A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 80: The Stubborn Tepig (Ash)

(real tale: The Old Woman and Her Pig)

"Hey Ash--I'd like to see you try and tell a chain tale with a longer list." Misty suggests.

"If you forget, we'll jog your memory." Brock assures Ash before he can protest.

Ash thinks for a moment, takes a deep breath, and begins "Once a young lady went into town and bought herself a Tepig as a pet. But on the way back, they came to a fence in the middle of the road, and no matter how the lady tried, the Tepig wouldn't jump over the fence. So she went out and asked a Growlithe to nip the Tepig's tail, but the Growlithe said no--he felt that the Tepig should not be nipped if it wasn't doing anything. So she asked a stick to whack the Growlithe, who would not nip the Tepig's tail, and the stick said no--it thought whacking the Growlithe for no reason was silly."

"So far so good." Brock smiles.

"Then the lady asked the fire to burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail. But the fire said no--a stick wasn't much to burn." Ash continues. So she asked the water to put out the fire, who wouldn't burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail. But the water said no--if the fire wasn't burning anything important, why put it out?"

"That's five items so far..." Misty muses.

"So the lady asked a Tauros to drink the water, who wouldn't put out the fire, who....um..." Ash pauses to remember where he is in the list.

"The Tauros wouldn't drink the water, who wouldn't put out the fire, who wouldn't burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail." Brock easily rattles off the whole list.

"Thanks." Ash smiles. "So the lady asked a butcher to kill the Tauros, who wouldn't drink the water, who wouldn't put out the fire, who wouldn't burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail. But the butcher just laughed--that was a silly reason to kill a Tauros."

"He remembered that time." Brock tells Misty.

"So the lady asked a rope to hang the butcher, who wouldn't kill the Tauros, who wouldn't drink the water, who wouldn't put out the fire, who wouldn't burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail." Ash rattles off the growing list. This is getting easier and harder at the same time...

"What did the rope do?" Melody snaps him from his thoughts.

"The rope said no--that was a silly reason to kill a man." Ash replies. "So the lady went and asked a Rattata to chew the rope, who wouldn't hang the butcher, who wouldn't kill the Tauros, who wouldn't drink the water, who wouldn't put out the fire, who wouldn't burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail."

"Come on, Ash!" Brock urges. "Only one or two more items to go!"

Ash takes another deep breath, then continues. "Then the lady asked a Persian to catch the Rattata, who wouldn't chew the rope, who wouldn't hang the butcher, who wouldn't kill the Tauros, who wouldn't drink the water, who wouldn't put out the fire, who wouldn't burn the stick, who wouldn't whack the Growlithe, who wouldn't nip the Tepig's tail. The Persian agreed, in exchange for some milk. The lady readily complied, giving the Persian some of the milk she bought in town..."

He sighs as he tries to remember the whole list. "and the Persian caught the Rattata, who chewed the rope, who hung the butcher, who killed the Tauros, who drank the water, who put out the fire, who burnt the stick, who whacked the Growlithe, who nipped the Tepig's tail."

Applause fills the air. "You did it!" Misty smiles.

"Eight items is a new record for you." Brock agrees.

Ash just concludes "The Tepig squealed with fright and jumped over the fence, allowing the lady to continue home. "But the Tepig didn't come out of its pen that night!"

More applause fills the tent, so Ash takes a bow for his friends...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 81: The Baby Vulpixes (Brock)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 33, story 2)

"In a certain village lived a healer that was very stingy and greedy, and often turned away the poor." Brock begins. "One day, he healed a patient with a sore back, and offered him medicine for a hundred credits--when said medicine would normally cost 300 credits."

"That's a good deal!" Melody notes.

"That night, an old man came pleading for help, as his daughter, who was expecting a child, had suddenly gone into labor." Brock continues. "The healer's first thought was to send the midwife, but reconsidered when he saw the jewel studded coach the old man arrived in. He didn't notice the coach was hardly shaking from the high speed. But, he didn't know a family of Ninetales was pulling the coach."

"Then that means he'll have to deliver a Vulpix...." Misty muses on what happens next.

"Upon arrival, the healer asked for hot water and clean towels, but as the old man departed, the healer noticed that his shadow looked like a Ninetales. He vowed he would deliver the baby Vulpixes safely, however many there were."

"So how many were there?" Ash asks.

"It took all night to do it, but three baby Vulpixes were born by the time the next morning came." Brock replies. "The patriarch Ninetales was thankful, and gave the healer some food. The healer was naturally a bit suspicious, but after enjoying the food, he found himself on a hill in the middle of nowhere. After initially blowing off the whole experience as a prank, he found his medicine box overflowing with coins. It dawned on him he cared for the Ninetales even though they didn't have much."

He concludes "From that day on, he cared for everyone, regardless of whether they were rich or poor."

"Aw..." Ash smiles as he leads the applause.

"I bet those baby Vulpixes looked cute!" Misty agrees.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 82: The Farmhand's Riddle (Misty)

(real tale: The Tiller and the Monk)

"There was once a young farmhand that was traveling home from town one night, and decided to rest at the inn for the night." Misty begins. "He befriended a miko, or priestess, that was on a great journey while he was there. While at first, he enjoyed listening to the miko's deep wisdom, but as the night wore on, he started to tire of the miko's constant talking about anything and everything."

Giggles fill the air at this. "The miko also noticed the farmhand was getting bored, and proposed a challenge of wits." Misty continues. "The farmhand initially refused--he was tired, and wanted to go to bed." More laughter goes up as Misty feigns a yawn. "But the miko kept offering more and more gold as a prize until he finally relented. They agreed that the miko would give the farmhand fifty coins if she were stumped by a question of his, and he would give her five coins if he were stumped by a question of hers."

Piqued murmurs race through the crowd as they speculate on what questions will be asked. "The miko's first question was 'How do you measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object?'" Misty glances around the tent for any volunteers brave enough to answer.

"Don't you put the object in water?" Ash muses.

"Then you measure how much the water level rises and subtract that from how much water you started with." Brock explains. "The answer you get from that is the volume of the object."

"Professor Brock saves the day again." Melody smiles.

Misty's voice quiets the chatter. "The farmhand thought for an hour or two, but couldn't come up with an answer, and so he gave the miko five coins."

Laughter goes up as Misty pantomimes giving Ash five coins. "He then asked the miko 'What has the heart of a Raikou, the wisdom of an Braviary, and the strength of a Tauros?'"

The tent falls silent at the question. "The miko was stunned by the question--she spent the rest of the night contemplating an answer." Misty continues. "Finally, when morning came, she gave the farmhand fifty pieces as she promised, amazed at the farmhand's wisdom."

She concludes "As for the answer to the farmhand's riddle? The Pokemon Master has the heart of a Raikou, the wisdom of a Braviary, and the strength of a Tauros."

"Ash's Braviary needs some work, but he does have the Raikou and the Tauros, at least." Melody notes as she applauds.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 83: Push and Pull (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 33, story 3)

"There were once three brothers that lived in a certain village." Ash begins. "They made their keep making ink, and so they prayed to Celebi every day before gathering herbs to make ink."

"As should everyone that gathers herbs, wood, and flowers from the woods." Melody muses. "Celebi is the Voice of the Forest, after all."

"One day, the eldest brother went into town to sell the ink and buy food and supplies." Ash continues. "It took him all day to get everything, so it was very late when he started for home. As he walked on the path, he heard some odd singing in the distance, and so he followed it thinking it was Meloetta."

"W-what was it?" Misty is a little nervous.

"It turned out to be a ghost, who tried to capture him!" Ash announces, making Pikachu and the babies yelp in fear.

Ash is quick to assure them. "Luckily, the eldest brother escaped, and made it home, where he told his brothers what happened."

Pikachu heaves a sigh of relief. "His brothers noticed he dropped the food and supplies in the confusion." Ash continues. "The eldest brother was too scared to go back, so the middle brother went to get the missing food and supplies."

"Did he see the ghost too?" Brock is piqued.

Ash nods. "The middle brother encountered the ghost too, and also came running back scared. He told his brothers that he heard the ghost saying what he thought was "push" and "pull" as it chased him.

[How odd...] Mai purrs.

[What did that mean?] Korra is just as piqued.

"The youngest brother thought about what his brother had said as he traveled down the path." Ash replies. "When the ghost appeared, he declared 'I'm not afraid of you!'" He turns his cap back for emphasis. "As the ghost swirled around him, he concluded "push" meant people pushing the ghost away as they fled, and "pull" meant the ghost pulling them close so it could possess them!"

Misty yelps as thunder rumbles outside, but Brock is unfazed. "Nice touch."

"The youngest brother invited the ghost to climb on his back." Ash continues. "When the ghost complied, it lit up the area so brightly, his brothers thought it was morning. As the youngest brother struggled with the ghost, he pleaded with Arceus and Celebi to help them all."

"And then?" Melody swallows hard.

"Celebi appeared and carried the ghost away to the heavens." Ash assures his audience. "As the brothers watched Celebi fly off, gold began raining from the sky. They concluded the ghost was one of a rich man, and the coins were coins he never spent."

He concludes "They gave most of the money to the poor, but kept enough for them to never worry about food or money again. Yet they always give thanks to Celebi for protecting them that night."

Brock's applause is the loudest. "Well done, Ash--you had ME scared for a minute there..."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 84: How an Arcanine Defeated Tornadus (Brock)

(real tale: Schippeitaro)

"Once a priest was traveling across the land, and came to a village where everyone was making rice balls." Brock begins. "One house, however, was not."

"Why not?" Ash is intrigued.

"When the priest approached the house to get a closer look, he heard crying inside the house." Brock explains. "It turned out the members of that household were crying because they had to offer their only daughter as tribute to Tornadus. If Tornadus was not appeased with a sacrifice of a young girl with pure heart every year, he would send storms that would ruin the city and its fields."

"This sounds like 'Hikari Slays the Seviper'" Misty notes.

"You could argue that this tale is similar--I learned it in Driftveil while I was in the area for the Pokemon World Tournament." Brock reminds Misty. "You were with me, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Misty smiles as the memory returns to her. "My matches somehow always ended up before yours, and so you were gathering stories to pass the time waiting for your matches."

"Go on then--then what happened?" Melody urges Brock to go on.

Brock thinks as to where he is in the tale before continuing "But the whole family loved their daughter very much, and it pained them that she had to be offered to Tornadus. The priest decided to offer himself in the girl's place, and immediately set out for the eastern mountains, where Tornadus dwelled."

"Pini?" Happini asks.

"He hid inside a hollow tree until night fell." Brock tells Happini. "As the moon rose, he heard Tornadus and a group of evil spirits all singing..." He pauses to sing Don't let him hear this, don't let him hear that, don't let Shoten hear! Shoten of Tachibana, don't him hear!

He continues "The priest concluded that Tornadus and the monsters feared whoever or whatever Shoten was. After telling the family what he had learned, the priest departed to the city of Tachibana."

"So, who was Shoten?" Misty wonders.

"When he got there, he asked the people of Tachibana if there was anyone named Shoten, but the townsfolk had no clue what the priest meant." Brock goes on. "Then, he spotted an Arcanine, who happened to be named Shoten!"

"So THAT's what Shoten was!" Ash muses when he makes the connection.

[Shoten was not a who, but a what.] Mai agrees.

"The Arcanine's owner agreed to let the priest borrow his Pokemon, and the priest set out for the village." Brock continues. "Meanwhile, the people of the village were growing anxious as the day of the sacrifice neared. Some worried about the family's reaction, while others worried about what Tornadus would do if he wasn't appeased."

He takes his guitar and starts a tense melody. "The family, however, was still hopeful that the priest would return, even though they continued with the preparation for the sacrifice."

"Pika?" Pikachu sparks excitedly in anticipation of a battle.

"Just before they left to take the girl to the shrine, the priest returned with the Arcanine, and both of them climbed inside the box." Brock continues as he speeds up his song. "As soon as the villagers left the box at the shrine, they ran away. Tornadus and the monsters inspected the box, singing the song all the while."

He then sings as he plays a playful melody Don't let him hear this, don't let him hear that, don't let Shoten hear! Shoten of Tachibana, don't him hear!

He stops the song to interject "When Tornadus opened the box, the priest and the Arcanine attacked!"

Ash leads the clapping as Brock plays the Zelda theme for effect. After a while, the song begins to slow. "After a long battle, they emerged victorious..." Brock plays the Zelda got item stinger for effect. "and returned to a hero's welcome. That village never had to sacrifice another girl again."

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

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 85: The Song of Ghosts (Misty)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 25, story 3)

"A landlord that lived in a certain village once had a vexing problem--tenants kept moving out of a certain house." Misty begins. "The other tenants though the house was haunted, but the landlord didn't believe them. Finally, the landlord agreed to stay in the house himself to see what would happen."

"So what was it?" Ash wonders.

"Or who was it?" Brock is equally interested.

"The landlord believed it was a rogue scaring tenants away, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep." Misty continues. "Suddenly, around midnight, he heard a female voice in the darkness, and found a Misdreavus casting what he thought was a spell before it started to cry."

[Maybe it was heartbroken?] Mai speculates on why the Misdreavus is crying.

"Or maybe it missed its family?" Ash guesses.

"The next morning, the landlord traveled to the temple and told the miko what happened." Misty goes on. "The miko replied that the Misdreavus may have been a poet or songstress in life, and something about its poem or song was keeping it in the mortal realm. But when the landlord asked the miko to recite it a poem or sing it a song, the miko replies that all she knew was scripture, and the only songs she knew were hymns. She then asked the landlord to spend another night in the house."

"Pika?" Pikachu asks, shivering a little in fear.

"The next night, the Misdreavus appeared again, and the landlord concluded that the Misdreavus' song was about the power of love, and how music creates love, never mind he didn't have a clue what the Misdreavus was saying." Misty continues. "He then assumed the Misdreavus might have been crying because it couldn't remember the song's last lines."

"Makes sense..." Brock muses.

"The landlord invited one of the town's best known songwriters to try and figure out the song's last lines." Misty explains. "At midnight that night, the two of them watched as the Misdreavus appears again, singing what translated to..." She then sings Take a melody, simple as can be, give it some words and, sweet harmony. Raise your voices! All day long now, love grows strong now, sing a melody of...

"Pi ni?" Happini is interested in the song's last line.

"Well, the songwriter added the last lines of the verse..." Misty assures Happini before singing the last line of the Eight Melodies herself. Love, oh love.

She concludes "The Misdreavus decided to sing the completed song before rising to the heavens, thankful for the songwriter's help."

"Aw..." Brock smiles as he leads the applause.

"Maybe that Misdreavus wanted to finish its magnum opus before it left for heaven..." Melody agrees.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 86: The Prince and the Dragonite (Ash)

(real tale: The Prince and the Dragon)

"Now, it's my turn to tell a favorite bedtime story." Ash explains. "I used to ask Mom to tell me this one a lot when I was little."

With that, he begins "There was once a king in a far away land that had three sons. One morning, the eldest prince--we'll call him Arden--set out to hunt. A Buneary suddenly sprang out of the bush, and Arden chased it over hill and over dale...."

[What's a dale?] Korra interrupts.

"Dale is another word for a valley." Brock explains.

"Finally, the Buneary raced into a mill that stood beside a river." Ash continues. "When Arden went in there, instead of a Buneary, he found a fierce Dragonite!"

The Pokemon yelp and laugh at Ash's dramatic announcement. "Arden turned to run, but a fiery tongue coiled around his waist and drew him into the Dragonite's mouth, never to be seen again!" More screams and giggles go up at this.

"And then?" Brock is interested.

"When his brother did not return, the second prince--we'll him Neil-- went to look for him, and the same thing happened." Ash continues. "He saw a Buneary as soon as he entered the forest, chased it to the mill, and the mighty Dragonite swallowed him, too!"

"I have a feeling this Buneary is no ordinary Buneary..." Misty muses.

"Meanwhile, the king waited and waited for any sign of his sons." Ash goes on. "When the youngest son--we'll call him Brendan--said he wished to go in search of his brothers, the king refused him at first. But Brendan did not take no for an answer. Finally, the king gave his permission and had the finest Rapidash in the palace stables saddled for him."

"Did he meet the Dragonite too?" Melody shudders in fear.

"Like his brothers, Brendan chased the Buneary over hill and over dale and to the mill." Ash explains. "But when the Buneary dashed through the mill door, Brendan knew better than to follow it. Instead he turned and rode away, in search of other game to hunt."

[This is getting exciting--and then what happened?] Mai asks, her eyes shining in anticipation like her Meowths.

"That night, Brendan returned to the mill, and met a wise woman sitting out front." Ash continues. As a young boy, he interjects "Have you seen a Buneary?"

He then attempts his best mimic of Delia. "That was no Buneary...that was the Dragonite that has eaten many people. I beg you, turn back before he eats you too!"

After acknowledging his applause for his interplay, he continues as himself "It dawned on Brendan what had happened to his brothers, and pleaded with the wise woman to come with him. But she shook her head and explained that the Dragonite had taken her prisoner, and she too was under his enchantment, meaning she could not escape."

"So what did Brendan do?" Brock is piqued.

"Brendan thought for a while, then told the wise woman..." Ash then switches to his "Brendan" voice again. "Ask the Dragonite where he goes when he leaves the mill, and ask him what makes him so strong. Tell me what you learn when I return."

[What did the wise woman learn?] a Meowth asks.

"The Dragonite returned not long after Brendan left, and the wise woman asked where he had been." Ash explains as himself before switching to his best deep voice. "Far away."

Nervous giggles fill the tent as Ash continues as himself "The wise woman began to flatter him, praising his strength and his cleverness, and when he was in a good mood, she said..." He switches to his "Delia" voice again. "If you tell me where you get your strength, I shall kiss it in gratitude."

In character as the Dragonite, he replies "My strength lies in the hearthstone,"

As himself, he interjects "But when the wise woman kissed the hearth, the Dragonite laughed and said..." As the Dragonite again, he intones "Foolish human, I was joking! My strength lies in the tree here."

As himself, he goes on " So the woman wrapped her arms around the tree and kissed it, and again the Dragonite laughed. Finally, she learned that the Dragonite's strength lay in a faraway kingdom, near its capital city, in a lake where another dragon, a Gyarados, slept. Inside that Gyarados was a wild Emboar, and inside that Emboar was a Buneary, and inside that Buneary was a Pidove, and inside that Pidove was a Spearow. Inside that Spearow lay his strength."

"Bravo!" Brock is impressed Ash remembered the whole list.

"The next morning, Brendan returned, and the wise woman told him the Dragonite's secrets." Ash continues. "So Brendan disguised himself as a shepherd, and rode to a distant kingdom where the king was seeking a shepherd. He offered his services, and was quickly hired. The king told him..." Ash switches to his best mimic of his father. "Outside the city walls there is a lake, and by its banks are the richest meadows. As you lead the flocks, they will race there, but if they reach those meadows they will never return. Protect them from that place."

"Pini?" Happini asks. Pikachu sparks excitedly as he awaits the prince's battle.

"Brendan promised to keep the Mareep safe." Ash replies as himself. "So he went to the marketplace and bought a Pidgeot, a whistle..." He pauses to retrieve his whistle from his bag. "and two Arcanines. Then, he took the Mareep out to pasture. When the Mareep saw the lake, they began to run toward it, just as the king had said."

Everyone is on the edge of their seats, eager to know what happens next. "Brendan set the Pidgeot on a tree branch, laid his whistle on the grass..." He lays his own whistle on the ground. "and bade the Arcanines to sit. Then he waded into the water and cried..."

He then opens the tent flap and calls into the raging rain "Gyarados, if you are not a coward, come out and fight me!" Some thunder rumbles at this, as if answering Ash's challenge.

"Nice touch..." Misty smiles as Ash closes up the tent.

"The Gyarados immediately emerged from the water, and the battle raged until the sun rose high in the sky the next morning!" Ash announces as he observes his enthralled audience. "Then the Gyarados gasped and said..." In his "dragon" voice, he sputters "Let me dip my burning head into the lake and I will hurl you to the top of the sky."

He laughs at this. "Ah, if only the princess of this land were here, she would kiss my forehead, and I would throw you higher still." he retorts in character as Brendan.

"Pini!" Happini cheers at the mention of a princess.

As himself, he continues "With that, Brendan delivered the final blow, and the Gyarados fell into the lake, dazed."

Wild cheers go up at this, and Pikachu unleashes a few celebratory sparks."Brendan took his Pidgeot upon his shoulder, and with his Arcanines in front and his flock following him, he set out for the city, playing his whistle all the while." With that, Ash plays 'The Meowth's Call" for effect.

Misty leads the applause when the song ends. "As they passed through the streets, people stared." Ash explains as he fingers his whistle. "A flock of Mareep had never before returned from the lake. On top of that, the king's horsemen saw the whole thing, and they hurried to tell the king what had happened. The king sent for the princess--we'll call her Kendra--and told her she was to go with who he thought was a shepherd the next day."

[Then did he defeat the Gyarados?] a Meowth asks.

"Brendan and the Gyarados fought again the next day." Ash explains "But this time when Brendan said 'if the princess of this land kissed my forehead,' Kendra did just that, and Brendan flung the Gyarados clear into the clouds!"

"Game set! This match's winner is...BRENDAN!!!!" Brock announces in character as the Super Smash Bros. announcer.

"Talk about the power of love!" Misty is equally impressed.

"When the Gyarados finally fell to earth, he burst into a gazillion pieces, and out sprang an Emboar." Ash continues. "The Arcanines chased the Emboar, caught it, and tore it to bits. Out came a Buneary, and the Arcanines caught it too and tore it to bits. Then out came a Pidove that flew into the sky."

"Sound familiar?" Brock asks Melody.

"Brendan set loose his Pidgeot, which swooped upon the Pidove and brought it to his master. When Brendan cut it open, he found the Spearow inside. "Where are my brothers?" he demands in character as Brendan.

"Behind your father's castle stands a mill. In the mill is an enchanted emerald. Take this emerald and invoke its magic, and the iron cellar door will open. There you will find your brothers safe and sound." he replies in his best mimic of a Spearow.

As himself, he continues "Brendan hurried home to his native land, and everything happened as the Spearow said-- in the mill he found the emerald, and sang..." He pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... for effect.

"Pini?" Happini asks.

"Sure enough, the iron door flew open, and countless people streamed forth, including his brothers, who were miraculously unharmed." Ash concludes. "They were eager to hear the tale of their brother's power, wisdom, and courage, and in every kingdom there was celebration for at least a week!"

Brock's applause is the loudest at the tale's conclusion. "You know, you should perform that in front of Delia and Taran..."

"Why stop at just your family?" Misty suggests. "All of Pallet needs to see your skill at storytelling!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 87: Out of the Frying Pan, and Into the Fire (Brock)

(real tale: The Riddle)

"Once a prince had a great desire to travel across the land." Brock begins. "So with his father the king's blessings, he set out early one morning, taking no one with him but one trusty servant. One day, he came to a great forest, and try as he might, he could not think of a place to spend the night. Suddenly, he saw a girl going towards a little house, and he noticed that she was both young and pretty. So he asked her..." In his best mimic of Ash, he asks "May I and my servant spend the night in this house, good lady?"

"Oh yes," he sighs in character as the girl. "You can if you like, but I should not advise you not to do so."

"Why not?" he asks in character as the prince.

"My stepmother deals in evil magic, and she is not very friendly to strangers." he replies as the girl.

"I see...the prince was asking to stay in a witch's house." Melody concludes.

"You're right, Melody--the prince guessed easily that he had stumbled on a witch's house." Brock acknowledges Melody's prediction with a nod. "but as it was getting dark and he could go no further, and he was not afraid, he went inside."

Pikachu swallows hard at this. "The witch welcomed them, and conjured a fire to cook something in a little pot that hung over the coals." Brock explains. "Her daughter had secretly warned the travelers to be very careful not to eat or drink anything, as the old woman's brews were apt to be dangerous."

"Of course witch's brews are dangerous..." Misty mutters.

"They went to bed, and slept soundly till morning." Brock goes on. "The next morning, just before the prince and his servant set out, the witch offered them what she claimed as a healing potion. But the prince knew better, and rode off, leaving his servant behind."

"It had to be some kind of poison..." Ash muses.

"It was poison all right." Brock assures Ash. "In fact, no sooner had the servant accepted the vial, did it shatter, making the poison spurt all over the unlucky Ponyta. It was so powerful, the poor Pokemon was dead in mere seconds."

Happini shudders at this. "The servant ran after his master and told him what had happened." Brock goes on. "But when the servant returned to retrieve his saddle, he saw that a Murkrow had perched on the corpse and was pecking at it. Figuring the Murkrow would make a decent meal, he killed it with an arrow."

"A-and then?" Ash stammers.

"They rode on all day through the forest without even finding an exit." Brock continues. "At nightfall they reached an inn, and the servant gave the innkeeper the Murkrow to prepare for their dinner. They didn't know that this inn was a regular hideout of a gang of bandits, and the old witch too came there often."

"You were right when you said this tale was called 'Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire'" Melody notes.

"Who wants to bet Team Rocket were the bandits?" Ash whispers to Misty. Misty giggles at the thought.

"As soon as it was dark, the bandits arrived with the full intention of killing and robbing the strangers." Brock continues. "Before they set to work, however, they sat down to dinner, and the innkeeper and the old witch joined them. They all ate some broth in which the flesh of the Murkrow had been stewed down. They had hardly taken a couple of spoonfuls when they all fell down dead as doornails, for the poison had passed from the Ponyta to the Murkrow and so into the broth. So there was no one left belonging to the house but the innkeeper's daughter, who was a good, well-meaning girl, and had taken no part in all the evil doings."

"I guess it was a good thing the prince and his servant didn't eat the Murkrow." Misty heaves a sigh of relief.

"She opened all the doors, and showed the strangers the treasures the bandits had gathered together; but the prince bade her keep them all for herself, as he wanted none of them." Brock continues. "After traveling for some time, they reached a kingdom where lived a lovely but arrogant princess--we'll call her Leiko. She had decreed that anyone who asked her a riddle which she couldn't guess would be her husband, but should she figure it out, he would pay with his life. She claimed three days in which to think over the riddles, but she was so smart, she would usually have an answer before three days passed. Nine suitors had already lost their lives when our hero arrived, and, dazzled by her beauty, determined to risk his life in hopes of winning her."

"So what did he do?" Misty is interested.

"Our hero came before Leiko and challenged her with 'One slew none and yet killed twelve.'" Brock replies. "Try as she might, and as smart as she was, Leiko had no idea what the answer was! She thought, and thought, and thought some more. She asked the wisest of sages, and looked through every book in the royal library, but had no luck. So she ordered her maid to sneak into the prince's bedroom, for she thought that he might perhaps inadvertently reveal the answer as he slept. But the clever servant had taken his master's place, and when the maid came he tore off the cloak she had wrapped herself in and chased her out of the room."

"I would do the same if someone came sneaking in my room at 2 AM." Ash smiles. Pikachu laughs as he pictures the servant chasing the maid away.

"On the second night, Leiko sent her lady-in-waiting, hoping that she might have better luck." Brock continues. "But the servant took away her mantle and chased her away too."

"Azu azu ri rill, rill?" Azurill asks.

Brock nods. "That's right, Azurill--in the middle of the third night, Leiko came herself, all huddled up in a misty grey mantle, and sat down by his bed. When she thought he was fast asleep, she spoke to him, hoping he would answer in the midst of his dreams, as many people do. She didn't know that he was wide awake the whole time, and heard and understood everything very well."

"Must've drank a lot of royal coffee to stay awake." Misty whispers to Ash. Ash chuckles as he pictures the prince bouncing off the walls in a caffeine rush.

Brock ignores the chatter. "Then she asked him what 'One slew none and yet killed twelve' meant. He answered: 'A Murkrow which fed on the corpse of a poisoned Ponyta. Then twelve bandits ate the Murkrow and died of it.'

"Gee, this sounds familiar..." Ash smiles as he puts two and two together.

"As soon as Leiko knew the answer, she tried to slip away, but our hero held her mantle so tightly that she was obliged to leave it behind." Brock goes on. "The next morning, Princess Leiko announced that she had guessed the riddle, and sent for the royal council of twelve sages, who listened as she detailed the riddle and its answer. But our hero added that Leiko came by night to question him, otherwise she never would have guessed it."

"So Leiko didn't figure it out on her own!" Melody cries.

"The sages were skeptical, and asked for proof." Brock continues. "So the servant brought out the three cloaks, and when the judges saw the grey one, which they knew was Leiko's favorite, they commanded it to be embroidered with gold and silver--for it was to be her wedding mantle."

"It goes without saying they lived happily ever after, right?" Ash smiles as he applauds. Brock just grins and takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 88: Going to See Mr Korbes (Misty)

(real tale: Mr. Korbes)


"Once a pair of Combuskens decided to go a journey together." Misty begins. "So Mr. Combusken built a beautiful carriage out of fine oak, and decorated it with ivy inlays and jewels--even its four red wheels sparkled in the sun."

"Ooh..." Ash smiles as he pictures the carriage.

"In fact, it was just large enough for four Pikachus to pull it." Misty adds. "So after loading the carriage with food and supplies, Mr. and Mrs. Combusken got into it, and were whisked off down the road. It wasn't long before they met a Meowth, who asked where they were going. Mr. Combusken answered..." Misty pauses to sing On Mr. Korbes a call to pay,
And that is where we go today!

After waiting for the applause to die down, Misty continues "The Meowth asked if he could come too, and Mr Combusken replied 'Very well, only you must sit well back, and then you will not fall forward.'"

She then sings again And pray take care
Of my red wheels there;
And wheels be steady,
And Pikachu be ready
On Mr. Korbes a call to pay,
For that is where we go today!

Brock stifles a giggle at Pikachu, who is playing "Ponyta" with Happini as his "rider". "Wonder who this Mr. Korbes guy is..." Ash muses.

Misty continues "Then they found a millstone, and then an egg, and then they met a Ducklett, who asked to come along, then they found a pin, and then they found a needle. But when they came to Mr. Korbes's house, he was not at home."

"Then where was he?" Melody asks.

"More importantly, what did the party do?" Brock wonders as Pikachu and Happini complete another lap around the tent.

"The Pikachus drew the carriage into the barn, Mr. and Mrs. Combusken flew up and perched on a beam, the Meowth sat by the fireside, the Ducklett settled on the water, the egg was wrapped in a towel, the pin was laid in the chair cushion, the needle was laid in the bed among the pillows, and the millstone was put by the door." Misty explains. "Then Mr. Korbes came home, and went to the hearth to make a fire, but the Meowth threw ashes in his eyes."

The boys burst out laughing at this. "Then he ran quickly into the kitchen to wash himself, but the Ducklett splashed water in his face." Misty continues. "Then he was going to wipe it with the towel, but the egg broke in it, and stuck his eyelids together." More laughter fills the air at this.

"In order to get a little peace he sat down in his chair." Misty continues as the laughter quiets. "But the pin ran into him, making him jump at least ten feet."

Everyone howls with laughter again. "In his anger he threw himself on the bed, but as his head fell on the pillow, in went the needle, so that he called out with the pain, and madly rushed out." Misty explains. "But when he reached the house door, he tripped on the door and landed on some rocks."

She concludes "Needless to say, it took Mr. Korbes some time to recover from all those injuries!"

Ash raises an eyebrow. "That doesn't really make any sense..."

"Yeah, why would the Pokemon want to hurt the person they wanted to see all because he wasn't home at the time they got there?" Brock is equally confused at the story's premise.

"Well, you'd have to ask Daisy, who taught me the story..." Misty confesses. "At least I didn't kill off Mr. Korbes like she did."

"That's a silly reason to die, simply because you were not home to receive guests!" Melody gasps.

"Your story's not a total loss..." Brock assures Misty as he writes down the bones of the story. "It sounds perfect for a detective story..."

Yeah--someone appears to be murdered simply because he wasn't home to receive guests, but the real reason is much more sinister!" Ash suggests.

Misty giggles. "Let me know when your mystery's finished, Brock--I'd totally read it!"

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 89: Mightyena's Eyes (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 34, story 2)

"There was once a man that lived in a certain village at the base of Mt. Moon." Ash begins. "We'll call him Tad."

"Pika?" Pikachu looks up from a drawing, piqued in his master's tale.

"One year, a great storm passed through the area, devastating many homes and lives." Ash goes on. "Unfortunately, Tad's house and fields were among the casualties. He was understandably devastated, and spent days wandering through the woods in hopes he could start a new life somewhere."

"How awful..." Misty sighs. Happini sniffles in a agreement as Brock brushes a tear from her eye.

"It gets better, okay?" Brock assures Happini as she tries to fight back tears.

"As Tad was traveling, a Mightyena appeared, but it didn't hurt him." Ash continues. "Then more Mightyenas came, but not one of them laid a paw on him. Then the leader of that pack came, and told him that they understood his suffering, and that he had no need to despair. The Mightyena gave Tad a sapphire that looked like an eye, and told him that it would allow him to see a person for what they truly were when its magic was invoked. Tad was then told to go into what is now Pewter City and find work."

"Pini pini?" Happini asks as she wipes away the last of her tears.

"The next morning, Tad arrived in town and activated the sapphire..." Ash pauses to sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... for effect. "But not one of the people he passed were good people at all. Finally, he found a good person in town to work for in a wealthy but kind merchant, and was hired as a servant."

Misty smiles--maybe there's hope for Tad, she thinks.

"Tad proved himself as a reliable worker, but one night, his master asked to get to know him better." Ash goes on. "Tad told his master everything that had happened, and showed him the sapphire. The merchant remembered that a pottery maker would arrive in town the next day, and asked to use the sapphire. It turned out the pottery merchant was a swindler, because his pots were fakes."

"Wow..." Brock is impressed.

"He decided to keep Tad close, as he was the real treasure with his reliability and wisdom." Ash continues. "A few weeks went by, and a young lady--we'll call her Nadia-- came to the merchant's house. When Tad looked at her through the sapphire, she was shown to be pure. His master explained that Nadia was his daughter."

Brock balks in surprise. "Really?"

"I did NOT see that coming!" Misty agrees.

"Tad quickly fell in love with Nadia, and it wasn't long before the two were married." Ash concludes. "Yet he always kept the sapphire with him, so they would be protected from evil."

"Aw..." Melody smiles as she applauds.

"Now, see? Told'ja the story would get better." Brock assures Happini. Happini just nods as she awaits her daddy's next tale...