Thread: Live From the Fireside (Week 26: Beedrill's Search)

Sidestory 2: The Aspear Tree Girl

"Okay, everyone ready?" Brock asked as he watched Ash and various other boys and girls in elegant robes tune a variety of exotic instruments.

"Almost--we're going to practice a few numbers from the show just to warm up." Ash reported, fingering a slender wooden flute. Brock smiles as his friend begins a peaceful melody, then goes to change into his costume.

When he returns, Ash leads the charge into a spirited song reminiscent of a parade. Lotta, now in an Aspear print red and gold robe, watches in awe as Ash blazes through the rapidfire trills and runs up and down the scale with laser-like precision. "WOW!!!" she gasps when the song finally ends.

"Amazing!" the other bansi player comments. "How did you get so good?" she asks Ash, heaving with exhaustion all the while.

"Just practiced every day." Ash humbly replies. "Doesn't have to be a long and drawn out affair, either--a few scales here, a few minutes on technique there, practice a tune while waiting for food to be ready, and so on."

"I don't know what you do to practice, but keep doing it." a boy agrees before adjusting his tikin's tuning. Enthusiastic murmurs of agreement fill the air.

The flash of the five minute warning gets Brock's attention. "This is it, Lotta...tua pubblica attende. he assures Lotta. Lotta nods and hurries into position on the darkened stage.

After the chatter calms down, Brock walks onstage, playing his harp all the while. "Good morning, and well met, travelers. I am Kashu, a minstrel that wanders this land. The tale I wish to tell you today concerns a young girl, and the amazing luck an Aspear tree brought to her." He plays a soft chord for effect. "But before I begin, the four spirits of creation will first set the stage for me. Kasai, the spirit of fire..." He plays a majestic chord as a red humanoid form appears, twirling a little. "Mizu, the spirit of water..." He plays a soft chord as a blue humanoid form appears, posing cutely. "Raku, the spirit of thunder..." Rylan, inside the yellow bodysuit, makes a flying jump onto the stage as Brock plays a sharp chord. "and Hana, the spirit of earth." He plays a peaceful chord as a green humanoid form spins onto the stage, holding her hands as if mimicing a growing tree. The four spirits then set to work moving a few screens and stools into place. As they are working, Brock explains "Although you will very plainly see the four spirits and others like them creating the world of my story, they are still spirits, and invisible to human eyes." He then plays another chord as the four spirits finish. Kasai and Raku head off to stage right, while Mizu and Hana walk off to stage left.

"Now then...my tale begins." Brock intones before his spotlight blinks off. Ash leads the orchestra into a peaceful melody as an overture.

When the song ends, Brock is now off by stage right. "In a certain village in a far away land, there lived a young girl named Nashi." At this, the lights come up on Lotta kneeling at center stage. Hana brings out a small washtub, which Mizu fills with water. Lotta then pantomimes washing clothes, wringing them out, and hanging them to dry on an invisible clothesline. "Nashi lived with her stepmother and a stepsister named Hokori. Both of them preferred to dream of being rich than do any form of work."

The tikins play a forboding riff as Yuki and Akane, in elaborate robes, walk in the scene and address Lotta. "Where's my handkerchief?" Akane demands.

"And my robe?" Yuki adds. "I would very much like to admire myself in the mirror..."

"I am washing it now..." Lotta calmly replies as she wrings another imagined outfit.

"Work is all you're good for, Buta." Akane grumbles.

Lotta bristles at the name. "Please, my name is Nashi."

"Never mind your name, Buta. You still have much to do." Akane retorts over the fukiashis. "After you finish wasshing the laundry, you should clean the kitchen..."

"Dust the furniture..." Yuki adds as the daras play a forboding riff. The scene continues like this, with more of the orchestra joining in with every chore Yuki and Akane list:

"Bake the bread for tonight..."

"Mending what clothes are torn..."

"Polishing the statues...."

"Cleaning what hasn't already been cleaned..."

"Cooking tonight's dinner..."

"Sweep the floors..."

"and when you finish all of that, be sure the doors to the house are locked." Akane concludes as the entire orchestra stops playing.

"I understand." Lotta replies.

Akane puts an arm around Yuki. "Tomorrow is the first day of the Spring Festival--you must rest so you won't miss it."

"I will rise early, Buta, so you can help me get dressed for the festival." Yuki calls to Lotta.

"Yes, my sister." Lotta replies.

"With your new robe, Hokori--you should be the most beautiful girl at the festival." Akane gloats.

"Thank you--you are too kind, Mother." Yuki giggles.

"May I have a new robe too?" Lotta asks.

Akane bristles at the request over a tense harp chord. "Who would want to look at you?"

"Let us come to bed now...the hour grows late." Yuki notes.

"You may not sleep until everything I have asked of you is complete." Akane warns.

"I will, but please, just call me Nashi for once." Lotta pleads. "That is my name, and it is beautiful." Yuki and Akane laugh as they exit. leaving Lotta alone onstage. She pushes the bucket away and feigns crying as the harp and tikins play a sad song.

"As she wept, something dawned on Nashi." Brock narrates from his spotlight as he plays the song. "If she finished all the work her stepmother had asked her to do, then maybe, just maybe, she would get to go to the festival too. It took her almost all the night, but she did everything asked of her."

Ash doubles the other bansi an octave above as they begin a festive melody. "Nashi washed what needed washing..." Brock narrates as he joins in the song. Lotta patomimes washing something. "Dusted what needed dusting...." The tikins join in as Lotta pantomimes dusting. "Baked cakes for the festival day..." The daras join in doubling the harp an octave below as Lotta pantomimes baking a cake. "Mended what needed mending..." Lotta pantomimes mending something. "Polished the statues..." Lotta pantomimes polishing a Moltres statue. "Cleaned whatever else needed cleaning..." Lotta dashes about organizing the stage. "Cooked breakfast for in the morning..." Lotta pantomimes cooking again. "Swept the floor..." Lotta pantomimes sweeping the floor. "and when she was all done, she locked the door to the house." He plays a sharp chord as Lotta turns an imagined key, ending the song. Hana then spreads out a mat on the floor, which Lotta lies on and pretends to sleep.

"But it was not long before Combusken heralded the dawn." Brock narrates. prompting a fukiashi to mimic a Combusken's cry. "The sun streamed in her room, gently coaxing her to rise." Kasai dances in the scene, making some in the audience laugh as he waves a red ribbon in Lotta's face.

"Morning already?" Lotta yawns as she gets up. "I must prepare Stepmother and Hokori for the festival."

Akane and Yuki, now in elaborate robes. walk in the scene. "Help me get this sash straight, Buta!" Yuki demands.

"Tie mine too!" Akane agrees.

"May I--?" Lotta starts as she ties both sashes.

"Quiet--preparing for the festival is delicate work." Akane cuts Lotta off mid-sentence.

"I merely want to go to the festival, too." Lotta asks.

Akane and Yuki feign laughter. "Silly girl!"Akane giggles.

"Ridiculous!" Yuki agrees.

"But I worked all night just so I could see the festival!" Lotta pleads.

Akane smirks. "Very well, Buta....you can go..."

"Thank you!" Lotta cries as the orchestra plays a triumphant flourish.

"I'm not finished..." Akane intones as the the tikins play a tense riff.

"What do you mean?" Lotta swallows hard.

The four spirits bring in four large jars. "You may go only when you've gathered all the rice in the field and weeded the garden."

"But I can't possibly do all that in a day!" Lotta protests. Ash blasts a high note in agreement.

"I know, Buta." Akane smiles. "A mirror, please." Raku offers Yuki a mirror, then steps out of the scene. "How beautiful we are...." After setting the mirror aside, she announces "Come, we must be off to the festival!" They laugh as they depart, leaving Lotta alone again.

Brock appears in his spotlight, playing a sad interlude. "Nashi thought about how to finish all the work and still go to the festival. Yet the more she thought, the less answers she found. It was simply too much work. Try as she might to hold back her tears, they came flowing anyway, like rivers of diamonds." Lotta pantomimes crying.

Just then, Ash begins a mystical melody as some puppeteers all in black appear in the scene, making some Taillow puppets "fly". "Just then, some Taillows landed on the windowsill, piqued by Nashi's sobbing." Brock narrates as he joins in the song. "They didn't know why this human cried, but they knew they had to help."

The puppets "fly" about the stage, "picking" prop rice grains and putting them in the jars. Lotta notices this. "Please, don't eat our rice...Stepmother will be angry." she pleads, but then notices what the puppets are doing. "You're putting them in the jars? Oh, praise Arceus! I will be able to go to the festival after all!" With that, she dances in joy and the puppets work faster as the orchestra plays a triumphant melody.

When the song ends, the Taillow puppets "fly" offstage. "Nashi was so caught up in her happiness, she remembered her other chore, and all too quickly, joy became tears." Brock narrates as Lotta's dancing slows down, then stops.

"There so many weeds in here, I don't know if I can even pull them all." Lotta sighs over a sad chord from the harp as she pantomimes pulling weeds.

"A Ponyta in the field nearby saw Nashi crying, and took pity on her." Brock narrates as a Ponyta puppet "walks" in the scene, its puppeteers hidden from the audience's view.

Lotta then spots the Ponyta "eating" some of the prop weeds. "Oh, hello there, Mr. Ponyta...did you come to help me too?" The Ponyta puppet "nods" and continues to "eat". "Thank you! I can go to the festival after all!" Lotta hugs the puppet, then dashes offstage as the lights go down.

"Nashi hurried as quickly as she could to the town square." Brock narrates over a "running" melody. "She got there just as the parade of welcome was beginning."

With that Ash leads the orchestra into a festive melody. Lotta and a crowd of other townsfolk watch as dancers, other musicians, acrobats, jugglers, giant Pokemon puppets, and other entertainers parade across the stage. The audience oohs and ahs over the Pokemon puppets and the elaborate costumes pass by.

Brock appears in his spotlight as the "parade" continues. "It just so happened that the prince of the land happened to be at the festival, hoping that his future queen would be present in the crowds." He plays a soft chord as Kano walks into the scene, clad in a blue, white, and gold Asian-esque prince outfit.

"That girl...who is she?" Kano wonders before walking over to Lotta. "You look very beautiful, miss." he smiles.

"How?" Lotta asks. "My stepmother and stepsister overwork me and call me Buta--a Tepig! They don't call me by my real name."

"What is your real name?" Kano asks.

"Nashi." Lotta replies.

"That is a beautiful name, befitting a beautiful girl like you." Kano smiles. "Long have I searched for a girl with a heart as beautiful as her looks..."

With that, Kano and Lotta pantomime talking over a peaceful melody. "Nashi and the prince enjoyed the festival together, playing the games of chance and talking for hours about many things." Brock narrates. "Suddenly Nashi heard the ringing of the temple bells that signaled midnight--if she was not home by the time the twelveth bell rang, her stepmother would give her twice the workload." He then plays a series of hard chords to mimic bells. Lotta panics and dashes offstage leaving a slipper behind. This buys the spirits time to reset the stage to the house set.

When the last chord fades, Akane and Yuki are waiting for Lotta. "Where in the world were you, Buta?" Akane demands.

"Did you finish everything asked of you?" Yuki agrees.

"Yes--every rice grain was gathered." Lotta replies."The Taillows helped me pick them."

"And the garden?" Akane asks.

"A friendly Ponyta helped me pull the weeds." Lotta explains.

"Try as Nashi might, her stepsister and her stepmother didn't believe her when she said the Pokemon helped her." Brock narrates. 'Meanwhile, the prince traveled all across the land, trying to find the maid that had lost her slipper at the festival."

The orchestra plays a triumphant flourish as Kano enters the scene. "Forgive me for troubling you, but does this slipper belong to you?"

"Ooh, let me try, Your Majesty!" Yuki begs. Try as Kano might the slipper doesn't fit, to the chuckles of the audience.

He next tries Akane, but the slipper goes flying across the room as it pops off her foot. But when he tries Lotta, he smiles. "Nashi...you are the one!" he cries as Nashi hugs him.

"And so, the prince took Nashi to the palace, where she never had to worry about her stepmother and her stepsister again." Brock concludes as the lights go down. "So ends the tale of the Aspear Girl." One last chord ends the play.

The crowd roars as the lights come up again for the curtain call. Rylan and the other prop people unmask themselves and bow first. Brock is next, then the orchestra, followed by the puppeteers and the crowd extras. Akane and Yuki bow next, but the biggest ovation is saved for Lotta and Kano, who bow together....

*applauds again!!!*

::takes a bow::

The sidestories are as fun to write as the main ones

I could think about it being like a can suffer display on TV…”Big Bro Brock’s Tale Time” or some other absurd name. There were a few areas where you used the “ in a strange position or neglected to put one, but no biggie. I look ahead to some more Swaying Tales!

Thank you--it's not easy finding tales to adapt, but it's all worth it when I find one that works. Let me know if you want to know how I Pokemonize the tales.

Week 10: The Beastly Tinderbox

(real tale: The Tinderbox)

"Wow!" Akane cried as she read over a letter. "Our play was so successful, the show has already been renewed for a second season, and the first is not even half over yet!"

"That's great news!" Kano smiled as he set a patter of cakes on a table. "But we all know who really gets us all the great ratings..."

"The one and only Brock!" Yuki announced, making the other players applaud as Brock entered the room.

"A second season already?" Brock chuckled. "And here I was thinking a storytelling segement on a variety show was suicide..."

"According to the most recent ratings, your doubts and the naysayers have been proven wrong." Akane began, showing Brock a line graph depicting the steadily increasing ratings, save for two large jumps and small dips when the plays were broadcast.

"Let's all do our best to make this the longest running variety show in the world!" Rylan calls. Cheers of agreement and support fill the air both backstage and onstage as Brock arrives onstage for his part of the show--the weekly tale.

"Once a soldier was on his way home from a long journey." he begins as he walks around the stage, seemingly bypassing his chair and his guitar. "He had won a great victory in battle hours before, and dreamed of the hero's welcome he would get once home." Piqued murmurs fill the air as the audience speculates what or who the soldier was fighting against. "Just then, an old mage met him on the road, and asked if he was interested in all the money in the world." More whispers and speculation race through the crowd as Brock settles in his chair and takes his guitar. "At first, the soldier--let's call him Dustin..." Brock is interrupted by the roar of the crowd's approval at the name. "As I was saying, Dustin didn't trust the mage at first, especially when the mage led him to a hollow tree, telling him that three fearsome beasts guarded the treasure inside. Dustin summoned his courage, took three Cheri Berries from the tree's branches..." Giggles go up as Brock plays three harmonic notes to symbolize Dustin picking Berries. "and disappeared into the hollow." He then plays a downward note to represent Dustin's descent into the tree. "There, he was met by three doors--Raikou guarded the left door, Entei the center, and Suicune the right." Awed gasps go up at the triumphant chord symbolizing the Beasts' appearance. "Dustin appeased the three Beasts with the Berries, easily helping himself to the treasure."

He plays a calm interlude. "The mage was amazed that Dustin had figured out how to tame the three Beasts, and gave him an enchanted tinderbox as a memento." Brock then plays a set of dance tunes. "When Dustin got home, he stayed in the finest room of the finest inn, and had the best food and drink in town. He even heard of the princess locked away in the highest room of the tallest tower of the castle."

Giggles from the children prompt Brock to stop the reel he is playing. "Before we go any further, I can assure you this is not the story you think it is." Nervous laughter meets his warning as he resumes his reel. "Dustin bought himself all manner of fancy clothes and won favor with many of the nobles. But his new friends urged him to spend, and Dustin did just that..." Brock starts to slow the reel down. "He spent..." The reel slows down even more. "and spent..." The reel has now slowed down to a crawl. "and spent some more..." The reel has now come to a complete stop. "until Dustin had not a penny to his name, and was forced to spend the night in a rickety old shack outside of town."

He plays a sad interlude. "It was cold that night, and it took Dustin all his strength just to light a candle for warmth." He mimics shivering for effect. "He remembered the tinderbox the mage had given him, and no sooner had he struck a match, did he find Entei before him." Cheers go up at the E major chord symbolizing Entei appearing. "Dustin asked Entei for gold, and Entei brought him not just gold, but jewels and silver as well. Overnight, he was rich again, and he once again found favor with the nobles--but he was more careful with his money this time!" Laughter goes up at Brock's aside.

After playing a wistful interlude, Brock goes on. "One night, Dustin wondered what the princess was like as he lit a match for cooking with the magic tinderbox." He plays a D major chord to symbolize Suicune appearing. "Suicune appeared before Dustin, and Dustin told him that he wanted to see the princess." As the last chord of his interlude fades away, he adds "We'll call the princess Maya, okay?" Mild applause goes up in approval of the name.

"So Suicune dashed off to the castle, and returned with Princess Maya a few moments later." Brock continues over a love theme. "Dustin and Maya fell in love with each other right away, and every night, a different Beast would take Princess Maya to see Dustin, where they would spend hours talking to each other."

The love theme then turns omnious. "Eventually, the queen grew suspicious of what was going on, and ordered one of her ladies to keep watch over Maya. Sure enough, that night, the lady saw Suicune carry Maya away around midnight. The lady followed Suicune, and when Suicune arrived at Dustin's house, she drew a star on the door so the royal soldiers would find the wanted man."

He plays a D major chord next. "But Suicune knew what the star meant. So before taking Princess Maya home, he drew stars on every door in town. So when the soldiers came to arrest Dustin the next morning, they were baffled by the sheer number of stars in the town, and gave up." Sighs of relief fill the air.

Another omnious riff signals that the story's not over yet. "A few nights later, Entei came to take Princess Maya to see Dustin. The queen tied a bag of sugar to one of Entei's legs, and followed the resulting trail to Dustin's house." Brock continues before playing a sharp chord that startles some people in the front row. "Dustin was arrested, tried, and sentenced to die for kidnapping royalty." Gasps go up at this.

"When asked if he had any last requests, Dustin only asked for a match to cook one last meal." Brock goes on. "So he took the match and struck the tinderbox once..." He plays a harmonic C chord for effect. "Twice..." He then plays a harmonic D major chord for Suicune. "Three times..." He plays a harmonic E chord for Entei. "All three Beasts appeared before him--and they were none too pleased that an innocent man was about to die!"

He plays a long, flowing riff. "The gallows, the executioner, the judge, the jailors, the king and the queen--they were all consumed in the Beasts' rage of fire, ice, and thunder."

Cheers go up as Brock concludes "The people were stunned that an ordinary man could call on the Legendary Beasts, and pleaded with Dustin to be their new king. So he and Princess Maya became king and queen--they lived happily ever after, because they could always count on the Beasts to protect them in times of need...and that ends the tale of 'The Beastly Tinderbox'

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow...

Great story as always. I do have a question for you, tough. Do you still accept suggestions for stories?

Yes--if you find a folktale that might work in the Pokeworld, let me know and I'll try to Pokemonize it

Week 11: The Goblin of the Forest

(real tale: The Goblin of the Plains)

The lights come up on Brock, seated in his trusty chair and playing a tense melody on his guitar. "The story I want to tell this week does have a happy ending, but the way there may be a bit scary." he cautions. "If you need to leave the auditorium to calm down--or to calm a child or Pokemon down--inform an usher and they will direct you to the closest EXIT sign." Spotlights appear on all the auditorium's EXIT signs to illustrate his point.

After waiting a moment to see if any in the audience takes up his offer to leave, Brock begins his tale. "Many years ago, it was said that a fearsome monster--the onimori--haunted Viridian Forest. Many told tales of how it ate unsuspecting travelers, and would often transform itself into many forms to lure victims to its lair. Others said that it often laid a trap to catch children and Pokemon in the woods. So whenever a person or a Pokemon vanished without a trace, people blamed the onimori. But the majority of people blew off the onimori as a fairytale. In time, the onimori was forgotten."

He then plays a hymn-like interlude. "One day, a young priestess--let's call her Miya..." The crowd applauds in approval at the name. "was traveling on a great journey. She had heard the tales of the onimori, but wasn't afraid. She knew that as an envoy of Arceus, she had His protection." He plays a triumphant chord to symbolize Arceus.

"It was a cold night, and Miya had a ways to go before getting to what is now Pewter City." Brock continues over a tense melody. "There was no sign of a temple or inn in sight, so Miya asked Arceus to guide her somewhere safe..." He plays a D major chord before singing a gibberish phrase to represent Miya's prayer: Emyina pekien liku...

Some applause goes up over the sung phrase. "Miya finished her prayers, and spotted a light coming from a cottage in the distance. Taking the light as a sign of Arceus, she hurried on ahead. The owner of the house, a young lady, welcomed Miya, prepared her a fine meal and a bed for the night, and listened as Miya told her about her journeys to the various temples of Arceus."

A spooky interlude gets the audience's attention. "After a while, the fire began to die down. The young lady stepped outside to gather more wood, but warned Miya not to look in the back room of the house. Miya took a moment to relax at first, but then curiosity began to fill her thoughts--just what was in the back room?"

He waits a moment as some parents and children get up to leave the auditorium, as if they know about the fearsome events he is about to describe. "Miya snuck to the back room and peeked inside...and nearly screamed in horror at the many skulls in the room!"

Screams from the crowd pepper the room as Brock plays a "running" melody. "Miya fled the house in terror--all those stories about the onimori were true! As she fled through the forest, she heard an otherworldly male voice calling in the darkness..." He then switches to a low, gutteral voice. "You wicked girl! You looked into a forbidden place, and now you will PAY!!!"

More screams fill the room, but Brock, in his real voice, continues over the frantic melody. "All Miya's weariness left her as she ran to escape the otherworldly being chasing her. She ran for hours, leaping over logs, climbing through brush, and trying not to trip over roots in the darkness. As she reached the forest's edge, she called on Arceus' holy power and casted a spell of light. In character as a young girl, he calls over a D major chord "Bright light, shine down on bloody impurity! Holy!"

The crowd roars over the harmonic chord symbolizing the spell. As himself, Brock concludes "The holy light lit up the sky to create a magic circle, and the onimori fled into the darkness. Although the circle created from Miya's spell is long since gone, the holy magic is still there--because the onimori hasn't been seen since!"

Sighs of relief fill the air as the audience applauds. Brock just smiles and takes a bow--sometimes an audience enjoys a good scare!

Good story and also a nice way to warn the audience (and the readers) that his story can be scary. I can imagine a Halloween special in a similar fashion :) (If it evens get that far, that is).

That's Brock's typical protocol if he feels his chosen tale for the week is scary--I do have a tale for Halloween planned for when this collection does get that far along

Week 12: The Legend of Alto Mare

(real tale: The Drowned City)

Brock smiled as he paged through a photo album. The one picture he was studying depicted him, Ash and Misty on a pier, with the city of Alto Mare in the background. That was a crazy adventure--if only I can get Ash to tell his side of the story without breaking down and crying...

"Interesting picture..." Rylan mused as caught a glimpse of the photo album. "Are you maybe going to tell how you saved Alto Mare's Soul Dew again?"

"Not quite--although I'd really love for Ash and Misty to join me and tell their sides of that adventure." Brock replied as he turned the page. "Problem is, Latios sacrificed himself to save Ash, and watching Latios die has haunted Ash to this day. He will still break down and cry over it, years later."

"It must have touched him deeply that Latios died for him." Akane suggested. "That is the hallmark of a true friend, in my eyes."

"Well, if you're not telling about the Soul Dew, then what story are you telling?" Lotta wondered as Brock put away the photo album.

Brock decided to answer Lotta in Italian. Sto andando più indietro rispetto alla Soul Dew.

"Even farther back than the Soul Dew?" Lotta translated as Brock made his way to the wings.

La storia che voglio raccontare questa settimana riguarda come Latios, Latias, e Alto Mare si è venuto per essere. Brock continued as he found his guitar and started tuning up.

"How Latios, Latias, and Alto Mare came to be?" Lotta was interested now.

Brock nodded as he checked his tuning one last time. Quello che forse non sai è il Alto Mare si vede oggi si trova sulla cima dei resti sommersi di un vecchio Alto Mare.

"Another Alto Mare?" Lotta gasped.

"There was an Alto Mare even before the Alto Mare we see today?" Yuki was equally surprised.

Brock smiled before answering in English. "Surprisingly yes--while there's a number of different versions of the story, this is the most common version, which I learned on a recent visit to Alto Mare." With that, he took his guitar and ran onstage to meet the crowd.

Once settled in his chair, he played a peaceful interlude before beginning "You've heard me tell the story about how Misty, Ash, and I saved the Soul Dew before...but what you may not know is that the Alto Mare you see today sits on top of an older Alto Mare that sank beneath the sea." Piqued murmurs race through the crowd as Brock plays a few bars of a song he wrote for Latias. "You see, long ago, there was a great king--whose name is lost to time--that tried to conquer lands close to where Shinou is today. He had many ships and fighting men, but over time, the soldiers grew weary of fighting, and eventually left their king behind in the sea."

He plays a sad interlude. "As the king made his lonely trip home, he saw a beautiful red haired maiden standing on the water. She said to him..." In his best impression of Latias' voice, Brock intones over a mystical melody "My name is Jikan...I know of you, love you, and wish to return with you to your homeland."

As himself, he continues. "As the king approached, Jikan revealed herself as the Eon dragon Latias, and swiftly flew the king to his homeland." Excited whispers fill the air as he plays a "flying" melody.

"Some time passed, and the king and Jikan had a child--a daughter they named Bianca." Brock continues. "Not long after Bianca was born, Jikan disappeared--some say she died, others said she returned to the heavens, and still others say she left on a great journey. But I digress."

He plays a sad interlude. "While the king grieved for Jikan, he loved Bianca even more. The one thing Bianca loved more than her father was the sea. So one day, she asked him to build her a city on the sea."

An adventurous melody makes whispers of excitement race through the room. "So the king spent two years building the city, and when it was complete, he named it Alto Mare--'above the sea'." Brock continues over his song. "It was a beautiful city, with houses of marble that were studded in jewels. But the biggest attraction was the great temple to Arceus in the center of the city--millions of pilgrims came there every year to pray and ask Arceus' blessings. For many years, the people of Alto Mare lived in paradise."

Brock's song then turned somber. "Before long, Bianca was of age to be married--she was so beautiful, even Darkrai knew of how beautiful and kind she was. So he transformed into a knight, and met Bianca on the road. Darkrai flattered her, and kissed her, and ran his fingers through her ruby red hair." In a deep, gravely voice, he intones. "Come away with me, and we'll ride across the sea."

"Oh, but my father has the only key to the gates of the city." he protests in character as Bianca.

"You can get the key while he sleeps." he sneers as Darkrai.

He plays a tense melody as he continues in his normal voice "So Bianca snuck into her father's room, took the key, and opened the city gates, makng a great wave of water rush inside!"

Gasps filled the air over Brock's frantic melody. "The crashing waves woke the king, and it wasn't until he saw Bianca in Darkrai's clutches did he know what Bianca had done. Bianca, meanwhile, saw who the knight really was--and she was not about to have him destroy her father and the city he had lovingly built for her!"

Cheers fill the air over a triumphant chord. "Bianca transformed into Latias, and her father transformed into Latios, and both of them fought Darkrai together." Brock continues. "Although Darkrai was ultimately defeated, the battle caused Bianca's beloved city to sink beneath the sea."

He concludes over a peaceful interlude. "But the people rebuilt, creating the Alto Mare we see today. Even so, that king and Bianca still watch over Alto Mare as Latios and Latias, in case evil should ever return again."

"Wow!" Yuki is impressed as Brock bows for the crowd.

"If that story about the old city of Alto Mare, I'm sure Brock's adventure with the Soul Dew is just as thrilling to hear!" Akane agrees.

"You've never heard how Brock saved the Soul Dew?" Rylan is shocked at Akane's comment. "You should ask him to tell that story sometime!"

Alto Mare, a shame I never got the chance to see the movie. I like the fact that the king became a Latios and his daughter Latias, most likely because his lover was a Latias as well.

As I read the real tale, I realized it sounded a lot like Alto Mare, so that's why I chose to adapt it this way (drawing on what little I remember of movie 5).

But then again, Brock did say there were other versions of the story, so if you want to create one of those, I'd love to see it

Week 13: Four Words of Wisdom

(real tale: The Dervish and the Three Coins)

"Once a merchant in a far away land fell on hard times." Brock begins from his customary place at center stage. "One day, he found he only had three gold pieces to his name, so he had to think long and hard about how to spend the money." He paces the stage a few times, as if he is the merchant in thought. "Finally, the merchant decided to leave his family and homeland, and travel elsewhere in search of better fortune."

He then settles in his chair and takes his guitar. "After walking for a long time, he came upon a forest as night fell. A priest happened to be resting there as well, saying his evening prayers." As he finishes his interlude, he asks in a gentle male voice "What brings you out here at this late hour?"

"I am seeking my fortunes elsewhere." he replies as a younger man. "I was once a rich man, but now I have only three gold pieces to my name, and I don't know what to do."

"I know the best way to spend your coins." he replies in character as the priest. "Give them to me, and I will teach you things more valuable than gold."

As himself, he continues "So the merchant gave the priest his last three coins and listened as the priest told him..." As the priest again, he intones over a mystical melody. "I will tell you four words of wisdom--heed them well, for they may save your life one day."

"I'm listening..." he replies as the merchant.

"Take the middle in everything." he intones as the priest. "Waste no breath and do not fear death...in the eyes of a lover, the beloved is beautiful...and that which you do not understand, judge not."

As himself, he interjects "Remember these, they'll be important later." before continuing over a peaceful melody. "With that, the priest wished the merchant well, and continued on his way. The merchant went to bed not long after, repeating what he had learned as he drifted to sleep."

He next plays a triumphant chord as the lights on the stage brighten, symbolizing a new day. "The next morning, the merchant set off, and walked untill he came to a fork in the road. One route went to the left, one went straight, and one went to the right. He remembered what the priest had said..."

"Take the middle in everything." the audience replies.

Brock smiles, pleased that the audience remembered one of the words of wisdom. "So he went down the center route." After playing a few bars of 'On Our Way' to symbolize the merchant traveling, he continues. "Before long, he came to a high mountain, where he saw the entrance to a cave. Understandably, he was afraid of what awaited him in the cave, but he remembered what the priest said..."

"Waste no breath and do not fear death." the audience replies.

"Very good!" Brock is impressed the audience also remembered the second word of wisdom. "The merchant gathered his courage and entered the cave."

The lights go out, leaving the audience completely in darkness for a few seconds before Brock's voice pierces the eerie silence. "The merchant did his best to find his way through the darkness, but after walking for a while, he saw a light in the distance." As if on cue, a spotlight appears at stage right. As Brock approaches it, the stage gets brighter. When he is where the spotlight was, the stage is normally lit. "He emerged in a garden unlike any he had seen before, filled all kinds of exotic flowers and Berry trees. As he rested under a Cheri tree, he saw a Lombre the size of a human being in a nearby pond." He returns to his chair. "When he approached the huge Pokemon, he saw a water spirit hovering by it. The spirit asked him..." In a breathy female voice, he asks "Which is more beautiful, me or the Lombre?"

The audience murmurs a moment. "The merchant thought for a moment, but remembered that the priest had said--what?" Brock motions for the audience to tell him what the third word of wisdom was.

"In the eyes of a lover, the beloved is beautiful." the audience replies.

"You've almost got them all!" Brock encourages the audience. "No sooner had the merchant said this, did the Lombre transform into a mountain of gold coins!" He plays a harmonic chord to mimic a transformation. "After gathering a reasonable share of the coins, the merchant started on his journey home." He plays 'On Our Way' again to symbolize traveling. "As he walked along, the merchant spotted his neighbor's son on the road, and asked how his family was. The boy replied..." In his best mimic of Ash, Brock intones "Your wife has forgotten about you, and now loves another."

The audience murmurs, stunned at the turn of events. "Understandably, the merchant was devastated." Brock begins as himself. "But then he remembered what the priest had said..."

"That which you don't understand, judge not." the audience replies without being prompted.

"Wow! You remembered them all!" Brock smiles, amazed the audience remembered all four words of wisdom. "So the merchant continued on into town without judging the terrible news. He went to his sister's house and asked what had happened, and his sister said to him..." In his best mimic of Misty, he continues over a peaceful interlude "When you left, she was very sad, and worked even harder. The neighbor's boy kept pestering her to marry him, saying you would never return. I worried for her, so I brought her here to stay with me."

As himself, he concludes over a soft, yet happy song "The merchant was then reunited with his wife, and he told her all that had happened. He also shared his newfound riches with his whole family, and they lived happily ever after, thanks to a wandering priest's four words of wisdom."

The audience roars as Brock takes a bow...