A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 100: The Ballad of Maiden Mirellia (the Trio)

(real tale: The Tale of Maiden Mirellia)

Misty heard the plings and plungs of Brock bringing the harp into tune, followed by a majestic melody. "That's a pretty song..."

"It's an original ballad of mine I'm thinking about adding to my repertoire as Flynn Devine." Brock explains as he plays. "It has verses, and music, I just haven't sang it for a test audience yet."

"By all means, please sing it!" Melody begs.

[Yes, we'd love to hear it too!] Mai agrees.

"I'll even defer my next tale so I can help play the music for you." Misty offers as she reaches for the fiddle case.

"I'll play too!" Ash adds, grabbing a D whistle.

Brock smiles, and begins a lullaby-like melody, Misty doubling his voice an octave above:

The lovely maiden Mirellia asleep she seemed,
Dreaming a dream
In this dream she did see
Dueling each other she and he
A sword did she wield
His identity did not yield

Spoke she tried to do
Woke up is what she did
She looked down to her neck
The location of her medallion she did check
Upon the medallion she looked
Her destiny had been overlooked

She thought about her prissy friend
Allied with a hero to the end
to he she decided she must tell
the story of the dream she knew to well
so to the castle she headed to in a spree
To set her destiny bright and free

Ash joins in as Brock picks up the tempo and Pikachu begins clapping some rocks for percussion. Her friend Sir Dan she met
They made a bet
if she were right
her outlook would be bright
Should she be wrong about whats on her neck
then her life might become a wreck
to the dread wood they headed to hastily
for that is where her dream would be Brock continues to sing over his harp and the fiddle.

Spiders, ogres, bears, and snakes
To get in their way was a huge mistake
As they made their way through the wood
they did come upon a man in a hood
Follow they did the man of mystery
Hollowed was the state of his tree

In this tree they saw a seal
And its key was most unreal
for the key as you see
was the necklace worn by she

Happini joins in with a tambourine, enthralled as Brock continues to sing The man did he speak in his speech
a understanding the duo came to reach
Mirellia and her friend close to each other
must duel one another

For the necklace to be used
A true keeper must be choosed
blades the man gave to the two
for one of them might bid the other adieu

Her male friend struck rough and tough
But she endured barely scuffed
Mirellia slashed with heart and zeal
hoping to be the one to break the seal

Long and weary the fight was
But in the end the outcome was cheery
In jest she did but laugh
as she sliced the necklace in half

Her friend wondered if she had lost her mind
But she had in mind a compromise
they would each take one half of the key
using it together he and she

Approve of this did the man
as if it were part of his plan
The two went to do what they must
What would of this surely would be just
they placed the split key on the seal
its purpose now about to reveal

The tree around the shined bright
Lighting up the dreadful night
shine did the Dread Wood
now filled with livelihood

The man told his plan
the necklace he gave to Sir Dan
In order to lighten up the Dread wood
he doubted very much the likelihood

Sir Dan had known this very well
but until now was sworn to not tell
Mirellia had now settled the bet
the result had now been set

Just friends for now they would be
But as life moves on we shall see!

Ash and Misty continue playing the festive melody, prompting Melody to shift into Pirouette form and dance to the song as the instruments and Brock's voice echo into the stormy afternoon sky...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 101: The Shiny Magikarp (Misty)

(real tale: The Golden Lads)

"Okay...my next tale is a Cerulean variant of 'Two of a Kind'" Misty explains as she puts the fiddle away. "While there's still a fish and twin siblings in this version, there's a bit more setup, and the girl actually has a little something to do."

"Really?" Brock is interested. "Let's hear it, then."

Misty then begins "There was once a poor man and his wife who lived in a little cottage, where they supported themselves by fishing. Though they each put in a day's work every day, it was still hard for them to make ends meet."

"Mm-hm...standard story beginning...." Melody beckons Misty to go on.

"One day, the man happened to catch a Shiny Magikarp." Misty continues. "As he was inspecting it, the Magikarp spoke to him, saying that if it was thrown back into the water, the cottage would turn into a splendid castle. However, the man was not to tell anyone how he got his wealth, or it would all disappear."

"Like this." Ash snaps to emphasize Misty's point.

"So the man threw the Magikarp back into the water, and thought nothing of his odd encounter." Misty explains. "But he nearly did a double take when he found a spacious castle where his cottage was, and his wife all dressed up in rich finery to boot."

"I would be too if I suddenly saw my house was a castle and Mom and Dad in fancy clothes." Ash smiles. He sighs for a moment as he pictures Delia and Taran in royal finery.

"But the woman longed to know how they had gotten the wealth, and constantly bugged the man about it." Misty goes on. "Finally, the man lost his patience and told the woman about the Shiny Magikarp. Just as the Magikarp had warned, the castle and everything in it vanished, and they were back in their little cottage again."

"So now we're back where we started again..." Brock muses.

"Some months went by, and the man happened to catch the Shiny Magikarp again." Misty goes on. "The same thing happened--the Magikarp offered to give back the castle and all its trappings if he wouldn't tell anyone how he got the wealth, his wife constantly bugged him about it, and when he finally relented, the castle and everything in it was gone--again!"

"When a Legendary or magical Shiny tells you to do something, you'd better do it." Brock cautions.

"Some more months went by, and the man caught the Shiny Magikarp a third time." Misty goes on. It told the man that when he cooked it for dinner that night, to cut it into six pieces. Of these, two were to be given to the woman for her dinner, two to their Rapidash, and plant the remaining two in his garden."

"This sounds like 'Two of a Kind'..." Ash notes.

"I can assure you, this is different." Misty assures Ash. "So the man took the Shiny Magikarp home, and did exactly as he was told. Some months went by, and two shining sunflowers grew up where the two pieces in the garden lay, their Rapidash had two Shiny Ponytas, and the couple welcomed two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was named Alamar, and the girl Orinda--and both of them grew up to have golden hair like a Shiny Magikarp."

"And then?" Ash is interested.

"Alamar and Orinda eventually came of age, and asked to go out into the world to seek their fortunes." Misty continues. "The man was reluctant at first, but Orinda assured him that if the shining sunflowers wilted, they were in danger or needed help."

"So what became of the golden twins?" Melody asks.

"Alamar and Orinda traveled for a while and had many adventures together--which are stories in themselves." Misty replies. "Alamar settled down in a far away kingdom, and Orinda stayed with him just long enough to help him move in before she went home. One day, Alamar happened to spot the princess of the land--we'll call her Kimber--and fell deeply in love with her. Her father the king objected at first--as Alamar was a mere commoner, and a royal marrying a commoner wasn't often done. But Princess Kimber explained that she and Alamar loved each other, and so the wedding preparations began."

"This is getting interesting..." Brock muses.

"Meanwhile, Alamar dreamed that night that he was out hunting and chasing a great Sawsbuck." Misty goes on. "When he woke, he couldn't shake the urge to hunt, never mind it was two in the morning. So he gathered his bow and hunting gear, and went off into the forest, and before long a fine Sawsbuck, just like in his dream, stopped just in front of him. He took aim," Misty pantomimes aiming a bow at this. "and was about to fire when the Sawsbuck bounded away. Alamar was hot on its heels--he chased it for a whole day. But in the evening the Sawsbuck disappeared, and Alamar found himself nearby a hut in which lived a witch. He knocked at the door, and asked the witch if she'd seen a Sawsbuck pass that way. The witch said yes, but before she could tell him where his prey had gone, her pet Houndour darted from the house, barking at the intruder. Alamar made the stupid mistake of threatening to kill the little Pokemon, and the witch immediately turned him to stone in anger."

"Is there a Gold Needle in the house?" Ash stammers as he looks around the tent for the requested video game item.

"Meanwhile, Orinda saw one of the shining sunflowers wilt, and feared the worst for her brother." Misty intones. She saddled her own Shiny Ponyta, and rode until she found the place where Alamar had been petrified. As Orinda fell to her knees and cried over the statue, her tears touched the statue's feet, and Alamar came back to life!"

The Pokemon cheer at this as the boys heave a sigh of relief. "Orinda was elated her brother was okay, and they embraced and kissed each other for a good long while." Misty continues. "They then rode off together to the edge of the forest, where they parted."

She concludes "And so, Alamar and Princess Kimber were married, and Orinda found a prince of her own not long after. They both lived happily ever after, as living examples of a bond that couldn't be broken."

"Aw." Ash smiles as he applauds.

"That was a sweet little story..." Brock agrees.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 102: The Possessed Sister (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 20, story 2)

"In a certain village lived a boy, his parents, and his sister." Ash begins. "One night, the sister woke up and snuck out of the house while everyone else was asleep. Her brother got up and followed her out of concern."

"I would too if one of the kids got up in the middle of the night." Brock muses.

"They came to an old, abandoned house, and when the boy looked inside, he was shocked to find that has sister had seemingly turned into a demon!" Ash announces, making the Pokemon screech with delight. "He hurried home in fear, and as he got a drink of water, he wondered where his real sister was if a demon was with them in the house?"

"Good question." Misty replies.

"The next day, the mother asked the children to get some water for cooking." Ash continues. "The boy panicked at the thought of going anywhere with his sister, and fainted." the Pokemon giggle as Ash feigns fainting. "When he came to, he tried to tell his mom and dad what he saw the night before, but they don't believe him."

"So what did it take to convince them?" Melody wonders, half afraid for the boy.

"Determined to have his parents believe him, the boy took a sword," Ash picks up a stick for effect. "and left on a long journey. On the way, he saw a Raikou growling in pain from a thorn in its paw. The boy helped the Raikou, who promised to help him in return."

"Pini?" Happini asks.

"Several days went by, and the boy returned home." Ash replies as he tosses the stick away. "He found out his mom and dad had been turned into Pikachus!"

Misty gasps, stunned by the turn of events. "The mamachu explained that everything was as the boy said, and to forgive her for not believing him." Ash continues. "The papachu added that the demoness had rounded up all the villagers and was draining their energy."

Brock decides to scat a few bars of the Riolu Girl theme song, but Ash has other ideas. "The demoness found the boy hiding on the roof, but just as the he drew his sword to attack, the Raikou he helped earlier came to the rescue!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheers, unleashing a few celebratory sparks.

"After a long battle, the Raikou defeated the demoness, returning the girl and the children's parents to normal." Ash concludes. "The boy was hailed as a hero, and the villagers built a statue of a Raikou in his honor--which you can still see in Ecruteak today."

Brock smiles. "I think I have some old pictures of us in front of that statue..." he muses as he applauds...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 103: The Day Sorin Rode Ninetales (Brock)

(real tale: Br'er Rabbit and his Riding Horse)

"Christmastime was coming to Viridian Forest, and everyone was excited." Brock begins.

"But, it's the middle of May..." Misty interjects.

"I know, that's just how the story begins." Brock assures Misty before trying his introduction again. "Christmastime was coming to Viridian Forest, and everyone was excited. Everyone, that is, but Sorin. Ninetales had outfoxed him one time too many and had made him look like a fool!"

Laughter fills the air at this. "So one day, Sorin was sitting at home moping when Raku--the Pikachu who lived up the road from him--let him know she and the other girls were having a big Christmas party." Brock continues. "Everyone's coming and we sure hope you'll come too," he adds in a perfect mimic of Misty.

He continues as himself. "Now, Sorin had a little crush on Raku, and he longed to impress her, so he said..." In his standard "Sorin" voice, he interjects "I'll ask Ninetales to take me there. You know she was my daddy's Ponyta."

More laughter fills the air at this. "Even though Raku knew as well as anyone that Sorin was quite the trickster..." Brock continues as himself. After the thunderous applause calms down, he adds "this news came as a big surprise to her. Sorin asked her to send Ninetales to bring him to the party as proof."

Some "Ooh"s fill the air at this. "The day of the party arrived, and Raku begged Ninetales to pick Sorin up." Brock goes on. "So Ninetales trotted down the road, shaking snow from her tails, for snow had begun to fall. She showed up at Sorin's house, and knocked." Giggles go up as Brock knocks on the cooler in a "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm. "When no one answered, Ninetales knocked again and harder..." He knocks the "shave and a haircut" rhythm again, slightly harder. "but Sorin did not answer. She was about to give up, when she heard someone calling..." In character as Sorin, he groans "Is that you, Ninetales? Please, call for a Chansey, I'm not feeling so good. Hurry!"

"I promised Raku I'd make sure to get you to the party," he replies as Ninetales. "You have to come."

"Ohhh," he groans as Sorin. "I'm too sick to walk that far." The group roars with laughter at Brock's exaggerated groans of pain.

"And I thought I did better groans of pain..." Ash wheezes as he wipes a tear of laughter from one eye.

"Well, if you're too weak to walk, I'll carry you." Brock replies as Ninetales.

"Noooo," he sighs as Sorin.

"Just ride on my back," he assures the group as Ninetales. "Raku will be hurt if you're not there!"

"I can't ride on your back without a saddle," he protests as Sorin.

"Okay, I'll get you a saddle." he replies as Ninetales.

"But I need reins," he complains as Sorin. "or I'll fall off!"

"Fine, I'll get a bridle too." he grumbles as Ninetales.

"You'll have to wear blinders, too." he cautions as Sorin. "or you'll get nervous, and if you're nervous, you'll shiver, and if you shiver, I'm sure to fall off!"

"Okay, a saddle and a bridle and blinders!" he roars as Ninetales.

"If you get those things, I'll go with you." he assures the group as Sorin.

"There's just one thing," he interjects as Ninetales. "You have to get off a block away from Raku's house. If you do, I'll take you there."

"No problem!" he smiles as Sorin.

The group roars with applause at the interplay. "So Ninetales ran off to fetch a saddle, a bridle and blinders from a nearby barn." Brock continues as himself. "While Ninetales was away, Sorin washed his face and cleaned his fur so he'd look his best. Ninetales returned, wearing a saddle, bridle and blinders. Sorin jumped on her back, and off they went down the snowy road."

"So what's Sorin REALLY plotting?" Misty whispers.

"Knowing Sorin, something so clever even Ninetales can't see it coming." Ash replies.

"While they were riding, Sorin lifted up one foot to put on a spur." Brock explains as he shows the group some metallic dance taps and dance shoes. "But Ninetales thought Sorin was just scratching an itch." he explains as he puts a tap on one shoe. "Then he put on the other spur, but Ninetales presumed he was scratching the other foot too." More laughter fills the tent as Brock puts on the other tap on the other shoe.

Once sure the taps are on the shoes securely, Brock goes on "When they were just a few houses from Raku's, Sorin grinned slyly and stuck the spurs into Ninetales' sides." He proceeds to slam one of the shoes on the cooler's top, making a clink sound that sounds more or less like a spur.

"AIIIIIIII!!!!" he screams as Ninetales, startling everyone. "Ai-yai-yaaaa!!!!" Rveryone howls with laughter as Brock continues to make the clinking sound. "No matter how loud Ninetales screamed, Sorin stuck those spurs in again, each time harder than the last." he explains as everyone calms down. "She couldn't help herself — anything to stop the pain! In fact, Ninetales overshot Raku's house twice!"

When the laughter calms down, Brock sets aside his prop and concludes "Ninetales was still yelping with pain when Sorin leaped off and tied his reins to a post. He sauntered into Raku's house. He smiled at all the girls. He stopped to admire the Christmas tree. He sipped a cup of hot chocolate. He visited with the guests and joined in the dancing. He swapped gifts with the other guests. But most importantly, he gave the biggest smile to Raku. But Ninetales vowed she would get Sorin back, even if it took her many Christmases to do it!"

The group roars with applause as Brock takes a bow. "I didn't know you had a prop for this tale..." Melody smiles.

"Well, I can't necessarily wear boots with spurs out in the middle of nowhere." Brock explains. "Then I can't get the sound I need for the effect. So dance shoes and taps were the next best thing."

"Pika..." Pikachu gasps, impressed by Brock's clever use of a prop.

"Add 'foley artist' to Brock's list of talents..." Ash smiles...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 104: The Legend of Maria (Misty)

(real tale: Clever Maria)


"There was once a merchant who lived close to the royal palace, and had three daughters." Misty begins. "Mind you, they were all pretty, but Maria, the youngest, was the prettiest of all of them."

"I'm sure she was..." Brock sighs dreamily.

"One day, the king asked the merchant to go on a great journey." Misty continues. "The merchant was a bit reluctant to go at first, as he did not like leaving his daughters at home alone. But he could not refuse the king's order, and so he bid them farewell early the next morning."

"Where was he going?" Ash is piqued at an epic adventure.

Misty thinks for a moment--the tale never explicitly says where the merchant goes. "He was...looking for a great treasure in the mountains." Ash seems pleased with that answer, so she goes on "Before he left, he took three pots of mint, and gave one to each girl, saying the mint would tell him if anything happened while he was away."

"Is there any basil or marjoram involved?" Ash asks. "Or riddles?"

"Nope, sorry--this is different." Misty replies. "Some weeks went by, and one day, the king, accompanied by two servants, paid a visit to the three girls, who were sitting down to dinner. When they saw who was there, Maria offered to get a bottle of wine from the cellar. The king declined Maria's offer, but she insisted anyway. It turned out that Maria's insistence was a ruse, and bought her time to run to the house of a neighbor, and knocked at the door. When the neighbor asked what had happened, Maria asked to stay with them, under the pretense she had a big fight with her sisters."

"And then?" Ash is intrigued.

"When she returned home the next day, she found the plants of her sisters withered away, because they had disobeyed their father." Misty intones. "Now the window in the room of the eldest overlooked the royal gardens, and when she saw how fine and ripe the Leppa Berries were on the trees, she longed to eat some, and begged Maria to climb down a rope and pick her a few, and she would pull her up again. Maria, who was good-natured, swung herself into the garden by the rope, got the Berries, and was just about to signal to be pulled up when her sister asked her for some Nomel Berries too. Maria turned round to get them, and found herself face to face with the gardener. Before the gardener could call the guard, she pushed him so hard, he fell panting into the Nomel bushes."

"Ow..." Ash winces at how the fall might have felt.

"Good thinking, Maria." Brock agrees.

"The next day the middle sister had a craving for Nanab Berries and begged so hard, she finally relented, never mind the incident the day before." Misty continues, to some nervous giggles. This time, the king caught her!"

"Oh no!" Melody gasps.

"The king grilled Maria about what she had done." Misty continues. "Maria confirmed that the king's story was true. Just before he could take Maria to the dungeon, the king found she had vanished completely, without leaving a trace."

"Metal Gear Maria." Ash jokes, making Brock chuckle.

"The kingdom was searched from top to bottom, and no stone was left unturned." Misty goes on. "But there was no sign of Maria anywhere. This so enraged the king that he became quite ill."

"Pini pi." Happini muses.

"Yeah, Maria wouldn't be a good person to play hide and seek with." Brock smiles.

"Meanwhile, the two elder sisters had married the two servants, and became moms of princesses of their own." Misty continues. "Now one day Maria secretly went to the house where her elder sister lived, concealed them inside a beautiful basket she had with her, and dressed herself as a boy, under the ruse she was a flower seller delivering flowers to the king."

Everyone waits to hear what will happen once the babies are discovered. "The king heard what she said, and ordered one of his attendants to go out and buy the basket. It was brought to his bedside, and as he raised the lid cries were heard, and peeping in he saw two little baby girls. He was furious at this new trick which he felt had been played on him by Maria. He was still mulling payback ideas when he was told that Maria's father had returned from his journey. Then the king remembered how Maria had refused to receive his visit, and how she had stolen his Berries, and he determined to have his revenge on her. So he sent a message that the merchant was to come to see him the next day, and bring with him a coat made of stone, or else."

"How do you make a coat out of rock?" Ash wonders.

Imultao, ame no ga bakeno... Melody sings, conjuring a coat made out of rock, much to Ash's amazement.

"Well, that's one way..." Brock replies as the Pokemon giggle at Ash's shocked face.

"Now the man had been very sad since he got home, for he had found the two elder ones married without asking his leave." Misty continues. "Then there was the question of how he was gonna make a coat of stone? Maria came to him and gave him a bit of chalk, telling him to go to the palace and say he had come to measure the king. Imagine his surprise when he was told the king wanted Maria!"

"Pika pika chu?" Pikachu asks.

"When Maria heard what had happened, she told her father to have a doll made, exactly like her, with a string attached to its head, which Maria could pull to have it nod 'Yes' and 'No.'"

"Let's see Maria get out of this..." Brock muses.

"Meanwhile, the king remained patiently in his palace, feeling sure that this time Maria could not escape him." Misty intones. "He told his pages that if a man should come there with his daughter and ask to be allowed to speak with me, to put the young lady in his room."

"And then?" Brock swallows hard in fear.

"When the door was shut on Maria, who had concealed the doll under her cloak, she hid herself under the couch, keeping fast hold of the string which was fastened to its head." Misty explains. "When he entered the room, he asked who he thought was Maria if she was well. The doll nodded yes. The king listed everything Maria had done, and at each count, Maria pulled the string, so that the doll's head nodded yes. The king thought the doll was making fun of him, and cut off the doll's head. Once it dawned on him what he had done, he started crying and wishing he too was dead. But then, the true Maria climbed out from under the bed, and flung herself into his arms, making the king's tears tears of joy and relief. The next day, they were married and lived happily for many years."

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

"Tol'ja there'd be a happy ending after all." Ash assures Azurill as he applauds....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 105: The Beasts and Darkrai (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 36, story 2)

"You may not know this, but for many years, the world was terrorized by demons at night, led by Darkrai." Ash begins as Brock retrieves his harp. "It was especially bad in what is now Olivine City--the demons would set houses ablaze, kidnap the people, and steal their belongings."

Angry murmurs go up over the harp's mournful melody as Ash continues. "Try as the guard might, Darkrai was seemingly immune to sword..." Brock plays a hard chord to represent the clang of a sword. "arrow," Brock plays a small upward glissando to represent an arrow flying. "and spell." Brock then plays a long flowing chord to represent a magic spell.

[Could Darkrai even be stopped?] Korra worries.

"The Pokemon Master grew worried about the constant attacks, and sent word to what is now Ecruteak City. A fine swordsman--we'll call him Yusha-- lived there, and rumor said that he had tamed the three Beasts." Ash explains. "Once Yusha arrived in the Aiiro City, the Pokemon Master asked him to slay Darkrai once and for all."

Interested whispers fill the air over a peaceful interlude from Brock. "After he had left the League, Yusha summoned Raikou, Entei, and Suicune and told them what to do, but not even they, with all their holy wisdom, had a clue how to defeat Darkrai." Ash continues. "So Yusha went to the shrine of Arceus to pray for victory. The Beasts, meanwhile, returned to the Burned Tower and prayed to Ho'oh for victory. Before they left for what is now Olivine, the elders of what is now Ecruteak give Yusha a potion that would heal him and the Beasts if they drank it, but harm Darkrai and his demons if they tried to drink it."

"Hm..." Milody ponders how such a potion would work.

Excited chatter goes up over the harp's battle song. "On the way, the party befriended a girl being held captive by Darkrai." Ash goes on. "She was elated someone was finally going to defeat Darkrai and his minions, and led them to Darkrai's lair. The Beasts took human form and snuck in with Yusha that night, in disguise as priests. When Darkrai saw the potion and asked what it was, Yusha claimed the potion was healing water."

Brock stops his song as Ash interjects "When Darkrai and the demons drank the potion, they all fell to the ground dazed. Yusha and the Beasts revealed themselves and attacked!"

Cheers go up over the long and flowing chords of battle, as if the epic battle between Yusha, the Beasts, Darkrai, and the demons is taking place before their own eyes. But after a while, the chords begin to quiet. "When all the demons were defeated, they cornered Darkrai in his room." Ash finally speaks as the last chord fades away. "After an equally long battle, he too was defeated."

Applause fills the tent at this. "Yusha and the Beasts returned to a hero's welcome." Ash concludes over a triumphant song. "That is why today, you can see statues of the Beasts commemorating this hero, the Beasts, and their adventures all over the world."

"How exciting!" Melody smiles as both boys take a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 106: The Regi Statue (Brock)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 5, story 2)

"There was once a couple that lived in a forest by some mountains." Brock begins. One day, the man went out to weed his fields, and put his lunch in the hollow of a tree before going to work. Some Chimchars found the bag and ate all the food inside."

"Uh oh..." Ash swallows hard.

"Was the man mad?" Melody asks.

Brock is quick to assure them "The man figured the Chimchars needed the food more than he did, so he sat very still and watched them eat from a bush."

After a few seconds, he continues "The Chimchars finished their meal and approached him out of curiosity. Having never seen a human before, they concluded he was a statue of Regirock. After debating what to do with their discovery for a moment, they agreed to take the 'statue' to a nearby temple of Arceus. As they carried him over the hills and across a river, they sang a silly song...."

He proceeds to sing to no tune in particular Everybody work to make sure Regirock won't get wet!
His legs will turn all goopy if they ever get wet!

Laughter and mild applause goes up at the impromptu song. "The man wanted to laugh at the song, but he knew he couldn't laugh if he wanted to keep up his ruse." Brock explains. "The Chimchars arrived at the shrine and left their 'statue' there. Once they had scampered away into the bush, the man finally broke his ruse, only to discover all the gold the Chimchars offered him at his feet--more gold than most people like him would earn in a lifetime. He decided to buy his beloved a present. When he got home, he bought some new clothes and a fine meal. He then told his beloved what happened over dinner--needless to say, she was very happy they would never have to worry about making ends meet again."

Some applause goes up at this, but Brock isn't done yet. "As the two of them were enjoying their meal, the neighbor's wife came, and asked where they got their newfound wealth." he continues. "The man explained what happened, and the neighbor's wife vowed to do the same thing. So the neighbors attracted the Chimchars, and the Chimchars concluded the neighbor was another statue of Regirock."

Giggles of anticipation go up as Brock continues "So as they carried the "statue", singing... He then sings again Everybody work to make sure Regirock won't get wet!
His legs will turn all goopy if they ever get wet!

"Aw"s and giggles go up at the song. "The neighbor couldn't resist the urge to laugh, and howled with laughter. Panicked, the Chimchars dropped him in the water and attacked him."

The audience roars with laughter before Brock continues "He returned home battered and burnt, with no gifts to show. In her impatience, the neighbor's wife burned all her clothing except for what she currently wore."

He concludes "They say she had to wear that one outfit for several weeks after that!"

Laughter and "ews" punctuate the applause as Brock takes a bow. "I can only imagine what that outfit must've smelled like!" Misty laughs as she applauds...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 107: The Wise Little Tailor (Misty)

(real tale: The Story of a Clever Tailor)


"Once upon a time, there lived an exceedingly proud princess--we'll call her Valencia." Misty begins. "If any suitor for her hand ventured to present himself, she would give him some kind of riddle or conundrum to guess. If he failed, he was ran out of town. She sent out a proclamation that all comers were welcome to try their skill, and that whoever could solve her riddle would be her husband."

"Interesting..." Ash muses.

"Now it happened that in a certain village lived three brothers that made their trades as tailors." Misty explains. "The two elder ones thought, that after having successfully put in so many fine and strong stitches with never a wrong one amongst them, they were certain to do the right thing here too. So they set out for the palace, telling the youngest--we'll call him Timothy--to stay home."

"Pi pini pini pi!" Happini protests.

"Yeah, Timothy deserves to try too." Brock agrees.

"But Timothy wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and headed out for the palace himself." Misty assures the boys. "The three of them arrived at court, and Princess Valencia asked them 'I have on my head two different kinds of hair--what colors are they?'"

"Hm..." Ash contemplates a possible answer to the riddle.

"The first tailor guessed black and white, but he was wrong." Misty replies. "The second tailor guessed red and brown, but he was wrong too."

"So what did Timothy guess?" Brock is piqued in Timothy's answer.

"Then Timothy stepped boldly to the front and guessed one silver and one golden hair on her head." Misty replies. "When Princess Valencia heard this, she turned white as a Gastly, and almost fainted, she was so surprised that someone managed to guess her riddle. When she had recovered herself, she told Timothy to spend a night with an Ursaring that lived in the forest by the royal stables. If Timothy was still alive the next morning, she would have his hand in marriage."

"I have a feeling she only wants to get rid of Timothy..." Melody mutters.

"You'd be right, Melody--the Ursaring had never left anyone alive before." Misty replies. "But Timothy accepted Princess Valencia's challenge anyway--he was not afraid at all."

"Pika chu?" Pikachu asks, sparking with excitement.

"When evening came, Timothy was taken to the Ursaring's cave." Misty intones. "The Ursaring tried to get at him at once and to give him a warm welcome with his great paws. But Timothy took a handful of pecans from his pocket and began cracking and eating them as though he had not a care or anxiety in the world. When the Ursaring saw this. he began to long for some nuts himself. So Timothy reached into his pocket again and gave him a handful of rocks."

The boys laugh as they picture the Ursaring struggling. "Try as the Ursaring might, he could not manage to crack them." Misty continues before retrieving the fiddle case and checking her instrument's tuning.

Once sure she is tuned, she continues. "Meanwhile, Timothy took up a fiddle his father had made for him, and began playing all kinds of airs and dances to pass the time." With that, she plays the tune "Juice For Breakfast" for effect, with Brock backing her on guitar.

Ash leads the applause when the song ends. "When the Ursaring heard the music he could not help dancing, and after he had danced some time he was so pleased that he begged Timothy to teach him how to play the fiddle." Misty continues. "So Timothy showed the Ursaring that you press the strings with the fingers of one hand..." She demonstrates this on her own instrument. "and with the other, you drew the bow across them." She demonstrates by stroking a few notes.

Brock chuckles in anticipation of what Timothy will do. "But then, Timothy saw the Ursaring's claws, and that they had to be cut if he wanted to sound good on the fiddle." Misty explains. Then he retrieved some chains, telling the Ursaring he was going to get his scissors--which was a ruse for Timothy to get some sleep without the Ursaring harming him."

Everyone is on the edge of their seats to know how the princess would react. "The next morning when Princess Valencia looked out towards the forest, there stood Timothy, safe and sound." Misty goes on. "So she fulfilled her promise, and they were married that very day."

"It goes without saying they lived happily ever after." Brock smiles as he applauds....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 108: The Crystal Mountain (Ash)

(real tale: The Glass Mountain)


"Once upon a time, there was a great mountain made out of crystal near where Mt. Ember stands today." Ash explains as he grabs one of his whistles from his bag. "At the top of this mountain stood a castle made of pure gold, and in front of the castle there grew a Leppa Berry tree, on which grew shining Leppa Berries."

"Are there any shining Starlies involved here?" Misty asks.

"Nope, this is different." Ash explains. "Anyone who picked one of the shining Leppa Berries gained admittance into the golden castle, and inside a particular silver room sat a princess that was as beautiful in heart as she was beautiful in looks--we'll call her Ariana."

"That's always a nice name for a princess." Brock smiles, enamored at the name.

"Many knights, princes, and adventurer had come from all over to try their luck at winning Princess Ariana's hand, but every one that had tried failed." Ash continues "In spite of having their Ponytas shod with sharp spurs, no one managed to get more than halfway up, and then they all tumbled to the bottom of the steep slippery hill. Sometimes they broke an arm, sometimes a leg, and a few had even broken their necks."

"Pi ni..." Happini sighs.

"How awful..." Melody agrees.

"So Princess Ariana sat at her window and watched the bold knights, princes, and adventurers trying to reach her on their splendid Ponytas." Ash continues, fingering his whistle all the while. "The sight of her always gave any man fresh courage, and many would be adventurers flocked from all over to attempt the work of rescuing her."

"I appreciate the emphasis of your point, but we understood you the first time." Brock gently reminds Ash not to repeat himself.

Ash nods, then continues "But all those attempts were in vain--so for seven years Princess Ariana had waited for someone to scale the crystal mountain."

"So who finally made it up there?" Misty wonders.

"Then one day a boy approached the mountain--we'll call him Leo." Ash continues. 'He was never without a smile on his face, and kind to all he met, but at the same time, he was strong and well-grown. He saw just how many knights had died in vain, but he approached the steep mountain on foot and began the ascent anyway."

[That's a brave human...] a Meowth shudders

"For a long time, Leo had heard his parents speak of the beautiful princess who sat in the golden castle at the top of the crystal mountain." Ash continues. "He listened to all he heard, and determined that he too would try his luck. So after fashioning some climbing spurs from Persian claws, he started up the crystal mountain."

[I can see why he chose claws as spurs--a Persian's claws are pretty sharp.] Mai interjects as she flexes her own claws.

"The sun was almost setting, and Leo had not gotten anywhere close to halfway up." Ash explains. "He could hardly breathe, he was so worn out, and his mouth was parched by thirst. His feet were throbbing with pain, and it even was a struggle to hold on with his hands. Evening came, and he strained his eyes to see if he could see the top of the mountain. Then he gazed beneath him, and he balked at what he saw--a yawning abyss, with certain and terrible death at the bottom, reeking with half-decayed bodies of Ponytas and riders!"

"Ew!" Misty winces as she imagines the smell of the abyss.

"Going a mile a minute there..." Brock smiles at Ash's enthusiasm for his chosen tale.

"It soon turned pitch dark, and only the stars lit up the crystal mountain." Ash continues as he toys with the whistle in his hands. "But Leo still hung on, throbbing legs, scratched up hands, and all. He made no struggle to continue, for all his strength had left him, and seeing no hope he wondered if this was the end. He soon fell into a deep sleep, never mind his precarious position."

"Pika?" Pikachu asks, curious.

"Yeah, how could he sleep on the crystal mountain?" Misty asks.

Although he slept, he had stuck his claws so firmly into the crystal that he was quite secure." Ash replies before continuing "Now the golden Leppa tree was guarded by a shining Fearow which had overthrown countless adventurers and Ponytas."

"So THAT's why all those adventurers met their demise..." Brock muses.

"Every night it flew around the crystal mountain keeping a careful lookout, and no sooner had the moon emerged from the clouds than the Fearow rose up from the Leppa tree, and circling around in the air, caught sight of the sleeping boy." Ash intones. "Assuming Leo was a fresh corpse, the Fearow swooped down to capture him. But Leo woke with a jump, and when he saw the Fearow coming, he got the idea to hitch a ride to the top of the mountain on its wings."

"And then?" Melody wonders.

"The Fearow picked up Leo in its sharp claws, which Leo then used to climb on the Fearow's back." Ash replies. "It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but Leo held on. He saw the glittering palace, which by the pale rays of the moon looked like a dim lamp; and he saw the high windows, and round one of them a balcony in which the beautiful Princess Ariana sat lost in sad thoughts. Then Leo saw that he was close to the Leppa tree, and jumped off the Fearow's back onto the broad branches of the tree."

"Pika..." Pikachu smiles, impressed by Leo's bravery.

"Leo was a bit bruised from his ride, but okay." Ash assures Pikachu. "He pulled several of the beautiful Leppa Berries and put them in his pocket; then he entered the castle. The door was guarded by a great Salamence, but as soon as he threw a Berry at it, the great Pokemon vanished."

"That's one way to get rid of a dragon Pokemon..." Melody muses.

"Just then, a gate opened, and Leo saw a courtyard full of flowers and beautiful trees, and on a balcony sat the lovely Princess Ariana with her retinue." Ash continues. "As soon as she saw Leo, she ran towards him and greeted him as her hero."

"My hero!" Brock interjects in character as the princess.

Everyone laughs as Ash concludes "Princess Ariana gave Leo a share of all her treasures, one of these being a magical whistle. So when Leo played it..." Ash proceeds to play "Arran's Lullaby" for effect. "Lugia appeared in the starry sky, revived all the fallen adventurers, and carried both of them home to Princess Ariana's homeland, where they ruled as king and queen for all time."

Brock leads the applause. "I know a variant of a crystal mountain story, but this one has a bit more of a quest involved..."

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 109: The Knight of the Crystal Hill (Brock)

(real tale: The Princess on the Glass Hill)


"There was once a man who had a meadow that lay on the side of a mountain, and in this meadow there was a barn in which he stored hay." Brock begins. "But there had not been much hay in the barn for the last two years, for every year, around the time of the summer festival, it was eaten up completely, just as if a whole flock of Mareep had gnawed it down to the ground during the night."

"That is odd..." Melody muses.

"This happened once, then it happened again, but on the third year, the man got tired of losing his crop, and said to his three sons--the youngest was named Aiden--that one of was to go and sleep in the barn on the eve of the summer festival, in hopes of finding out who, or what, was eating all the hay." Brock explains.

Whispers race through the tent as the small audience debates what is eating the hay. "Now, the eldest son was quite willing to go to the meadow." Brock explains. "He boasted that he would watch the grass and do it so well that neither man, nor Pokemon, nor even Darkrai himself should have any of it. So when evening came he went to the barn, and lay down to sleep, but when night was drawing near there was such a rumbling and such an earthquake that the walls and roof shook again."

"Oh my!" Misty gasps.

Brock assures the group "The eldest son jumped up and hurried away as fast as he could, never even looking back, and the barn remained empty that year just as it had been for the last two."

Interested murmurs fill the air as Brock continues "Another year went by, and on the eve of the summer festival, the man sent the middle son to watch over the barn. But the same thing happened--he went to the barn and lay down to sleep, but when night was drawing near there was a great rumbling, and then an earthquake--which was even worse than the one that had struck the previous year, and when the middle son heard it he was terrified, and raced off, never once looking back."

"So what was taking the hay?" Ash asks.

"Well, another year went by, and that year, it was Aiden's turn, but as he got ready to go, the others laughed at him, and jeered him." Brock explains. "Aiden, however, did not trouble himself about what they said, but set out for the barn when evening came. When he got there, he went into the barn and lay down, but he had scarcely been there an hour before the rumbling and creaking began."

"Be glad we're not in 4-D theater." Misty whispers to Ash, to some relieved giggles.

"The rumbling and quaking continued for another hour, but Aiden stayed still and hung on. When all was quiet again, Aiden heard something that sounded like a Ponyta eating something just outside the barn door. So he crept to the door..." Brock tiptoes to the tent's entryway, as if he is Aiden. "and sure enough, a shining Ponyta with a blue mane was standing there eating. Aiden had never seen a Ponyta like it before--much less a shining one. A saddle and bridle lay upon it, as did a sword and a complete suit of armor for a knight, all made of of shining white mythril. As soon as he mounted it, it grew tame."

Awed murmurs fill the air at this. "Aiden rode away to his secret place--a plain which no one else knew about, and tied the Ponyta there up. When he went home again his brothers laughed and jeered at him even more." Brock continues. "'You didn't lie long in the barn, if even you have been so far as the field!' they said."

"I lay in the barn till sunrise, but I saw nothing and heard nothing." he replies in his best mimic of Ash to represent Aiden. "Arceus only knows what made you two so frightened."

As himself, he continues "The brothers didn't believe Aiden at first, but when they got to the barn, the hay was all standing just as long and as thick as it had been the night before. This happened again two more times, until Aiden had three Shiny Ponytas and three sets of gear to his credit."

"And then?" Melody asks.

Once he is back in his place in the center of the tent, Brock goes on "Now, the king of the land had a daughter that had a private residence on top of a hill made of crystal--we'll call her Cressida. Whoever could climb up the crystal hill and take three shining Leppa Berries from her would earn her hand in marriage and half the kingdom. This was proclaimed across the whole kingdom, and in many other kingdoms too. Princess Cressida was very beautiful, and all who saw her fell madly in love with her, even in spite of themselves."

Laughter goes up as the audience pictures a prince going gaga for Princess Cressida. "So it is needless to say that many a prince, knight, and adventurer were eager to win her and half a kingdom." Brock smiles. "They came from all over the world, dressed so splendidly that their clothing gleamed in the sunshine, and riding on Rapidashes which seemed to dance as they went, and there was not one of these princes who did not think that he was sure to win Princess Cressida's hand."

"I'm sure they all looked beautiful..." Misty muses. Ash sighs in agreement as he imagines himself as one of the princes.

Brock reaches for his guitar as he continues "When the day appointed by the king had come, there was such a crowd of knights, adventurers, and princes under the crystal hill that they numbered like sand by the sea." He begins playing a reverent song. "Millions more turned out to see who would win Princess Cressida's hand in marriage. Aiden and two brothers were there too, but his brothers didn't know Aiden was there--they had told him to stay at home. Not being one to take no for an answer, Aiden snuck out of the house and happened to arrive at the crystal hill at the same time his brothers did."

Giggles go up as Brock plays a "struggling" melody up the scale. "Now, all the princes, adventurers and knights were trying to ride up the crystal hill, but it was all in vain, for no sooner did the Rapidashes set foot upon the hill did they come sliding down again." He plays a downward glissando on one string for effect. "and not one of them made it any farther than a couple of yards up."

"Well, what do you expect from a crystal hill?" Ash muses.

"It was no surprise, for the hill was as smooth as a glass windowpane, and as steep as the side of a house." Brock agrees as he continues his song. "But they were all eager to win Princess Cressida and half the kingdom, and so the slipping and sliding continued." He then plays an adventurous theme as an interlude.

"Finally, all the Rapidashes were so tired that they could not take another step." Brock continues as he slows down the song. "So the king was about to proclaim that the attempts would start again the next day, when a knight in mythril came riding up on so fine a Ponyta that no one had ever seen the like of it before--and few still had seen a shining Ponyta."

"Oh"s fill the room as the small audience figures out just who the rider is. "The other knights all called out to him that he might just as well give up, but he did not listen...and he went up as if it were a simple plain." Brock continues as he flashes a grin to his friends. "But Princess Cressida had never seen so handsome a knight, and silently hoped he would make it to the top. But when she saw that he was turning back, she threw one of shining Leppa Berries down after him, and it rolled into his shoe. But when he had come down from off the hill he rode away, fast enough that no one knew what became of him. So all the princes, adventurers, and knights were told to present themselves before the king that night, so that he could find out who the mysterious rider was that had received the shining Leppa Berry. But no one had anything to show, and the mysterious rider was all anyone could talk about."

He stops his song to interject "Aiden's brothers had no idea that the mysterious rider was Aiden in disguise."

Misty leads the clappping as Brock plays the Zelda theme as an interlude. "This happened again for two straight days--many would try and ride up the crystal hill, but then a mysterious rider on a shining Ponyta would make it most of the way up. Princess Cressida would throw down a shining Leppa Berry, and the rider would disappear as mysteriously as he had come." he explains as he slows the song down. "When the king called everyone together to find out who had the shining Leppa Berry, no one had anything to show for it. Finally, on the evening of the third day, Aiden came before the king, and to the amazement of everyone, showed him the three shining Leppa Berries."

He finishes with a festive melody. "And so it was that Aiden and Princess Cressida were married the next day, and there was great rejoicing in the land for at least a week!"

Finally, he stops the song to conclude "For all I know, the festivities may still be going on to this day." He adds a playful flourish at this.

Thunderous applause fills the air as Brock sets his instrument aside and gets up to take a bow....