Pokemon Storm Gray

[EmeraldSky]

Finally, the story continues!


Episode 9d: Mon for One, and Mon for All! (part 4)


Backstage, Ash, Misty, Brock, and their costar took a moment to catch their breaths and listen to the actor playing the evil prime minister give his monologue onstage. "No matter how many times we perform the scene where Constance reads Diana's magical power, I'm still amazed..."

The wavy haired girl smiled as she glanced over a copy of the script. "Let's see here...after this scene is the training montage number, and then is the scene I'm the most excited about--where Diana and you guys uncover the evil prime minister's plot, and the prophecy of Prisme."

She smiled. "You three have clearly performed this musical before--I love how you just seem to click as the Three Musketeers..."

Misty nodded. "We have performed this show many times in our homeland of Kanto and beyond. Playing Brenna of the Blue Water will never get old to me."

"I'll always be ready to perform Rowan of the Red Flame!" Ash smiled, aware of the action going on onstage.

"I'd happily perform Eliwood of the Forest Green many times over." Brock agreed. "He is a very special role to me."

Some dialogue onstage snapped the group to attention. "Meline...I want you to keep an eye on the Three Jewels of Kalos and the starry eyed stripling. If you believe they may unravel my brilliant plan to rule Kalos, you have my permission to pursue them...and eliminate them."

Boos filled the theater at this. "It will be done." a female voice replied.

"It's time..." Brock whispered. "Training montage scene, go!"

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The orchestra struck up an upbeat melody. "Meanwhile, Diana and her companions continued their training, blissfully unaware of the prime minister's plot." the narrator began. "Little did Diana know, she would be putting her lessons into practice much sooner than she thought!"

Lift your gaze up proudly
As you take that first step,
Towards the sun! Ash sang as he led the wavy haired girl onto the stage. Misty and Brock were not far behind.

A new power has awakened within me...
I stand ready to find my true destiny! the wavy haired girl sang in reply.

With that the orchestra started a festive melody as the lights blinked to different parts of the stage, as if mimicking a training montage in a TV show. "Remember, the most critical part to keep in mind when you battle with a sword is your knee." Ash explained as he showed the wavy haired girl playing Diana a lunge.

"Why the knee?" the girl asked, intrigued.

"We'll discuss your arms shortly, but your knees and legs are important, too." Misty assured her student as she joined Ash in the scene. "Failure to keep an eye on the knees and legs is one of the most common mistakes beginning swordsmen and swordswomen make, and one that can cause a lot of problems later on."

She demonstrated a lunge with a prop blade as she continued "Make sure that when you’re lunging or stepping into an attack your knee is not bending past your fingers, and it should face either forward or outwards."

The lights blinked over to a different part of the stage, where Brock was giving the girl an archery lesson. "Your head is the only thing that turns toward the target, and your arms are the only body part that moves, okay?"

"Got it!" the girl smiled.

He next showed the girl one of his own arrows. "On most arrows, there are three fletchings--two fletchings of the same color and one of them a slightly different shade of the same color. When nocking your arrow, the different color fletching should face away from the bow and towards you. Once your arrow is in position, place the nock of the arrow--that's the split ending at the back of the arrow--on the string of your bow, pushing it in until you hear a subtle click."

"Okay!" the girl replied as she followed Brock's instructions.

"Now, form your stance again." Brock instructed.

He waited for his co-star to get in position, then went on "First of all, that's a much better stance than before. To shoot properly, start by straightening your hand with the bow ahead of you, but keep it flexible with a slight bend in the elbow. Whatever you do, don’t lock up your shoulder."

"Got it!" the girl smiled.

"You want to hold the bow like you would the handle of a glass, with three fingers--typically the index, middle and ring--but keep the thumb lowered." Brock explained as he prepared his own shot. "There are several different grips, but you pick the one that's best for you."

The girl readied her shot, then waited for Brock's instructions. "Moving on...to draw, draw with three fingers around the string below where the arrow is placed." Brock explained. "Try to keep the elbow of your drawing hand in line with the arm that’s holding the bow."

He smiled as the girl assumed the correct pose. "Very good...now anchor your drawing hand on your face, ideally somewhere in the region of your mouth and cheek just below your eyes or nose so that you can see down the shaft of your arrow."

The orchestra played a tense stinger as the girl drew her bow. "When you're ready to shoot, simply relax your drawing hand and follow through with the shot." Brock explained.

The girl fired a few seconds later, her shot landing on the outer yellow ring of a target. "One last thing--don’t put down your bow or change your position until your arrow is in its target." Brock explained before observing the girl's shot. "If this were a competition, you'd get three points for that shot..."

---------

"A few weeks later, Diana and her teachers came to the library for some routine research." the narrator explained. "But she did not know that she and the revered Three Jewels of Kalos were about to discover the prime minister's plot--and a way to stop his ambitions of ruling Kalos."

The lights came up on the girl playing Diana, Ash, Misty, and Brock on a library set. After a few tense moments, Diana noticed a paper peeking from under a book. "Hm?"

Her eyes widened as she examined the paper. "You guys! Come see this!"

"What is it?" Misty asked as she came to the table.

"If I may have a look?" Brock asked.

He studied the paper, a look of feigned concern on his face. "If this is what I think it is, this is our first official confirmation of a plot against Her Majesty's life!"

"I-I don't understand..." the girl playing Diana stammered

"Ever since Lord Raimond was appointed prime minister, many in the corps have had their suspicions that he has his eye set on the throne." Ash explained. "What you found is our first piece of evidence confirming what many of the musketeers have long suspected--that Lord Raimond is a fiend and a traitor!"

The orchestra played a dramatic stinger, causing gasps to go up from the audience. "Furthermore, we don't have much time if we plan to stop Lord Raimond--the anniversary masquerade is three weeks from now." Misty explained.

"But how can we stop him?" the girl playing Diana asked. "Arceus only knows what sort of demonic powers he has summoned to kill the queen!"

"There is a way..." Brock assured his co-star as the orchestra started a hopeful theme. "An old prophecy foretells that should something like this ever happen in Kalos, the divine blade Prisme will appear."

The girl playing Diana nodded. "Yes...my father told me all kinds of stories of heroes that struck down traitors with that holy rainbow blade...'Should a traitor seek to oppress Kalos, and bring justice to her knees, a rainbow will appear in the night to bring holy judgement.' That rainbow, my father said, was Prisme."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ash called. "Let us go forth, in search of Prisme!"

"YEAH!!!" The girl playing Diana led the way out as the lights went down...

To Be Continued...