Pokemon Learning League
Sound Localization
Written By
Timothy Whitfield
(Episode opens with Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, Piplup, Brock, Cilan, Iris and Axew at the beach in Undella Town in their bathing suits and Iris speaks to Brock.)
Iris: It sure feels great today, doesn't it, Brock?
Brock: It sure does, Iris. There's no clouds in the sky, the water's calm and it's peaceful.
Dawn: Hey, guys. Are you ready to do a little playing?
(She holds up the beach ball, which looks like a Master Ball.)
Ash: Okay, Dawn.
Pikachu: Pika.
Piplup: Piplup.
Iris: I am.
Axew: Axew.
Brock: Yeah. Me too.
Cilan: I'm up for it.
(They all head into the water and play around with the ball. Dawn hits the ball to Brock, who then hits it to Iris, who then hits it to Ash and so on, splashing water about and laughing playfully.)
Brock: Man, this feels great.
Ash: You said it, Brock.
(Pikachu and Axew drift about on floaties and Piplup swims around. Piplup then splashes both of them.)
Piplup: Piplup, Piplup.
Pikachu: Pika.
Axew: Axew.
(As they continue playing, we then cut to the point of view of a mysterious creature below the water. We don't see it, but it swims over to where the gang is and gets closer and closer. Cut back to the surface and the gang.)
Ash: All right, heads up, Iris.
(He hits the ball. As it heads to Iris, she gets pulled down a little bit and then gets hit on the head by the ball.)
Ash: Huh? Are you okay, Iris?
Iris: Yeah. Something just pulled on me a little.
Brock: Don't worry about it. It was probably just the waves.
(They continue to play with the ball, but just as they're about to, we cut to the creature's point of view as it's about to grab Iris by the legs.)
Brock: Here it comes, Dawn.
(He hits the ball to Dawn.)
Dawn: Hey, Iris. See if you can hit this back.
(She hits it to her.)
Iris: Oh, I will.
(As the ball heads to her, she tries to jump up to hit it, but she gets stuck in place.)
Iris: Huh? What the? I can't move.
(Suddenly, she gets forcefully pulled down below the water and she screams.)
Iris: AHHHHHH!
(The others gasp in shock.)
Cilan: Oh, no.
Ash: Hang on Iris! I'm coming!
(He heads down below the water. He catches up to Iris and grabs her arms. From the creature's point of view, it tries to keep its grip on her legs by giving a harder grip, but Ash manages to pull her up and the creature loses its grip. They both pop back up to the surface. They all head back to shore. Ash and Iris breathe heavily.)
Iris: Thanks, Ash.
Ash: No problem, Iris.
Dawn: Iris, are you okay?
Iris: (catches her breath) Yes, I'm fine.
Cilan: What happened out there?
Iris: A giant Pokemon attacked and pulled me down.
Cilan: What? Did you see what kind of Pokemon it was?
Iris: No, I didn't.
(Brock sees little faint markings on Iris's legs.)
Brock: Uh, guys. You need to have a look at this.
(They take a look at the markings.)
Dawn: What kind of markings are those?
Iris: I don't know. They must've came from the creature after it let go of me.
Ash: Hey, guys. Look at the waves.
(They see that the waves are getting rougher.)
Cilan: That's odd. It was calm just a few minutes ago. What could've caused them?
(A woman named Anelma runs up to them.)
Anelma: Hey, everyone. How are you doing?
Dawn: We're doing fine. Ash just saved Iris from a mysterious Pokemon, who left some weird marks on her legs.
Anelma: Oh, no. This is the 22nd time this has happened.
Cilan: Wait. This has happened before?
Anelma: Yeah. You see, over the last few weeks, we have been getting reports about people getting attacked and being dragged down into the water by a mysterious Pokemon and getting weird markings afterwards.
Brock: Do you also know about the strange waves?
Anelma: Yes, I do. After the creature attacks, these waves would occur out of nowhere. They don't last very long, but it's bizarre.
Cilan: Well, has anyone tried to stop it?
Anelma: No, I'm afraid not. Everyone's too scared to go back out there.
Ash: Well, don't worry. We'll take care of it.
Pikachu: Pika.
Anelma: Oh, thank you. Oh, by the way, my name's Anelma.
Cilan: Nice to meet you, Anelma. I'm Cilan.
Dawn: I'm Dawn, and this is Piplup.
Piplup: Piplup.
Brock: I'm Brock.
Iris: I'm Iris, and this is Axew.
Axew: Axew.
Ash: I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu.
Pikachu: Pika.
Anelma: Well, guys, I hope you can stop this Pokemon before it attacks again.
Brock: Oh, we will, Anelma.
Anelma: Okay. If you need me, I'll be in my beach house. See you later.
Everyone: See you.
(She walks off.)
Ash: Okay, guys. The only way we can get rid of it is to battle it.
Cilan: Okay, Ash, but it'll be tricky because we don't know where it'll appear at any time.
(As they discuss about what to do, Pikachu hears a faint moaning sound coming from the ocean.)
Pikachu: Pika.
Ash: What is it, Pikachu?
Pikachu: Pika, Pika, Pika, Pika.
(He points out to the ocean.)
Cilan: I think he's trying to say that the mystery Pokemon is over in that area somewhere.
Dawn: Oh. How can he be sure it's over there?
(Brock hears the moaning sound out in the distance.)
Brock: Oh. Pikachu heard the Pokémon's moaning.
Iris: That's a little far. How could he have heard it?
Brock: Remember, Pikachu can hear things a little better than we can.
Iris: Okay, but how does that explain how he was able to hear it from that far?
Brock: Sorry, but I don't know how it's done, but I think Siara might know. (He goes over to his backpack, pulls out the Pokepilot and calls Siara.)
Siara: Hey, guys. What's going on?
Ash: Hi, Siara. We were just playing out in the water.
Siara: That's sounds like fun. So, what else happened?
Cilan: Iris got attacked and dragged down by a mysterious Pokemon and Ash saved her.
Siara: Oh, my.
Ash: Right now, we're going to stop it, but then Pikachu heard it moaning from the ocean and we started wondering how he was able to hear it from that far, so we called you to see if you knew.
Siara: Sure. If you want to better understand it, let's talk about sound localization.
Dawn: Okay, but what's sound localization?
Siara: Sound localization is the ability to identify the location of a given sound in any direction and distance.
Iris: Well, how does it work?
Siara: The way it works is pretty complex. When sound enters through the ears, it returns the information to the brain on where the sound is coming from and provides data about the volume and frequency of it. Your brain can process it very quickly to provide input on what's happening in your surroundings.
Cilan: Okay, what else is there?
Siara: There are two cues that are essential to this: intensity and timing differences between the ears. You see, there are neurons in the auditory centers of the brain that are specially do this.
Dawn: Wait. What are neurons?
Siara: Neurons are cells that process and transmit information through the brain in the form of electrical and chemical signals.
Dawn: Oh, okay. Well, is there anything else?
Siara: Yes, there is. If the sound comes from behind or in front of you, the brain has a third cue that can locate sounds in different frequency profiles that are caused by the size of the head and the outer ear, also called the pinna.
Iris: Really?
Siara: Yeah. Each one is shaped differently to not only get the sound, but also change the frequency profile of it. There are also neurons located in the lower level of the brain that do this.
Dawn: Well, what happens if you locate sound that is moving?
Siara: If you locate sound that is moving, this effect is called the Doppler Effect. For example, during a thunderstorm, the sound of thunder grows louder as it gets closer to us, and then gets quieter as it moves away.
Brock: Sound localization is a lot more complicated than it looks.
Siara: It is, which is why I'm going to show you something
Iris: All right, Siara.
Axew: Axew.
(Cut to a model of the inside of a head in Siara's lab.)
Siara: Okay, here's a model of the inside of a head. I'm going to have different sounds play, and you're going to tell me what happens each time.
Everyone: Okay.
Siara: Good, then let's do it. Here, the sound has gotten to the brain and has activated two cues in it. What are those two cues?
Ash: They would be intensity and the timing.
Siara: Very good, Ash. Now, here there are spots that have become active after the brain receives the information. What are they?
Iris: Those are the neurons.
Siara: Okay, Iris. Now, here the brain is getting the sound of an approaching storm and it's getting closer. What kind of effect is this?
Brock: That would be the Doppler Effect.
Siara: All right, Brock. Very good, guys.
Everyone: Thanks, Siara.
Pikachu: Pika.
Axew: Axew.
Piplup: Pip.
Siara: You're welcome. Well, I better get going. See you later and I hope you stop that Pokemon.
Everyone: See you.
Brock: Okay, guys. Before we go after that Pokemon, what do you say we go over what we know?
Cilan: All right, Brock. Why don't we ask our friends at home if they want to do it?
Dawn: Okay, Iris. (She looks at the viewers.) Would you like to go over with us? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Okay. What is sound localization? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) It's the ability to identify the location of a sound. All right.
Brock: What are the two cues that are essential for this? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) They are intensity and the timing differences between the ears. Very good.
Everyone: Good work, guys.
Axew: Axew.
Pikachu: Pika.
Piplup: Pip.
Ash: All right, let's go beat that Pokemon.
Pikachu: Pika.
Cilan: Hold on a minute, Ash. Let's try to put the process together.
Dawn: Okay, Cilan. It'll be hard, but I think it can be done.
Cilan: That's good. But to do this, we're going to need a little help.
Iris: All right, Cilan. (She looks at the viewers.) Would you like to help out? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) Okay.
(Cut to a model of an ear and the brain.)
Cilan: Okay, we're going to put the localization process together. What you're going to do is say what happens during it. All right, let's get to it. When sound enters the ears and goes to the brain, what kind of information does it receive? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) It receives information on where the sound is coming from and provides data on the volume and frequency. Very good.
Dawn: The two essential cues are intensity and timing. Where are the neurons that do this located? (She waits for an answer from the viewers.) They're located in the auditory centers. All right.
Ash: Okay, there's a third cue that can locate sounds in different frequency profiles. What causes them? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) The size of the head and the outer ear. Way to go.
(Cut back to the gang.)
Everyone: Thanks a lot, guys.
Piplup: Pip.
Pikachu: Pika.
Axew: Axew.
Ash: All right. Let's get out there.
Brock: Hold on, Ash. You do know we don't have a boat to get out there.
Ash: Oh, right. Sorry, Brock.
Iris: Well, let's go see if Anelma has a boat.
(They walk over to Anelma's beach house. Ash knocks on the door and she answers it.)
Anelma: Hey, guys. Do you need anything?
Ash: Yes, we do. We came over to see if you had a boat.
Anelma: Yes, I do have one.
Ash: Would you mind taking us out so we can stop that Pokemon?
Anelma: Of course I don't. Let's get going.
(They all head out to the boat. They all get on board and Anelma starts it up and they head out. They reach a certain spot and the boat stops just off shore and Brock speaks.)
Brock: Okay, guys. That mysterious Pokemon could be anywhere, so look for any signs.
(As they look for any signs, we cut to the Pokémon's point of view. It spots the bottom of the boat and it goes up to it. Cut back to the boat.)
Cilan: Hmm, no sign of it yet.
(Suddenly, the boat rocks back and forth.)
Everyone: WHOA!
Ash: What was that?
Pikachu: Pika?
Dawn: I don't know, Ash.
Piplup: Piplup.
(We cut to the creature's point of view. It swims from the side of the boat, rises up out of the water and appears right behind the boat. Anelma turns around and sees it.)
Anelma: (gasps in shock.) Uh, guys?
Dawn: What is it, Anelma?
(They all turn around to see… a giant female Jellicent, bearing a menacing look on its face.)
Cilan: It's a giant Jellicent.
Dawn: It sure looks powerful and menacing.
Piplup: Piplup.
Ash: Okay, it's time to take it down. Pikachu, let's go!
Pikachu: Pika!
(Jellicent's eyes get surrounded in a purple aura, which is then replaced with a bright pink glow and she glows pale pink. She then holds out its tentacles and waves both of them up and down in a fast-paced hypnotic pattern. She releases multiple pink rings from the outline of the body at Pikachu, whose body becomes outlined in light purple, doing some damage to him.)
Ash: Pikachu, use thunderbolt!
Pikachu: Pika-chuuu!
(He releases a powerful bolt of yellow electricity at Jellicent. The bolt hits it directly, but the attack doesn't faze her.)
Ash: Whoa, this Jellicent is strong. Okay, Pikachu, thunderbolt, again!
Pikachu: Pika-chuuu!
(He releases a powerful bolt of yellow electricity at Jellicent. The bolt hits it directly, and does some damage to it.)
Ash: Good one, Pikachu.
Pika: Pika.
Brock: Ash is doing well so for.
(Jellicent waves its arms and releases a purple wind at Pikachu. As it does some damage, waves begin to form and get stronger.)
Ash: All right, Pikachu, use iron tail!
(Pikachu's tail becomes surrounded in white sparkles and then gets surrounded in a white outline. His tail turns to iron and hits Jellicent on the head, inflicting some damage.)
Ash: Way to go, Pikachu. Huh?
(Suddenly, Jellicent's body shakes and gets surrounded by a pink aura. Pikachu's body does the same.)
Cilan: Oh, no. That was Curse Body. Now, he can't use iron tail.
Ash: Oh, man. I should've seen that coming.
Dawn: It looks like Ash might need some help.
Piplup: Piplup.
Brock: Yeah. Let's help him out.
(Iris stands up.)
Iris: No. You guys stay here. I'll go help him.
Axew: Axew.
(She walks up to him.)
Iris: Hey, Ash. Do you need a little help?
Ash: Yeah, I do.
Iris: All right. Dragonite, let's go!
Dragonite: (grunts.)
Iris: Dragonite, use dragon rush!
(Dragonite's body gets surrounded in a light blue orb with white streaks. It then slams into Jellicent, doing heavy damage.)
Ash: All right, Pikachu, use Thunder!
Pikachu: Pika-chuuu!
(He fires a massive beam of electricity towards Jellicent, hitting it directly and doing serious damage.)
Ash and Iris: Yes!
Dawn: Yeah, they did it.
(As Jellicent falls to the water, its body glows red, purple and pink briefly, then pink energy particles raise up from its body. The glow fades and it regains some of its energy.)
Ash: What the? It recovered.
Iris: Boy, this Jellicent really means business.
Ash: Okay, Pikachu, use thunderbolt!
Pikachu: Pika-chuuu!
(He releases a powerful bolt of yellow electricity at Jellicent. The bolt hits it, doing some damage.)
Iris: Dragonite, use thunder punch!
(Dragonite flies up in the air and it balls up its fist and it gets surrounded by electric sparks. Then, its entire fist gets covered by a ball of electricity and it flies down towards Jellicent.)
(Jellicent fires powerful blasts of water at Dragonite.)
Iris: Dodge them!
(Dragonite moves out of the way of each blast and keeps going down. It hits Jellicent with the thunder punch, doing damage.)
Ash: Okay, Pikachu, use thunder!
(Just as Pikachu readies himself to use it, Jellicent fires a blast of water at Pikachu, hitting him and sending him flying.)
Pikachu: Pika!
Ash: Pikachu!
(Dragonite catches Pikachu in its arms and then he climbs on its back. Then, Jellicent's body glows light blue and then fires a massive blast of water at Pikachu and Dragonite, doing serious damage.)
Dawn: What kind of move was that?
Brock: That was Water Spout.
(Ash notices that Jellicent is getting exhausted.)
Ash: Hey, Iris. Jellicent's getting worn down. Ready to finish it?
(Iris nods to him.)
Pikachu: Pikachu, use electro ball, and then thunder!
(Pikachu jumps off Dragonite's back and his body get surrounded in yellow electricity and yellow sparks come off his body. Then, all the electricity condenses at his tail and forms into an orange-yellow orb of electricity with sparks of yellow electricity coming off it. Pikachu then does a front flip and throws it. Then, he fires a massive beam of electricity at the ball, which absorbs the power and grows bigger.)
Iris: Dragonite, use thunder punch on Pikachu's electro ball!
(Dragonite balls up its fist and it gets surrounded by electric sparks. Then, its entire fist gets covered by a ball of electricity and it punches the electro ball down toward Jellicent, absorbing the attack's electricity and gets bigger. The huge electro ball hits Jellicent, explodes and does massive damage to it, knocking it out.)
Ash: All right! Way to go, Pikachu!
Iris: You too, Dragonite!
Axew: Axew!
Pikachu: Pika!
Dragonite: (grunts.)
(We pan down to Jellicent, who glares up at them, sinks down underwater and swims away. Later, back on shore.)
Anelma: I owe you guys a lot of gratitude. You were really brave.
Ash: No problem. We were happy to help.
Anelma: When people hear that the Pokemon has gone away, they'll be able to return here.
Cilan: I'm sure they will.
Anelma: Well, see you later.
Everyone: Bye.
Ash: Hey, Iris? Thanks for helping me and Pikachu back there.
Iris: You're welcome, Ash. You would've done the same thing for me.
Brock: Man, that battle was incredible.
Cilan: Yeah. That was brilliant how you increased the power of Pikachu's electro ball.
Dawn: Yeah. It was amazing.
Piplup: Piplup, Piplup.
(They all turn to the viewers.)
Everyone: Thanks for the help, guys.
Pikachu: Pika.
Piplup: Pip.
Axew: Axew.
(Cut to them on the beach.)
Ash: We sure had a good time. Did you have a good time? (He waits for an answer from the viewers.) Oh, good. I liked battling the Jellicent.
Dawn: I liked watching the battle.
Brock: I liked having fun in the water.
Iris: I liked helping Ash out.
Cilan: I liked coming to the beach.
Everyone: Thanks again, guys. See you next time.
(They all wave goodbye to the viewers and they continue to play on the beach. The scenery fades to black, ending the episode.)