A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 110: Keeping a Secret (Misty)

(real tale: The Boy Who Could Keep a Secret)


"Once upon a time there lived a woman who had one little boy--we'll call him Matthew." Misty begins. "At first sight, you wouldn't think that he was any different from millions of other little boys; but then you noticed that by his side hung the sheath of a sword. and as Matthew gold older, so did the sheath."

"Was it bigger than him by the time he came of age?" Ash smiles, grinning as he remembers the overly large weapons in RPGs.

"The sword which belonged to the sheath Matthew had found sticking out of the ground in the garden, and every day he pulled it out to see if it would go into the sheath." Misty replies. "But though it was plainly growing as well, it was a matter of time before the two would fit."

"So when did they fit?" Brock is piqued.

Finally, the day came when it slipped in quite easily." Misty continues. "Matthew could hardly believe his eyes, so he tried it a few times, and each time it slipped in more easily than before. But pleased though Matthew was, he determined not to tell anyone about it, especially his mother, who never could keep anything from her neighbors."

"Talk about a blabber-mouth..." Melody smiles.

"In spite of his vows and promises, he could not hide completely that something had happened." Misty cautions. "So when he went in to breakfast that morning, his mother asked him if something was wrong. Matthew replied that he had a wonderful dream, but couldn't tell anyone. The woman begged, pleaded, and cried for Matthew to tell her; but it was no use, neither words nor blows would get the secret out of him."

"You mean..." Ash swallows hard.

"Poor Matthew was beaten over a secret?" Brock is equally concerned.

Misty sadly nods yes to silently answer the boys' questions. "Matthew ran into the garden all battered and beaten, knelt beside his little sword, and cried. The moment he stretched out his hand, it slid quietly into the sheath."

Happini sniffles as Brock brushes away a tear forming in her eye. "I know, you don't like seeing anyone crying..."

"Matthew cried for a long time, and his sobs were heard by the king, who happened to be passing that way." Misty continues. "He ordered one of his servants to see who was crying. When the servant returned, he told the king what had happened. The king ordered Matthew brought to him, as it pained him to see one of his subjects crying."

"Pi pini pi!" Happini smiles.

"Your kind of king, huh?" Brock coos.

"The king adopted Matthew as his own son, and promised him the princess' hand in marriage as soon as he came of age." Misty continues. "Before he left for the castle, Matthew retrieved his sword from the garden."

She pauses for a beat, then continues. "On the way, Matthew told the king everything that had happened, and reiterated he would not tell his dream to anyone, not even the king. "Try as the court might, Matthew said nothing, until he was banished from the palace until he told someone."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu is appalled.

"But the servants felt sorry for Matthew, and allowed him to stay with them." Misty assures the Pokemon. "He stayed with them until he turned sixteen. Meanwhile, the two elder princesses had been married. The youngest one--we'll call her Teresa--was old enough to be married too, but she was very particular, and turned up her nose at all the suitors who had sought her hand."

"Pika?" Pikachu asks.

"One day, she was sitting in the palace bored, and decided to see what the servants were doing." Misty continues. "She ran across the gardens to the servants' quarters, where she recognized Matthew as the little boy she had once played with. She asked him about his secret, but Matthew wouldn't tell. When the king heard what had happened, he ordered Matthew killed."

Everyone gasps. "But minutes before Matthew was led to the gallows, a king of a neighboring country asked for Matthew to be spared." Misty assures the group. "So Matthew was set free under the assumption he would tell someone in the neighboring country. When he got there, the princess of that land--we'll call her Cordelia--pleaded for Matthew to tell her, but time and time again Matthew refused. When the king heard what had happened, he ordered Matthew imprisoned inside a tall tower. But Princess Cordelia had a small tunnel just big enough for a basket of food, water, and a book or two to fit hidden inside--this way, she would send Matthew three square meals and three new books from the library every day, so Matthew always had plenty of food and water and something to do."

"Azu..." Azurill smiles.

"One day a messenger from the northern desert came bearing a letter and three trees for the king." Misty continues. "The messenger told the king that if he could not put the trees in order from tallest to shortest, his master would go to war against him."

Brock bursts out laughing at this. "That's a stupid reason to go to war!" Ash agrees as he too laughs.

Misty is unfazed--stupid or not, this was how the story went. "The king was scared when he heard this, and though he looked at the trees very closely, there appeared to be no difference between them. Even Princess Cordelia knew something was up. She assured her father she would find an answer, and sent her request to Matthew along with her customary meal and books. When she came to deliver Matthew's breakfast and new books the next day, she told her father Matthew's reply--the shortest would sink to the bottom of a jar of water, the middle would neither sink nor float, and the largest would float. The desert king was amazed, and decided to call off the war preparations. Matthew was set free, and served as the king's most trusted advisor; When the king died from a terrible disease a year later, Matthew succeeded him."

She concludes "Matthew and Princess Cordelia were married not long after he became king, but after the wedding festivities ended, Matthew asked to see his mother. Leave was granted, and he returned to his homeland. His mother hardly recognized him in all his finery."

"So what was Matthew's big secret?" Brock is curious.

Misty smiles. "Matthew had dreamed that he had become king of a far off land, and had she not beaten him, and he had told anyone, his dream would not have come true."

"Oh"s go up as Misty takes a bow....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 111: The Rose and the Cypress (Ash)

(real tale: What the Rose Did to the Cypress)

"There was once a great king who had three brave and clever sons--we'll call them Kaitou, Mamoru, and Akira." Ash begins. One day, Prince Kaitou asked his father if he could go to the royal hunting grounds for the day. His father said okay, and a grand hunting party departed the castle."

[What did Prince Kaitou find on his hunt?] Mai is interested.

when Prince Kaitou got to the hunting grounds, he saw a beautiful Sawsbuck." Ash continues. "He ordered that it should not be killed, but trapped or corralled. Try as the party might to catch it, the Sawsbuck leaped clear over Prince Kaitou's head and bounded off into the wilderness."

"Oh my..." Misty gasps.

"Is it possible for Sawbuck to even jump over someone's head?" Brock wonders.

"Prince Kaitou was in hot pursuit, and chased the Sawsbuck for so long and so far, his Ponyta died of exhaustion." Ash explains. "Prince Kaitou soldiered on through the desert heat until he came to a great mountain. He mustered his strength and climbed to the top, and there he found a giant tree so tall, it looked like it touched the very sky. On top of that, a stream flowed nearby."

"I'd love to see a tree like that." Melody smiles.

"Prince Kaitou was elated at the sight of water, and drank so much, he could've burst." Ash goes on. "Just then, he saw a man he presumed was a priest. The priest asked Prince Kaitou what he was doing in the desert. Prince Kaitou told the priest everything that had happened, and asked the priest the same question. The priest initially said no, but relented after Prince Kaitou begged and pleaded for a few minutes."

Giggles go up as Ash continues "The priest explained that he had once been a king of a far away land, with wealth untold, and seven sons of his own. One day, his eldest son heard of a king in a land far to the east who had a daughter named Yukina, who was as wise as she was beautiful."

"I have a feeling I know where this is going..." Brock sighs.

"Anyone who wanted to have Princess Yukina's hand in marriage had to answer a riddle she posed them--and if they got it wrong, it was his life in exchange." Ash intones, confirming Brock's prediction.

"What was the riddle?" Melody asks.

"What did the rose do to the cypress?" Ash replies.

Murmurs fill the air as the group ponders the odd question. "His eldest son tried to win Princess Yukina's hand, and failed. and one by one, he lost his other sons in the same way. He had been so overcome by grief that he entered the priesthood."

"Poor guy.." Misty muses.

"Prince Kaitou listened to story, and the idea to try and win Princess Yukina's hand entered his mind." Ash continues. "Suddenly, his hunting party caught up to him with a new Ponyta. When he got home, he told his father what had happen and his request to try and win Princess Yukina's hand. His father was reluctant at first, but saw him off to the eastern land with all kinds of fine and lavish gifts. He was welcomed with all due respect and ceremony, but when he told the court the reason he had come, the eastern king tried to talk him out of it."

"And then?" Misty asks, fearing what is coming next.

"Prince Kaitou was asked the riddle, but could not answer it, and so it was his life in exchange." Ash sighs, confirming Misty's prediction. "Understandably, his father was devastated."

"What about the others?" Brock asks.

"Prince Mamoru next asked to try, but unfortunately, he met the same fate." Ash continues. "Finally, Prince Akira journeyed to the eastern kingdom, but decided to spend some time exploring the capital city in hopes he would find a clue to Princess Yukina's riddle."

"Pika?" Pikachu wonders.

"A wise woman explained that the cypress was Princess Yukina's father, and the rose was a fey woman he had fallen in love with years before." Ash explains. "She explained that the answer was the rose had betrayed the cypress, as the fey-woman had left Princess Yukina's father not long after Princess Yukina was born, leaving him to raise Princess Yukina on his own. The only clue that Yukina had any fey blood in her was her great wisdom and knowledge that no human knows."

"Bad idea to marry a fairy..." Misty smiles.

"That explains how Yukina was so smart." Brock agrees.

"Needless to say, Princess Yukina was stunned when Akira answered the riddle correctly." Ash concludes. "It wasn't long before they were married, and they all lived happily ever after."

Everyone applauds as Ash takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 112: The Legend of Xerneas and Yveltal (Brock)

(real tale: The Story of the Hero Makoma)

"Once upon a time, in a place far from here, and in a time long ago, a boy was born." Brock begins. "He was not like the other boys and girls, for he was very tall and strong. He carried a big sack over one shoulder, and a great shining sword in his right hand. He could also speak like a grown person, but usually he kept to himself."

"Wow..." Ash gasps, awed that such a boy exists, if only in Brock's imagination.

"One day his mom asked him what he wished to be named." Brock continues. "The boy instructed his mom to summon all the town elders to the riverbank by their house So his mother did as she was told, and called together the town's council of elders. The boy met them at a place the river where all the fierce Croconaws lived. He challenged them to jump into the water and swim across to the other side, Croconaws and all. When no one stepped forward to accept his challenge, the boy jumped in himself!"

Everyone hold their breaths as they wait to hear if the boy survived. "Naturally, the people thought the boy was nuts for swimming across a Croconaw infested river." Brock continues. "But suddenly, they saw a blue flash of light in the water, and all the Croconaws came floating to the surface, stunned by a strange power. The boy, meanwhile, continued to the other side unharmed. The head elder was amazed at the boy's power, and gave him the name Xerneas, which in their people's language, meant 'the one with great power'"

"Cool!" Misty cries, starry eyed.

"Xerneas left on a journey of discovery the next day, with only his sack of supplies and his great sword to his name." Brock goes on. "He wandered all across the world, which was still relatively new in those days. One day, he found Regirock shaping a mountain, and challenged him to a battle. Regirock accepted, and a great battle raged across the mountains. In the end, Regirock admitted defeat, and gave Xerneas a piece of amber as a sign of reverence, which Xerneas put in his sack."

"Who else did Xerneas meet?" Ash is interested.

"Regirock's amber gave Xerneas super strength, making him able to pick up the biggest rocks just as it were a feather." Brock explains. "After a while, he happened to find Manaphy shaping the river beds. He challenged Manaphy to battle, and Manaphy accepted. It was a very long and intense battle, but in the end, Manaphy was defeated too. He gave Xerneas a sapphire as a sign of respect, which allowed him to create things from thin air."

[Then who did he meet?] Mai wonders.

"He then happened upon Virizion keeping watch over a forest." Brock replies. "As he had with his other opponents, he challenged Virizion to fight. Virizion accepted, and after a long and drawn out battle, admitted defeat and gave Xerneas an emerald as a sign of respect. Then he happened to meet Moltres in a great desert, and after challenging and defeating her in battle, earned a ruby from her as a sign of her respect."

"And then?" Now Melody is interested.

"Xerneas came to a beautiful plain filled with flowers, and made his home there." Brock goes on. "One night, he heard rumors of a girl named Yveltal, who lived at the peak of a high mountain. She was said to be equal, if not stronger than him. So after putting his house in order, he set out on the long journey."

[How far did he go?] a Meowth wonders.

"He climbed over rocky mountains, slogged through swamps, crossed raging rivers, and tromped for days across deserts dry enough to kill an ordinary person, until he came to a house sitting on top of the high mountain. "A beautiful young lady all in red met Xerneas, saying that she was in fact the famous Yveltal."

"Don't tell me--Xerneas asked to fight her too?" Misty sighs.

"That he did." Brock smiles. "Yveltal accepted the challenge, and the battle commenced. Hour by hour they fought, and mountains trembled like trees in the wind. Yet no matter what they did, neither one could slay the other. At last, after two days of fighting, they collapsed on the ground, exhausted."

He concludes "In the morning, Arceus appeared to them, and told them that both of them were great heroes, and that they both deserved to protect the world. So he transformed Xerneas into a deer-like Pokemon with X-like antlers, and put him in charge of the earth. Then he transformed Yveltal into a red Y-shaped bird, and put her in charge of the skies, as queen of all birds. They became friends for all time, and in time, Xerneas taught the people of the earth how to call his friend Yveltal." With that, he sings Yveltal, ame no ga bakeno...

"Finally you get that spellsong right!" Melody smiles. "The first word in that spellsong isn't 'Imultao', it'a 'Yveltal'. It means 'Yveltal, I call on your red wings' in the ancient tongue, and can also be used to draw on Yveltal's power."

"Can we still use 'Imultao'?" Misty asks.

"Of course--they both sound the same." Melody assures Misty. "But be careful--one wrong word and Yveltal may appear to you when you just need gibberish!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 113: The Stone Song (Misty)

(real tale: Madschun)

"Once upon a time there lived a woman whose son was quite lazy--we'll call him Devin." Misty begins. "No matter what trade his mom tried to teach him, he refused to work, and in a few days was back at home again."

"I'm surprised you didn't name him Jack..." Brock notes.

"I have a reason I named the boy what I did." Misty assures Brock as she goes on. "Anyway, one morning he was resting in the garden by his house when the princess of the land came riding by, followed by her retinue. Devin took one look at the princess--we'll call her Kari--and vowed that he would marry her, no matter what it took."

"Pini pi?" Happini asks.

"His mom was quite shocked her normally lazy son would ask her to travel to the palace and ask the king to let him see Princess Kari." Misty replies. Happini giggles as she continues. "But Devin kept bugging her until she finally relented and set out for the palace."

"So what did the king say?" Ash asked, piqued.

"The king was hearing requests and disputes that day, and so Devin's mom had no problem getting into the castle. She explained to him that her lazy son wished to see Princess Kari, as nuts as that sounded. But the king didn't think the woman nuts at all, and told her to bring Devin to the palace."

"Cue the 'impossible' challenge..." Brock muses--seemingly lazy heroes that figure out supposedly tough challenges are one of his favorite types of tales to tell and hear.

"The king told Devin that if he wanted the hand of Princess Kari, he had to catch one of every kind of bird Pokemon in the world--from the lowliest Pidgey to the queen of the skies, Yveltal." Misty explains. "Devin left the palace in despair--how was he going to catch even a Pidgey with no Pokemon to his name?"

"Good question--is there even such a thing as Poke Balls or Apricorns in fantasyland?" Ash is just as interested.

"Devin wandered the world pondering his predicament." Misty continues. "He finally found himself in a desert a week later with no answers. Just as he was about to give up, he met a priest meditating by an oasis. He told the priest of his dilemma, and the priest told him that if he kept going westward, he would reach a great tree. If he made himself comfortable in the tree's darkest shadow and stayed very still, all the bird Pokemon of the world--from the lowliest Pidgey to the great Yveltal--would perch in its branches. Once all the birds had landed, he was to sing the magic words..." Misty pauses to sing Karuto, iichiida shou... "and all the birds would be frozen in place like stone. If sung a second time, the spell would be broken."

Inspired, Ash decides to try the "spell" on a Caterpie crawling by his foot. Karuto, iichiida shou... Nothing happens.

"I think that only works in the story, Ash..." Brock assures Ash as the Pokemon laugh.

Misty is unfazed. "Devin thanked the priest for teaching him the holy spell, and went and did as he was told. "The King was surprised when Devin returned with the birds--he had secretly married Princess Kari off to the royal vizir while Devin was away."

Brock gasps, stunned at the turn of events. "But Devin was pretty mad, and sang Karuto, iichiida shou... freezing almost the whole palace into a collection of statues." Misty continues. "The king tried to give Devin some new challenge to get rid of Devin so he could see Princess Kari and the royal vizir wed, but the court wizard--one of the very few that had not been frozen--told the king that if he had allowed Devin to marry Princess Kari to start with, none of this would have happened."

"Moral of the story--give the hero what he wants after he proves himself worthy." Melody sighs.

[And Devin has proven himself worthy...] Mai agrees.

"The king reluctantly agreed to give Devin Princess Kari's hand in marriage if he unfroze the throne room." Misty explains. "So Devin returned to the throne room, where everyone was standing exactly as they were when Devin had cast the spell. He then sang Karuto, iichiida shou... again."

She concludes "The palace returned to life in a flash of green light, and Princess Kari placed her hand in Devin's as a sign of her love for him. The wedding festivities lasted for a week, but as for the royal vizir, no one in that land knows what became of him."

"That was an interesting tale..." Brock muses as he applauds...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 114: The Journey to the Heavens (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 9, story 2)


"A certain young man--we'll call him Jiro--was kicked out of the house for being lazy one day." Ash begins. "He was told that he wouldn't be allowed to return until he got a job." So he set out on the road in search of work."

[Did he find a job?] Mai wonders.

"After walking along for a while, Jiro came to a house where he saw people working in a field. He asked the master of the house if he needed any help, and so he was hired as a farmhand. One day, as he struggled with a particularly large carrot," Everyone giggles as Ash pantomimes trying to pull up the carrot. "he pulled so hard he was sent flying clear to the next town."

"Oh my!" Melody gasps.

"He asked a man of the town to hire him, and so he was hired as a barrel maker." Ash continues. "One day, as he was putting the finishing touches on a particularly large barrel, the band snapped, sending him flying clear to the next town."

Everyone laughs at this. "He asked a man of the town to hire him, and so he was hired as a parasol maker." Ash continues. "One day, as he was setting out a newly made batch of parasols out for display, a windstorm blew up and sent him flying, still holding onto one parasol."

"Clear to the next town, I bet." Brock smiles.

"Actually, Jiro went even farther than that." Ash smiles. "He eventually landed in the heavens."

Interested murmurs fill the tent. "He walked on the gold streets for a while until he found a Gardevoir spinning gold thread. When he asked the Gardevoir to hire him, the Gardevoir was surprised--she was merely a servant of the Legend of Thunder, Raikou."

"Hm..." Misty ponders what will happen to Jiro next.

"Raikou listened as Gardevoir explained the situation, and told Jiro he could help create rain for the mortals." Ash goes on. "So Jiro rode on Zapdos beside Raikou, making it rain. One day, he lost control of Zapdos and fell into the ocean."

"That had to hurt..." Misty muses.

"If he even lived to tell the tale." Melody cautions.

"Actually, Jiro landed close by Manaphy's undersea palace, and asked Manaphy if he could hire him." Ash assures his audience. "Manaphy offered him a job harvesting pearls, but there was a catch--not to eat any of the food that fell in the water."

"There's always a catch..." Brock smiles.

"At first, Jiro did well to ignore the food falling in the water, but eventually, he got so hungry, he ate a rice ball and was sent rocketing to the surface." Ash explains. "He landed on a fishing boat, and told the fishermen his story. The fishermen took him home, where he told his family how he had changed."

He concludes "His family welcomed him back with open arms, and from that day on, he was well renowned as a dependable and hard worker."

Melody smiles. "Tales of transformation are my favorite tales... "

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 115: Victini's Gift (Melody)

(real tale: The Divine Mischief Maker)

"Ever since Arceus created Victini, he always was a bit of a prankster." Melody begins.

"Really?" Ash asks, intrigued in Melody's tale.

"So one day, he left his little grotto on what is now Liberty Island in hopes of playing a prank on one of the other Legendaries--like he did most every day." Melody replied. "On this particular day, he happened to find me keeping watch over a herd of Tauros as a favor to Xerneas."

She then catches herself. "But as I had been watching them all that morning, I soon fell asleep. Victini saw I was sleeping, and got the brilliant idea to try and take a few of the Tauros for himself."

"Pini pini?" Happini asks.

"Yeah, how did he do it?" Misty agrees.

"After choosing a few Tauros to take, he covered their hooves with bark so they wouldn't leave any tracks." Melody explains. "Then he tied a few branches to their tails, which would wipe away whatever tracks were left behind. He worked quickly and quietly, hoping all the while I wouldn't wake up and cast a spellsong on him."

Nervous giggles go up at this. "Thankfully, I had no idea what Victini was doing, nor did I know Victini was even there." Melody assures the audience. "When Victini arrived home, he decided to sacrifice two of the Tauros to Arceus. He had some of the meat for dinner, then used some of the bones, some Spinarak string, and a Squirtle shell to fashion the world's first harp." Brock shows the audience his own harp for effect.

After waiting for Brock to put on some fingerpicks on his right hand, Melody continues. "Victini nervously plucked a few of the strings of his new instrument, and was enthralled at the sound they made." With that, Brock begins plucking out a four note melody.

The audience listens as Brock builds on the simple four note melody into a lavish opus with multiple parts and beautiful harmonies. After playing the mostly improvised song for a moment, the different parts begin to disappear until Brock is back to the four note melody he started with. When the last note dies, they roar with applause, never mind the story isn't over yet.

"Thanks, Brock." Melody beams. "That was actually a pretty good recreation of what the song probably sounded like." She continues as Brock sets the harp aside. "It wasn't until the next morning that I figured out what Victini did. And when I did, I flew to the heavens and complained to Arceus about what had happened. But Arceus, with all his wisdom, already knew what had transpired the day before, and called Victini to the heavens. I demanded Victini return the Tauros, but Victini decided to play dumb."

Brock interjects in character as Victini "Who, me? I didn't take any Tauros."

Laughter goes up at this. "This made me even madder, and I chased Victini all over the heavens trying to cast a spellsong on him." With that, Melody darts around the tent for a moment, singing gibberish "spellsongs" every once in a while. Retapa, esebi ine.... Etime posse ine.... Sienon paifi ire... Temelo, quilami eno...

She continues "Finally, Arceus broke up the fighting and told Victini to return the Tauros." as she settles back on the rock she was sitting on and watches Brock retrieve the harp. "Victini returned the remaining Tauros, but when I saw that two Tauros were missing, he showed me the harp he had made. I was piqued in the new instrument, and decided to play it myself."

She motions for Brock to play, so he plays the waltz "Starry Night" for effect. "I was delighted with the new harp, and so I told Victini I would forgive him for taking the Tauros if he would let me have the harp in return. Victini agreed, and never again stole from anyone."

She concludes "From that day on, the other Legendaries shared their talents and gifts with each other--I taught the mortals of the earth how to make harps and other instruments of their own, and Victini served as a guardian and guide to many a great hero, leading them on to victory with a playful glint in his eye."

The crowd roars with applause as Melody and Brock take a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 116: Fennekin Learns to Fish (Brock)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 41, story 3)

"Of all the water Pokemon, Buizel was the best fisherman among them, so he was always finding Magikarps and Goldeens." Brock begins. "One day, a Fennekin passed by, and noticed all the fish."

"If it was as big as I think it was, how could anyone not notice?" Misty wonders.

"She told Buizel that in the mountains where she lived, there was hardly anything to eat in the winter." Brock continues. "Buizel assured her that there was always fish in the rivers and lakes, even in the winter."

Piqued murmurs go up at this. "Buizel offered to share some of his massive catch with Fennekin." Brock continues. "After both of them had had their fill, Buizel told Fennekin she was welcome to have a share of what he caught."

"I hope Fennekin knew how to share..." Ash suspects Fennekin's desire to be a ruse.

"Fennekin visited Buizel every day, and they shared the fish together. But after a while, Buizel began to suspect something was up." Brock confirms Ash's suspicions. "When Buizel brought up the matter, Fennekin assured Buizel she would never have more than her fair share, and invited Buizel to come see her."

Giggles go up at this. "The next day, Buizel came to visit Fennekin, where he found her looking up at the ceiling, presumably meditating." Brock continues. "He left in annoyance, but the next day, Fennekin explained to him that she was houesitting, and was looking out the hole in the roof for any intruders. Buizel agreed to try again the next day, but when he got there, he found Fennekin looking at the floor, presumably meditating."

He goes on "Fennekin explained that she was house sitting again the next day, and was watching for intruders through a crack in the floor. Buizel explained that he didn't get much either, and decided to teach Fennekin how to catch her own fish--find a hole in an icy pond, lower her tail inside, and wait there until morning."

"Was Buizel only playing a prank?" Melody asks. "Or were his instructions sincere?"

"A blizzard came through the area the next night, so Fennekin decided to try out Buizel's instructions." Brock explains. "But when the sun came up the next morning, her tail was froze in the ice!"

Laughter goes up at this. "After struggling for a while to get free, Fennekin hurried off to find Buizel." Brock continues. "Buizel was surprised to see that Fennekin actually caught a Magikarp. But Fennekin said she would rather share Buizel's catch."

He concludes "But Buizel said no--if Fennekin wanted fish, she would have to catch them herself!"

Laughter and applause goes up as Brock takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 117: The Miracle Berry (Misty)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 35, story 1)

"In a certain village lived a man who was kind to all, and would always pray to Arceus every morning." Misty begins. "One day, as he was returning from the shrine, he noticed a odd many colored Berry following him. But when he inspected the Berry, he was surprised when Mew and Jirachi appeared from it!"

"Wow!" Ash gasps.

"Mew explained that Arceus wanted to reward the man for his faith, and sent her and Jirachi to serve as servants." Misty explains. "Jirachi added that the Berry could create anything he desired if he sang a certain song to it. Mew encouraged him to try it, and taught him the conjuration song." Misty pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... before continuing "The man first conjured a waterskin, then a box full of onigiri."

"Mm..." Brock smiles at the mention of onigiri.

"The next day, the man began conjuring food and fixing things for anyone in need, so no one in that town ever needed to worry about food or broken tools." Misty goes on. "Word of the miracle Berry spread far and wide, and the man found himself the guest of many a Gym Leader."

"I would open the Gym to anyone with a gift like that." Brock muses.

"One day, the town rich man came, intent on taking the miracle Berry for himself." Misty intones to gasps from the Pokemon. "He offered a hundred gold, then five hundred, then a thousand, but the man refused every time. Finally, the man snapped and chased the rich man away in rage."

"What part of 'no' does this guy not get?" Ash mutters.

"That night, as the man, Mew, and Jirachi slept, the rich man came and stole the miracle Berry." Misty goes on "The next morning, the man's first thought was to panic, but Mew and Jirachi assured him they would get it back."

She interjects "Needless to say, the man's prayer to Arceus that day was a frantic plea to find the miracle berry!"

Nervous giggles fill the tent as she continues "Meanwhile, the rich man offered the miracle berry to a rich merchant for a thousand gold pieces. The merchant agreed, saying it was the birthday of the princess of the land--if the rich man could please her with the miracle berry, he would buy it for the agreed thousand coins."

"Course, he's not getting anywhere without the spellsong." Ash whispers to Brock.

"The party was a grand affair, but the rich man didn't know the incantation song, so nothing happened after his gibberish attempt." Misty pauses to sing a different song. Grishaliel ezida sesse...

Laughter goes up as the group pictures the guests' reactions. "He tried several more gibberish songs, but nothing happened every time." Misty goes on. "Finally, the rich man tried yet another song, but only conjured Ekans, Zubats, and bug Pokemon!"

Ash's laughter is the hardest at this. "The princess kicked the rich man out of the castle, and the rich man tossed the Berry in the road out of frustration. The Berry then heard Mew singing the correct incantation song..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the song.

"and flew back to the man's house." Misty continues.

She concludes "The man continued helping the people of the village with the miracle Berry, and went on many more adventures with Mew and Jirachi. But that is another story for another day!"

"Bravo!" Ash leads the applause.

"I've never heard that one before..." Brock smiles. "I'll have to remember it for a gig..."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 118: The Seven Brothers (Ash)

(real tale: The Story of the Seven Simons)

"Far, far away, in a land far from here, and in a time far from now, there stood a splendid city where there lived a king who was as good as he was rich and handsome--we'll call him Justin." Ash begins. "His great army was made up of thousands of men and women ready to obey his slightest wish; he owned so many cities, it was near impossible to count them all, and in each city he had ten palaces with silver doors, golden roofs, and crystal windows. His council consisted of the four wisest men and women in the country, each of whom was as learned as a whole college, and then some. This council always told King Justin the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"What were the names of this esteemed council?" Melody asks.

"I'm getting to that." Ash assures Melody. "Now, King Justin had everything to make him happy, but the one thing he desired more than anything was a bride as pure in heart as she was beautiful."

"In other words, a princess." Brock smiles. Happini cheers at the mention of a princess.

Ash just grins at Happini. "One day, as King Justin sat in his palace looking out to sea, a great ship sailed into the harbor and several merchants came on shore. So he decided to ask them if they had seen any princess who is as clever and beautiful as he was. "So he ordered the merchants to be brought before him, and when they came, he said..."

"You have traveled much and visited many wonders." Brock fills in King Justin's dialogue. "I wish to ask you a question, and I beg you to answer truthfully. Have you anywhere seen or heard of the daughter of an emperor, king, or a prince, who is as clever and as beautiful as I am, and who would be worthy to be my wife and the queen of my country?"

"The merchants speculated and debated for some time on the king's question." Ash continues. "At last the first merchant said that across many seas, in what is now Sunburst Island, there was a mighty king, whose daughter, the Princess Alani, was as lovely, if not moreso than King Justin, and so clever that the wisest sage couldn't guess her riddles."

"And then?" Misty sighs dreamily as she pictures Ash as King Justin and herself as Princess Alani.

"When asked how far the island was, the merchant said the journey would take ten years at least, and no one knew the way." Ash explains. "If he were to send someone, the whole trip would take twenty years at least."

"That's long enough to take multiple walking tours of every region we've been to and still have time left over..." Brock muses

"King Justin thought long and hard about this after the merchants left." Ash continues. "Finally, he decided to head for the royal hunting grounds to calm his nerves--for a good hunt always cleared his mind when he had a vexing problem. So after assembling his hunting party, they all departed to the royal hunting grounds. On the way, they came to a green hedge. On the other side of the hedge stretched a great field of Cornn Berries as far as the eye could see."

"Pika?" Pikachu asks, at the same time licking his lips at the thought of fresh Cornn on the cob.

"King Justin looked around the field for a moment, curious as to who owned it." Ash continues. "So some servants hurried off to find out, and found a nice, tidy farmhouse at the end of the path, in front of which sat seven brothers, having lunch after a long day in the field. They wore shirts in every color of the rainbow bound with gold trim, and were so much alike that one could hardly tell one from another, except for the color of shirt they wore."

"Pini..." Happini contemplates what the brothers would be named.

The messengers asked who owned the Cornn field, and the seven brothers answered that it was theirs." Ash goes on. "When asked who they were, they replied that they were loyal subjects of King Justin. When brought before King Justin, the eldest brother reiterated that they were his humble servants, and all alike, save for the shirt he wore."

[What else did he tell the king?] Korra asks, curious.

"He went on to tell the king that their father taught them to be true to the king, to till the ground, and to be kind to all they met." Ash replied. "He had also taught each of them a different trade or skill which he thought might be useful to them, and it was these they were named for. But they were farmers first and foremost."

"Hm..." Misty contemplates what the brothers are named.

"King Justin was pleased with the eldest brother, and asked them their trades and their names." Ash goes on. The eldest, who wore red, was named Evan, as he was skilled in stoneworking. Next came Keane, who could see anything no matter how high or how far away it was. Then came Kenji, who had the gift of speed--both in running and in building ships and carriages. Then came Dolan, who had the gift of stealth. Avery was very skilled in archery, Hunter could find anything, no matter how well hidden it was. But it was Kai, who wore purple, who had the riskiest gift--he could pick any lock and steal things all without the guard having any clue he had been there."

"Pika!" Pikachu is impressed at the different powers.

"How did King Justin react to Kai being a thief?" Misty wonders.

"Despite Kai's assurances that he only stole from those with ill-gotten gains, King Justin ordered Kai thrown in the dungeon." Ash replies. "So while Kai rotted in the dungeon, the others were put to work--Evan built and repaired many stone walls, and Keane gave the king a report every morning about all he had seen. Kenji built a fleet of the fastest ships anyone had seen, and Dolan cloaked them all in a magical veil so they wouldn't be stolen. Avery made bows and arrows for the guard, and Hunter served as a scout for the king's hunting expeditions and on rescue missions."

[Surely little Kai will have a chance to prove his worth...] Mai is worried for the youngest brother.

"One day, the brothers were summoned to the throne room, where King Justin asked Keane to see what was happening on the island where Princess Alani lived." Ash continues. "After looking out across the sea for a moment, Keane reported that the island king was a mighty monarch, but full of pride, harsh and cruel. He would sit on his throne and declare that no prince or king on earth was good enough for Princess Alani, and if anyone asked for her hand, he would declare war against him and destroy his kingdom."

Everyone gasps, stunned at the turn of events. "King Justin was understandably worried, and pressed Keane to tell him more." Ash assures his audience. "Keane went on to tell the king that it would take at least ten years--maybe a little less in favorable weather--to get there. He had seen the army being reviewed, and it had a hundred thousand foot soldiers and a hundred thousand cavalry. On top of that, he had a strong personal corps of bodyguards and a good many archers, making for another hundred thousand people, plus some heroes on standby for great occasions requiring particular courage."

"So roughly 350,000 people all told?" Misty calculates the math in her head.

"That sounds about right..." Brock replies.

"King Justin thought long and hard about what Keane had said--he really wanted to marry Princess Alani, but how he going to do it?" Ash asks his audience.

"I have no idea..." Melody sighs.

"No clue here." Brock agrees.

"I don't know, you tell me, Mr. Storyteller." Misty is just as frustrated.

After waiting a few beats, Ash continues "finally, Kenji suggested Justin take one of his fast ships, where he would arrive on the island in a week. So King Justin called together his council and asked them what to do when he got there. Yet the council, with all their combined wisdom, had no idea what to do."

"Pini?" Happini asks.

"Just then, the court jester suggested to let Kai steal Alani and bring her to Justin." Ash replies. "King Justin ordered Kai set free, and when Kai arrived in the throne room, King Justin spelled out what he wanted done--if he could steal Princess Alani and bring her to him, he would believe his claim he only stole for the benefit of others, and not for his own gain. Kai agreed, and bade his brothers prepare one of Kenji's ships with rare and exotic goods, and sailed off under the guise of merchants. The guards bought their ruse, and even Princess Alani wished to admire the many rare and exotic wares."

"So did her dad say okay?" Melody asks.

"Alani's father also bought Kai's ruse, and sent 100 archers, 100 knights, and 1,000 soldiers as an escort." Ash assures the audience. "As Princess Alani came aboard their ship and admired the fine wares, Kai told her all kinds of stories about his homeland. Princess Alani was so engrossed in listening to them, she had no clue Dolan had cloaked the ship, and they were sailing back to the brothers' homeland without her escort having a clue Alani was gone."

"What did she do when she found out where was when the ship was un-stealthed?" Brock wonders.

"Now, Princess Alani was well versed in magic, and could transform herself into any Pokemon she wanted by simply singing a song, to name one spellsong she knew." Ash continues. "When she saw she was out in the middle of nowhere, she sang..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"and transformed into a gold Pidgeot." Ash narrates. "But Avery seized his bow and shot the Pidgeot in the wing..." He pantomimes shooting a bow to emphasize his point. "and Hunter caught it in a bag. But then he heard..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"..and the Pidgeot turned into a shining Goldeen, but Hunter caught the Goldeen too." Ash explains. "But before he could put it back in the bag again, he heard the Goldeen sing..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"and the Goldeen turned into a shining Pikachu and ran about the ship." Ash narrates to some laughter. "The Pikachu darted towards a hole, but Hunter caught it faster than any Meowth. Finally, the Pikachu sang..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"...and the shining Pikachu turned back into the beautiful Princess Alani." Ash narrates. "Meanwhile, King Justin was watching the sea and dreaming of Princess Alani. Imagine his surprise when he saw the ship in the distance, and Princess Alani aboard it!"

"Pini!" Happini cheered.

"Princess Alani was given a royal welcome, and it was not long before she and King Justin were married." Ash concludes. "The seven brothers were handsomely rewarded, their land made tax free, and Kai was forgiven--because even thieves can steal for a good reason!"

"That was an interesting story..." Misty smiles as she applauds. "I can't wait to see how the master storyteller will top that!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 119: The Legend of Princess Ayaka (Brock)

(real tale: The Princess Mayblossom)


"There was once a king and queen who longed to have a child more than anything else." Brock begins. "Finally, after months of trying, a little princess was born--since she was born when the flowers were in full bloom in a dazzling array of colors, she was named Ayaka, which means 'colorful fragrance'"

Some light applause goes up in approval of the name. "Now, the queen wanted Princess Ayaka to have a nurse who would help care for her and teach her everything a princess had to know. So heralds were sent out to all corners of the land, and commanded all the best nurses in the land to appear before the queen. So on the appointed day the whole palace was crowded with nurses, who came from all over the kingdom and the world--so many, in fact, that the queen asked that they come into the throne room one at a time if there was any chance of seeing all of them and keeping order."

Laughter goes up as the audience pictures the chaos. "So each of them came one by one, and the nurses, after they had bowed to the king and queen," Brock proceeds to bow before an imagined throne by the rock he was sitting on. "made their cases as to how they would bring up Princess Ayaka."

"Now, most of the nurses present were fairly good looking and had a kind air about them," he continues as he gets up. "but the king didn't find it odd that one of the black haired ones was speaking a strange language which nobody could understand. The queen, meanwhile, felt something wasn't right when it came to be this dark haired lady's turn, and sent her away. Then weird things started happening--one candidate was bitten by an Ekans and knocked out cold, another was knocked out cold by a Wartortle a Braviary had dropped..." Laughter goes up as the audience remembers "Wartortle Tries to Fly". "...and a third wound up poisoned by a thorny bush."

The audience holds their breaths as they wait to find out who--or what--could be hurting the nurses. "Horrified, the queen decided she would not go through any more candidates that day." Brock intones. "Just as the crowd turned to leave, some evil laughter got her attention--and the dark haired lady revealed herself as the dark fairy Duin."

Gasps go up as Brock continues "The queen ordered that Duin be arrested, but before the guard could move in, Duin summoned a chariot of fire drawn by two black Charizards, and disappeared into the sky, calling down all manner of curses and threats."

Once he is back by his rock, he goes on. "The queen burst into tears thinking about what sorts of misfortune Duin had cast upon Princess Ayaka, but the king assured her that the best thing to do was combat darkness with light. They called all their advisors and counselors together, and decided that all the fey of the realm of light be there when Princess Ayaka made her public debut. The time of the ceremony was kept secret, lest Duin get wind of it and crash the festivities."

Nervous giggles go up at this. "The queen and her ladies set to work to prepare presents for all the fairies of light and nature--earth fairies would get a green velvet cloak, fire fairies a petticoat of red satin, and wind fairies a pair of shoes, to name some of the gifts." Brock continues. "The ceremony was a grand affair, and nearly every fey in the realm of light turned out to wish blessings on Princess Ayaka. The great fairies of the elements bestowed special gifts on Princess Ayaka-- the great fairy of fire blessed her with the beauty of a dancing flame, the great fairy of water blessed her with the wisdom of a flowing river, the great fairy of wind blessed her with a voice rivaling even Meloetta, the great fairy of earth blessed her with bravery and courage that would not waver, like a rock. But before the great fairy of light could giver her blessing, Duin appeared in a puff of black smoke!"

Tense murmurs race through the crowd. "Duin cursed Princess Ayaka to have twenty years of bad luck." Brock intones. "But the great fairy of light softened Duin's curse a little--the twenty years of bad luck would then be followed by an eternity of good luck."

He pauses to interject "If you think you know where this is going, I can assure you this is different."

Giggles go up as Brock continues "The fairy queen suggested that Princess Ayaka be hidden inside a tower until her twentieth birthday. So the King had a tower built with no windows, lit by candles, and the only way into it was by a secret passage, which had iron doors only twenty feet apart, and guards posted everywhere. Yet Princess Ayaka always had something to do and her ladies and her nurse to talk with, so she was never lonely. Despite never having seen the outside world, she understood what was there and how to behave in it, thanks to her blessing of wisdom. The years went by, and before long, her twentieth birthday drew near. All the town was rejoicing at the thought of Princess Ayaka's approaching freedom, and when the news came that a neighboring king was sending an envoy to ask her hand in marriage on behalf of his son--who we'll call Kaitou--, they were still more delighted. The nurse, who kept Princess Ayaka informed of everything that went forward in the town, did not fail to repeat the news that so nearly concerned her, and gave such a description of the splendor in which the envoy--we'll call him Mamoru--would enter the town, that Princess Ayaka wanted to see the procession for herself. After a lot of begging, pleading, crying, and a little threatening, the ladies made a tiny hole in the tower on the side that looked towards the city gates."

Ash decides to play a festive tune on whistle, with Happini banging a tambourine for percussion as Brock continues "Mamoru led the way, riding a shining Ponyta whose mane glowed an elegant sapphire blue, which complemented his coat was that glittered with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds, his boots were solid gold, and from his hat floated ruby plumes. Princess Ayaka vowed that Mamoru was the one she would marry. Princess Ayaka was brought out from the tower, where an extravagant package from the fey of light was waiting for her--a glittering crystal tiara, a matching scepter, a golden robe, and a petticoat marvelously embroidered with Beautifly wings were just a few of the gifts inside, and the gifts Princess Ayaka sent back to the realm of the fey as thanks were just as extravagant."

Just then, Ash and Happini's song begins to slow down, as if they sense something ominous nearby. "The festivities had barely gotten underway when a great storm blew up." Brock intones. "Some familiar laughter echoed through the skies, and Duin appeared and conjured a chain of black crystal so fine, it looked very much like a scarf around Princess Ayaka's neck. But Mamoru paid no mind--cursed chain or no, he still thought Princess Ayaka was beautiful, yet he couldn't find the words to confess his love for her."

Laughter goes up at this. "The king hurried everyone inside the castle, and when Mamoru worked up the courage to tell Princess Ayaka he loved her, she told him..."

In his best mimic of a young girl, Brock explains "As you could not possibly guess how much I love you, Mamoru-sama, I should tell you that as soon as I saw you enter the town on your beautiful Ponyta, I felt sorry that you came to speak for another instead of for yourself. So, if you think about it as I do, I will marry you instead of your master. Of course I know you are not a prince, but I shall be just as fond of you as if you were, and we can go and live in some little corner of the world, and be as happy as the days are long."

As himself, he replies "Mamoru, meanwhile, thought he was dreaming, and could hardly believe what Princess Ayaka had said. He dared not answer, but only squeezed her hand as a sign he loved her. They didn't participate in any more of the feasting or dancing, and paid no heed to the minstrels singing and the antics of the jesters--they only talked with each other about all manner of things. Finally, everyone was so tired from the festivities that they crashed right where they were. But only Ayaka and Mamoru were awake--once sure no one else was awake, she took her father's sword..." The audience gasps as Brock draws a prop sword decorated with gold inlays on the blade and emeralds in the hilt. "and her mother's favorite blue scarf with a ruby in the center..." He shows the audience an identical scarf after sheathing the prop sword. "and the two of them set out for a far away island named Sakura Island, because of all the cherry blossoms that bloomed there year round."

"Meanwhile, the king and the queen were waking up to resume the wedding preparations." he goes on. "Imagine their shock when the king's sword, the queen's scarf, Ayaka, nor Mamoru were anywhere to be found!"

Laughter fills the air as Brock describes the chaos. "They searched the castle and the kingdom from top to bottom, and asked anyone and everyone to find their beloved daughter. But they didn't find Ayaka and Mamoru anywhere!"

When the laughter quiets, he continues "Back on Sakura Island, Princess Ayaka had grown tired of finding food, and had slumped against a tree trunk in tears. Celebi heard Princess Ayaka crying, and gave her a honeycomb to comfort her. She ate her share and then gave the rest to Mamoru. For a while, Ayaka and Mamoru made their home on the island, and the resident Pokemon would bring them whatever they needed."

"About then, the king, Duin, and the fairy queen all figured out at the same time where Ayaka was." Brock continues. "The fairy queen pleaded with the Legendary Pokemon to protect Ayaka and Mamoru, and so they hurried off to the island. "They got there minutes before Duin did, and a great battle broke out as Ayaka and Mamoru looked on in awe."

Brock plays The Zelda theme as an interlude before giving way to a festive theme. "After a long and drawn out battle, Duin was defeated." he concludes. "The king and the queen were elated Ayaka and Mamoru were all right, and the fairy queen gave her new clothes and gifts to replace what had been damaged on the island. Ayaka told her parents why she had left with Mamoru, and that she loved him. They returned to a hero's welcome, and Prince Kaitou sent his blessings as Ayaka and Mamoru were married, fulfilling the other part of the great light fairy's blessing--from that day on, they never had to worry about Duin, or any form of bad luck, again."

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow...