Kicking off a new collection of Pokemonized folktales, with Serena joining in the storytelling. This is a mix of old favorites and brand new tales.

Tale 1: Lugia's Capture (Brock)

"All right...is there anyone with a request for me tonight?" a brown haired boy asks as he checks the tuning on a yellow-brown acoustic guitar.

A black haired boy immediately makes a request. "Tell 'Lugia's Capture'!"

"I haven't heard that one in a while...and Serena might like it too." a red haired girl grins as her friend plays a relaxing melody to compose his thoughts.

Once the guitarist is ready, he begins "Once each month, in a desolate part of Johto filled with marshes and pools of black water, ghost Pokemon and other strange creatures slipped out of their hiding spots to play. Any other night of the month, the people who lived in the marshlands did not mind the world beyond their villages and towns, for the world was lit by the light of Lugia, and no one came to any harm. But on those nights when Lugia rested, out of the mushy earth crawled the slithery, slimy, scary beings, and people had been known to disappear in the swamps."

As his song's last note fades into the moonlit sky, he intones "And so it was that everyone lamented whenever Lugia rested."

"What did Lugia do, Brock?" Serena asks, hugging Fennekin close.

"The people's anguish troubled Lugia, and so on one night when he would have rested, he flew down to the earth." Brock explains. "He trembled when he saw the murky water everywhere and the twisting black snags. The only sounds he heard in the pitch dark were gurgles and slurps, sloshes and rustles. With every step he took, he sank deeper into the muck."

Serena is visibly shaking as the black haired boy comforts her. "Chilled by her fear, he nonetheless kept going." Brock goes on. He had to see all there was to see here. Stepping as lightly as the summer wind, moving from tuft of earth to tiny island of grass, he took care not to fall."

"A-and then?" Even the red haired girl is scared as she imagines Lugia in the swamp.

"Suddenly, as Lugia neared a huge black pool, he slipped and grabbed at a snag to steady himself." Brock continues over an uneasy melody. "The moment he touched it, the snag reached out and wrapped itself around him. Lugia immediately knew this must be one of the horrible creatures the people feared -- was it a Lampent? Or a Dusknoir?. Just ahead, he spotted the flickering light of the will-o'-the-wisps, and he heard them cackling at him.

He plays a "struggling" melody as he goes on "He twisted and wriggled against the snag's grip, and just then he heard a sound of someone gasping for breath in the distance. Then he heard squishing footsteps coming closer, and in the darkness he could barely make out the face of a man."

"Easy, Misty..." the black haired boy smiles as the red haired girl yelps in fear.

"He was lost and terrified, wading toward the silver light that flashed as Lugia fought to free himself." Brock continues, still playing his "struggling" song. "But this gave him the strength to fight even harder. As he struggled, he unleashed a bright silver light that could be seen for miles in any direction. The marsh creatures quickly slipped back into their hiding places. The man could now see his path as clearly as if it was daylight. Overjoyed, he ran as fast as he could back to town, elated to be free.

He then reminds his audience "But Lugia was not, and there was no one to help him."

Some sniffling gets the black haired boy's attention. "What's the matter, Melody?" he asks a small sprite creature struggling to hold back tears.

"Was Lugia stuck there in the swamp forever, Ash?" the sprite tearfully asks.

"Lugia's gonna be okay in the end, don't worry." Ash assures Melody as he turns his attention back to Brock.

"He collapsed in the murky water, exhausted, and the silver light vanished again." Brock isn't done setting the terrifying scene. ",and the ghost Pokemon came out, laughing and joking at Lugia lying there in the muck--for he was not their friend. The Mismagiuses wanted poison him, and the Haunters were eager to eat a Legendary's dream. Creepy, crawly things twined themselves around poor Lugia, and they all argued over just how to destroy him. When the dim promise of light appeared on the horizon, they knew they had to act fast."

He plays a long glissando down one string as he narrates "They pushed Lugia down, into the depths of the marsh. Just before Ho'oh departed on her daily journey, they rolled a huge stone over that spot and pushed it down to keep Lugia from getting out."

Serena swallows hard as Brock continues "The next night, the people who lived in the marshland waited for Lugia to take flight again, but he was nowhere to be seen. Days passed with no sign of him, and not even the town seer, with her gift of speaking to the Legendaries, could find him. Still more days passed, and before long, Lugia's disappearance was all anyone in the heavens or the earth could talk about."

"So, how did they find Lugia?" Serena wonders.

"Then one day a man from another town--the same man Lugia had saved--visited the village tavern and heard the rumors." Brock explained, he told the townsfolk he knew where Lugia was So the man and many of the townsfolk walked into the swamp, and though they heard the sighing moans and felt fluttering fingers at their necks, they carried on, slipping and sliding toward the rock where Lugia had been buried."

Everyone listens as Brock continues "So everyone knelt in the mud, grabbed ahold of that rock, and shoved it with all their might. When the rock rolled away, they saw a beautiful face for a brief moment, but he was so bright, they stepped back from the blinding silver light. When they could see again, Lugia had flown in the sky, lighting up the paths through the bogs, driving all the ghosts back to their hiding spots.

"Thank Arceus..." Melody musters a relieved smile.

"Ever since that night, Lugia has understood that though he, like the other Legendaries, loves us all, he must still rest once each month." Brock concludes. "When that time comes each month, the people know to stay home, out of the swamps where the spirits rule the night."

"Wow--you had me scared for a minute there!" Serena raves as she applauds....

(real tale: The Lost Moon)