Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Performers of Harmony

[EmeraldSky]

Act 15: Heroes in Jade

"The festival was amazing!" Ruby raved as the Moonlight Players departed Amber Town a few days later. "I learned so much from all the troupes there!"

"That and we learned to make our own plays even better!" Lita smiled as she looked back behind her to see the throng of other Pokemon following them and the large wagon holding all their props, costumes, and supplies. They cheered when they saw their leader, prompting Lita to sigh happily. It's amazing...just a few weeks ago we finally built a theater, and now we've learned enough to take our act on the road--and maybe even perform for the Legendaries!

"They say that Shaymin lives deep within Jade Forest." Ruby's voice snapped Lita back to reality. "You'll know you found her grove if it's filled with all kinds of exotic and colorful flowers."

"Speaking of which, what sort of play would Shaymin like?" Lita wondered. "Something to do with flowers?"

"That's a safe bet." Ruby smiled before thinking about all the plays they knew how to perform. "For now, let's get ready for our performance in Jade City."

"Yes, lets." Lita smiled. "We'll worry about performing for Shaymin when we reach her grove."

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"...so please welcome the Moonlight Players, and their performance of 'The Brave Youngest Son'." the Grovyle emcee concluded. The Songbird Theater rang with applause as the Grovyle left the stage, allowing the orchestra to begin the play's overture.

After a few moments of playing a song that evoked high adventure, Brenna appeared in a nook at stage right. "There was once a king who caught a terrible disease. Many healers came from far and wide, but they found no cure."

The curtains opened on the scene of a royal bedroom, where some Chansies, Happinis and Audinos in elaborate fantasy cleric outfits huddled around a bed. "Has His Highness' condition changed at all?" one asked.

The Audino playing the chief cleric shook her head. "Sadly no...not for the better or the worse. This is not a disease I have seen before."

"I fear one of the princes will be ascending to the throne before too long..." another Chansey sighed.

"Wait..." a third Chansey remembered. "There is only one remedy for our king. There is a certain garden far away from here. In this garden there is a tree that bears shining Leppa Berries. As soon as the king eats one of these miracle Berries, he will be cured."

“But I have heard that giants guard that tree, and pick off the fruit as soon as it is ripe.” a Happini worried.

Just then, Rory marched in the room. "“My lord and father! I will go and bring the miracle Leppa Berry for you."

Cheers filled the air as the lights went down. "After a long and perilous journey; he came to the miracle tree." Brenna narrated from her nook. "But a sound sleep overpowered him that night. The giant came, and picked off the fruit. In the morning, the eldest son returned home to tell of his bad luck. The following year, the middle brother went on the quest, but the same thing happened to him. The third year the youngest of the three brothers--whose name was Brian--said to his father..."

The lights came up on a third Charmander approaching the Braxien in the bed. “My lord and father! I will go and bring the miracle Berry.”

“How do you think you will succeed where your elder brothers failed?” the Braxien sighed.

"I have an idea!" the third Charmander protested.

Lita watched from backstage as the third Charmander and the Braxien went through their banter. Cole may be one of our younger actors, but he's putting his heart into this role! she smiled as she watched Cole aim an arrow at a sandbag standing in for a giant's leg on the stage.

She smiled as Cole fired, a cry of pain confirming his shot was a hit. He was a little nervous about the archery even with Pua walking him through the proper shot technique. Lita remembered, savoring a memory of the Decidueye patiently walking Cole through how to shoot properly.

Onstage, the three Charmanders from before--Rory, Sammi, who was playing a britches role, and Cole approached the mouth of a yawning abyss. "Okay if I go in there first?" Rory asked.

"Sure!" Sammi replied as she carefully tied a rope around Rory.

"When I'm ready to come up, I'll pull the rope twice." Rory replied.

With that, the audience watched as Rory disappeared into the hole. But after a few moments, Sammi saw the rope jiggle twice. Horrified, she hurried to bring Rory up. "Is everything okay?" Cole asked, to some laughter from the audience at Rory's shocked face.

"It's boiling hot down there!" Rory cried. "Even though we're all Fire types, I thought I was gonna be roasted alive!"

Sammi looked unfazed as the audience laughed again. "Let me go down there--it has to be a trial of some kind!"

The boy Charmanders set to work lowering Sammi into the hole. But they gasped when they saw the rope jiggle again.

"You were right--it's like the underworld down there!" Sammi gasped. "I guess the only one left is Brian; but I wouldn't be surprised if we brought him up too!"

"If we have to bring Brian up, we can just forget the whole matter of the wounded giant." Rory deadpanned, to some laughter.

Cole, meanwhile, finished securing his rope. "Okay! I'm ready to go down!"

"Good luck, little bro." Sammi smiled as she helped Rory lower Cole down into the hole.

The lights went down over some tense music. "Since he had a pure heart, the abyss did not burn for our hero." Brenna explained from her nook at stage right. "So it was no colder than any other cave."

Lita watched Cole climb around a cave set for a moment. This is it--the princesses and the giants are gonna be his biggest test so far!

To Be Continued...