection Agency hired him to make sure they're looked after, and then Professor Oak comments that experts are divided on whether the Pudgy Pidgey are a sign of evolution, devolution (BRING BACK KOFFING!) or a mutated strain.... but everyone agrees, they're very fat!
Orville flies into the room and lands near the painting, staring up at it as The Caretaker makes a sudden leap of logic and declares that Orville wants to be just like the Pidgey in that painting! He explains his Grandfather painted the picture to illustrate an old story he used to tell about a Pidgey that flew to the Sun, the Stars and the Moon!
Team Rocket listen from outside the window, Meowth's eyes wide and filled with tears.
Inside, The Caretaker explains how he makes a habit of showing all the newly hatched Pidgeys the painting, but most of them are more interested in stuffing their fat little bellies. But Orville was always fascinated by the painting, and took to trying to fly with help from the Caretaker. As the other Pidgeys got fat, Orville stayed small and began flying more and more, further and further, higher and higher. Well the Caretaker then decided to crank things up a notch, grabbed a hang-glider and went flying with Orville off a cliff top and over the ocean.... and little Orville's tiny little wings couldn't handle it and it plummeted directly towards a Whirlpool! But looking up Orville saw the sun, remembered the painting and found the strength to fly up high into the air.
But the Caretaker doesn't know how high Orville CAN fly, because it is too small to attach any heavy monitoring equipment. He also shoots down Ash's absolutely retarded idea of attaching a piece of string to Orville's leg.
Listening outside, Jesse and James are intrigued, and have come up with a little plot of their own. They come to the door dressed in shirts and ties; light flight jackets; caps and sunglasses and throw it open as Brock wonders what kind of world Orville would find up as high as the upper atmosphere of the planet.
"Probably a world of trouble!" grins Jesse.
"And make it double!" agrees James, hitting his cue.... which wasn't what Jesse had in mind! She stamps angrily on his foot, shutting him up. They explain they're a couple of friendly neighbourhood meteorologists who just happened to overhear Orville's story, and offer the use of their balloon to help discover how far Orville can go.
Well hell, that's a pretty good proposal and the Caretaker doesn't seem to think there is anything odd about two people he has never seen or spoken too before showing up at his home on this island where no other people appear to live, so he accepts.
The "meteorologists" tell the twerps..... uhhh... kids! Tell the kids that they can come too to act at witnesses, and when James expresses doubt Jesse replies that with them along they can grab the remarkably high flying Pidgey AND Pikachu. The twerps are all too eager to go along, and the Caretaker notes that the winds are best in the morning, so they'll head up at the break of dawn.
Later that night, Orville sleeps outside on the deck in a little basket, and Meowth approaches quietly by himself. But no, he hasn't come for a midnight snack like one might suspect, and Orville doesn't need to cry out, "I TAUT I TAW A PUTTY-TAT!" because Meowth has a proposition for Orville. He was touched by Orville's drive and determination to reach an impossible goal (much like Meowth once taught himself to speak human). He has a two way microphone that he wants Orville to wear, saying this is too important to blow and all Pokemon big and small need to see and hear how Orville achieves his dream so they know they too can achieve their dreams. Orville accepts, and Meowth tucks the microphone headset behind his ear.
The next day finds the twerps in a standard looking balloon with rocket boosters strapped to the site. Mr Loner says the winds are just right and asks Orville if he is ready, and the passionate Pidgey stares at the sun with obvious determination as they count down to blast off (Meowth in a little basket on top of the balloon). Orville leaps into the air and flies as James fires the booster rockets and sends the balloon hurtling into the air, the Fat Pidgey on the ground watching and calling out encouragement.
At 3000 metres, Meowth speaks with Orville who replies in Pidgey speak that everything is swell and going according to plan. But as it zooms through the air, it passes directly through a flying flock of Spearow that squawk in surprise, and then give chase. The twerps are concerned but Loner seems confident, saying they'll never catch Orville. It seems he is right, as the Spearow soon fall behind as Orville and the Balloon reach the staggering height of 10,000 metres. At this height, warns Mr Loner, the average human can't breathe properly and needs help to breathe, and Jesse and James have prepared for just such an eventuality. Oxygen masks are handed around and everyone breaths in the life-giving air. Orville tells a concerned Meowth it is okay as it continues to fly through the air, and then passes by not Spearow but.... a Fearow! Yes the broken necked Pokemon gives chase with a roar, Meowth yelling at it that it is in restricted airspace, demanding the "Doity Boid" stop. But the twerps have also noticed the bigger bird, and Pikachu blasts the Fearow with Thunderbolt. It falls backwards and bounces off of the balloon, which tears open to reveal.... the Happy Buddha Face Meowth Balloon!
"Hey!" yells Ash,"Something's up with this balloon!"
"Prepare for trouble in high altitude!" says Jesse into her oxygen mask.
"Make it double, I'm in a mood!" agrees James.
"Save it, we've heard it before!" Misty yells, obviously not wanting anymore of the precious oxygen to be used up. Ash wants to know what they want and they explain they're after Pidgey, with a special bonus of Pikachu.
Pikachu prepares to fight... but then collapses from lack of oxygen. Loner gasps that at this height, most Pokemon have trouble breathing too. Ash offers Pikachu oxygen from his own mask and Misty does the same to Togepi (which was having no trouble, it doesn't need oxygen, just the life energy of its host!) and Jesse surprisingly says this is no time to talk about stealing, and calls out to Meowth to ask if he is okay.
Indeed he is, he has his own oxygen mask!
The jets seem to running out of gas as well, however, as they sputter and die, having reached just about as high as the balloon can go, so high in fact that they can see the curve of the Earth!
But despite this staggering height, Orville keeps flying on despite the ice forming on its wings and beak. A concerned Meowth asks if it is all right, is it suffering from the cold and worryingly, Orville replies with barely audible coos that it doesn't feel hot or cold anymore. From his place in the basket, Mr Loner yells out to Orville that it doesn't have anything to prove anymore, and when Meowth relays the same message Orville replies that Meowth didn't give up and neither will he! Meowth gasps as he realises this is true, even when he was in agony walking on two legs and struggling to wrap his Meowth mouth around human syllables, he never considered giving up his dream, and neither will Orville. The passionate Pidgey whispers that pushing itself this hard makes it happy and Meowth says he understands, it was like that for him, too. Glints of ice fall in Orville's wake as it flies (leaving a sparkling trail behind it much like a Ho-Oh does) and Meowth yells for it to keep going!
It flies higher and higher, the earth revealed beneath it now that it is so high as it tells Meowth what the planet looks like, higher than any Pidgey has gone before, higher than most Pokemon will ever go.... higher than almost every human will ever go!
"I've flown so far Meowth," Orville tells Meowth, who provides translation, "My wings can almost touch the stars, I can see the moon before me!"
Meowth asks how it is feeling and it says Orville replies it has never felt happier, it feels it could almost see the sun... as its eyes close and it seems to fade, fade and die as it accomplishes its dream at the cost of its life. Yes, Gentle Dodgers, the Pidgey has done the impossible and flown as high as you can fly without leaving the atmosphere. It has achieved its dream at the ultimate cost....
And Meowth roars at it to come back, come back and tell them about all the things it has seen!
Orville's eyes shoot back open, fighting off death as it declares that it will return to tell everyone what it has seen, including (ESPECIALLY) its fat cousins. It spreads its wings and shatters the ice on them, then dives down, seeming to burn up as it plummets and the twerps, Loner and Meowth all cry out for it to try and change direction or it will crash. With an effort, Orville turns and smashes into Meowth, knocking them both through the balloon and into the basket. Meowth is stunned for a second, then leaps up and puts an oxygen mask over Orville who doesn't respond, and Pikachu fires a brief burst of electric energy.... and Orville bounces back to its feet!
Meowth wipes away a tear of happiness, and then the balloon starts to plummet towards the earth, watched by the Fat Pidgey that see to their horror that the balloon is going to crash. Not wanting to see Orville make the journey of a life-time only to die on its return, they force their fat little bodies into top speed (barely faster than a slow stroll), flapping their tiny wings and pulling up.... lifting slightly, flying a few scant feet into the air and absorbing the impact of the falling balloon which tips sideways off of them and crashes to the ground for a painful, but survivable, landing!
The twerps lie on the ground, Loner holding Orville in his hand and smiling as Jesse, James and Meowth cling to the side of one of the spent rocket boosters.
"Another... happy ending for them," gasps James.
"Unless...." starts Jesse.
"No more," interrupts Meowth, and then suddenly the booster fires a last burst of fuel and leaps into the air. Wobbuffet salutes and Team Rocket blasts off again!
Ash is confused (moreso than usual) and asks Loner what happened? He thought the Pidgey couldn't fly on this island? Loner answers speculatively, figuring that Orville showed them they could fly, and as the little Pidgey flies above its fat relatives, they leap up and down trying to recapture the flying ability they only recently remembered they hand.
As the sun sets, the twerps head away down the beach, waving goodbye to Loner and leaving him once again all alone with only some fattened up birds for company.... and lunch?
Later than night elsewhere on the island, the spent rocket booster lies smashed on the beach, while Jesse and James hang from their jackets on a tree branch on a cliff. Both are humiliated and uncomfortable, and wondering where Meowth is.
Where is he? Why sitting on top of the tree, joined by Orville.
Meowth asks if the Moon looks the same up there as down here, and is it really made of cheese? Orville coos an answer and Meowth smiles.
It seems you had to be there.
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