"Yaarp" is the eighteenth episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series. It aired on November 21, 2003.
Plot[]
Newlyweds Charles and Mary are exploring Kokaua Town on their honeymoon. They arrive at Mrs. Hasagawa's fruit stand. While Mrs. Hasagawa waters the fruit, Mary asks for some passionfruit to buy. Mrs. Hasagawa sets down the still-running hose inside the crate of pineapples, which activates an experiment pod that was nestled inside. The experiment appears, and Charles thinks its a type of sheep. He offers it some fruit, and in response, 613 uncurls his horn and blasts a loud honk at Charles and Mary, sending them flying and destroying the bus behind them, before hopping away on his tail.
Meanwhile, at the hula school, the girls are presenting ideas on how to improve the school. Mertle pitches "Mertle's Mural" on one of the walls. Lilo then presents her idea for an alien invasion alarm, with Stitch providing visual aids. Ultimately, Moses chooses Mertle's mural as the improvement project, and schedules the start date for that Saturday. Lilo is disappointed so Moses suggests she write a letter to the mayor about her alarm idea. Lilo doubts it will help since she is little. Moses suggest she tries anyway, since small people can have big voices, too.
Later at home, Pleakley is putting the finishing touches on a delicate souffle and Jumba is about to go leave to go fishing, when a loud horn is heard, causing a tremor. Stitch uses his powerful hearing to determine what is going on, and hears Gantu's voice after the horns. Stitch drags the moping Lilo into town to find the loose experiment. The experiment has made his way to an electronics store, using his sonic blasts to destroy everything. Gantu follows with noise-dampening earmuffs and manages to catch the experiment in a capsule. Lilo and Stitch arrive, and Stitch grabs the capsule. He runs off with it, then throws a giant TV at Gantu, slowing him down. Stitch releases 613, and as thanks, gets a sonic blast to the face, sending him crashing into a bookshelf. The experiment runs off with Gantu in pursuit, while Lilo goes to help Stitch. She asks if he is okay, and that they need to go after the experiment. But, Stitch can't hear a thing Lilo is saying.
Lilo takes home, where Jumba explains that 613 uses his horn to create sonic blasts capable of destroying buildings and causing deafness. Stitch's deafness is thankfully temporary, but since his hearing is ultra-sensitive, he shouldn't go after the experiment. Jumba adds that he can make special earmuffs like Gantu's, but due to a federal holiday coming up, he won't be done until the following week. Lilo is dismayed, since their only option is to find someone who can't be deafened by the sonic blasts. At that moment, Pleakley enters, asking for tape so he can put some earrings onto his earless head. Lilo and Jumba tell Pleakley that he needs to be the one to capture 613, since his Plorgonarian anatomy makes him immune to hearing loss from the sonic blasts. He protests this, since he has never been in combat. Lilo and Jumba put him through experiment hunting boot camp, but when that fails, Jumba outfits Pleakley with special protective gear and a modified blaster that functions as a vacuum. Meanwhile, Lilo tries writing her letter to the mayor about the alien invasion alarm. But she crumples the letter, saying that the mayor will never listen to a kid.
The group heads to a lava tube cave where 613 is hiding. Pleakley is still unsure about his chances, and asks what happens if Gantu shows up. Lilo explains that Stitch will be distracting Gantu. Pleakley ventures into the caves, and he nervously searches for 613. After a mishap with Charles and Mary, he sees the experiment. He squeezes the trigger on the vacuum to suck the experiment into a capsule, but accidentally has puts the device in reverse, blasting air at 613, sending him into a wall. This makes the experiment angry, and he makes a sonic blast, causing the cave to start collapsing. Pleakley continues following the experiment further into the cave. 613 trips over a rock and is about to be crushed under the rubble. Fortunately, Pleakley quickly uses his ballet moves to dodge the falling rocks and saves 613 from being squished. 613 is grateful, giving Pleakley hugs and kisses. Pleakley names the experiment Yaarp and escapes the cave before they get trapped.
Meanwhile, Stitch disguises himself as 613, wrapping his ears and antenna around to look like a curly horn, then putting a conch shell in his mouth, that amplifies his voice as he makes honking noises. This draws Gantu's attention and he chases Stitch all over the island. Eventually, Stitch loses sight of Gantu and drops his disguise. But, Gantu gets the drop on Stitch and captures him. When Lilo tries contacting Stitch over walkie-talkie, Gantu answers, saying that he will not let Stitch free without a trade, and that they will make the exchange in a public place. Lilo thinks a moment, then suggests they meet in the museum.
Later, at the museum, Charles and Mary marvel at the "whale" in the ocean exhibit. The "whale" is Gantu, and when he starts moving, the couple runs in panic. Lilo arrives with Yaarp, and Gantu produces Stitch in cuffs. The experiments are exchanged and Gantu goes to leave. But, Lilo whistles a signal at Yaarp, who then begins making loud, short honks. Museum security think someone has triggered an alarm, and the patrons all panic. Yaarp escapes Gantu in the confusion, and Gantu begins firing his blaster at Lilo and the experiments. Stitch blocks the shot with his cuffs, then runs around the museum with Gantu firing at him. Stitch uses a metal art piece to reflect one of the plasma blasts, melting Gantu's laser. Before Gantu can fight Stitch, he is surrounded by security guards and the museum's chairwoman. Seeing no other options, Gantu retreats, bursting through the wall.
Mayor Anolo, who was nearby, is confused that a "whale" is messing up his town. But, he is also grateful that Lilo's "pet" was loud enough to alert the guards and make Gantu leave. He and Nicolé go to leave, but Stitch produces Lilo's crumpled letter from earlier, reminding her that small people can have big voices. Lilo approaches the mayor, telling him that Gantu is an alien, and proposing her alien-invasion alarm system. Mayor Anolo laughs at this, but Charles and Mary approach. They yell at him, saying that Kokaua Town is crawling with strange creatures, and they will not be coming back. The mayor looks worried, and Lilo brings up the alarm system again, for the benefit of tourism.
Some time later, at the hula school, Mayor Anolo and Nicolé visit to show everyone a demonstration of the newly installed alien invasion alarm. The mayor presses a button, which sends a tiny booth up through the ceiling. Inside of the booth is Yaarp, who sounds his horn. Nicolé asks the mayor if he actually believes that aliens may invade. He says he doesn't, but states the girls in the school will become registered voters one day and only agreed to the alarm to make them happy. Yaarp is happy as well, having found his one true place.
Trivia[]
- Moral: Even small people can have big voices.
- This episode emphasizes the humans' blindness to the aliens, as nobody (except for Nani, David, and Cobra) believes Lilo about the aliens, even though they are in plain sight.
- Pleakley revealed that his antenna is called a Plorgonarian quart flanch, and it is capable of reading "several strata of subspace ether transmissions."
- At one point, Lilo makes a suggestion to meet with Gantu at the old lighthouse, a callback to Stitch! The Movie.
- Gantu mispronounces the word "aloha" when he attempts to make off with Yaarp. A similar instance of this happens in the episode "Yin-Yang".
- The slow-motion scene where Stitch uses Gantu's plasma blast to break free from his shackles is a reference to the popular 1999 sci-fi film The Matrix.
Experiment mentioned[]
