@Scytherwolf; @Soups;


Interlude: The Warmth of Friendship


"Okay...who wants to start the storytelling for the night?" Brock asked as the last chord of "Yellow Submarine" echoed across the mountaintops.

"The Snover would probably like the Moltres story..." Ash suggested.

"I plan to tell a version of the Moltres story--we just need to figure out if we should tell that first, or let one of you tell first." Brock replied as he checked his guitar's tuning.

"I'll start!" Dawn volunteered, prompting the Snover to glance at her intently.

After thinking for a moment, Dawn began "In a certain land lived a king and queen who had three sons, the youngest of which was named Shane."

[That's a nice name.] the Snover smiled.

"Now, one day the king and queen went for a walk in the royal garden--something they often liked to do when the weather was nice." Dawn explained. "Suddenly, a great storm blew up, and by the time it died down, the queen was gone."

[Where did she go?] Kori asked, a note of fear in her voice.

"The king was heartbroken, and mourned a long time for his lost wife." Dawn continued with a nod assuring Kori all would be well. "The two eldest sons, seeing their father’s sorrow, asked for permission to go look for their mother. The king said okay, and they set out early the next morning."

"So, what adventures awaited these fine heroes?" Brock asked as he continued writing down the tale Dawn was telling.

"The two sons traveled for a long time, until they came to a vast desert, where they made camp, and waited for someone to come guide them through the sands." Dawn continued. "They waited for three years, but no one came."

She went on "Meanwhile, Shane had come of age, and he too went to his father and asked to go search for his mother. He wandered for a long time, until he found his brothers' camp. Shane suggested they travel together, and they all left early the next morning...."

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"...The next day three weddings were celebrated--the eldest son took the princess of the golden kingdom; the second son chose the princess of the silver kingdom, and Shane settled with the princess in the crystal kingdom." Dawn concluded some time later. "He kept the magical ruby with him, where it led him and his brothers on many more adventures."

She smiled at her enthralled companions. "But that is another story for another day!"

Ash led the applause. "That was actually an interesting story...it's not very often the elder brothers are forgiven."

"Yeah, if they aren't outright killed, they are thrown in the dungeon or banished." Brock agreed as he checked over his writing.

"While you look over your notes, I'll start the next one." Ash volunteered.

[Can it be about a brave hero that kills a dragon Pokemon?] the Snover asked.

Ash smiled. "I don't see why not."

He thought for a moment, then started the first dragon-slayer tale to come to mind. "This is a dragon slayer story that Brock has set to music." he explained to the Snover. "You could say it's his signature song.

With that, he started the story. "Long ago, while the king of a distant land was away at the battlefield, his wife, the queen, gave birth to twin sons. There was great rejoicing throughout the court and messengers were dispatched to the king to tell him the happy news." he begins over a calm melody. Both boys were healthy and strong, and grew up quickly like little trees. The one who was oh-so-slightly older was the hardier of the two. Even as a child he was always playing in the courtyard and struggling to climb on the back of a Ponyta that had been given to him when it was just a baby."

[Aw...] the Snover smiles, its eyes shining as it pictures a baby Ponyta....

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"..."The king and all the court were greatly disappointed; but their disappointment was swallowed up in their joy that the princesses had been miraculously saved." Ash went on some time later. "It wasn't long before Brian revealed himself as the hero to Princess Christina, but that only made her love for him deeper, and they were married not long after."

He concluded "Brian went on many more adventures with Epona, but that is another story for another day!"

Brock smiled as he led the applause. "If we have time, I'll be sure to sing the song, too."

He retrieved his guitar, then told the group "But now it's time for the main event--the tale of Moltres."

With that, he began "The king of a certain land had a beautiful garden which contained a number of very rare trees, but the rarest one of all was a Leppa tree. It stood in the middle of the garden, and produced shining crystal Leppa Berries every day. In the morning the flowers bloomed, during the day the fruit grew and ripened, and before nightfall, the berries were fully ripe. The next day the same thing happened, and this cycle would occur like clockwork every day. However, no Berries were left on the tree the following day. No one knew how, when, or why they disappeared, and this deeply grieved the king..."

To Be Continued...