The War of the Fish

[ Theme Song ]

Crudd: Watch out. The great Crudd is going to score! Babbles: You didn't scare me. (Crudd passes the coin to Babbles, but Babbles didn't catch it) No! Crudd: So, then, what about now? Babbles: But it went out here, right, Glitz? (Glitz is looking out of the playground) Glitz? Glitz: Huh? What? Crudd: Forget it. You don't feel like playing, do you? Is it because of Babbles? Heh heh heh. Glitz: No. This game is stupid. Let's get out of here. (Ricky, Ella, Pipo, and Annabel all arrive) Ricky: Good idea, stingers. Go somewhere else. Glitz: No, now I feel like staying. We feel so at home here. Ricky: Out of the question. This playground is for everyone. Weren't you leaving anyway? Crudd: Get out of here, flippers. (tosses the coin and it hits Pipo on the face) Pipo: Ouch! Crudd: Go on, shoo! Before we get seriously angry. Ricky: And what if it was more like you who left, stinger? Crudd: You want to see about that? (The Rockfish all growl at Ricky, Ella, and Pipo) Annabel: Hmm? Oh, relax, you guys! This is a playground after all, isn't it? So why don't we all play together? Glitz: Yeah, let's play a game. Good idea. The stingers against the flippers. The winners get the playground, and the losers go somewhere else. Ricky: No problem. We'll beqat you at any old game you want. Glitz: We'll just see about that. There are three of us, so let's play three games. In the end, the team that wins the most games wins. (Ricky and Glitz both snarl at each other) Ricky: Okay. Pipo: Uh, well, yeah. But there are four of us, Ricky. Annabel: I'll be the referee and the organizer. It'll be great. It'll be so much fun!

Annabel: So, this is what I propose. We'll start off with a little obstacle course. Pipo: Oh, yeah. This one is for me. I love weaving in and out at high speed. Babbles: Okay. I'll make it my job to humiliate you, pointy-nose. (Pipo groans) Annabel: Ready? One, two, three, go! (swims up and changes color to green) Ella: Um, maybe you guys should go, no? (Pipo and Babbles both start racing) Babbles: Actually, your pointy nose doesn't make you as arrow-dynamite as all that. Pipo: You mean aerodynamic! Babbles: Yeah? Well, for your information, Mr. Smarty Pants, I'm the head-- (sees that he almost swim into a cavern wall) Uhh! (Pipo swims inside the cavern hole) Glitz: Stop mucking around, Babbles! You have to win this! (Ricky and Ella both laugh) Babbles: Uhh! Pblblblbl! (Pipo swims inside the cavern, but he bumps into Jimbo who's blocking the cavern exit) Pipo: Jimbo! Could you get out of the way, please? We're in the middle of a race here. Jimbo: Of course not. I happen to be sleepy. Pipo: Oh, hurry! Babbles: Ha ha! I've caught up to you. (pushes Jimbo out of the way) Jimbo: Ouch! (Pipo and Babbles both swim to a seaweed forest. Babbles get stuck between the seaweeds) Pipo: So, then, having a hard time moving forward? (Babbles shoves Pipo into a nearby seaweed, causing his face to get stuck) Ow! Oh, no! Babbles: Oh, yes, fishbone-head. I won! (Babbles crosses the finish line) Glitz and Crudd: Yay! Way to go, Babbles! (Ricky and Ella swim to Pipo) Pipo: I'm really sorry, pals. I totally failed. But he cheated. Babbles: I didn't cheat. I tripped. It's not the same. I didn't do it on purpose. Ella: Don't you worry. You did your best. And that was just the first match. All is not lost. Ricky: She's right. But winning against the scorpfish is gonna be more complicated than I thought. Annabel: All right, everybody. Now we're going to move on to the next competition-- pearl throwing! You each get two tries. Ricky: I'll go first. Glitz: Crudd's gonna crush you, shrimp-o. Ricky: Glitz is right. Crudd is a lot stronger than I am. If I want to win, I'm gonna have to be super-clever. Annabel: All right, everybody get into place. Crudd: (tosses a pearl) Yah! Annabel: And a super-good throw by Crudd! Bravo! (The Rockfish all laugh) Ella: Good luck, Ricky. Annabel: Next contestant! Ricky: (grunts as he picks up the pearl) Yah! (tosses the pearl) The kids: Huh? (Ricky's pearl lands farther away from Crudd's) Ricky: Yes! Pipo: Bravo, Ricky! You're the best! Babbles: What are you doing? You're gonna get beat by the flippers? How embarrassing. Crudd: You haven't seen anything yet. (tosses another pearl away) Yah! (Crudd's pearl lands even farther than Ricky's) Ella: Ohh! (The Rockfish all cheer) Crudd: I'm afraid it's all over, pals. Ricky: I gave everything I had with the first throw. Pipo: No way. If you lose this match, the scorpfish will win the tournament. Ella: We know you can do it, Ricky. Pipo: Boy, oh, boy. I can't watch. Crudd: Forget about it, shrimp-o. You don't stand a chance against a big, strong fish like me. It's the law of the undersea. Ricky: The undersea? But... of course! (swims up to the surface) I'm within the boundary. Glitz: Hey, what's he doing? Ella: I don't know. Ricky: (tosses his pearl) Yah! (swims back down) Crudd: Hey! Where's the pearl? Ricky: It's right there, behind you. (Everyone all see Ricky's pearl that's farther away from Crudd's) Annabel: Yay! Bravo! Ricky won! Hooray! Crudd: What? What is this all about? You cheated! Ricky: I did not. I used all my strength. But also my head. Was there a rule that forbid us doing that, Annabel? Annabel: No, there wasn't. Ricky: Out of the water, I'm a whole lot stronger. (Ricky laughs, causing the Rockfish to all growl at him) (Later at dawn, the Rockfish are swimming to Big Boss's shipwreck) Crudd: I still can't believe I got beat by a flipper! Glitz: For the final match, we'd better ask advice from someone who can show us how to win for sure. Crudd: Hmm. I know just what you're thinking.

Ray: You want me to train you? Ella: Yes, please, Ray. We're in the finals of a tournament with the scorpfish, and we really need your advice in order to win. Ray: Aha. All right. Yes, I'd like that. I love challenges. And just what does this last match consist of? Ella: A labyrinth. The first one between Glitz and I to come out will be declared winner, allowing their team to win. Ray: Hmm. In that case, I know how we're gonna train. (Later at the palaver tree, Ricky, Pipo, and Ray all watch Ella meditating) Ricky: Uh, Grandpa? Maybe Ella's fallen asleep because, uh-- Ray: Shh. Let Ella concentrate for this experiment. When we have our eyes closed, we're much more sensitive to the sounds that surround us. Now, Ella, concentrate. Use everything you hear and feel to guide yourself all the way to us. (Ella starts swimming around) Yeah. Huh? (Ella bumps into a sea plant) Ella: Uhh! Ow! Pblblblblbl! (meditates again, but she swims into another sea plant) Uhh! Ray: Gentle training is the best solution, believe me. (Ella groans)

Big Boss: Come on, faster, lazy-bones! To the left! To the right! Right! Left! Faster! Babbles and Crudd: Right! Left! Right! Big Boss: Nothing beats physical training to overcome your adversaries. (Glitz pants) Above all, discipline! (a crash is heard) Right. We're not out of the woods yet. It's a good thing for weaklings like you there's another solution-- cheating!

Ray: Oh, well, look who's here. One would have to be pretty desperate to take you on as a trainer. Big Boss: You talking about yourself, gramps? Why don't you just go munch on a jellyfish instead of hanging around here? Ray: Know that your presence is only tolerated here so that I can see the look on your face when you lose. Big Boss: Ohh, I'm trembling. Glitz: Right, can we get going with this or what? (Glitz and Ella are inside the labyrinth) Annabel: So, you know the principle. The first one to exit the labyrinth wins. And it's forbidden to swim too high up. We're watching you. (She swims behind a crab) Glitz and Ella: Huh? Huh! (Glitz and Ella both swim away) Big Boss: Ha ha! Looks like your old-school hippie methods no longer work, Ray. Ray: Yeah, well, it looks like your protege is falling behind. Big Boss: She can take her time. Yours is so poorly trained, she'll never find the way out. Ray: The way out? You want me to show you the way out? Big Boss: Loser! Ella: I'm never gonna make it this way. I have to do it the way Ray taught me to. (sighs) Big Boss: Oh, yeah? Go let her try! Ray: Loser! Ella: Follow the voices. (Ella follows the sounds of Big Boss and Ray arguing) Big Boss: I'm way better than you are. Glitz: Oh, no. I've already passed by this way. Right, this time I've had it. (Glitz swims up and hides behind the crab) Big Boss: Who do you think you are? You'll see! Ray: We'll see about that! Big Boss: See about what? What do you think? Ray: Slowpoke! Mollusk! (Glitz sees Ella) Glitz: Ella's almost at the exit! (swims down) There's no time to lose. By going straight ahead, I'll get there before she does. (swims through the seaweeds) Aah! No! Not now! I'm stuck! Wretched seaweed! Help! Somebody help me! (Ella also get to the exit, but she stops when she hears Glitz) Ella: Huh? Glitz: Help! (Ella follows the sounds of Glitz's voice) Ella: How did you manage to get yourself stuck like that? Glitz: Uh, I, uh... Are you gonna help me or not? Ella: All right. (Ella pulls Glitz out of the seaweeds. Glitz sees the exit nearby) Glitz: Oh. (Ella and Glitz both get out of the maze) Annabel: And it's a tie! Ricky: Way to go! But, uh, what happens if it's a tie? Ella: What does it matter? Glitz: Yeah. I just wanted to say, uh... thanks for coming to get me. Ella: Well, the important thing wasn't about winning, but about having fun. Annabel: You see? I told you we could all have fun together! (The kids all laugh) Glitz: You're right. I hope our trainerse won't be too disappointed, though. (The kids all swim to Ray and Big Boss, who're still arguing) Ray: I have more experience. I know what I'm talking about. I'm gonna win. Ella: Uh, Ray? Big Boss: Ha! And I know how to lead a team for it to win hands down. I'm gonna win. Glitz: Big Boss? Ray: I could swallow you whole right now! Big Boss: Why don't you just try? Ricky: Uh, Grandpa? The competition is over. Ray: Hang on, now isn't the time. I'm explaining to this old seahorse why he's going to lose. Big Boss: That's what you think. Glitz is gonna win, fins down. (The kids all swim away) Ricky: Right. Why don't we all go to the playground together? Crudd: Good idea. How about a cork game tournament by teams? Babbles: Okay. Which team do I go on? The kids: Not mine! Ha ha ha ha!