@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 54: The Bells are Singing


Ash smiled as Erin twirled through the air and smacked a rock with Force Palm. "Very good! Think you can try hitting a rock coming from the other way?" he asked as he looked for a suitable rock to throw.

[I kin certainly try.] Erin purred as Ash found another pebble at the foot of a tree.

"Okay..here it comes!" Ash called before heaving the pebble in a left facing arc.

He gasped as Erin tripped on a tree branch and crashed to the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked as he hurried to help his Riolu from the grass.

[I'm fine.] Erin replied. [Wasn't te first ting I've ever tripped over, and probably won't be te last one, either!]

"If you need a larger target for Erin, she's always welcome to try catching arrows." Brock offered.

"We're not quite ready for catching arrows yet, but I do think we're ready to move up from rocks." Ash replied as Erin dusted herself off. "But I'll keep that in mind."

[I'd love te learn te catch an arrow!] Erin gasped, starry eyed.

"Well, Brock's a master archer, so when we get the hang of some larger objects, we'll try to catch some arrows." Ash assured his Riolu. "But for now, you've earned a break."

Brock, meanwhile, noticed a magazine Dawn was reading. "Interesting...what kind of magazine is that?"

"It's one of my back issues of Poké Chic, a fashion magazine for coordinators." Dawn explained. "In addition to the latest coords for people, it also has a section that features Pokémon in outfits."

"Coords...like idol coords?" Brock was intrigued.

"Something like that--coordinators share twelve brands of their own, which often cross over into the music industry." Dawn replied.

She remembered something as she set the magazine aside. "Which reminds me..."

After rummaging through her bag, she pulled out a red vest with a line of orange gradience and lines of pale pink. "I was inspired by a Prism Stardust design, and made my own little outfit that I think Lola would like. Mom helped with the sewing, though."

She gently slipped the outfit onto Lola. "What do you think?" she asked as she allowed Lola to look at herself in a hand mirror.

[It's lovely!] Lola giggled. [Thank you!]

"I take it Prism Stardust is a coordinator costume brand?" Ash asked as he watched Lola dance in the new outfit.

Dawn nodded. "They specialize in 80's style sparkling and neon motifs."

[That looks nice on you.] Tintri agreed, bemused in Lola's dancing.

Suddenly, Lola heard a ringing sound as a yellow, spherical Pokémon similar to a bell floated into the clearing. [Oh, you wanted to dance with me too?] Lola asked.

Dawn read up on the small Pokemon as Lola hugged it:

"Chingling, the bell Pokemon. Each time it hops, it makes a ringing sound. It deafens foes by emitting high-frequency cries."

"There you are!" Ash heard a female voice call as a dull green haired girl in an elegant red, white and gold outfit arrived in the clearing. "I've been looking all over for you, Suzu!"

She noticed the group gawking at her. "Oh, hello! I'm Francesca, and I'm a traveling magician."

"A magic act?" Dawn was intrigued. "What kinds of tricks do you do?"

"Well, you've met Suzu, one of my Chinglings, already." Francesca smiled as she heaved a cloth skyward. "I have two others...Cloche and Nella!"

As if on cue, two more Chingling and a flock of Pidgeys appeared from the cloth! "Wow!" Ash gasped, impressed.

Francesca next snapped to summon a familiar magician's wand. Aparecium Flos!

The Pokemon giggled as nothing seemed to happen. "Funny, I know the trick worked before..." Francesca mused before trying the trick's magic words again. Aparecium Flos!

She noticed Suzu giggling as she hid the orange flower that was supposed to appear in a bush. "Suzu!"

"Has Suzu always been like this?" Dawn wondered.

"No--normally she's very willing to assist with tricks." Francesca explained. "But ever since Cloche and Nella were added to the act, she's been acting up."

"Is it possible she's jealous of her co-stars, or feels like she's been replaced?" Brock wondered. "Either that, or she's depressed..."

A ringing note snapped Dawn to attention. "What the..."

Ash heard the same note, and noticed Suzu plucking one of the C strings on Brock's harp. "I think we found something Suzu likes..."

"That's it!" Brock smiled. "The harp's sound reminds her of a bell!"

"Do you know any stories about bells, or feature a bell in the plot?" Dawn asked as Brock reclaimed his harp from Suzu. "Maybe that could inspire Suzu and remind her that she is still loved and appreciated."

"That's a good idea--I never thought Suzu could be depressed." Francesca smiled. "Please, young minstrel--spin us a tale."

Brock thought for a moment. "This is a tale from Houen about the twin bell towers of Lillycove City." he explained.

"If we find May again, I'll have to ask her about those." Dawn smiled as Brock played an ethereal melody to compose his thoughts.

"Long ago, when Lilycove was just a village by the coast, a young fisherman named Kaitou prayed to Arceus every day for a good catch and favorable seas." Brock began. "But the village's temple had no bell, so the people often didn't know what time it was. As Kaitou set sail one morning, he mused that if the temple had a bell, not only would people know what time it was, it would look beautiful, as well."

"Makes sense." Ash mused.

"Now, the fishermen never went near a certain island near the port, because of the rough seas and strange noises that came from it." Brock explained. "One day, the village elder returned from a long journey, and the people were amazed at the things he had seen and heard across the land. They particularly enjoyed hearing about the temple bells--some of them were loud and piercing..." He proceeded to play a ringing chord that sounded like a bell. "..and some were merely a soft tinkle."

Ash chuckled as he played a soft trilling chord for effect. "Other bells almost sang like a person's voice..." He played an upward glissando for effect. "...and some had a low and deep rumble that could shake the earth if it wanted to." He played the bottom C string for effect.

"Amazing!" Dawn smiled.

"The villagers all pleaded for a bell--that way, they would know when it was time to get up, when it was time for lunch, when the day's work was over, or if there was an emergency." Brock explained. "The elder replied that he wanted a temple bell just as much as they did, but how were they to get a bell made without the means to pay for it?"

"Good question..." Ash smiled as Tintri bounded on his shoulder, enthralled by the story.

"Kaitou took it upon himself to ask for donations, and before long, the villagers had donated enough to make a little bell, just big enough for their temple's tower." Brock explained, setting the harp down long enough to make a form in the air describing how big the hypothetical small bell was. "He took the money to the miko, whose name was Satomi, and asked where they could get the bell made. Satomi replied that a good friend of hers was a bellmaker in a major city, and so she would send word to her. When the bellmaker, whose name was Kotone, heard about the village, she offered to make them a large bell for the price of their donations. So a beautiful silver bell was made, and brought to the village by ship."

After playing "The Prayer to the Sea" to simulate the ship traveling, Brock went on "Kaitou saw the ship approaching four days later, and offered to guide them to the village. But the captain was young and arrogant, saying the waves were no match for the fastest ship in the sea."

"Bad idea!" Francesca grinned, to some laughter as Cloche and Nella joined Suzu in listening to Brock's performance.

"But they soon sailed straight into the pounding waves, and all Kaitou and the ship's crew could do was watch as a pair of giant Octillery tentacles grabbed the bell." Brock intoned, making the laughter turn to gasps. "Heartbroken, the villagers vowed to get the bell back, despite Satomi's pleas not to. The villager's simple wooden boats were no match for the Octillery."

He added as an aside "It was a miracle the villagers even survived."

Nervous giggles went up in agreement. "That night, Satomi called the villagers together, and reminded them that the shrine was a sign of Arceus' and the Legendaries' providence, and that the Octillery was no match for Arceus' divine power." Brock went on. "The next morning, Kaitou led Satomi and her apprentices to the island, Satomi singing all the while...

Te lei ze cra riou te ze... Dawn sang along with the harp's reverent melody.
Cra riou ze te riou rei neu, riou ze...
Va rei ze te, neu te riou te cra
Riou rei cra riou ze rei va ze rei...
Va neu va rei, va neu va ze rei!
Cra riou cra neu te rei cra riou ze lei va
Lei va neu cra te lei lei!

Some light applause went up when Dawn finished her solo. "As the last note of Satomi's hymn echoed across the water, the Octillery surfaced wearing the bell like a hat!" Brock announced, to some laughter as the Pokemon pictured the Octillery wearing the bell. "Satomi tried to explain that the bell was for the temple, but when the Octillery refused to give it back, Satomi started her hymn again, making the Octillery writhe about in pain from the holy words..."

Te lei ze cra riou te ze... Dawn sang with the harp again.
Cra riou ze te riou rei neu, riou ze...
Va rei ze te, neu te riou te cra
Riou rei cra riou ze rei va ze rei...
Va neu va rei, va neu va ze rei!
Cra riou cra neu te rei cra riou ze lei va
Lei va neu cra te lei lei!

When the last note faded into the afternoon sky, Brock went on "The Octillery broke down in tears, saying it wanted the bell to protect its head from bumping into ship prows, and that was why it made waves to keep ships away."

"Oh"s wafted through the crowd as the audience put two and two together. "Kaitou explained that the bell was to help tell the time." Brock continued. "Satomi agreed, allowing the Octillery to keep the bell if it could remember to ring it every fifteen minutes--once at 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour, and as many times as needed for the hour--once at 1, two times at 2, and so on all the way to twelve times at noon and midnight. The Octillery happily agreed, and every fifteen minutes, it dutifully told the time according to Satomi's instructions."

He concluded "When the village got a more appropriate size of bell later in the year, the two of them harmonized as they tolled the hour."

He smiled. "In fact, replicas of them still toll the hour in Lilycove City today."

Suzu unleashed a few happy rings of approval as Brock took a bow. She then wrapped around Brock, making a soft trilling ring all the while. "Suzu says thank you." Francesca explained. "Your tale seems to have inspired her."

"My pleasure!" Brock smiled as Suzu continued nuzzling him in thanks.

"If you're competing in the Fantasy Stage, I wish you good luck." Francesca told Brock. "We all believe you have the talent to make it to the Grand Fantasy Stage!"

To Be Continued...