A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 21: Princess Furball (Misty)

(real tale: Allerleirauh, or, The Many Furred Creature)

"While we're on the subject of variations on tales Disney has made into movies, here's a variant on 'Cinderella' Lilly once told me." Misty explains before beginning "In a far away land, a king prepared to say goodbye to his dying queen. The last thing the queen told her beloved was that if the king remarried again, he choose a wife that matched her in beauty and wits. If he did not, then his successor was to do the same."

"This isn't one of those variants where the dad wants to marry his own daughter, is it?" Ash winces at the thought of the king marrying his own princess.

"Thankfully, no." Misty assures Ash. "The king couldn't bear to marry another, but he did have a daughter that matched her mother in beauty and wits. As the years went by, the king called his advisors together, and told them that as he had no sons to succeed him, one of them would inherit the throne when he died. The princess, who we'll call Luna, wasn't fond of any of the advisors, but her father forced her to marry the high chamberlain."

"So what did Princess Luna do?" Melody asks.

"The night before her wedding day, Princess Luna packed four treasures of hers. Three of those were dresses--one was as gold as the sun, one was as silver as the moon, and the other appeared to be make of crystal, so it glittered like the stars. The fourth treasure was a thick fur coat made from all kinds of Pokemon furs that her mother had made for her. She wrapped herself in the fur coat and left at nightfall, while everyone else was asleep."

"Did her father figure out she was gone?" Brock is concerned.

"Luna traveled all through the night until she came to the palace of another land." Misty replies. "She told the king that she was a wandering traveler in search of work. The king felt sorry for Luna, and offered her a job in the kitchen. Since Luna told no one her name, and always wore the fur coat as she worked..." She adds as an aside "since it got pretty cold down in the kitchen...everyone just called her Furball."

"Wonder how long it took for them to figure out Furball was really a princess..." Ash muses.

"Some months went by, and before long, it was time for the summer festival." Misty continues. "The castle hosted a ball to celebrate, and Princess Luna wanted to go. The head cook said okay, provided she be back in an hour for cleanup duty. After washing the soot from her face and putting on the golden dress, Princess Luna went out to enjoy the festivities. She enjoyed herself immensely, and the hour flew by as she danced for the crowd, who were awed at the lovely lady that shone like a golden sunbeam."

A click gets Misty's attention--she gasps as she sees her fiddle case open on its own. "What the..." she gasps as the fiddle and bow land in her lap.

"If we're talking about a ball, I wonder what it was the band was playing that Princess Luna danced to." Melody explained.

A trill of a whistle and an expectant D chord make Misty sigh--not from annoyance, but nostalgia--the three of them haven't played together at all this night. "Okay, we can play a set to give you an idea of what Princess Luna danced to." With that, she sets to work tuning up.

Once Misty is tuned, she leads the boys into a set appropriately titled "The Golden Heart Set". "The hour flew by quickly, but as Luna raced back to the kitchen, she didn't know the prince of the land had his eye on her." Misty continues as the last note dies. "Some more months went by, and the anniversary of the kingdom's founding drew near. The castle again held the best party in the kingdom, and Princess Luna again asked the head cook if she could enjoy the festivities. The cook said okay, provided she be back in an hour for cleanup duty."

"Azu?" Azurill asks.

"Princess Luna washed the soot from her face, put on the silver dress, and went out to enjoy the festivities. Many were awed by the lady in silver that glowed like moonlight." Misty replies as she prepares to play again. "The hour went by quickly as Luna enjoyed the many reels and dances, one set of which went something like this...."

"I'll start it this time." Brock volunteers. After snapping a few times to count his friends off, the three of them play "The Silver Moonlight Set".

Pikachu leads the applause when the set ends. "Some more months went by, and it wasn't long before the prince's birthday drew near." Misty continues. "By now, the prince was beginning to think that the maiden in gold and the maiden in silver were one and the same, but he wasn't quite sure. Princess Luna, after receiving the okay to enjoy an hour of the festivities, washed her face, put on the crystal gown, and went out to dance. Many in the crowd were awed by the lady in crystal that sparkled like the stars. Even the prince wanted to dance with her!"

With that, Ash leads the charge into "The Wishmaker Polkas". Pikachu sweeps Melody into his paws as she shifts to Pirouette form, and the two of them dance by the fire to the spirited tunes, as if they are the prince and Princess Luna.

After the Vermilion Polka races to its conclusion, Misty continues her tale. "When the hour was up, the prince followed Luna to the kitchen. He arrived as she changed into the fur coat, but the glint of crystal clued him that the maiden he had danced with, plus the maids of gold and silver, were one and the same."

"So what did the prince do?" Ash asks, nervously fingering his whistle.

"He listened as Princess Luna told her story from start to finish, and why she had to hide her identity." Misty concludes. "When she finished, he confessed his love for her, and explained the situation to his father the next day. It wasn't long before they were married, and they all lived happily ever after."

"Aw..." Brock smiles.

"I believe it's bedtime for the little ones." Ash notes when he spots Azurill asleep by his feet. Melody yawns in agreement.

"We'll tell more stories tomorrow, okay?" Brock assures Happini as the group puts away their instruments for another night.

(what the gang plays: this, this, and this)

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 22: The Cleverest One (Ash)

(real tale: The Cleverest Fool)


The soft rumble of thunder outside makes Misty sigh the next morning as she enters Ash's tent. "So much for going fishing today..."

"It's going to rain all day." Brock agrees, giving Pikachu a nod as he enters the tent.

Inspired, Ash fishes a whistle from his bag as Pikachu begins a game of Hearts with Azurill and Happini. "There was once a king who had a son he loved very much--let's call the son Ryan. However, he was concerned Ryan didn't have the wisdom to succeed him. Every day the teachers at the royal academy would tell the king that Ryan's grades were terrible."

"Was he deliberately not trying, or did he actually put in an effort?" Brock asks.

"He actually put in an honest attempt." Ash replies. "But despite his efforts, Ryan still did horrible on tests. So the king called in his wisest advisor and asked him what to do."

"Forgive me for interuppting, but may I come in?" a female voice calls from outside.

Misty unzips the tent, allowing Melody to fly inside. "You were saying?" she asks Ash as she dries Melody off.

"The advisor suggested that Ryan travel on a journey around the world, and learn something from every place he visited." Ash continues. "So Ryan was given gold and supplies for his journey, and seen off with great fanfare the next day."

"So, what did Prince Ryan learn on his adventures?" Melody is interested.

"He learned much, and met many people on his travels." Ash replies. "Rich or poor, old or young, good or bad--Ryan asked questions of all of them, and listened intently to their wisdom."

He readies the whistle to play as he continues "One day, as Ryan traveled through a marketplace, he heard a Swablu's song over the chaos."

Melody is impressed as Ash plays a spot on mimic of a Swablu's song. "That was perfect!"

"Ryan followed the song until he met a breeder selling the little bird Pokemon, and asked what he could learn from a Swablu." Ash continues. "The breeder told him that sometimes, a Swablu could sing a song that put anyone that heard it to sleep."

"Pika pi..." Pikachu giggles as he remembers past encounters with Jigglypuff.

"Ryan was impressed, and bought a Swablu for company." Ash continues. "A week went by, and Ryan met a breeder of Arons on the road. When he asked what he could learn from an Aron, the breeder told him they were renowned for eating through walls if they were hungry enough. Ryan was piqued, and bought an Aron for company."

Brock nods in approval. Ash is doing very well with not rushing...

"Another week went by, and Ryan met a breeder of Beautiflies on the road." Ash goes on. "Ryan asked what he could learn from a Beautifly, and the breeder replied that despite their bright colors and docile personality, they could even carry humans on their wings if need be."

"Wow!" Misty is impressed at this.

"Ryan bought a Beautifly for company, and went on his way." Ash continues. "After a while, he came to a land being terrorized by a giant. He had captured the princess, and threatened to destroy the kingdom if anyone dared try to rescue her."

Happini gasps, dropping her cards. "Pini pini?" she asks as Pikachu picks up her scattered hand.

"Ryan decided he was going to try saving the princess, and set out for the giant's cave." Ash replies. "When he got close, he saw the trolls guarding the entrance, and told his Swablu to sing."

Everyone laughs as Ash plays Jigglypuff's song for effect. "The trolls fell fast asleep, allowing Ryan inside the maze of passageways. It took a few hours, but it wasn't long before he heard crying behind a certain wall. Ryan's Aron had not eaten since the morning, so it easily chewed a passageway through the wall."

"And then?" Misty asks, excited for a battle.

"The princess--we'll call her Clara--was surprised at how Ryan had gotten in." Ash continues. "She asked him how they were going to get out--since there was a troll guarding her as well. Ryan told his Swablu to sing again..." He pauses to play the notes that match "Simple as can be..." from the Eight Melodies. "and that troll was out like a light too!"

He concludes "After retracing his steps outside, Ryan summoned his Beautifly, who whisked Princess Clara home. Clara's father the king was ecstatic to see his daughter again, and offered him half the kingdom as a reward. But Princess Clara told her father that she would prefer to take Prince Ryan as her husband, as they had fallen in love on the way home. Prince Ryan and Princess Clara were soon married, and they all lived happily ever after."

Misty leads the applause. "Is it possible for a couple to fall in love that fast?"

"Well, if the giant's cave was a long way from the castle, it's possible." Brock assures Misty.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 23: The Shining Ponyta (Brock)

(real tale: The Magician's Horse)


"If there's one thing I've learned on my travels, Shiny Pokemon tend to show up in many tales. More often than not, this Shiny Pokemon is a Ponyta." Brock explains. "I learned this particular Shiny Ponyta tale in Fallarbor Town..."

"No wonder it took forever for us to get on the chairlift to Lavaridge that day..." Ash muses.

Brock just ignores Ash's comment. "Once a young prince was wandering through a forest--we'll call him Tristan. Tristan had been separated from his brothers during a hunt, and was looking for a safe place to spend the night. Just as it started to get dark, Tristan stumbled upon a castle in a clearing.

"Did it belong to a monster?" Melody swallows hard.

"No--but Tristan did spend an hour or two wandering through the many rooms." Brock assures Melody. "Eventually he found the kitchen, which was packed with all kinds of food and drinks. Tristan helped himself, and didn't find it odd that whatever he ate and drank was magically replenished."

"Mm..." Ash's mouth begins to water as he pictures himself in such a kitchen.

"Figured that Ash's favorite part in a tale usually has to do with food." Misty sighs.

Brock just continues. "After a while, Tristan ran into the castle's owner--an old mage. Tristan explained to him why he was wandering through the castle's many rooms, and asked if he could serve as a servant. The mage agreed, and gave him a gold piece a day in return for a day's work. For a while, Tristan made himself right at home tending to the stove and the Shiny Ponyta in the stables, among other things. But he didn't know that his master was a fallen mage, and the fire in the stove was the source of his power. If it ever went out, he would die."

"You're rushing..." Ash whispers.

Brock blushes with embarrassment. "So I am..." he confesses as Misty and Melody laugh.

"And then?" Melody asks as she dries a tear of laughter.

"One day, Tristan forgot to tend to the stove, and nearly let the fire go out." Brock continues. "The mage scolded him for this, and made him sleep in the stables for the night as punishment."

"Are there magic instruments involved here?" Ash interrupts.

"I'm getting to that." Brock replies. "There are magic items, though." He then continues. "As he sulked in the stables, the Shiny Ponyta spoke to him." As a young girl, he intones "Saddle me quickly, and take along the three magic jewels in the bottle on the shelf."

As himself, he continued. "Tristan did as he was told, and stoked the fire in the stove so much, it almost burned the castle to the ground. It was enough of a distraction to allow Tristan and the Ponyta to ride far away from the mage's domain.

"But the mage chased them, right?" Misty asks.

"He chased them, all right--he was hopping mad at finding his castle almost burnt to cinders." Brock replies. "Just when it seemed the mage would catch Tristan, Tristan took a ruby from the bottle and cast a spell..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"Thanks, Melody." Brock smiles. "The ruby conjured a great mirror, which shattered when the mage and his Ponyta crashed into it. It bought Tristan and his mount time to run on ahead, though."

"I bet all that glass had to hurt." Ash muses.

"Not to mention seven years' bad luck on top of that." Misty agrees.

"Just when Tristan and his mount thought they were safe, Tristan saw the mage approaching on a cloud. Tristan took an emerald from the bottle and cast another spell..." He motions for Melody to sing another spellsong.

Karuto, iichiida shou... Melody sings.

"The emerald conjured a great forest, which the mage now had to cut his way out of." Brock continues. "It did buy Tristan and his mount time to ride further on, almost to the border of his homeland. But before he could cross the border, he saw the mage approaching in a ball of fire.

"Pini?" Happini asks, excited.

"He took the third gem from the bottle and cast another spell..." Brock replies.

Rou iitsa ron selga viichii... Melody sings without any prompting.

"The sapphire conjured a great river--and you all know what happens when fire meets water." Brock deadpans.

Ash nods. "Water beats fire."

"With his pursuer dead, Tristan and the Shiny Ponyta crossed the border into another land, where they had the first of many more adventures." Brock concludes. "But that is another story for another day."

"Pini pini hapi?" Happini asks as the others applaud.

Brock thinks a moment. "If I get around to thinking up a sequel, I'll include a princess for Tristan to love, okay?"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 24: Chance and the Witch (Misty)

(real tale: Ebsen and the Witch)


"There was once a man that had twelve sons." Misty begins. "While the other eleven were strong and brave, the twelveth preferred to stay at home instead of joining in the rough and tumble games his brothers played. Since his parents didn't expect to have him, he was named Chance--since it was by chance he was born."

"Very nice name." Brock notes.

"The year finally came when the boys were of age, and Chance's brothers went out into the world to seek their fortunes." Misty continues. "While Chance enjoyed having the house to himself at first, he secretly wished he could go out into the world himself. But as his parents had gone all out on his brothers, they didn't have the money to secure a Ponyta for Chance."

"Moral of the story--live within your means." Brock whispers to the Pokemon.

"I'm nowhere near done!" Misty snaps. Brock slinks away as she continues "So Chance went into the forest, broke off a tree branch, enchanted it to fly when he cast a certain spell, gathered his belongings, and went off after his brothers."

There is silence as everyone contemplates what Misty has told them so far. Finally, Ash works up the courage to ask "So, what adventures did Chance get into?"

"Before I tell you that, I have to tell you what adventures his brothers got into." Misty assures Ash.

"Pack a lunch--this could take a while." Brock groans as he pictures Misty telling each brother's adventures in excruciating detail.

"Relax, it won't take THAT long." Misty replies. "The brothers made their way into a forest, and came upon a witch's cottage. They asked the witch for a night's lodging, never mind the large numbers of Oshawotts and other Pokemon running around the house. The witch agreed, in return for a day's service for her. The brothers discovered that the witch had eleven daughters. and each took one as a bride."

She continues. "Meanwhile, Chance had followed his brothers and hid himself under one of the beds. He knew well why there were millions of Pokemon running around the house--every night, as any guests slept, she would turn them into Pokemon and keep them as her pets."

"Oh..." Ash muses as he figures out what fate awaits Chance's brothers.

"Chance woke up his brothers and told them what was about to happen to them. He told them to give their caps to their brides, and leave them behind." Misty continues. "Not long after Chance and his brothers had fled, the witch crept into the bedroom, and wound up turning her own daughters into Pokemon!"

Melody's laughter is the loudest as the group pictures the witch's reaction. "Chance's brothers thanked him for saving their lives. They rode on until they came to a palace in another land, where they asked the king if they could enter his service. The king agreed, and put the brothers in charge of the royal stables, and Chance in charge of the royal library."

"Pini!" Happini cheers--if there is a king, then a princess is not far away!

"Now, among all the king's knights was one particular knight named Sir Duncan." Misty continued. "While the king favored Sir Duncan for his loyalty and bravery, the rest of the kingdom hated him for his black heart. He grew jealous of the eleven brothers, and plotted to get rid of them and Chance."

"Uh oh..." Ash is fearful for the twelve brothers' fates.

"Every day, Sir Duncan would come before the king with some charge or another against the brothers, and every time, the king refused to believe him." Misty continues. "Finally, Sir Duncan claimed he had heard the brothers say that they knew of a Pidove that shone like the moon. The king summoned the brothers, and although they insisted they knew of no such Pidove, the king told them to find the Shiny Pidove, or else."

"What about Chance?" Brock asks.

"Chance heard his brothers crying over their task, and offered to help them." Misty explains. "He told them he would find such a Pidove. True to his word, Chance took a bag of Rindo Berries and his enchanted stick, and commanded the stick to fly." She pauses to sing Karuto, iichiida shou...

"Keep going!" Brock smiles, pleased at how well Misty is doing. "You're doing great!"

"Chance flew towards the witch's cottage, and scattered the Rindo Berries on the ground." Misty continues. "Sure enough, the Shiny Pidove flew down to eat the Rindo Berries, and Chance caught it easily. He hoped to get out of there without being seen, but the witch found him!"

"Azu? Azu?" Azurill asks.

"She asked him..." In character as a witch, she intones "Is that you, young man?"

"Y-yes..." she stammers as herself.

"Did you take my Pidove?" she demands as the witch.

"Y-y-yes...." she replies. Ash stifles a giggle at Misty's feigned fear.

"Did you turn my daughters into Pokemon?" she asks as the witch.

"Y-yes..." she replies as herself. This continues for a while:

"Will you be back again?"

"Maybe."

"Then you're gonna get it!" she screeches as the witch, startling Happini and Azurill.

'Ha pini pi?" Happini asks, shuddering a little.

"Before the witch could catch Chance, he had already flown off with the Pidove." Misty assures Happini as herself. "The king was stunned that the brothers managed to find a Shiny Pidove, and rewarded them handsomely. But this made Sir Duncan even more jealous of them."

"This is getting good...and then what happened?" Ash asks, excited.

"Some months went by, and Sir Duncan came before the king again, claiming he had heard the brothers talking about a Tepig that shone like gold." Misty continues. The king summoned the brothers, and told them to find the Shiny Tepig, or else."

"I have a feeling I know where this is going..." Brock whispers to Ash.

"Yeah, but your version involves a Shiny Ponyta and three magic instruments." Ash whispers back.

"Chance agreed to help his brothers again, and left aboard his magic stick." Misty continues, pausing to sing Karuto, iichiida shou... again. "He took along a bag of grain, and scattered it on the ground. The Shiny Tepig came out to eat the grain, and Chance caught it easily. But before he could get out of there unseen, the witch found him!" She then proceeds to singlehandedly create the conversation between Chance and the witch:

"Is that you, young man?"

"Y-yes..."

"Is that you that took my little Tepig?"

"Y-yes..."

"Did you take my Pidove?"

"Y-yes..." The boys giggle at this.

"Did you turn my daughters into Pokemon?"

"Y-yes..."

"Will you be back again?"

"Maybe."

"Then you're gonna get it!"

Happini and Azurill scream with delight at this. "The king was stunned that the brothers had found a Shiny Tepig, and rewarded them handsomely." Misty assures the group as herself. "Though the brothers were relieved their lives were spared again, they had no clue that Chance had found both Pokemon."

"Who wants to bet Sir Duncan sends them after a gold Riolu next?" Ash whispers.

"Or a crystal Onix?" Brock suggests.

"That reminds me, I need to tell you that story." Ash smiles at the memory.

Misty, meanwhile, has other ideas. "Some months went by, and Sir Duncan came before the king a third time, saying he had overheard the brothers talking about a lamp that shone so bright, it could be seen everywhere."

Ash fills in what is coming next. "So the king summoned the brothers and told them to find said lamp, or else."

"Even though the brothers had no clue where such a lamp existed." Brock adds.

Misty smiles. "Since you're obviously paying attention, can you tell me what happened next?"

"Chance saw his brothers crying, and asked to help." Melody replies.

Misty nods, pleased that the boys and Melody have caught on to the repeated elements in the lengthy tale. "he asked for some salt, and left aboard his magic stick." She then sings Karuto, iichiida shou... again.

"Pini pini?" Happini asks.

"Chance arrived at the witch's cottage as it was getting dark, so the courtyard was closed up." Misty explained. "So he landed on the roof and went down the chimney instead."

"Azu azu!" Azurill smiles.

"Yeah, just like Santa." Brock smiles as he pets Azurill.

"Chance saw the lamp in the kitchen, but just as he reached for it, he saw the witch's only remaining human daughter enter the kitchen to make dinner for the night." Misty explained. "When she wasn't looking, Chance slipped some salt in the broth. That ruined the soup, and so the human daughter had to go out to the well to get more water to make new broth."

"Hapi?" Happini asks.

"Chance followed her, took the lamp when she set it on the rock, and pushed her in the well!" Misty continues, making the boys laugh. "The yelp got the witch's attention!" She begins the rigamarole again:

"Is that you, young man?"

"Y-yes..."

"Did you take my Pidove?"

"Y-yes..."

"Is that you that took my little Tepig?"

"Y-yes..."

"Did you turn my daughters into Pokemon?"

"Y-yes..."

"Did you soak my remaining daughter to the bone?"

"Y-yes..."

"Will you be back again?"

"No, never again!"

The boys applaud the interplay. "That got the witch so mad, she became a puff of smoke and disappeared, never to be seen again." Misty continues. "All the people she had turned into Pokemon--including her daughters--became human again, and the brothers were reunited with their brides."

She concludes "Chance told the king what really happened, and Sir Duncan was put to death for lying to the king. Chance was hailed as a hero, and they all lived happily ever after."

"WOW!!!" Ash leads the applause. "I didn't know your tale was that long!"

"Believe me--Violet made it even longer." Misty cautions. "But I had to end it somewhere, and since things in folktales usually come in threes, I stopped there."

Brock smiles. "I have trained you well in the way of the storyteller, Nincada..."

"Aw, it was nothing." Misty giggles. "It helps when you have two really good teachers!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 25: The Clever Meowth (Ash)

(real tale: The Clever Cat)

"There once was a man who lived with his wife and son somewhere in a far away land." Ash begins. "One year, he caught a terrible disease. Before he died, he gave his son his three most prized Pokemon--a Pidgeot, a Meowth, and an Arcanine." Ash begins. "The day after the funeral, the boy--we'll call him Dillon-- took his team and told his mom he was going hunting for dinner."

"So what did he catch?" Melody asks.

"On the way, he spotted a herd of Sawsbucks, and his Arcanine easily caught one." Ash replies. "His Pidgeot caught him a Magikarp from a nearby pond, and the Meowth chased away all the Ratattas in the barn. Just as he arrived home, a man approached him and asked him to come with him to a lake."

"Hm..." Brock is intrigued.

"Once there, the man told Dillon to step into the water, and gave him a pendant of magical breathing." Ash goes on. "He was told to bring up as much gold as he could carry, and then they would divide it. Dillon jumped into the water and sank down to the bottom. He saw a lot of gold coins on the bottom, but he was most intrigued by a diamond in the lakebed. When he picked it up, it spoke to him!"

"A talking gem? That's a new one..." Misty muses.

"The diamond said..." In character as young lady, Ash intones "As long as you carry me, your wishes will come true. Flee from this place when you surface--the one that brought you here is really an ogre in human form."

"So what did Dillon do when he got back to the surface?" Melody asks.

"Luckily, the ogre was nowhere in sight, so Dillon wished for a Ponyta and fine clothing." Ash continues. "The diamond flashed twice, and Dillon soon found a Ponyta on the shore, and he was clothed in a prince's clothing."

"Pini!!!" Happini gets starry eyed as she pictures what Dillon looks like.

"Dillon rode home with his Pokemon, but his mom did a double take when she saw him." Ash continues, making the others laugh. "Dillon assured his mom it was him, and that he had gotten the clothes honestly. She almost did another double take when Dillon asked her to tell the king he wanted the hand of the princess in marriage."

"There's your princess..." Brock smiles, almost stifling a giggle at Happini dreamily imagining what the princess looks like.

"The king thought Dillon's mom was nuts at first, but eventually, he told her Dillon would have to pass three challenges--build a palace of ice, make it unable to melt from fire, and fill it with all kinds of birds." Ash continued. "When Dillon was told what to do, he wished for the ice palace that didn't melt from fire, and filled with singing bird Pokemon." He grabs his whistle and mimics a singing Taillow for effect.

"And they all lived happily ever after, the end." Misty guesses.

"I'm not done yet!" Ash cautions. "A few years went by after Dillon and the princess married, and the ogre discovered that his wishing diamond was missing. So he disguised himself as a merchant, and went to the ice palace."

"And not knowing any better, the princess gave the ogre the wishing stone, right?" Melody asks.

"Yeah, and once she saw the palace begin melting, it dawned on her what she did. She tearfully told Dillon what had happened." Ash replies. "Dillon vowed he would get the stone back, and once sure the princess and her retinue were back in her father's castle, he sent his Pidgeot to find the orge's lair."

"This is getting good..." Brock muses.

"The Pidgeot told Dillon that the orge's lair was on the farthest reaches of the land. The Meowth eagerly volunteered, and so they left for the orge's lair early the next morning." Ash continues. "They landed by a forest, where the Meowth asked a passing Pikachu to help them."

"Pika?" Pikachu perks up at hearing his kind mentioned.

"The Pikachu easily dug into the cave and retrieved the wishing stone, and the Meowth gave him a Berry as thanks." Ash continues. "But on the way back, the two Pokemon fought over who would take credit for finding the stone. In the ruckus, they dropped the stone into a river."

"Uh oh!" Melody gasps.

"As the Pidgeot frantically looked in the river, a Goldeen asked what the matter was." Ash continues. "The Meowth explained the situation, and a Seaking arrived with the stone.

"The two Pokemon returned, and Dillon was relieved the wishing stone was safe." he concludes. "Dillon wished for a palace made of marble, and he lived there with his beloved for many years."

Misty leads the applause. "Well, that was....interesting..."

"My only suggestion would be to give the Arcanine something to do next time." Brock suggests. "It felt odd not having it go with the other Pokemon."

Ash nods. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 26: The Clever Weaver (Brock)

(real tale: The Clever Weaver)


"My next tale today's going to be a little different..." Brock explains as he digs a pad of paper and a marker from his bag. "I'll be drawing a few pictures as I tell that are important to the story."

With that, he begins "Once a king of a far away land was hearing disputes among his people. It had been a slow morning, and there had not been many cases to be heard. The king thought about going to relax in the royal gardens when a great commotion was heard outside. The lord high chamberlain explained that an envoy from an eastern land had arrived."

"What's so scary about an envoy?" Melody asks.

"It wasn't the envoy that was scary, but the one who sent the envoy." Brock explains. "This particular land's emperor was feared by many other kings and queens for his hair trigger temper. So the king ordered the envoy admitted, and threw a huge banquet in his honor. But deep down, he dreaded the envoy's message."

"I would be too if I were a king and an envoy for a hot headed emperor showed up." Ash muses.

Brock begins drawing as he continues. "The envoy approached the throne, and traced a form of a circle around it with his walking stick." He then shows the group his drawing of a circle around the throne.

"So, the emperor has the kingdom surrounded?" Misty guesses.

"Or he's going to surround the kingdom and attack?" Ash also makes a guess.

"The royal court had no clue what the odd sign meant, and the envoy didn't say a word." Brock explains. "The king called his advisors together, but even they had no idea. The king pleaded with his advisors to do SOMETHING--for all he knew, the sign meant the emperor was coming to kill them all, or something worse than that."

"What did they do?" Ash was interested now.

"The ministers and advisors fanned out across the city, and asked all the townsfolk what the sign meant." Brock replies. "Most of them had no idea, but one minister noticed a weaver at work at her loom--we'll call her Jerica."

"Did she know the answer?" Melody asked.

"She listened as the minister told her about the envoy and the circle, and said that she had an idea what the circle meant, plus a response to the message." Brock replied. "She gathered some Berries and called her Pikachu to her side, and traveled to the palace."

"Pika pika?" Pikachu asks.

"Jerica told the king that the circle was, in essence, a declaration of war--the emperor was asking 'If my army surrounded your city, would you stand and fight, or submit to my rule?" Brock continues as he flips to another page on his pad and draws some more. "As the court looked on, Jerica scattered the Berries before the throne, and the Pikachu happily ate them all."

"Aw..." Ash smiles at Brock's drawing of a happy Pikachu surrounded by Oran Berry skins.

"Then Jerica explained her response--the Berries were the emperor's army, and the Pikachu was the king's army. If they were to engage in battle, her king would prevail."

"Cool!" Misty is impressed.

"The king was stunned by Jerica's wisdom, and handsomely rewarded her as thanks for saving the kingdom." Brock concludes. "Ever since then, the people of that land never forget that wisdom is sometimes found in the oddest of places."

"That was very clever!" Melody comments as she applauds...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 27: The Gold Chalice and the Silver Sword (Misty)

(real tale: Castle of Kerglas)


"There was once a poor orphan who struggled to survive on what little he earned as a minstrel." Misty begins. "People were enthralled at how beautiful his voice was, and many gave him food and a bed in return for a song.'

"What's the boy's name?" Ash wonders.

It dawns on Misty that she forgot to name the boy. "We'll call him...Arion. One day, Arion was out traveling when it started getting dark. He was too far away from town to rest in the inn--and he barely had enough for a room. But then he spotted a farmer's homestead, and asked the family if he could stay with them for the night. The woman of the house agreed, and prepared him a fine meal."

"Okay, then what?" Brock isn't impressed with what he has heard so far.

"It gets better, honest!" Misty assures Brock. "Having never had a proper meal before, Arion was amazed at how tasty everything was--he deemed every course worthy of a royal cook. The farmer's wife was touched at this, and told him he need only ask if he wanted more of something."

"And then?" Melody asks.

"As they were having dinner, a knight passed by the homestead, and asked the farmer if he knew the way to Castle Telchal." Misty continued. "The farmer's wife turned pale at this, and asked if he was really going there. The knight replied he had come from a far away land, and it had taken him three months to get to where this tale takes place."

"Wherever that is..." Ash mutters.

"Just assume it's your standard issue fairy tale far away land." Brock suggests.

"Thanks, Brock--that's a nice way to put it." Misty smiles. "Anyway, the knight was going to Castle Telchal in search of a gold chalice and a silver sword. Arion mentioned that he knew those things existed, but didn't know where. The knight told Arion that the chalice was a never ending source of healing water that cured any sickness and revived the dead. The silver sword was said to cut through anything--even diamond and mythril."

"Whoa...." Ash pictures himself as an adventurer wielding such a sword.

"Arion asked who the owner of the castle was, and the farmer's wife told Arion that the castle was ruled by an evil mage named Atavan." Misty explained. "Atavan always rode on a Ponyta with purple and black fire for its mane with a normal Ponyta foal behind him, and not even the bravest of heroes dared to attack him. However, he could not use the chalice or the sword inside the castle. The second he entered, they flew away to an unknown location within the castle.

"Oh, so the knight wants to fight him there..." Ash muses.

"As if riding three months and many adventures on the way wasn't enough, the knight still had a long way to go on his quest." Misty went on. "The farmer's wife tried to tell him to turn back, as many more had set out on the same quest, and never returned. The knight assured her that he, unlike the others, had visited the Sage of Koune."

"So what did the Sage of Koune tell this knight?" Brock is interested now.

"First he would pass through a haunted forest, then take a Leppa Berry from a fire fairy." Misty replied. "Then he would seek a smiling flower, guarded by a black Entei. He would then travel to Lake Cerulean, and battle a black knight with a huge mace. Then, after passing through the valley of the lotus, where many forget their homeland, he would meet a lady in white by a riverbank, who would tell him what to do next."

"Arion heard the whole thing, right?" Melody mused as she watched Ash dig for something in his bag.

"The farmer's wife wished the knight well on his quest, and pointed out the path to the haunted forest. And yes, Arion heard the whole thing." Misty replies. "The next day, the farmer offered Arion some work for the day tending the Tauros. Arion agreed to ten gold pieces, a day's wage. As Arion was driving the Tauros to pasture, he saw Atavan pass by on his darkfire Ponyta, with the normal Ponyta foal behind him. But after initially being afraid, Arion continued his work. The farmer was so pleased with how well Arion had done, he allowed Arion to stay as long as he wanted until he had enough money to support himself, treating him as one of his own sons."

"Ah ha!" Ash interuppts as he unearths a harmonica in his bag.

"Not yet, Ash." Misty reminds him. "I have a part for you to use the harmonica and the whistle to do sound effects, just not yet."

"Okay..." Ash replies.

"One day, as Arion was watching the Tauros by the forest, a light mage named Anadin met him. Arion was concerned, but he soon found out that Anadin was Atavan's brother, so he knew the way to Castle Telchal well, but since he couldn't pass through the haunted forest--as the spirits and creatures there would fiercely attack a mage of the light, he simply summoned the normal Ponyta, a little filly named..."

"Happini!" Happini suggests.

"Yeah, Epona." Brock suggests.

Misty considers the name, never mind it is already used in Zelda. "Okay, we can call it Epona." she sighs. "Arion asked how to summon the little filly Epona, and Anadin took a few reeds. He then played this song..." Misty motions for Ash to play.

Ash fillls in the familiar notes of Epona's Song on the harmonica. "Sure enough, Epona came running to Anadin's side some seconds later..."

Azurill whines, prompting Misty to look at her Match Call. "Oh, not only is it naptime, but lunch time...." she muses.

"We can always hear about Arion's adventure another time." Brock assures the group as he gets out his cooking gear....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 28: The Lucky Wheat Stalk (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 16, story 1)

"Since Azurill is sleeping, we can't do anything too noisy." Misty reminds Ash.

Ash thinks for a moment, then begins. "There was once a man who, despite his hard work and perseverance, was very unlucky--we'll call him Kichirou. One day, he went to the village temple, and asked Arceus for just a little luck. In fact, he spent the whole day in there, pouring his heart out to Arceus."

"What did Arceus say?" Brock is interested.

"Before long, night had fallen, and Kichirou soon fell asleep." Ash continues. "As he slept, Arceus appeared to him. The light from his holy aura was so bright, it lit up the shrine like the daytime."

"That must've been beautiful to see..." Misty sighs dreamily.

"Arceus told Kichirou to take the first thing he found when he left the shrine and travel westward." Ash continues. "Kichiro thanked Arceus and left, tripping over himself on the way out."

Misty and Brock giggle at this, and Azurill laughs in her sleep. "When Kichirou brushed himself off, he saw he had picked up a small wheat stalk. He pocketed it and started down the western road." Ash continues. "He didn't get far when a Venonat started buzzing around his head and annoying him."

"And he squished it with the wheat stalk." Brock fills in what he thinks will happen next.

"Actually, Kichirou couldn't bring himself to squish the Venonat, so he carefully caught it in his hands and tied it to the wheat stalk." Ash continues. "After walking down the road for a while, he passed a mother trying to calm her crying baby girl. When the baby girl saw the Venonat tied to the wheat stalk, she laughed."

"Aw..." Melody comments over the heartwarming scene.

"The mother thanked Kichirou for calming her baby girl, and gave him some Oran berries in exchange for the Venonat on the wheat stalk." Ash continued. "Kichirou went a little farther down the road, when he saw an exhausted girl under a tree. He felt sorry for the girl, and offered her the berries and some water. The girl thanked Kichirou for his kindness, and gave him some rainbow colored cloth as thanks."

"Pini..." Happini pictures such a cloth as Brock prepares her for a nap as well.

"Lunch will be ready when you wake up, okay?" Brock assures her.

"Remember this girl--she'll be important later." Ash reminds everyone.

"Who did Kichirou help next?" Melody is interested.

"A little farther down the road, Kichirou met a horseman tending to a wounded Ponyta. The horseman told Kichirou that he had been ambushed by Mightyenas, and in the ensuing tussle, his Ponyta's leg was injured." Ash continues. "Kichirou offered to trade the rainbow fabric for the Ponyta, and the horseman agreed--he figured the rainbow fabric would fetch him enough money for a new Ponyta to add to his herd. Kichiro took a break from traveling, and nursed the Ponyta back to health."

"And then?" Brock asks as he begins rolling meatballs for spaghetti.

"The next day, Kichirou and his Ponyta continued their journey west, until they came to what is now Celadon City." Ash continues. "The village elder noticed the man's Ponyta, and invited him to his house. As the elder and the man had lunch together, he introduced his daughter--we'll call her Aiya--to him. Kichirou was shocked when he recognized Aiya as the girl he helped before!"

"Oh...." Misty muses when she puts two and two together.

"I told you she'd be important later." Ash smiles before continuing "The elder thanked Kichirou for showing his daughter kindness. Kichirou settled down there, became very wealthy, fell in love with Aiya, and married her--although not necessarily in that order."

Misty and Brock giggle at Ash's quip as he concludes "Yet he always gave thanks to Arceus for the luck a single wheat stalk brought him."

Melody leads the applause. "That was a sweet tale..."

"Let's stick with the quick stuff until the babies wake up." Brock suggests...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 29: The Legend of Prince Arden and Princess Silvana (Brock)

(real tale: Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla)


After lunch and the babies have awakened from their naps, Brock asks Happini "How would you like a prince and princess story next?"

"Pini!" Happini replies.

Brock takes a moment to clear the dirty plates before beginning "In a far away land there lived a king and a queen--we'll call them King Theron and Queen Gilana."

Misty raises an eyebrow at the names. "Interesting..."

"King Theron was renowned as a skilled hunter, and a wise ruler." Brock continues. "Queen Gilana, on the other hand, couldn't care less about royal decorum--she only lived to have fun. There was always a party going on at the castle, so much so that the kingdom was in a bit of disrepair. But King Theron and Queen Gilana didn't mind--so long as their people were safe and the kingdom was somewhat secure, the outrageous hunting expeditions and lavish parties continued."

"Talk about opposites attracting..." Ash muses.

"The king and the queen had one child, a daughter--we'll call her Silvana." Brock continues as he cleans a dirty plate. "Princess Silvana was very beautiful, so much so that her mother grew jealous, and hid her away in a small fortress in a forest not far from the castle. "She only had her nurse for company and guards instructed to kill anyone that did not bring food, water, or a desired item."

"That's not very nice!" Ash is appalled at this.

"Sounds like a cross between 'Snow White' and 'Rapunzel'..." Misty notes.

"Queen Gilana would always tell some sob story or another about Princess Silvana, to the point where the whole court believed she was ugly, or sick, or insane, or some other terrible fate." Brock continues. "In actuality, Princess Silvana was quite beautiful, very strong and healthy, and clear minded. Some years went by, and a few days before Princess Silvana's sixteenth birthday, a young prince named Arden arrived and asked for her hand in marriage."

"Did he hear the stories about the princess?" Melody asks, concerned.

"Prince Arden had an interesting story in himself--he had lost his parents to a terrible disease when he was young, leaving his guardian fairy--we'll call her Kimalle--to look after him."

"Was she always yelling 'Hey!' at him?" Ash sarcastically asks.

"Actually, she trusted his wisdom, and taught him a great many things." Brock replies. "When Arden was of age, she gave him a mystical ring to remember her by, and that she would always watch over him."

He pauses to organize the now cleaned plates. "But I digress...Prince Arden heard all the sob stories of Princess Silvana, and vowed to find out if any of them were true. It turned out the stories couldn't be farther from the truth--after slipping past the guards with his ring, Arden met Silvana in the tower--and the two fell madly in love with each other."

"And they all lived happily ever after, the end!" Ash interjects, a smug smile on his face.

"The story can't be over now!" Melody scolds Ash. "There has to be some evil figure that steals the princess away, like a dragon or an evil wizard--or something!"

Brock grins at Melody. "In fact, it was an evil wizard that threatened Prince Arden and Princess Silvana's budding relationship. This evil wizard's name was Darstan, and one day, he teleported himself to Princess Silvana's tower. Understandably, Princess Silvana was freaked out, and demanded to know where her prince was. Kimalle happened to be watching this whole encounter, and warned Silvana about who Darstan was. Darstan meanwhile, was about to kiss Silvana's hand, when Kimalle casted a spell of lightning, making him rear back in surprise." He then sings in character as a young girl Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

Happini cheers at the sung "spell". She listens as Darstan tries everything to steal Silvana away, only to be thwarted by Kimalle at every turn....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 30: Nina and the Three Blessings (Misty)

(real tale: Maiden Bright-Eye)

"There was once a man who had two children--a boy and a girl--we'll call her Nina." Misty begins. "One year, his wife died from a terrible disease, but he remarried again some months later. Nina's new stepmother was very cruel to her, but treated her own daughter like a queen."

"Sounds like Cinderella..." Ash comments.

"I can assure you, this is different!" Misty assures Ash. "Anyway, one day, Nina's stepmother sent her out to pick flowers for a centerpiece, giving her three very bland and dry pancakes for her dinner."

"Ick..." Brock makes a disgusted face at what Nina has to eat.

"As Nina was working, she inadvertently startled Celebi, who demanded to know why she was pulling up flowers." Misty continues. "Nina told Celebi what she was doing, and offered him some of her pancakes as an apology. Celebi was touched at Nina's kindness, and heartily ate the pancakes, even though they were very dry and very bland. Celebi gave Nina three blessings as thanks for her kindness--first, he blessed her with a beautiful body and a beautiful heart, so there would be few like her. Next, he blessed her with the gift of wisdom, so all that heard her would want to listen to her words and her song, and coins and jewels would fall from her mouth when she spoke. Then he blessed her with friendship--one day, she would befriend the young king, and become queen of the land."

"Wow!" Ash is impressed.

"Celebi also gave Nina a magic cap, telling her to only wear it if it was an emergency." Misty goes on. "When she returned home, her stepmother hardly recognized her." Misty shoots Brock The Look, snapping him from his daydream of what Nina probably looks like. "Nina told her stepmother what had happened, and the stepmother concluded that if Celebi was so nice to Nina, she would do the same for her stepsister--we'll call her Aina."

"Anagrams, very clever." Brock notices the two sister's names are simply rearrangements of the same letters.

"Pini pini?" Happini asks.

"An anagram is a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging the letters." Brock explains. "Just like Nina and Aina. Nina means 'pretty eyes', and Aina is a variant of the ancient Finnish goddess Aino, who was said to be very vain according to Finnish myth..."

"Okay, Professor Brock, are you finished with your lecture?" Misty sighs, annoyed.

"I'll tell you more later." Brock whispers to Happini before telling Misty "I'm finished--please continue."

"Anyway, Aina went out to pick flowers, and ended up disturbing Celebi." Misty continues, but when Celebi demanded to know why she was disturbing flowers, Aina just whacked him with a stick."

The boys chuckle as they picture Celebi's angry face. "Celebi was so mad, he cursed Aina three times--first, he cursed her to be so ugly, a Mismagius would be prettier. Next, he cursed her to have a voice like a Toxicroak, and Croagunks would fall from her mouth when she spoke."

Brock's laughter is the hardest at the curse. "Celebi's third curse was the worst--Aina would die an untimely and painful death." Misty intones. "Needless to say, the stepmother was shocked when she saw what had happened to her daughter."

"What about Nina's brother?" Ash asks.

"Nina's brother--we'll call him Leon--had entered the king's service. The king had heard about Nina, and wished to marry her. So when Leon came home to bring Nina to the palace, the stepmother snuck Aina on board in disguise. Once they were out to sea, Aina locked Nina in the brig, and passed herself off as her stepsister. The king was horrified with all the Croagunks and Aina's horrible voice, and ordered Leon thrown into the pit of Arboks for lying to him."

"Hap pini pini pi!" Happini is shocked by this turn of events.

Misty just smiles. "Remember that magic cap Celebi gave Nina earlier?"

"Pika pi?" Pikachu is interested.

"When Nina put it on, she transformed into a Pidgey, and flew out of the brig and all the way to the palace." Misty continued. "She landed by the window looking into the royal kitchen, where one of the guard Growlithes was resting. When she was in range to speak to it, she called 'Good evening'"

"And to you the same, Lady Pidgey." Ash fills in the Growlithe's dialogue.

"Where is my brother?"

"He is in the Arbok pit."

"Where is my wicked sister?"

"She is with the noble king."

"Alas! Alas! I am here this evening, and shall be for two more, and then I shall never come again."

Brock applauds the interplay. "Some of the kitchen maids heard this conversation and wondered what it was about." Misty continued. "The next night, the Pidgey returned, and the exchange occurred a second time with all the kitchen maids and the royal cook present."

She then begins. "Good evening..."

"And to you the same, Lady Pidgey." Ash replies as the Growlithe.

"Where is my brother?"

"He is in the Arbok pit."

"Where is my wicked sister?"

"She is with the noble king."

"Alas! Alas! I am here this evening, and shall be for one more, and then I shall never come again."

The Pokemon join Brock in applauding the interplay. "The cook staff tried to catch the Pidgey, but couldn't. They vowed they would catch it the next night. The third night, the cook watched as the Pidgey returned, and the exchange occurred a third time." She and Ash begin the rigamarole a third time:

"Good evening..."

"And to you the same, Lady Pidgey."

"Where is my brother?"

"He is in the Arbok pit."

"Where is my wicked sister?"

"She is with the noble king."

"Alas! Alas! Now I shall never come again."

"And then?" Brock asks as he applauds.

"Just before the Pidgey could fly away, the cook caught it in his hands, and was shocked to see it was a Shiny Pidgey. The entire cook staff couldn't bear to cook a beautiful gold Pokemon, and so they adopted it as a pet." Misty continues. "Meanwhile, Leon saw Nina appear to him as a Shiny Pidgey in a dream, and when he plucked one of the shiny feathers, she became human again. He told this to the jailer, who told a servant, and so on until it reached the king."

"Azu?" Azu asks, her eyes shining hopefully.

"The king ordered Leon freed, and told him he would forgive him and give a harsher sentence to Aina if he could show him Nina." Misty continued. "Leon said he would if he had the Shiny Pidgey the cook kept as a pet. The cook complied, and Leon plucked one of the feathers, and there was Nina, in her true form."

She concludes. "Aina was thrown into the Arbok pit in a spiked barrel, while the king and Nina were married. As a sign of forgiveness, he made Leon the prime minister, where he served for many years. The king and Nina lived happily ever after."

"Azu!" Azu leads the applause.

Misty smiles at Ash. "Thanks for the help."

"Anytime." Ash replies. "Telling tales like this is fun!"