A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 11: The Finneon Knights (Brock)

(real tale: The Knights of the Fish)


"There was once a shoemaker--we'll call him Martin--who was renowned for being a hard worker." Brock begins. "Though he was a hard worker, he was very poor, and barely earned enough to buy food for himself and his wife. For a while, they made do on the meager pay he earned and wild Berries. But eventually, Martin decided to hang up his tools and decided to try fishing."

"Did that help?" Ash wonders.

"At first, Martin got very good at fishing, but before long, he was lucky to even catch an old boot." Brock replies. "He was about to give up and go try some other trade when one day, he managed to catch a Finneon, the Beautifly of the Sea."

"Is that really a Finneon's nickname?" Misty asks, interested.

"Take a look." Ash digs Dexette from his bag and invites Misty to look at the Finneon picture that blips on the screen.

Finneon, the wing fish Pokemon. Dexette begins. The way its two tail fins flutter while it swims has earned it the nickname "Beautifly of the Sea"

"I'm sure those must be beautiful to see!" Misty gasps, starry eyed.

"They are." Ash replies as he pockets Dexette. "You were saying?" he asks Brock.

Brock thinks a moment as to where he is in the tale, then continues. "As Martin unhooked the Finneon, it spoke to him."

Using a breathy young female voice, he requests "When you cook me for your dinner tonight, keep two pieces for yourselves, and bury two more in the garden."

As himself, he continues "Martin found the request odd, but respected the Finneon's wishes. When he cooked it for dinner that night, he kept two pieces for himself, and buried two more in the garden. When he came to look in the garden the next morning, he was shocked to find two newborns, a boy and a girl, under the shade of a tree."

"Aw..." Ash smiles.

"They named the boy Destin and the girl Lana, in remembrance of the waters the Finneon came from." Brock continues. Destin and Lana grew up to be kind and generous people, and very brave as well. When they came of age, they decided to go out into the world to seek their fortunes."

"And then?" Misty asked.

"With their parents' blessing, they set out early the next morning." Brock continues. "For a while, their journey was uneventful. But when they came to a fork in the road, Lana suggested they each go in a differing direction. If something wonderful happened to one of them, they would notify the other to meet them there. With that, Destin went east, and Lana went west, eager to discover what adventures awaited them."

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asks.

"Destin followed the road eastward for a while, until he came to a large city." Brock replies. "When he got there, he saw that everyone was crying. When he asked what the matter was, a townsperson explained that every year, they had to offer a maiden of pure heart to a terrifying Garchomp, lest the city be destroyed in flame. It didn't help that that year, the lot had fallen to the princess--who I'll call Isabel."

"Pini!" Happini gasps, afraid for the princess.

"Don't worry, Princess Isabel will be okay." Misty assures Happini. "Destin's gonna save her!"

Brock smiles as he takes his guitar and retunes it a little. "Destin borrowed a Ponyta, some armor, and a sword, and rode out until he came to the tree Princess Isabel was tied to. Despite Princess Isabel's pleas for him to stay away, Destin assured her he was going to save her, and end the cycle of sacrifice."

Once sure his guitar is back in tune, Brock continues "The Garchomp arrived soon after with a mighty roar, but Destin ran to battle with Princess Isabel looking on." With that, he begins playing the Zelda theme as an interlude.

"After a long battle, Destin emerged victorious!" Brock continues, playing the Zelda "got item" jingle for effect, to the Pokemon's bemused giggles. The city was elated that the Garchomp was slain, and the king offered Destin anything he wanted as a reward. Destin took one look at how beautiful Isabel was, and told the king he wished to have Princess Isabel's hand in marriage."

"See? Told'ja Destin would save the princess." Misty assures Happini.

"But what about Lana?" Ash asks. "What adventures did she get into?"

Brock is about to answer when he notices Happini is asleep at his feet. "She had plenty of adventures in her own right, but that is another story for another day."

"Yeah, we'd better get to bed ourselves." Misty agrees as she tucks Azurill in for the night. "We can always tell more stories tomorrow night!"

"Okay--you'll lead off tomorrow night's tales." Brock tells Misty as he tucks Happini in for the night.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 12: The Legend of Brave Minty (Misty)

(real tale: Puddocky)

"That hike was amazing!" Ash raved as Brock started the campfire. "and the Squirtles were just so tame!"

"Well, they're probably used to humans tromping past their pond." Misty assured Ash. "Makes me wonder how your little guy's doing..."

"Probably adventuring and putting fires out with his fellow squad mates." Ash sighed dreamily before noticing Brock laying out the ingredients for the night's dinner. "What are we having tonight?"

"Tonight's menu is gonna be on the snackish side, since we had a huge lunch on the trail." Brock explained as he hung a pot of water to boil over the fire. "And what could be a better snackish meal than potstickers?"

"Those are good, but your Oran chicken you made for the trail was even better!" Ash raved.

"I could've sworn I tasted chocolate in there..." Misty mused.

Brock smiled, pleased Misty had figured out his Oran Chicken's secret ingredient. "As a matter of fact, you DID taste chocolate, Misty--I will sometimes add some dark chocolate shavings in the sauce to give it a sweet bite, balancing the sour Oran juice." he explained as he opened the cooler compartment labeled "TUESDAY" and spread out various ingredients on a wooden board.

Some mint leaves in Brock's pile of ingredients gave Misty an idea. "While you're working on dinner, may I start the tale telling while we wait?"

"Go ahead." Brock replied as he began measuring out some dough ingredients.

Misty cleared her throat and began. "In a far away land, there lived a woman with a daughter named Minty. She had gotten that name because she practically ate everything with mint--but mint was very expensive, and oftentimes, her mother barely had enough to buy any. So every night, she would sneak out to the edge of a forest where a notorious witch lived, and sneak some mint from her enchanted garden. Since it grew back every morning, the witch had no idea any mint was missing."

"Is this anything like 'Rapunzel'?" Ash interrupts.

"No, it's not a variant of 'Rapunzel'" Misty replies before continuing. "As the months wore on, the witch caught on to Minty's mother taking mint from her garden. But seeing as Minty's mother meant well, she offered to let Minty stay with her."

"Pini?" Happini asks.

"Just because the witch is nice now, doesn't mean she will be later." Brock warns Happini as he watches over the potsticker dough.

"Some years went by, and three princes came to that land in search of a bride." Misty continues. "They saw Minty out working in the enchanted garden, and all three of them fell madly in love with her--leading them to fight over her. The witch heard the ruckus and clanging swords, and turned Minty into a Lotad, saying she would only return to her true form when held by someone who truly loved her."

"First 'Rapunzel' and now 'The Lotad Prince'..." Ash muses. "Or in this case, 'The Lotad Princess'"

"Well, technically, Misty didn't say Minty was a princess." Brock interjects as he begins filling circles of his dough with meat, vegetables, and of course, the mint.

Happini gasps, excited at the mention of a princess. "Oh, Happini, there's no princess in this tale--yet!" Misty giggles. "When the princes saw Minty transform into a Lotad, they quickly made up, put their swords away, and returned to their homeland. The king of that land was old, but all three of his sons--the princes--were equally capable rulers. So he didn't know which one would be the best one to succeed him."

"That is a hard choice, especially when your three options are equally fit to rule." Brock agrees in between filling potstickers.

"The king then proposed three challenges to his sons, and whoever completed them all the best would be the heir." Misty explained. "Their first challenge was to find a piece of cloth fine enough to fit through a ring."

"And then?" Ash asks as he watches Brock spoon out finished potstickers on a platter before adding a new batch to the pot.

"The first two princes went down the well traveled roads into town, and came back with cartloads of the best cloth they could find." Misty continued. "But the youngest prince--we'll call him Caleb--took a less traveled route to town that passed through some marshland."

"Pika pika Chupi?" Pikachu wonders.

"Minty, in the form of a Lotad met Caleb on the shore and asked where he was going." Misty replies. "Prince Caleb explained his quest to the little Lotad, and Minty hopped away, returning with a piece of fabric no bigger than a human finger. When to came time to see who had completed the first challenge, Prince Caleb's tiny piece of fabric fit through the king's sapphire ring easily. Not a single piece his brothers brought back fit at all!"

"Then what did the king challenge his sons to do?" Ash wonders.

"The king next challenged the three princes to find a young Lilipup small enough to fit inside a walnut." Misty explained. "While Prince Caleb's brothers took the main roads into town, Caleb returned to the marsh, where Minty was waiting for him."

"Can Lilipups get that small?" Ash wonders. Granted he saw some tiny ones on his Unovan journey, but finding one that fit inside a nut sounded impossible.

"Ever hear of teacup Lilipups?" Brock asks.

"That's an idea..." Ash smiles as he hungrily admires a finished batch of potstickers cooling on a rock.

"Prince Caleb told Minty of his quest, and she found him the biggest walnut in the marsh." Misty continues. "Not one of the Lilipups his brothers found could fit through the walnut shell, but when the king opened the walnut Prince Caleb had brought back, did he find a very energetic Lilipup inside!"

The boys laugh as they picture the chaotic scene. "After giving out the rejected Lilipups to all the new trainers of the land, the king gave his final challenge--find the most beautiful girl in the land."

"A thousand credits says he has to kiss the Lotad." Brock whispers as he puts his final batch of potstickers in the pot to cook.

"Caleb wasn't sure how the little Lotad would help him, but he poured out his heart to her anyway." Misty continues. "As he cried and held the little Lotad close, he was surprised when he found himself embracing the most beautiful girl he had ever seen!"

"Sorry, no kissing." Ash tells Brock.

"Minty told Prince Caleb her story from start to finish, and how his faithfulness broke the spell on her." Misty concludes. "Prince Caleb led her back to the palace, were she was more beautiful than any of the ladies his brothers had found. He was named heir to the throne, and he and Minty lived happily ever after."

"Aw..." Ash smiles.

"You timed that perfectly--dinner's ready!" Brock smiles as he cleans up his work area...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 13: The Crystal Sword (Ash)

(real tale: The Glass Axe)

"There was once a king and queen who desired nothing more than to have a child." Ash begins as he sets aside his empty plate from dinner. "Finally, after years of trying, they welcomed a little prince to the royal family. They named him Garet, because of his gentle nature."

"Aw..." Misty smiles.

"The festivities drew the attention of a dark fairy--who I'll call Raven." Ash continued. "The constant cheers and well wishes drove her nuts, and so she cursed the queen, killing her."

Pikachu brushes away a tear. "Pika pikachu..."

"As she died, the queen warned her beloved that if Garet ever set foot on the ground, he would be subject to Raven's whims." Ash continues. "At first, this was pretty easy to do, but as Garet grew bigger and too large for the nursemaids to carry, he was carried about on a platform."

"Well, how was he going to get any exercise if he can't touch the ground?" Brock is piqued.

"Easy--horseback riding." Ash replies. "He became quite the expert rider, and often came to the royal hunting grounds. It was on one of these excursions that the second part of Raven's curse came true. Garet had flushed a Buneary from the bush, and in the ensuing pursuit, his Ponyta tripped, sending him falling to the ground."

Brock gives Ash his "slow down" signal. "All the retinue could do was watch as Garet disappeared into the dark realm." Ash continues, acknowledging Brock's silent advice with a nod. "The king was naturally devastated, but even still, he held out hope that he would be reunited with Garet.

"So what did Raven make him do?" Misty asks, intrigued.

"She gave him a sword made of crystal, and told him to cut the brush in the dark forest." Ash replies. "She told him not to speak to anyone but her."

"This is getting good--then what happened?" Brock asks.

"No sooner did Garet try to cut some of the brush in the dark wood, did the crystal sword shatter." Ash continues, making his friends gasp. His mind raced with fear at what Raven would do to him as he wandered the dark forest, but eventually, weariness overcame him, and he fell asleep."

"Pika pika?" Pikachu asks as he splits one of the few remaining potstickers with Happini.

"A girl met him and told him that there was a way out of the dark realm--I'll call her Eliza." Ash continues. "She went on to tell him that Raven was her mother--and in order to escape the dark realm, they had to cross the river that marked the gap between worlds."

"You're rushing again..." Brock whispers.

"When Garet woke up, he was surprised to find the crystal sword by his side, and the brush cleared." Ash goes on, trying his best not to speak too fast. "He went back and told Raven he had finished his task. Raven asked if he had spoken to anyone while he worked, and Garet said no. Raven bought Garet's lie, and rewarded him with a small meal and water."

"Azu?" Azurill asked.

"Raven then asked Garet to bundle up the wood he had cut the day before." Ash explained. "At first, Garet made a good pace, but as the day wore on, he got tired and fell asleep. Eliza came while he slept and finished the job. Raven was pleased Garet finished so quickly, but deep down, she had her doubts about who was actually doing the work."

"So did Raven ever figure out who was helping Garet?" Misty swallows hard in fear for the young prince.

Ash grins--his most anticipated part of the tale is next! "Raven took Garet to a lake, and challenged him to build a castle out of gold, silver and jewels in an hour--or else. But as Garet wondered how in the world he was going to even find jewels, Eliza met him on the bank. Raven happened to see them meet, and screamed with shock!"

"Uh oh..." Even Brock is afraid for the two friends.

"Garet feared he and Eliza were done for as they ran with Raven in hot pursuit. But Eliza took a rock and casted a spell on it." Ash picks up a rock and sings Amekius zigias vike...

"Pini? Pini?" Happini asks, excited.

"The rock turned into a jewel studded castle exactly like Raven requested." Ash replies. "Raven spent hours exploring the opulent rooms, which bought Garet and Eliza plenty of time to hurry toward the river between worlds. But it wasn't long before Garet heard Raven chasing them again. Luckily, Eliza casted another spell." He then sings Lorete, sunidisa no...

"What did that spell do?" Misty asks, eager to know what happened next.

"It turned Eliza into a pool of water, and Garet into a little Ducklett." Ash replied. "But Raven saw right through the spell, and used her magic to turn them back to normal. This went on for a while--every time Eliza casted a spell in an attempt to lose Raven, Raven would dispel it with her own magic or find her way out. Finally, they made it to the river between worlds, but there was no way to get across, and Garet didn't know if they had the strength to swim across. On top of that, Raven was gaining on them!"

"Pika!" Pikachu gasps.

"Eliza told Garet that she was going to teach him a spell as thanks for his efforts to rescue her." Ash continues. "She told him the magic words, and told him to wait until Raven came into view before casting it. Raven made her way out of the forest some minutes later, but Garet and Eliza leapt into the murky water. As they fell towards the water, Garet casted the spell." He then sings Karuto, iichiida shou....

"Did they make it?" Brock asks.

"The spell gave Garet and Eliza the ability to fly, but Raven was right behind them aboard a shining black Charizard." Ash continues. "But Garet and Eliza dove towards the water, then flew upwards again. The black Charizard crashed into the water, killing it and its rider."

"Pini!" Happini cheers, elated that Garet and Eliza are safe.

"Garet and Eliza made it across the river between worlds, and back into the world of light." Ash concludes. "Garet's father the king was elated to see his son. Garet told his father of his adventure from start to finish, and not long after, he took Eliza as his bride. The wedding was a grand affair, and they all lived happily ever after."

"Wow!" Misty is impressed.

"I liked that you added some sung spell incantations of your own, but you're still prone to rushing when you tell, especially if you are excited." Brock begins. "We know you're eager to tell the story, but when you're speaking fast, we don't understand what you're saying."

Ash sweatdrops. "I need to work on not rushing..."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 14: The Gold Pidgeot (Brock)

(real tale: How Ian Direach Got the Blue Falcon)


"In a far away land, there lived a king and queen that ruled over a vast kingdom." Brock begins. "They also had a son they loved very much--we'll call him Kiran. Kiran was well loved and well liked across the kingdom--he was a fine hunter, sailor, singer, and storyteller, among other things."

"Sounds a bit like you." Ash smiles.

Brock is unfazed by Ash's comment. "One year, just before Kiran came of age, the queen died from a terrible disease. The whole kingdom mourned for her, but it wasn't long before the king married again. But Kiran never forgot his mother, and cherished the memories of her." Brock continued. "Now, Kiran particularly enjoyed hunting, usually alongside a Ninetales he had befriended--we'll call her Kitsune. So one morning, he was searching for Kitsune in the forest, when he saw a great gold Pidgeot fly past him."

"Whoa!" Ash balks when he pictures what the shiny Pidgeot might have looked like in comparison to his own Pidgeot.

"I'm sure it was huge!" Misty agrees.

"Try as Kiran might to hit the majestic Pokemon, his arrows merely grazed its feathers." Brock pantomimes shooting a bow to illustrate this. "As it was getting late, Kiran took the feather and set out for home. When he got home, his stepmother desired the golden Pidgeot for herself, and banished Kiran from the castle until he found it." He next takes his guitar and starts a relaxed melody. "Kiran traveled for many hours with not so much as a sign of the gold Pidgeot. Finally, he made camp in a forest as the sun set, and drifted to sleep."

"Did he find Kitsune?" Ash asks.

Brock plays a soft harmonic chord to represent Kitsune appearing. "As Kiran slept, Kitsune met him in the forest." In his best mimic of Ash's Riolu character Erin, he intones over a mystical melody "I hear ye are on a journey, milord; so I bring ye a meager meal te get ye true te night."

As himself, he interjects "Kiran told Kitsune about his quest over the small meal of Buneary meat and Berries. Kitsune told him... As Kitsune again, he replies "Te Pidgeot ye seek belongs te a terrifying giant in te mauntains. I will show you te his house, and you are te present yeself as a servant. Treat his Pokemon well, and ye will earn his troost. One dey, he will leave on a journey himself--wait until he is out of sight, ten trow a cloak over te gold Pidgeot. Boot if even one of her gold featers touches anyting in te giant's cave, terrible tings will happen."

Misty applauds at Brock's spot on mimic of the little puppet Riolu. "That's pretty good, but Ash does the voice better." she comments.

"I've had practice." Ash replies. "Pity I don't have a puppet stage out here... then I would've packed my puppets..."

An expectant D chord snaps him to attention. "Okay, we're done talking." Misty assures Brock. "You may continue."

"Now, where was I?" Brock muses as he plays a few uncertain notes. "Oh, yes...the next morning, Kitsune led Kiran to the giant's cave, and everything happened as Kitsune said--Kiran took such good care of the giant's Pokemon, that he earned the right to handle and groom the gold Pidgeot."

Awed murmurs fill the air. "One day, the giant told Kiran he was leaving to see a friend that lived in a neighboring mountain." Brock continues. "Kiran waited until the giant was out of his sight, threw a cloak over the Pidgeot, and started for the cave entrance." Tense giggles fill the air as Brock plays a "sneaking" riff. "But he accidentally brushed a feather against the entryway--and the Pidgeot made so much noise, the giant came rushing back in seconds."

Misty gasps over Brock's tense chord. "Kiran was afraid at first, but the giant said..." In a deeper version of himself, he intones "If you want my golden Pidgeot, bring to me the Sword of Magic Auras the forest wisps guard, and I will consider."

He sets the guitar aside as he continues. "Kitsune met Kiran on the forest path, and told him..." As Kitsune, he suggests "Te forest wisps are everywhere in te wood, but teir queen lives in a wood across the sea. I will transform inte a ship te take ye tere. Ye are te present yeself as a swordsmith--treat teir bledes well, and tey will troost you with te Sword of Magic Auras. Boot if te sheath touches even wan ting in te palace, terrible tings will happen."

"With that, they arrived on the coast, and Kitsune transformed herself into a ship." Brock then sings as Kitsune Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... He continues as himself "Kiran sailed to the island wood, and everything happened as Kitsune said--he did so well polishing the various blades, that the wisp queen let him handle the Sword of Magic Auras. As he was taking it out of the palace, he tripped over a vine, making the sword fall to the floor."

"Oh no!" Ash yelps.

"Luckily, the wisp queen was feeling merciful." Brock assures his small audience before assuming a younger version of his "Kitsune" voice. "If ye want te Sword of Magic Auras, you must first trede us te shining Ponyta of the king of Fuyan."

As himself, he continues. "Kitsune met Kiran on the coast, and told him..." As Kitsune, he intones "Fuyan is fahr awey from here, so I will again transform into a ship te teke ye tere. Ye are te present yeself as a stable boy--treat te Ponytas and te Rapidashes well, and His Majesty will troost ye wit te shining Ponyta. Boot if even wan hair touches te stable..."

"Terrible things will happen." Misty and Ash repeat along with Brock.

Brock just grins. "Have you guys heard this one before?" he asks.

"It sounds like a version of 'The Golden Starly...' Ash muses.

"As a matter of fact, it is!" Misty notes. "While the version from Shinou is the best known version, other versions also exist. The one Brock is telling originates from Fuschia..."

"In addition to this and 'The Golden Starly' I've found versions featuring Taillows, Pidoves, and even Swablus." Brock explains before continuing the tale. "Anyway, Kitsune transformed herself into a ship again..." He pauses to sing as Kitsune Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... before continuing as himself. "When Kiran got to Fuyan, everything happened as Kitsune said--he took such good care of the Ponytas and Rapidashes, that the king finally trusted him with the shiny Ponyta. But as he was leading it out of the stables, he brushed against the entryway by mistake. The Ponyta made so much noise, that the king came rushing to the stables to see what was wrong.

He then assures his friends "Luckily, the king was feeling merciful..." In an older version of himself, he intones "If you desire my shining Ponyta, bring to me the princess of Atalan."

"Pini!" Happini cheers.

"You're going to cheer for every princess, aren't you?" Misty coos. Happini nods.

"Kitsune met him on the road out of the capital city, and said to him..." As Kitsune, Brock intones "Someting must nut want ye te return te your homeland for so much misfartune te befall ye. Boot I will help ye all te same--I will transform myself inte a ship to take ye to Atalan, and run agraund on te coast. Ye are te tell te king of Atalan that ye ship has wrecked and ye are the sole survivor. Also tell him tat te king of Fuyan has offered help in exchange for te princess."

He continues as himself. "Kitsune transformed into a ship again..." He again sings as Kitsune Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... "and set off for Atalan. When she had run aground on the coast, Kiran told the court of Atalan the most heartwrenching rendition of the story Kitsune had told him to tell. The princess of Atalan--we'll call her Talia--couldn't bear to see anyone in need, and so agreed to help Kiran in return for becoming the wife of the king of Fuyan. But Princess Talia saw how kind and brave Kiran was, and loved him more than the king of Fuyan."

"Odd--usually it's the boy having second thoughts..." Ash muses.

"When they arrived in Fuyan, Kitsune transformed into Princess Talia..." Brock then sings a different song as Kitsune. Imultao, ame no ga bakeno...

As himself, he continues "The king of Fuyan fell madly in love with 'Talia', and eagerly gave Kiran the shining Ponyta. As Kiran led the shining Ponyta back to where the real Talia waited, the king of Fuyan was about to crown Kitsune when she revealed herself, and gave him a Fire Fang he never forgot!"

Laughter fills the air as Misty and Ash picture the chaotic scene. "They then made their way back to the island woods, where Kitsune transformed into a shiny Ponyta." Brock then sings as Kitsune Karuto, iichiida shou...

"Pika?" Pikachu asks as he wipes away a tear of laughter.

Brock continues "The wisp queen was thrilled to see the 'Ponyta', and eagerly gave Kiran the Sword of Magic Auras. But when the wisps tried to ride Kitsune, it was a ride they never forgot!"

More laughter fills the air. "They then made their way to the giant's cave in the mountains, where Kitsune transformed herself into the sword." Brock then sings as Kitsune Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

Cheers go up at the gibberish song. "The giant was pleased to see the 'sword', and gave Kiran the golden Pidgeot." Brock continues. "But when he tried to wield it, Kitsune burnt him so badly that it took a long time to recover."

Misty, Ash, and the Pokemon can hardly contain their laughter at this. "It was only when Kiran arrived home did he discover Kitsune's warning was true--and that his stepmother was about to cast a dark spell on him." Brock continues.

"Azu azu ri ri?" Azurill panics, afraid for Kiran and his party.

"But the Sword of Magic Auras protected him and the Pokemon, and after a long battle, Kiran emerged victorious!" Brock assures Azurill.

Azurill heaves a sigh of relief as he concludes "Kiran and Talia were soon married, and they were revered throughout the kingdom. Kitsune received a special place on Kiran's court, for it was her cunning and magic power that guided him on many more adventures."

He smiles at his enthralled friends. "But that is another story for another day!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 15: The Rogue and the Trainer (Misty)

(real tale: The Rogue and the Herdsman)


"In a far away land lived a man, his wife, and their only son named Jack." Misty begins as she adds another log to the campfire. "Jack was famous for being very lazy--he would rather spend the day dozing in the sun than do any kind of work."

"And I thought that fat Meowth in the comics was bad..." Ash agrees.

"For some years, Jack's mom and dad put up with their son's laziness." Misty continues. "But when Jack came of age, his dad asked him to go into the world and seek his fortune."

"So where did he go?" Ash is interested.

"After walking down the road for a while, he came to a large house." Misty continued. "It turned out he had arrived at the house of the chief royal Pokemon trainer."

Ash gasps at this. "Whoa, really?" He pictures himself in royal finery summoning Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and other Pokemon he has owned.

Static jolts bring Ash back to reality. "Pika pika." Pikachu gently reminds him.

"So what was Jack's first real job?" Brock asks. "Or did the chief trainer send him away?"

"Actually, the chief royal Pokemon trainer..." Misty starts.

"Tory!" Ash suggests, memories of his friend from LaRousse City dancing in his mind.

Misty considers the name for a moment. "Okay, we'll call him Tory." She thinks as to where she is in the tale, then continues. "Tory felt sorry for the boy before him, and offered him shelter if he was willing to do his fair share of work. Jack readily agreed, figuring he could learn how to make a day's wage."

The Pokemon giggle in anticipation as to what Jack will do. "Jack's first chore was to look after a herd of Grumpigs." Misty explains. "He was shown the field where the herd was, and told to drive them to a valley overlooking the mountains. But as soon as Tory left him, Jack got a better idea. He drove them to his parent's house, and needless to say, his dad was quite surprised to see his son home with a bunch of Grumpigs!"

The boys and the Pokemon howl with laughter at Jack's father's likely reaction. "Jack told his dad what had happened, and that he was having trouble doing the job." Misty continues. He then requested that his dad kill the Grumpigs, and hang their meat out to dry." More laughter fills the air. "Jack's dad looked like he'd seen a Gastly, but Jack assured his dad that he had an idea. So the Grumpigs were slain, and their meat hung to dry. Jack took the tails, tied them to a rock in a nearby swamp, and submerged it."

"Uh oh..." Ash stifles a giggle.

"Now Jack's in for it..." Brock agrees.

"Jack told his master the most heart-wrenching tale." Misty continues. "He claimed that the herd was spooked by something, and despite his efforts to round them up, they all ran into the swamp and drowned, with only their tails sticking up. Tory didn't believe Jack at first, but when he went to the swamp, there were the tails, just as Jack said."

"Pika pika..." Pikachu brushes away a tear for the dead Grumpigs.

"No matter what sort of Pokemon he was told to watch, Jack would somehow 'lose' them." Misty explained. "The royal Mareeps he claimed were lost in a tornado, leaving only the bells of the lead Flaaffy behind on a rock. Tory naturally didn't believe him, but when he approached the rock, he heard the bells just as Jack had said."

She interjects "In actuality, Jack and his family had killed and eaten the Mareeps for dinner."

Nervous giggles fill the air. "The royal trainer decided to have Jack look after a small herd of Tauros, complete with the king's prized shiny Tauros." Misty continues.

"Who wants to bet Jack loses them too?" Brock whispers to Ash, who chuckles in response.

"But Jack managed to 'lose' them too." Misty replies, seemingly answering Brock's question. "He claimed the Tauros had all disappeared into a hole. Tory went to see for himself, and it was just as Jack had said."

"So did Tory ever figure out what Jack was REALLY doing?" Brock asks.

"No, but he figured something was up." Misty assures her friend. "He led Jack to the forge the next day, and told him to make ten swords. Jack had no idea how to make a sword, much less wield one."

"There's no way he could lose a sword either..." Ash adds.

Misty just continues "He returned to his house, and told his parents that his master had promised him the princess if he could make ten swords for the guards."

"Pi pini hapi pini!" Happini smiles.

"Yeah, every fairytale has a princess in it somewhere." Brock smiles, enamored at his little one's love for princesses.

"Jack surprised his parents by putting in his fair share of the work, and it wasn't long before the ten swords were done." Misty continues. "The royal trainer was stunned that Jack had finished the ten swords so quickly, and told the king about how clever Jack was."

She concludes "The king was impressed, and offered Jack the princess' hand in marriage as thanks for the ten swords. Jack agreed, and served as the king's most trusted advisor for many years."

"Well, that was an interesting tale..." Ash muses as he applauds.

"That's not even the wildest Jack tale I've heard." Brock cautions...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 16: The Power of Song (Ash)


"In a far away land, a young princess was born." Ash begins. "However, a troubling rumor began racing through the land--that the young princess could not read. She couldn't even say the ABCs!"

"Why not?" Misty is puzzled.

"The king struggled to find an answer to that question." Ash replies. "and he called in all his scholars and sages to try and encourage his daughter--let's call her Roni--how to read. One sage suggested that Roni be put in a room with no distractions, save for books. So the king led Roni to the royal library, but that didn't work--Roni would look at the pictures in the books, but struggled to learn the words that went with them--much less the letters that made up those words."

"Poor Roni..." Brock muses--he sympathizes with the sage, having struggled with some of his own siblings when they learned to read.

"Another sage suggested that Roni be taught with others around her age, but that didn't work either--Roni was more interested in playing with her new friends than the words in her books." Ash continued. "The king tried everything to encourage Roni to read, but nothing appeared to work. Mind you, Roni did put in an effort, but she still struggled mightily. But then a sage brought up an idea that proved to be prophetic--what if Roni was taught to read in song? The king found that a silly idea, and blew off the sage's suggestion."

"This is getting interesting..." Misty muses.

"A few months went by, and rumors about the princess that couldn't read spread far and wide." Ash explained. "Then one day, a minstrel came to that land, and all who heard her singing were awed by her skill."

"Pini pi Hapi?" Happini asks.

"The minstrel came to the palace, and enthralled the king, the court, and Roni with her instruments and singing stories." Ash continues before singing a little himself. Tuadera ensilum, lalecci, noncine ieri, dammero, inmeisti.

"And then?" Brock is interested.

"The king pleaded to know more about the minstrel's song, but the minstrel sang him this song..." With that, Ash sings in gibberish again. Yea cilaf yott a, cusir ar ce wist,
Yea linda crirnpauks kol craur fitsa ca yea ptrist
A poga wott yea lewr glala yea kol ar wa durfa,
Cra kil glan cra spea, cra kil glirfa an wayf,
Kilil yor cra cror, kilil etsale sphas,
Yos miar yola wet, gos wa kor cra wyr wala

He waits for his friends' applause to die down before continuing. "When the king learned what the song meant, he pleaded with the minstrel to help Roni. The minstrel agreed, and the lessons began."

"This should be interesting..." Brock smiles.

"The minstrel started by singing Roni three notes--do, re, mi." Ash explains. "Roni hesitantly sang back the three notes. Then the minstrel added more notes, and Roni would sing them back too. The months went by, and do-re-mi quickly evolved into the complete musical scale. The musical scales became melodies, the melodies became songs, and with those songs came words--both in the minstrel's language and English. Then other languages were added, and before long, Roni was reading in song, and delighting all who heard her with sung speeches, stories, and even jokes. The king was stunned by Roni's quick progress in a few short years, and went to reward the minstrel for her service, but was saddened to learn that Arceus had led her on to another land. He never did see the minstrel again, but there were some that said the minstrel was Meloetta in human form."

He concludes "When it came time for Roni to succeed her father, she became known in the land as 'The Royal Songtress' and ruled with wisdom and kindness. Thanks to her, no one in that land forgot the power of song."

As his friends applaud, Ash notices some rustling in his bag, and retrieves a mint tin from inside. When he opens it, a small sprite Pokemon flies out from it and perches on a tree. "That was a very nice story, Ash--where did you learn it?" she asks as she brushes her music staff-like hair.

"Before that, though, some introductions are in order." Ash assures the sprite. "Misty, Brock--this is Melody, the Meloetta I rescued on my Unova journey..."

(The tale is based on a tale from Israel with the same title, which you can find on Google Books)

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 17: The Brave Water Fairy (Brock)

(real tale: The Frog and the Lion Fairy)

"There was once a king in a far away land that always found himself at war." Brock begins. "The neighboring countries found this very odd--this king was kind, content with what lands he had, and not wanting to invade other lands. They concluded that maybe he had tried a bit too hard to please everyone."

He stops to interject "And you should know that if you try to please everyone, you usually end up pleasing no one."

"Very good advice." Melody muses. Misty nods in agreement.

"But I digress..." Brock continues. "Every time this king prepared for a long siege, he would send his queen--who we'll call Maya, to a stone tower in a forest not far from the capital city. Queen Maya wanted to go with her beloved into battle, but was refused. That meant she would cry for at least a day when she got there--there wasn't much to do inside, and she couldn't go out without at least two guards, as per her beloved's request."

"I can understand wanting to keep her safe, but that seems a bit much." Ash comments.

"Now, in her homeland, Queen Maya would go outside every day, which made it even more painful to be closed up in a tower." Brock continues as he takes his guitar and begins a soft melody. "But as the weeks wore on and there appeared to be no sign of fighting in the capital, she grew bolder, and often went outside on her own." The song grows louder to emphasize his point, before it turns into a set of jigs.

Applause fills the air as the set ends. "Eventually, there came a point where no letters came from her beloved at all, and Queen Maya feared the worst." Brock continues. "She ordered her servants to build her a carriage just large enough to hold a single passenger. They were understandably concerned, but Queen Maya told them she only wanted to go hunting in the forest."

"And then?" Misty asks. "What did they catch?"

Brock just plays an exciting melody as an interlude. "One day, as Queen Maya and her retinue were chasing wild Tepigs in the forest, the Ponytas raced off down an unmarked path, away from the capital. In all the confusion, Queen Maya was thrown from her mount." He ends his set with a hard chord to represent Queen Maya landing on the ground.

"Ow..." Ash winces at the discordant jumble of notes.

"I bet that had to hurt..." Misty agrees.

"When Queen Maya came to some minutes later, she saw a tan skinned girl wearing a red tunic, with glowing mythril chain underneath." Brock continues. "Some tan leggings complemented this, so you couldn't tell if it was clothing or if it was skin. Red shoes were on her feet, a rapier was at her side, and a bow and some arrows were on her back. But what was most striking about the girl were the sparkling red wings of flame that allowed her to hover before the frightened queen."

Some oohs and ahs fill the air as the small audience pictures what the fire fairy looks like. "Queen Maya knew well stories of the fey--elemental spirits that watched over the world. If you saw one, it was best to do what it wished, for better or for worse. But before she could ask the fire fairy her name, she cast a spell..." He pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... "and transformed into an Entei."

Brock then plays a majestic melody. "Queen Maya was awed to see the Beast of flame, and decided to follow it. They finally came to a cave deep beneath the earth, where Queen Maya saw a great stone castle that occasionally glowed red with lava, with a moat of lava surrounding it. Not surprisingly, there were many fire Pokemon romping about."

Giggles go up from the Pokemon as Brock starts his rendition of the Hyrule Castle theme. "The fire fairy introduced herself as Leona, and asked her to build herself a house out of the stones in the cave--for she was going to be there a while."

The nervous giggles turn to gasps. "Queen Maya begged Leona to return her to the forest, but Leona told her that if it hadn't been for her finding her back in the forest, she'd be dead. That, and she figured Queen Maya would be of use to her." He plays a tense chord for effect. "Leona asked Queen Maya to make her a honey cake--but how was Queen Maia going to get any honey with no Beedrills to be found?"

"So what did Queen Maya do?" Misty asks.

"She waited until Leona had left her, then poured her heart out to Arceus about her misfortune." Brock replies. "As she cried, she heard a Murkrow off in the distance..."

Everyone jumps as they hear a Murkrow in the distance. "Nice touch." Ash comments as a pair of Murkrows fly over the campsite.

Brock thinks for a moment to remember where he is in the tale before continuing "She looked to see where the Murkrow was coming from, and when it came into view, she saw it clutched a Lotad in its talons. Inspired, the queen shot an arrow into the Murkrow's leg, causing it to drop the Lotad."

The audience waits to hear the Lotad's fate. "Queen Maya went to see if the Lotad was all right, but when she examined the tiny Pokemon, it transformed into a water fairy." Brock continues, playing a soft harmonic chord to mimic a transformation. "The fairy introduced herself as Shaila, and asked Queen Maya what she was doing there in the cave. Queen Maya told Shaila her story, and asked her how she could escape. Shaila explained that the fire Pokemon had once been humans themselves, but they had angered Leona in some way, and so she had enslaved them as one of her pets."

"That isn't very nice!" Melody gasps, appalled that Leona is so cruel.

"Then Queen Maya asked Shaila what she was doing in a fire fairy's realm." Brock continues. "Shaila explained she was on a mission to save all the people Leona had enslaved, but she had to disguise herself as a Pokemon for her safety, since fire fears water. She thanked Queen Maya for saving her, and told her she would do what she could to help her in return."

Nervous laughter fills the air at this. "Queen Maya told Shaila that Leona had asked her for a honey cake, but how was she to get honey when there were no Beedrills anywhere?" Brock explains. "So Shaila cast a spell of her own..." He then sings Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... "...and conjured more honey than Queen Maya knew what to do with. Leona was pleased when Queen Maya brought her the honey cake, and granted her some land as a reward."

He plays a sad interlude. "Queen Maya, with Shaila's help, built herself a house of stone and filled it with herbs to remind her of the surface. A few years went by, and during that time, a little princess was born." Some "aw"s fill the air at this. "Queen Maya named her Brenna, in honor of her fairy guardian that ruled over water."

"So did Queen Maya and Princess Brenna ever see the surface?" Ash asks, a note of fear in his voice.

"Princess Brenna grew up to be a kind and brave young lady, but deep down, Queen Maya wondered what had become of her beloved and her homeland." Brock goes on over a calm interlude. "So one day, she wrote a letter to her beloved explaining what had happened over seven years, and gave it to Shaila, telling her to fly as fast as she could."

He then plays a "flying" melody. "Shaila flew to the kingdom as fast as she could, and got there hours before the king was to remarry." He plays a tense chord. "The king turned white as a Gastly when he read the letter, called off the wedding, and followed Shaila to the underground cave. On the way, Shaila summoned an army of water Pokemon to protect them in case Leona attacked them." He sings again Rou iitsa ron selga vichii...

Cheers fill the air as Brock starts to play the Zelda theme. "Sure enough, Leona was waiting for them, and a great battle ensued." After playing the song for a while, he interjects "I'm pretty sure you know who won the battle, right?"

"Of course!" Ash replies.

"You said it yourself before, Brock." Misty replies. "Fire fears water."

Brock concludes over a triumphant interlude. "With Leona defeated, the fire Pokemon she kept returned to their human forms, and they were soon reunited with their families. But the biggest welcome was for Queen Maya and Princess Brenna, who never forgot the brave water fairy that protected them in their hour of need."

Melody's applause is the loudest. "Bravo! Ash was right when he said you were a great storyteller!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 18: Squirtle's Rain Song (Misty)


"You know, you guys have done so well singing in your stories..." Misty begins as she feeds Azurill a berry. "Now, I wanna give it a shot."

"Fire away." Brock smiles--he is intrigued by Misty using singing in her stories--something he has practiced for years and trained Ash on for what seemed like years.

"I learned this tale from my sisters--Daisy always told it when I asked why there were so many Squirtles romping in puddles when it rained." Misty explains to Melody.

Once her audience is ready, she begins. "Once a great drought struck the world, and the humans and Pokemon suffered for it. It was so bad, it dried up the rivers and the lakes, and some Pokemon and humans even died of thirst."

"Pika..." Pikachu sighs.

"The Pokemon decided that they would all sing prayers to the Great Arceus in heaven in hopes he would send rain and save the world." Misty continues. "So the Pokemon all gathered at the shore of a dried up lake to each perform. Donphan was first--his song went something like this..."

She then proceeds to sing to the tune of "Arran's Prayer" Wiaks hozaluf yowr cile Arceus,
wiados yamb etsale cror yowr etsale lewr,
Yos sarfotsat ptrilan kulas,
yowr cra we gos yos mar
Amb cra metsa gaerfat aya an yone crea,
Spiasa, Arceus, golitsa ir...
Wiaks Arceus, kawr ir daen...

Ash applauds when Misty finishes. "Not bad!"

"What a sweet song..." Melody agrees. "Even if it is probably gibberish."

"And then?" Brock asks.

"One by one, the larger Pokemon made their pleas to the heavens--Mightyena, Liepard, and even King Entei sang, but no rain came, and the sun grew hotter still." Misty continues. "As each Pokemon took their turn, a little Squirtle pleaded and pleaded to have a turn at a prayersong. But all the other Pokemon laughed at her because she was so tiny."

"So did Squirtle get to sing?" Melody asks.

"And when she did, how did it go?" Brock agrees.

"After all the other Pokemon had sang for rain with no luck, King Entei allowed Squirtle to sing." Misty continues. "Donphan lifted her up to a tree branch, so all the other Pokemon could hear her. Her song went something like this...

She then sings to the tune of "My Song is My Treasure" Crotaluf, hozaluf lor Arceus,
Aya wiadat ca yowr huks ca mala
an wir cror ree sphaesa aya yowr fitsa aya wole
Cra yost lotsa yowr yorlola aya
yowr wa cror aya cerla
Golitsa yos kir, yowr golitsa wa yolowrlenfa yamb wa sir Pokemon,
Wi wor froks gleks wi nee
Cra pest isdon aya sapasa cra mulas yowr cra wir,
suks cra metsa gaer aya crist kawr ir daen...

"Pika chu?" Pikachu asks as Misty seemingly finishes her song.

"As Squirtle kept singing, huge rainclouds started forming in the sky, and lightning flashed across it as it started pouring." Misty continues. "It rained so hard, it flooded in some places, and all the Pokemon splashed about the huge puddles as they eagerly drank their fill. Some of the big Pokemon whispered prayers of forgiveness as Squirtle continued..."

She then sings again Arceus, cra lotsa aya yowr ptralir yos wiadean,
yowr yost wa crotatrz aya metsa cerla.
wa daen crist walan watt,
Golitsa ir glan cra gaef aya,
yowr wozas ir crir wahhir
kee yos cror cea litsa.

"Wow!" Brock is impressed by the gibberish lyrics.

Misty just concludes "To this day, it is said that Squirtles continue thanking Arceus for rain as they frolic in puddles and ponds."

Brock grins as he applauds. "Maybe you should tell more singing tales!"

(The tale I based this on is an African legend called "Singing to God For Rains", which you can find on Google Books.)

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 19: The Lucky Warrior (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 19, story 3)

"Once there was a boy so poor, he had to travel from town to town in search of work." Ash begins as Pikachu nuzzles his hand. "I'll call him Kaoru. Kaoru would stay in one town helping out those that needed a hand, and when there was no work left to do, he would move on to another town. This often meant that he didn't have a chance for a decent meal."

"How awful!" Melody gasps.

"Azu azu..." Azurill agrees.

"Now, one day, he stopped to rest by a river that overlooked a town." Ash explains. "As he rested from his long journey, he suddenly saw a warrior's sword and clothing floating in the water."

"I hope he didn't meet up with whoever owned them..." Misty muses.

"He didn't know who the clothes and the sword belonged to, but he figured that if people thought him a warrior, he might have a chance at a well paying job." Ash assures Misty. "So he put them on, and headed into town. Needless to say, the townsfolk really did believe Kaoru was a wandering warrior, giving him a morale boost. As he strolled through town, he passed by a dojo for warriors, where he could hear the cries of the fights in progress and clangs of weapons."

"You're rushing..." Brock discretely whispers.

Ash nods, and continues his tale. "The master of the dojo saw Kaoru looking inside, and believing him to be a real warrior, invited him to spar with one of his students."

"Uh oh..." Melody giggles.

"Kaoru had no idea how to wield a sword, but at the same time, he figured he could learn, and possibly gain a steady job." Ash explains. "He accepted the master's offer, and went inside."

"Hapi pini?" Happini asks.

"Amazingly, the students were awed at the determined look in Kaoru's eyes." Ash tells Happini and the others. "Many of them deferred the match to him, they were so afraid. The dojo master was impressed by Kaoru's supposed skill and gave him a job as a teacher of swordplay."

"Hapi pini pi?" Happini asks Brock.

"To defer something means to put it off till later." Brock explains. "So if we're all playing Pokeopoly and you really, really, want to go first, I would defer my turn so you could go first." Happini nods to show she understands.

"Kaoru enjoyed his new job at first, and eventually, the dojo master's daughter--who we'll call Inari--fell in love with him." Ash continues. "However, the dojo master's top student--we'll call him Nori--had also grown fond of Inari, and was very jealous of Kaoru--he knew something wasn't right about Kaoru, but he had to figure out what."

Nervous giggles fill the air at this. "So the next day, Nori gave Kaoru a bow, and challenged him to hit a Pidgey in a tree, sitting 500 feet away, with only a single arrow." Ash explains as he pantomimes aiming a bow. Kaoru had no idea how to wield a bow, either, but he took his one shot anyway." He pantomimes shooting the imaginary arrow.

"Did he make it?" Misty is excited.

"By sheer luck, Kaoru's shot hit the Pidgey." Ash replies. "The students were amazed, and begged Kaoru to teach them how to use a bow. Kaoru wasn't sure what to make of all the attention, and frequently tried to avoid his newfound fans."

Laughter fills the air at this. "Nori, meanwhile, was determined to expose Kaoru as a fraud. So the next day, while all the students were at a lake, Nori gave Kaoru a spear." Ash continues. "He challenged him to hit one of the Duckletts in the water."

He then asks his audience "You think Kaoru knew how to wield a spear?"

"Nope." Misty replies.

"Probably not." Brock agrees.

"No..." Melody replies.

"Well, Kaoru decided he would try anyway." Ash explains. "But as he was aiming his one throw, he tripped on a rock..."

Laughter goes up as Ash actually trips on a rock, but he steadies himself by grabbing a tree branch. "and the spear went flying, skewering not one, but four Ducketts by sheer luck."

"Impressive!" Melody is more relieved Ash is okay.

"Nori was stunned, but Inari was even more impressed." Ash concludes. "It wasn't long before they were married, and Kaoru spent his days learning how to wield swords, bows, spears and many other weapons in between going on many adventures--but that is another story for another day!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 20: Kanagi and Yinagi (Brock)

(real tale: Gold Tree and Silver Tree)

"You know, this has really been a banner year for the classic story of 'Snow White'." Brock muses. "Two new movies..."

"It's definitely not your grandma's 'Snow White' when the dwarves are ninjas." Ash interjects.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu agrees. He sighs as he remembers the ball scene in one of the movies.

"Plus, this year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Disney masterpiece..." Brock continues as he takes his guitar and starts playing, appropriately enough, "Someday My Prince Will Come"

"Which in turn gave the world the animated movie." Misty adds.

"I remember seeing a re-release in the theater when I was little." Ash sighs dreamily. "The washing up part and the Silly Song are the best parts!"

"So to add my two credits to the festivities, the story I want to tell next is an interesting variant of "Snow White" from Johto I learned in Mahogany Town once that, oddly enough, doesn't feature any dwarves." Brock explains to his audience.

With that, he begins his tale over "Someday My Prince Will Come". "In a far away land, a little princess was born to a king and his queen. They named her Kanagi, which means 'gold tree'. "The queen, who was named Yinagi, or 'silver tree', was very beautiful, but as Kanagi grew up, many in the kingdom said she would be as beautiful, or more, than Yinagi."

"Someday My Prince Will Come" begins to transform into a tense melody. "One day, Yinagi went to the wishing well on the castle grounds, where a Goldeen said to have magical powers lived." Brock explains as he plays. "She called down to the Goldeen..." In character as a young lady, he asks "Tell me, little Goldeen, who is the prettiest lady you have seen?"

"Why, Kanagi is the most beautiful lady I have seen." he replies in character as a young girl.

A tense chord quiets the laughter. "When Yinagi heard this, she was simply furious--she couldn't bear to have someone else be more beautiful than her." Brock explains as himself. "When the king found Yinagi crying in her room that night and asked what was wrong, Yinagi demanded that Kanagi be killed, and her heart brought to her as proof."

"So instead of a huntsman, she asks the king to do it..." Misty muses.

"And then?" Melody shudders as she thinks of Kanagi's fate.

"The king feared for Kanagi, but then he remembered that a prince from a neighboring country--we'll call him Daiki--had come to ask Kanagi's hand in marriage." Brock continues, playing a few bars of "Someday My Prince Will Come" to herald the prince's appearance in the story. "Kanagi loved Daiki very much, so after a quiet ceremony and seeing Kanagi off to her beloved's homeland, the king saved a Mareep's heart from the wedding sacrifices to Arceus, and gave that to Yinagi instead."

"I thought it was the heart of a Grumpig..." Ash protests.

"Strangely enough, the Disney version is not the only one that says it was a Grumpig's heart." Brock assures Ash. "Anyway, a few months later, Yinagi returned to the well and asked the Goldeen again..." As Yinagi, he intones "Tell me, little Goldeen, who is the prettiest lady you have seen?"

"Why, Kanagi is the most beautiful lady I have seen." he replies as the Goldeen. "She lives still in another land, for it is the the heart of a Mareep you hold in your hand."

Some "Ooh"s go up over the guitar's tense riff. "Needless to say, Yinagi was furious, and demanded to know why the king had not done as she asked. The king replied that he loved Kanagi, and couldn't bring himself to kill his own daughter." Brock continues. "So the queen traveled to Daiki's country, taking along an enchanted needle that would send whatever it pricked into a coma."

"Isn't it supposed to be a poisoned apple?" Melody is confused.

"Different versions of the story say it's different things." Misty assures Melody.

"Meanwhile, Kanagi feared that her mother would still try to kill her." Brock stops the tense riff he is playing for a moment. "So Daiki ordered the lookouts at the castle gates to be on the lookout for Yinagi. They didn't count on Yinagi to come in disguise."

He continues "Kanagi ran to meet her disguised mother, but as she placed her hand in Yinagi's, Yinagi pricked Kanagi with the needle." He plays a hard chord to symbolize the needle's prick. "Daiki, thinking that Kanagi had died, lay her in a coffin of gold and jewels with a glass top. This way, he would always be able to see his beloved."

The audience is on the edge of their seats, eager to know if and how Kanagi will wake up. "But when the royal priest came to prepare the body for burial after three days of mourning, he saw something glinting in Kanagi's hand--the needle." Brock explains. "When he took it out, Kanagi woke up, unharmed."

A fearful chord signals the story is not over yet. "A few weeks went by, and Yinagi asked the Goldeen again..." Brock switches to his Yinagi persona again. "Tell me, little Goldeen, who is the prettiest lady you have seen?"

"Why, Kanagi is the most beautiful lady I have seen." he replies as the Goldeen.

Laughter goes up at Brock's pained face, as if he is Yinagi reacting to the bad news. "So Yinagi spiked some wine with poison, and sailed to Daiki's country again. Kanagi saw the ship approaching, and told Daiki to hold a banquet to welcome Yinagi. Yinagi was welcomed with great fanfare, but Daiki secretly switched the poisoned chalice meant for Kanagi with the normal chalice meant for Yinagi, killing Yinagi with her own poison."

He concludes "Kanagi and Daiki never had to worry about Yinagi again, and they lived happily ever after." He plays a final harmonic flourish to signal the story's end.