The Opening Act (A Splatoon Script)

Intro & Prologue

Once you reach your teen years, you're automatically enlisted into the military. (Many octolings are training for the army.)

Even if you don't want to fight, there's nothing you can do about it. (Young Echo is amongst this chaos, refusing to put the hypnotizing goggles on while her two-year-old sister, Rosie, watches.)

Our leaders make us wear goggles that keep us under their control in case we ever had second thoughts about their motives. (Other soldiers forcefully get the hypnotizing goggles on Echo.)

Even the people who were completely loyal to the throne had to wear the goggles, just to be 100% sure that no one would defect our military. (Echo starts training alongside the other hypnotized octolings.)

Even though we hated having to wear the goggles, we wore them, anyway. We only wore them because we knew that there would be a day when we would defeat our enemy, take back what was ours, and live a better life without the goggles. (Alarms go off, signaling a raid from Agent 3. The octoling soldiers leave training to watch while Rosie is left behind.)

At least, that's what we believed. (Echo and the others watch Agent 3 fighting Octavio.)

We also believed that our enemies, the inklings, were nothing more than simple and predatory creatures that wanted to destroy us. (Agent 3 is doing well, as he's advancing in the fight.)

But, maybe that was all wrong. Maybe, just maybe, some of them are helping us take control of our own lives. (Callie and Marie start backing up Agent 3 with their performance of Calmari Inkantation.)

There was a song that these two girls sang during a big fight between us and the inklings. (Echo's goggles power down.)

That song that was played somehow let us take control of our lives again. Maybe it's some sort of certain frequency that let that happen, it's a magic song, or it's just that awesome, but it helped us gain our freedom. (Other octolings are free to take off the goggles.)

Now I want to live my own life. (Multiple octolings celebrate, but Echo leaves.)

(Echo travels back to where her sister Rosie is.)

(Echo finds Rosie and picks her up.)

Rosie: E? Where we goin'? Do you not have to work an'more?

Echo: No, I don't have to work. And we're leaving the valley. We're going somewhere safer, Rosie. (Echo walks off with her sister.)

Rosie: Where? (Rosie is confused.)

(Echo looks down, thinking about it.)

Echo: You know, I've heard rumors of a nearby city. It's really safe, fun, and we can stay together there. (Echo starts to leave for the mountains.)

Rosie: *Gasp* All the time?! (Rosie brightens up.)

Echo: Yes, we can.

Rosie: *Squeal* Yay! I love when you're with me!

Echo: Same here, Rosie Posie. (Rosie gives her big sister a big hug.)

(Echo and Rosie travel through Mount Nantai and the outskirts of Inkopolis throughout the day, and night steadily approaches.)

Rosie: *Yawn* Are- are we there yet? (Rosie's exhausted on Echo's shoulders.)

Echo: Yeah, I think we might be. (Echo and Rosie face Inkopolis in a big frame. Echo is in shock as she looks at the lights of Inkopolis.)

(Echo spots inklings around Inkopolis Plaza.)

(Echo panics and hides.)

Rosie: Hey! Why aren't we goin' in?

Echo: This city... it's full of inklings! I never heard the part about it being a city full of inklings! (Echo peeks out at the city.)

Rosie: What's wrong with inkl-een-inkihlings? (Rosie struggles to pronounce "inklings.")

Echo: Inklings aren't always friendly, Rosie. Sure, we left the valley because there were some inklings who helped us, but I doubt that many of them are like that. (Echo turns back to Rosie.)

Echo: If we go in there, who knows what'll happen? (Spyke notices the two at the end of the alley.)

Spyke: Now who 're you two?

Echo: Hu-huh? (Echo and Rosie look behind them to see Spyke.)

Spyke: Not to be harsh, loves, but you're lookin' right moldy at the moment. I can't be dealin' wif blokes below Level 4 on the freshness scale. So maybe go do a bit of battlin' before you come back, yeah? (Reveal of Spyke talking to them.)

Echo: I-I'm sorry, I don't really get what you're saying. (She's confused.)

(Spyke looks at Echo and Rosie, then down.)

Spyke: What're you loves hidin' from? (Echo still looks out at the city, but Spyke leans over.)

Echo: People. I shouldn't be here. [Small text] What was I thinking when I decided to come here? We'll never fit in here. (She looks frustrated.)

Spyke: Yeah, if you're not even on Level 4 on the freshness scale, you right won' fit in. (Spyke shrugs.)

Echo: What do you mean by "Level 4"? And what's the "freshness scale"? (She turns to actually face Spyke.)

Spyke: Pf... everyone knows the freshness scale, love. It's how teens 'round here consider 'emselves cool. They do some battlin' with ink, make their way to the top, and get 'emselves some fresh gear. The better they are, the higher level they are on the freshness scale. And I don' work with blokes who're below Level 4 on the freshness scale. They 'ave no experience, y'know? (Spyke explains as Echo approaches.)

Echo: [Small text] That's a weird thing for teens to do around here. [Normal text] To be honest, I don't get anything about your city. I'm not even like most of these teens. I'm not exactly from... around here.

Spyke: You wot mate?! (Echo shyly looks down and Spyke is surprised.)

Spyke: You tellin' me that you've never been battlin' 'fore?

Echo: No, well, at least not the fun kind. (Spyke and Echo talk.)

Spyke: Ah. I see. (Spyke seems to slightly understand.)

(Echo gets ready to leave with Rosie.)

Spyke: You got anywhere to go, love?

Echo: No. (Spyke stops Echo from leaving.)

Spyke: Tell you what, loves. Maybe you aren' doin' so good on the freshness scale, mate, but you're gon' need some help gettin' on the scale in the first place. I can give you a place to stay for a bit. Maybe even help you become a STAR on the freshness scale. My only condition is that you also help me 'round these parts. (Spyke holds out his hand, offering Echo a chance.)

Echo: You... you would do that for us?

Spyke: Mate, I've worked with many blokes I know nothing 'bout, and all of 'em never really needed my help. You, love, look like you could really need some help. (Echo is happy, but looks awkward.)

(Echo looks down, content. Rosie brightens up.)

Echo: Thank you. We'll do it. (Echo and Rosie are happy.)

Spyke: Right, then. Well, I'm Spyke. What are your names, loves?

Echo: I'm Echo, and this is Rosie, my little sister.

Rosie: Hi! (Spyke and Echo shake hands.)

Spyke: Well, Echo and Rosie, welcome to Inkopolis. (Echo gazes out at Inkopolis, now ready to experience city life.)