Game Crazy

[ [Theme Song ]

(Pipo tosses a pearl up) Pipo: Oh! Whoa. That counts at least as one point, doesn't it? Ricky: Well, no. To score a point, you have to hit the big pebble, not the boat. Ella: That's why it's called the Pebble Game. Pipo: Yeah, well, it's easy for you, when all I have is tiny little fins. That's cheating! Annabel: But it's just a game. Why is he all upset? (Annabel tosses a pearl to a nearby plank with a hole, and the pearl falls into the hole) Ricky: Whoa, right in the hole! (tosses another pearl and it falls right into the hole) Yeah! Pipo: What are you guys doing? Annabel: We just came up with a new game. Go on, try it. It's fun. Pipo: What are the rules? Ella: Let's say that if the pebble falls into the hole, you score a point and you get another turn. Otherwise, it's the next player's. (Pipo tosses a pearl and it falls into the hole) Pipo: Easy-peasy. But it's not a question of strength. (Outside the playground, Jimbo and Lulu heard the kids laughing) This is a simple game, isn't it? (Lulu and Jimbo both enter the playground) Ricky: Huh? Lulu: That game looks like fun! (Later, Lulu is playing the game. He tosses a pearl and it falls into the hole) Yah-hoo! On the very first try! Ricky and Ella: Huh? (Later that day, most of the villagers are in line to play the game) Pipo: Go on, Daddy, to the left. To the right. Go! (Pipo's father drops the pearl) Not bad. Not... near the hole. What a shame. (The Rockfish all arrive) Glitz: What's going on here? Ella: Annabel invented a super-cool game, and now everybody in the world wants to try it. Ricky: And now we have to stand in line. Annabel: That's all right, we could go play something else, no? Glitz: (to Crudd and Babbles) Aha.

Glitz: Well, it's just like a board, with a hole in it, and they try to get a stupid pebble into it. What a bunch of dingbats. Big Boss: And you say that all the villagers are crazy about it? (Jax stops scrubbing him) Marco, Philippe, bring me all the boards with holes in them you can find on this shipwreck. (Big Boss swims to his cabin to get to his treasure chest) They like their little game? They're gonna love mine.

Villager: Come on already! (A school of fish push Albert) Albert: Hey! Stop pushing back there! Alpha: Yeah. Otherwise I'm gonna be mad. Billy: (to Lulu) Come on already! Pipo: This is taking forever. If he beats the record, he'll be ahead of the two champions tied for first place-- (Lulu throws the pearl to the hole) Ella and Ricky. (The villagers in line all cheer for Lulu) That makes seven. We have a new champion. Ricky and Ella have lost their title. (The villagers are still cheering) Babbles: Seven? Is that all? That's pathetic. I've already scored 12 points. Annabel: Yeah, right. We never even saw you play. Babbles: Because I beat the record on a different board. Alpha: You mean there are other boards? Glitz: Lots. And they're way better than this one as well. We're going there right now if you're interested. (The villagers all follow the Rockfish to Big Boss's shipwreck) Annabel: Ohh.

Villagers: Whoa. Big Boss: Come on right in, my friends. Boards for everyone. With more holes and top competition-quality marbles that slide perfectly. Ricky: Whoa! Villager: You gotta admit, it's pretty cool. Big Boss: The rules are easy, and the house is offering each player ten pearls to get started with. Ha ha! You can throw one pearl, or several at a time. Just one pearl in any one of the holes, and you win. And you get to play again. (Crudd pushes the pearls down to the holes. The pearls all roll onto a pipe and land in a tray. Philippe picks up the tray and dumps the pearls in a bucket) And at Big Boss', there are no losers. You can play as long as you like. You just have to get at least one pearl into a hole. This is a super game, isn't it? (Pipo pours a bunch of pearls and some of them get into the holes) Glitz: 18! The new official record. Pipo: Huh? Hey, I'm the new champion! (laughs) Villagers: Huh? (The villagers all swim to get some pearls) Big Boss: All right, my friends, everybody gets a chance. There are no losers! Enjoy yourselves! (Annabel watches as Ricky and Ella are both playing the game, and she swims out of the shipwreck, feeling sad. Big Boss snickers as the villagers all addictively playing the game non-stop)

Sammy: Huh? (sees Ray swimming nearby) Ray, where are you going? You look really exhausted. Ray: It's just that, uh... as a matter of fact, I--I--I'm gonna get some rest in the whirlpool bubble bath shell. See you later. (swims away) Sammy: Huh?

Annabel: Huh? (Annabel sighs when Ricky and Ella both swim past her, ignoring her. She tosses the pearl into the hole, feeling depressed)

Alpha: Albert? He went off to visit his family. Actually, come to think of it, I'm invited as well. Bye, now. (swims away) Sammy: Huh? (swims around the reef) Would somebody mind telling me what's going on? Crab: I don't have time. I gotta go sharpen my pincers. Sammy: (sees Annabel swimming alone) Annabel, can you tell me what's going on around her? (Shelly and Rita both arrive) Annabel: Well, uh... not much at all anymore. Sammy: That we can see. Now, now, don't you think it's time you told us everything? Annabel: It's all my fault! I invented a game and, well, Big Boss improved it and-- Sammy: Big Boss. I should've known.

Sammy: Boy, are they going to hear from me. How can one waste so much time on such silliness? (Annabel and the turtles all look inside to see the villagers all addicted to the game, and Big Boss have turned his shipwreck into a casino) Marco: Hmm? A little seaweed roll? Sammy: Hello? I hope I'm not bothering you too much. Ray: Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Big Boss: Sammy, my good old pal. Your presence is an honor to my establishment. Sammy: You've gotta be kidding me. All right, everybody. Stop all of this right now and let's go home. (swims to Lulu) And what a fine example you're setting, Lulu. What are the children going to learn if they no longer go to school? Lulu: Well, it's a game that develops dexterity and metal calculation. Marco: (to Shelly and Rita) A little seaweed roll, ladies? Shelly and Rita: Ohh. (Later, Shelly is starting to play the game) Shelly: It's true that it does look kind of fun. Sammy: Excuse me? Big Boss: Well, yeah. You gotta give it a try. The rules are simple. Sammy: Come on, I got it. It's not that complicated to put a pearl into a hole. Your game is completely idiotic. (Sammy rolls all the pearls down, but none of them get into the hole) Lulu: (laughs) It's so idiotic that Sammy can't even do it. (Everyone laugh at Sammy) Sammy: Hang on, hang on. Let me try again, but concentrating this time. (rolls the pearls down) Three out of four. What'd you say the record was? Rita: 41. Annabel: Oh, no! (Soon, the villagers continue their game and Big Boss watch them with an evil grin) Big Boss: Ha ha! Ray: Ooh. Big Boss: Now that the balkers have finally give in, it's time to move on to phase two of our plan. (Big Boss, Marco, and Philippe all swim out of the shipwreck, but no one notice them, except Annabel) Annabel: Hmm. (Annabel follow BIg Boss, Marco, and Philippe)

Big Boss: Didn't I tell you that one day the village would be all mine? Right. Now's the time to act. Here's the plan. You scorpfish go and hide all the food. They won't think they're so clever when their food is rationed. The Rockfish: Okay. (The Rockfish all swim away) Big Boss: Marco and Philippe, you go block the entrance to the reef and set up a tollbooth. Marco and Philippe: Yes, boss. (Marco and Philippe both swim away. Nearby, Annabel is hiding in a sea anemone) Annabel: Ohh!

Annabel: Big Boss has taken over the village! Lulu: And? Annabel: And? Big Boss is in the village! He's in our village! He just moved in because there's nobody there anymore. Ricky: Okay. What about it? Annabel: Sammy, we gotta get back to the village! It's urgent! Big Boss has invaded it with his moray eels and scorpfish! They have to be kicked out! Sammy: Um, yeah. We'll see about that... later. Annabel: The whole world's gone backwards! Big Boss is on our turf, and we're on his. Oh! Ahh.

Philippe: It sure is calm here. Marco: When did you say the villagers were coming back already?

(Marco and Philippe both arrive. Marco is holding a board) Philippe: Boss? Boss? Big Boss: What's going on? Have they come back? Philippe: Well, no. Actually, seeing as we're so bored, we thought maybe we could play a little game. Big Boss: They'll come back, they'll come back. (Annabel arrives) Annabel: No, they won't come back! Marco: Halt! You gotta pay the toll. Right, boss? Annabel: The village is yours now, but without its inhabitants to boss around, it's not so much fun, is it? Big Boss: They'll be back. Annabel: No, they won't. They're having too much fun at your place. And all the while, they're letting you occupy their village that's just getting more and more filthy. Big Boss: You wouldn't be trying to insinuate that-- that I'm being swindled, are you? Annabel: Mm-hmm. Big Boss: Huh?

Big Boss: All right, now, this here is my turf, and I'm the one in charge. I'm closing down this game room. Marco, Philippe, gather up all the pearls. Ricky: Hang on a second. He wants to take all our pearls and prevent us from playing? Albert: Are you crazy? Alpha: Let us play. Pipo: Get out of here. Find yourself another board and leave us alone. (The villagers all angrily glare at Big Boss. While they're distracted, Annabel rounds up all the pearls and throw them down to the bottomless rift) Huh? The pearls! There's only one left to play with. (The villagers all chase after Pipo to get the last pearl. Albert bumps into several objects and they're all falling down near Big Boss) Big Boss: Aah! (Pipo bumps into a plank) Pipo: Uhh! Ohh! (Pipo drops the pearl, but Big Boss catches it) Big Boss: Now, now, now. You haven't been very nice, haven't you? I think I just might have to throw this very last pearl into the great abyss. Unless, that is, you decide to be more obedient. Marco: So, who's your boss now? Annabel: But it's just a game! Why is everyone so upset? Ella: You mean it's... all over? No more records to beat? No more games? Ricky: I feel kind of silly all of a sudden. Sammy: Right. Let's all go back to the reef. We have a village waiting for us. (The villagers all leave the shipwreck) Big Boss: Hey! I have the very last pearl! (Annabel knocks the pearl away from Big Boss, causing it to fall down the rift) Ahh!

Pipo: You were right, Annabel. Games aren't made for winning. They're made for having fun. Sammy: Well said. And now let's play a little something called cleaning up the village. Pipo: Ohh. I preferred the pebble game.