Tale 76: Arceus' Counsel (Misty)

(real tale: Prince Darling)

"There was once a king in a far away land who was well loved by his people for his kindness." Misty begins. "One day, he saw a Buneary shivering in a cold rainstorm, and immediately took it in. He didn't know the Buneary was really the Great Lord Arceus in disguise!"

"Pikachu." Pikachu smiles.

"Arceus was pleased the king had passed his test of faith, and offered to grant him one wish." Misty continues. "The king told Arceus that he only wished for guidance for his son--we'll call him Benjamin."

"There has to be a catch..." Ash mumbles.

Arceus agreed to the king's wish, but warned him that he would stay by Benjamin's side so long as he did good things." Misty explains. "If he did bad things to others, Arceus would leave him, and bad things would happen to him."

"There's the catch." Brock assures Ash.

"It wasn't long before the king joined Arceus in the heavens himself." Misty goes on. "Benjamin did well ruling the country on his own, and with Arceus' by his side, he was always in a great mood, leading many to call him King Benjamin the Joyful. There was just one problem..."

"Uh oh..." Ash swallows hard.

"When he was younger, Benjamin was not well taught in right from wrong." Misty intones. "So one day, he was out hunting, and not catching a thing, leaving him so cranky, he kicked his pet Growlithe!"

"Lord Arceus was mad at that..." Melody muses.

"Kicking the Growlithe was only one of Arceus' concerns--he was more angrier about Benjamin's anger and selfishness." Misty replies. "Benjamin tried his best to fix his faults, eventually falling in love with a princess named Celia. But no matter how he tried to do good things, his court was not a good one, and they all kept urging Benjamin to do bad things." Misty goes on. "He imposed harsh laws and high taxes, he killed people for no good reason, and even imprisoned Celia in her own tower!"

"That's not nice!" Ash is appalled at Benjamin's behavior.

"But Arceus was the angriest of all." Misty agrees. "He was so mad, he cursed Benjamin, saying..."

Brock decides to fill in Arceus' dialogue. "I promised your father that I would give you good advice, and to punish you if you refused to follow it. You have despised my counsel, and have gone your own evil way until you are only outwardly a man; really you are a monster--the horror of everyone who knows you. It is time that I should fulfill my promise...I condemn you to resemble the Pokemon whose ways you have imitated. You have made yourself like the Entei by your anger, and like the Mightyena by your greediness. Like an Arbok, you have ungratefully turned upon one who was a second father to you; your churlishness has made you like a Tauros. Therefore, I curse you to take the appearance of all these Pokemon!"

Everyone gasps as they picture the monstrosity. "Sure enough, Benjamin transformed into a hideous creature with an Entei's head, a Tauros' horns, a Mightyena's feet, and a Arbok's body." Misty continues. "Benjamin was frightened at what he had become, and pleaded to Arceus for mercy." Misty continues. "But Arceus only said..."

"I will only forgive you and return you to your true form if you do a good deed to all those that did a good deed for you." Brock intones as Arceus. "Until then, you will remain like this."

"Benjamin fled into the woods, but he was captured by the royal tamers and put on display as a mutant Pokemon." Misty continues. "He managed to befriend the tamer in charge of him, and did his best to treat him well. One day, a Raikou got loose, and try as the tamers might, three were killed in the struggle. But when Benjamin saw the Raikou about to kill his only friend, he sprung into action and killed the Raikou after a long battle, saving his friend's life. As a reward for doing a good deed, Arceus transformed him into a Growlithe. The tamer believed the Growlithe had saved him, and told the court what had happened. Just then, Benjamin saw Celia approaching him with one of the royal sages, and in all his barks and yips, he told Celia and the whole court he was sorry for mistreating them."

"Pini pinipi?" Happini asks, her eyes shining hopefully.

Misty smiles--Happini figured out who the sage really was. "It turned out the sage with Celia was Arceus in disguise, and he restored Benjamin to his human form."

Brock fills in Arceus' dialogue. "Celia has always loved you ever since she first saw you, only she would not tell you while you were following evil's path. Now that you have turned from your wicked ways, you deserve to be happy, and so she will love you for all time."

"Benjamin and Celia were soon married, and Benjamin did very well to love Celia and treat his people well." Misty concludes. "But he was especially grateful to Arceus for forgiving him and giving him another chance."

She is flattered by the group's applause, so after acknowledging Brock, she takes a bow herself.