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..."