Tale 93: The Legend of the Twin Flutes (Brock)


"There was once a couple in a far away land who had a son they loved very much--we'll call him Mana." Brock begins. "One year, when Mana was about three or four years old, his mother died from a terrible disease. His father grieved for a while, but eventually married again--and Mana's new stepmother had a son of her own."

"Uh oh..." Ash notes.

"Bad sign...and the classic setup for many variants of 'Cinderella'" Misty notes.

"The stepmother's son ate like a king most nights with the choicest meats, cheese, and Berries." Brock continues. "Mana, meanwhile, was often stuck with the leftovers from the previous night, when it would be cold and hard as a rock. But Mana didn't despair--he had a team of Pokemon for company, and they would share what meat and Berries they found with their master."

"What Pokemon were they?" Ash asks.

Brock freezes for a moment--in every version of this tale he has heard, the Pokemons' species are never explicitly mentioned. "The leader was a Pikachu, and the others were an Espeon, a Vulpix, a Squirtle, a Pidgeotto, and a Bulbasaur."

"That works." Misty smiles, pleased with the Pokemon Brock chose.

"Eventually Mana's stepmother grew jealous of him, as he was growing big and strong, and her own son was not. She contemplated many ways to get rid of Mana, even entertaining thoughts of killing him."

Korra brandishes her claws for a moment, as if wanting to protect Mana. "So one day, she faked sick in her room." Brock goes on. "When her husband asked what was wrong, she told him that only the blood of Mana would heal her."

Gasps go up from the Meowths, but Brock reassures them "The man couldn't bring himself to kill his own son--he knew well the strong bond he had with his Pokemon, and how they would attack him if he tried to hurt Mana. So he took his sword, and killed a Taillow instead. Thankfully, the stepmother appeared to be none the wiser."

"And then?" Melody asks as the Meowths and Mai heave a collective sigh of relief.

"The man knew that it was only a matter of time before the stepmother figured out his ruse, and so he sent Mana away in hopes he could start a new life somewhere." Brock continues. "The day before Mana left, his Pikachu--we'll call him Inazuma--gave Mana a pair of flutes, one of them gold, and the other one silver."

Ash reaches for his whistle at the mention of a flute. "Inazuma explained that the silver flute was Kanashifue. or "the sad flute". If Mana played Kanashifue, the Pokemon would know he was in need or in danger, and they would come help. The gold flute was Shiawasefue, or "the happy flute". If Mana played Shiawasefue, the Pokemon would know Mana was safe and happy."

"So, what happened to Mana?" Melody asks.

"Mana traveled a long way, using the twin flutes to obtain whatever he needed." Brock explains. "After a long journey--which is a story in itself--he settled down in an eastern kingdom. For many nights, he would play Shiawasefue to the wind, and his Pokemon would know he was well."

Ash plays the jig 'Pikachu Went-a-Walkin'" to simulate the passage of time. "One day, the princess of the land was out walking, when she heard Shiawasefue echoing on the wind." Brock continues, prompting Ash to switch to "Ah, Roshin". "Since she was a good ways off, she couldn't see Mana from the road. So for many days, she wondered who was playing the beautiful melodies she heard echoing from the fields every day."

"Did her father the king notice?" Melody asks over the song.

"He noticed the princess--we'll call her Junko--wasn't eating or sleeping, and asked what was wrong." Brock replies. "Princess Junko told her father that she longed to see the one playing the flute she heard from the road every day. She went on to request that if the performer was male, she wished to have his hand in marriage."

"Aw..." Misty smiles as Ash finishes "Ah, Roshin"

"Mana, meanwhile, was so lost in playing Shiawasefue he didn't notice that a thief had taken Kanashifue so now he only had one flute to play on." Brock cautions. "When he saw Princess Junko, they fell madly in love, and were married soon after. But after a few months of royal life, Mana longed to see his Pokemon again, but he didn't have Kanashifue. Playing Shiawasefue wouldn't work either. Eventually, Inazuma and the other Pokemon were so worried about their master, they set out to find Mana."

[Did they find him?] a Meowth asks.

"They didn't know where Mana had gone, so they wandered all over the land trying to find him." Brock explains. "Eventually, they all fainted with exhaustion not far from the spot Mana played Shiawasefue from." Brock replies. "Mana found them that evening, and thinking they had died, fell to his knees and pleaded with the Great Lord Arceus to revive them."

"And then?" Melody sniffles as she fights back tears.

"Arceus heard Mana's plea, and revived all six Pokemon, plus gave him a new copy of Kanashifue. Brock assures Melody. "Mana was overjoyed, and lead them to the palace, where he introduced them to Princess Junko. Mana's Pokemon were treated like kings and queens themselves, and when the time came for Mana and Princess Junko to inherit the throne, they served as their most trusted advisors."

Melody brushes away a happy tear. "I love happy endings...."

(The real tale is a tale from India called "Flute of Joy, Flute of Sorrow", which you can read on Google Books)