Pokemon Learning League

A Silver Line Opportunity (Minerals)

Written By
Timothy Whitfield
(Episode opens on an exterior shot of the Mission Guides’ studio on a
partly cloudy afternoon with a sea breeze blowing through the air, with
the rest of Torom Island bustling about. Pull/fade-in to a panning shot
of the studio lobby, where a Rotom zig-zags through the lobby and
around to the top of one of the sentai statues, while Diana and Quinn
chase it around.)
Diana (sternly): Rotom, get back down here right now!
Quinn (also sternly): Yeah, or you’ll be in a lot more trouble than
before!
(Rotom bolts its down, but zooms past them, and phases through a wall
on the left side of the room.)
Quinn: Oh, not again!
Diana: Taming this one is proving to be quite a challenge.
Quinn: No doubt, but it’s got to be done.
(They carefully scan the room, but then spot Rotom emerging from the
right side, and then go straight into a supply room full of electrical
equipment.)
Quinn and Diana: Uh-oh!
(They run into the supply room after it. Pan right over to Ada’s Office,
where she’s working out the layout for a new Pokemon training
ground.)
Ada (to herself): Hmm, the bullseyes can go over here, the speed
course right over on this side, and the reflectors can go here. Yeah,
that’s looking good so far. Now, for the flying course…
(She draws in the aforementioned sections into the area. Pull out from
her office and pan right over Lex’s office, where he’s in the midst of
sculpting a maquette of Reshiram, and is working on its head. He scans
and compares it to a sketch of Reshiram he did.
Lex (to himself): Yes, yes, that’s a good start. Now, for the tricky part.
(He carefully sculpts in the tufts in Reshiram’s ears, then smoothens &
rounds them out, flexes them to the correct position and gently places
them on both side of its head. Lex compares it to the sketch.)
Lex: There we go.
(He screws the head onto the torso.)
Lex: Now, that’s starting to look good.
(Cut over to Siara’s office, where she’s scanning various news articles
from across the island, until she stops on a particular one.)
Siara (intrigued): Oh, what do we have here?
(She comes upon an article about a recent discovery of a vast amount
of silver deposits in the valleys north of the city.)
Siara (curiously & skeptically): Oh, really? I’ll just go check it out and
see if it is the real deal.
(She looks over at her excavation tools, as well as the various storage
containers and bags.)
Siara: Looks like I’ll be needing some sturdier equipment for this
excavation.
(She gets up from her desk, leaves her office and goes out to the
market. Cut outside to the island pier, where a boat comes in and
docks, the foremen roll out the staircase and put it in place. The
passengers proceed to dismount from the ship, including Ritchie and
Sparky, who briefly glance around the town.)
Ritchie: This seems a very nice place, doesn’t it, Sparky?
Sparky (agreeing): Pika-chu.
Ritchie: Right. We’ll pay the Mission Guides a visit first, then explore
what the rest of the island has in store. You ready to go, pal?
Sparky: Pika, Pika!
Ritchie: Great.
(Just then, Ritchie’s stomach gurgles and he cuffs his hands around it.)
Ritchie: Oh. (chuckles sheepishly) But I guess we better get some more
food first.
Sparky: Pika.
(They depart from the pier and head into town. Fade in to six minutes
later, where they’re at the market, already have a basket full of canned
fruits and vegetables, bread & some rice, and are scouting through the
aisle’s various selections. Ritchie looks up at some fruit cups.)
Ritchie: That one’s pretty good. (He turns to Sparky.) Think you can get
it down from there?
Sparky: Pika-chu.
(He climbs up the shelves, picks up the fruit cups a drops it down to
Ritchie, who catches it below.)
Sparky: Pika!
Ritchie: Heh, thanks, and nice drop.
(He places them in his basket, and Sparky begins to climb down from
the top shelf, but then stops in place.)
Sparky: Pika, Pika!
(He points to a Pokemon food variety pack on the shelf on the opposite
side.)
Ritchie: Good eye, Sparky. That’s just what we need.
(He gets it and puts it in his basket. Now, they continue on down the
aisle. Pan right over to the next aisle over, where Siara, who already
has some plastic bags, examines the sturdiness of a big plastic
container.)
Siara (to herself): Yeah, that is very sturdy, and it hold exactly the
amount I need. Yep, this is the one.
(She picks it up, puts it under her cart and heads on over to the aisle
Ritchie and Sparky are just exiting.
Sparky: Pika, Pika-Pika!
(Ritchie stops in his tracks.)
Ritchie: What is it, Sparky? Huh?
(He spots Siara turning a corner into the aisle.)
Ritchie: Hey, Siara!
Siara: Ritchie, Sparky! How’ve you two been since the trainers’
tournament?
Ritchie: We’ve been doing terrific. Yourself?
Siara: Same as you. I take it you’re here to explore the island and visit
our studio?
Ritchie: Mmm-hmm, you bet we are.
Sparky: Pika, Pika.
Ritchie: So, what kind of plans do you have going?
Siara: Oh, I’m heading up to the valleys to find out if some recently
unearthed silver deposits are the real deal.
Ritchie: Really? That sounds cool.
Siara: Oh, it will be. (beat.) Hey, you want to come along and help me
out?
Ritchie: After hearing about it, we were hoping you’d ask.
Sparky: Pika-chu.
Siara: Great! So, after we finish up here, we’ll head back to the studio,
get the rest of my equipment, and catch the ferry.
Ritchie: Sounds like a plan.
Siara: Good, but let’s first finish up here.
Ritchie: Right.
(They resume shopping through the aisle. Fade in to four minutes later,
at checkout, where they pay for their stuff, leave the store and head for
the studio. Cross-fade to three minutes later, and they’ve arrived back
at the studio, where they see Diana and Quinn have laid out some
Pokemon food inside a plastic container with small holes at the top and
some one-way windows.)
Ritchie (softly): What are Quinn and Diana doing?
Siara (softly): They’re trying to get and tame a rascally Rotom.
Ritchie (still softly): Ahh, got you.
(Cut over to Quinn and Diana.)
Quinn: Okay, ready?
(Diana nods her head back.)
Quinn: Good.
(Diana gently slide opens the container and gets into her spot. Rotom
then emerges out from the wall, catches a whiff of the food, goes into
the container, and starts wolfing it down. Quinn presses a button and
the container closes and locks up while it still eating.)
Diana: Yes! We finally got it.
Quinn: That was tougher than we thought, but we can finally get to
Rotom’s training.
(They gently pick up the container, just as Ritchie, Sparky and Siara
come over to them.)
Ritchie: Hey, guys. Great job on getting Rotom.
Sparky: Pika, Pika.
Quinn: Ritchie, great to see you, and thanks for the complements. You
have no idea how obnoxious this Rotom was being.
Ritchie: I think I can imagine.
Diana: Well anyways, we better get this fella to the training course
before it figures out what’s going on. See you later.
(Quinn and Lex gently carry Rotom’s container over to the training area,
while Ritchie, Sparky and Siara stop by Lex’s office, where he’s carefully
painting in Reshiram’s head and face.)
Ritchie: Hey, Lex. How’s that new model coming?
Lex: Oh, Ritchie, Sparky. It’s nice to see you, and it’s coming along
great. As you can see right now, it’s at the painting stage.
Ritchie: That’s awesome, and what’ll you do from there?
Lex: Then, it’s on to doing a larger-scale model, then the full-size one.
Ritchie: That’s amazing. Well, good luck with that.
Lex: Oh, I’ll have no problems with it, Ritchie. You have a good time
now.
Ritchie: We will.
(They exit out and goo next door to Ada’s office, where she’s still
working hard on the training course’s layout.)
Ritchie: Hi, Ada.
Ada: Oh, hey Ritchie. How’s it going?
Ritchie: Doing good.
Ada: It’s been a little tough, but it’s coming along well.
(She shows him the layout so far.)
Ritchie: Well, if I can make a suggestion, how about setting up the
defense course over here, by the speed course?
(He points to a spot on the right side of the speed course.)
Ada: Hmm, that could make for a good spot. Thank you, Ritchie.
Ritchie: No problem, Ada.
Siara: Come on, Ritchie. Let’s get over to my office.
(They exit Ada’s office, and go across the hall to Siara’s.)
Ritchie: Hey Siara, I meant to ask: what made you decide to investigate
the silver deposits, anyway?
Siara: Well, it’s because, speaking as someone who unearthed a lot of
pyrite and at first thought it was actually gold, I’m not entirely sure if
it’s really silver. Plus, I hate for those people to be disappointed if they
later found out it was actually nickel.
Ritchie (comprehending): Ahh, I get you now. (curiously) So, aside from
just looking at them, how else can you tell the difference?
Siara: I’m planning on doing some tests on it.
Ritchie: What sort of tests?
Siara: Ahh, it’ll be a lot easier to explain that by showing you why.
Ritchie: That’s what I figured.
(She switches on a wall monitor, pulls up the files, selects the minerals
one, and opens it up, and it features various info on them paired up
with various animated segments on screen.)
Siara: As you well know, minerals are elements or chemical
compositions that have been crystallized or formed due to various
natural processes, like weathering or even form from a volcanic
eruption.
Ritchie: That’s true, I do know that.
Siara: Some minerals, like gold or silver, are made up of just one
element, while others, like quartz, are chemical compounds. Also, it
should be noted that rocks are different from minerals, in that they’re
an aggregate of various minerals, and don’t have a specific chemical
composition.
Ritchie: Uh-huh. So, I guess now it’s time to explain how one can
distinguish them?
Siara: You got it. One of the most effective ways to distinguish similar-
looking minerals would be to test their physical properties, and
minerals have eight unique ones they can be classified and
characterized by: hardness, luster, color, streak, specific gravity,
cleavage, fracture, and tenacity.
Ritchie: Ahh, I see.
Siara: Yep. Hardness, of course, can be determined by the mineral’s
ability to scratch another.
Ritchie: Okay, that’s one pretty easy.
Siara: Next one up is identifying the luster, which is how well they
reflect light. Some minerals don’t have any luster and can be referred
to either as earthy, chalky, or even dull.
Ritchie: That’s rather interesting.
Siara: Color is one of the more obvious properties of a mineral, but it’s
important to know that it’s good for identifying a mineral, but it should
never be used as the major identifying characteristic.
Ritchie: Got you there. What else?
Siara: Next, there’s the color of a powered mineral, or the streak. You
usually get it from rubbing it on a streak plate. Some minerals won’t
streak due to them being harder than the streak plate.
Ritchie: Yeah, like diamonds. But for this next one, how exactly can
finding the specific gravity distinguish a mineral?
Siara: Ahh, the specific gravity, or the relative density, is the ratio
between the mass of a mineral and the mass of an equal volume of
water.
Ritchie: Ahh okay, I get it now.
Siara: Next up is examining the cleavage, which is basically the way a
mineral breaks along a smooth flat plane. They typically occur along
planes of weakness in the mineral’s structure.
Ritchie (comprehending): All right, then.
Siara: When a mineral breaks in an irregular fashion, said breaks are
called fractures, and they be categorized as either grainy, conchoidal,
hackly or splintery.
Ritchie: Okay, now that’s something interesting.
Siara: The last, but certainly not the least important, method is testing
how well they resist breakage, also known as their tenacity, which can
range from being brittle, malleable, or sectile, to flexible, and even
elastic.
Ritchie: Ah-ha. Boy, there are more methods to tell different minerals
apart than I originally thought.
Siara: Well, that’s what comes when you’ve had plenty of experience.
So, are you up for a quick Q&A round?
Ritchie: Mmm-hmm, you bet.
Siara: I thought you’d say that.
(Siara pulls up a Q&A video, showing eight examples of the eight
distinguishing methods.)
Siara: Okay, ready to go, Ritchie?
Ritchie: As much as I’ll ever be.
Siara: Good. First up, what distinguishes gold from pyrite?
Ritchie: They each have different colored streaks.
Siara: Very good. All right, what distinguishes quartz from feldspar?
Ritchie: They each have different fractures when they break.
Siara: You got it. Next, what separates talc from gypsum?
Ritchie: Talc has a dull luster, and they both have different color
palettes.
Siara: Now, what separates corundum from a diamond?
Ritchie: This one’s easy: the diamond is harder than moissanite.
Siara: That’s right. Good job, Rich.
Ritchie: Thanks, Siara.
(Siara looks over to the clock and sees it’s ten minutes to 2:00.)
Siara: Oh, it’s about time to catch the ferry. Save the rest for another
Q&A?
Ritchie: Sure thing.
(Siara switches off the monitor, packs up the rest of her equipment into
her backpack and loads up the container.)
Siara: Okay, all set?
Ritchie: You bet.
Siara: Good. Then, let’s get moving.
(They pick up the containers and proceed to exit her office. Cross-fade
to five minutes later, where they’re boarding the ferry.)
Ritchie: Phew. Good thing those containers weren’t too heavy.
Siara: Yeah, but they’ll be a heavy load when we’re done. (She briefly
ponders.) Say, Ritchie. Since it’ll be a while before we get to the valley,
how would you like to see some of the island’s interesting sights?
Ritchie: Sure, that’d be great. I mean, we came to see them, anyways.
Siara: Good, because all I’ll say right now is, you’re in for a treat.
(The ferry casts off from the docks and heads out on the ocean. Fade-in
to six and a half minutes later, where Siara & Ritchie, along with a few
others, watch a pod of Wailord going by the ferry.)
Ritchie (amazed): Wow!
Sparky (also amazed): Pika!
Siara: Not every day a huge pod of them come by here.
(The pod dives down below the surface as the ferry turns starboard, but
then Siara spots a large rock spire not too far from them.)
Siara: Ritchie, come over here and have a look at that spire over there.
(She points him toward it.)
Ritchie: Wow, now that’s a huge spire.
Sparky: Pika, Pika.
Siara: Yep, and that’s also where the wild Rotom go to breed.
Ritchie: Oh, why’s that?
Siara: Every year, some big thunderstorms pass through the area, so
you can imagine there’s a whole lot of lightning.
Ritchie: Yeah, that makes total sense.
(They continue cruising along. Cross-dissolve to seven minutes later,
and they’re going by a tall waterfall, which shimmers in the sunlight like
sapphires. Siara points it out to Ritchie.)
Siara: There are the Sapphire Falls, the largest waterfall on the island.
When the sunlight hits the water at just the right angle, it makes it
shimmer, well, like sapphire.
Ritchie: Yeah, it certainly does. (He turns over to Sparky.) What do you
think, Sparky?
Sparky: Pika-chu.
(Cross-fade to six more minutes later, and they’re passing by a cove,
where they see people swimming in it, along with schools of Lumineon
and Finneon.)
Ritchie (to Siara): Hey, this looks like a fun place to swim at.
Siara: It is. This is where anyone can come to learn how to swim, as
well as get to swim along with the many schools of Lumineon and
Finneon living in it.
Ritchie: That’s cool.
(Fade-in to 10 more minutes later, where they’re going by a large
whirlpool, situated between two cliff walls.)
Ritchie: Whoa, that looks like a strong whirlpool.
Sparky: Pika-chu.
Siara: That’s the Torom whirlpool, one of the most famous tourist spots
on the island.
Ritchie: Ahh.
(He looks up to the cliff tops to see people throwing in various items
into the whirlpool.)
Ritchie: Why are they tossing their stuff into it?
Siara: Well, it’s meant as a sort of tribute to the original island natives
that lived here hundreds of years ago.
(Ritchie ponders the idea for a brief moment.)
Ritchie: Okay, I get it now.
(Just then, Siara’s stomach gurgles and cuffs her hands around it.)
Siara: Yeah, it’s about time for lunch, anyway.
Ritchie: Yeah.
Sparky: Pika-chu.
(They stroll over to the galley. Fade in to four minutes later, in said
galley, where Ritchie, Siara and Sparky having a nice lunch of fresh fruit
sandwiches, onigiri, garlic knots, Pokemon food and fruit punches.)
Siara: Man, complements to the ferry’s chefs. They really know how to
make a great lunch.
Ritchie: Yeah, you said it. (beat.) Oh, Siara, I meant to ask you earlier: If
the mineral does turn out to be silver, what do you plan to do with it?
Siara: Well, I’ll use it for some experiments, use it to fund more
elaborate and ambitious projects, and share it with everyone else in the
studio. After all, it wouldn’t feel right to keep it all for myself.
Ritchie: That’s good to know.
Siara: So, what are other parts of the island are you going to explore
after you leave the lab?
Ritchie: Oh, we’re just going to see what sort of Pokemon live in the
forests here.
Siara: Ahh. Well, I’ll just say, you’re going to be in for quite a wild ride.
(Siara looks out the window, on the horizon, and sees the northern port
coming into view.)
Siara: Well, we still have a few minutes before we reach the port, so
what do you say to doing that second Q&A round?
Ritchie: Of course. (He turns over to the audience.) Hey, you guys up
for doing this? (1.5 second beat.) Okay, then.
(Side wipe to the Q&A video.)
Ritchie (V.O.): Okay, to start off, what distinguishes silver from nickel?
(1.5 second beat.) One has a heavier specific gravity than the other.
You got it.
Siara (V.O.): Now, what makes gypsum different from anhydrite? (1.5
second beat.) Their different tenacities. Oh, yeah.
Ritchie (V.O.): Next, what makes quartz different from calcite? (1.5
second beat.) One has a cleavage, while the other doesn’t. Good eye.
Siara (V.O.): Finally, what separates azurite from malachite? (1.5
second beat.) They each have a different luster and streaks. Very
good.
(Fade in back to Ritchie and Sparky.)
Ritchie (casually): you guys did a great job.
Sparky (casually): Pika-chu.
(He turns out to the ferry pulling into the docks.)
Ritchie: Well, it’s time.
Siara: Yep. Then, let’s get to it.
(They get up from their seats, pick up the containers and equipment,
and Cross-fade to twenty-one minutes later, and the duo arrived at the
valley, where the mining operation is in full swing: miners picking out
deposits from the ground with pickaxes, Sandslash, Excadrill and
Dugtrio digging out or loosening some of the larger ones, Machamp
breaking them down into smaller ones, Alakazam, Gothitelle and
Gardevoir lifting up the large boulders out of the way, and scientists
testing & analyzing some samples. Ritchie and Siara go off to a
secluded section.)
Siara: Hmm, this looks like a good sample.
(She breaks off small pieces from three different deposit, and conducts
various tests on them: checking their hardness, streaks, their specific
gravity, and fractures.)
Siara (pensively): Hmm…
Ritchie: What’s the verdict, Siara?
Siara: Well, Ritchie, I can officially confirm that… (3 second beat) this is
the real deal.
Ritchie: Awesome! That’s great!
Sparky: Pikachu!
Siara Yeah, I honestly hoped it’d be real, too. So, what say we get to
the mining?
Ritchie: You bet.
Siara: Good.
(They each get out two Pokeballs.)
Ritchie: Zippo, Cruise. Come on out!
Siara: Espeon, Diggersby, let’s go!
(They toss their balls up and Cruise (Tyranitar), Zippo (Charizard),
Diggersby, and Espeon emerge.)
Espeon (energetically): Esp!
Siara: All right, everyone. We’ve got some mining to do. Ready to do
it?
(They all nod their heads in agreement groups splits off. Now, a
montage commences, where they dig out various silver deposits.
Diggersby and Siara dig up some deposits, then Espeon lifts them with
its psychic abilities and places them in the bags. Next, Ritchie, Cruise
and Sparky unearth and break down some large deposits, then
Diggersby uncovers and picks out an oddly shaped one from the
ground, and Espeon & lift it out of the hole. Later on, Siara, Diggersby
and Ritchie dig up a huge boulder-sized deposit, which Zippo proceeds
to pick up, then Cruise breaks it up into smaller pieces with its tail and
they proceed to catch as many of them in the bags and containers as
they can. Montage concludes with Ritchie loading up the last small
container and bags into the large one.)
Ritchie: Phew. That was a heavy one, but it’s all loaded up.
Siara: Yeah. You and your Pokemon were awesome, Ritchie
Ritchie: Thanks, Siara. So were yours.
(They exchange a handshake. Then, Siara looks at her watch and sees
it’s quarter to four (4:45).)
Siara: All right, time to get a move on.
(She and Ritchie brandish the Pokeballs.)
Siara: Diggersby, Espeon, you did a great job out there. Return.
Ritchie: You too, Zippo and Cruise.
(They call them back to their Pokeballs& store them away, then proceed
to call back their Pokemon, then pick up the container and head for the
docks. Fade in to two hours later, where they’re back at the studio and
they exchange the silver deposits with the others. Cross-fade to Siara
and Ritchie standing outside the studio entrance, with Ritchie holding
his own container of silver.)
Ritchie: Hey Siara, that was a lot of fun. Thanks for inviting us along.
Siara: No problem, Ritchie. I had a great time with you, too. (beat) Oh,
hang on a second. I have something for you.
(She goes into her pocket and pulls out a gold nugget.)
Ritchie (amazed): Wow!
Sparky (also amazed): Pika!
Ritchie (hesitantly): Nah, I don’t think I should accept this.
Siara: It’s okay, Ritch. Consider it as a friendly gesture. Besides, I have
plenty more of them. Also, not to worry. That nugget is made of real
gold.
Ritchie: Oh. Well, thanks.
(He takes the nugget and puts it in his pocket.)
Ritchie: So, what sort of project do you have in the works?
Siara: I’m working out the kinks on the voice box of this android I’ve
been working on.
Ritchie (intrigued)L Really?
Siara: Mmm-hmm, but it’ll be awesome once it’s fully complete.
Imagine it being able to respond back to you on its own instead of
parroting what’s been said.
Ritchie: Yeah, that would be pretty awesome.
Siara: Well, I better get rolling on it. See you two later.
Ritchie: See you.
Sparky: Pikachu.
(She returns inside the studio. Ritchie then turns over to Sparky.)
Ritchie: Okay, pal. Let’s go see what this forest has in store for us.
Sparky: Pika.
(They depart from the studio and head out to the forest. Pull away
from the studio entrance, then cross-fade to an aerial view of the studio
and town and fade to black, ending the story.)