A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 50: The Mighty Ken (Ash)

(real tale: Shepherd Paul)

"Once a man was traveling when he found a baby boy abandoned by the roadside. He felt sorry for the baby and took it in, raising the child as his own son." Ash begins, to some "Aw"s from the crowd. "Because the baby had survived for several days, the man named him Ken, which means 'sword', in hopes he would grow up with the strength and resolve of a sword. Not surprisingly, as Ken grew up, he grew very skilled with a sword."

Once sure his audience is paying attention, Ash continues "The years went by, and before long, Ken had come of age. With his adopted father's blessings, Ken set out into the world to seek his fortune. He had not gotten far when he found a young lady hitting Berries with a bow from thousands of yards away."

"Wow!" Misty gasps as she watches Ash pantomime shooting a bow.

"The girl introduced herself as Yumi, and decided to travel with Ken on his journey." Ash continues. "Then a little farther on, Ken met a boy his age who was turning stone into gems with a single hammer stroke." He pantomimes a hammer stroke for effect. "The boy introduced himself as Iwa, and joined Ken and Yumi on their journey."

"That makes three party members, so who was the fourth?" Brock is interested.

"Then a little farther on, they met another boy about Ken's age cutting through iron with a great axe as if it was wood." Ash continues, pantomiming cutting something with an axe for effect. "The boy introduced himself as Tetsu, and he too joined Ken and his friends on their journey."

"Pika chu?" Pikachu asks.

"The four friends stopped to camp for the night in a forest." Ash replies. "Yumi offered to stay behind and guard the camp while Ken and the others hunted for dinner. Just before Yumi was finished making the vegetables to go with dinner, an earth wisp appeared and asked for a little of what Yumi was making. Yumi politely told the wisp to wait until the food was ready. The wisp waited for a while, but when Yumi wasn't looking, it helped itself to the vegetables and disappeared."

Laughter fills the air as the group pictures Yumi's reaction. "Luckily, Yumi managed to salvage dinner, and though the vegetables turned out decent, Yumi didn't tell her fellow party members about the wisp." Ash assures the group. "Iwa and Tetsu also took turns guarding the camp, and the same thing happened for two more nights--while they were cooking the vegetables, the wisp would appear and ask for some. It would be told to wait until the food was ready, then help itself when the party member in charge wasn't looking. Fortunately, dinner would be salvaged, but not a word was said about the wisp."

The group silently debates how the wisp will be captured as Ash continues "Finally, Ken looked after the camp on the fourth night while his friends hunted. He set to work preparing the vegetables, and the wisp appeared just as before. Ken told it to wait until the food was ready, but before the wisp could help itself, Ken caught it in the act!" He pantomimes catching something in his hands to prove his point. "That night, Ken told his friends what had happened, but before he could show his friends the wisp, he was shocked to find it had disappeared!"

The group laughs as Ash feigns shock at discovering nothing is in his hands. "Yumi told Ken that earth wisps were crafty creatures, and it would be best to find it and asking why it was stealing the party's food. She pointed out the glowing green trail the wisp left as it escaped."

"So where did the wisp go?" Melody wonders.

"The trail ended at a huge hole, where a ladder signaled the way down." Ash explains. "Ken led the way underground, where they emerged into a grotto filled with gems and crystals, making it resemble a valley dotted with flowers and a river. They found a princess there that was being held prisoner by a Salamence. The princess pleaded with the party to turn back, but Ken said he was not afraid."

Pikachu sparks excitedly as Brock retrieves his guitar. "Sure enough, the Salamence arrived with a great roar, and the party ran to battle!" Ash announces.

Misty leads the clapping as Brock plays the Zelda theme for effect. "After a long battle, the Salamence was defeated." Ash narrates over Brock's triumphant flourish some moments later. "The princess was overjoyed to be free, and gave Ken an emerald as a reward, saying it would help him. She also asked that they rescue her younger sister, who was imprisoned by a Garchomp. Ken assured the princess he would do anything in his power to help her, and the party descended farther into the cave."

[What else was down there?] Mai is interested.

"The party descended further into the cave, and came upon another crystal filled grotto much like the first." Ash replies. "The younger princess met them and begged them to turn back, but Ken said he was not afraid as they met the Garchomp--the earth wisp's true form--in battle!"

More cheers fill the air as Brock plays the Zelda theme again. Ash waits for Brock to play another flourish, then continues. "When the Garchomp was defeated and the two sisters had reunited, the party realized thy had a problem--the battle with the Garchomp had caused their only way out to cave in--so how were they going to get back to the surface?"

Concerned whispers race through the tent, but Ash assures them. "Then, Iwa suggested that Ken use the emerald, so Ken sang..." He then sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

"That's one way to get out of a cave..." Misty mused.

"The emerald whisked the party and the princesses to the surface. By the time they came to a town, Iwa and Tetsu each took a princess as a bride, and Ken and Yumi settled down in town, where they all lived happily ever after." Ash concludes.

"You know, that sounds like it could be an RPG of some kind..." Brock smiles as he applauds.

"If it were a real game, I would play it!" Misty agrees.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 51: The Enchanted Deerling (Brock)

(real tale: The Enchanted Deer)

"Once a boy was out walking with his Ponyta when he met a man on the road with a bow on his back, a Pidgeotto on his shoulder, and a Arcanine at his side." Brock begins.

[You mean like ribbons young human girls wear in their hair?] a Meowth asked.

"No--the kind of bow I mean here is what you use to shoot arrows." Brock explained to the Meowth as he drew a picture of a bow with a nocked arrow in the dust with a small stick. Once his drawing was complete, he continued. "The boy--we'll call him Takeru--offered to trade his Ponyta for the bow and the Pokemon, and the man agreed. Takeru's mom, however, was not too happy about what had happened, and beat him until he was black and blue!"

"Ow..." Ash winces at the thought of that much pain.

"I would've given Takeru's mom a good talking to!" Misty growls, angry that Takeru was beaten for no good reason.

"Takeru didn't like the idea of constantly being beaten either, and went out into the world to seek his fortune that night, while his mom slept." Brock agrees with Misty. "He walked for a while until he came to a farmhouse. The farmer and his wife fed him a hearty breakfast. While they ate, the farmer saw Takeru's bow, and told him of a Deerling that kept eating his crops. Takeru agreed to kill the Deerling, so that night, he waited in a bush for the Deerling to appear. When it did, he readied an arrow..." Brock pantomimes aiming a bow. "But before he could fire, the Deerling transformed into a beautiful lady!"

[Was she a princess?] a Meowth asks.

[Just wait and see, hon.] Mai assures the female Meowth.

"This happened three times--Takeru would aim an arrow at the Deerling..." Brock pantomimes aiming a bow again. "But the Deerling would become a beautiful lady. He would look again to be sure he wasn't seeing things, and sure enough, the Deerling would be there again. Finally, the Deerling ran off into the forest, and Takeru followed it."

"Where did the Deerling lead him?" Melody asks, interested.

"Takeru followed the Deerling through the forest, until he came upon an empty house." Brock replies. Though the Deerling assured him it was safe, Takeru didn't know the house belonged to a gang of bandits."

"Oh no..." Ash swallows hard in fear.

"The bandits were none too pleased to find an intruder in their house, and though Takeru managed to slay a few of the bandits, he was still badly wounded, and left for dead." Brock continues. "The Deerling, meanwhile, cast a healing spell..." He pauses to sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... before continuing "and Takeru was healed, good as new. After this had happened two more times, the Deerling led him on to another house in the forest, and told him to meet her in the shrine of Arceus that stood in a nearby clearing. "But that house belonged to an evil witch, who cursed the shrine to put to sleep the first person that entered."

"And then?" Melody asks.

"Sure enough, Takeru was put to sleep when he tried to enter the shrine." Brock continues. "As he slept, the young lady--who had been transformed into a Deerling and would only be freed by someone that risked his life for her--first left a small scroll with her name on it--Hirana. Then, she laid her hands on him and sang..." He then sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... before continuing "Takeru woke up with no memory of what had happened. He saw the scroll with the name 'Hirana' on it, and set out to find whoever, or whatever, 'Hirana' was."

"Hirana has to be the Deerling girl, I just know it!" Ash cries.

"After a long journey filled with many adventures--which are stories in themselves--Takeru came to a faraway kingdom, where a Pokemon race was being held." Brock explains. "Takeru's Pidgeotto brought him royal finery, and he entered the race himself, riding his Arcanine. It was a fierce competition, but Takeru won by a nose."

"Yes!" Misty smiles. Takeru and Hirana have to marry now!

Brock, meanwhile, has one more trick up his sleeve for Takeru. "Unfortunately, the fierce competition left Takeru all dirty, and the king mistook him for a bandit. But minutes before Takeru was to be executed, he saw Hirana run and tell her father how Takeru had risked his life for her three times and broke the spell on her."

Melody heaves a sigh of relief. "Arceus forbid the king execute an innocent person..."

"Takeru was immediately set free, and he and Hirana were married." Brock concludes. "They lived together for many years, and had many more adventures--but that is another story for another day!"

"There's your happy ending..." Ash smiles at Misty as he applauds....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 52: The Purrloin and the Teapot (Misty)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 23, story 2)

"In a certain village lived a hunter and his mom--I'll call him Yajiru." Misty begins. "One day, Yajiru was visiting his friends, and they couldn't stop talking about a Liepard that had been prowling around the village and killing the townsfolk's Pokemon. Yajiru told his friends he wasn't scared, and when he got home that day, he immediately set to work making arrows for his bow." Inspired, Ash pantomimes making arrows.

"Pini?" Happini is interested.

"Well, as Yajiru was working, a meow got his attention." Misty continues, prompting Ash to look in the direction of the tent entrance. "A Purrloin wandered into the house, where it watched Yajiru making arrows. Yajiru asked his mom who the Purrloin belonged to..." Ash pantomimes asking the question to an imagined person. "but his mom said she didn't know. Yajiru didn't mind, though--he found it kinda cute that the Purrloin was batting at the fletching on his arrows."

[What's that?] Korra is interested.

"Fletching is that feathery stuff on an arrow." Brock explains.

"Yajiru made twelve arrows in all, and set out the next morning." Misty continues. "The Purrloin, meanwhile, found a teapot lid, and played with that."

[Did Yajiru find his prey?] Mai asks.

"He searched all over the forest for any sign of the Liepard, but found nothing." Misty explains. "Just before he decided to give up and turn back, he saw tracks, bird Pokemon feathers, and Buneary fur. He followed the tracks for a while in hopes of finding the Liepard, but they ultimately went nowhere. By the time Yajiru reached the end of the trail, it was late, so he made camp for the night." Ash sprawls on the ground and pretends to sleep to illustrate Misty's point.

He then wakes up with a jump as Misty continues "Suddenly, around midnight, Yajiru was awoken by a rustle in the brush, and he saw a pair of glowing green eyes in the darkness! He readied an arrow and fired..." Ash pantomimes shooting a bow. "But he heard the arrow land on something metallic...." Brock gently taps the metallic cooking pot with a fingernail, making it sound more or less like an arrow hitting metal.

"Did he figure out what it was in the darkness?" Melody asks as she shakes in fear.

"Yajiru kept firing arrow after arrow, but they all seemed to hit something metal." Misty continues as she watches Ash pantomime shooting a bow, followed by Brock making the sound of an arrow hitting metal some seconds later. "Before long, Yajiru had ran out of arrows...but then he remembered a special silver arrow he kept just in case of an emergency. So he fired that one..." Ash pantomimes firing the arrow, with Brock hitting the cooking pot slightly harder to represent a successful shot. "and he heard a vaguely feline cry of pain as the being fled."

[And then?] a Meowth asks.

"The next morning, Yajiru found his twelve wooden arrows and a broken teapot lid by the Liepard's corpse." Misty continues. "He thought back to the Purrloin from before--was it possible that the Purrloin was the Liepard's baby?"

"Very intriguing indeed..." Melody muses.

"When Yajiru got home, he asked his mom about his theory." Misty continues. "She told him that the Purrloin disappeared as soon as he left, taking the teapot lid with it. Yajiru concluded the Liepard had magic power, and devolved itself into a Purrloin to see how many arrows he would make. It then used the teapot lid as a shield to block the arrows, and planned to kill him when he ran out."

She then concludes "Luckily, the silver arrow ended up saving him!"

The Pokemon applaud as the boys and Misty take a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 53: The Giant's Captive (Ash)

(real tale: Pastaris and the Giant)

[If I may ask, where did the gibberish songs you use for a character's spells come from?] Mai asks.

"I made them up for a telling of a tale called "The Giant's Captive--which I then taught Ash as his first tale" Brock explains. Then, something dawns on him. "Hey, Ash...why don't you try telling 'The Giant's Captive' for us?"

"Okay..." Ash clears his throat and begins "Once a fisherman and his son--let's call him Jiro--were at sea, when a terrifying giant appeared from the water and snatched Jiro from the boat. All Jiro's father could do was watch as his son was spirited away to the giant's lair. The giant took Jiro to a pitch black room and locked him inside, telling him to not light a fire under any circumstances."

"Why not?" Melody is curious.

"Jiro huddled under a blanket, but the biting wind made him shiver, and on top of that, kept hearing ghostly noises. But with no fire, he couldn't tell if they were other prisoners or ghosts. On the third night, Jiro decided he was going to defy the giant's instructions and build a fire--but with what?" Ash asks his audience.

Nervous giggles fill the air, but become uproarious laughter as Brock takes his guitar and starts playing the Mission Impossible theme as Ash continues "So that night, Jiro snuck out of the cave, took one of the boats moored to the shore, and sailed back to his father's house. Once there, he requested some matches, flint, and tinder. As he hid the items in his son's clothing, Jiro's father told Jiro that if he was planning to escape the giant's lair, his wits would be the most valuable thing he could have." He interjects as Brock stops the song "Thankfully, the giant had no idea Jiro had gone and returned."

Melody heaves a sigh of relief, but the Meowths still giggle at the song. "Jiro lit his fire, and found out the source of the crying he had heard--a princess!" Ash announces, to Happini's cheers. "She had not seen any light in some time, so she yelped in surprise when she saw the firelight. However, that surprised yelp was enough to wake the giant, and it chased after Jiro!" Gasps went up from the crowd at this as the guitar played a frantic melody.

Sighs of relief went up as the song calmed down, but all eyes were on Ash as he continued. "Jiro finally lost the giant and took shelter in an alcove somewhere on the island. As he caught his breath, Arceus appeared to him and said..."

In a low and deep male voice, Brock intones "Long has the giant caused suffering in the land, but if you were to slay him now, he would still live, as his soul is not in his body."

"Jiro asked Arceus how he could shatter the giant's soul, and Arceus replied..." Ash narrates.

In his "Arceus" voice again, Brock assures the audience "On the other side of the ocean in a palace courtyard stands a post. Hit this post with your finger, and a sword will fall down from the sky. With this sword, kill an Ekans in the forest, and a Buneary will appear and race away. Catch that Buneary and cut off its head, and a Pidove will appear. If you can catch the Pidove when it flies to heaven, an egg will fall, and in that egg is the giant's soul."

"Not a bad mimic of the Great Lord, if I say so myself." Melody smiles.

"Just as Arceus left Jiro, the giant discovered him!" Ash announces, making the crowd gasp. "Jiro was taken to a high mountain peak, where he was left to die. He spent two days shivering in the cold before working up the courage to climb down. The mountain path led to a forest, where he found four mages arguing over how best to divide the meat of a Stantler they had killed. Jiro skillfully cut the Stantler into four even portions. The mages each gave Jiro a mystical gem as a reward for helping them. The fire mage gave Jiro a ruby that would grant him Entei's strength and power. The wind mage gave Jiro an amethyst that would allow him to soar like the twin Eons. The water mage gave Jiro a sapphire that would allow him to swim like Kyorge. The earth mage gave Jiro an emerald that would allow him to dig as masterfully as Celebi."

[Wow...] Mai gasps.

"Just then, the giant found Jiro again, but this time, Jiro was prepared--he held the ruby high and called..." Ash then pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

He continues "Sure enough, Jiro glowed red with the power of Entei's fire, and managed to throw the giant to the ground. While this didn't kill the giant by any means, it did buy Jiro enough time to get to the shore minutes before the spell wore off."

[And then?] Korra gasped.

"Knowing the giant could find him at any moment, Jiro held the sapphire high and called..." With that, Ash sings Rou iitsa von selga vichi....

"Jiro glowed blue with the power of water, and easily swam to the palace courtyard with Kyorge's speed and grace. He easily found the post and touched his finger to it, and just as Arceus had said, a beautiful sword fell from the sky and landed at his feet." Ash continued. "Jiro wasted no time in killing an Ekans, and just as Arceus had said, a Buneary darted from the brush. Jiro knew that a human had no chance of catching up to a Buneary naturally, so he found his amethyst and sang..." He then sings Karuto, iichiida shou...

"You're doing great--and then what happened?" Misty asks.

"Jiro glowed with the purple energy of the wind, which gave him enough speed to catch up to the Buneary and cut off its head." Ash replies. "No sooner had he done this, did a Pidove appear and fly to the heavens...just as the spell wore off. So he evoked the amethyst again-- Karuto, ichiida shou....

"Pika?" Pikachu's eyes shine in anticipation.

"This time, Jiro was able to soar through the sky, much like Latios and Latias. He caught up to the Pidove and caught it, causing an egg to fall from the sky." Ash continues. After he landed and the wind magic had worn off, he took the emerald and invoked the earth magic within." He then sings Imultao, ame no ga bakeno... before continuing "Once Jiro had dug through the earth and located the egg, he returned to the island and smashed it on the rocks, killing the giant!" Cheers went up at this.

[He did it!] Mai cries.

"The princess was elated that someone had finally set her free." Ash concludes over a triumphant interlude from Brock. "They returned to Jiro's homeland, where they fell in love and married not long after their adventure. But Jiro kept the four magic gems with him, just in case he needed their power again."

Misty's applause is the loudest at this. "Bravo--you should tell us what Brock has taught you more often!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 54: The True Story of Golden Hood (Brock)

(real tale: The True History of Little Golden Hood)

"You all know the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood', right?" Brock asks the group.

[The one about the girl all in red who meets a fearsome Mightyena?] a Meowth asks.

"That's the one." Brock smiles. "What you may not know is they got a few details wrong when they were writing the story down...."

Ash recognizes the introduction. "I know this one! It's one of Brock's originals that's based on "Little Red Riding Hood."

"Really?" Misty is interested.

"Yeah--Brock does have a few original tales." Ash explains. "Most of them are 'sequels' to existing stories...."

"To start with, the girl's hood was not red, but gold--so she was actually called Golden Hood, or Goldie, for short." Brock explains. "The hood had been a gift from her grandma on her birthday, and she wore it every day, unaware of the magic power it held."

[Interesting--and then what happened?] Mai asked.

"One day, Goldie's mom asked her to take a basket of cakes as a gift to her grandma." Brock continues. "Her grandma lived in a town on the edge of a forest, and Goldie was told not to waste time talking to strangers on the road."

"Goldie met the Mightyena, right?" Misty guesses what happens next.

Brock nods. "Goldie had never really seen a Mightyena before, so she presumed it was a friend. the Mightyena told Goldie he would run on ahead to inform her grandma of her arrival. But when Mightyena arrived at the house, there was not a soul in sight--Goldie's grandma had gone into town minutes before."

"And he disguised himself as Grandma." Ash fills in what he figures will happen next.

"From there, the two stories remain mostly the same--Goldie arrived some time after and noticed something was off with her grandma." Brock continues. "She then told the Mightyena..."

"Oh, Grandma, what big arms you have!" Misty gasps as Goldie.

"All the better to touch you with, my dear..." Brock intones as the Mightyena. The two of them perform the timeless rigmarole together:

"Oh Grandma, what big feet you've got!"

"All the better to run to you with, my dear...

"Oh Grandma, what big teeth you have!"

The audience holds their breath, expecting Brock to say "All the better to eat you with" as the Mightyena. "Here's where the story diverges from the version we all know and love." Brock cautions as himself. "When the Mightyena sprung at Goldie, he ended up biting the golden hood instead--and its fire magic made it feel like he'd eaten a Tamato Berry!"

Everyone laughs as they picture Mightyena's dance of pain. "About then, Grandma was returning from town, so she stuffed him in a bag and threw him in the river." Brock continues. "Needless to say, the Mightyena couldn't swim, and quickly drowned."

More laughter fills the air. "After making sure Goldie was okay, Grandma prepared a huge lunch for the both of them, and they visited with each other late into the night before Goldie returned home to her mom, where she still is said to live in what is now Viridian City." Brock concludes. "It is said that if you wake up early enough, you might see her on the hill overlooking the forest."

Melody leads the applause. "Very interesting--you should tell us more of your original tales!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 55: Fairer Than a Fairy (Misty)

(real tale: Fairer Than a Fairy)

"Once a king in a far away land longed for a child more than anything." Misty begins. "At last, Arceus blessed him with a little princess. He named the princess Shayla, for many in the kingdom said she was fairer than even the fey."

"Memo to His Highness--the fey probably don't like it when a human is called prettier than them." Ash muses.

"The fairies were none too pleased that a human was prettier than even them." Misty continues, acknowledging Ash's observation with a nod. "In fact, Queen Titania herself spirited Princess Shayla away to an enchanted castle made of crystal."

"Pika pikachu?" Pikachu is curious about the fairy queen's name.

"The name Titania comes from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'" Melody explains. Brock sighs--he remembers being bored to tears reading the play.

"Titania told Princess Shayla that she only needed to do two things--to never let the fire in the fireplace go out, and to watch over the two bottles on the shelf in her room." Misty continues, unfazed by the audience commentary. "Some years went by, and she practically forgot about her father and her homeland."

[Did she ever escape fairyland?] Mai is curious.

"I'm getting to that." Misty assures the Persian. "One day, as Princess Shayla passed a fountain in the royal garden, she noticed the water made a rainbow as the sun shone on it. A male voice called to her, and when Shayla looked to see who was calling her, she saw a boy inside the rainbow's colors!

"That's a new one..." Ash muses--he's heard of princesses and princes in the form of Pokemon, but never a rainbow.

"The prince introduced himself as Regen, and he too had been imprisoned by the fairy queen Titania." Misty goes on. "But once he saw Princess Shayla, it had renewed his strength. The two of them grew quite close, with Prince Regen telling Shayla many tales of his homeland. These chats got so long, one day Shayla let the fire go out completely because she was so busy talking to Regen."

"Uh oh..." Ash swallowed hard at this.

"Titania brought Princess Shayla to where Mt. Ember is today, and bid her ask Moltres for more fire." Misty continues. "But when she got to the top, Moltres was enamored by her beauty and sweet demeanor, and eagerly gave her a new fire and a magical ruby, saying only to invoke its magic when she was in great need."

"And then?" Brock is interested now.

"Not only that, but Titania was beginning to grow jealous of Shayla." Misty warned. "So one day, she made the fountain dry up, cutting off any access to Regen at all."

"She didn't just sit there and have a pity party like Titania wanted her to..." Ash smiles, excited to hear to what lengths Princess Shayla will go to to save her prince.

"Nope--she took her faithful Growlithe and Meowth, a mint sprig, and the magic ruby Moltres gave her." Misty replies. "But Titania got wind of Princess Shayla's escape, and chased her through the enchanted woods around the castle. Just before Titania could catch Shayla, her Growlithe unleashed a Fire Blast, burning Titania badly."

"Ow..." Ash winces at the memory of being on the receiving end of Charizard's Fire Blast.

"That bought Princess Shayla time to reach a small grotto in a clearing, where she camped for the night, the ruby concealing her and her companions." Misty continues before easing her fiddle case by her side. "Titania found the grotto during the night, but she didn't count on the Meowth to Fury Swipe her to death!"

[Take that! And that!] Korra eagerly swipes the air, as if Titania is actually present in the tent.

"Her pursuer gone, Princess Shayla came to a stone house, where Celebi lived." Misty continues, stifling a giggle at how cute Korra looks. "Celebi listened as Princess Shayla told her story from start to finish, and gave her a magical emerald, saying to only invoke it when she was in great need."

"So, where was Prince Regen?" Brock wondered.

"Before she found the castle where Prince Regen was held, Princess Shayla met Manaphy and Jirachi as well--Manaphy gave her a sapphire, and Jirachi gave her a diamond, saying not to invoke their powers unless she was in great need." Misty assures Brock. "When she found the castle that hovered in the sky, she found it was locked."

[How did she get in?] a Meowth asked.

"She invoked the emerald's power..." Misty pauses to sing Imultao, ame no ga bakeno... "and the door opened in flash of green light. She found Prince Regen in a deep, enchanted sleep--try as she might to tell her story, the prince did not stir despite her telling it fifty times." The boys chuckle as she carefully opens the fiddle case and takes the instrument inside. "Finally, Princess Shayla invoked the sapphire..." She sings Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... as she raises the fiddle to her chin. "and the blue light took the form of a male minstrel with a fiddle, where he played a few tunes from Prince Regen's homeland." With that, she plays "The Jig of Flowers" and "Ninetales' Blessing" for effect.

"Pika!" Pikachu leads the applause when the last note dies.

"The tunes were enough to awaken the prince a little, but the enchantment still held him." Misty continues as she sets the fiddle aside. "So Princess Shayla invoked the diamond..." She pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... "and a little Swablu appeared, singing about all the trials Princess Shayla had been through."

Ash grabs his whistle and mimics a Swablu song for effect. "The song woke Prince Regen with a jump, and when he recognized his beloved, he embraced her, and they were both whisked away to Prince Regen's homeland." Misty concludes. "Prince Regen's mother was ecstatic to see her son safe, and wedding preparations were made. Prince Regen and Princess Shayla were married, and when it came time for Prince Regen to succeed his mother, he ruled for many years alongside his beloved Princess Shayla."

She grins when she hears an expectant D chord from the guitar. "All right, Brock, we can play a little bit..." Pikachu leads the clapping as the fiddle leads the guitar and the whistle into a rousing set of tunes....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 56: Why Snubbull Has Floppy Ears (Ash)

(real tale: Why The Dog's Ears Flop)

[May I ask a question, Ash?] Korra asks as Pikachu romps by her side.

"What is it?" Ash replies.

[Of all the dog Pokemon I see, Snubbull is the only one with floppy ears...why is that?]

Ash thinks for a moment, then begins a story. "To answer that question, you have to remember that a long time ago--long before any of us existed--Snubbull had ears that stood up straight like the other dog Pokemon. He was very brave, and feared no human."

[As all Pokemon should be, not just the dogs.] Mai adds.

"Well, one day, Snubbull found an adventurers' camp in the forest, and he saw a young man tending to the meat the humans were going to have for their dinner that night." Ash continues. "All that fresh Stantler and Ursaring meat made Snubbull's mouth water, so he approached the young man and told him he would protect the camp if he could have a share of the meat."

[And then?] Korra is interested.

"The man agreed, and for a while, Snubbull made good on his bargain--he fought off Ursarings and Persians, helped out when the humans hunted, and protected them at night." Ash continues. "But then one night, some Mightyenas came to the camp, and struck up a conversation with Snubbull. They talked for so long, Snubbull didn't see that some of the Mightyenas had snuck into the camp and were eating all the food!"

"Pika..." Pikachu swallows hard.

"Of course when the humans found all their food gone, they yelled at Snubbull so much, he trembled in fear and his ears drooped in shame." Ash concludes. "That's why that out of all the dog Pokemon, only the Snubbull has floppy ears, in remembrance of how the Mightyena tricked him long ago."

Everyone applauds. "Never heard you tell a pour quoi tale before..." Misty muses.

"In fact, I have told a few of the famous "Just So" stories in public..." Brock adds. "But I typically save them for younger kids or Pokemon themed shows."

[Knowing why humans see us Pokemon as they do is an important skill for you to learn, everyone...] Mai reminds the Meowths. [So listen well to these storytellers and all they have to tell...]

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 57: Entei the Wise (Brock)

(real tale: The Twelve Huntsmen)

"There was once a prince that was set to marry his beloved." Brock begins before pausing to think of names for the two lovers. "We'll call them Ethan and Sophia."

The group cheers in approval of the names. "One day, Prince Ethan received word that his father's time to die was close, and so he hurried back to his homeland to say goodbye." Brock continues. "When he got there, his father told him that he wanted Ethan to marry a princess of another land, never mind that Ethan already loved Sophia."

Sniffles go up as Brock retrieves his guitar and starts a sad melody. "Ethan was devastated at the notion of marrying anyone but his dear Sophia, but reluctantly went ahead and began wedding preparations."

He adds a soft flourish to represent Sophia. "Sophia was not any happier, but she was determined to reunite with her beloved Ethan, no matter what it took. So she commanded her father to make ranger's garb for her and her eleven maids, which looked all alike. Once disguised, Princess Sophia and her maids set out for Ethan's homeland, where they were hired as royal rangers."

The song then changes to a regal melody. "Now, Ethan's father had a pet Entei who was very wise--we'll call him Eichi." Brock explains. "One night, he told Ethan..." In a deeper version of himself, he intones "Milord, are you sure you have twelve royal rangers?"

"Of course they are royal rangers!" he retorts in a mimic of the real Ethan.

"Actually, they are twelve maids--because a male's feet are strong, while a female's are delicate and graceful." he explains as Eichi.

As himself, he continues. "So Ethan spread a bunch of Rindo Berries in the foyer to the ranger's quarters--but Sophia and her maids, for all intents and purposes, looked like a band of male rangers. Ethan then tried putting spinning wheels in the main hall, but Sophia and her maids didn't even look at them."

"So when did Ethan figure out who the rangers really were?" Melody asks.

"Sophia and her maids kept up their ruse for a year, fooling even Eichi into believing they were boys." Brock replies. "But then one day, the day before Ethan's new bride was to arrive, Ethan and the girls were on a hunt. Suddenly, Sophia feigned being injured by an arrow. When Ethan ran to help the fallen ranger, he saw the sapphire ring he had given Sophia two years before!"

Cheers go up over a triumphant guitar chord. "It dawned on Ethan just who the rangers really were, and threw himself into Sophia's arms, kissing her and crying tears of joy. He vowed..." As Ethan, he proclaims "I am yours, and you are mine, and no powers in heaven or on earth can tear us apart!"

Roars of applause go up as Brock concludes as himself "He sent a message to the other kingdom, saying the wedding was off--he had found another he loved better. Eichi forgave Ethan for doubting him, and welcomed Sophia back as well--they were married the next day, and lived happily ever after for many years."

Applause fills the air as Brock takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 58: Princess Ringo (Misty)

(real tale: Lovely Ilonka)

"Can we sing some songs?" Melody suggested. "I enjoy singing with you three."

"We'll sing after I take my turn telling a tale." Misty replied before beginning "Once a prince--we'll call him Rowan--told his father the king that he wished to take a bride. But the king told his son to wait until he did something great to take a bride--he himself had not taken a bride until he had won a crystal sword."

[I'm sure that looked pretty...] a Meowth sighs dreamily.

"Rowan spent several days wondering what great deed he could do, and finally decided to go out into the world to try his luck." Misty continues. "He came to the house of a wise woman and asked where he would find some Leppa Berries, as they were rare in that land. So the wise woman took a magic whistle..." Ash plays the Zelda whistle song on his own whistle for effect. "and summoned some Murkrows. But not even they knew where to find Leppa Berries."

[Did he find any?] Korra is curious.

"Rowan asked many more sages and wise women, but not even they knew where Leppa Berries were." Misty replies. "Just when he was about to turn back and go home, a Taillow led him to a grove of Leppa Berries tucked away in a forest. Rowan eagerly picked a few, but on the way back, he dropped a Berry, revealing a beautiful girl inside."

Pikachu gives Brock a static jolt to snap him from his daydream. "The girl asked Rowan for a drink, and he gladly gave her some water." Misty continues. "Since the girl had no name, he named her Ringo, which means "Leppa"

"That's a cute name!" Melody smiles.

"When Rowan arrived home, the entire court was charmed by how kind and beautiful Ringo was." Misty continues. "All except one of the knights, who was bound and determined to have Rowan marry his own daughter--we're call her Livia. He locked Ringo in a closet, and passed Livia off as Ringo. Rowan was devastated, and vowed he would not marry until the real Ringo was found. The wedding preparations continued, though."

"Did Ringo get out of the closet?" Ash is concerned.

"She picked the lock of the closet and disguised herself as a servant girl." Misty assures Ash. "At dinner that night, Livia spiked Rowan's food with a sleeping potion. The potion was so strong, Rowan was out cold in seconds, so when the real Ringo revealed herself, he slept right through it. She vowed to try again, but Livia spiked his food with another sleeping potion the next night, so Rowan slept through her second try too."

[Did Ringo figure out what Livia was doing?] Mai wonders.

"On the third night, Ringo saw Livia spike Rowan's food again, and warned him not to eat or drink anything." Misty replies. "That night, she revealed herself to him and told him how he was about to be tricked. "Rowan was elated to see Ringo again, and had the knight, his wife, and Livia banished from the land for deceiving him."

She concludes "The wedding was held the next day, and Rowan and Ringo lived happily ever after."

"That was a sweet tale..." Brock smiles before taking his guitar and checking his tuning. "What do you guys want to sing first?"

"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu suggests as Misty reaches for her fiddle.

"The boatman song?" Brock asks. "Okay..." After snapping a few times to count Misty off, he leads the singing of High row, the boatmen row, floatin' down the river on the ol' Tohjo!
High row, the boatmen row, floatin' down the river on the ol' Tohjo!....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 59: The Prince and the Mermaid (Ash)

(real tale: The Mermaid and the Boy)


"There was once a king who ruled where Vermillion City is today." Ash begins as the last notes of "The Entei Sleeps Tonight" fade away. "One year, some of his subjects that lived on what is now Knot Island tried to rebel against him..."

"Why did they rebel?" Melody wonders.

Ash thinks for a moment. "High taxes, I guess." Melody seems to buy that answer, so he continues "He decided to try and end the rebellion peacefully, and set sail for the Sevii Islands. At first, the voyage was uneventful, but then a storm blew up, and the ship ran aground on some rocks!"

"Pika!" Pikachu gasps.

"Just when it looked like the end for the king and his men, a mermaid appeared to him--we'll call her Nerissa." Ash assures Pikachu. "Nerissa told the king she would guide him back to safe waters in return for his firstborn. The king was understandably hesitant at first--the thought of giving up a potential heir pained him. But a wave almost tipped the ship over, so he quickly consented."

"Azu?" Azurill is interested.

"So Nerissa cast a spell..." Ash pauses to sing Imultao, ame no ga bakeno... "and the ship was warped back to safe waters."

He continues "The negotiations took about nine months, and ended successfully, but while the king was away, a little prince was born. He was named Casey, which means "brave".

[A great name...] Mai smiles.

"At first, the king forgot all about his bargain with Nerissa, but as the years went by, the king laid awake at night wondering what would happen if Nerissa spirited Casey away during the night." Ash continues. "So he told his queen the whole story, and Prince Casey was watched like a Braviary twenty four hours a day."

[But what about when he was old enough to go into the world?] Korra worries.

"When Prince Casey came of age, his parents dressed him in simple traveling clothes and gathered his belongings in a simple bag, and wished him well on his journeys." Ash assures Korra. "At first, Prince Casey's journey was uneventful, but when he stopped to camp for the night, he was startled as an Entei met him there!"

"What are you doing here?" Brock asks in a deeper version of himself.

"I'm traveling in hopes of fleeing from a mermaid." Ash replies as Casey.

"Might you share some of your food? I am very hungry..." Brock groans in character as the Entei.

Everyone laughs at Brock's Entei voice. "Casey agreed, and gave the Entei some of the Buneary meat he had caught. When dinner was over, they talked until they fell asleep." Ash continues. "The next morning, the Entei gave Casey a ruby as thanks for his kindness, and said to him..."

"If you ever get into trouble, remember the song 'Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul'--you will gain some of my power that I have sealed in this ruby." Brock explains as the Entei. "Since you helped me in my hour of need, so shall I help you in return."

"Casey and the Entei said goodbye, but as he walked on the road, Casey grew curious as to what power was inside the ruby. So he sang...." Ash pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul....

[And what happened?] Korra asked.

"Casey glowed a bright red, and he felt incredible strength and power flowing through him." Ash replies. "On top of that, he looked like he was consumed in flames to the average passerby, but the fire was actually holy magic that only harmed evil."

[Wow!] Mai is impressed.

"Casey sped along the road in his 'fireball' state, until the magic wore off a few minutes later." Ash explained. "He did manage to travel a long way while under the spell, though. When he made camp that night, an Espeon met him in the woods."

Brock switches to a mimic of May to represent the Espeon. "I don't know why you travel, but can you maybe give me a little food and a place to rest?"

"Casey agreed, and as thanks for his kindness, the Espeon gave Casey a sapphire and told him..." Ash narrates.

"If you ever get into trouble, remember the song 'Rou iitsa ron selga vichii'--you will gain some of my power that I have sealed in the sapphire." Brock explains as the Espeon. ""Since you helped me in my hour of need, so shall I help you in return."

"The next morning, after he had said his goodbyes to the Espeon, Casey wondered just what powers were in the sapphire." Ash continued. "So he sang Rou iitsa ron selga vichii..., "and he could see, know and sense things no human could see, know, or sense, in addition to knowing how to teleport like an Espeon. To the average passerby, he looked like he was made of a bright blue aura."

"Pini..." Happini gasps, impressed.

"Needless to say, Casey managed to travel quite a long way by teleporting himself until the magic wore off." Ash continues. "On the third night, a Pidgeotto met him in the wood as the sun set, and asked for some food. Casey agreed, and gave the Pidgeotto one of the Magikarp he had caught. The Pidgeotto gave him an emerald as thanks for his kindness, and told him.

"If you ever get into trouble, just remember the song 'Karuto, iichiida shou'--you will gain some of the power contained in the emerald." Brock explains in a breathy female voice. "Since you helped me in my hour of need, so shall I help you in return."

"After Casey and the Pidgeotto said goodbye, Casey wondered what powers lay inside the emerald, and sang Karuto, iichiida shou.... This made him glow bright white, and gave him the ability to fly." Ash explains. "He managed to fly all the way to the outskirts of a great city before the magic wore off."

"This getting good..." Misty notes.

"Casey heard the people talking about the princess--who hated boys so much, she would not allow even a picture of a boy in her room." Ash continues.

"And I thought Merida was bad..." Misty muses.

"We'll call our princess Megan." Ash assures Misty. "It began to get late, and as soon as no one else was on the road, Casey took the emerald and sang Karuto, iichiida shou...

"Uh oh..." Brock stifles a giggle at what he thinks will happen next.

"The flight magic wore off just as Casey landed in Megan's room." Ash continues. "Naturally, Megan freaked out at seeing a boy in her room, but when the guard rushed to see what the matter was, they saw nothing out of the ordinary, and concluded Princess Megan had a nightmare."

Everyone laughs as they picture the guard's reaction. "Casey tried returning to Princess Megan's room, but she freaked out again." Ash continues. "The guards, of course, found nothing, and figured the princess had gone nuts."

"So did Casey ever make it in there?" Brock is curious.

"Yes--and Megan concluded that her father would think her nuts if she screamed over the same boy again and again. Casey assured her he meant no harm, and after a few moments, Megan warmed up to Casey. They became fast friends, and would spend hours talking about many things." Ash continues. "Casey found out that Megan was a fine fiddler, and that her kingdom was due to head to war in three days, and they needed every person that could fight. He told Megan that if he did not return, to play her fiddle to the sea, and Manaphy would tell her where he was."

Inspired, Misty takes out her fiddle and cradles it in her arms, waiting for an opportunity to play. "Megan also gave Casey an sapphire ring identical to hers, so he would remember her if he got lonely on the battlefield." Ash continues. "So three days later, Casey and the king's retinue set off for the battlefield. But on the way, Casey heard a beautiful voice coming from the sea, and followed it beneath the water, where he met up with Nerissa."

"I was wondering when she would show back up." Melody muses.

"Although Nerissa treated Casey like a king, Casey longed for his beloved Megan on the surface." Ash continues. "Meanwhile, some months after the war had ended, a knight claimed he was the one Megan loved, complete with showing the king a lapis ring. But Megan knew Casey had to be somewhere, so one night, while everyone else was sleeping, she took her fiddle and made her way to a hill overlooking the sea, where she played a lament to the waves..." He motions for Misty to play.

Misty plays "Lament for Cerulean" for effect. "Sure enough, Manaphy heard the song, and brought Casey to the surface, despite Nerissa's pleas." Ash continues when the last note dies. "Manaphy told Nerissa that Casey belonged on the surface, and so Nerissa reluctantly bid Casey goodbye. Megan and Casey hurried back to the palace, where Megan challenged the knight to transform into a fireball."

Everyone laughs. "The knight had no inkling of magic power, so he just danced around making fire noises." Ash continues. "Then Megan challenged him to teleport, and the knight just jumped around the room making teleport noises. Megan then challenged him to fly, and the knight just ran around the room with his arms outstretched like wings."

Melody's laughter is the hardest at the knight's magic power, or lack thereof. "Then Casey sang Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... and became a fireball." Ash intones. "The knight leapt behind a chair, and stayed there until the fire magic wore off. Then Casey invoked the sapphire--Rou iitsa ron selga vichii--and warped behind the chair the knight was hiding behind. No matter where the knight ran to, Casey warped there until the sapphire's magic wore off."

"And then?" Brock asked as he wipes away a tear of laughter.

"Casey then invoked the emerald--Karuto, iichiida shou--and stunned the crowd by flying." Ash continues. "He then showed the court the sapphire ring, and Megan showed hers. The king realized the knight was lying, and ordered him banished for deceiving him."

He concludes "Casey and Megan were married, and they lived happily for many years--but Casey kept the jewels with him, just in case he needed their power again."

[Bravo! Encore!] Korra leads the applause.

"That was your longest tale yet, Ash." Brock smiles. "In fact, that's gonna be a tough act to follow...."

"Oh come on, I know you can keep the momentum going with a tale of your own!" Misty assures him. "You are the master storyteller, after all!"