(Opening shot: the city skyline in the pouring rain. Thunder rumbles overhead.)
Narrator: (groaning, depressed) The city of Townsville. And it’s raining.
(Dissolve to one street. A depressed little boy looks out a window.)
Narrator: No one on the streets, because it’s raining.
(Dissolve to the exterior of Townsville Hall.)
Narrator: No government today—
(Dissolve to the Mayor, standing in his office with his golf bag slung over his shoulder. He is dressed to play a round of golf and very downcast at the idea of not being able to do so.)
Narrator: —because it’s raining. (Dissolve to the observatory.) Not even any crime, because it’s raining.
(Dissolve to Mojo Jojo inside, looking sadly out the window. He tosses ray-gun aside and hangs his head. From here, dissolve to a stray cat running down a street in the suburbs and looking for a bit of shelter.)
Narrator: Run, little guy. Run and hide, because it’s raining.
(The cat ducks into an empty box by a fence and shivers. Turn up from this to the girls’ house, seen from across the street, on the next line.)
Narrator: And definitely no crime-fighting today— (Close-up of the bedroom windows; the girls look out from these.) —because it’s raining.
(The bad weather is obviously a drag for them. Buttercup is the first to express her discontent.)
Buttercup: This stinks! (Cut to inside the room.) I hate rainy days. (Floating across the room) There’s nothing to do, there’s nowhere to go. (stopping near Bubbles) I need action. I need adventure. I need to punch!
(She throws an overhand left that just misses Bubbles, who starts to cry.)
Blossom: (from o.c.) Hey! (Cut to her.) I want to solve crimes and fight evil too, but I’m not taking it out on Bubbles.
Bubbles: Me neither.
Blossom: So it’s raining. What are we to do?
(A moment of silence, during which Blossom thinks hard. Bubbles has the brainstorm first, though, and she gasps happily.)
Bubbles: I have an idea! Since we can’t be the Powerpuff Girls outside— (gradually losing steam) —maybe we could play the Powerpuff…Girls and…fight crime…right here…at home?
(Blossom directs a puzzled stare at her, Buttercup an angry one. She drops her head sadly.)
Bubbles: (small voice) Sorry.
Blossom, Buttercup: (happily) That’s a great idea!
Bubbles: (brightening) But where do we begin?
Blossom: (holding up an alphabet block) Right here.
(She reaches o.c. with the block; the camera pans right slightly to show her setting it in place atop one of several towers. A picture of the sun hangs on the wall behind them.)
Blossom: (Imitating the Narrator) The city of Townsville. A harmonious community of happy little people.
(She kneels down in front of the “city,” where she finds two toy cars.)
Blossom: Look at all the happy little people. (rolling one car around and speaking in a singsong voice) I’m happy, I’m driving, I’m happy and I’m driving. (rolling the other car as well) Hi, Joe, what do you know?
(A foot slams down very close to her; she looks up in alarm, and the camera shifts to just in front of the foot and turns slowly up from the floor. It belongs to Buttercup, who has a large stuffed alligator draped over her shoulders. Its head covers her face; this flips back out of her way as she howls twice. She picks up one of the toy cars; close-up of her as she howls at it and stuffs it into her mouth.)
Blossom: (from o.c.) Hey! (Cut to her.) What do you think you’re doing?
(Buttercup starts to explain her actions, but her words are muffled by the car she still has in her mouth. She spits it out and starts again.)
Buttercup: I’m a monster, and I’m eating Joe. I do that.
Blossom: (snatching car away) Give me that! I haven’t completely set up Townsville yet. (rolling it around) Joe still has to go to the market and pick up milk for his children. (menacingly) I’ll tell you when you can come!
Buttercup: No one tells me when to come! I’m a monster! I surprise.
Blossom: Well, I’m running Townsville, so you wait.
Buttercup: No! I’m running Townsville!
Blossom: I’m running Townsville!
Bubbles: (from o.c.) No!
(Close-up of Octi as its top hat is removed, then cut to Bubbles as she sets it on her head. It floats an inch or so above her hair; her pigtails are tied in front of her face to simulate the Mayor’s mustache and she has her right eye screwed shut like his. She copies his manner of speaking until otherwise noted.)
Bubbles: I’m running Townsville!
Blossom, Buttercup: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, sir!
Blossom: (pushing a stool to Bubbles) Here’s your chair, sir.
Bubbles: (hopping on it) Thank you.
Buttercup: (pushing a toybox in front of her) And your desk, sir.
Bubbles: Uh—thank you.
[Animation goof: In this sequence, Buttercup does not wear the alligator.]
(The “desk” has a small American flag to Bubbles’ right and a pretend intercom buzzer to her left. She now turns her attention to a sheet of paper in front of her.)
Bubbles: Okay, now let’s see what’s on the agenda today…Oh! Call Ms. Bellum and ask her how to run the city. Hmm. (pressing buzzer) Ms. Bellum—could you please come in here for a second? (No response.) Ms. Bellum, I’m waiting!
(Blossom starts to run across, wearing a pair of full-sized red high heels instead of her own Mary Janes.)
Blossom: Just a second, Mayor! (She runs o.c.)
Bubbles: I’m waiting, Ms. Bellum!
(Blossom is now at a pile of stuffed animals, with two of them in hand. She turns angrily back from the lot.)
Blossom: Just a second, Mayor!
(She turns her back to the camera and works quickly with the two dolls. Back to the “desk”; as she speaks again, pull back to show her standing on a stool, still wearing the heels and with the dolls stuffed down the front of her dress to make a bustline. Her head is cut off by the top of the screen—she is now playing the part of Ms. Bellum, and she makes her voice lower and a little breathy to complete the performance. For those of you who need a scorecard: Blossom is Ms. Bellum, Bubbles is the Mayor, and Buttercup is the monster.)
Blossom: Sorry, Mayor. There was traffic this morning.
Bubbles: Well, don’t let it happen again! Anyway, is there anything going on today that I should know about? (Buttercup stands impatiently by the toy city.)
Blossom: If you look out your window, sir— (Bubbles looks toward Buttercup.) —you’ll see a giant alligator destroying Townsville.
Buttercup: Now?
Blossom: (own voice) Now. (Buttercup kicks over a tower; Bubbles cries out.)
Bubbles: I’m gonna hide under my desk like I always do. (She does so at the end of this line.)
Blossom: (like Ms. Bellum) Don’t you think you should call the Powerpuff Girls?
(This suggestion inspires the stand-in Mayor to pop her head back up over her stand-in desk.)
Bubbles: The Powerpuff Girls? (picking up hotline receiver) Oh, yeah, the Powerpuff Girls. Please, pick up!
(In the Mayor’s office, things are still quiet. The buzzing of the hotline shakes him out of his depression, and he answers.)
Mayor: Hello? (saluting) Yes, Mayor?…A giant alligator?! I’m on my way!
(He hangs up and runs across the office; cut to outside the left wing of Townsville Hall. He crashes out through the window, his body tensed to fly—but, as he suffers from a total lack of superpowers, he ends up tumbling straight to the ground. He lands face down in a large puddle, and Ms. Bellum—the genuine article—steps into view next to him. He looks up at her sheepishly.)
Mayor: Uh…I fell in the mud.
(Back in the girls’ bedroom, Bubbles still has the hotline receiver in hand.)
Bubbles: Please, girls! Hurry!
(The receiver is snatched away by Buttercup, who has abandoned the alligator and is now wearing a spare hair bow of Blossom’s.)
Buttercup: Blossom here. What’s the trouble?
(Blossom has gotten rid of the heels, the stuffed animals, and Ms. Bellum's voice.)
Blossom: (irritated) Hey! What do you mean, “Blossom here”?
Buttercup: (to her) I’m Blossom now.
Blossom: (walking to her) No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I actually am Blossom, so you can’t be Blossom.
Buttercup: (into hotline) Could you hold on a sec, Mayor? (She gives the receiver back to Bubbles and turns to Blossom.) We’re playing pretend, right?
Blossom: Right.
Buttercup: Then I’m pretending to be Blossom.
Blossom: Well…you can’t.
Buttercup: Why not?
Blossom: Because…because you were playing the monster.
Buttercup: Well, now I’m playing Blossom.
Blossom: Well, then who am I supposed to be?
Buttercup: Bubbles.
Blossom: No way! (pushing Buttercup) You be Bubbles!
Buttercup: No way! (pushing Blossom) You be Bubbles!
Blossom: You’re Bubbles!
Buttercup: You’re Bubbles!
Blossom: You’re Bubbles!
Buttercup: You’re Bubbles!
(Now Bubbles chimes in—she has ditched the hat and Mayor voice, untied her pigtails, and hung up the hotline.)
Bubbles: I’ll be Bubbles.
Blossom, Buttercup: YOU CAN’T!
(The argument resumes; cut to Bubbles and zoom in. She starts to cry again.)
Blossom: (from o.c.) You’re Bubbles!
Buttercup: (from o.c.) You be Bubbles!
Blossom: (from o.c.) You’re Bubbles!
Buttercup: (from o.c.) You’re Bubbles!
Blossom: (from o.c.) You’re Bubbles!
(They continue arguing as the Professor opens the door. He appears to be rather cross.)
Professor: Girls, girls! (They fall silent; he walks to them.) Will someone please tell me what’s going on?
(All three start talking at once. After several seconds, he cuts them off.)
Professor: One at a time, one at a time! (They stare sadly up at him.) Bubbles? (Close-up side view of him.)
Bubbles: (from o.c.) We were playing the Powerpuff Girls— (floating into view) —and Buttercup was a monster and I played the Mayor and Blossom was Ms. Bellum. Then Buttercup wanted to pretend she was Blossom, but Blossom wanted to be Blossom, and I wanted to be Bubbles, but they told me I couldn’t. (hanging head) And no one wants to be me!
(Pull back to show the whole group. Blossom and Buttercup are not looking at each other.)
Professor: Can’t you three play nice? I’ve got a lot of work to do today. So, how can we solve this problem?
(The girls think very hard for a moment, and they smile all at once.)
Girls: Well…
(Dissolve to a close-up of a very put-out-looking Professor. His hair is now parted in the middle and tied into two short pigtails that stick straight out from the sides of his head. Instead of his lab coat, he wears a black/light blue garment. Pull back to show this as a short tank top, perhaps even one of Bubbles’ dresses. It does not reach anywhere close to the waistband of his boxer shorts. He also wears his normal black socks and shoes. Bubbles and Buttercup—who is still wearing one of Blossom’s bows—are next to him.)
Buttercup: Girls, the Mayor just called. There’s a giant alligator destroying Townsville.
(Blossom pops up behind the towers of blocks. She has donned the alligator “costume.” Scorecard: Buttercup is Blossom, Bubbles is Buttercup, the Professor is Bubbles, and Blossom is the monster.)
Blossom: Roar!
Buttercup: Let’s fly!
(She and Bubbles start to run around the room, singing the show’s theme and stretching their arms out in front of themselves in pretending flight. The Professor does not move but instead stands with a “why me?” expression on his face. The two girls stop when they reach the bed.)
Buttercup: Bubbles!
(He extends his arms and plods over to them.)
Buttercup: Let’s go!
(She and Bubbles start off again; they run around the toy city and stop. Cut to Buttercup and pan slowly right to follow her as she launches herself toward Blossom in “slow motion.” She even imitates the sound effect.)
Buttercup: Choo, choo, choo, choo…choo, choo… (She throws a punch, which Blossom ducks.)
Blossom: Roar! Choo, choo, choo, choo…. (She pushes Buttercup away.)
Buttercup: (staggering) Oh, no! I’m going dooooooowwwnnn!
(She tumbles across the floor and stops at the Professor’s feet, looking up at him.)
Blossom: Roar! (Bubbles leaps in.)
Bubbles: I’m gonna kick your butt, evil monster! (running to her, “slow motion”) Choo, choo, choo, choo… (They grapple.) Give up, monster!
Blossom: Never! (throwing Bubbles back) Choo, choo, choo, choo…
Bubbles: (staggering) Oh, no! I also am going dooooooowwwnnn!
(She also tumbles to the Professor’s feet and looks up at him. We are now close enough to see that his boxers have little pictures of atoms all over them.)
Bubbles, Buttercup: Bubbles! Help us!
Professor: (wearily) You have got to be kidding me. I don’t have time for this.
Buttercup: You gotta help us!
Bubbles: And the faster you help us, the faster you can go back to work!
Professor: (actually attempting to act like Bubbles) You promise?
Bubbles, Buttercup: Yes! Now help us!
Professor: All right. (walking to Blossom, arms outstretched) Fly, fly, fly, fly, fly— (mimes punching her; she smiles broadly as she keels over) —pow— (walking out of the room) —bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.
(The “monster” is now out cold, with eyes crossed and tongue hanging out.)
Bubbles, Buttercup: (imitating Narrator) And the day is saved —thanks to the Powerpuff Girls!
Blossom: (from o.c.) I don’t think so! (crossing to them, pointing at discarded alligator) We still have to figure out who the mastermind is behind the beast. (Buttercup has ditched her bow.) It couldn’t have been the Gangreen Gang.
Bubbles: It could have been Fuzzy Lumpkins.
(On the end of this line, turn briefly up to her head; she is now wearing a pair of antennae that look very much like those of the big pink hick. Back down to her.)
Bubbles: (drawing, eyes crossed) Yee-haw! With my magic banjo, I brought the beast to life! (She pretends to play a few notes and vocalizes the sound of a banjo.)
Blossom: No…I don’t think Fuzzy can be that creative.
Buttercup: (from o.c.; high, eerie voice) Maybe it was me.
(Blossom, surprised, turns toward the voice; pull back as Buttercup walks up. She has a pink feather boa draped over her shoulders and is now wearing mascara, rouge, and black lipstick—a stand-in for “Him.” As she speaks and the camera follows, she makes her way to Blossom and then Bubbles, lassoing each with the boa in turn.)
Buttercup: I have the power, the skill, and the wardrobe— (pulling Bubbles in) —to create such a beast.
Blossom: (from o.c., imitating Mojo) No! It was not you!
(The camera cuts to behind her sisters and turns up as she continues. Blossom, now wearing a bucket on her head and a purple towel tied around her neck, floats above the bed. The towel waves by itself in much the same way as Mojo’s cape. She continues to imitate him until otherwise noted. Bubbles no longer wears her antennae.)
Blossom: It was me! Mojo Jojo! Only the greatest scientific mind this side of the galaxy could create such a beast. And because I have yet to meet a greater scientific mind this side of the galaxy, I can comfortably say that sentence comfortably.
(Her sisters have mixed reactions to the impersonation. Buttercup—her accessories and high voice gone—is enjoying it, but Bubbles appears very worried.)
Buttercup: That’s so true! (She laughs; Bubbles charges across the room.)
Blossom: Do not try and stop Mojo— (She is plowed away.) —uh!
(We hear a crash, and the camera cuts to the bedroom wall opposite the windows. There is a large, fresh hole in the masonry, and Bubbles stands by it, smiling and wiping her hands.)
Bubbles: Take that, Mojo Jojo! (Blossom pops up.)
Blossom: (own voice, angrily) Bubbles! What part of this pretend game don’t you get?!
Bubbles: What do you mean?
Blossom: I’m not the real Mojo Jojo. (removing bucket) I’m Blossom in a bucket! (Bubbles flinches at her shouting. Blossom throws the bucket aside.)
Bubbles: Well, you were just so convincing. What do you want me to do?
Blossom: PRETEND!!
(The force of this yell knocks Bubbles off her feet; she lands on her head next to Buttercup.)
Buttercup: Dummy!
(At the hole in the wall, Blossom puts the bucket on again and returns to Mojo mode.)
Blossom: All right, then. I, as the pretend Mojo Jojo, will hide in my secret hideout. (Her perspective of the others.) While you two, as the Powerpuff Girls— (Back to her; zoom in slowly.) —will try to hunt me down and stop me from my most diabolical plan.
Buttercup: And once we find you, the most important battle of our lives will ensue!
Blossom: Yes, yes, yes! (She laughs.) But pretend, of course. (Her perspective again.)
Bubbles: (irritated) I know.
Blossom: Now, close your eyes and count to sixty.
(Bubbles and Buttercup cover their eyes.)
Bubbles, Buttercup: One, two— (Side view; Blossom tiptoes out, the camera following, as they count.) —three, four, five, six, seven— (She closes the door.)
(Cut to the hall, which has doors on both sides. Blossom runs into view and starts peeking into rooms in time with the next line. Each door she rejects is promptly closed again.)
Blossom: No…no…no… (reaching the bathroom) Yes! This is perfect! (She laughs and ducks under a wet and drippy faucet.)
(Back to the bedroom. The other girls are still counting.)
Bubbles, Buttercup: —fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty! (They uncover their eyes.)
Bubbles: Ready or not, Mojo Jojo—
Buttercup: —here we come!
(They “fly” o.c., singing the theme music again. Cut to the open bathroom door; they go past it, making whooshing noises. We hear Blossom’s laughter as the camera zooms in and the view dissolves to the cabinet under the sink—her hiding place. She is standing up and looking toward the sink’s underside.)
Blossom: Those Powerpuff Girls will never find me!
(Dissolve to her looking straight at the camera happily. After a few seconds, dissolve to her now hunched down and looking rather glum; a few seconds later, we see her lying flat on her back and looking up at the sink. A moment later, she finally gets fed up with impatience and returns to her normal voice.)
Blossom: Aw, for Pete’s sake!
(Her arms crossed, she floats out of the bathroom and down the stairs. As she reaches the ground floor, faint electronic music starts to play; she rounds a corner and stops short. Pull back to show her in the living room doorway. The other two girls are in their beanbag chairs, with their backs to her. A video game system is hooked up in front of them, and Buttercup plays while Bubbles watches.)
Bubbles: Jump over the water! Jump over the water!
(The game looks vaguely similar to the old Atari 2600 title Pitfall. Blossom moves in closer.)
Blossom: What’s going on?
Buttercup: We gave up looking for you hours ago.
Blossom: You don’t want to finish what we were doing?
Bubbles: We’re way finished. We’re playing video games now. (to Buttercup) Jump over the water! (Blossom floats o.c.)
Buttercup: I’m trying!
(Blossom places herself in front of the TV screen.)
Blossom: Oh. I see. You two left me alone in a cupboard for two and a half hours, and you’re not gonna try and stop my newest diabolical plan at all?
Buttercup: (sarcastically) And what possibly could your diabolical plan be? Hmm? A stuffed animal?
Bubbles: (mock fear) Or maybe you’re gonna throw your big shiny bucket at me.
(The two girls laugh at this crack, but Blossom does not take it well.)
Blossom: (like Mojo) Behold! Mojo Jojo’s finest diabolical plan ever! (She leans down and grabs hold of the game cartridge.)
Bubbles: What are you doing?!
Buttercup: You wouldn’t dare!
(Blossom’s response to this is a wicked smile and a quick tug of the hand. The cartridge comes loose, and the TV screen goes dark. The others jump up.)
Bubbles: All right, Mojo!
Buttercup: Let’s get it on!
(Blossom laughs and dashes away. She runs down the hall, with the others—now actually flying—hot on her tail. After turning around several corners, she stops to catch her breath and see how close they are to catching up to her. She looks down toward the floor; pan right slightly to show a fully loaded foam-dart launcher within easy reach. Its brand name is Merf, a take-off on the classic Nerf line of foam toys.)
(Bubbles and Buttercup charge and Blossom jumps out from around the corner to face them, launcher at the ready. She fires off a salvo of missiles; the others throw up their arms to protect themselves from the barrage. Now she runs off again, smiling and looking back over her shoulder. They are almost close enough to grab her, and one final burst of speed ends the chase and knocks her towel and bucket flying. Giggling, all three tumble in a mass down the hall and end up lying next to the front window. The rain finally stops, and the sun comes out.)
(Cut to the exterior of the house, with Townsville visible in the distance. The hotline’s buzzer sounds and a greatly oversized alligator stalks into view, roars, and begins to tear up the city, while a fire truck siren is heard. The next three lines are delivered from inside the house; Blossom is back to her normal voice.)
Blossom: (laughing) Hello?
Mayor: (over hotline) Blossom! It’s the Mayor. Mojo Jojo has just unleashed a giant alligator upon Townsville! Oh, save us!
Blossom: (suddenly very blue) Ohh, do we have to? Okay.
(The Narrator sounds as far down in the dumps as he did at the start of the episode.)
Narrator: (groaning, depressed) The city of Townsville. And it’s sunny.
(The background for the end shot comes up.)
Narrator: Playtime is over, so once again the day will be saved for real...
(The girls appear in their usual positions, but look very depressed.)
Narrator: ...thanks to the Powerpuff Girls. Ohh, I wanted to be Bubbles!