@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 2: Happiness in Bloom


"Well, that was an...interesting...story..." Dawn mused as Maury, Allegra, and Kai led them into a large park outside of the town some hours later.

"That's wasn't like any version of the Moltres story I've heard before..." Brock agreed as he looked out on the rainbow of flowers and the stone path leading into the park.

"That's Luminata for you--their shows are always very creative." Kai smiled before making a grand gesture to the park. "This is el jardín alegre--the Garden of Joy. This is a place where people and Pokemon can explore, relax, and play together."

"It's not unheard of for people to come out here and have picnics or play music." Maury agreed.

"I can see why!" Dawn smiled as she admired a Gardevoir statue on one side of the path.

"Speaking of which..." Brock mused as he led the group to an open square with benches and tables. "Is busking allowed?" he asked as he settled down on a bench.

"Of course." Kai replied as Brock retrieved his guitar case, opened it, and took out the yellow-brown instrument inside. "I see musicians out here all the time."

"Got any ideas to what you want to play, Maestro?" Dawn smiled as she watched Brock carefully and quickly tune up.

"I think so--I do take requests, so if there's a song you really want to hear, let me know." Brock explained as he tuned.

He was snapped to attention by the sounds of a fiddle tuning and Ash rummaging in his bag. "Oh, you guys want to join in too?"

"Why not?" Dawn smiled as she tuned. "The hard part is thinking of some tunes all of us would know..."

"I KNEW I packed the harmonica!" Ash cried, triumphantly holding up a chromatic harmonica for the others to see. "In case I want a break from the flutes and whistles."

He looked over at the Pokeflute case and various whistles before him. "What keys do I need?"

"Stick with the C and the D whistle for now." Brock replied as he fine tuned the high E string on his own instrument.

Tintri watched from a tree branch overlooking the square as his master and his companions prepared to play. [This is great...a huge flowery park, your best friends playing music, with some new friends...an oceanside view...]

[Hi!] a voice squeaked from the grass. [What brings you here to the park?]

Tintri looked down to see an Azurill and a Marill looking up at him from the grass. [My friends and I are visiting town.] he explained as he climbed down from the tree. [We heard this place was a good spot to relax and play...]

[It is.] a blue rabbit-like Pokemon Tintri remembered as Azumarill agreed as a Shinx and a Luxio bounded to meet her in the grass. [People come here from all over to see the sacred bell tower that stands near here.]

[Really?] Tintri asked as he listened to the mostly improvised melody in A minor his human companions played nearby.

The Luxio nodded. [Supposedly, the bells are said to play a sacred melody that calms anger and fear in anything that hears it.]

The Oración... Tintri smiled. [I'm sure it must be amazing to hear.]

[We've only heard the bells toll the hour, so who knows if the story is true or not?] the Shinx mused.

Tintri smiled as he observed a crowd of people applauding Brock and Dawn. [As my guitar playing friend says, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.] He let that hang as the other Pokemon listened to Ash playing a blazing fast set of tunes...

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"That was amazing!" Kai raved as the group put their instruments away. "You guys need to take your music on the road!"

"Or make an album!" Allegra agreed as she led the group over to a vacant table nearby a fountain.

Dawn just smiled, flattered at the rave reviews. "We'll consider if our man goals of trainer, coordinator, and loremaster don't work out."

Ash, meanwhile, was more interested in a colorful but well loved game box sitting at one corner of the table. "Estrellas?"

"Eh-streh-yahs." Brock corrected him.

"Ah, the traditional favorite that was designed right here in Alamos." Allegra smiled as she took the box. "The object of the game is to finish a secret pattern before your opponents."

"Sounds like 'Arcobaleno'." Brock mused as Allegra passed out player boards and set out some elegantly designed coasters and some cards.

"Estrellas predates Arcobaleno by a few hundred years, but Arcobaleno built on Estrellas to make something completely new." Maury explained as Allegra dealt out a card to him".

"Each player gets a pattern board and a star card, which is the pattern they are trying to create." Kai explained. "You have to keep your star card secret from the other players, but you are allowed to check it at any time."

"Good to know." Ash smiled.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" Allegra asked as soon as she saw the others had a player board and a card.

"I do!" Ash volunteered.

"All right, play will then proceed around from your right." Allegra explained as she set a handful of plastic crystals on the circle of coasters in the center of the table.

"The coasters represent crystal mines." Kai added. "On your turn, you can take all of the crystals of the same color from a mine, or take the leftover crystals from the middle of the table, which is considered the Scrap Heap. Whatever isn't taken from a mine will go into the Scrap Heap."

"Crystals from the Scrap Heap will not score as many points as crystals from a mine, so think carefully about where you take your crystals from." Maury cautioned.

"Got it." Ash replied as he took three red crystals from the coaster closest to him.

"While you are creating your secret star pattern, you can't have two crystals of the same color touching each other in any way, so you also have to consider where you place your crystals." Allegra cautioned as Ash placed his three crystals.

"In building your star you start from the center and work outward." Maury explained. "A star is considered complete when it matches the pattern on a secret star card."

"Once someone has signaled their star is complete, endgame scoring begins." Allegra went on. "We'll go over point values later."

"Whoever completed their star pattern first, wins." Kai smiled. "If there's a tie, whoever has more points wins.

"This an okay signal for when they've finished?" Brock asked, flashing a V signal.

"That will do very nicely." Allegra replied as she took her turn...

To Be Continued...