Directed by: Roy Burdine
Written by: Julia Yorks
While Artephius is attempting to find some way to seal off the Netherworld portal, Puss has been driving the villagers crazy with excessive monster attack drills, so he decides to stage a fake attack when a real monster shows up.
Tropes:
- Chekhov's Gun: Toby suggests instead of the monster drill he could defeat the monster with his singing voice. When the drill fails, that's exactly what he does.
- Contrived Coincidence: When Puss suggests the orphans dress up as a monster, they suggest making a purple monster with many legs. This happens to be the exact kind of real monster that shows up in town.
- Crying Wolf: Puss has been drilling the villagers so many times nobody really cares anymore.
- A Dog Named "Dog": When Toby learns the monster is called a Wimblegurp, that's what Toby decides to name it.
- Dude, Not Ironic: When the citizens lose their patience with Puss, he berates them for not wanting to defend themselves and asks if they plan on letting him protect them all. When they say yes, Puss insists he was being ironic while Dulcinea wonders if he actually means he was being sarcastic.
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: The monster turns out to be not inherently evil (which is why it plays along with the drill). Artephius explains that banishment to the Netherworld is a fairly common thing for wizards to do; good and evil alike.
- Spoof Aesop:Puss: It would seem that sometimes the best plan is no plan at all!
Dulcinea: Is that really the lesson here?
Puss: Sometimes the best lesson is no lesson at all!
Dulcinea: (sigh) You just like hearing your own voice, don't you? - This Is Not a Drill: Doubles as a Title Drop when everyone realizes the monster is real.
- What the Hell, Hero?: After a few too many drills, the citizens of San Lorenzo call Puss out on it, also calling him out on the fact that all of their troubles are tangentially his fault to begin with.
