Pokemon Moonlight Silver (COMPLETE!!!)

[EmeraldSky]

@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 76a: The Dunsparce Deception (part 1)

"I hope Todd gets all the pictures he needs for his assignment..." Misty smiled as the group continued down the road. It had been a few days since they had helped Todd get a picture of the ice bird Articuno at the peak of Snowtop Mountain, but no one was more relieved to be back in warm temperatures than Ash.

"Can we get our next Legendary encounter on the beach?" Ash asked as he worked out some tension in his shoulders from the sudden change in temperature.

"Considering there could very well be Water type Legendaries, I wouldn't be surprised if we found one on a beach..." Misty smiled as she watched Tintri and Ami weave around her feet in a spirited game of tag.

Just then, she spotted, a dull blue haired boy hidden in the grass, clutching a net as he looked for something. "I wonder what that boy's looking for..."

[Let's go ask him!] Tintri suggested, leading the group into the grass where the boy was watching for the object of his search.

"Hi...are you maybe looking for bug Pokémon?" Ash asked, making Misty tense up in fear at the mention of bugs.

"Nope--I'm looking for a Dunsparce--they say they live in the ground all around this area." the boy explained as he slowly got up.

Ash retrieved Dexter from a pocket to read up on the odd Pokemon:

"Dunsparce, the land snake Pokemon. If spotted, it escapes by burrowing with its tail. It can float just slightly using its wings."

"I see..." Ash mused as he admired the picture of a blue and tan snake Pokemon with tiny wings on the Pokedex's screen. "Then maybe you're looking for a Dunsparce that ran away."

"Wrong again!" the boy smiled. "I'm looking for a wild Dunsparce!"

With that, he heaved a Poke Ball skyward. "Tsubasa, come on out!"

Misty shuddered even more as a Caterpie emerged on the ground, piquing the boy's attention. "What's with her? Tsubasa wouldn't hurt anyone that wasn't a threat..."

"Oh, don't mind Misty." Ash smiled. "She always gets a little..."

He racked his brain for a way to politely explain Misty's bug phobia to the boy. "...excited when she's around bug Pokémon."

"Cool!" the boy smiled. "I get excited around them, too."

"Nice way to put it, Ash..." Brock whispered.

The boy just smiled. "The name's Buck, and you've met Tsubasa already."

[Hi!] the small green worm Pokemon smiled.

Oh yeah, now I remember Ash's Butterfree Wings! Misty reminded herself. Caterpie is what Butterfree starts as, so sometimes beautiful things start out in ugly packages. she reminded herself as she took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"I'm Ash, and you've already met Misty..." Ash made a grand gesture to Misty, who shyly waved hello. "...and this is Brock, our navigator, balladeer, and loremaster." Brock waved hello upon being introduced.

"Loremaster...as in someone who sings and tells stories?" Buck asked. "That explains the rainbow stripes and the instrument cases you guys carry..."

"I know quite a few songs and stories from all over." Brock replied. "Just say the word, and I'll be happy to share a few of them with you and Tsubasa."

"If you don't mind my asking, why are you looking for a wild Dunsparce?" Misty asked Buck.

Buck was about to answer before a group of kids walked by, each of them with a Dunsparce of their own. "Hey, Buck! Wanna come to the park with us?" a red haired boy asked.

"Sure!" Buck called back. "I'll meet you guys there!"

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"My Dunsparce is bigger than yours!" a blonde haired boy bragged as the group and Buck arrived in the park some time later.

"Prove it! Let's get a tape measure!" a brown haired boy shot back.

As the boys measured their Dunsparces, a green haired girl proudly showed off a hand drawn picture book of things she did with her Dunsparce. "What do you think?" she asked a few other kids. "I made sure to include every part of my Dunsparce's day, even the sand bath she gets before bedtime!"

"You draw very well--I like the detail on the Dunsparce's back." Ash smiled at the girl as he admired a page depicting a stick figure girl feeding a stick figure Dunsparce.

"It took forever to get Sandy to hold still so I could draw her." the girl explained. "I'm glad you like her picture."

As some other kids oohed and ahhed over a cyan haired girl's Dunsparce hovering above the ground, Brock mused "Interesting...every kid in town has a Dunsparce except for you, Buck. Do you feel comfortable telling us why?"

"It's true that I'm the only one here without a Dunsparce." Buck sighed. "My grandpa got really sick a few months ago, so I went to the town where he lives to visit him. Luckily, Grandpa got better after a couple of weeks, so we came back home a week or two later. But while my family and I were gone, a swarm of Dunsparce came through the area, and all of my friends caught one. No matter how hard I searched for a Dunsparce, I couldn't find a single one."

Ash nudged Brock. "Up for showing off your storytelling skills for the kids?"

"I'd be game for playing a little music for them." Misty smiled as she retrieved her fiddle case. "Note, please."

Ash obliged by getting out his Pokeflute from his bag and giving Misty an A note to tune by. He next gave Brock a low E note to tune his guitar by, with Tintri watching from a tree branch. [It's always a good day to play music with your best friends...] he smiled.

"Right you are, bud." Ash grinned as he waited for Misty and Brock to tune.

The sound of the gang tuning up alerted the kids. "Hey look! Musicians!" a navy haired girl called, spurring the kids and their Dunsparces to hurry to the overlook where the group was tuning.

"Any ideas as to what to play for them?" Ash asked Brock.

"Whatever you think they'd like--you can lead the first set." Brock replied as he checked his tuning.

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The kids clapped along and the Dunsparces and Tsubasa swayed to the beat as the group played two tunes from Kanto--"The Silver Sword" and "The Hunt of the Ninetales."

When the last note echoed into the sky, the park exploded with applause. "Thank you!" Ash called over the kids' applause.

"Okay..." Brock plucked a few uncertain notes as he thought of a tale the kids would like. "Once upon a time, there was a king who had a hunter in his service. He gave him his own food and supplies, but all the game he killed he had to bring to the king." he began over a soft melody "As he was going to the castle to deliver his game, he had to pass by the vizier's house. The vizer wanted to get the hunter's catch from him, but he refused, in accordance with the charge entrusted to him."

"That's not nice!" a girl gasped.

"The vizier was understandably very angry with him, and plotted his destruction in every possible way." Brock went on, to some boos from the kids. "But the hunter--whose name is not important to us--was a very shrewd person, and the vizier could find no occasion to enact his evil ambitions..."

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After performing a long set in the park, the group watched as the kids set up an obstacle course. "You want to join us in our skill course, Buck?" the green haired girl offered. "You can use Tsubasa--we won't mind."

"Okay!" Buck replied. "Come on, Tsubasa!"

As all the Dunsparce and Tsubasa lined up at the line that served as the start, the red haired boy realized there was no way to signal the start. "Um, where are we going to get a starting signal? Anybody got something like an air horn or a whistle?"

"Anyone ask for a whistle?" Brock grinned, to the kids' cheers as he dug his referee's whistle from one pocket.

"Tsubasa looks tiny compared to the Dunsparce..." Misty noted as Brock explained the course and the rules to the kids.

"Size may not matter..." Ash cautioned as Brock rejoined them on a hill overlooking the course.

"Everyone ready?" Brock called to the kids, to thunderous cheers. "Okay! Three...two...one..."

The whistle echoed into the afternoon sky and all of the kids cheered as the Dunsparces and Tsubasa wound through their homemade course.

Ash, meanwhile, noticed Tsubasa lagging behind. "Poor Tsubasa...he's really struggling to even compete with the Dunsparce..."

Back on the course, Tsubasa struggled climb up a small staircase. "Come on, Tsubasa!" Buck called. "One more step to go!"

He gasped as he watched a Dunsparce fly right over Tsubasa. "You should just give up, Buck--your pokey little Caterpie's already a lap down." the Dunsparce's owner taunted.

"Don't give up!" Buck urged as Tsubasa tried with all his might to ascend the top step before collapsing with exhaustion.

He heard the whistle and Brock announcing that Tsubasa was out of the race. "Come on, Tsubasa...let's go home..." Buck sighed as he took Tsubasa in his arms...

To Be Continued...