Tale 96: The Dragonite of the North (Brock)

(real tale: The Dragon of the North)

"A long time ago in what is now Kanto, there was a terrible Dragonite who lived in the northern mountains." Brock begins. "He would come out of the north and lay to waste whole swaths of countryside, devouring men, women, children, and Pokemon."

"Oh my..." Melody gasps as she pictures the Dragonite destroying some fantastic city somewhere in Kanto.

"This monster was so destructive that it was feared that unless help came, no living creature would be left on the face of the earth." Brock intones. "In fact, it could fly so fast, it covered half a mile of ground in ten seconds. Fortunately, it usually tended to remain for several years in the same place, and not move on till the whole city was eaten up."

Ash swallows hard as Brock goes on. "Nothing could hunt it, because its whole body was covered with scales harder than even mythril. Its two great eyes shone by night, and even by day, like the sun and the moon. Anyone who had the misfortune to look into those eyes became cursed, and many times ran into the monster's jaws, in spite of themselves. That was how the Dragonite was able to feed upon men, women, children, and Pokemon without having to get up from the spot where it was lying."

[Did anyone even try to defeat it?] Korra shudders at Brock's description.

"All the neighboring kings and queens in the land offered rich rewards to anyone who could destroy the monster, either by sword or by spell." Brock replies. "Many tried their luck, but all had miserably failed."

He addresses his friends. "Having said all of that, I can now properly begin this tale."

With that, he continues "Now, a great forest in which the Dragonite lay once caught on fire--the forest was burnt down, but the fire did not harm the Dragonite in the least. However, there was a legend in the country in which our tale takes place that the Dragonite would be defeated by someone who possessed a magical ring said to have belonged to the first Pokemon Master."

"Magic?" Ash gasps, excited. "Where was this Pokemon Master's ring?"

"That was the problem--no one knew where the ring was hidden, nor were there any mage or wise one who would know where it was, much less unlock its power." Brock replies. "Finally, a brave young man--we'll call him Alex--set out to search for the ring. He set out early in the morning as the sun rose, because he knew that all the wisdom of old time comes from the east. On the way, he met with a famous mage, and asked for his advice in the matter. He was told that the Pokemon of the land, sea, and air would be better guides--and so he stayed with the mage a few days, learning the language of Pokemon."

[What did the Pokemon tell him?] a Meowth asks.

"As Alex left on his journey, the mage told him that if he was lucky enough to find the Pokemon Master's ring, he was one of the very few who could tap into its power." Brock assures the Meowth. "Alex never felt lonely as he walked along; he always had company, because he understood the language of Pokemon. He learned many things which human knowledge could never have taught him. But the days wore on, and he heard nothing about the ring."

"Not even a rumor?" Misty asks.

"Not even a rumor." Brock replies. Misty sighs, but Brock continues "But one evening, when Alex had stopped to rest from all the walking he had done that day, he heard two Taillows chattering in the trees. One of them said that in order to find the Pokemon Master's ring, he would have to seek help from Verene, the Gardevoir that served as one of Arceus' envoys. If she didn't have the ring herself, she would know well enough who did. The other Taillow asked where Verene was. As a Psychic Pokemon, she had no fixed dwelling, but would be one place today and somewhere else tomorrow."

"What did the other Taillow say?" Melody wonders.

"The other Taillow confessed that he didn't know where she was at that time, but in three nights, she would come to the spring to wash her face, as she did every month when the moon was full." Brock replies. "Alex heard all of this, and followed the Taillows to the spring, stopping to rest when they did, and being careful to not lose them in the brush. Three days later, he came to a clear spring in the middle of a clearing. He sat down at the foot of the tree, and listened to what the Taillows were talking about. One Taillow wondered if Verene would see Alex, but the other assured his companion that as a Psychic Pokemon, nothing was likely to escape her eyes, not even a young man."

He pauses for a beat before continuing "The full moon was already shining down upon the forest when Alex heard something rustling in the bush. After a few moments, a white humanoid Pokemon that resembled a maiden came into the clearing. She glided over the grass so lightly that she never touched the ground and approached the spring. Alex could not turn away his eyes from the Pokemon, for he had never in his life seen a woman, much less a Pokemon, so beautiful. Without seeming to notice anything, the Gardevoir went to the spring, looked up to the full moon, then knelt down and bathed her face nine times. Then looked up to the moon again and walked nine times around the spring, and as she walked, she sang a song, which went something like this..."

Melody decides to fill in Verene's song. Full-faced moon with light unshaded, let my beauty ne'er be faded. Never let my cheek grow pale! While the moon is waning nightly, May the maiden bloom more brightly, May her freshness never fail!

Everyone applauds Melody's song. "Thanks, Melody." Brock smiles. "Just as Verene was about to leave, she spotted Alex by the tree. Alex got up and stood waiting, afraid of what Verene would do to him. Then Verene said..." He motions to Melody again.

"You should be harshly punished because you watched my secret doings in the moonlight." Melody fills in Verene's dialogue. "I will forgive you, because you are a stranger and knew no better. But you must tell me who you are and how you came to this place, where no mortal has ever set foot before."

"Forgive me, beautiful Gardevoir, if I have unintentionally offended you." Ash replies as Alex. "I happened to come here after traveling far, and found a good place to sleep under this tree. At your coming I did not know what to do, but stayed where I was, because I thought my silent watching could not offend you."

"Then come and spend this night with me. You will sleep better on a pillow than on damp moss." Melody replies as Verene.

Brock waits for the applause to die down before going on "Alex hesitated for a moment, but the Taillows told him to go with Verene, as she would not harm those she favored. So he went with her, and they came to a beautiful garden, where a splendid castle that glittered in the moonlight stood. When Alex went inside, he found many rooms, each one finer than the last. Hundreds of torches burnt upon golden candlesticks, making it bright enough to be daytime. Then they reached the dining room where a table was spread with the finest of dishes."

Ash licks his lips at the thought of eating the food Brock described. "At the table were two chairs--one was silver, the other gold. Verene sat in the golden chair, and offered the silver one to her companion. They were served by Kirlias that shone like the moon, and both of them ate until they could burst, and talked for hours as they did." Brock goes on. "When dinner had ended, Alex and Verene continued to talk late into the night. When Alex finally felt tired, he was shown into a lavish bedroom, containing a silken bed with down cushions, where he had the best sleep in years."

"What I would give for a bed like that..." Misty smiles dreamily.

"The next morning, Verene asked Alex if he would stay with her forever in the castle." Brock went on. "Alex was surprised, but knew a human could not marry a Pokemon, and vice versa. "He told her..."

"Do not be angry, dear lady, if I do not decide immediately on this important matter." Ash fills in Alex's dialogue. "Give me a few days to consider before we come to an understanding."

"Very well." Melody answers as Verene. "Take some time to consider if you like, I will understand regardless of your choice."

"Verene showed Alex every part of her beautiful castle, and showed him all her splendid treasures, many of them gifts from Arceus." Brock continues. "One day, Verene took Alex into a secret chamber, where a little gold box was standing on a silver table. Pointing to the box, she said..."

"Here is my greatest treasure, whose like is not to be found in the mortal world--a precious gold ring." Melody fills in the dialogue as Verene.

"Oh? What's so remarkable about it?" Ash asks as Alex.

"Very few mortals are able to understand the power of this ring, because very few thoroughly understand the power within." Melody explains as Verene. "But even with my limited knowledge of the divine, I can work great wonders. For example, if I put the ring on, and sing Karuto, iichiida shou... then I can teleport to wherever I wish to go. If I put it on and sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... I can see everything that passes around me, though no one can see me. If I put the ring on and sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul, then neither spell, nor arrow, nor sword can hurt me, and I can attack with all matter of spells as well. If I put on and sing Imultao, ame no ga bakeno..., then I can produce whatever I wish. Besides these, the ring has other secret spellsongs, whose powers a mortal can only barely understand and use. It is said this ring belonged to one humans call a Pokemon Master in ancient times, when mortals could learn and use magic. It is not known whether this ring was ever made by mortal hands--for all I know, the Great Lord could have made it."

"When Alex heard all of this, he silently vowed to try and get possession of the ring, though he did not quite believe in all its magic power." Brock continues. "A few days later, they were again speaking of the magic ring, and Alex said..."

"I do not think it possible that the ring can have all the power you say it has." Ash begins as Alex.

"Then Verene opened the box and took the ring out. She put it on, and challenged Alex..." Brock narrates.

'Take your sword, and try as hard as you can to cut me with it!" Melody challenges as Verene.

"So Alex tried again and again to cut Verene with his sword," Brock explains as Ash pantomimes swinging a sword at Melody. "But every time he attacked, Verene would sing..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"and Alex would hit an invisible wall of steel, while Verene would be unharmed." Brock continues. "Alex then explained to Verene about his quest, and why he needed the ring. Verene gladly gave it to him, and wished him well on his travels. She waved goodbye as Alex flew away."

[And then?] Mai wonders.

"Alex warped to the wise mage's house. The mage was delighted to find that his search had been successful, and set to work to try and unlock what spellsongs and powers lay within the ring." Brock goes on. "It took him seven weeks to find and make sense of the more pertinent ones. He then told Alex how to defeat the Dragonite of the North-- he was to make an iron Ponyta, and armed with a sword enchanted by the elemental attack and defense spellsong. There needed to be two strong chains on the sword's guard, too."

"Pini pi?" Happini asks.

"A guard is what connects the blade and the sword's handle." Brock explains, drawing a sword in the dirt for Happini with an arrow pointing out the guard. "As soon as he attacked the Dragonite, Alex had to spring quickly from the iron Ponyta and fasten the ends of the chains firmly to the ground with iron stakes, so that he couldn't get away. After two or three days the monster's strength would be so far exhausted that he would be able to come near him, and deliver the final blow."

"Did it work?" Misty asks.

"Alex thanked the mage for his help, and warped home." Brock replies. "A few weeks later, he heard people say that the terrible Dragonite of the north was not far off, and due to arrive in the kingdom any day. The king announced publicly that he would give his daughter the princess in marriage, as well as a large part of his kingdom, to whoever should free the country from the monster. Alex then went to the king and told him that he had good hopes of subduing the Dragonite, if the king would grant him all he desired for the purpose. The king willingly agreed, and the iron Ponyta, the great sword, and the chains were all prepared as Alex requested. When all was ready, Alex did everything the mage had said to do, and before long, the Dragonite was defeated."

Everyone cheers at this. "The news that the terrible monster was dead spread like wildfire." Brock concludes. "Alex returned to a hero's welcome, and he and the princess were married a few days later. It was a grand affair, and the festivities lasted an entire month. All the neighboring kings and queens never forgot the boy who had freed the world from the Dragonite."

"WOW!!!" Misty is the most impressed as she leads the applause.

"You've proved to all of us why you are the master!" Ash agrees. Brock just smiles and takes a bow...