Thread: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 52: The Enchanted Deerling)

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Sidestory 6: Big Man on Campus (part 2)

The Mistress Fever fanfare plays as Kano appears in his spotlight at stage right. "When we last left Mistress Fever, she was rescuing Zane from the clutches of the notorious Raven di Wynter. But she didn't know that Raven had enhanced his magic with a shrinking potion!"

Brock's voice saying Lancia a freddo! is heard in the darkness, followed by a shrinking sound effect. When the lights come up again on Rylan and Lotta inside a cage, a deeper version of Brock's voice proclaims "At last! You're mine, Mistress Fever!"

The stage shakes for a moment to mimic Brock's footsteps departing from a shrunken Mistress Fever's perspective. "Is he gone?" Rylan asks.

"Yes...luckily, my power should still be effective." Lotta then charges a ball of red light in her hands. Fuoco stelle!

The lights blink over to Kano. "Mistress Fever and Zane quickly made their way out of the cage, but Zane mistimed his jump off the table, and fell into a bucket of water."

A splish makes the audience murmur before the lights come up on Lotta focusing a heat aura on Rylan. "There now...all dry!"

"Thanks..." Rylan smiles. "You know, Raven and his goons might come back here any minute--why don't we set a trap for them?"

"Great idea!" Lotta grabs a ball of thread. "I'll wind this thread around the doorway, so when Raven returns, he will trip, allowing us to escape!"

"Mistress Fever and Zane worked as quickly as they could to booby trap the doorway." Kano narrates as the lights go down. "Meanwhile, Raven was tiring of shrinking the denizens of Pewter City one by one..."

"This is going to take a while..." Brock sighs as he and some lackeys enter the scene. "In the space of an hour, we've only shrunk about fifteen people..."

"You know, a spell is a lot more effective if it is sung..." a lackey suggests.

"That's it!" Brock smiles. "Since I've already absorbed the shrinking potion into my own magic, if I were to sing a rain spell, it would shrink the entire city at once!" He then catches himself. "But it's been a while since I've sang a spell..."

"That's okay, boss! The spellbook with the incantations is still at home." a male lackey assures Brock.

"Come then--let us return." Brock motions to the lackeys to follow him offstage.

The lights come up on Lotta and Rylan waiting at the enlarged doorway, which now has several layers of yarn stretched across it. "Three...two...one..." Lotta counts before a loud thud symbolizing Brock falling startles the audience. "Run!"

"Mistress Fever and Zane hurried out of a window and into a Buneary hole." Kano narrates. "While they had lost Raven and his henchmen, the running had taken a toll on Mistress Fever..."

Lotta and Raven trudge into the scene of a cave, heaving heavily. "Did we lose them?" Rylan asks.

"I think so..." Lotta wheezes. "But for some reason, my strength is drained..."

"That's okay! We should be able to rest in here!" Rylan smiles.

A slowed down Rattata cry gets his attention. "Oh no, not again!" he gasps.

"Will Mistress Fever and Zane ever find safety? Can Mistress Fever take on the Rattatas in her weakened state?" Kano asks. "Stay tuned for part 3 of "Big Man on Campus!" The fanfare plays one last time before the lights come up for intermission....

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Sidestory 6: Big Man on Campus (part 3)


The audience watches as Kano continues "When we last left our heroes, they had been shrunk by Raven di Wynter's shrinking potion and sought safety in a Buneary hole. But things only got worse when they were cornered by Rattatas..."

Gasps fill the air as Lotta becomes her normal self after struggling with a rock--thankfully out of Rylan's view. "Maybe when Raven shrunk Mistress Fever, her power shrunk too." Rylan muses. "The only thing I know to do is run!" With that, he dashes offstage, the normal Lotta behind him.

"Zane tried anything he could to elude the many Rattatas, but it wasn't long before he and Elena were surrounded." Kano narrates.

The lights come up on Rylan and the "exhausted" Elena behind a rock as slowed down Rattata cries play in the background. "There's so many of them...if only Mistress Fever were here..." he sighs.

Potere...di rubino... Lotta wheezes, cuing the transformation video. When it ends, the audience roars with applause when they see her as Mistress Fever.

Rylan is just as happy. "Mistress Fever! You're back!"

"Human strength may fade, but Moltres' fire never dies." Lotta assures him. "Your kind concern gave me a little strength to light my fire again." She steps out from behind the rock. "Now to deal with the Rattatas..."

"With her renewed strength, Mistress Fever was able to defeat the Rattatas." Kano narrates as red flashes of light appear in the darkness. "Though they escaped the Buneary hole, they were not out of the woods yet...."

A "Yipe!" startles the audience, followed by a Taillow cry.

Fuoco stelle! Lota aims a ball of red light at a large Taillow doll holding Rylan. More red lights pepper the dark as the audience cheers. But after a few moments of battle, the lights come up on Rylan and Lotta again. "The Taillow doll lies nearby in a "fainted" position.

"Thanks..." Rylan heaves a sigh of relief. "Now to find Raven di Wynter and stop him before he can cast a spell that shrinks the whole city!"

An ominous stinger fills the air. "Little did Zane know that Raven and his henchmen were high on a hill overlooking Pewter City, and Raven was about to sing a rain spell that would shrink everyone to the size of a pinky finger!" Kanto narrates. "Can Mistress Fever stop him? What will she be able to do in her shrunken state, if anything? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of 'Big Man on Campus'!"

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Sidestory 6: Big Man on Campus (part 4)


The chatter in the audience quiets as the Mistress Fever fanfare plays. "When we last left our heroes..." Kano begins. "They were hurrying to safety, unaware that Raven di Wynter was about to sing an enchanted rain spell that would shrink the city!"

At that second, Brock's voice is heard in the darkness singing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii..., making it "rain" on the stage. Some blue lights also flicker across the stage to represent people shrinking.

The lights then come up on Brock observing the "chaos" from the hilltop. "It's working...soon the entire city will be the size of a pinky finger, and I'll be the biggest man on campus, so to speak."

"But what about us, boss? We're still normal size." a lackey cautions.

"No problem at all." Brock deviously smiles before charging a blue light ball in his hands. Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... he sings again, making the lackeys "shrink".

The lights come up on Kano again. "Meanwhile, Mistress Fever calmed the chaos in the city, and rallied the people to infiltrate Raven's hideout in an attempt to find the antidote to the shrinking spell..."

The lights blink over to a larger city set, where Lotta and Rylan are standing on a giant (from their perspective) cookie box as a soap box. "Okay, everyone!" Lotta begins. "While it is true that Raven shrunk us as well, my power is still strong!" Cheers go up at this.

"Furthermore, in our small size, we can sneak into Raven's hideout and locate the antidote to the shrinking magic." Rylan adds.

"But what if Raven sees us?" a girl worries.

"He'll squish us like Venonats!" a boy agrees.

"Worry not--we'll have to come up with a distraction." Lotta assures the crowd.

"And so, Mistress Fever and Zane led the townsfolk inside Raven's hideout--but they didn't count on Raven being home." Kano narrates.

The crowd then enters the scene, where a giant hand molded to look like Brock's is resting on a chair. "Uh oh--Raven's keeping watch." Rylan notes.

"Anyone have any ideas for a distraction?" Lotta whispers.

"We could try putting him to sleep, then you absorb the shrinking potion into your own magic to shrink him." a girl suggests.

Mistress Fever then spots a fern leaf and a stick in the grass. "May I borrow a few hairs from you, Zane?" she asks.

"Why?" Rylan is confused.

"I'm going to made a fiddle out of this fern leaf, then play a lullaby to put Raven to sleep." Lotta explains.

Rylan pulls a few hairs from his head. "Here you go...good luck with the concert."

After assembling her "instrument", Lotta tiptoes over to the chair where the hand is resting and pantomimes playing "Farewell to Kanto", while the Firelights' fiddler provides the sound from offstage. To the audience, it looks like Lotta is actually playing the fiddle.

"Once she finished her song and she was sure Raven was asleep, Mistress Fever tiptoed over to the bottle containing the shrinking potion, and absorbed just enough for her power to shrink one person." Kano narrates as Lotta does this.

Fuoco stelle. Lotta whispers, making a red flash appear from Brock's chair. She then brings over the small doll representing the "shrunk" Brock, and Rylan puts it in an empty bottle.

"Now to get the rest of us back to normal." Rylan muses.

Lotta nods. Fuoco, bagliore e bagliore ... rendere queste persone crescere! A flash of red light engulfs the stage, returning the "shrunk" people to normal.

"And so, Mistress Fever restored herself, Zane, and the city to normal size." Kano concludes. "The city was safe once more, but if Raven's icy chill ever threatened again, her heart of fire would come shining through!"

The crowd roars as the cast and the Firelights take a bow...

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 49: Two of a Kind

(real tale: The Twin Brothers)

"There was once a fisherman who longed very much to have children." Brock begins. "So he went to the town sage, and the sage told him to catch a Goldeen, have him and his wife eat one half, and then bury the other piece of meat. So the fisherman did as he was told, and thought nothing of it. Imagine his surprise when he found his wife had given birth to two children, a boy and a girl!"

Laughter fills the air as the audience pictures the fisherman's reaction. "On top of that, their Arcanine had two Growlithes, their Rapidash had two Ponytas, and two Cheri trees sprouted on each end of the front walk." Brock continues. "The children were named Kendall and Meredith, in remembrance of the waters the Goldeen had come from."

Brock then starts towards stage right. "The years went by, and Kendall and Meredith eventually came of age. They both longed to go out into the world, but their mother assured them that Kendall would try his luck first, and if fortune be unkind to him, Meredith would go. So Kendall took his Growlithe, his Ponyta, and the harp Meredith had made for him...." Excited whispers race through the crowd as Brock retrieves his own harp. "and told her that so long as the Cheri trees bloomed, he was alive and well. But if either of them wilted, he needed her help. If one of them had bright blossoms, that meant he had found fortune, and she was to come join him."

The audience eagerly speculates what will happen to Kendall. "Kendall traveled a long way, until he came to a far away land." Brock continues as he walks around the stage, the harp still cradled in his arms. "He asked the local sage about the castle, and the sage told him that the king was seeking a husband for the princess--we'll call her Yumi. Each would be suitor had to pass three trials--if he completed them, he would have Princess Yumi's hand in marriage. If he failed, he would die."

Concerned murmurs and gasps race through the crowd. "But Kendall decided to try anyway--the next day, he traveled to the castle courtyard, and started playing his harp for the servants and the ladies." With that, Brock plays "The Riverbanks of the Moon" for effect.

Applause goes up when the last note dies. "Even Princess Yumi heard the song, and told her father about the minstrel in the courtyard." Brock continues. "The king summoned Kendall before him and asked what Kendall was doing there. When told that Kendall sought Princess Yumi's hand in marriage, the king gave Kendall his first challenge--cut a certain thick log in one stroke of a blade. Kendall was so distraught, he didn't even feel like picking up the harp that night."

He then plays a soft D chord to represent Princess Yumi. "Even Princess Yumi was concerned, and asked Kendall what was wrong, as she had grown fond of him. When Kendall told her what the matter was, Yumi just smiled and urged Kendall to play for her, and she would have an answer for him in the morning."

After playing the song "Come Give Me Your Hand" to simulate the passage of time, Brock continues "The next morning, Princess Yumi told Kendall she had studied much about magic and fighting, to name a few things. She laid a hand on Kendall's blade, making it glow blue with a spell of strength. Needless to say, Kendall had no problem cutting the log!"

The audience applauds at this. "The king then told Kendall to take his Rapidash and ride for three miles with a chalice filled with water. If even a drop was spilled, the king would have his head." Brock continues, making more concerned chatter fill the air. "Kendall was troubled again, so much so that he didn't even pick up the harp that night."

Some children cheer as Brock plays Princess Yumi's motif. "Princess Yumi grew concerned, and asked Kendall what was wrong. When Kendall told her his dilemma, she urged him to play for her, and she would have an answer in the morning."

The waltz "Starry Night" fills the air to simulate the passage of time. When Brock finishes the song, he continues. "The next morning, before Kendall left, Princess Yumi laid a hand on the chalice and sang..." In character as a young girl, he sings Rou iitsa ron selga vichii...

More cheers go up at the sung "spell". "The water instantly froze to ice, thereby fulfilling the king's challenge.' Brock explains as himself. "But the third challenge was the hardest--face Princess Yumi herself in a non-lethal duel in the royal arena. Kendall was a fine swordsman in his own right, and his sword still had the strength spell on it, but he figured Princess Yumi was years ahead of him in skill."

The auditorium is silent as they ponder how Kendall could defeat Princess Yumi. "That night, Princess Yumi assured Kendall that she would tell him how to defeat her in the morning if he just played the harp for her that night." Brock assures the audience before playing "The Fairy's Waltz" to simulate the passage of time.

When the last note dies, he continues. "The next day, Princess Yumi told him that at one point during the duel, she would throw out a sapphire. If he cut it, she would know to hold back and let him win--as she was so skilled, it would look very much like she lost naturally."

Brock then plays a frantic melody to simulate the duel. "The duel commenced, and Kendall did very well matching Princess Yumi step for step. In fact, for many hours, the duel was too close to call!"

"So did Kendall ever win?" a woman asks as the last chord fades away.

"At last, Princess Yumi threw out the sapphire, and Kendall cut it to seal his victory." Brock replies over a triumphant flourish. "The king didn't know that Princess Yumi had let Kendall win, as it looked for all intents and purposes that Princess Yumi had lost naturally."

He concludes over a triumphant melody. "Kendall and Princess Yumi were soon married, and even Meredith came to join in the festivities when she saw the right Cheri tree glow. They all lived happily for many years."

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow...

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 50: The Legend of Momo

(real tale: Prunella)

"In a far away land, there lived a woman with a daughter." Brock begins. "Since the girl loved Pecha Berries more than anything, she was named Momo, which means 'Pecha'. Now, it just so happened that there was a Pecha tree by the roadside leading into town. So whenever Momo traveled to town, she would take one of the Berries to have for a snack on the way. But Momo didn't know that the Pecha tree belonged to a witch!"

Murmurs race through the crowd. Did the witch turn Momo into something when she caught her?" a girl worries.

"No, she actually made her her slave." Brock replies, to more gasps. "The years went by, and Momo grew into a lovely lady, which made the witch even more jealous of her. So one day, the witch gave Momo a bucket and told her to get some water from the nearby well, or else. Momo agreed, but no matter how many times she lowered the bucket into the water, the water would drain out, and she would have to do it again. Finally, she burst into tears with frustration."

He then assures the audience "Just then, a mage named Dillon came, and told her he wanted to help. He had dealt with this witch before, and knew all her wiles and traps. He drew water for Momo, but the witch had no idea that Momo had had help--thankfully so, since witches and mages were mortal enemies."

The audience speculates on Mom's fate for a moment. "The next day, the witch told Momo to make a loaf of bread while she was away in town, or else." Brock intones. "But try as she might, the dough would not rise. Sure enough, Dillon heard Momo crying, and used some of his magic to make bread. Thankfully, the witch was none the wiser. The next day, she asked Momo to travel to her sister's house and retrieve a coffin there..."

Nervous snickers fill the air. "As Momo walked down the path, Dillon met her on the road, and told her..." In character as a young man, Brock explains as Dillon "Take this vial of oil, this loaf of bread, this piece of rope, and this broom. When you reach the witch's house, oil the hinges of the door with the oil, and throw the loaf of bread to the Arcanine who will come to meet you. When you have passed the Arcanine, you will see in the courtyard a miserable woman trying in vain to let down a bucket into the well with her hair. You must give her the rope. In the kitchen you will find a still more miserable woman trying to clean the hearth with her tongue; to her you must give the broom. You will see the casket on the top of a cupboard. Take it as quickly as you can, and leave the house without a moment's delay. If you do all this exactly as I have told you, you will not be killed."

As himself, he continues "Momo did as she was told, and not even the sister knew that Momo had any help. But the witch was beginning to suspect something was up--when Momo returned, the witch told her that if one of the three Combuskens crowed during the night, she was to tell her which Combusken she had heard, or else."

"Dillon was there, right?" a boy asks, excited.

"He was, and he planned to free Momo that night." Brock replied. "One of the Combuskens crowed around midnight, but before the witch could ask Momo which one it was, Dillon appeared to her and cast a lightning spell!" As Dillon again, he announces "Heavenly bolts, bring holy justice! Thundara!"

Cheers fill the air as Brock concludes. "Momo threw herself into Dillon's arms and confessed her love for him. It wasn't long before they were married, and they all lived happily ever after."

The crowd cheers as Brock takes a bow...

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 51: The Mighty Ken

(real tale: Shepherd Paul)

"Once a man was traveling when he found a baby boy abandoned by the roadside. He felt sorry for the baby and took it in, raising the child as his own son." Brock begins, to some "Aw"s from the crowd. "Because the baby had survived for several days, the man named him Ken, which means 'sword', in hopes he would grow up with the strength and resolve of a sword. Not surprisingly, as Ken grew up, he grew very skilled with a sword."

Piqued murmurs race through the crowd. "The years went by, and before long, Ken had come of age." Brock continues as he paces the stage. "With his adopted father's blessings, Ken set out into the world to seek his fortune. He had not gotten far when he found a young lady hitting Berries with a bow from thousands of yards away." Awed whispers fill the room as Brock pantomimes shooting a bow, complete with the sound effect of a shot arrow. "The girl introduced herself as Yumi, and decided to travel with Ken on his journey."

After walking around the stage some more, Brock continues. "Then a little farther on, Ken met a boy his age who was turning stone into gems with a single hammer stroke." He pantomimes a hammer stroke for effect. "The boy introduced himself as Iwa, and joined Ken and Yumi on their journey."

"Then a little farther on, they met another boy about Ken's age cutting through iron with a great axe as if it was wood." Brock continues, pantomiming cutting something with an axe for effect. "The boy introduced himself as Tetsu, and he too joined Ken and his friends on their journey."

He then returns to his customary spot at center stage. "The four friends stopped to camp for the night in a forest. Yumi offered to stay behind and guard the camp while Ken and the others hunted for dinner. Just before Yumi was finished making the vegetables to go with dinner, an earth wisp appeared and asked for a little of what Yumi was making. Yumi politely told the wisp to wait until the food was ready. The wisp waited for a while, but when Yumi wasn't looking, it helped itself to the vegetables and disappeared."

Laughter fills the air as the audience pictures Yumi's reaction. "Luckily, Yumi managed to salvage dinner, and though the vegetables turned out decent, Yumi didn't tell her fellow party members about the wisp." Brock assures the audience. "Iwa and Tetsu also took turns guarding the camp, and the same thing happened for two more nights--while they were cooking the vegetables, the wisp would appear and ask for some. It would be told to wait until the food was ready, then help itself when the party member in charge wasn't looking. Fortunately, dinner would be salvaged, but not a word was said about the wisp."

The audience debates how the wisp will be captured as Brock continues "Finally, Ken looked after the camp on the fourth night while his friends hunted. He set to work preparing the vegetables, and the wisp appeared just as before. Ken told it to wait until the food was ready, but before the wisp could help itself, Ken caught it in the act!" He pantomimes catching something in his hands to prove his point.

"That night, Ken told his friends what had happened, but before he could show his friends the wisp, he was shocked to find it had disappeared!" The audience laughs as Brock feigns shock at discovering nothing is in his hands. "Yumi told Ken that earth wisps were crafty creatures, and it would be best to find it and asking why it was stealing the party's food. She pointed out the glowing green trail the wisp left as it escaped." He points out some glowing green fabric leading offstage.

The lights go down, then come up on Brock reaching the end of the "trail" at center stage. "The trail ended at a huge hole, where a ladder signaled the way down. Ken led the way underground, where they emerged into a grotto filled with gems and crystals, making it resemble a valley dotted with flowers and a river. They found a princess there that was being held prisoner by a Salamence. The princess pleaded with the party to turn back, but Ken said he was not afraid."

Excited whispers race through the crowd as Brock retrieves his guitar. "Sure enough, the Salamence arrived with a great roar, and the party ran to battle!"

Cheers go up from the crowd over the sounds of battle and Brock playing the Zelda theme. After a few moments, the sounds stop, and Brock plays a triumphant flourish. "After a long battle, the Salamence was defeated. The princess was overjoyed to be free, and gave Ken an emerald as a reward, saying it would help him. She also asked that they rescue her younger sister, who was imprisoned by a Garchomp. Ken assured the princess he would do anything in his power to help her, and the party descended farther into the cave."

The lights go down, then come up on Brock walking into the scene of a crystal filled cave. "The party descended further into the cave, and came upon another crystal filled grotto much like the first. The younger princess met them and begged them to turn back, but Ken said he was not afraid as they met the Garchomp--the earth wisp's true form--in battle!"

More cheers fill the air as battle sounds play and Brock plays the Zelda theme again. When the sounds fade out and he plays another flourish, Brock continues. "When the Garchomp was defeated and the two sisters had reunited, the party realized thy had a problem--the battle with the Garchomp had caused their only way out to cave in--so how were they going to get back to the surface?"

Concerned whispers race through the crowd, but Brock assures them. "Then, Iwa suggested that Ken use the emerald, so Ken sang..." He then sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... as the lights go down and green flashes of light pierce the darkness.

Applause fills the air as Brock returns to the stage, which is now decorated to look like a plain. "The emerald whisked the party and the princesses to the surface. By the time they came to a town, Iwa and Tetsu each took a princess as a bride, and Ken and Yumi settled down in town, where they all lived happily ever after."

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow....

Season 3 will begin with Week 53 in a new thread!

@Chimchar98; @Chaosj2; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

(real tale: The Enchanted Deer)

"Once a boy was out walking with his Ponyta when he met a man on the road with a bow on his back, a Pidgeotto on his shoulder, and a Arcanine at his side." Brock begins. "The boy--we'll call him Takeru--offered to trade his Ponyta for the bow and the Pokemon, and the man agreed. Takeru's mom, however, was not too happy about what had happened, and beat him until he was black and blue!"

Outraged chatter fills the air at this. "Takeru didn't like the idea of constantly being beaten either, and went out into the world to seek his fortune that night, while his mom slept." Brock agrees with the crowd. "He walked for a while until he came to a farmhouse. The farmer and his wife fed him a hearty breakfast. While they ate, the farmer saw Takeru's bow, and told him of a Deerling that kept eating his crops. Takeru agreed to kill the Deerling, so that night, he waited in a bush for the Deerling to appear. When it did, he readied an arrow..." Brock pantomimes aiming a bow. "But before he could fire, the Deerling transformed into a beautiful lady!"

The crowd's anger turns to awe. "This happened three times--Takeru would aim an arrow at the Deerling..." Brock pantomimes aiming a bow again. "But the Deerling would become a beautiful lady. He would look again to be sure he wasn't seeing things, and sure enough, the Deerling would be there again. Finally, the Deerling ran off into the forest, and Takeru followed it. Takeru followed the Deerling through the forest, until he came upon an empty house. Though the Deerling assured him it was safe, Takeru didn't know the house belonged to a gang of bandits."

Fearful murmurs go up at this. "The bandits were none too pleased to find an intruder in their house, and though Takeru managed to slay a few of the bandits, he was still badly wounded, and left for dead." Brock continues. "The Deerling, meanwhile, cast a healing spell..." He pauses to sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... before continuing "and Takeru was healed, good as new. After this had happened two more times, the Deerling led him on to another house in the forest, and told him to meet her in the shrine of Arceus that stood in a nearby clearing. "But that house belonged to an evil witch, who cursed the shrine to put to sleep the first person that entered. Sure enough, Takeru was put to sleep when he tried to enter the shrine. As he slept, the young lady--who had been transformed into a Deerling and would only be freed by someone that risked his life for her--first left a small scroll with her name on it--Hirana. Then, she laid her hands on him and sang..." He then sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... before continuing "Takeru woke up with no memory of what had happened. He saw the scroll with the name 'Hirana' on it, and set out to find whoever, or whatever, 'Hirana' was."

Brock then walks around the stage as he continues "After a long journey filled with many adventures--which are stories in themselves--Takeru came to a faraway kingdom, where a Pokemon race was being held. Takeru's Pidgeotto brought him royal finery, and he entered the race himself, riding his Arcanine. It was a fierce competition, but Takeru won by a nose."

Excited murmurs fill the air, but Brock has one more trick up his sleeve for Takeru. "Unfortunately, the fierce competition left Takeru all dirty, and the king mistook him for a bandit. But minutes before Takeru was to be executed, he saw Hirana run and tell her father how Takeru had risked her life for her three times and broke the spell on her." The concerned murmurs are quieted as he concludes "Takeru was immediately set free, and he and Hirana were married. They lived together for many years, and had many more adventures--but that is another story for another day!"

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow....