Pokemon Learning League

Conquering Fear

Written By
Timothy Whitfield
(Story opens with harsh winds blowing hard and heavy amounts
of snow coming down and blowing everywhere. Pan down to
Ash, Pikachu, Iris, Axew and Clemont, who have donned their
winter attire, struggling to trek through the thick snowbanks.
Ash glances over to the audience.)
Ash (shivering): H-h-hey guys.
Pikachu (shivering): Pika.
Iris (shivering): H-h-hi.
Axew (shivering): Axew
Clemont (shivering): H-h-hello.
(Ash turns over to Iris and Axew.)
Ash (worried): Hey, Iris, are you and Axew going to be okay?
Iris (reassuring): Don’t worry, Ash. We’ll be fine.
Axew (reassuring): Axew.
Ash: All right.
(They continue trekking through. Cross-fade to a half hour
later, where the snow and wind starts coming down even
harder then before, to the point where one can’t see far off into
the distance. The trio stop in their tracks.)
Ash: This is getting really bad.
Pikachu: Pika.
Iris: Yeah, we’ll end up getting lost around here before we ever
get to Snowpoint.
(beat. Clemont briefly ponders, then gets an idea.)
Clemont: Don’t worry, guys. I’ve got just the thing.
(He goes into his backpack and gets out a five pairs of special
weather-resistant goggles. He hands them each one pair.)
Both (confused): Huh?
Iris: How are these going to help?
Clemont: I’ve modified these goggles specifically to help use be
able to see through heavy rain or snow.
(He puts them on. Cut to Clemont’s P.O.V, and it appears the
snowfall has lessened and almost looks clear. Cut back to Ash
and Iris preparing to put theirs on, and doing the same with
Pikachu & Axew.)
Both (impressed): Wow.
Iris: This is amazing.
Clemont: Thanks, guys.
Ash: Come on, let’s keep going.
Pikachu: Pika.
(They continue on through the snow. An hour later, the wind
and snow have tremendously died down and it’s cleared up.
The trio come up over a snow-covered hill.)
Ash: Here we are, guys. Snowpoint City.
(They take off the goggles and pull back to reveal Snowpoint
City. The rooftops of the buildings are covered in snow and are
gleaming in the Sun.)
Clemont: I have to say, it looks beautiful.
Iris: Yeah, no question about that.
Axew: Axew.
(They now head down into the city. Cross-fade to eleven
minutes later, where they arrive at the Pokemon Center. They
brush and wipe off much of snow from their faces and coats,
and then go up to the front desk and greet Nurse Joy.)
Nurse Joy: Oh, my goodness. You three really braved through
that storm, haven’t you?
Iris: You better believe it, Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy: I’ll take care of your Pokemon in no time. Why don’t
you go over and get something nice and toasty to eat?
Ash: Sure thing, Nurse Joy.
(They walt over to the dining area. Fade in to nine minutes
later, where they’re enjoying a good meal of warm tomato
soup., grilled & toasted sandwiches, onigiri and glasses of fresh
lemonade.)
Iris: Ahh, this is just what we needed.
Ash: Hmm.
(Ash ponders for a brief minute.)
Ash: Hey, guys. How about head over to the Trainers’ School
after we’re done here?
Iris: Okay, sure Ash. Who’s the teacher there?
Ash: Her name’s Candice, and she’s also the leader of the
Snowpoint gym.
Clemont: Sounds interesting, and what’s her main specialty?
Ash (knowingly): You’ll just have to wait and see.
(Iris gives a worried expression to the audience.)
Ash: Hey, it’s no big deal, Iris. I don’t think she’s challenging
anybody today.
(Iris lets out a big sigh of relief.)
Iris: Oh, good.
(They continue chatting and eating. Fade-in to five minutes
later, and they go up to the front desk to get their Pokemon.)
Nurse Joy: All of your Pokemon are fighting fit and ready to go.
Pikachu (happily): Pika-chu
Axew (happily): Axew, Axew.
(Axew hops into Iris’s hair and Pikachu hops onto Ash’s
shoulder.)
Ash: Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy.
Pikachu: Pika, Pika.
Nurse Joy: Not a problem at all. You all have a great day now.
(They wave goodbye to her as they leave the Pokemon Center
and head on down the streets. Cut to four minutes later, and
they arrive at the Trainers’ School.)
Iris: Is this the place?
Ash: Yep.
(They walk inside. Cut to the classroom interior, and the trio
see Candice in the midst of teaching her class about the effect
weather has on some Pokemon attacks.)
Ash: Hey, Candice.
(Candice turns over to see the trio.)
Candice: Hey, Ash. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?
Ash: It sure has. This is Clemont and Iris.
Both: Hello.
Axew: Axew.
Candice: It’s a pleasure to meet you both.
Clemont: So, Candice, what sort of Pokemon do you specialize
in?
Candice: I use ice types.
Iris (quietly & worried, to herself): That’s what I thought it’d be.
Clemont: Ahh, interesting.
Candice: You three just so happen to arrive at the perfect time,
as I have some new ones that I got not too long ago.
Ash: That’s awesome. Can we see them?
Candice: Sure, but it’ll have to wait until I’m finished with my
class.
All: All right.
(The trio take off their winter gear, go over to the back and take
their seats as Candice resumes her current lecture. Cross fade
to fifteen minutes later, where the class lets out, and everyone
goes outside to see the new Pokemon there: a Cubchoo, a
Larvitar, a Togepi, a Cleffa, a Popplio and a Glaceon.)
Candice: Well, what do you think of them?
Ash: Cool.
Pikachu: Pika-chu.
(They all, except for Iris & Axew, who the former stays in place,
go over to the Pokemon and start having fun around with them.
Clemont calls out Chespin and begins playing around with
Larvitar, while Ash & Pikachu go over to the Popplio and starts
playing with it, as it shoots a water gun into the air and creates
a small drizzle.)
Ash: This is pretty cool. What do you think, Iris? (beat.) Iris?
(He looks over and sees Iris is still standing in place, with her
arms folded, eyebrows raised and pulled together, trembling,
her eyes wide open and looking away, fidgeting, her hair
standing up on ends and her lower lip quivering. Axew
worriedly watches on and pats her leg.)
Axew (worried): Axew.
Ash: I had a feeling this would happen.
Clemont: What, Ash? What’s wrong with her?
Ash: Oh, right. See, Clemont, Iris is really afraid of Ice-type
Pokemon.
Clemont: Oh. Why is that?
Ash: I have no idea. All she’s ever said was that it’s because
they’re the greatest weakness to dragon types, but I think
there’s a lot more to it than that.
Clemont (understanding): I see.
(Just then, Candice comes over to them.)
Candice: So, guys, I see the Pokemon are really been enjoying
your company so far.
Clemont: Yes, they’ve certainly have.
Candice: That’s great. Hey Iris, how about you? (beat.) Iris?
(She looks over to Iris, still petrified and trembling in fear.)
Candice (concerned): Ooh. What’s wrong with her?
Ash: Well, she’s really afraid of ice-types, and she’s never said
the real reason why to anybody.
Candice: I see. Well, let’s see if we can help her out.
(She and the others goes over to Iris. Candice gently taps Iris on
the shoulder.)
Candice (gently): Hey, Iris. You feeling okay?
(She stops trembling, takes a deep breath and calms down.)
Iris (calmly): Well, honestly no.
Candice: Ash was just telling me about your ice-type phobia.
It’s not easy for you to live with, is it?
Iris: Yes, you got it right on the head.
Candice: So, why don’t you tell us what really caused your fear?
Iris (hesitantly): Well… (beat) (fearfully) I can’t do it! It’s just
too painful!
(Candice places her hand on Iris’s left shoulder.)
Candice: Whoa, calm down, calm down, Iris. It’s going to be
okay. We’re all behind you on this.
(Just then, Clemont places his hand on her right shoulder.)
Clemont (honestly & gently): Yeah.
Ash (also honestly & gently): That’s right, Iris.
Pikachu (honestly & gently): Pikachu.
(Axew taps on Iris’s lap.)
Axew (affirmatively): Axew.
(Iris takes in a deep breath, them calmly exhales.)
Iris: Well, all right. It all started back on a special village trip to
the mountains outside Icirrus City…
(Flashback to several years ago, where Iris and her village
mates, along with other members go up to the mountains
outside Icirrus City, wearing their winter clothing. The sunlight
gleamed off the snowy surface. She travels around the area
with a boy named Randy and a girl named Jenny. Randy has
brunette hair, brown eyes, a wholly jacket, blue jeans and snow
boots. Jenny has blue hair in a ponytail, green eyes, and a blue
winter jacket and snow boots. The three gaze in awe at the
area as the sun glistens off the snow and ice-covered rocks.)
Young Iris: Wow! This place is beautiful.
Jenny: You said it, Iris.
Young Iris: What sort of ice-type Pokemon do you think live
here?
Randy: Who knows, Iris, but we’ll just have to find out.
(The group continues forward, until the village elder stops them
in a certain spot.)
Village Elder: Okay everyone, you’re now free to explore
around the area, but be careful. There are some pretty
territorial Pokemon living around here, so try to keep a good
distance away from them.
Everyone: Right.
(Everyone breaks off & go about exploring around different
parts of the area. Fade in to six minutes, where young Iris is
exploring around on her own.)
Iris (V.O): So, we split off and went exploring around for any
Pokemon. For a while, I didn’t have any luck, and was going to
rejoin, but then I heard a small cry.
(Young Iris hears a small cry nearby.)
Young Iris: What the?
(She scopes around the area, until she finds… a young Cubchoo
trembling.)
Young Iris (gently): Oh, hello there. I’m Iris. Are you all right?
(She gently strokes it on the head, while Cubchoo rubs its belly.)
Cubchoo: Cubchoo.
Young Iris: Don’t worry, I’ll go and get you some berries.
(She goes off to pick a handful of Yache berries from a nearby
bush, returns with them and feeds one to Cubchoo, who happily
eats them.)
Clemont (V.O): So, what happened afterwards?
Iris (V.O): Well, afterwards I watched over it for a few minutes.
It was all going fine, until…
(As Young Iris feeds it another berry, suddenly a big, looming
shadow casts over them. She turns around and sees… the
mother Beartic.)
Beartic: (roars fiercely and terrifyingly.)
Young Iris: (Screams in fear and terror.) AHHH!!!!
(She runs away, but the Beartic gives chase, where it starts
swiping its claws and continuously roaring at her, but she
narrowly evades the claws and runs faster down the trail.)
Iris (V.O): That Beartic was not about to let up, but then…
(Beartic fires light blue beams from its mouth at Young Iris,
freezing her in a block of ice. Beartic then turns tail and goes
back to its young. Pan left to young Iris frozen in ice.)
Ash (V.O): Ooh. How long were you frozen like that?
Iris (V.O): For about an hour before anybody found me.
(Cross-fade to moments later, where Randy and Jenny regroup
back on the path.)
Jenny: So, you have any luck finding any Pokemon?
Randy: No, I struck out. How about you, Jen?
(She shakes her head.)
Randy: Okay. You think Iris had any luck?
Jenny: Yeah, probably. She always seems to find Pokemon
anywhere.
(They continue on down the path, until they find Iris still
trapped in the ice. Jason gasps in shock.)
Randy: Oh, no. Iris!
(They run over to her.)
Jenny: Quick, go get help!
Randy: All right!
(He runs off. Jenny gently strokes against her)
Jenny (comforting): Don’t worry, Iris. We’ll get you out of there
in no time.
(Cross-fade to three minutes, where the rest of the village
members and elders have gathered about, with a Haxorus at
the ready.)
Iris (V.O): Luckily, the other villagers weren’t too far away, so I
was out of there in no time.
(Haxorus’s claws glows white and slashes at the ice, breaking it
and freeing Iris, who drops to the ground. Jenny comes and
picks her up and puts her arm over her shoulder.)
Jenny: Iris, are you all right?
Young Iris (shivering): Yes, I’m all right now. Thanks.
Randy: Tell us: what happened to you?
Young Iris (shuddering): A Beartic chased and then froze me.
Randy (sympathetically): Oh, I’m so sorry that happened.
Jenny: Come on, let’s get you out of here.
(They carry her off down the mountain. Dissolve to three days
later, back at the dragon village, where Young Iris is playing on
her own with a young Deerling.)
Iris (V.O.): After I got better, I try to go on with life as usual.
(Just then, Jenny comes over to her.)
Jenny: Hey Iris, someone’s showing off caught a Vanillite she
just caught. Want to come see?
Young Iris: Sure.
(She gently strokes Deerling’s head, and goes running off.
Cross-fade to seven minutes, where all the village kids are
gathered around, with the trainer Eileen, a long-haired
brunette, brandishing Vanillite’s Pokeball.)
Eileen: Vanillite, come on out!
(She tosses the Pokeball up and Vanillite emerges.)
Eileen: Now, who’d like to be first?
Young Iris: Me, Me, Me!
Eileen: All righty then, come on over.
(Just then, one of the village elders stops her.)
Village Elder (a little worried): Iris, are you sure you’re up for
this?
Young Iris (reassuring): Don’t worry. I’ll be just fine.
(She walks up to Eileen and her Vanillite, and is about to reach
her arm out to Vanillite, but then she hears her terrified
screaming from earlier, and suddenly pulls her hand away, and
starts shaking uncontrollably.)
Iris (V.O.): At first, it didn’t seem all that bad, like it was just a
one-time only thing, but it wasn’t.
(Go into a brief montage of other moments of young Iris’s other
interactions with ice-type Pokemon, as she continuously pulls
away and fearfully trembles before getting to interact with
them, and eventually started facing away from them in a fetal
position, with her hair standing on ends.)
Iris (V.O.): It just got worse and worse over time, until it got to
the point where just seeing them was enough to scare me,
even the little ones.
(It concludes with dissolving back to the present day, as Iris
concludes her story.)
Iris: That’s how it’s been ever since.
Clemont: Oh, I’m so sorry that happened to you, Iris. Have you
tried to get over it?
Iris: Yeah. I’ve tried many times on my own, but it’s been no
good. Even some of the village people offered to help, but
nothing worked.
Ash: Well, what about the time you handled a Vanilluxe?
Iris: Yes, but even then, it was one-time only and it didn’t stick
for long.
(Clemont places his hand on Iris’s shoulder.)
Clemont: Don’t worry, Iris. Maybe Quinn can help you with
this. (He pulls out the Pokepilot, switches it on and dials up
Quinn, who is currently repainting the walls of the dining area.)
Quinn: Hello, guys. How’s it going?
Ash: We’re doing fine, Quinn. What are you doing there?
Quinn: Oh, I’m just renovating the dining area. We thought it
needed a whole new feel & look.
Iris: Well, that’s good.
Quinn: Yeah.
(He looks over to Candice.)
Quinn: Oh, hello. I’m Quinn.
Candice: Nice to meet you. I’m Candice.
Quinn: Thanks. (He turns back over to the trio.) So, what are
you guys up to?
Clemont: We’re visiting the Snowpoint Pokemon Trainers’
School, and Candice was just showing us some of her new
Pokemon.
Quinn: Oh, that sounds like good fun.
Ash: It is. but Iris got really scared when she saw the Cubchoo,
and. We’re trying to help her get over her fears, so do you
have any advice that can help?
Quinn: Of course, I can. As a matter of fact, there’s a couple of
effective technique you could try.
Iris: What’s that?
Quinn: One is a technique called gradual desensitization. What
you do is expose yourself to what you fear in small doses until
you develop a better understanding of it and it begins to
dissipate. Let’s say you’re afraid of heights. You can start by
climbing up a hill, then gradually climb up a higher one.
(An animated segment plays, showing gradual desensitization
in progress.)
Ash: Okay, that’s good. What then?
Quinn: As you gain momentum, whatever you do, don’t let it
subside. Keep persevering it, even when you get to points
where it’s seemingly impossible to get past.
Clemont: All right, what’s the other technique?
Quinn: That would be to directly confront it. Sure, it sounds
like the simplest way, but it can be the best way sometimes.
Coming face to face with what you fear the most will allow you
to see that what you’ve been afraid of is not really what you
think it is. If you confront, say, a ghost-type Pokemon, you can
see that they aren’t as creepy as they seem.
Iris: Doing any of those can really help?
Quinn: Yes, they can. Oh, I should mention that another way is
you can change the way you think about it, like seeing your fear
as an opportunity.
Ash (intrigued): Really?
Quinn: Yep. It may sound strange, but what it means is that
you can use it to identify problems and solve them. Like, if
you’re afraid of the water, think about the many possibilities
that can come when you eventually overcome it.
Clemont: Oh, I see.
Quinn: So, how about we do a quick Q&A session?
Clemont: All right.
(Pan down to a lower panel, showing three situations of
trainers attempting to confront their phobias.)
Quinn: All right, you guys ready?
Ash: You bet.
Pikachu: Pika-chu.
Quinn: Okay, then. This girl comes across a Skunky, and she
can’t stand them. What do you think she should do?
Clemont: She should confront it.
Quinn: All right, Clemont. Here, this boy is coming to face off
against some psychic Pokemon, which he doesn’t like. What do
you think he should do?
Ash: He shouldn’t stop persevering and go for it.
Quinn: Okay, Ash. Finally, this girl is really afraid of fire types.
What do you think she she should do?
Iris: She should try using gradual desensitization.
Quinn: Okay, Iris. You guys did great.
Iris: Thank you, Quinn.
Axew: Axew.
Quinn: No problem, Iris. Now, I need to get to renovating. See
you guys later.
Ash: See you, Quinn.
Pikachu: Pika, Pika.
(Clemont switches the Pokepilot off and places it back in his
pocket. Cut to Candice.)
Candice: Hey, let’s say we get the Pokemon’s lunches ready?
They’re probably getting hungry by now.
Iris: Yeah, good idea.
Axew: Axew.
(They head on inside to get the food. Cross-fade to fifteen
minutes later, where the group brings out a cartful of dishes of
food, and, with Iris & Axew giving Larvitar and Togepi their
food, Ash and Pikachu giving Cubchoo and Glaceon theirs,
Clemont feeding Popplio them feeding, and Candice doing the
same with Cleffa. Then, they sprinkle the Pokemon food with
freshly chopped-up berries.)
Clemont (complementing): That was a good idea you had there,
Candice.
Candice: Thank you, Clemont. It’s something I picked from a
breeders’ magazine.
(Ash turns to Iris.)
Ash: All right, Iris, you ready to face up to your fears?
Iris (very hesitantly): Uhhh…
Ash: Hey, no need to hurry, but maybe doing another Q&A
simulation might help out.
Iris: Sure, that’d be great.
Clemont: Okay. (He turns over to the viewers.) Hey, you guys
up for it? (1.5 second beat as he gets the Pokepilot back out
and switches it on.) All right, then.
(Dissolve to three simulated scenarios of Iris gradually getting
over her fear.)
Clemont: Let’s get to it. Here, Iris isn’t sure if she want to go to
the Snorunt. What do you think she should do here? (1.5
second beat.) She should use gradual desensitization. Very
well, then.
Iris: Here, I come face to face with a Glalie. What do you think I
should do here? (1.5 second beat.) I should confront it. All
right.
Ash: Now, Iris is going to the mountains to train her Pokemon
against the Ice types that live there. What do you think she
should do? (1.5 second beat.) She shouldn’t stop persevering
it. Okay, then.
(Cross fade back to the gang as Clemont switch the Pokepilot
off and puts it back in his pocket.)
Clemont (casually): Very good, you guys.
(Cut to Candice turning over to Iris.)
Candice: Okay, Iris, you ready to give it a shot now?
Iris (reluctantly): Well, I guess so.
Ash (meaningfully & reassuring): Hey, consider this: doing this
will put you one step closer to becoming a Dragon Master.
(She thinks about it for a second.)
Iris: You’re right, Ash. Okay, I’ll do it.
(She goes over to the Cubchoo, kneels down to its level and
slowly extends her hand out to its face. She hesitantly pulls it
away, with the sound of her younger self from her memory,
screaming in terror in her head, but she shakes her head, and
takes a calming deep breath.)
Iris (to herself): All right, Iris. It’s time.
(She extends her hand out once more and gently strokes its
face.)
Cubchoo (happily): Cubchoo.
Iris: (sights in relief.) Hi there, Cubchoo. I’m Iris, and this is
Axew.
Axew: Axew.
Ash: Way to go, Iris!
Pikachu: Pika-chu!
Candice: You did really well there, Iris.
Iris: Thanks, you guys.
Candice: Now, let’s really have some fun with the Pokemon.
Iris: You bet.
(A montage goes on, showing the group having fun with the
Pokemon: Clemont calling out Chespin and begins playing
around with Togepi, Pikachu giving a playful chase to Cleffa, Iris
& Axew playing tag with Cubchoo and Glaceon, Candice giving
Larvitar & Popplio a tickle on the stomach. It concludes with
them laying the Pokemon down for a nice rest.)
Ash: Man, these Pokemon sure know how to have fun.
Pikachu: Pika, Pika.
Iris (agreeing): No joke. I almost thought they would never get
exhausted.
Axew: Axew.
(beat. Iris turns over to Ash, Clemont and Candice.)
Iris: Hey guys, thank you for helping me get over my fear. I
really appreciate it.
Clemont: Hey, it was no problem, Iris. You would’ve done
something similar for us.
Ash: Yeah, and now, you’re one step closer to becoming a
dragon master.
Pikachu: Pika-chu.
(Iris gleefully smiles. Cut over to Candice.)
Candice: Now, that’s a step in the right direction. (beat.) Say,
guys. Want to come and see the new renovations we’ve done
to the gym?
(They leave the schoolyard and head into town. Cross-fade to
six minutes later, where they arrive at the Snowpoint gym, with
the entry way now adorning ice sculptures of Abomasnow on
either side and the pathway is decked out with glass
snowballs.)
Ash, Iris, and Clemont (impressed): Wow!
Pikachu (also impressed): Pika!
Axew (also impressed): Axew!
Candice: Mmm-hmm, but this is just the beginning.
(She leads them inside. Cut to the interior and the battlefield,
decorated with sculpted icicles on the walls over the stands,
large snowballs on the either ends, the battlefield’s wider and
decked out with larger ice boulders and icicles coming out of
the ground.)
Ash: This is so awesome! You do double battles now?
Candice: You bet.
Clemont: I take it you wanted to shake things up right?
Candice: You got it, Clemont. How’d you figure that out.
Clemont: I happen to be the Lumiose City gym leader myself.
Candice: Nice.
Iris: Well, it certainly fits with the gym’s aesthetic.
Axew: Axew.
(Iris ponders for a moment.)
Iris: Say Candice, did you visit Icirrus City?
Candice: As a matter of fact, I have, and as you can guess, I got
of inspiration from that trip.
Ash: You sure did.
Pikachu: Pika-chu.
Candice: Ash, Iris. What say we have a double battle next time
you visit again?
Ash: You bet. Sounds like a lot of fun.
Iris: Same here, and we’ll be ready for what you have.
Axew: Axew.
(Pull back to an aerial view of the battlefield, then cross-
fade/pull back from the exterior of the gym, the pull up to the
sky and fade to black. Fade back into several hours later, where
the trio is now on a ship en route to Canalave City.)
Iris: So Ash, what does Oreburgh City have in store?
Ash: Well, there’s the Oreburgh gym and the mine, and it’s the
city’s main energy source, but sometimes, they’ll find some
fossils down there.
Iris: Really?
Ash; Oh, yeah. (beat.) Hmm, I wonder…
(Ash gets out his Rotom Phone and calls May and Kiawe.)
Kiawe: Hey there, Ash.
May: Hi Ash, what’s up?
Ash: Clemont, Iris and I are heading for Oreburgh City. You
want to come and visit it with us?
Kiawe: Sure, that’ll be great.
May: Same here. We’ll be there soon.
Ash: All right. See you, then.
(He switches the Rotom Phone off and places it back in his
pocket.)
Clemont: Something tells me we’ll be in for a fun time.
(The trio winks to the audience, look out on the ocean’s horizon
and fade to black, ending the story.)