Ep 9. Ralphie and the Flying Tennellis

Ralphie is anxious to show off his skills in his school's tennis tournament and he is especially thrilled because he will be playing against his hero, the famous tennis player Carla Tennelli. But things take an unexpected turn when he discovers that Carla and her twin sister, Carmin, will be playing against him and his friend Phoebe. They soon find out that the twin sisters have invented a new kind of tennis ball that can float and fly, which makes the game much more challenging than they expected.

Ms. Frizzle and the class jump on the Magic School Bus headed for the tennis court. During the journey, Ralphie feels nervous and doubtful about his ability to cope with the challenge. He begins to doubt his skills to the point that his confidence level drops progressively before the game.

On arrival at the court, Ms. Frizzle explains that the tennis tournament will be different from conventional tennis games as it will be played in the air. The new floating tennis balls invented by the Tennelli sisters can go anywhere - up, down, and even sideways, making the game more dramatic.

Ralphie and his teammates soon realize that the match requires more than just physical skills; it will require them to use their creativity and innovative abilities, and as such, they will have to adapt to the floating balls that have a mind of their own.

The match begins, and both teams battle for the upper hand. Phoebe performs exceptionally well in defending her side of the court as the Tennelli sisters hit the balls in every direction. Sadly, Ralphie forces the ball into the net repeatedly, becoming discouraged even as his teammates encourage him to keep going. Though their adversaries play a brilliant game, they seem not to be able to handle the power of the Tennelli twins' swift attacks.

Despite having a challenging first set, the Frizz gives her students a pep talk, telling them to not let their opponents intimidate them and to use teamwork to pull through the set. Ralphie, inspired to prove himself to Carla, remembers his dream of being as good as her and decides to be a cheerleader for his team. He gets his friends focused on the game and its intensity, and they stage a comeback in the second set.

The second set sees the class go on the offensive and the match becomes more intense. Ralphie has increased confidence and performs brilliantly. He amazes Carla with his incredible jump shots and serves when he and she get into a faceoff, and Phoebe keeps the other twin occupied, allowing the team to take the lead. Suddenly, things take a turn when the bus crashes into a floating cloud!

The cloud causes the game to change for the better, as it showers them with a special kind of 'rain.' They notice that the tennis balls are now more conductive and can float higher, making it more amusing. The class quickly adapts to the new heights, and they continue their game on the top of the cloud.

In this last set, the class showcases their phenomenal tennis skills. While working collectively as a team, they steadily win more points. Ralphie gets supercharged and serves the team an ace, which wins them the game! Carla is impressed by his skills and commends him for his bravery and perseverance.

As they depart on the Magic school bus, Ralphie, Phoebe and their classmates are thrilled to have defeated the talented Tennelli sisters. They are all about to savor their victory when the bus jolts again. This time, they end up playing a game of basketball!