Pokmon Learning League

Media Part 2: Fact or Opinion

Written By Timothy Whitfield

(Episode opens with a narrator doing a recap of the events of the previous episode.) Narrator: Last time, Ash and his friends had made their own video broadcast to try and warn trainers about the Pokmon Relaxation Station and to try and reveal who the Gold and Platinum trainers are. Broadcast: *So, who are they? This might surprise you, but they are really---* (The broadcast cuts off abruptly.) Everyone: (gasps in shock and surprise.) Narrator: Just as their broadcast reaches the point where it was about to reveal who the two trainers are, it mysteriously cuts off. Will our heroes get to the bottom of this mystery? Stay tuned and find out. (After the narration, the episode starts up where it left off.) Ash: What the?! Pikachu: Pika?! Misty: What happened to out broadcast? Iris: I dont know, Misty. Cilan, did you make sure that it was set up correctly? Cilan: Yes, I made sure that the broadcast was properly set up. May: Okay, if its not that, then what couldve caused this?

(Brock thinks for a minute.) Brock: Ive got it. Our broadcast mustve been sabotaged. Ash: Sabotaged? By who? Brock: I think it was by the gold and platinum trainers. Max: What? Why would they want to sabotage our broadcast? Brock: Because they dont want us to tell anybody who they really are. Dawn: Okay, so what do we do now? (They all think for a minute.) Cilan: Lets go down to the Relaxation Station and see what theyre really doing with those Pokmon. Dawn: Okay, Cilan. Lets get going. Piplup: Piplup. (They all leave the Pokmon center and head down to the Relaxation Station. On the way, the streets of the city are very quiet as theyre walking along, then they pass by a TV store and see the commercial is playing.) Commercial: *Come on in to the Relaxation Station and get your Pokmon all pumped up and feeling the sensation.*

Gold trainer: Come on down to the Pokmon Relaxation Station, where your Pokmon will receive the ultimate relaxation treatment. Platinum trainer: You heard right. This spa will provide all your Pokmon with all of the latest relaxing techniques. Then, after that, we will give them a special rigorous training session in our Gym. Gold trainer: We guarantee that after your Pokmon have spent a day here, they will be relaxed and be stronger than before. If you dont believe it, then well show you. Heres a Piplup before it entered the station. Piplup: (tired) Piplup. Gold trainer: See? Now, heres that same Piplup after it spent some time in our spa. Piplup: (energetic and buffed up) Piplup. Platinum trainer: Wow, look at those results. So, come on in to the Pokmon Relaxation Station today. You will not be disappointed. Gold and Platinum trainers: *Come on in to the Relaxation Station and get your Pokmon all pumped up and feeling the sensation.* (The commercial ends and the group groan in annoyance.)

Max: That commercial is spreading lies. Misty: You said it, Max. Trainers dont know whats really going on at this Relaxation Station. May: And they dont know that the messages the commercials are sending out arent true. Brock: Yeah, and I think that its starting to have an impact around here because there are fewer trainers on the street. (We see that there are only a few people walking about on the street.) Ash: Thats probably because they all sent their Pokmon to the spa and now have nothing to do. Dawn: You know Im starting to think that those trainers arent paying close attention to the messages. Cilan: You might have a point, Dawn. They dont know if the messages are fact or opinion. May: You know that does raise an interesting question. How can you tell if something a fact or an opinion? Ash: I dont know, May. I wonder how you can tell if something is a fact or opinion. Iris: Lets give Lex a call. (She pulls out the Pokepilot and calls Lex.) He might know something about this.

Lex: Hey, guys. How are things going in Jubilife City? Dawn: Not so good, Lex. A lot of trainers have sent their Pokmon to the Relaxation Station and are not doing anything right now. Lex: Oh, thats not a good sign. Well, what else happened? Max: We made our own broadcast to tell trainers about the spa and who the trainers really are? Lex: Okay, so how did that go? Misty: It was going great for a while, but then it got sabotaged before it could reveal who the trainers were. Lex: Oh, my goodness. That mustve been shocking. Ash: It was. And now, were on our way to the Relaxation Station to try and find out what theyre really doing with those Pokmon. But, then, we saw the Relaxation Stations commercial again and we started to question if the messages it sending out are fact or opinion. So, we thought you might know how we can tell if something is a fact or an opinion. Lex: Sure I do. If a statement is fact that means it can be proven to be true or false. Lets say that youre talking about the weather and you say that the temperature right now is 60 degrees F. This is a fact because you can look at a thermometer and see if its right or wrong.

Max: Okay, but what if a statement is an opinion? Lex: If a statement is an opinion, it expresses a persons feelings and cant be proven. Like, when someone says that today its going to be cool to mild, thats an opinion. But you have to be careful because some opinions can be based on facts or emotions and can used to deliberately mislead others. May: Boy, knowing when somethings a fact or an opinion is pretty tricky. Lex: It might get that way sometimes. How about I show you something? Dawn: Okay, Lex. Piplup: Piplup. (Cut to a video monitor in Lexs Lab.) Lex: Okay, Im going to show you four excerpts from the commercial and youre going to say if whats being said is a fact or an opinion. Everyone: Okay. Lex: Good, then lets get going. Heres the first excerpt. Commercial: Come on down to the Pokmon Relaxation Station, where your Pokmon will receive the ultimate relaxation treatment.

Lex: Is what the character saying a fact or an opinion? Ash: Thats an opinion. Lex: Good one, Ash. Heres the next one. Commercial: This spa will provide all your Pokmon with all of the latest relaxing techniques. Lex: Is what the character saying a fact or an opinion? Misty: Its a fact. Lex: Way to go, Misty. Heres the next one. Commercial: We guarantee that after your Pokmon have spent a day here, they will be relaxed and be stronger than before. Lex: Is what the character saying a fact or an opinion? Cilan: That would be a fact. Lex: Very good, Cilan. Heres the last one. Commercial: So, come on in to the Pokmon Relaxation Station today. You will not be disappointed. Lex: Is what the character saying a fact or an opinion? Dawn: Thats an opinion. Lex: Great one, Dawn. Good work, guys.

Everyone: Thanks, Lex. Piplup: Pip. Pikachu: Pika. Axew: Axew. Lex: No problem. Okay, well, I better get back to work. See you later, guys. Everyone: See you, Lex. Cilan: Okay, guys, before we go to the Relaxation Station, how about we go over what we know? Max: Okay, Cilan. Why dont we ask our friends at home if they would like to go over with us? Dawn: Sure thing, Max. (She looks at the viewers.) Would you like to go over with us? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Okay. How can you tell if a statement is a fact? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) It can be proven to see if its true or false. Way to go. Brock: How can a statement be an opinion? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) It can be one if it expresses a persons feelings and cant be proven. You got Everyone: Good work, guys. Axew: Axew.

Pikachu: Pika. Piplup: Pip. Ash: Okay, guys. Lets get to that Relaxation Station. (They head down the street. They keep going until the reach the Relaxation Station.) May: Well, here we are guys. Ash: Now, lets head inside and see whats really going on. Iris: Not so fast, Ash. How about we ask our friends at home if they want to help out? Ash: Okay, Iris. (He looks at the viewers.) Would you like to help us out? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) (Cut to a map of the stations hallways.) Brock: This map shows all the stations hallways. What youre going to do is tell us if each statement is a fact or an opinion. The more you get right, the closer we get to those trainers. Okay, lets get going. All matter is made of atoms. Is this a fact or an opinion? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) Its a fact. Okay. (They go through the door and go down the hallway until they come to the next door.)

May: Heres the next one. Rich people are very mean. Is this a fact or an opinion? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Its an opinion. Very good. (They go through the door and go down another hallway until they come to the next door.) Ash: Heres the next one. The solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy. Is this a fact or an opinion? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) Its a fact. All right. (They go through the door and go down another hallway until they come to the next door.) Dawn: Heres the next one. Pokmon hate tomato berries. Is this a fact or an opinion? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Thats an opinion. Good one. (They go through the door and go down another hallway until they come to the next door.) Cilan: Heres the next one. The earths atmosphere is made up of gases. Is this a fact or an opinion? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) This is a fact. Very good. (They go through the door and go down another hallway until they come to the last door.)

Misty: Heres the last one. Selfish people are the worst kind of people around. Is this a fact or an opinion? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Its an opinion. Yeah. (Cut to everyone standing in front of the last door.) Everyone: Way to go, guys. Pikachu: Pika. Axew: Axew. Piplup: Pip. Dawn: All right, lets get inside this room. (Inside the room, Team Rocket is hoarding over a bag full of Poke balls, giggling evilly.) James: Well, it looks like our Relaxation Station plan went off without a hitch. Jessie: Yeah, they really though that we were train their Pokmon when were really going to give them all to the boss. Meowth: Yeah, the boss will be pleased with this. (The gang comes straight into the room.) Ash: Team Rocket. We shouldve known you were behind this. Pikachu: Pika. James: Its the twerps.

Meowth: They always seem to show up where we dont want them. Brock: Return those Pokmon. Jessie: If you want these Pokmon, youll have to get through us. (They both pull out their Poke balls.) Ash: Thats fine by us. Go, Pikachu. Pikachu: Pika. Dawn: Go, Piplup. Piplup: Piplup. Iris: Axew, lets go. Axew: Axew. Brock: Come on out, Croagunk. Croagunk: (croaks.) Misty: Lets go, Gyarados. Gyarados: (roars.) May: Wartortle, I choose you. Wartortle: Wartortle. Cilan: Pansage, come on out.

Pansage: Pansage. Jessie: Woobat, come on out. Woobat: (squeaks.) James: Go, Yamask. Yamask: Yamask. Ash: Pikachu, thundershock. Pikachu: Pika-chuuu!!!! (Pikachu sends out a blast of electricity.) Jessie: Woobat, dodge it! (Woobat moves up away from the electric blast.) Brock: Croagunk, use poison sting. (Croagunk fires little darts from its mouth.) James: Yamask, block that with your mask. (Yamask holds up its mask and deflects the little blasts.) Dawn: Piplup, use bubble beam. (Piplup fires a beam of bubbles from his mouth and hits Yamask directly.) James: Come on, Yamask. Fight back with shadow ball. (Yamask fires a ball of dark energy and hits Piplup.)

Cilan: Pansage, use bullet seed. (Pansage fires a barrage of seeds from its mouth and hits Woobat directly.) Jessie: Woobat, use air slash. (Woobat flaps its wings really fast and sends a wave of blue disks and hits Pansage directly.) Meowth: Okay, you asked for it. Get ready for a taste of me fury swipes. (He makes his claws longer and comes charging forward.) May: Wartortle, use water gun, now. (Wartortle fires a burst of water and hits Meowth.) Jessie: Woobat, use gust attack. James: Yamask, you use will-o-wisp. (Woobat flaps its wings and sends out a gust of wind and Yamask fires little balls of fire that get caught in the gust and get pushed forward.) Misty: Gyarados, counter with flamethrower. Iris: Axew, you counter with dragon rage.

(Gyarados breaths fire and Axew fires a greenish flame and cancels out both moves and hits both Pokmon directly, knocking them out.) James: Yamask, no. Jessie: Oh, my dear Woobat, are you okay? Meowth: Uh, guys, I think we should be worried if were going to be okay. Ash: All right, lets finish this. Pikachu, use thunder. Cilan: Pansage, use solar beam. May: Wartortle, use ice beam. Dawn: Piplup, use hydro dump. Iris: Axew, use dragon rage. Brock: Croagunk, use poison sting. Misty: Gyarados, use hyper beam. (They fire all of their attacks and then they combine together to create a powerful blast.) Team Rocket: (screaming.) (The blast hits them, causing an explosion that sends them flying off.) Team Rocket: Were blasting off again!

(They fly off into the distance.) Everyone: All right! Pikachu: Pika! Piplup: Piplup! Axew: Axew! Brock: Okay, lets get these Pokmon back to their trainers. (He carries the bag with and they all walk out of the spa. A few hours later, at sunset, everyone has their Pokmon back and Bianca speaks to the group.) Bianca: Thanks for getting my Pokmon back. I had no idea it was that awful Team Rocket gang. Cilan: No problem. You didnt know who it really was. Bianca: Yeah, I know. I just cant believe that I fell for their trick. Ash: Dont worry about that, Bianca. Just be more careful when you see an ad. Bianca: Okay. Well, I better be going. See you later. (She walks off.) Brock: Well, guys, the Pokmon are now back with their trainers.

Cilan: You said it, Brock. It nice to see the Pokmon back with their respectful trainers. Ash: You know, it was very exciting saving the Pokmon. Dawn: Youre right, Ash. Rescuing them and defeating Team Rocket was really exciting. (They all turn to the viewers.) Everyone: Thanks for everything, guys. Piplup: Piplup. Pikachu: Pika. Axew: Axew. (Cut to them standing in front of the TV station.) Misty: We had a great time. Did you have a great time? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Oh, good. I liked that we saved the Pokmon. Brock: I liked visiting the city. Iris: I liked how the attacks combined. Ash: I liked battling Team Rocket. Cilan: I liked returning the Pokmon. May: I liked doing those examples.

Dawn: I liked seeing Team Rocket blasting off. Max: I liked making our broadcast. Everyone: Thanks again, guys. See you next time. (They all wave goodbye to the viewers, and everything irises out, ending the episode.)