Tale 38: The Spellsinging Contest (Melody)


"I've been enjoying hearing the three of you tell your tales and sing your songs, but may I have a chance to tell a story?" Melody asks.

"Really?" Ash is excited to be hearing a story from a Legendary.

"Sure!" Brock smiles as he switches out his guitar for his harp. "I'll even accompany you on the harp, if you want."

Melody clears her throat and motions for Brock to play a relaxed melody. "When the Great Lord Arceus created this world, he left me in charge of singing about great humans and Pokemon. And sing I did--and people and Pokemon from miles around came to listen as I roved from land to land. Ash is only the latest hero I have had the privilege to travel with and protect."

"Mm-hm..." Misty smiles.

"But that is not the tale want to tell." Melody assures the group. "The tale I want to tell you concerns an arrogant young mage who thought he could sing better than me."

"A mage?" Ash is interested.

"This young mage, whose name is only known to Lord Arceus now, was very skilled in spellsongs, and the only one better than him, the people said, was me." Melody continues. "The young mage decided he would challenge me to a spellsinging contest, and defeat me."

"Warning, warning, mistake in progress!" Brock interjects as he plays a two note ostinato that sounds like an alarm bell.

Melody just smiles at Brock's quip. "He didn't know that at the time--but he saddled his fastest Rapidash, and traveled for three days to reach Rainbow Plain--my favored spot for performing back then. His arrival was so sudden, it startled me. When I asked who he was and why he had come, he boasted he was going to best me in spellsinging. I accepted his challenge, and asked him what some of the wisest things he knew were. He sang this song...."

Brock begins a mystical melody as Melody sings Etsale daymb cum metsa yea ptrili,
Etsale gilalepa yea mialona.
Litsar yamb Seels yola wyuie yowr cale,
Seaking yoks wa Magikarp yowr Feebas
Halar yamb wa fror spor crir Sawsbuck,
glirfa an wir lewr, wi spor crir Ponytas.
Wir ar koga yamb ce wiaks crilott!

Ash and Misty applaud Melody's song. "Then, our contest began--it started out simple, I would sing a Pokemon into existence, and he would do the same." Melody continued over a soft chord from Brock. "Then we sang more complex things and Pokemon into existence--rocks, trees, houses, fires, waves." Brock's chords get louder and more complex as Melody lists the items. "By the time we got to very complex items--stars, fireworks, jewels, rainbows--he was growing tired, while I was still eager to sing more." Brock's sweeping chords fill the air, but then taper off to quiet notes.

"So did the young mage ever admit defeat?" Misty asked.

"He finally admitted defeat a few hours later, when he couldn't even muster the strength to sing a blade of grass into existence." Melody concludes over a soft interlude from Brock. "That mage humbled himself, and no one has tried to challenge me again."

"That's because you've been doing it for years." Ash smiles as he applauds.

(the real tale is based on the Finnish legend "Magic Singing", which you can find on Google Books)