A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 129: Saved from Fate (Misty)

(real tale: Stronger than Fate)

Ash notices Misty stringing some fishing line across the tent. "What's that for?" he wonders.

"It's a prop for my next tale." Misty explains as she gathers various small dolls from her bag.

Melody decides to help Misty set up, and spellsings two hooks into existence on each end of the tent. Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

"Thank you." Misty smiles as she sets the fishing line aside and gets the dolls in order.

Once all her props are in place, Misty begins "Once upon a time, a queen of a far off land gave birth to a healthy baby boy." She positions some fairy dolls gathered around a queen doll and a small baby doll. "The fairies of light gathered around the child--who had been named Kichirou--to bless him, but one light fairy shook her head." Some giggles go up as Misty makes one fairy doll do this.

In character as a young girl, she sighs "I fear it is the prince's fate to die by Croconaw or Arbok or Arcanine...there is nothing we can do to prevent this."

Fearful murmurs race through the crowd as Misty continues "The king and queen were heartbroken and decided not to tempt fate. So they built a castle atop a mountain and hired men to guard it day and night, and there Prince Kichirou lived, protected from anything that would potentially harm him."

After clearing off the dolls, she continues "One day Kichirou noticed a Growlithe playing outside his window, and decided that he wanted to have a Growlithe of his own." She shows her audience a prince doll. "Since the king and queen never denied him a wish, they decided to grant this one too. They found him a Growlithe, and trained him to protect his master."

Some "aw"s fill the air as a tiny Growlithe doll joins the prince doll on the rock Misty is using as her stage. "Prince Kichirou and his Growlithe were great friends, but one day not long after he came of age, he told his father he longed to see the world."

"I know about the prophecy," Ash fills in Kichirou's dialogue. "but my Growlithe will protect me."

"Again, the king could not refuse." Misty continues before setting a Ponyta doll on the rock. "He gave a beautiful Ponyta from the royal stables to him, and with his Growlithe by his side, Prince Kichirou rode far and wide; delighted by all he saw."

Tense murmurs fill the air as the audience wonders how the three fates will come into play. "One day while visiting another land, Prince Kichirou fell in love with a princess--we'll call her Shina." Misty explains to the audience as she shows them the princess doll, who has slightly tanned skin and black hair tied back in a neat ponytail and is wearing an ornate pale blue outfit.

"I wish to marry you," Ash fills in more dialogue. "but my fate is to die at the hands of a Croconaw, an Arbok or an Arcanine; I don't want to see you broken hearted."

"We shall resist fate," Misty assures Ash as Princess Shina. "True love can conquer anything so long as we believe it can."

As herself, she continues "And so, Prince Kichirou and Princess Shina were married."

Thunderous applause goes up at this. "A few years went by, and Prince Kichirou learned his father was very sick." Misty intones, signaling her story is not over yet. "The two of them traveled to Prince Kichirou's homeland to visit him. One night, while they were fast asleep, Princess Shina suddenly heard a sound that woke her."

Nervous giggles fill the air as Misty opens the tent and peers into the rain, as if she is Princess Shina trying to find the noise that woke her. "She stared into the darkness and spied an Arbok coiled in the corner." Laughter goes up as Misty rears back in feigned surprise, as if the Arbok is really there. "She tried to remember all she had learned from the fairies of light. Suddenly, she remembered that Arboks loved milk. So she slipped out of bed and filled a bowl with milk." As Misty closes up the tent, Brock pauses to set a saucer of milk before Mai. "When the creature saw the bowl, it began to lap it up so quickly that Princess Shina worried that it would choke to death."

Laughter goes up at this. "When the Arbok finished the milk, it fell fast asleep, and Princess Shina told the guards to catch it and release it somewhere far away."

She pauses for a few beats before announcing "She had saved her husband from a deadly fate!"

More applause fills the air at this, but Misty still isn't finished. "Sadly, the king died the next day." she sighs as she returns to her "stage". "After the funeral rites were completed, Prince Kichirou ascended to the throne. One day, as he was out hunting with one of his Arcanines, he suddenly tripped over a log on the riverbank. To his astonishment, he heard two voices speaking to him as he tried to regain his bearings. One was Darkrai, and the other Arceus."

In a deeper version of himself to represent Darkrai, Brock growls "You cannot escape fate. Wherever you go, I will find you."

He then switches to a soft and gentle deep voice to represent Arceus. "There is still a chance for you to escape--look for a hole in sand filled with water that never dissolves."

Misty then continues "Prince Kichirou was terrified at this, and told Princess Shina what had happened. Princess Shina assured her beloved she would find a way to save him. After thinking for a moment, she remembered a special mint plant an earth fairy had told her about. The four-leafed mint grew in the desert and could keep water in a pit for a year or more."

Awed murmurs race through the crowd. "Princess Shina set out to find the water mint early the next morning." Misty goes on. "She left in the middle of the night, guided by starlight. She rode her shining Ponyta west, toward the desert, enduring heat, storms, and thirst all the while."

"At last they came to a mountain that cast a cool shadow." she continues as she gets the princess doll into position. "The water mint grew at the very top of that mountain, but it was surrounded by a deep chasm. Luckily, Princess Shina had packed some rope." She shows the audience the fishing line. "She made a large loop with one end..." Misty proceeds to do this with the fishing line and hangs it on one hook. "and tossed the other across the chasm with all her strength, where it caught on a branch." Gasps go up as Misty gives the fishing line a mighty heave, where it catches on the hook at the other end of the tent. "Trusting this rope to hold her up, Princess Shina climbed across the chasm."

The audience watches as Misty guides the princess doll across the rope. "The wind assailed her, and still she climbed." she continues as she guides the doll. "Blinded by sand, she felt her way up the mountain to the very top."

Some light applause fills the air when the doll reaches the other end. "She climbed on until she felt plants beneath her feet, and taking one..." Misty sets the doll aside and picks up a mint sprout. "she counted leaves -- one, two, three, four. Her heart pounding, she held fast to the plant and slid down the rock, leaped over the chasm, mounted her Ponyta, and rode for home."

Melody discretely sings a quiet spellsong to tidy the tent as Misty continues "When she got home, Princess Shina saw her beloved standing near the river beside a pit of sand he had dug. Beside the pit was a pot of water, and only a short distance away stood a hungry Croconaw. Princess Shina ran to the hole and instructed Prince Kichirou to pour in the water. As Prince Kichirou did this, she tossed in the water mint. Sure enough, the water did not seep through the sand, but remained. The angry Croconaw plunged back into the river and swam away."

Mild applause goes up at this. "Prince Kichirou was amazed at all Princess Shina had done--with her strength and commitment, he had overcome the second of the three fates the fairies had predicted so long ago." Misty replies. "Suddenly a wild Ducklett flew past. Prince Kichirou's Arcanine got excited and began to chase the Ducklett, causing Prince Kichirou to trip over him, sending them both tumbling into the river. Luckily, Princess Shina tossed a rope to her beloved and pulled him and his Arcanine ashore."

She concludes "Prince Kichirou stared into his wife's eyes--Princess Shina's bravery had proven to him yet again that her love was stronger than even fate. They lived happily ever after, and went on even more adventures together--but that is another story for another day!"

Ash leads the applause as Misty gathers up her props...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 130: The Prince's Pokemon (Ash)

(real tale: The Three Princes and their Beasts)

"Once upon a time there were three princes, who had a stepsister." Ash begins. "One day, they all set out hunting together. While they were traveling through a deep forest, they discovered a great Mightyena with three babies. Just as they were going to shoot, the mama Mightyena pleaded for them not to shoot her, and she would give each of them one of her cubs in return. So the princes went on their way, and a little Poochyena followed each of them."

"Aw..." Misty smiles.

"Then they found a mama Entei with three cubs." Ash continues. "She too begged them not to shoot her, and she would give each of them a cub. This went on for a while, with the princes meeting a Ninetales, a Lopunny, a Pignite, and an Ursaring, till each prince had a full team of young Pokemon trotting along behind him."

"I bet they were on their toes keeping up with them all..." Brock grins.

"As the sun set, they came to a clearing in the forest, where three trees grew at each path of a three way fork in the road. The eldest prince--we'll call him Takuya--took an arrow," Ash pantomimes aiming a bow. "and shot it into the trunk of one of the trees. Turning to his brothers, he said..."

"Let each of us mark one of these trees before we travel on different paths." Brock fills in Prince Takuya's dialogue using a slightly high pitched version of himself. "If any one of us returns to this place, he must walk around the other trees. If he sees the mark in the tree has turned black, he will know that that brother is dead or has suffered misfortune, but if the mark glows, he will know that his brother has found fortune."

"So the other princes did as Prince Takuya had said, and when the three trees were marked by their arrows they turned to their stepsister and asked her with which of them she wanted to stay with." Ash continues. Then the brothers separated from each other, and each of them set out down a different road, followed by their Pokemon. The stepsister--we'll call her Aina--went with Prince Takuya, as that was the one she was closest with."

[What adventures did they get into?] a Meowth asks.

"After they had gone a little ways down the road they came into a forest, and in one of the deepest glades they suddenly found themselves near a castle in which there lived a gang of bandits." Ash replies. "Prince Takuya walked up to the door and knocked..." He knocks on a rock for effect. "No sooner had the door opened did Prince Takuya's Pokemon charged in and killed the bandits before the bandits could kill them."

He quickly interjects "Now, one of the bandits was only badly wounded, but he lay very still as if dead like the others."

Misty swallows hard as Ash continues "The next morning, Prince Takuya went out hunting. Before leaving he told Aina that she might go into any room in the house except into the cave where the dead bandits were. But his instructions went in one ear and out the other--after looking through all the other rooms, she went down to the cellar and opened the door. As soon as she looked in the bandit who had played dead sat up and said to her..."

"Don't be afraid. Do what I tell you, and I will be your friend." Brock fills in the bandit's dialogue in character as James. "If you marry me you will be much happier with me than with your brother. But you must first go into the kitchen and look in the cupboard. There you will find three bottles. In one of them there is a healing balm which you must put on my chin to heal the wound; then if I drink the potion in the second bottle it will make me well, and the third bottle's potion will make me stronger than I was before."

Brock continues in character "When your brother returns from the forest with his Pokemon, you must go to him and say, 'Brother, you are very strong. If I were to fasten your thumbs behind your back with a stout silk cord, could you wrench yourself free?' And when you see that he cannot do it, call me."

Some applause goes up at Brock's performance. "When Prince Takuya returned, Aina did as the bandit had told her, and fastened her brother's thumbs behind his back. But with one wrench he set himself free, and said to her..." Ash continues.

"Sister, that cord is not strong enough for me." Brock retorts as Prince Takuya.

"The next day, he returned to the forest with his Pokemon." Ash goes on. "and the bandit told her to bind his thumbs with a stronger cord. But again Prince Takuya freed himself, though not so easily as the first time, and he said to Aina..."

"Even that cord is not strong enough." Brock replies as Prince Takuya.

"On the third day, on his return from the forest he agreed to have his strength tested one more time." Ash continues. "So Aina took a very strong cord of silk, which she had prepared by the bandit's advice, and this time, though Prince Takuya pulled and tugged with all his might, he could not break the cord. So he called to her and said..."

"Sister, this time the cord is so strong I cannot break it. Come and unfasten it for me." Brock pleads as Prince Takuya.

"But instead of coming, Aina called to the bandit, who rushed into the room brandishing a dagger!" Ash announces, making the Pokemon gasp. But Prince Takuya said..."

"Wait for a moment." Brock instructs as Prince Takuya. "I would like before I die to sound three calls on my signaling whistle..." This gives Ash time to dig his whistle from his bag as Brock continues as Prince Takuya "One in this room, one on the stairs, and one in the courtyard."

"So the bandit consented, and the prince blew the whistle." Ash proceeds to play the Zelda whistle theme for effect. "At the first note, the Vulpix, which was asleep in the cage in the courtyard, awoke, and knew that her master needed help. So she woke the Poochyena by stroking his eyes with her tails. Then they woke the Entei, who heaved against the door of the cage with all his might, so that it fell in a gazillion pieces on the ground, freeing them all. They rushed through the court to their master's aid--the Vulpix gnawed the cord that bound Prince Takuya's thumbs behind his back, and the Entei flung himself on the bandit, killing him."

Some applause goes up as Ash continues "Prince Takuya set a huge bowl before Aina, and instructed her not to come out of the house until the bowl had been filled with her tears of remorse."

He continues. "He called his Pokemon together, and set out on his travels. For a while, Prince Takuya's travels were uneventful until he came to an inn in another land. Everyone in the inn seemed sad, so when he asked them what was wrong, they replied that the princess of the land--we'll call her Remina--was to be given as a sacrifice to a dreadful Hydreigon."

"Why should she die?" Brock declares as Prince Takuya. "I will save her myself!"

"So he set out to the plain where the Hydreigon was to meet Princess Remina." Ash goes on. "As he waited with his Pokemon,a great procession came along, accompanying Princess Remina. When the the procession reached the plain, all the people left her, and returned sadly to their houses. But Prince Takuya remained, and after a few tense moments, he saw movement in the water a long way off. As it came nearer, he knew what it was--the Hydreigon!"

Everyone is on the edge of their seats as Ash continues. "Then Prince Takuya told his Pokemon to attack, and as the Hydreigon approached the shore, the Vulpix drew her tails through the water and blinded the Hydreigon by scattering the water in his eyes. The Teddiursa and the Entei threw up more water with their paws, so that the Hydreigon was both blinded and confused. Then Prince Takuya rushed forward with his sword slew the Hydreigon!"

"HAH!!!" Brock stabs at the air with a stick, as if the Hydreigon is really there.

Everyone laughs as Ash concludes "When the king learned what had happened, he was amazed that someone managed to slay the Hydreigon, and offered Prince Takuya Princess Remina's hand in marriage as a reward. It wasn't long before Prince Takuya was married to Princess Remina and rewarded with half the kingdom to boot."

"Pika pika pikachu?" Pikachu asks.

"As for what happened to Prince Takuya's brothers, that is another story for another day!" Ash replies.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 131: The Bridge that Gave Plenty (Brock)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 45, story 1)


"In a certain village by Ilex Forest lived a charcoal maker." Brock begins.

Misty suddenly cuts him off. "Seems that a lot of tales from the Azalea Town area have to do with some charcoal maker or another that gets blessed with wealth for being kind..."

"To be fair, that family has been very prosperous for years making Charcoal, so of course a lot of stories sprung up about how they got their prosperity." Brock replies. "Anyway, one day, he spotted a hungry Zigzagoon, and gave it some food. His kindness wan't just for the Pokemon--if anyone in the village needed help or was sick, he would move heaven and earth to make things right again. But one person can only do so much, so every night he worried about what people and Pokemon he wasn't able to help."

"Pika?" Pikachu wonders.

"One night, Arceus appeared to the charcoal maker in a dream, and told him that as a reward for his kindness, he would give him anything he wanted. The charcoal maker replied that he only wanted enough food and water to feed everyone in the village and himself. Arceus then instructed him to travel to a certain bridge."

"So where was this bridge?" Misty is curious.

"The next day, the charcoal maker spent hours looking for the bridge while in town. Eventually, he found a bridge leading to an array of food stalls, earning it the nickname 'the bridge that gives plenty'." Brock explains. "He stood at one end, but everyone just stared at him."

"And then?" Ash is intrigued.

"A few days went by, and on the fifth day, one of the food merchants noticed him, and asked why he was on the end of the bridge." Brock replies. "When the charcoal maker explained his dream, the merchant replies that he had a dream where Arceus appeared to him and told him he'd left a treasure somewhere in the charcoal maker's fields."

Everyone gasps as Brock continues "Excited, the charcoal maker hurried home and dug up his field. Sure enough, he found a huge stash of gold and gems--more than most people like him ever earned in a lifetime."

He concludes "He used the money to buy food for the poor and help millions more people and Pokemon, but there was enough left to ensure that he and his descendants would never have to worry about food or money either."

Misty leads the applause as Brock takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 132: The Hiding Snow (Misty)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 46, story 1)

"One day on her journeys, a miko passed through a certain village." Misty begins. "It was getting late, so she asked one of the townsfolk if she could spend the night with them. The woman invited her in, and makes her a small meal out of what little she had."

"Poor lady..." Melody sighs.

"The miko noticed a lot of rice stalks outside, and suggested they bring them in to cook, not knowing they belonged to the town rich man." Misty continues. "The woman pleaded with her not to, for they would surely be caught and subjected to some kind of horrible punishment if they did."

"What did the miko say?" Ash is interested.

"The miko assured the woman that she had a way to conceal any footprints." Misty assures Ash. "She told the woman that rice and all things in the world were a gift from the Great Lord Arceus. She went on to say that stealing was, in fact, wrong; but sometimes, it is a necessary evil, and Arceus understands if something is stolen to help another."

Everyone listens as Misty goes on "So that night, the woman took a little of the rice, and made some onigiri for the miko. The next morning, the woman was shocked to find that it snowed during the night, covering any evidence of what she did. The woman wished the miko well on her journey, but all day, she worried that the miko was some evil spirit, or even Darkai, tempting her."

"And then?" Even Brock is worried about the woman.

"Just before she could leave to apologize, she was shocked to find the rich man at her door." Misty replies.

"Pika pika chu?" Pikachu asks.

"The rich man smiled and said that was not why he came at all." Misty replies. "He explained that Arceus appeared to him in a dream the previous night and told him to share some of his plentiful harvest with the less fortunate. He mused that maybe the miko was really Arceus testing the woman's faith."

She concludes "The moral of the story here? Snow hides footsteps, but it will not hide the footsteps of the evil and selfish."

[A wise lesson.] Mai agrees as the group applauds...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 133: The Iron Stove (Ash)

(real tale: The Iron Stove)

"Once upon a time, there was a prince who was cursed by an old witch to sit in a large iron stove in a forest." Ash begins. "We'll call him Katsuro."

"How could he stay in there and not get burned?" Misty is piqued.

"That was a question many would be heroes and adventurers pondered." Ash assures Misty. "Katsuro had been in the stove for many years, unharmed by its fire, and no one had any idea how to free him."

"Interesting..." Brock is equally piqued in the tale's setup.

"Now, one day, a princess got lost in the forest--we'll call her Sachi." Ash continues. "She had been wandering around in the forest for about nine days when she discovered the iron stove. When she peeked in, Katsuro asked her, "Where do you come from, and where do you want to go?"

"I have lost my way to my father's kingdom, and I don't know how to get home." Melody fills in Sachi's dialogue.

"I will help you find your way home, if you will promise to do what I tell you." Ash explains in character as Katsuro. "I am a prince trapped in here, and although I can't see you, I wish to marry you."

He acknowledges the applause for his interplay, then continues. "Princess Sachi was scared and confused, and wondered just what could a young girl do with an iron stove. But she wanted very much to go home, and promised to do what the voice inside the stove said."

"So what did Prince Katsuro ask Princess Sachi to do?" Brock asks.

"He first asked her to bring a blade sharp enough to make a hole in the iron." Ash replies. "That was enough to give Princess Sachi new resolve--she eventually made it out of the forest and back to her father's castle in roughly two hours. Needless to say, everyone was elated to see Princess Sachi home safe, especially her father the king."

"I would be too, if I were the king." Brock smiles.

"Princess Sachi told her father everything that had happened, and when the king heard it all, he turned white as a Gastly in fear--what if this being in the stove was some monster or evil spirit?"

[What did they do?] Mai is intrigued.

"The king remembered that the miller had a daughter of his own, who was very beautiful herself." Ash explains. "So he decided that she would take Princess Sachi's place."

"Uh oh..." Misty giggles as she pictures Prince Katsuro's reaction to the switch.

"So they took the miller's daughter there, gave her a knife, and told her to scrape at the iron stove." Ash continues. "She scraped at it for an entire day, but did not make so much as a dent. The next day, Prince Katsuro called from the iron stove..." As Prince Katsuro again, he intones "I see the sun, a new day has come."

"It seems so to me; I think I hear my father's mill rattling." Melody fill's in the daughter's dialogue.

"Prince Katsuro sent the miller's daughter away right then and there, telling her he wanted to see Princess Sachi." Ash continues over the applause. "The miller's daughter told the king what had happened, but the king was still afraid Princess Sachi was being lured into a trap. He sent a swineherd's daughter out the next day, but the same thing happened--after not making so much as a dent, Prince Katsuro learned who was really outside, and sent her away with a dire warning."

He intones as Prince Katsuro "If she does not come, the kingdom will fall into ruin, and not one stone will remain."

Brock swallows hard as Ash continues. "Finally, the king allowed Princess Sachi to go to the iron stove. As soon as she reached it she began to scrape, and made a little hole before two hours were up. She peeked in, and saw Prince Katsuro, with all his jewels and finery, she fell in love with him right then and there."

"Pika?" Pikachu asks, sparking intently.

"Princess Sachi eventually made the hole large enough for Prince Katsuro to get out." Ash concludes. Prince Katsuro reiterated his love for Princess Sachi, and he was welcomed with all the trappings and pageantry of a great hero when Princess Sachi brought him home. They were married not long after, and lived happily ever after."

Misty's applause is the loudest. "That was a sweet tale..."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 134: The Juniper Rod, part 1 (Brock)

(real tale: The Witch of Lok Island)

"A long time ago, in a land far away, there lived a boy named Hideki and a girl named Sora." Brock begins. "They had grown up together, and loved each other like sister and brother. When their parents died, leaving them almost nothing, they were obliged to go into the world and seek their own fortunes. By sheer coincidence, they wound up in service at the same house."

He waits for a beat, then continues "Now, you'd think that they were happy, but every day they found something new to long for or wish for. "One day, it was a little house of their own, then the next day, they would long for a field to go with the house, then they would yearn for a Ponyta to till the aforementioned field..."

Giggles go up at this as Brock goes on. "They complained like this every day until finally, Hideki went to the threshing-floor--where Sora was winnowing grain--and told her he was going to set out to seek his fortune elsewhere."

"Poor Sora..." Misty brushes away a tear.

"Of course, Sora was very sad on hearing the news and tried to persuade Hideki not to go." Brock continues. "But he didn't listen. Sora relented a few minutes later, and gave Hideki the most precious treasures her parents had left to her--a bell, a sword, and a rod."

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asks, excited at the prospect of magic.

"The bell could be heard anywhere, no matter where it was rung--so Sora had used it to warn her friends of any danger." Brock explains. "Whatever the sword touched would escape from any evil spell, curse, or hex. The rod would guide the bearer to wherever they wanted to go. She gave Hideki the sword so he would have something to defend himself with, and the bell so that it would warn her when he are in danger. But she asked to keep the the rod, so that she would be able to reach him if he needed her."

"Wow!" Ash is impressed.

"Hideki thanked his beloved, and promised to return to her safely." Brock continues. "They shed a few tears together, which is understandable when one has to say goodbye, and Hideki started off toward the mountains. Then he decided to turn south, and after several days reached the town of Vertania, where Viridian City is today."

[And then?] Korra asks.

"One morning, he was sitting in the common room of the inn and saw two merchants pass, leading their Ponytas." Brock continues. "Hideki happened to overhear their conversation, and discovered that they were talking about the witch said to live where Cinnabar Island is today. Hideki caught up to them in the town square and asked to learn more about the witch. They told him that the witch of Guren Island--as Cinnabar was called in those days--was actually a fairy who lived in a lake somewhere on the island."

"Hm..." Ash pictures what the island and the witch possibly look like.

"The merchants also told Hideki that the witch was richer than all the wealth of the kings and queens of the world combined." Brock intones, to some stunned gasps. "Many a boy and girl in search of fortune had gone to the island to find her treasure but not one of them had ever returned."

"So did Hideki decide to go?" Misty is curious.

"When Hideki heard this, he was eager to go to the island to seek adventure." Brock continues. The merchants tried to dissuade him, saying that he was tempting fate. When Hideki still wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, they threatened to keep him back by force."

"So, what did Hideki do?" Ash wonders.

"He thanked the merchants for the information, and said he would forget the whole thing if they would take up a collection for him to buy a little house for him and his beloved Sora." Brock replies. "The merchants quickly changed their tune, saying that if Hideki was really going to travel to the island, they were not in any position to stop him. So Hideki went down to the port, and set sail for Guren Island..."

Everyone is at the edge of their seats, but Brock just smiles and concludes "But I will tell you what happened next on my next turn."

"Not a cliffhanger..." Ash groans.

"I'll hold you to that promise." Misty cautions, seething that Brock ended with a cliffhanger..

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 135: Sorin and Illumise's Egg Hunt (Misty)

(real tale: Anansi and Firefly Go Hunting

"One afternoon long, long ago, Sorin was sitting at home resting when he saw Illumise fly past." Misty begins. "When Sorin saw her, he got a fine idea, if he said so himself."

In character as Sorin, she calls to no one in particular "Oi, Illumise! Why dontcha stop in and chitchat with me for a while?"

As herself, she continues "So Illumise did, and they talked for hours. After they had talked for a while, Sorin suggested they go hunting for eggs together in the forest. Now, Illumise knew as well as anyone that Sorin was quite the trickster..."

Thunderous applause goes up at the familiar beginning. "but she agreed to Sorin's proposal, and told him to come to her house at sunset." Misty continues when the applause dies down. "Sorin loved hunting, and he loved collecting all manner of Pokemon eggs. And Illumise seemed like the perfect hunting companion for anyone who liked to sneak around, for she would give him light to see in the dark."

Giggles go up as the audience anticipates what hijinks the crafty Pikachu will get into this time around. "When the sun set, Sorin hurried to Illumise's house. Together they set off for the forest, and there they snuck up on an unguarded Pidgey's nest." Misty continues. "It was nighttime, and there was no moon in the sky. But Illumise opened her wings, and when she did, her tail lit up the forest like it was daytime. It was just enough light for Sorin to see not just the six Pidgey eggs, but all the eggs in the immediate vicinity. So he went to work, picking up every single egg out of every single nest in that tree, and placing them carefully in his basket. When he had gathered every last one, he and Illumise hurried to another tree with nests, and the process would begin anew."

She quickly interjects "As the night wore on, Illumise began to grow tired, and she wondered if this wasn't a mistake."

More giggles go up as Misty goes on "Before long, Sorin's basket was overflowing, and as they moved on across the dark forest, Illumise suggested..." In a breathy female voice, she intones "Come, let's go to the next tree, and this time you'll fill my basket."

"I'm too tired to do any more hunting," she sighs as Sorin. "I think I'll just take my eggs home."

As herself, she continues "Illumise was furious at this, and flew away in a huff, leaving Sorin stranded in the dark."

The audience gasps at the sudden turn of events. "They had traveled for a long, long time, and gone a long, long way, and Sorin had no idea how to find his way home." Misty intones. "As Sorin groped about in the darkness, he bumped smack into what he thought was a house."

With that, she calls as Sorin "Hello! Anybody home?"

In a deep and gravely voice, Brock answers "Who's that in my house?"

"It's Sorin, your good friend!" Misty calls as Sorin.

As herself, she explains "Sorin recognized the deep voice that had answered him--he had wandered into Raikou's den!"

"Ooh"s and giggles fill the air at this. "Raikou saw Sorin in the dim light of the den's entryway and let out a huge sigh." Misty continues. "Sorin had tricked him many times before, and every Pokemon knew that nobody makes a fool of Raikou. But Raikou was a clever Pokemon in his own right. And so, although Sorin was no friend of his, he said, very sweetly..."

In a gentler version of his Raikou voice, Brock says "Come in, my friend."

Misty continues "Sorin stepped inside, and the moment he did, Raikou shut the door behind him."

"Look at those eggs!" Brock gasps as Raikou as he admires an imagined egg. "Let's boil them and have a feast."

Misty continues "Before Sorin could say a word, Raikou put a big kettle on the fire and called out to his wife and cubs..."

As Raikou again, Brock calls "Come see our midnight snack!"

Laughter goes up as the audience pictures the look on Sorin's face as the Raikous enter the room. "So Lady Raikou and the four cubs hurried into the room, and the moment those eggs were boiled, they began to gobble them down." Misty continues. "But after a few minutes, Rakou began wondering if perhaps Sorin wanted some, too. Sorin was nervous surrounded by all the Raikous, and politely declined. He didn't want to upset the Raikous, after all."

Chuckles of anticipation race through the crowd. "So when all the eggs were gone, Raikou waited until Sorin was looking the other way, dropped a Corphish into the kettle, and then covered the Corphish with all the eggshells. He then invited Sorin to stay the night. Sorin nodded when he saw those gleaming teeth, sharp as knives. He didn't want to refuse Raikou."

Misty waits a few beats, then continues. "Before long, everyone was fast asleep -- everyone but Sorin, who was trying oh-so-hard not to fall asleep. When he heard everyone snoring, he tiptoed to the kettle, reached inside to grab an egg, but the Corphish pinched him hard!"

"AI-YAI-YAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" she screams as Sorin, making the audience roar with laughter.

"Are you all right?" Brock calls as Raikou, trying oh-so-hard not to laugh and break character at Misty's feigned dance of pain.

"There are terrible bugs in this house!" Misty complains as Sorin.

"Bugs?" Brock gasps as Raikou. "How dare you insult us!!!" Startled screams mix with more laughter as Brock performs a perfect Raikou roar.

Once the laughter calms down, Misty continues "Sorin raced to the door as fast as he could, and Raikou couldn't help but grin as he watched the little Pikachu hurrying home."

She concludes "Needless to say, Sorin never returned to Raikou's den, and he never went hunting with Illumise again!"

Ash brushes away a tear of laughter as he applauds. "Oh, that was so funny!"

"Moral of the story? If you go hunting at night with a Pokemon, don't offend your light source!" Misty cautions to more laughter...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 136: The Enchanted Tepig (Ash)

(real tale: The Enchanted Pig)

"Once upon a time there lived a king who had three daughters." Ash begins. "Now it happened that a neighboring kingdom threatened to invade, and so he had to go off to the battlefield. So he called his daughters and said to them..."

"My dear children, I am obliged to go off to battle." Brock fills in the king's dialogue. "The enemy is approaching us with a large army. It pains me very much to leave you all. While I am away, take care of yourselves and be good girls; behave well and look after everything in the castle. You may walk in the garden, and you may go into all the rooms in the palace, except the room at the back in the right-hand corner; into that you must not enter, for harm would befall you."

"You may keep your mind easy, father," Misty replies as one of the princesses.

"We have never disobeyed you." Melody adds. "Go in peace, and may Arceus give you a glorious victory!"

Ash grins at his friends' interplay before continuing "When it came time for him to leave the next day, the king gave them the keys to the castle and reminded them about what he had said. His daughters kissed his hands with tears in their eyes, and wished him well."

He continues "Now when the girls found themselves alone they felt so downhearted that they did not know what to do. So, to pass the time, they decided to work for part of the day, read for another part of the day, and go out into the garden for part of the day. At first, everything seemed fine. But it wasn't long before they got bored again. Every day they grew more and more curious--just WHAT was behind the door their father had warned them not to open?"

"Nothing good, if their dad had to warn them about it." Brock muses.

"The eldest Princess--we'll call her Kaori--complained that she was sick of sewing, spinning, and reading all day." Ash goes on. "It had only been a few days since their father left, and they had already explored the palace and the royal garden from top to bottom, save for the one room that their father forbade them to enter."

"Pini pini?" Happini asks.

"Well, the youngest--we'll call her Mizuki--was appalled that her sister would even THINK about breaking their father's command." Ash explains. "But the middle princess--we'll call her Chihaya--assured her sisters that the world probably wouldn't end if they went in, and as far as she knew, no dragons, monsters, or spirits in there, so what harm was there in going in?"

"Uh oh.." Misty giggles.

"The three girls entered, and what do you think they saw?" Ash asks his audience.

"Some legendary item wielded by a great hero from long ago?" Brock guesses.

"A potion of immortality?" Misty suggests.

"A book of magic spells?" Melody guesses.

"Actually, the room was pretty much empty, and without much in the way of decor." Ash explains. "But in the middle stood a large table, covered with a gorgeous cloth. And on this table lay a large open book."

"Did it have spells?" Melody gasps, excited.

"Well, after debating who would read out of the ancient book first, Princess Kaori decided to read a few of the book's writings." Ash replies "In one paragraph was the prophecy that the eldest daughter of the king would marry a prince from the east lands."

"Oh, it was a book of prophecies..." Misty muses.

Then Princess Chihaya stepped forward, and turning the page she read a prophecy that the middle daughter of the king would marry a prince from the west lands." Ash continues. "But Princess Mizuki did not want to even go near the table, much less take a peek at the book of prophecies. But she went ahead at her sister's behest, and turned the page. In one paragraph was a prophecy that said that the youngest daughter of the king would be married to a Tepig from the north lands."

Gasps fill the tent at this. "Princess Mizuki turned white as a Gastly, and deeply wished she could crawl under something and disappear." Ash goes on. Her sisters ribbed and teased her, but Princess Mizuki was quite depressed--not only did she discover a horrible fate in store for her, but what pained her even more was disobeying her father. Even the servants knew something was up, because she didn't laugh and smile as she once did."

"Pika pika pi?" Pikachu asks as he brushes away a tear, fearful for the princesses.

"Meanwhile, the king won a great victory, and having completely defeated and driven off the enemy, he hurried home to his daughters, who he had sorely missed while on the battlefield." Ash continues. "Everyone ran out to meet him with trumpets and flutes and tambourines, and there was great rejoicing over his victorious return. The king's first act on reaching home was to thank Arceus for the victory he had won. He then entered his palace, and the three princesses ran to meet him. His joy was great when he saw that they were all well, for Princess Mizuki did her best not to appear sad.

In spite of this, however, it was not long before the king noticed that Princess Mizuki looked pale and sullen." he goes on. "Suddenly, he felt as if a hot iron were entering his soul, for it flashed through his mind that she had disobeyed his word. He felt sure he was right; but to be quite certain he called his daughters to him, questioned them, and ordered them to speak the truth. They confessed everything, but took good care not to say which of them had suggested it."

"So what did the king do to punish them?" Misty worries.

"The king was so distressed when he heard it that he was almost overcome by grief. But he took heart and tried to comfort his daughters, who looked frightened to death. He saw that what was done was done, for better or for worse." Ash replies. "Some months went by, and the incident nearly forgotten, until one day, a prince from the east lands appeared at the court and asked the king for the hand of Princess Kaori. The king gladly gave his consent. A great wedding banquet was prepared, and after three days of feasting the happy pair were accompanied to the frontier with much ceremony and rejoicing. Then a few months later the same thing happened again, when a prince from the west lands asked for the hand of Princess Chihaya in marriage."

[What about Princess Mizuki?] Korra wonders.

"Now when Princess Mizuki saw that everything had come to pass as the book of prophecies foretold, she grew very depressed again." Ash explains. "She refused to eat, and would not put on her royal robes nor go out walking, saying that she would rather die than become a laughingstock to the world. But the king did whatever he could to comfort her."

Ash grins as he savors his audience's glances of anticipation--it's time for the big twist in his tale. "A few months went by, and one day a literal Tepig from the north walked into the palace, marched right up to the king's throne, and told him he wished for Princess Mizuki's hand in marriage."

Everyone laughs as they picure the king's reaction. "Now the king was astonished to hear a Pokemon, much less a Tepig, speak." Ash explains. "He tried to talk the Tepig out of it, but after realizing the nobles of the land weren't that much better, reluctantly gave his okay. They agreed the wedding would occur in a week. The king then sent for Princess Mizuki, and advised her to submit to fate, as there was nothing else that could be done. But he added..."

"My child, the words and whole behavior of this Tepig are quite unlike those of other Tepigs." Brock fills in the king's dialogue. "I don't believe that he always was a Tepig. Perhaps some magic or curse or enchantment is afoot. Do everything that he wishes, and I feel sure that Arceus will shortly send you release."

"If you wish me to do this, dear father, I will do it," Misty replies as Princess Mizuki.

"So after the wedding festivities died down, the Tepig and his bride set out for his home in one of the royal carriages." Ash continues. "On the way they passed a great swamp, and the Tepig ordered the carriage to stop, and got out and rolled about in the mire till he was covered with mud from head to foot; then he got back into the carriage and told his wife to kiss him. What was the poor girl to do? She bethought herself of her father's words, and, pulling out her pocket handkerchief, she gently wiped the Tepig's snout and kissed it."

"Ew"s go up from the audience. "By the time they reached the Tepig's dwelling, which stood in a thick wood, it was quite dark." Ash goes on. They sat down quietly for a little, as they were tired after their drive; then they had dinner together, and lay down to rest. During the night, Princess Mizuki noticed that the Tepig had turned into a handsome young man. She was not a little surprised, but remembering her father's words, she took courage, determined to wait and see what would happen."

[I knew that the Tepig was really a prince under a spell!] Korra smiles.

"This wore on for a while--every night the Tepig became a young man, and every morning he was changed into a Tepig before she awoke." Ash continues. "She began to suspect that he was under a spell, but she grew fond of him, as he was so kind and gentle..."

[This is boring...] a male Meowth yawns.

[Yes, it's taking forever just to get to the quest.] Mai agrees.

Ash sighs. "Okay, I'll try and think of another one that isn't quite so long."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 137: The Juniper Rod (part 2) (Brock)

(real tale: The Witch of Lok island

"So, what happened to Hideki when he got to Guren Island?" Misty asks Brock, eager to know what happened next in his epic adventure.

"Glad you asked!" Brock smiles as he checks his guitar's tuning, then starts a mystical melody. "When he got there, he soon found the pool in the middle of the island. It was surrounded with sea-drift covered with sakura. Hideki noticed at the far end of the lake in the shade of a clump of flowers was a sea-green boat floating on the still water that looked like a sleeping Swanna with its head under its wing."

"How pretty!" Melody sighs dreamily as she pictures herself in such a boat.

"As Hideki had never seen anything like this before, he crept up to it out of curiosity." Brock explains as he plays a "sneaking" melody. "Then he stepped into the boat to examine it more closely. He had Hardly put his foot in it when he discovered it had turned into a living, breathing Swanna!"

Everyone laughs as they picture Hideki's reaction. "Hideki uttered a cry of dismay at the amazing transformation, but the Swanna only floated more quickly toward the middle of the lake." Brock continues. "Then the Swanna put its beak in the water and dove in, carrying Hideki with it into the depths."

After playing a long harp-like riff to simulate the Swanna swimming, Brock intones "In a moment they had reached the witch's castle, which was made of many tiny glittering seashells. A crystal stairway led up to the door, and it was built in such a way that at each step you took the stair sang like a forest bird. All around the palace were immense gardens and lawns of seaweed set with diamonds and other jewels instead of flowers, and surrounding the gardens was a forest of kelp."

Amazed murmurs fill the air as the group imagines the castle. "Hideki stood in the doorway of the castle, and there in the first room he saw the witch lying on a golden bed. She was dressed in sea-green silk as fine and soft as a wave. Coral ornaments were in her black hair which fell down to her feet; and her face was as delicately tinted as the inside of a shell." Brock continues.

"Beautiful witches are even worse than old hags..." Ash muses.

"Hideki was awed at the sight of so beautiful a lady." Brock intones over a tense melody. "But the fairy rose up smiling and went toward him, her steps like the sweep of the waves on the rolling sea."

In character as a lady, he begins "Welcome--there is always a place here for strangers like you. Who are you? Where do you come from? And what do you want?"

"My name is Hideki," he answers in character as a young boy. "I come from Nisambi, and I am looking for enough money to buy a house and fields of my own"

"Very well," he replies as the witch, "your search shall be rewarded,--you shall have your heart's desire."

Ash swallows hard over the guitar's tense riff. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"The witch then ushered him into a second room, the walls of which were hung with threaded pearls." Brock continues as himself. "She gave him eight different kinds of wine in eight different goblets, each one made of chased gold. Hideki began by drinking the eight wines and, as he found them delicious, he drank eight servings of each, and always he imagined the witch was more and still more beautiful. Had the world ever seen so enchanting a being?"

"Sixty four glasses of wine will do that to you..." Misty giggles.

"As Hideki drank, the witch told him that the pool of Guren Island was connected by an underground passage with the sea, and that all the wealth of wrecked ships was drawn there by a magic current." Brock goes on. He then gasps as Hideki "On my honor! I am not surprised that landlubbers speak so badly of you. People as rich as you are always making others envious. As far as I am concerned half your fortune would do for me."

"You shall have it, Hideki," he replies as the witch.

"But how can you manage that?" he gasps as Hideki.

"I have lost my husband who was an elf," he answers as the witch; "and so if I am to your taste I will be your wife."

The audience applauds at the interplay before Brock continues as himself "Hideki was quite breathless at what he heard. Was it possible that he was to marry the beautiful fairy whose palace was rich enough to contain eight barrels of marvelous wine, and more? He had promised to marry Sora, but memories of Sora were fast becoming clouded by fumes from the witch's brews."

Tense murmurs fill the air. "Hideki told the fairy very politely that he could not refuse her offer, and that he was overcome with joy at the prospect of becoming her husband." Brock intones over an ominous chord. The witch then said she would prepare the feast for the betrothal at once. She set a table and spread it with the nicest dishes Hideki had ever seen, as well as many he had never tasted before. Then she went out into the garden to a fish pond and, taking a net in her hand, leaned out over the water.

As the witch, he calls "Come here, tamer of Pokemon! Come here, come here, miller, tailor, pastor!"

He interjects as himself "Each time she spoke, Hideki saw a Magikarp leap into her net."

"Then that means..." Misty's eyes widen as she puts two and two together.

Brock seemingly confirms Misty's prediction a few moments later. "When the net was full, she went back into the palace to the room next to the one where the table was set, and taking a golden frying pan she threw all the Magikarps into it. Yet for some reason Hideki swore that amidst the sputter of the frying, he could hear whispers."

"Who is whispering in your golden frying pan, fairy?" he asks as Hideki.

"It is just the sparks that the wood is throwing out," he replies as the witch.

He interjects as himself "But then he heard the little voices begin to mutter."

"Who is muttering?" he asks as Hideki.

"It is the fat that is melting," he replies as the witch.

He interjects as himself again "Soon the voices began to shout."

"Who is shouting so, fairy?" he asks, a note of fear in his 'Hideki' voice.

"It is only the Nincadas on the hearthstone," he answers as the witch.

As himself, he continues "Now all that was happening began to clear Hideki's head. He was shaking in fear, and yet he also felt a pang or three of remorse. How could he forget Sora for a lady with all the wiles and charms of Darkrai, and likely with evil powers to boot?"

[So what did he do?] Even Mai is shaking in fear over Hideki's fate.

"While Hideki was mulling his predicament, the witch brought in the fried Magikarp and begged him to sit down to dinner." Brock explains to the Persian. "As she left to bring him even more wine for him to taste, Hideki sat down and drew the sword Sora gave him, touching the blade to every dish. Amazingly, all the Magikarp transformed into a dizzying array of men and women. They begged Hideki to save them if he wanted to be saved himself."

Misty grins. I knew all those Magikarps were really people the witch turned into Magikarps!

"As they climbed from the dishes, many of the captives told Hideki that they too came to Guren Island to seek their fortune at one time or another." Brock continues over another tense riff. "They agreed to marry or serve the witch, and the next day turned them into Magikarp just as she had turned those who came before them into Magikarps who were all swimming in the big fish pond. If Hideki didn't do something, they warned, he would soon be in the same state, perhaps fried and eaten by the newcomers!"

Gasps go up at Brock's horrifying prediction. "At this, Hideki leapt up as though he was already in the golden frying pan." Brock goes on over a "running" melody. "He rushed toward the door, hoping to escape before the witch came back. But she had heard everything--she turned Hideki into a Froagie, and threw him into the fish pond with her other enchanted captives."

Everyone is on the edge of their seats, eager to find out if Hideki will escape or if he will be rescued. "As Hideki fell towards the fish pond, the silver bell rang..." Brock plays a harmonic A note to represent a bell. "which Sora heard all the way back in Nisambi. She knew from the bell's ringing that Hideki was in grave danger, so she hurried to her room, grabbed the juniper rod, and raced out to the path leading out of town. She then held the rod to the sky and sang..." Brock pauses to sing in character as young lady Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

He grins at the small crowd. "As for what Sora conjured? You'll have to find out on my next turn!"

"Tell the quickest story you know!" Melody pleads with Misty and Ash. "I want to know what happens next, and the faster you two finish, the sooner Brock can tell the next part!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 138: Starfire (Misty)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 47, story 3)

"There were once two brothers that lived on a hill." Misty begins. "One night, in his impatience for dinner to be ready, the younger brother touched the hot pot, splattering the broth everywhere and putting out the cooking fire."

The boys laugh at this. "He tried to light it again, but his tinder had gotten all wet, and wouldn't light." Misty goes on. The boys and the Pokemon laugh even harder at Misty pantomiming unsuccessful attempts at lighting a match.

"In his frustration, the younger brother looked out at the starry sky..." Misty looks up at the top of the tent to prove her point. "and decided to try and get fire from the stars."

"Now how could they catch starfire when the stars are a billion miles away?" Ash wonders.

"The elder brother got the longest pole he could find, but try as he might, he failed to make a star fall." Misty continues. "The younger brother tried to use the pole from the house's roof, but still failed to catch a star. They next tried from the top of an oak tree, but that didn't work either."

Everyone giggles at this. "They then decided to climb the mountain by their house." Misty continues. "After a few more minutes of trying to make a star fall, they saw a great flash of light from their house."

"What was it?" Melody is curious.

"When they returned, they saw a few embers glowing in the fire pit, and concluded it was the star they were trying to reach." Misty explains. "They finally had their dinner, but they were extra careful not to let the fire go out again, so they wouldn't have to go after another star!"

"Yeah, catching stars is too much trouble!" Ash agrees as he applauds...