Pooh's Adventures of Association in the Wild 2: Forest Romp

Written by
 Directed by

**Pooh's Adventures of Association in the Wild 2: Forest Romp** is the fourteenth episode in the series. It is a sequel to Association in the Wild.

## Synopsis

Just when Freddy and Spike are setting in Carrot Valley, Freddy is assigned to a contest to determine the best pet. He eventually learns that his old cub scout Megan has been kidnapped by King Ratso of the Rats, while the Penguins' old friends Alex the Lion & Gloria the Hippo are kidnapped by the Grand Duke of Owls. When they sneak out to the rescue, Pooh, Spike & the others set out to bring them back and tell them what being a friend is all about.

## Plot

One month after the events of the first movie, in Fitzgerald Desert, a vixen named Megan is playing with her friend Biter the horny toad, while Alex the Lion & Gloria the Hippo are lounging, when the evil rat King Ratso captures Megan, as Alex & Gloria encounter the Grand Duke of Owls.  Ratso claims that he should protect lowly ratkind from being "outcasts, hated and hunted" by much bigger animals, imprisioning Megan as a start.  The Duke is setting a trap for Pooh Bear, using Alex & Gloria as bait.  Megan sends Biter to "get help."

Far away, in Carrot Valley, Freddy & Spike adjust themselves to their new home, Pooh has an awry campfire, and the penguins plan to "blow this dump." (*Life is a Magic Thing*)  Freddy's grandparents alert their grandson about the PPC, the Perfect Pet Contest, an event in which an animal with the best pedigree would be decided, and then warn them that it was rat season, and that running away would jeopardize the contest.

A moment later, Biter appears as tells Freddy & the penguins about Ratso having captured Megan, and the Duke having captured Alex & Gloria.  Freddy remembers Megan as an old cub scout of his, before departing to live in Mount Buffalo, and eventually Carrot Valley.  He tried to forget her all those years, but now he hears that she was kidnapped, so he leaves a note on Spike's house, and leaves the valley.  Skipper remembers Alex & Gloria as well, telling his boys that "they never leave one of the own."

The next day, Spike finds Freddy's note, and is worried.  He alerts his neighbors, Elmer the Elephant, Rocky the Tortoise, Gorilla Gus & Freddy's brother Richie.  After explaining that he still owes Freddy for risking his life to save him, Spike forms a rescue party with the group that goes to find the fox.  Pooh figures out that the penguins went with Freddy, and tags along. (*Seize the Day)*

At the Fitzgerald Desert, the Duke and other owls plot revenge on Pooh through song on their organ.  A crow reports Ratso that some animals including Freddy are on the trail.  The rat interrogates Megan into remembering Freddy as a cub scout.  Realizing this, Ratso sends his troops to stop Freddy from interferring with his heist, while the Duke sends his nephew Hunch to stop Pooh from coming near the penguins, Alex & Gloria. (*Cruel World)*That night, Richie knocks out Ratso's cat Blackie, and tells the group about a Spade Cave, a place "where land may appear where there be no land."  The others request a rest, and Spike demands that they will not stop until Freddy is safely back in Carrot Valley, but Richie reminds them that health was more important.

The next day, Freddy & the penguins reunite with Megan, Alex & Gloria at the desert.  Freddy shows Megan the horseshoe trick to use on predators as a luck charm, using Biter as the target.  The penguins warn their friends the Duke was using them as bait to catch Pooh, but they were grateful that the bear was on his way.  (*Maybe Love)*

Meanwhile, Spike and the others venture through the Spade Cave, evade a big tarantula, and tumble into a bottomless pit, which reflects the description the cave having no land, but there was.  The group falls into the center of the earth, and meets a T-Rex named Barrie, who tells them that a tooth of his was taken by Ratso to be used as a staff.  The animals elist the dinosaur's help to resurface, locate the foxes and get the tooth back.  (*Roll Back the Rock to the Dawn of Time)*

A mole reports Ratso that the group was at the core, with Barrie, and the rat sends another troop to take care of them.  Hunch believes he got rid of Pooh with the pit, but his "Uncle Dukey" reminds him that there is land where the core is, and gives him once last chance.  At the core, some moles attack, and the animals hold them off, as Pooh gets rid of Hunch.  The group spots a volcano shaft that could blow them back to the surface.  Rocky has been blocked off, Gus falls behind to save him, and the others blast off to the Fitzgerald Desert above.

Once reunited, Spike attempts to persuade Freddy to come back with him and make him remember what being a friend means, but Freddy tells him that he intends to stay with Megan and that Spike has wasted his time coming over to the rescue.  While they talked, Megan is shocked to discover that Freddy is friends with a dog, and fears that her boyfriend might abandon her altogether for Spike, of which Freddy fearfully told him.

Pooh didn't have luck either, as the Penguins already become attached to Alex & Gloria.  Suddenly, Ratso & the Duke emerge and tie up their prisoners.  Now that the rat no longer needs Megan, he wants them all out of the way so that he and his cronies can capture the animals and sell them to a zoo. In order to further emotionally damage Freddy's spirit, Ratso sadistically reminds him that only by his own unknowing efforts would he have succeeded and orders him & Megan to be imprisoned in a truck.  The Duke still holds the lion, hippo & penguins hostage, and imprisons Pooh in the same truck.  Outside, Gus & Rocky pop out of the ground from digging out of the core, see the truck, and set the foxes free.  Piglet is concerned about how the play would end. Christopher Robin assures him that it would end nicely, and Piglet agrres.

The Duke and his minions nearly make a meal out of Alex, Gloria & the Penguins, (Owls' Picnic) while Ratso has Spike and the others in cages.  Just when it looked like they were about to have everything they wanted, Pooh, his gang & the foxes appear!  While the animals hold off the cronies, Ratso fights Freddy with his tooth staff.  Before the final blow was struck, Megan uses the horseshoe trick to break off the staff tooth, whitch Barrie puts back on his jaw.  Ratso tries to make a run for it, but the dinosaur lashes his tongue at him at the ankle, and devours him, exclaiming, "Revenge is sweet."  The Duke tries to finish off Pooh himself, but Skipper drives the Duke off with a flare gun, and Tigger calls out, "Come back anytime!"

An earthquake ensues, causing by the group's adventure in the core, threatening to damage the desert! Megan & Biter agree to come with Freddy to Carrot Valley, and they all make it home in the nick of time. The next day, Freddy introduces his grandparents to Megan.  This pleases them, and the contest is won. Freddy & Spike become part of a new circle of friends.  Pooh, his gang, Alex, Gloria & the Penguins part ways, until the next adventure.

## Trivia

### Story Behind the Story

I had been to Fruita, and it's Dinosaur Journey museum, and there was a very beautiful actress named Megan Fox, so I named the vixen heroine Megan after the actress. As for the Fitzgerald Desert, I named it after the Fitzgerald Theater, another place in *Prairie Home Companion*.

### Pooh's side

The penguins, their old friends, Alex & Gloria, and Pooh's archenemy the Grand Duke of Owls all have a lot to do with the valley setting.

### Connections

* The end credit song *If We Hold on Together* is first used in *The Land Before Time,* whose characters were also animated by Don Bluth, who animated the Duke & Hunch.
* This is the fourth entry to feature Don Bluth characters.
* 2005 saw the release of the acutal *Madagascar* movie, and another Don Bluth production, *The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses.*

## Cast

Jim Cummings as Winnie the PoohJohn Fiedler as PigletPaul Winchell as TiggerKen Samson as RabbitPeter Cullen as EeyoreHal Smith as OwlMichael Gough as GopherTim Hoskins as Christopher RobinTom McGrath as SkipperJeff Bennett as KowalskiJohn DiMaggio as RicoChristopher Knights as PrivateBen Stiller as AlexJada Pinkett Smith as GloriaChristopher Plummer as the DukeCharles Nelson Reilly as HunchLeonardo DiCaprio as FreddyFrankie Muniz as SpikeKath Soucie as MeganSteve Buscemi as RatsoMichael-Leon Wooley as ElmerTimothy Spall as RockyMichael Clarke Duncan as Gorilla GusPatrick Warburton as BarrieSteven Weber as BiterFrank Welker as BlackieKelsey Grammar as Grandpa FoxJenifer Lewis as Grandma FoxAshton Kutcher as Richie

### Songs:

* The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh theme
* Life is a Magic Thing
* Seize the Day
* We Hate that Bear
* Cruel World
* Maybe Love
* Roll Back the Rock to the Dawn of Time
* *No Chance*
* Owls' Picnic
* End Title Song: If We Hold On Together by Diana Ross
* Exit Music: The Little Monkey by Marc Shaiman