Fanfiction Pokemon Lightning Yellow

(rated E10+ for fantasy violence and frightening images)

At long last, I'm resuming my anime remix series by going back to where it all began--OG Kanto.

Be warned--this is not quite the same anime you remember, and not quite the same games you remember!

Episode 1: A Yellow Morning Comes (part 1)



A yellow morning comes, and it sparkles like the sun
I don't think that I, ever will, forget its simple beauty
All this light from the heavens raining down--

"Ash?"

"Yeah, Dad?" a black haired boy asked as he pressed PAUSE on the small blue CD player he had been listening to while half heartedly watching the battle between a Gengar and a Nidorino raging on the TV.

A black haired man made his way into the room and sat down on the bed by his son. "Is everything okay? Your mom's worried because usually you're in bed by now..."

"It's just...I can't sleep, Dad." Ash explained. "I'm so excited about leaving tomorrow on my own Pokémon journey, and maybe prove myself as the Pokémon Master."

"Well, every Pokémon Master--and Mistress, too--had to start somewhere." the man replied. "They didn't get to the top overnight--they practiced with their Pokémon, they met new friends, battled terrifying foes, overcame many challenges, and even made a few mistakes on the way. But through it all, they never gave up." The Nidorino ramming the Gengar on the TV punctuated his point. "No matter what happens on your journey, Ash, know that your mom and I will always be proud of you...you have the drive and the courage to go all the way to a Pokémon Master. But have you thought about what it really means to be a Pokémon Master?"

Ash froze as he pressed STOP on his CD player. "Well...they've met every Pokémon, including Legendaries?" he asked.

"Not quite--quantity of Pokémon does not necessarily a Pokémon Master make." Ash's father cautioned. "Some Masters only owned a few Pokémon, and they were revered as being some of the greatest trainers of their day."

"I know, we studied many of them in history class." Ash replied, sighing nostalgically about a memorable lecture.

"What sets apart a Pokémon Master from the rest is how they treat their Pokémon." Ash's father explained. "They understand Pokémon are living creatures at heart, and so treat them with dignity and respect, not as tools to batter opponents into submission."

"Tell that to Gary..." Ash muttered.

Ash's father just smiled. "That reminds me...even if you do cross paths with Gary on your journey, do not stoop to his level. a Pokémon Master treats everyone, even sworn enemies, with respect."

"I guess there's more to being a Pokémon Master than just winning the League medallion..." Ash mused.

"That's right--travel to other regions, enter their Leagues, and earn their medallions too." Ash's father grinned. "But remember that on your way to the top, you will likely lose a few times. While it does hurt to lose, remember that losses have lessons to be learned from them, even if you lost due to situations beyond your control."

The TV remote got his attention as Ash put away his CD player into his bag and gathered a few more supplies. "Although if you must watch TV this late, you could watch this." With that, he changed the channel, displaying Professor Oak on a plain somewhere talking about the native Pokémon of Kanto.

Ash turned to look back as his father turned to leave. "No matter what, I will make you and Mom proud!" he smiled back, a new confidence welling up in his heart. "I hereby declare to the Pokémon of the world...I will be the greatest Pokémon trainer...the greatest Pokémon master...of all time!"

Ash's father just chuckled at his son's triumphant pose. "At any rate, you'd best get to bed...you don't want to be late to get your first Pokémon, do you?"

"Course not!" Ash replied as he changed into his pajamas for the night.

---------

"Glancing behind her, she saw what looked like a black cloud that was fast gaining on them. So she invoked the sapphire--Rou iitsa ron selga vichii..." sang the brown haired boy with tanned skin on Ash's PokeNav screen, making a prop sapphire glow in response to his voice.

"Watching all the Brock stories you have one last time before you leave, champ?" Ash's father smiled as he arrived.

"Not all of them--I woke up early to finish packing, and decided to watch my current favorite while I waited for you guys to get up." Ash replied as he stopped the video and stashed the PokeNav in his bag, in between a few whistles and some camping gear.

"Just remember that Brock is also your first opponent on the road to the League--and he takes his battling as seriously as he does his performances." Ash's father cautioned as Ash quickly got dressed.

"My little boy...I never dreamed this day would come so quickly." Ash's mother smiled while choking back tears at the same time. "You've grown up so much..." she started as she readied a camera to take a picture.

"Wait!" Ash paused to grab a familiar red cap with a black L-like design on a white background from the hat stand and put it on. "Okay, take all the pictures you want, Mom!"

He patiently posed as the camera flashed, then made his way downstairs for a quick breakfast.

---------

After bidding his parents farewell one last time, Ash made his way to the familiar lab that made Pallet Town famous. He'd visited there many times, both on his own and with friends, and the windmill made it easy to spot among all the other buildings in town.

A few other trainers had arrived to receive their first Pokémon, but Ash winced when he saw a spiky brown haired boy waiting at the table filled with Poke Balls. Gary...do not stoop down to his level...do not stoop down to his level...

He noticed a particular Poké Ball that had star stickers on it, making it stand out from the many others that held either a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle. I wonder what kind of Pokémon's in there? he wondered. A Legendary, maybe? Or a rare Pokémon from a different region?

"Gramps, I'm fed up with waiting!" the spiky haired boy whined, snapping Ash back to reality.

"Just be patient, Gary, you'll get a Pokémon too." the professor assured Gary as he continued passing out Poke Balls to the other trainers in line. Although a few wisps of brown peeked through Prof. Oak's dull gray hair, he still had an air of youthful wisdom and kindness as he handed out Poke Balls.

Before long, it was Ash's turn to approach the table--most of the other early risers had left, but most trainers would not arrive until later in the morning.

He looked over the hundreds of Poke Balls lying on the table, but he kept coming back to the Poké Ball with star stickers. Something special had to be in there, he thought. If its not a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle, then what is it?

Prof. Oak noticed Ash studying the hundreds of Poke Balls. "If you're curious, Ash, that starry Poké Ball is one I saved especially for you...so go on and take it."

"Thanks!" Ash smiled, and reached out for the starry Poké Ball...

"What about me?" Gary's question startled him.

"I'll give you one later, okay?" Prof. Oak assured Gray before motioning to Ash.

But before Ash could take the starry Poké Ball, he gasped as Gary snatched it off the table. "Hey!"

"This Pokémon's mine now, Ash!" Gary smirked, tossing the Poké Ball from hand to hand.

Tears welled up in Ash's eyes--Prof. Oak had said the starry Poké Ball was his, and now Gary, his self proclaimed rival, had taken it?

"Don't think cryin's gonna make me give it back." Gary continued taunting Ash. "I have this Pokémon now--deal with it."

Ash growled at he tried to restrain himself from shouting a comeback at Gary. "No, Ash...he wants you to shout a witty comeback, and you'll just be arguing all day...do not stoop to his level." he reminded himself as he wiped away his tears of anger and composed himself.

"Ash...come over here, please." Prof. Oak snapped him back to reality.

Ash hurried over to the professor's desk as Prof. Oak unearthed another Poké Ball from a drawer. "Another secret Pokémon? What's in there?"

"This is a Pikachu I caught earlier this morning." Prof. Oak explained. "It seems to dislike being confined, so it may be happier just walking by your side."

With that, he heaved the Poké Ball skyward, making a small yellow mouse with a thunderbolt tail materialize on the desk. "Pikachu!" it smiled at Ash.

"Hello!" Ash replied. He reached out to pet the mouse, but it charged a warning spark. "Okay, okay, I won't pet you right now..."

Professor Oak offered Ash a small red device and a string of five Poke Balls. "Here you go...five empty Poke Balls, and the latest edition of my portable Pokémon encyclopedia--the Pokédex. This one is named Dexter."

Interested, Ash pointed Dexter at the yellow mouse before him:

"Pikachu, the mouse Pokémon. It has small electric sacs on both its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs."

"Let's see...what am I gonna name you, Pikachu...." Ash thought.

A memory of one of Brock's Low Galarian songs gave him an idea. "Tintri!"

"Pika!" The Pikachu smiled.

"An interesting choice--a short misspelling of the Low Galarian word for 'lightning', tintreach." Prof. Oak replied. "I hope you'll take care of him."

"I will, Professor!" Ash smiled before smiling at his new Pikachu. "Ready to go on an adventure, Tintri?"

[You bet! You seem like a nice human, too.] Tintri replied.

He was about to depart the lab with Tintri when he heard Gary say "What's the hurry, Ash? Let's check out our Pokémon! No sense in just waltzing out the door without seeing how powerful they are!"

"Is that a challenge?" Ash snapped back.

"Yeah...I challenge you!" Gary replied.

"If you two are going to battle, I'd prefer you did it somewhere away from the lab." Prof Oak interrupted. "I don't know what I would do if any of my research was lost due to a careless battle."

Gary just sighed. "Fine...battle on the town square in five minutes. Be there, or be square."

 

Episode 2: A Case of Deja Chu


"Thanks for agreeing to ref for us, sis." Gary smiled as a dull brown haired girl colored in two halves of a large chalk Poké Ball on the pavement. While it wasn't the sleek red and blue arenas of Gyms and Indigo Plateau, the huge chalk Poké Ball would do for a makeshift arena.

"Nice arena, Daisy." Ash agreed as he and Tintri took his place on the red half of the chalk drawing, quieting the murmuring onlookers.

Once all was quiet, Daisy announced "Representing the Red side, Ash Ketchum and Tintri!"

[Do all arena referees make such a big show out of a battle?] Tintri asked as some of the crowd cheered.

"Not all of them, but many of them do to hype up the crowd." Ash replied as he heard the other half of the crowd cheer for Gary and a small brown fox Pokémon staring him down from the Blue side of the makeshift arena.

He decided to quickly read up on his opponent:

"Eevee, the evolution Pokémon." Dexter began. "It has the ability to alter the composition of its body to suit its surrounding environment."

"Hello? Red side, are you ready?" Daisy's voice snapped him back to reality.

"As I'm ever going to be..." Ash sighed.

"Blue side ready?" Daisy asked as she hung a referee's whistle around her neck.

"Let's do this!" Gary smirked, to laughter and cheers from his supporters.

"And three...two...one..." Daisy counted down before blowing her whistle to start the battle.

The whistle made Tintri spark in surprise, making him narrowly miss being Tackled by Gary's Eevee. [Boy, those little silver thingies are loud!] he grumbled as he composed himself.

"That's just how they start every battle, so you'll have to get used to it." Ash explained. "Now, counter with a Thundershock!"

[Hi-YAAAAAAA!!!] Tintri cried as a tiny thunderbolt went flying at the Eevee. Not one to be deterred, the Eevee whapped Tintri with its tail, sending Tintri flying backwards.

"You okay?" Ash asked as Tintri gingerly got up.

[That's gonna hurt in the morning...] Tintri replied. [Mankey see, and Mankey do!] he taunted before Tail Whipping the Eevee back.

[Arrr!] The Eevee growled. [Not so high and mighty now, pipsqueak!]

[YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!] Tintri screeched as he unleashed a more powerful Thundershock, overwhelming the Eevee enough to make it faint.

Gary, meanwhile, was unfazed by the swirly eyed Eevee at his feet. "Not bad, not bad." he grinned. "But next time, you'll need more than beginner's luck to save you!"

He turned back to look at Ash. "Until then, smell ya later!"

[Good riddance...] Tintri grumbled. [Can we leave on our big adventure now?]

"Yes, let's go." Ash replied as he too turned to leave to the cheers of his own supporters.

Later, somewhere on Route 1...

[Has that Gary jerk always been like this?] Tintri asked as he and Ash made their way down Route 1 later that afternoon.

"Somewhat--as our tenth birthdays drew near, he became more and more cocky and Mr. Better than You." Ash explained as he led Tintri underneath a tree by a river and removed the headphones he had been listening to through his PokeNav. "But I was always told you'll get further on kindness and respect than arrogance and cockiness."

[Like the professor always said, 'pride goes before a fall'] Tintri agreed.

Ash smiled. "You seem to be pretty friendly for not being fully tame yet..."

[That's because I think I've seen you before...] Tintri explained. [Back when I lived in the wild.]

A thought occurred to Ash. Could it be? The same Pichu I saw at summer camp with Serena four years ago?

He smiled at his Pikachu companion. "Come to think of it, I may have seen you before too..."

---------

In Ash's memory, a young Ash dashes downstairs to show his parents a poster. "Mama! Daddy! Prof. Oak is hosting a Pokémon summer camp this year! Can I go? Please?"

"What do you think, hon?" Delia asks as Taran takes a sip of his morning coffee. "Do you think Ash is ready to be away from home for two weeks?"

"I think so..." Taran smiles. "With Prof. Oak and Serena there, Ash should be in good hands."

"Serena is gonna be there too? Young Ash gasps. "YESSSS!!!!"

Taran can't help smiling as Young Ash dances across the kitchen floor. "We'll sign you up for camp, sport. Your mom will get you up that day, since I have to go into work early that morning."

"Okay!" Young Ash smiles. "I'll send a gazillion pictures and postcards about everything Serena and me are doing at camp!"

---------

Meanwhile, in the forested outskirts of Pallet Town, Tintri--now as a Pichu-- observes his surroundings before being attacked by an Ekans! [YIPE!!!] Young Tintri yelps, using Thundershock to defend himself from the small purple and yellow snake Pokémon. The Ekans slithers away, leaving Young Tintri heaving with exhaustion.

[After getting the Ekans off my back, I discovered that I was alone.] Tintri explains via voiceover as Young Tintri realizes this after glancing around the forest. Just then, a group of Koffing float by and unleash a sickening smell! [The Koffing gas left me so confused, I almost tumbled over a cliff to my demise.] Tintri continues as his younger self teeters over the edge of a cliff...only to land in a Kangaskhan's pouch, alongside the Kangaskub. [Luckily, a mama Kangaskhan was there to catch me...even though she gave me the heebie-jeebies at first, I soon became fast friends with her cub.] Tintri explains as we see the Kangaskub and Young Tintri each getting a Berry to enjoy.

Several weeks later, Professor Oak's camp begins. Ash and Serena are two of the first to arrive, lovingly embracing each other before going inside Oak's Lab for cabin assignments.

"Any luck finding a Flame Herald Charizard yet?" Young Ash asks as he and Young Serena share each other's collection of trading cards under a tree.

"Not yet...I do have Pikachu the Courageous Storm from the new Jungle set, if you'd like." Young Serena offers.

"Wow, you have the new Jungle cards!" another child gasps. "I'll give your friend my Flame Herald Charizard if I can have one of the Jungle cards!"

"Really? You'd do that?" Ash smiles. When the girl nods yes, he beams. "Thank you!"

The kids do not see Young Tintri watching the camp, its activities, and the trade for the cards in a bush. [Those pieces of paper must be valuable among the humans...] he smiles. [I'll have to tell Kankan about them later.]

---------

Later that evening, the campers, Young Ash and Young Serena included, gather in a covered stage pavilion. Young Tintri is in another bush with the Kangaskub, where they can see the stage. [This is it...the human gathering spot I told you about.] Young Tintri explains as Brock is welcomed to the stage to some applause from the campers. Young Ash and Young Serena are especially excited to see their favorite storyteller.

[Why is this human so important?] Kankan wonders as Brock starts telling a tale on the stage. From their perspective, they can only hear the camper's giggles in response to Brock telling them that the king in his tale had never been fooled.

[He's a storyteller.] Young Tintri explains. [Humans tell stories to teach their little ones about the world, why you should or should not do something, about brave heroes that killed dragon Pokémon and other monsters, about funny characters that use their wits to outwit a bad guy, and more.]

[This one sounds like a funny story...] Kankan notes as he watches Brock knock "shave-and-haircut, two bits" on the stage floor to mimic the eldest brother knocking at the palace door, to some laughter.

[I know...this black haired one is getting into it!] Young Tintri smiles, pointing out Young Ash and Young Serena howling with laughter over Brock feigning injury to show the eldest brother's failure. [In many human tales, it's the little one that passes the royal human's tests, and lives happily ever after.]

[Would you want to travel with a human when you get bigger?] Kankan wonders.

[Maybe...if I found a human as brave and as kind as that one.] Young Tintri replies before trying to make out what he can of the story...

---------

[The years passed, and Kankan and me grew up together.] Tintri explains. [One night, the Kangaskhan herd took shelter from a rainstorm in a cave, but I saw that Kankan's mama was having trouble carrying both of us.] We see Young Tintri struggling not to fall from the wobbly pouch as Mama Kangaskhan walks. [I tried to jump out to lighten her load, but Mama Kangakhan couldn't bear to leave me behind.] We see Mama Kangaskhan gently put Young Tintri back in the pouch. [That night, I made my choice--it was time for me to go forth into the world, and seek my own fortune,]

That night, as the Kangaskhan sleep, Young Tintri leaves his adoptive mother's pouch, takes a moment to observe his family as they sleep, and tearfully ventures outside. Grateful for their kindness and company, Young Tintri is surrounded in light, evolving into a Pikachu. Tintri is initially startled by his reflection before twirling around in excitement. Tintri waves goodbye to his adoptive family and departs before the scene swirls back to the present...

---------

[Oak caught me not long after that...and here we are, after all this time!] Tintri finally concluded his story some time later. [I knew it was you from the sparkle in your eyes.]

Ash smiled. "Well, welcome aboard, Tintri. Call it fate, call it an act of Arceus, call it luck, or call it something else, but you are mine and I am yours now. No power in heaven and earth can tear us apart!"

Tintri nodded as Ash started building a makeshift camp. [Friends to the end.]

 

Episode 3: A Friendship Flows Like Water


There..." Ash smiled as he admired his small campsite--a well loved red tent with silver and black trim, a plaid sleeping bag inside, a small camp cooking kit, food that could easily cook over a campfire, a traveler's medical kit, and his bag. "It's not much, but it'll be enough for tonight."

Tintri nodded. [Go on and make your dinner, I'll head into the forest and find some Berries for the two of us to share.]

Ash nodded. "Be careful, Tintri." he smiled as he took a meal kit for Combusken ramen and started reading the campfire instructions...

---------

[So what do we do to entertain ourselves now that dinner is over?] Tintri wondered as Ash gathered up the trash, then tied the trash bag into a tree to keep wild Pokémon away.

"Well...I'm not as good of a storyteller as Brock is, but I'll try my best to tell you a story." Ash assured his new Pikachu. "They say Brock, of Pewter City, moonlights as a storyteller and songwriter when he's not battling in the Gym."

After thinking for a moment, Ash started telling the first story he could remember. "There was once a king's daughter who was so beautiful that nothing in the world could compare with her..."

---------

"...Everyone was pleased to have him for their king." Ash concluded his epic tale some hours later, unaware that an orange haired girl was also listening to him. "Never was there such a wedding feast, and the Faithful Fair One and fair Avenant lived together for a long time in peace and happiness."

[Wow! That was great!] Tintri smiled as he applauded. [I'm impressed you remembered all of that!]

"Yes, you did great!" the girl agreed as she approached the small camp, applauding Ash's performance all the while.

Ash whirled around to discover the girl. "Uh, thanks, miss..."

"Misty, please." the girl smiled. "I take it you're a new trainer?"

"Yeah, my Pikachu Tintri and I just left Pallet Town today." Ash replied. "Name's Ash."

"Nice to meet you." Misty smiled as she set her bag, an instrument case, and some fishing gear on the grass. "I hear the fishing's great out this way...made it worth the trip from Cerulean."

"If you don't mind--since I have to go to Cerulean myself for a badge anyway..." Ash began, at the same time trying oh-so-hard not to convey to Misty that he was nervous. "D-do you want to travel together? To Cerulean at least?"

"I'll go with you to at least Cerulean--and maybe beyond!" Misty replied. "Besides, no Pokémon Master or Mistress ever traveled alone. I could probably teach you a thing or two along the way, as well."

With that, she cast her line in the water as Ash and Tintri looked on...

---------

The next morning, Ash and Misty made their way to Viridian City--Misty to weigh the Magikarp she caught, and Ash to register for the Kanto League. The registration process was simple--Dexter was scanned, and then a trainer card was printed with Ash's information and picture on it, as well as Tintri's picture.

Misty met him back in the Pokémon Center's main hall some moments later. "My haul weighed ten pounds."

"Wow..." Ash was impressed. "Think we can cook one of them tonight?"

"That was exactly why I came down here to fish--they say the Magikarp here have a distinct flavor." Misty explained as the two of them were escorted to a guest room by a rotund pink Pokémon.

"Thanks for the room." Ash smiled at the Pokémon.

[You're welcome! If you need anything, just let us know!] the rotund Pokémon smiled before following the pink haired nurse to tend to a new patient.

"From one trainer to another--it's a good idea to thank the Chansies and Happinis for their services." Misty explained. "The Happinis especially--they may be a little clumsy sometimes, but they genuinely want to help, so letting them know they are doing a good job means the world to them."

"I see..." Ash smiled as he read up on the two Pokémon Misty had mentioned:

"Chansey, the egg Pokémon. People try to catch it for its extremely nutritious eggs, but it rarely can be found." Dexter explained.

[Wow!] Tintri was impressed.

"Their compassionate nature made the Chansey family a worldwide icon for the Pokémon Center." Misty added. "I'm told that you can find them in the Safari Zone, but good luck trying to catch one."

Ash nodded and read the entry for Happini as Misty turned on an oven to cook a Magikarp:

"Happini, the playhouse Pokémon. It loves round white things, so it carries an egg-shaped rock in imitation of Chansey." Dexter explained, just as a Chansey walked by the room, a gaggle of Happinis behind her.

[Aw...] Tintri smiled. [They look so cute.]

"So, Ash...what is your goal for your Pokémon journey?" Misty's voice snapped Ash back to reality.

"My goal is easy--become a Pokémon Master." Ash replied. "Not just any Pokémon Master, but the greatest Pokémon Master of all time."

"You say it's easy, but it's not actually as easy as you think." Misty cautioned as she tended to the Magikarp simmering on the stove. "It will require effort, a lot of patience, teamwork both with people and Pokémon, and perseverance. Although I think you've got the perseverance part down."

"Thanks...I think." Ash smiled as Misty went to tend to the steaming vegetables on the stove--the Magikarp had finished cooking, and was now cooling on a platter.

Later, after dinner...

"Mm, that was good." Ash smiled as he set his plate in the sink.

"Glad you liked it." Misty replied. "I may not be a world class chef or anything, but I can pull off a decent roast Magikarp with all the trimmings."

"So now that I've told you my goal for this trip, do you have a goal for a journey at all?" Ash asked as he helped Misty wash the dishes. "It can be simple as seeing the world, or as complex as my goal of becoming the greatest Pokémon Master--I won't judge."

Misty's face turned somber. "I want to stand out from my sisters, forge my own path...and become a great master of water Pokémon. Don't get me wrong, I love my sisters, but being constantly pestered to do this thing or that thing and picking up their slack is not the best feeling in the world."

She sighed. "The last straw came when they decided to become pop idols--and pestered me to be part of the unit. But dancing around in cutesy costumes and singing cutesy lyrics is not my idea of fun--or my idea of music."

"Wow..." Ash replied. "Talk about being bossy..."

He went on "I may not have any blood related siblings, but I have a very close friend I consider a spiritual sister. She and her family lived just up the road from me, and the two of us spent hours exploring the forested areas near town, always pretending we were brave explorers, or the heroes of our favorite TV shows and video games. So I have another reason for becoming a Pokémon Master--to honor her, and know that no matter how far away we are, I will always be her friend."

"Sounds like the two of you were very close." Misty replied as she finished the last of the dishes. "What's her name...or where is she and her family now?"

"Her name is Serena. The summer before fourth grade, her dad accepted a job in a far away region, and Serena and her mom went with him." Ash replied as he plopped down in a chair.

He brushed away a tear. "I miss her so much..."

"I'm sure you do--it always hurts when someone you cherished moves away." Misty assured Ash as Tintri brought him a box of Kleenex. "I'm glad I never had to deal with that."

Tintri rummaging in Ash's bag got both Ash's and Misty's attention. [Huh...more of those silver thingys...wonder what the holes are for?]

A grin formed on Ash's face when he discovered Tintri looking at a silver whistle with a blue mouthpiece. "Oh, these are not like the whistles used to start a battle...these are actually meant to play music."

Misty's eyes sparkled. "Oh, tin whistles! Hoping to move up to the Pokeflute one day?"

"Yeah--I was one the few in my class that stuck with the whistle after the required year to play them in the third grade." Ash replied. "I brought four of the most common keyed ones I have, in case I met someone with musical talent on the road."

The notes of a fiddle playing the tune "All the Way to Pallet Town" got his attention. When he looked over, he balked when he saw Misty was the one playing the song on a beautiful reddish brown fiddle. Inspired, he decided to join in with the tune "The Swellow's Tail", before the two of them played two other tunes common to Pallet Town and Viridian City.

[Wow! What an electrifying beat!] Tintri raved as he clapped along, lost in the music.

Elsewhere...

"Jus' lookit'em, jammin' away without a care in da woild..." a small cat Pokémon sighed dreamily as it and its two human masters looked on Ash and Misty jamming from a bush near the window.

"What a boy and a Pikachu have to do with our current operation in Mt. Moon, I don't know..." the male human sighed in frustration.

"Don't let the fact he's happily twittering away on a whistle fool you--his Pikachu could very well bring down our whole operation--that was why we came down from the mountain to observe it for tonight." the female figure replied.

"Are we gonna swipe dat Pikachu?" the cat creature asked.

"Not yet--but if that boy comes to Mt. Moon and disrupts our operation, then we can try and take it, but not until then--boss' orders." the female human replied, her long fuchsia hair shining in the moonlight...

 

Episode 4: The First Catch in the Forest


The sun was high overhead when Ash, Misty, and their Pokémon departed Viridian City the next morning. Tintri walked by Ash's side, Ash studied the map, and Misty was not far behind with her gear. "Let's see...if we go through Viridian Forest, we'll come out just outside of Pewter City." Ash mused.

Misty's eyes turned to stars. "Really??? I've always wanted to see Brock work his storytelling art! They say he plays music, sings in Arceus knows how many languages, and even sword fights and shoots arrows live on stage if the story requires it!"

"I have a few favorite performances saved on my PokeNav if you want to watch one tonight." Ash smiled.

"Don't think him a pushover because of his skill telling stories...Brock takes his battling as seriously as his performances." a dark haired boy cautioned as Ash and Misty approached the forest edge. "...and woe betide those with a single Pikachu, as their thunderbolts won't do a thing to his Rock types."

"Thanks for the tip..." Ash started before pausing--he had not asked the boy his name.

"Charlie, please." the boy smiled as he retrieved a bug net. "I was gonna meet some friends to go bug hunting in the forest, but I can teach you how to catch your own bugs."

Misty froze. "B-b-bugs?" she stammered. "Aside from raw carrots and hot peppers, I hate most bugs with a passion!"

"Most bugs?" Charlie asked as he led Ash and Misty into the forest.

"I can tolerate pretty bugs, like Butterfree and its cousins, and Ledybas are good luck..." Misty grumbled as she followed Ash and Charlie into a grassy clearing lined with Berry bushes. "But any bugs that bite or sting--no go."

"Then you may want to try for a Caterpie over a Weedle." Charlie explained. "Both of them are fairly plentiful, but Caterpie is the gentler of the two, and best suited for beginning trainers."

Ash suddenly felt something crawling up his leg, and looked down to see a tiny green caterpillar Pokémon making its way up his left pant leg. "Why hello..." he smiled as he pulled out Dexter to read up on his tiny visitor:

"Caterpie, the worm Pokémon. Its feet have suction cups designed to stick to any surface. It tenaciously climbs trees to forage." Dexter explained.

Misty screaming, followed by something being sprayed snapped Ash to attention. When he turned to see what he matter was, he tried oh-so-hard not to laugh at Misty stuck to a tree trunk by String Shot. The Caterpie he had seen before was now in the grass, daring the red haired girl to attack it.

[Calling me 'disgusting' and 'vile', were you?] the Caterpie grumbled. [I am not disgusting and I am NOT vile!]

Just then, Tintri approached the angry Caterpie. [My friend was afraid of you, so she screamed--not because she's a predator.] he explained. [So let her go!]

[Why should I?] the Caterpie challenged. [She threatened me!]

[That's because she was afraid!] Tintri pleaded before charging a Thundershock. [So I'm gonna fight to protect her!]

[Hah!] The Caterpie dodged Tintri's attack, then rammed into him, knocking him backwards.

Ash noticed the Caterpie aiming a String Shot at the dazed Tintri. "Tintri, watch out!"

Tintri obediently rolled out of the path of the string, then lashed his tail at the Caterpie. [Take that!]

Ash was hit by inspiration as he watched Tintri dodge another string. Say...what if he were to catch the String Shot, then wrap it back around the Caterpie?

"Don't forget, if you're gonna catch a Pokémon, you have to weaken it first!" Misty reminded him as Charlie cut her loose.

"Tintri, use Thundershock!" Ash commanded.

[HAH!!!!] Tintri fired the tiny lightning bolt at the Caterpie moments after he had fired another String Shot, cutting the string loose, but just long enough to wrap something in it.

Ash decided to try his idea. "Tintri, use that piece of String Shot to wrap up the Caterpie!"

"Ash, what are you--!" Misty started as she watched Tintri run around the Caterpie, wrapping the String Shot around it.

Once sure the Caterpie was thoroughly tied, he heaved a Poké Ball in the weakened Caterpie's direction. "Poké Ball, go!"

One...

Two...

Three...

A feeling of excitement welled up inside Ash as the Poké Ball's center dimmed. "I did it...I got a Pokémon....I got a Pokémon!"

He joyfully picked up the Pokéball, nearly dancing with joy as he dragged Misty around the clearing. I got a Pokémon! I got a Pokémon! I got a Pokémon! I got a Pokémon! I got a Pokémon!

"Well, you don't have to let the whole world know!" Misty grumbled as she was unceremoniously dragged through grass, thorns, and burs in Ash's sheer euphoria.

Charlie just laughed. "Give your friend a break--every trainer gets excited when they catch their first Pokémon. Weren't you excited too?"

"Of course." Misty replied as she wriggled free from Ash's grip. "I remember it like yesterday--a Staryu in the waters off Cerulean--which is now a Starmie."

After composing himself, Ash asked Charlie "What else can you tell me to help me defeat Brock?"

"Well, that Caterpie you caught will eventually become a Butterfree, which has access to a number of powerful Psychic attacks." Charlie replied. "Your Pikachu may not be a total loss, either--if it learned Disarming Voice as a Pichu, it may stand a chance."

---------

After bidding Charlie farewell and exploring more of the forest, the group stopped to rest. Ash, meanwhile, was thinking about what Charlie had said. If Tintri knows Disarming Voice, he may have a chance against Brock...

"Something wrong, Ash?" Misty asked as she put some more Magikarp meat on a camp stove to roast. "You've been quiet all evening..."

"I've been thinking about what Charlie said earlier...if Tintri knows Disarming Voice, he may have a shot against Brock." Ash explained. "My question is, what is Disarming Voice, what does it do, and how do I know Tintri has it?"

"Why not have Brock himself explain it?" Misty suggested as she pulled up a video on her own PokeNav, inviting Ash to watch the familiar brown haired boy with tanned skin on the screen address an audience of trainers.

Disarming Voice is primarily a Fairy type move, but it not necessarily restricted to just Fairy types. the Brock on the screen explained. The Skitty, Swablu, Espurr and Ralts families can all learn it, as can Audino, and Milotic. The Pikachu family and Unova's elemental monkey Pokémon can learn it if bred with a Pokémon that knows the move.

"Okay, so that answers my question as to how I know Tintri has it, but what does it actually DO?" Ash asked, as if the image of Brock could hear him.

Disarming Voice is special among sound producing moves because it can mimic a valuable component of Mega Evolution--the Heart Song. the Brock on the screen continued. As it is only a mimic, it can't induce Mega Evolution, but the blast of sound can knock the opponent back. Usually, the Pokémon mimics its master's Heart Song, but if someone else helped to capture the Pokémon, the Pokémon will instead use the other person's Heart Song as their Disarming Voice...

---------

[Caterpie?] Tintri asked as he climbed on a rock, where the Caterpie Ash captured earlier was staring into the trees. [No hard feelings about before--I thought a friend was in danger, so I had to protect her--that's why we battled.]

[I know...but I can't understand why she's so afraid of me.] the Caterpie sighed.

[Some girl humans are like that--afraid of silly things like bug Pokémon.] Tintri explained. [While some bugs are worth fearing, I don't think a Caterpie is that dangerous...]

[You think so?] the Caterpie smiled. [That makes me feel so much better about coming along on this journey.]

[Ash is gonna name you in the morning--so we don't have to call you Caterpie all the time.] Tintri went on. [So if you could have any name you wanted, what would you want to be named?]

The Caterpie thought for a moment. [I would want a name befitting the Butterfree I will be one day!]

Tintri smiled. [I think I know the perfect name!]

 

Episode 5: A Race to the Mountains


Ash yawned when he woke up the next morning, only to find his hand on something hard. When he looked closer, he noticed that Wings had transformed into a green chrysalis creature. "Wings...you evolved!"

[Tintri inspired me to follow my dream.] Wings explained. [I was so happy, I evolved.]

"Well, you're one step closer to becoming a Butterfree." Ash smiled as he read up on what Wings had become:

"Metapod, the cocoon Pokémon. It prepares for evolution by hardening its shell as much as possible to protect its soft body."

"That means we have to keep Wings away from birds as much as we can." Misty cautioned. "I may fear most bugs, but Butterfrees and their cousins Beautifly and Vivilion are all beautiful."

[You think so?] Wings blushed, flattered that Misty had finally taken a liking to him.

Ash froze when he saw a flock of small spike headed birds flying past him. After heaving a relieved sigh that the birds were uninterested in Wings, he set Wings on a rock to read about what they were:

"Spearow, the tiny bird Pokémon. Its wings are short, so it can't fly a long distance. If it's not eating, it darts around in a hurry."

Misty spotted the flock of Spearows in a nearby clearing, pecking at a larger brown bird with a red crest, only to be driven back by the larger bird's sharp talons. "They're harassing that Pidgeotto!" she noted as the Spearows fluttered away, then dove in for another attempt at the dead Magikarp the Pidgeotto was guarding.

[We have to help!] Tintri called, starting off towards the clearing as his human companions broke camp.

"I know you want to help, Tintri, but it's also a good idea to know your opponent and your rescuee." Ash cautioned before reading up on the battered Pidgeotto as it sent some Spearows flying by flapping up a wind gust.

"Pidgeotto, the bird Pokémon. Very protective of its sprawling territorial area, this Pokémon will fiercely peck at any intruder.

"I'll say..." Misty started before noticing Ash and Tintri hurrying off to help the Pidgeotto. "I wouldn't just charge into battle like that if I were you!" she called as she hurried to catch up.

She arrived just in time to see Tintri fire a massive Thunderbolt at the flock of Spearows. "Be careful, Tintri!"

[Relax, I've got this.] Tintri replied as he veered out of the way of a Spearow beak, then rammed his attacker to the ground with a Headbutt.

"Are you okay, Mr.--!" Ash started before the Pidgeotto squawked in annoyance at being called a boy. "Um, I mean, Miss Pidgeotto?"

[I think so, but I would be focused on chasing off my foes if I were you.] the Pidgeotto replied.

Ash nodded, then called to Tintri "Find a way to get rid of all the Spearows at once!"

"How's THAT gonna help?" Misty grumbled, annoyed at Ash's vague commands. "If you want a Pokémon to listen to you, you have to tell them EXACTLY what you want them to do!"

"Okay...zap the Spearows with a Thunderbolt!" Ash suggested.

He sighed as Tintri complied, only to have even more Spearows fly to join the battle, making Tintri's task that much harder as every Thundershock he attempted didn't even faze the Spearows. Think, Ash...you can't use Wings...

Just then, both he and Misty watched in awe as a cry of "Pidjoooooooo!" pierced the air, snapping the Spearows to attention. A massive gust came blowing through the clearing soon after, which picked up many of the Spearows and dropped them on the ground.

The Pidgeotto we were trying to save! Ash gasped as the Pidgeotto swooped in on a cluster of Spearows. Angered, the Spearows tried to peck at the crested bird, but the Pidgeotto sent one Spearow barreling into the others, making the Spearows flee in terror!

"Well! Maybe you do know what you are doing..." Misty smiled as she watched the Spearows flee into the afternoon sky.

[You may be a young trainer, but I would be honored to join your team, and lend you my wings.] the Pidgeotto agreed as she gave Ash a little bow.

"You mean...you don't wanna battle?" Ash was surprised.

"You have to remember Pokémon are like people--not all of them will want to battle." Misty reminded him.

[Just watching you before was enough to convince me you were worth traveling with.] the Pidgeotto agreed.

Ash just grabbed a Poké Ball, then gently touched the Pidgeotto with it, making her go inside with a flash of light. "Welcome aboard, Mina!"

"Mina...that's a pretty name." Misty smiled as she led the way into the brush.

Tintri, meanwhile, spotted a Berry tree by the forest path. [I'm gonna get myself a snack...]

As he unleashed a spark to hopefully make a Berry drop, some familiar squawks got his attention. [Oh no, not again...]

"Run for it!" Ash motioned for the others to follow him as more Spearows came fluttering from a bush.

---------

"We have to get to Pewter City, and fast!" Misty called as she dashed through the underbrush just outside Viridian Forest.

"Where's a signpost when you need one?" Ash agreed, the screeching Spearows not far behind him.

[All I did was try and shock a Berry out of that tree, and ended up rousing those Spearows!] Tintri protested as he met Ash and Misty by a rocky outcropping.

An idea occurred to Misty. "Say...birds hate thunder...so why don't you try zapping these guys?"

[Got it!] Tintri replied before firing a massive Thunderbolt into the oncoming flock of Spearows. A few fainted right away, but the majority were only stunned.

"Do that again!" Ash urged. Tintri complied, but it seemed that the more Spearows fainted, the more that arrived to help and replace those that had fallen.

Misty seemed unfazed by the massive flock of Spearows that were headed towards them. "Any more bright ideas?" she deadpanned as the Spearows fluttered closer.

Ash was about to answer when he heard the whistle of an arrow flying, followed by the thunk of it landing inches away from where he was standing. "An arrow..."

"Who would be shooting a bow all the way out here?" Misty wondered before she saw a gold-tinged arrow with green fletching fly over her head and land not far from the first one, producing a small cloud of green mist on impact. Oh, I see...the archer's sprayed Repel on the heads, so he's not hurting the Spearows, but warning them away!

Tintri, meanwhile, noticed the Spearows flying away in panic. [Those pointy things are scaring them away!]

"I wonder who could--!" Ash started before he spotted the archer, a brown haired boy with tan skin that appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties, readying another Repel laced shot as a gold shrew creature looked on.

After a few tense seconds, he fired as the massive flock fluttered away in panic. Once sure the Spearows were gone, he addressed the shrew creature. "Terra, cá bhfuil siad?

"Ka fuel said?" Ash wondered as he watched the shrew creature run to retrieve the arrow by his foot.

The archer emerged from his vantage point near some rocks. "I said 'Where are they?' to Terra in Low Galarian--which she knows is her cue to go retrieve my shots." The soft crunch of the shrew creature digging up an arrow with its sharp claws punctuated his point.

"If you can speak a language that obscure, what other languages do you know?" Misty asked as the shrew creature obediently dropped the three arrows at her master's feet.

Ash, meanwhile, was reading up on the golden shrew the archer was petting:

"Sandshrew, the mouse Pokémon. It burrows and lives underground. If threatened, it curls itself up into a ball for protection."

The lightbulb went off in his mind when he realized who was before him. "No way! It's...it's..."

"The one and only Brock, live and in person." the boy smiled before gathering his archery gear. "Let's get to town before the Spearows return."

"Good idea." Misty agreed as she ran to catch up with the boys...

 

Episode 6: The High Minstrel of Pewter City


"Welcome to my humble home..." Brock smiled, making a grand gesture to the city in the distance.

"It's beautiful!" Misty gasped, stars in her eyes over the gems glittering in the walls and roofs of many of the houses. "Are they all made of stone?"

"Actually, they may look like stone, but it's actually brick made from the stones in nearby quarries." Brock replied, grinning at Tintri and Terra nuzzling each other. "I'll take you to the Pokémon Center, then meet you back there after I drop my gear off at home so I can give you a proper tour of Pewter City."

"And maybe one of your world famous storytelling performances?" Ash asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect of seeing one of the world's most renowned storytellers work his art live.

"Well, I'll see what I can do for an outdoor performance, since the Gym is being cleaned right now, and the theater by the museum is still under construction." Brock replied, gesturing to a construction site near an ornate columned building on the north end of town.

"Wonder what this theater will be named when it's completed?" Ash wondered. "I mean, there's the Theater de Pallette at home..."

"And the local theater in Cerulean is known as the Wave..." Misty added.

"Last I heard, they were gonna name it the Fireside--since it does look a little like a fireplace in its concept art." Brock replied, showing his new friends a concept drawing of what the theater would look like when completed.

The three friends rounded a corner to reach the local Pokémon Center, where the roof and even the red Poké Ball icon were made from glittering rubies. "And here we are--the Pokémon Center."

"Thanks, Brock!" Ash smiled.

"Anytime--I'll be back shortly to lead you on your tour." Brock replied before departing.

---------

"I'm finally glad to be back in civilization..." Misty smiled as the Pokémon Center doors opened with a whoosh.

"Especially since no wild Spearows are out here..." Ash agreed as he made himself comfortable on a couch. The Pokémon Center was uncrowded and quiet at the early hour, save for young Pokémon getting checkups and the whirs, beeps, and bloops of the various machines healing and examining Pokémon.

Just then, a young man with dull blonde hair approached Ash and Misty. "Hi there! You look like a trainer that yearns to hit the heights!"

"I do, Mr..." Ash started, before realizing the stranger had not introduced himself.

"Clyde, please." the boy smiled as he put on some sunglasses.

"I'm Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town." Ash replied, almost in a whisper.

"Ash! If this guy, or anyone, wants to help us, your introduction should be confident!" Misty hissed.

"Okay, okay...." Ash replied with a sigh.

After muttering "Miss Bossy..." under his breath, he tried his introduction again. "I'm Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town!"

"Well then, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, I can tell you have what it takes to become a Pokémon Master!" Clyde grinned. "I may not be a trainer, but I can tell you how to win!"

He turned to Ash. "How bout it? Want me to take you to the top?"

"You bet!" Ash replied.

"All right! Let's get happening!" Clyde smiled, nearly dancing with excitement.

Misty whispered "Don't let his hipster goofball appearance fool you, Clyde knows his stuff when it comes to Pokémon, so it would be wise to trust him."

After composing himself, Clyde began "It will be tough for your Pikachu at Pewter Gym...electric attacks are harmless to Brock's ground-type Pokémon."

"Okay..." Ash replied. "What kind of Pokémon can I expect to see him use?"

"For young trainers like you, he uses his favorite dynamic duo of Rocky the Geodude and Callio the Onix--not too difficult for a prepared trainer." Clyde explained. "Sometimes, he may welcome a Fire type to the battlefield to throw Bulbasaur users off."

"Interesting...I wonder what that could be?" Misty mused. "A Vulpix makes sense, since Ninetales have made their dens in the crags of Mt. Moon..."

"For more advanced trainers, he has a variety of rare and exotic Rock types, as well as his first Pokémon, an Onix--now Steelix--named Argent." Clyde went on.

Then something occurred to him. "Did you see Brock wearing an emerald ring?"

"No..." Ash replied.

"When facing off against a pro trainer, he may induce Argent to Mega Evolve--I haven't heard his Heart Song myself, but they say Mega Steelix is a sight to see." Clyde replied.

Ash heard Brock whistling for him as the Pokémon Center doors opened again. "Thanks for the advice--and nice to meet you."

---------

"...Here is the town square." Brock announced as he made a grand gesture to the flowers ringing the Diancie fountain in the square's center. "The Diancie fountain was a gift from Kalos after a successful Rhyhorn race was held here years ago."

"Fascinating!" Misty replied.

"There's also a lot of props scattered around the square too--so if I get a crowd wanting me to spin a yarn in the streets, I have access to any props I may need." Brock explained.

He noticed throngs of kids and adults headed towards the square. "Fancy that..."

A huge smile formed on Ash's face as a large crowd gathered.This is it--my chance to see Brock perform live and in person.

He nudged Misty. "You're in for a treat."

Once the crowd had settled in and quieted down, Brock thought for a moment, then began the first tale to come to mind. "The king of a certain land had a beautiful garden which contained a number of very rare trees, but the rarest one of all was a Leppa tree. It stood in the middle of the garden, and produced shining crystal Leppa Berries every day. In the morning the flowers bloomed, during the day the fruit grew and ripened, and before nightfall, the berries were fully ripe. The next day the same thing happened, and this cycle would occur like clockwork every day."

"Wow!" Ash gasped, impressed as he imagined what the crystal Leppa Berries might look like, if they were real.

"However, no Berries were left on the tree the following day." Brock intoned. "No one knew how, when, or why they disappeared, and this deeply grieved the king."

[Poor king...] Tintri sighed.

"Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer, and calling his eldest son to him, said..." Brock then spoke in an older man's voice. “My child, I want you to keep watch in the garden tonight, and see if you can find out what happens to my miracle Leppa Berries. I will reward you with the choice of all my treasures. If you should be lucky enough to capture the thief, and bring him to me, I would gladly give you half my kingdom and more.”

"That was pretty good!" Misty grinned, impressed at Brock's mimicry skill.

"He's only getting warmed up--he easily does a unique voice for every character in the story." Ash smiled before turning his attention back to Brock's performance.

"So the young prince--whose name is not important to us--set his trusty sword at his side, and with his bow on his back and quiver full of thirty arrows, went into the garden to stand guard." Brock explained. "As he sat there under the Leppa Berry tree, a drowsy feeling came over him, which he could not resist. Before long, he slept as soundly as if he had been in his own bed at home. When he woke up the next morning, he saw that the Leppa Berries were gone."

Misty stifled a giggle as she pictured the king's reaction. "When questioned by his father, he said that no thieves had come, but that the Leppa Berries had vanished all the same." Brock continued over the soft giggles. "The king shook his head--he did not believe a word of it. Then, turning to his middle son, he bade him keep watch, and promised him a handsome reward if he caught the thief."

"And then?" some children begged.

"So the middle son armed himself accordingly and went into the garden. But he fared no better than his brother, for he could not resist the desire to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, the Leppa Berries were gone--again!" Brock grinned.

The square rippled with laughter at this. "When his father asked him how it disappeared, he replied that no one had taken it, it had vanished on its own.”

In character as the king, he told an imagined person “Now, my dearest one, take your turn. Although you are young, and have less experience than your brothers, let's see if you can succeed where they have failed. If you are willing, go, and may Arceus be with you.”

The audience stood quietly and listened as Brock went on "That evening, when it was dusk, the youngest prince--whose name was Brian--went into the garden to keep watch. He took with him a sword and a bow, and a few arrows. He set the sword in such a way that it would lightly poke him and jolt him awake if he dozed off."

"That's a good idea..." Misty mused.

Brock then revealed what was taking the Leppa Berries as he gathered his bow and some prop arrows. "Around midnight, Moltres, the bird of fire, flew down and landed on the tree, and was just about to make off with the Leppa Berries when Prince Brian nocked an arrow to his bow and fired."

The audience held their breaths as Brock carefully nocked one of his own arrows and fired at a Moltres target positioned at the west end at the square.

Applause filled the air at Brock's successful shot at the bullseye. "The arrow struck Moltres beneath the wing." he explains, gesturing to his shot in the target before removing his gear and setting it aside. "Although wounded, she flew away, dropping one of her feathers on the ground. That night, for the first time in a long time, the Leppa Berries remained untouched."

“Have you caught the thief?” he asks an imagined person as the king.

“Not altogether, but we'll catch him soon enough." he replied in a mimic of Ash's voice for Prince Brian.

Ash balked. "I wanna know how Brock learned to mimic my voice this quickly..."

"He gave the king the feather, and told him everything that had happened." Brock continued as himself. "The king was charmed with the feather; it was so beautiful, and glowed so bright, that it easily lit all the rooms of the palace, and they needed no other light."

"Wow"s and awed whistles went up from the crowd. "The courtiers told the king that the feather could only belong to Moltres, the bird of fire, and that it was worth all the rest of the royal treasure put together." Brock explained, quieting the chatter. "From that time on, Moltres didn't come to the garden, and the Leppa Berries remained untouched. But the king could think of nothing more than how to own this marvelous Pokémon."

"But the Legendaries aren't meant to be caught!" Ash protested. "They watch over us all!"

Brock's face turned somber. "Finally, after losing hope of ever seeing Moltres, he grew depressed, and would remain in deep thought for hours. The mental toll got him physically sick, and every day his condition grew worse."

"He's not gonna die, I hope?" Misty worried as she brushed away a fearful tear.

"One day he summoned his three sons before him and said..." Brock switched to his "king" voice again. “My dear children, you see the sorry state I am in. If I could only hear Moltres sing, I would be cured of this disease of the heart; otherwise, I will die. Whoever succeeds in catching Moltres alive and getting her to sing to me, I will give half my kingdom and the right to the throne.”

As himself, he continued "After bidding their father farewell, the brothers set off. They traveled together until they came to a part of the forest where the road branched off in three directions, and agreed to each go down a different route, and return to the fork in a year. In order to recognize the fork again, each one planted a tree at the exact point where the road split. If one of the trees wilted, its owner had either died or needed help. If a tree glowed, its owner had been successful."

"I wonder what awaited our heroes on this adventure..." Misty mused.

"When each prince had planted a tree at the fork, they set off." Brock went on. "The eldest rode on, and never stopped until he reached the top of a high mountain; where he stopped to rest and have lunch."

He smiles, revealing a twist in the tale. "Just then, the holy Delphox Kitsune came that way, and asked the eldest prince..."

"Please, Sir Prince, may I have a little of your food?" he asked in a mimic of a young woman. "I am very hungry, and have not had much luck hunting.”

As himself, he reveals the eldest prince's reaction. "But the eldest prince fired an arrow from his bow, but he did not hit Kitsune, for she vanished moments before the arrow hit."

"That's Kitsune for you!" Ash smiled, savoring the memories of Kitsune stories Serena had told him long ago.

"The middle brother, after an uneventful journey, reached a plain, where he stopped for lunch." Brock continued. "Kitsune also appeared to him and begged for food; but he too shot at her. Kitsune being Kitsune, she disappeared as before."

"You can't hurt or kill Kitsune--she's immortal!" Misty grinned.

"Prince Brian, meanwhile, traveled on until he came to the banks of a river." Brock continued, acknowledging Misty's comment with a nod. "Tired and hungry, he got down from his Ponyta and started on his lunch. While he was eating, Kitsune came to him."

“Please, young sir,” he asked as Kitsune, “give me a little of your food.”

“Fear not, Lady Kitsune; I see you are more hungry than I, but there is enough for us both.” he assured an imagined being as Prince Brian.

As himself, he went on "So he divided all his supplies in half--one for him, and one for Kitsune. When Kitsune had eaten her fill, she said..."

“You have fed me well, so in return I will serve you well; mount your Ponyta and follow me." he instructed as Kitsune. "If you do everything I tell you to do, Moltres will be yours.”

He narrated as himself "Then she set off flying before Prince Brian, leaping over mountains, soaring over ravines, and crossing rivers as easily as solid ground. Prince Brian followed at a gallop, without the slightest wish to stop, until they came to a castle built out of gold."

“Moltres is in this castle,” he explained as Kitsune. “You must enter exactly at noon, for then the guards will be asleep, and you will pass unnoticed. Beware of stopping anywhere. In the first room you will find twelve birds black as night, in golden cages; in the second, twelve golden birds in wooden cages; in the third, Moltres, the bird of fire, roosting on her perch. Near her are two cages, one of wood and the other of gold; be sure you put her in the wooden cage."

As himself, he went on "Prince Brian entered the castle, and found everything as Kitsune had told him. Having passed through the two rooms, he came to the third, and there saw Moltres on her perch, asleep. In his excitement of handling such a beautiful Pokémon, he accidentally placed Moltres in the gold cage, which caused her to scream in panic and wake up the guards."

"Oh no"s wafted through the square as Brock set the scene. "The guards caught Prince Brian, and dragged him before the king."

He then proceeded to enact the entire confrontation using only his voice.“Thief, who are you to have dared to steal Moltres?”

“I am not a thief...I have come to reclaim a thief whom you protect. I am the son of a king, and in my father’s gardens is a Leppa Berry tree that bears glittering crystal fruit. In the night your bird robbed us of our golden Leppa Berries. Though I watched and wounded her, I could not catch her. My father is dying with grief because of this, and the only remedy that can save and restore him to health, is that he may listen to Moltres' exquisite song."

“You may have her on one condition--that you bring me Epona, the shining Ponyta with the sapphire mane.”

He deadpanned as himself "So Prince Brian left empty-handed."

"Cry not, Sir Brian--I know you did not mean to disobey me, but your haste led you to this predicament, and so now you must find a way out of it." he scolded as Kitsune.

“I admit it was my own fault, and for that I beg your forgiveness. I want your advice: how I am to get Epona?” he asked as Prince Brian.

“I know how it can be done, and I will help you once again as a sign of my forgiveness. Follow me, and do as I tell you.” he replied as Kitsune.

Misty nudged Ash. "Which came first, the Epona in folklore or the Epona of Zelda fame?"

"The Epona in folklore came first." Ash explained. "She has a bewildering array of powers that may even differ in between versions of the same story, but no matter what the story, she goes really fast, and can speak the words of humans." He let that hang as he listened to the epic tale Brock wove.

"Kitsune ran on ahead, clearing the path for Prince Brian." Brock continued as himself. "Prince Brian followed at a gallop, until they came to a castle made entirely of silver."

“In that castle lives the Legendary steed Epona." he instructs as Kitsune. “You have to go exactly at noon, when the guards are asleep. Whatever you do, do not stop anywhere. You must pass through three stables. In the first are twelve shining Ponytas with golden bridles; in the second, twelve normal Ponytas with black bridles; in the third stands Epona in front of her manger, and she shines the brightest of all. Near her are two bridles, one of gold, the other of leather. Whatever you do, do not pick up the gold bridle if you can help it, or you will regret it.”

"Who wants to bet he picks the gold one up on purpose?" Misty whispered, making Ash chuckle in anticipation.

"So Prince Brian waited until the appointed time, and then entered the castle, finding everything as Kitsune had said." Brock continued as himself. "In the third stable stood Epona, eating the grain of heaven from her silver trough. She was so beautiful that Prince Brian could not take his eyes off her. In his zeal to handle the Legendary steed he had heard about in endless bedtime stories, he grabbed the gold bridle by mistake."

Gasps went up as he went on "Epona made so much racket it woke the guards, and Prince Brian was again dragged before the king."

“You thief, how is it that you have escaped the vigilance of the guards and have dared to lay hands upon my precious Epona?” he demanded in character as the silver king.

As himself, Brock went on "Prince Brian told the silver king everything, hiding nothing, and he hoped His Majesty would give him Epona as a gift."

“Most willingly, but on one condition--that you bring me Christine, the Maiden with the Sapphire Eyes: she lives in the crystal castle on the shores of the northern sea.” he replied as the king.

He interjected as himself "Kitsune was waiting in the forest for Prince Brian, and when she saw him come back without the legendary Ponyta, she knew what had happened."

"See how your haste has got you in trouble again?" he scolded as Kitsune.

“Please, I confess that I disobeyed you. But have mercy on me and help me out of this predicament.” he pleaded as Prince Brian.

“Very well--since you have admitted your fault and genuinely wish to make things right again, I forgive you, and will help you once more." he assured an imagined person as Kitsune. "If you do as you are told, you may learn there is a time to rush, and a time to take it slow. So, let's go!"

Misty stifled a giggle at Brock's in character poetic license. "So Kitsune ran on ahead, clearing the road, until they reached the shores of the northern sea." Brock narrated as himself.

“That palace over there is the residence of the Queen of the Ocean Kingdom." he explained as Kitsune, pointing at the Gym in the distance. "She has three daughters; Christine is the youngest, and it is she who has the sapphire eyes. First go to the queen and ask her to give you one of her daughters in marriage. If she accepts your proposal, she will ask you to choose one of them--take the princess who is plainly dressed. Though she may be humble in appearance, her eyes are a piercing blue. This is why she is called the Maiden with the Sapphire Eyes.”

"Oh"s went up from the crowd at this. "The queen received him most graciously, and when he explained the reason for his visit, she led him into a room where the three daughters were spinning." he narrated as himself. "They were so much alike that an untrained eye could not tell them apart, and all so lovely that when Prince Brian looked at them, his heart pounded in excitement."

"He's gonna screw this up too..." Ash whispered to Tintri, who was listening from his shoulder.

"The first lady wore a gown and veil embroidered with gold, and used a golden distaff; the second had on a gown embroidered with silver and held a silver distaff; and the third wore a gown and veil of dazzling white, with a wooden distaff." Brock explained. "When told to make his choice, Prince Brian pointed to the maiden clothed in white.”

Some applause and relieved cheers went up. "I don't know what Kitsune would've done if Prince Brian screwed up again..." Ash mused.

"As Prince Brian left the crystal palace with Christine, he saw his mount coming towards him, with Kitsune at his side." Brock narrated.

“Mount quickly,” he called as Kitsune. “There is not a moment to lose; lift the maiden in front of you.”

As himself, he went on "The faithful steed flew like an arrow, and sped rapidly over the road. Prince Brian was very happy as he rode along, holding Christine, but it saddened him to think he would have to give up all thought of marrying her himself, and that within a few short hours he had to leave her with the silver king. Kitsune, who noticed this, said..."

“It appears that you do not want to exchange the lovely Christine for Epona, yes?" he grinned as Kitsune. "Well, I have helped you so far, I will see what I can do for you now.”

He interjected as himself "With that, she sang..."

Ash felt a burning feeling in his chest as Brock sang as Kitsune Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... He shook it off as his imagination as Brock revealed the "spell"'s effect. "...transforming into an exact copy of Christine."

“Leave your real bride in the forest, and take me with you to offer to the silver king in exchange for his Ponyta Epona. Mount Epona, return here, and escape with the maid you love; I will take care of the rest.” he instructed as Kitsune.

As himself, he continued "The silver king received the maiden without any suspicion, and handed over Epona in exchange. Kitsune caught up with our heroes when they had almost reached the gold castle. Here they all rested, while Kitsune transformed into an exact copy of Epona..."

Ash winced as Brock sang Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... as Kitsune again, making the burning feeling return for a few moments. Mental note: find out what that burning feeling is... he told himself before focusing on Brock again.

Brock continued as himself "Prince Brian entered the gold castle, and exchanged the disguised Kitsune for the firebird Moltres. Once no one was looking, Kitsune returned to her true form, and hurried after the departing prince, who she did not overtake until they had reached the banks of the river where they had first met."

“Now, Sir Brian, Moltres, the lovely Christine, and the Legendary steed Epona are all yours." he smiled as Kitsune. "From here, I believe you can manage without my help, so return to your father’s house in peace and joy. If you do need my help again, I am watching over you, always.”

"Aw"s went up as Brock went on as himself "With these words Kitsune returned to her earthly house in the forest, while Prince Brian continued his journey. In his hand he held the golden cage that contained Moltres, at his side the lovely Christine rode Epona. If Arceus had called him home just then, he would have died a happy man."

He paused for a moment, then continued "When he reached the fork where he had parted from his brothers the year before, he hurried to look for the branches they had planted. His alone had become a beautiful Cheri tree, theirs had both withered."

Next, he reveals a twist in his tale. "He did not, however, expect his brothers to ambush him, throw him in a deep pit, and take his treasure for themselves."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT????" Ash, Misty, and the Pokémon were just as shocked as the rest of the crowd at the turn of events.

"Once home, they sent Epona to the stables, the cage containing Moltres was placed in their father's room, and Christine was given a beautiful suite of apartments and maids of honor to attend her." Brock continued. "When the king, who was weakened by his suffering, had looked at Moltres, he asked about Prince Brian's fate. The brothers replied that they had not seen or heard anything of him, and so presumed him dead.”

"Why those dirty, sneaky, double crossing Ekans...." Misty grumbled, angry at the brothers.

"Don't worry--they'll get their comeuppance in the end." Ash assured Misty, which calmed her a little.

"The king was devastated—it seemed as if his last hour was at hand." Brock intoned. "On top of that, Moltres refused to sing; Epona stood with her head bent down before her manger, and would eat nothing; while Princess Christine remained silent as if she had taken a vow, her beautiful hair was messy and uncombed, and she wept so much, her tears fell like a waterfall."

A smile forms on his face--all hope isn't lost for Prince Brian! "Now, Kitsune happened to pass through the forest, and came upon Prince Brian calling for help in the pit. With her holy power, she levitated him out onto safe ground again. Prince Brian quickly told her what had happened."

"Have faith, Sir Brian--this time the misfortune is not your fault." he grins as Kitsune. "I have a plan to make things right again."

As himself, he continued "After conjuring some commoner's clothes for him, Kitsune led him to the outskirts of the forest, close to the royal palace, where she left him. Prince Brian then entered the palace grounds, unrecognized by the servants. He claimed he was a poor boy in need of work, and was made a stable boy. Some time later, he heard the grooms worrying that Epona would refuse to eat. When no one was looking, Prince Brian lay some fresh hay in Epona's manger and assured her “Grieve no more, Epona--your master is home.”

Excited whispers went up as Brock went on "Epona recognized her master’s voice, and whinnying with joy, happily ate all the hay. The news was talked about from one end of the palace to the other, and the sick king summoned the boy to his presence."

“I hear you have made Epona eat." he explained as the king. “Do you think you could make Moltres sing? She droops her wings, and will neither eat nor drink. If she dies, I will die too.”

“Your majesty may rest assured, the bird will not die. I know a way to have her sing her healing song." he explained as Prince Brian.

As himself, Brock continues "The king ordered the finest food brought, and the disguised prince put a handful into Moltres’s cage, saying..."

“Cheer up, Moltres--your master is home.” he smiled as Prince Brian.

As himself, Brock narrated "As soon as Moltres heard her master’s voice, she shook her feathers, making her feathers shine brighter than ever. She danced in her cage, and sang so beautifully, the king was immediately healed, and it was as if a great weight had been lifted off his heart. Moltres again burst into song..."

In character as a young lady, Brock sang Gatrandis favel, secret, edena....
Emusto ronzen fine el balaziis...
Katoradis favel siicletu edena...
Emusto koron zen fine, si...

Misty recognized the song. "Isn't that the same gibberish song they use for a desperation spell all the time on TV?"

"It is!" Ash cried.

"This so moved the king that he jumped from bed, and embraced the disguised prince out of sheer euphoria and gratitude." Brock went on.

“Now, teach me how to heal this beautiful maiden my sons brought back with them; she will not speak a word, her beautiful hair remains uncared for, and her tears fall night and day.” he pleaded as the king.

“If Your Majesty will allow me to say a few words to her, it may be the means of making her happy again.” he assured an imagined person as Prince Brian.

He interjected as himself "The king led the way to her apartments, and the disguised prince, taking her hand, said..."

“Grieve no more, Christine--your rightful groom is home.” he smiled as Prince Brian.

He went on as himself "Christine knew him right away, and with a cry of joy threw herself into his arms. This astonished the king, and he could not for the life of him think how a stable boy could address a princess as his 'dear bride.' Prince Brian then revealed himself to his father, and told him the truth. Christine in turn told how the wicked brothers had threatened to kill her if she betrayed them. As for the brothers, they shook from head to toe, and trembled like leaves in the wind. The furious king ordered them banished from the land for lying to him, never to return on pain of death."

"Serves them right for trying to kill their brother..." Misty smirked.

Brock concluded "And so, Prince Brian married the beautiful Christine, and the king gave him half of his kingdom as a wedding present. When the time came for the old king to join Arceus in heaven, Prince Brian ascended to the throne, and lived happily with his beloved Christine for many years."

The square roared with applause, but Misty's applause was the most enthusiastic. "Wow! He's GOOD!!! Now I know why he's one of the best storytellers in the world!"

 

Episode 7: The Power of Emerald and Steel


"Thanks so much for the awesome performance!" Misty raved as the crowd in the square began to leave.

"What's your secret--if you're allowed to tell me?" Ash wondered as the group continued to the west end of the city, where a large stone building loomed over one particular house in the neighborhood.

"There really is no secret--when you've got nine other kids in the house, knowing how to tell a good yarn is an easy way to keep them entertained and get them off to bed with your sanity intact." Brock replied.

"Oh my..." Ash gasped--most families he knew of had at the most two, maybe three kids. "How do you keep track of them all? Name tags, or something?"

"Scheduling apps are an Arceus-send." Brock smiled as he brought up his siblings' schedule on DateNav, which included open houses, sports practices, music lessons, and school events. "Besides, if nine kids don't like a story, chances are an audience of nine hundred won't like it either."

"I guess having a built in focus group is nice." Misty noted, her mind still reeling from the concept of a family that large. She wanted to ask Brock what had possessed his parents to have that many kids, but decided against it as the trio approached the large building, which had a diamond Gym insignia glittering over the entryway.

As the doors opened with a whoosh, Ash looked around the many cavernous arenas and performance spaces in awe. "It's like we walked into a cave!"

"That's because it was built around a cave--when Dad's distant ancestor built it years ago, he incorporated the natural caves under the city into the building." Brock explained. "Both Argent and Callio love boring through the tunnels, and Argent especially loves giving the kids rides."

[How sweet.] Tintri smiled.

Just then, a low rumbling got his attention. [What's happening?]

He heaved a relieved sigh as a massive steel snake Pokémon crawled into a nearby room, then bent down to allow some giddy children with similar features to Brock to climb off of him. [Oh, so that's Argent...]

Awed at the sheer size of the massive snake, Ash nearly dropped Dexter as he went to read up on the silver snake that was waiting for several other children to climb on its back:

"Steelix, the iron snake Pokémon. Tempered underground under high pressure and heat, its body is harder than any metal."

"Wow..." Misty gasped, impressed. "Where does something that huge sleep at night?"

"He has his own cavern to sleep in." Brock explained as he approached the Steelix. "I like to refer to him as 'my gentle giant'."

The Steelix noticed Brock approaching, and gave an interested purr at the orange haired girl, the black haired boy, and the Pikachu gawking at it. "Argent, these are my new friends--Ash and Misty." Brock replied.

Then something occurred to him as the last child climbed aboard Argent. "Not too quickly--Mia gets motion sickness if you go too fast."

[I promise.] the Steelix purred as he started off into a tunnel, the children's laughter echoing through the caves all the while.

Misty smiled. "No wonder you call your Steelix a gentle giant..."

"Don't let his gentle appearance around the kids fool you--if any of them is hurt or in danger, or if he is in the arena, he will fight, and hit hard." Brock cautioned before addressing Ash. "But I don't pit him against a beginner trainer like you--he prefers battling skilled trainers."

"That, and it wouldn't be fair to someone with a Pikachu and a soon-to-be Butterfree to face a Steelix." Ash agreed.

"You learn quickly, Nincada." Brock smiled in character as a kung fu master.

As Brock bowed before him in character, Ash noticed a green glint on Brock's right ring finger. "What's that?" he asked, piqued by the oval shaped emerald, but then admired the two swaths of ivy inlay the emerald was sandwiched between.

"Okay...storytime--but this one is actually true." Brock explained as he led Ash and Misty into one of the many practice arenas in the cavernous Gym. "Far away in the Kalos region, there's a place known as the Tower of Mastery. This is where trainers prove themselves to unlock the power of Mega Evolution."

"Prove themselves? How?" Ash asked.

Brock just continued "Deep within every trainer's heart is something called a Heart Song. But this special song doesn't have choruses and verses--it's only a few words long so it's easy to remember. Some choose to never sing this song, but those that prove themselves at the Tower of Mastery learn what this song is, and bind it to their Mega Ring. Every trainer's Heart Song is different, so with some very rare exceptions, no two people will sing the same one. When the trainer sings their Heart Song, this awakens the power in the ring and conveys the trainer's emotions to the Pokémon--and when the trainer's emotions resonate with their Pokémon, that induces Mega Evolution."

"Oh, so that's how it works..." Misty mused. "Is there a way for someone to awaken their Heart Song without traveling all that way?"

"Fortunately, yes--before it became the burial ground of Pokémon, Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town was used for a similar purpose as the Tower of Mastery." Brock replied as Argent returned to let off his passengers. "So even if they don't have deceased Pokémon to honor, people still climb Pokémon Tower to receive a Mega Ring."

He motioned for Ash and Misty to step back as the children ran off to play. "So sit back, and enjoy the miracle of Mega Evolution."

With that, he held his ring skyward, and sang Imultaos, ame no hao bakezo... making the emerald in his ring and Argent glow. After a few tense seconds, Argent was engulfed in a burst of green light as the emerald flashed. Although Ash, Misty, and Tintri couldn't see the evolution taking place, they knew that inside the light, Argent was changing.

When the light faded some moments later, Argent had a few glowing pentagons on some of his body segments, in addition to some rainbow crystals protruding from his coils. "He's beautiful!" Misty gasped, amazed at the glittering Pokémon before her.

Ash, however, was both awed and afraid of the massive rainbow snake. I'm glad he isn't my opponent for my first badge!

 

Episode 8: Two Worlds, One Big Decision


As Ash and Misty emerged into the house from one of the Gym's many secret passages, a number of boys and girls with similar features to Brock immediately met Brock in the living room. "Big bro, will you tell us a story?" one of the younger children asked.

"Yeah, tell the one about Haku the Swanna maiden!" another one requested.

Brock just smiled as he picked up a dozing rock Pokémon with long arms. "Go get comfy in the den and I'll be right there."

With that, he gently set down the rock Pokémon on a coffee table. "Ash, this is Rocky--one of the two opponents I use against young trainers."

Piqued, Ash decided to read up on the rock creature with long arms before him as Brock departed to another room:

"Geodude, the rock Pokémon. It climbs mountain paths using only the power of its arms. Because they look just like boulders lining paths, hikers may step on them without noticing."

"I can see why people would trip on them..." Misty mused as she studied the small rock Pokémon.

[Relax, if ya didn't mean ta trip on me, I'll forgive ya.] Rocky assured the boy and the girl staring at him.

"I'm sure Brock spoils you rotten..." Misty smiled.

[I dunno about spoilin' us, but he's a master most Pokémon would dream of havin'.] Rocky explained. [In addition to bein' a master of battle, he's also famed as a master performer. Problem is, Pops wants him to follow in his footsteps as Gym Leader, while Brock would rather earn his keep spinnin' yarns for people.]

"That is a hard decision, being torn between family and your true passions..." Ash mused.

[So has Brock told his dad that being a storyteller's what he really wants to do?] Tintri asked.

[Not yet--he's been agonizing about what to say for several nights now.] Rocky replied. [I think he's scared about how Pops will react.]

"That's understandable." Misty replied.

[You've likely heard or seen Brock perform--I really think he's got what it takes ta make it as a performer.] Rocky smiled.

Just then, the two visitors and the Geodude heard Brock begin his promised tale for the children. "Once upon a time, in a far away land, a king had an Aspear tree in his royal garden, and every day the Aspear tree bore exactly 24 Aspear Berries--no more, and no less."

Then something occurred to Brock. "That is, until one morning, when the king discovered one Aspear Berry was missing. So he told his eldest son--whose name is not important to us--to guard the tree that night. But around midnight, he heard a beautiful song ringing through the sky..."

With that, he sang Gatradis favel, secret, edena...
Emusto ronzen fine el balaziis...
Katoradis favel siicletu edena...
Emusto koron zen fine, si...

Ash grinned. "That never gets old..."

"Within minutes of hearing the song, the eldest son fell fast asleep." Brock's voice continued.

"You know...I think I can understand where Brock's coming from." Misty mused. "I wanted my sisters to take responsibility, and step up to be Gym Leaders because of their amazing talent for Water Pokémon. But nope--they were dead set on being pop idols. Then they wanted me to be part of the unit, but I said thanks but no thanks!"

[Maybe singin' happy poppy music's their passion, like singin' and spinnin' yarns is for Brock.] Rocky grinned. [When he's done entertainin' the little ones, I'll tell'im what ya both said...maybe that'll inspire him to tell Pops his true passion.]

"And if Dad gets mad for not succeeding him as Gym Leader, we'll have Brock's back!" Ash vowed, turning his cap back as a sign of his promise.

---------

"...and so I wanted to tell you that I feel my true calling is a storyteller and songwriter." Brock concluded his calm but still nervous explanation to an older man with similar features to him at the dinner table that night. "Don't get me wrong, I still love my Pokémon, and will fight with them and for them if need be, but I don't see myself as making a career out of battling them."

The older man's stern expression softened after he contemplated what his son had said. "Brock...you know I would never force you to do something you did not want to do." he began. "You're a young man now, and the fact you had the courage to tell me you wanted to forge your own path shows me that you are mature enough to handle whatever comes your way. I still wonder...why did you not tell me sooner?"

"I was afraid you'd be angry for not following you as Gym Leader." Brock explained.

"Oh Brock...you know your dad would never kick you out of the house over something like that." a brown haired woman smiled as she passed the mashed potatoes to a child. "He thought that maybe battling Pokémon was your passion, and that was why he was training you to be Gym Leader."

"But we all know that sometimes passions change as we grow older." the man agreed. "Whatever you choose to do, Brock, your mom and I will always be proud of you."

[Aw...] Tintri smiled as Brock got up to embrace his father.

[Mission accomplished.] Rocky agreed.

Just then, the older man noticed Ash. "I will, however, ask you to battle Ash as your symbolic last battle as Gym Leader."

"I can do that." Brock grinned as he settled back at his place at the table.

He looked over at Ash. "When we do battle, let's make it a match for the ages--one I can tell about for years to come!"

"You got it!" Ash replied. "I won't hold anything back, either!"

 

Episode 9: The Music of Evolution


The next morning, Ash discovered two tickets lying on the kitchen table. "What are these?" he asked Brock, who was helping his mother prepare pancakes for the children.

"Tickets to the Pewter Museum for you and your companion." Brock replied as he flipped over the pancakes currently cooking in the skillet. "It's best known for combining education and entertainment under one roof."

He added "It's all well and good to be a powerful trainer, but also remember that knowledge is a kind of power too."

"We'll go check it out, if you need time to train your team." Ash replied as he took the tickets.

---------

"Wow..." Misty gasped as she and Ash arrived in the museum foyer. "This place is huge!"

After exchanging his ticket for a map of the museum, Ash took a moment to familiarize himself with the different areas of the museum. "Let's see...the nature wing is to the left, and the art wing is to the right..."

He glanced over at Misty. "What do you want to see first? Nature or paintings?"

"The paintings!" Misty grinned before running on ahead of Ash into the art wing, oohing and ahhing over the various paintings and sculptures depicting people, Pokémon, and abstract scenes. Ash, meanwhile, stood and admired the painting before him, depicting a dinosaur like creature and a whale like creature battling as a green dragon Pokémon soared over the scene.

[Are those even Pokémon?] Tintri asked as he tried to climb on Ash's shoulder to get a look at the painting.

"If you'd like more information about a piece in our collection, scan the Poké Ball icon by its nameplate with your PokeNav or Pokédex." a museum employee explained as she passed by.

Piqued, Ash scanned the black and white Poké Ball by the nameplate. "The painting displayed here depicts one of the oldest legends in the Houen region--the legend of Groudon, Kyorge, and Rayquaza." he read to the Pokémon. "This is also one of the earliest interpretations of the story by a Kanto artist, but ancient cave paintings in Houen also depict the story."

[Fascinating...] Wings commented from a pocket in Ash's bag.

A majestic sculpture depicting a blue and white bird with a flowing tail got Ash's attention, so he scanned the Poké Ball symbol with his Pokédex:

"Articuno, the freeze Pokémon. The magnificent, seemingly translucent wings of this legendary bird Pokémon are said to be made of ice."

"Wow..." Ash gasped--the sculpture and the image on his Pokédex looked nearly identical.

"Supposedly, Articuno is said to reside deep in the Seafoam Island caves, but no one's been brave enough to venture that far to find out." Misty replied. "Let's move on--I'm sure there's lots more to see!"

The paintings and sculptures gave way to dancer costumes, and exotic instruments from all over the world. "Oh...so this is the music and dance wing..." Misty mused. "I wonder if any of the instruments in here are playable..."

[What kind of a piano is THAT?] Tintri gasped, amazed at a piano-like device with hundreds of switches, knobs, and dials.

"Actually, this is an example of a analog synthesizer, the forerunner of today's digital pianos." a museum employee smiled. "You probably have heard one of these before if you've seen the Lights of Fantasy Parade at the Worlds family of parks--the music was initially performed on these and others like it."

"Cool!" Ash gasped.

"This one is playable, so feel free to attempt creating a new masterpiece on it." the employee offered, showing Ash to the synth's stool.

After studying the diagram explaining what each of the switches, knobs, and dials did and that anything he created would be saved on a souvenir CD, Ash set a few of them to his liking, then started the first song from piano lessons that came to mind--the Canon in D.

"What in the..." Misty gasped as the spacey rendition of the beloved classical melody drifted into the room. Her confused look turned to awe when she realized Ash was the one playing the song. She wanted to tell him he sounded wonderful, but as more and more people came to listen, she decided her compliment could wait until after Ash had finished.

Ash, meanwhile, focused on his remix of the timeless melody, aware that a growing crowd was coming to listen. This thing is actually easier than it looks to play...I'll definitely add a few more songs to this for my own souvenir album!

When the last ethereal D chord faded away, the wing thundered with applause. "Bravo!" Misty raved. "Not bad for someone that never had a lesson!"

Ash was about to respond when he saw a bright flash from his bag, and a Butterfree fluttered before him. "Wings....you liked that enough to evolve?"

[Of course--I imagined myself flying in the stars, and wished to fly.] Wings explained. [Not to mention I'll help you fly too...fly all the way to the League!]

As Wings flitted by Ash's side, Ash's audience clamored to hear more beloved melodies on the synth. "One at a time, please!" Ash called. "Plus I can't guarantee I'll know your request...."

With that he started another classical melody he remembered, complete with synth whistles. Misty's eyes sparkled over the remix of "Clair de Lune" Ash was creating. We may not make it through the rest of the museum, but that's okay....I could stay in here and listen to Ash play the synth for hours!

 

Episode 10: The Wonders and Warnings of Life


After finally dragging Ash out of the music and dance wing, Misty led him on to the museum's next major section. "I believe this is the natural history wing..." she mused as she admired the diorama of a prehistoric swamp.

Ash looked up in awe at the model of a gray winged reptilian Pokémon hanging above him. After looking for a Poké Ball icon to scan, he read up on the fierce looking Pokémon:

"Aerodactyl, the fossil Pokémon. This vicious Pokémon is said to have flown in ancient skies while shrieking high-pitched cries."

[I'm kinda glad they're extinct...] Tintri gasped, amazed at the model.

"Actually, if you're lucky enough to find a piece of amber that has Aerodactyl DNA inside, we can revive an Aerodactyl for you in our Fossil Research Lab." a museum employee offered. "That's how Brock got his, which is named Petri. But he'll only use Petri against seasoned trainers."

[Whew...] Tintri was just as relieved as Ash was.

"Is there a lot of amber in the area?" Misty asked.

"Yes--in addition to amber, many other jewels and metals are common to Mt. Moon and the surrounding areas, thanks to the natural rivers that flow through the mountains." another scientist explained. "But lately no one's been willing to give us any fossils to revive."

"Why not?" Ash was intrigued.

"Rumors that Team Rocket is inside the mountain, searching for one of this area's greatest natural wonders...the Moon Stone." the scientist replied. "Why those hoodlums want it, I don't know, but knowing Team Rocket, it can't be good."

"Hoodlums, huh? If we see them, we'll be sure to teach them a lesson!" Misty offered.

Ash, however, wasn't so sure. "You sure that two young trainers can even make a scratch against an order of mobsters and criminals? Or if we should even get involved with them?" he asked as he uneasily followed Misty down the hallway, periodically stopping to admire a model or diorama on display.

"The foot soldiers are cake, I'd wager." Misty mused. "It's the bosses we'd have to worry about--once we deal with a lot of the grunts, then the bosses notice. And once the bosses take notice, things usually don't end well for those fighting against them. Or at least that's what I know from all the action movies I've seen that feature them."

"Yeah, they do pop up as the bad guys in the movies a lot." Ash agreed, heaving a sigh of relief that he probably wouldn't have to deal with an organization of gangsters on his journey. "Let's move on--all this talk about criminals is giving me the heebie-jeebies."

The natural history wing gave way to the historical wing, which housed hundreds of items across the ages both ancient and modern. "How beautiful!" Misty gasped as she admired a colorful display of colonial era and 19th century ballgowns.

Ash, meanwhile, was over in the exhibit of warfare, gawking over the many ancient armor and weapons on display. "Wonder how some of these were even supposed to be wielded?" he wondered as he looked over the many ancient swords and spears on display.

A large ancient bow made him smile at the memory of Brock's archery skill a few days before. This bow is huge--you likely had to be really strong to even pull the string back! he mused to himself.

"Whoa...wonder how you would even be able to pull the string back?" Misty gawked as she joined Ash in admiring the huge bow.

"Lots of weight lifting?" Ash suggested as the two of them admired a collection of ancient armor.

"We'll go with that." Misty smiled as the history wing gave way to the space exploration wing.

Tintri smiled as Ash passed by a diorama of a moon landing. [The Braviary has landed.] he proudly announced.

Misty smiled. "The space race was one of my favorite parts of history class--I wanted to be the one that discovered water on Mars, or some other planet."

"Hey, look! An antigravity chamber!" Ash dragged Misty over to a small hallway that lead to a large circular room.

"Oh boy..." was all Misty could say before Ash turned the gravity off, sending both of them and Tintri floating through the air.

[Look at me! I'm swimming in the air!] Tintri cried as he "swam" past Misty through some imagined water. [I feel light as a Pichu! No, a feather even!]

"That looks fun!" Misty smiled before performing some wide strokes, as if she was in the main Gym's pool at home. Forget about bugging Lilly, Violet, and Daisy to use the main pool, this is a lot more fun! she thought as she "swam" through the air.

She stifled a giggle at Ash taking flying leaps into the air, effortlessly performing martial arts moves at the peak of every jump thanks to the reduced gravity. Yet another thing in here we could spend all day doing if we wanted--but according to the map, there's still a lot more to see!

 

Episode 11: A Rock Solid Battle for the Ages


A few days later, Ash arrived in one of the many caverns in Pewter Gym. "Brock! I'm here for your symbolic last battle, as we agreed."

Brock appeared an a spotlight on the Red side of the arena, his Geodude Rocky by his side. "Welcome...here's how this is going to work. Two Pokémon aside, first to knock out the other team first, wins."

"That works for me!" Ash smiled as he jogged to the Blue side of the arena, Tintri not far behind.

"I'll watch from up here, okay?" Misty offered as she found a seat in a sapphire studded row of the jewel studded stone bleachers for spectators. "Good luck!"

"Ready, Rocky?" Brock asked his Geodude.

Rocky nodded as Ash summoned Wings. [Mr. Flitter-flutter won't know what hit him when I get done.]

"I wouldn't say that!" Ash challenged. "Wings, start with Iron Defense!"

Even Brock was surprised as Wings appeared to turn silver for a few moments. "Well, maybe you DO know what you're doing, even though you have a disadvantage at present--and dare I say, a certain polish?" Rocky glowing white for a moment emphasized his point.

He then called "Rocky, knock our little Butterfree from the sky with Mega Punch!"

Ash froze when he saw Rocky streaking at his vulnerable Butterfree, intent on delivering a game ending punch. "Wings, try confusing Rocky with Confusion!"

[HAH!] Wings cried as he fired a pink flash, leaving the Geodude to see spots before his eyes, punching the wall instead of the Butterfree hovering by Ash's side.

Brock was unfazed by the small dent in the rock walls near the Blue side of the arena. "Wouldn't be the first hole in the wall I've had to fix..."

He called "Rocky, try Gyro Ball!"

[99 bottles of juice on the wall?] Rocky woozily asked, tumbling to the red floor in confusion.

Ash smiled as he watched the dazed Geodude. "Now for our secret weapon, Wings! Try Mega Drain!"

Brock watched in shock as Wings drained the last of his weakened Geodude's strength. "Well, color me impressed! You may have real talent!" he smiled as he recalled his fainted Geodude.

He then heaved another Poké Ball skyward. "But now we're ready for the main event! Meet Callio!"

Wings shuddered at the size of the massive rock snake before him. [Oh my...where do I start with beating something that big?]

"Try weakening him with Psybeam!" Ash suggested.

"Come on, Ash!" Misty cheered from her sapphire studded seat. "You can do it!"

"Get'em, big bro! Go, Big Bro! No one can beat our big bro!" came the chatters of excited children as they hurried into the gym's upper deck to watch the unfolding match.

Misty winced and the children cheered as the Onix rained a barrage of rocks on the Butterfree. That has to hurt--I hope Ash has another Pokémon he can use, because Tintri wouldn't stand a chance!

---------

[Wings!] Tintri gasped as Wings fluttered back to the sidelines with what little strength he had left. [You okay, Wings?]

[Ow...] Wings winced. [This is gonna hurt tomorrow...]

Back in the arena, Brock and Callio waited for Ash to make his next move. "Your move, Blue..."

I can't send Mina in there...she would have no chance against an Onix! Ash thought. Tintri would be unplugged in moments...

[Ash...] Tintri tugged Ash's pant leg. [Put me in.]

"What?" Ash gasped. "You're an electric type, and you're facing a giant Rock type! You don't have a chance!"

[I think I do, so put me in and trust me.] Tintri replied.

Ash swallowed hard. "Okay." he told Tintri, who skittered into the arena to face the giant rock snake Brock commanded.

Brock just smirked when he saw the Pikachu. This'll be cake... "Callio, use Gyro Ball!"

But neither of the boys in the arena, Misty, the children, Mina, or Callio expected Tintri to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul..., turning the huge metallic ball back onto the Onix!

Ash looked on in shock at the explosion of light. Was that my Heart Song Tintri just sang?

[Great song...] Callio purred, seemingly unfazed by Tintri's attack, and getting his own attack turned back on him. [Need I remind you you're in a bit of a bind?]

[Uggh...] Tintri sputtered as Callio coiled around him. Despite the coils squeezing him tighter and tighter, he managed to wheeze Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... making Callio's coils loosen just a little bit.

Brock panicked when he saw the weakened Pikachu in Callio's coils. "Callio, stop!"

"Tintri!" Ash cried as Callio released his Pikachu. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Tintri's chest still weakly rising and falling. "Good, he's still breathing..."

He looked over at Brock. "Why did you stop our battle?"

"I stopped because a Pikachu with Disarming Voice is very special--and I would never forgive myself if Callio killed an opponent's Pokémon." Brock explained. "That, and I know how special Tintri is to you."

Ash smiled as Brock arrived with a Potion to heal Tintri. "Okay if we call this match a tie?"

"Yeah--let's call this match a tie." Brock agreed. "I will give you an A for effort, though--that never say die attitude will serve you well on your journey.

"That, and I'm amazed at how close you came to defeating a pair of Rock types with a Butterfree and a Pikachu." Misty agreed as she joined Ash in the arena. "That takes guts."

"If you need time to train a bit more to try again, I'll be waiting." Brock began. "Let's make Round 2 as thrilling as Round 1 when we meet again!"

Ash smiled. "You're on!"

---------

"Even though you couldn't get a badge here, I'm still proud of you for coming close." Misty smiled as she and Ash prepared to leave Pewter City a few days later. "I'm sure Brock would be able to make a touching story out of your battle."

"What's the hurry?" a familiar voice asked.

"Brock?" Ash gasped as he spotted Brock approaching the pair, all packed for an adventure. "What are you doing here?"

"After thinking it over a little, I figured our match a few days ago wasn't actually a tie." Brock explained before offering Ash a silvery rock shaped badge. "For your determination, clever tactics, and unwavering resolve...I think you have earned a badge after all."

"But, why?" Ash asked, still confused. "I only knocked out one of your two Pokémon! The rules were to knock out two!"

"I know that, but I think your courage and your bond with your team supersedes the rules." Brock explained. "Out of the hundreds of young trainers I've battled, you're one of the rare few that has a deep love, and trust in your team. That will carry you far on your Pokémon adventure, and in life."

He went on "Rather than becoming a great Pokémon trainer, I want to become a world renowned musician and storyteller--and the best way to learn more stories and songs is to travel. So I'm coming with you two."

Misty smiled. "Well, okay---welcome to the party, Brock. I'm sure you know a lot of good campfire stories and songs."

"Not just campfire stories and songs--I know a thing or two about this area, so I'll be happy to serve as a guide, too." Brock assured Misty as the new trio departed into the sunset, unaware of just how many journeys they would go on together, and the friendship that was stronger than diamonds that would form...

 

Interlude: Treasures Around the Campfire


"If we keep following the path, we should reach Mt. Moon in a day or two." Brock explained as the group made their way down the road some time later. "The mountain has featured in many folk and fairy tales in this area, but the star attractions are the massive Moon Stone at the heart of the mountain; and the resident Cleffas, Clefairies, and Clefables that guard it."

"Clefairy, huh?" Ash mused as he located his Pokédex:

"Clefairy, the fairy Pokémon. On every night of a full moon, they come out to play. When dawn arrives, the tired Clefairy go to sleep nestled up against each other in deep and quiet mountains."

"Aw!" Misty smiled at the picture of the tiny pink star-like Pokémon. "How cute! Have you seen them at all, Brock?"

"As a matter of fact, I have seen them dancing and playing before." Brock replied. "Happened to be camping on the mountain on the night of a full moon, and they were attracted to my guitar..."

"You play guitar?" Ash gasped, picturing Brock as a pop star playing a green electric guitar to a crowd of adoring fans. "What kinds of songs do you know?"

"Anything that could sound good on an acoustic guitar." Brock smiled, shattering Ash's rock star daydream. "The kids love it, so I played often at home and on campouts in the summertime. So if you two have any musical skill, you're welcome to join in the campfire jam, and assist with music in the storytelling. But before that, we need a good spot to camp."

Ash spotted an alcove at the edge of the forest overlooking the trail leading into the mountains, and Mt. Moon far in the distance. "Over here!"

"That will do just perfectly." Brock smiled as he and Misty joined Ash in pitching tents and starting a campfire...

---------

"And here we are--campfire nachos!" Brock smiled as he delivered plates piled high with beef and cheese to Ash and Misty. "Toppings are over there on the rocks." he explained pointing out a row of vegetables and condiments on an outcropping. "The salsas, queso, and guacamole are homemade--nothing out of a jar here!"

Misty studied the two bowls of salsa. "Which one's sweet, and which one's hot?"

"Green is sweet salsa, and red is hot." Brock explained. "I try to include both options depending on how hot you like it."

"Mm...this is good!" Ash raved. "What's your secret to your guacamole?"

"Most recipes will tell you to put in Meli juice--I like to blend Nomel and Meli in my guacamole." Brock explained. "A nice blend of sweet and sour."

---------

"It's beautiful!" Ash smiled as he watched Brock carefully tune a well loved gold-brown acoustic guitar. "If you need wind instruments, I have a few tin whistles..."

"...and I play fiddle." Misty smiled as she too found her own instrument to tune.

"Okay...so what's a set or song we all know?" Brock asked as he finished getting the high E string into tune.

"Well, tell us what songs you know and we'll go from there." Misty replied.

Brock sweatdropped. "We'd be here all night if I were to list every tune and song I know..."

"Do you guys know the song 'Pikachu Went Out to Ride'?" Ash suggested.

A smile formed on Brock's face. "Why yes, I know 'Pikachu Went Out to Ride'...crowd favorite."

"I know that song too!" Misty gasped. "One of the first fiddle tunes I learned to play by myself, but I didn't know it had words!"

"Well, if you guys will back me, I'll sing it while I play." Brock replied...

----------

The forest rang with music as crowds of Sandshrews, Vulpixes, Ninetales, Spearows, Ekans, Mankeys, and Charmanders joined Tintri in clapping along to the guitar, the fiddle, and tin whistle that played around the campfire. Even Tintri was getting into the festive Galarian tune as he danced by the log Ash performed from. Inspired, Brock decided to scat along with the music for a moment before finishing with one last chorus of Mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I... to some applause.

[Tell the one about Daisuke, the beast slayer!] a Vulpix requested.

Brock nods, then started a quiet melody to compose his thoughts. "Once upon a time there was a man and his wife who were very poor." he began. "The man earned his living making wooden bowls and platters to sell and oftentimes worked from dawn until dusk, but wooden bowls and platters sold for so very cheap that he could barely support his family no matter how hard he worked."

"Aw"s went up at Brock's woeful observation. "Now, the man and his wife were the parents of three lovely daughters--we'll call them Miyu, Ran, and Eina." Brock explained. "They were all very beautiful, and the man and his wife often lamented the fact that they did not have money to provide for them."

Tintri sniffled as Brock went on "One day, a handsome young man mounted on a beautiful Rapidash came to the poor man's house, and offered to take one of the poor man's daughters as his bride in return for a hundred gold pieces."

"WHAT???" Misty gasped.

"Isn't that selling them into slavery?" Ash is just as appalled.

"The father was very much shocked at this request--he may have been poor, but not so poor that he had to sell his own children." Brock explained. "The young man, however, threatened to kill him if he refused; so the father reluctantly consented to give Miyu to him, receiving a hundred gold pieces in return. The next day, the father found himself also giving up Ran, and the day after, Eina, to rich young men, on pain of death."

Angry murmurs raced through the forest as Brock went on. "Their home was not childless very long, for soon a little boy was born to them. They named him Daisuke, and brought him up in great luxury. But the neighborhood kids always teased him with taunts that said the only reason his father was rich was because he sold his three sisters. The teasing made Daisuke sad of course, but he said nothing about the matter for a long time. When the year came that he had come of age, he went to his father and mother and demanded that they tell him everything."

"Oh boy..." Misty braced herself for how Daisuke will react.

"His parents told Daisuke the whole story of the strange circumstances through which they had obtained their wealth." Brock continued, breaking an uneasy silence. "Daisuke then asked if he could go out into the world in search of his sisters. His father and mother gave him their blessing, and Daisuke set out on his journey early the next morning."

Inspired, Ash decided to walk around the campsite for a moment, simulating Daisuke traveling. "Before long, Daisuke came to a house where there were three brothers fighting over a boot, a cap, and a key." Brock continued when he arrived back at the log he was sitting on. "He asked them why those things were so valuable that they were fighting over them. The brothers replied that if one sang to the boot, Karuto, ichiida shou... the boot would immediately take him anywhere he wished to go. If one sang to the cap, Leishu shun ji, lei si..., the cap would turn him invisible. The key could unlock any door in the whole world. Inspired, Daisuke offered so much money for the three items, the three brothers decided to end their fight and divide their shares of a thousand gold pieces."

Awed chatter and some applause went up at the wondrous items. "Daisuke put the three treasures in his bag and went on his way. As soon as he had gone a little ways, he sang to the boot Karuto, iichiida shou... and the boot warped him to where his sister Miyu lived, which was the most magnificent palace he had ever seen in his life." Brock continued. "He asked to speak with his sister, but Miyu replied that she had no brother and did not wish to be bothered with the stranger."

"Did he get through to Miyu?" Ash asked.

"It took a lot of urging for Daisuke to get permission from her to tell his story; but, when she heard it, everything made sense, so she decided to welcome him as her brother." Brock replied. "She asked how he had found her home, and how he had come through the thicket which surrounded her palace. Daisuke told her about his magic boot."

"Aw"s and some applause went up, relieved Daisuke has found one of his sisters. But Brock had other ideas. "Later that afternoon, Miyu suddenly burst into tears. When Daisuke asked what the matter was, Miyu explained that her husband was a shining red Gyarados--and he would be very angry to find a human in his palace. Daisuke then told Miyu about his magic cap."

[And then?] Tintri asked, sparking with excitement.

Brock paused for a moment, then intoned "Soon the red Gyarados arrived, and in a very bad mood, damaging, if not breaking everything in his way, and ranting that he smelled human blood."

Gasps went up from the Pokémon, but Brock assured them "It took some doing, but once Miyu had talked him into a relaxing soak in the hot spring, he became a handsome man. He then ate dinner, and when dinner had ended, Miyu asked him what he would do if he saw her brother. The red Gyarados replied that he would be kind to him, just as he was to her. Daisuke revealed himself, and the red Gyarados treated him with all the kindness and respect of a king. He asked Daisuke if he wanted to live for the rest of his life in the palace. Daisuke declined the invitation, saying that he had two other sisters to find. Before he left the next day, the red Gyarados gave him a magical sapphire from his royal treasury, saying that if he was ever in any danger in which he could help, take the sapphire and sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii...

Some light applause went up at the gibberish spellsong. "Daisuke thanked the red Gyarados, and went on his way. Then he took out his magic boot and sang Karuto, iichiida shou...

"Where did Daisuke end up?" Misty asked, piqued by the spellsong.

After a beat, Brock continued "Daisuke was warped into a more wonderful palace than Miyu's. Ran had married Master Gogoat, and he too treated the newly found brother of his queen with great consideration. When Daisuke had finished his visit there, Master Gogoat gave him a magical emerald from his collection of curiosities, saying that if he was ever in any peril in which he could help, take the emerald and sing Imultaos, ame no hao bakezo..."

The audience of Pokémon and two other humans waited to see what sort of Pokémon Daisuke would encounter next. "With the aid of his magic boot, Daisuke went to visit the home of his youngest sister Eina." Brock continued. "He found her in the most magnificent palace of them all, for her husband was Moltres. When Daisuke left, he gave him a magical ruby from his stash of wondrous items telling him that if he was ever in any danger, all he had to do was take the ruby and sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul..."

Cheers went up from the Pokémon at the gibberish "spellsong". "All three of Daisuke's new friends had admired the power of his magic boot and they had all advised him to visit a legendary kingdom said to be made of jewels, many of them magical." Brock went on. "Daisuke was glad that his sisters were safe, and so warped himself to the mythical kingdom of jewels. He soon heard on the street that the king of the land of jewels had a beautiful daughter--we'll call her Yuna--whom he wished to give in marriage if she could be persuaded to choose a husband. She was such a famous beauty that no one could pass before her palace without eagerly gazing up in hopes of seeing her lovely face at the window. Princess Yuna had grown weary of being the object of so much attention, and she had made a vow that she would marry no one except a man who could pass before her without looking at her."

"Ooh"s went up at this. "Daisuke was interested when he heard this, and rode past the palace with his eyes fixed steadily on the ground. He did not give a single glance upward in the direction of the window where the beautiful Princess Yuna was watching him. Princess Yuna, meanwhile, was overcome with joy at the sight of the handsome stranger who appeared as if in response to her vow. The king summoned him to the palace and ordered that he and Princess Yuna be married right then and there."

Thunderous applause filled the forest at this, but Brock was not finished yet. "After the wedding festivities had died down a week or so later, Princess Yuna soon found out that her husband carried his choicest treasures in his bag. She asked about their significance and Daisuke told her all about them. She was especially interested in the key, and told him that there was a room in the palace which was never opened. In this room there was a mujina, a huge Buizel-like monster which always came to life again whenever it was killed. Princess Yuna had always been anxious to see the mujina with her own eyes, and she suggested that they should use the key to unlock the door of the forbidden room and take a look."

"Bad idea..." Ash giggled.

"Daisuke, however, pleaded with her not to do this." Brock explained. "He decided that it was too risky; but one day when he had gone out hunting with the king, Pincess Yuna was overjoyed to find that the magic key had been left behind. She quickly picked it up and opened the forbidden door. The mujina gave a great leap, and grabbed her with his sharp claws!"

Surprised screams go up as Brock grabbed at the air, startling Tintri and Terra. "When Daisuke and the king returned from their hunting trip, they were very much worried to find that Princess Yuna had disappeared. No one knew where she was. After searching through the palace and garden all in vain they went to the place where the mujina was always kept. The prince recognized his magic key in the door, but the room was empty. It dawned on him just what had happened--the mujina had fled with Princess Yuna!"

[Did Daisuke save her?] a Vulpix stammered as she squeezes her mother's left front paw in fear.

"Daisuke wasted no time in using his magic boot to warp by Princess Yuna's side." Brock assured the nervous Vulpix. "The mujina had hidden her in a cave by the sea and had gone away in search of food. Princess Yuna was delighted to find her husband--whom she had never expected to see again--and asked him to get her out of there."

"I would do the same if a monster caught me..." Misty muses.

"Daisuke explained that since she had gotten into this mess, she could at least try to kill the mujina." Brock intoned. "So Princess Yuna waited for the mujina to return, then she asked it to tell her the secret of his seemingly eternal life. The mujina was very much flattered to have the Princess Yuna so interested in him, and he told it to her, unaware of a plot."

He explaind to the group "The mujina explained that its life was in the sea. Somewhere in the sea was a chest, and in the chest there was a stone, and in the stone there was a Pidove, and in the Pidove there was an egg, and in the egg there was a candle. Only when that candle was extinguished would he die."

The crowd applauded, impressed that Brock remembered the whole list. "Little did the mujina know, Daisuke had been there the whole time, and he had heard every word. As soon as the mujina had gone to sleep, Daisuke stood on the seashore held the sapphire to the sky, and sang Rou iitsa ron selga vichii...

"Sure enough, a great school of fish appeared in a flash of blue light." he continued. "Daisuke asked them to get the chest from the depths of the sea. They replied that they had never seen such a chest, but maybe the sea guardian Kyogre would know about it. So they went and asked Kyogre, and she said that she had seen the chest only moments before. With Kyogre's help, the fish brought the chest out of the sea. Daisuke opened the chest easily with the aid of his magic key, and inside he found a stone."

After pausing for a moment, Brock continued "Then Daisuke took the emerald, held it to the sky, and sang Imultaos, ame no hao bakezo... The ground started rumbling as the emerald glowed, and Daisuke saw millions of Gogoats and Ponytas running to the beach from all directions. They attacked the stone, giving it mighty blows with their hard heads, horns, and hooves. "It didn't take long to break open the stone, and a Pidove flew out of it."

The audience was on the edge of their seats as Brock went on "By now, it had dawned on the mujina what Daisuke and Princess Yuna planned to do, and dragged Princess Yuna back in the cave. "Meanwhile, Daisuke took the ruby, held it to the sky, and sang Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Moltress appeared in a flash of red light and quickly defeated the Pidove. "Minutes before the mujina could kill Princess Yuna with his great claws, Daisuke took the egg from the slain Pidove, broke it and blew out the candle. At that moment the mujina died, and Princess Yuna was unharmed."

He concluded "Daisuke warped both of them home to the jeweled kingdom, and the king called for a great festival that lasted at least a week. There was rejoicing throughout the whole kingdom, and great relief that Princess Yuna was all right. Daisuke was hailed throughout the jeweled kingdom as a hero, and the people there talk of his many adventures even to this day."

Misty heaved a sigh of relief. "You even had ME scared for a second..."

"That's why Brock is the master storyteller!" Ash assured Misty as he applauded. "If even the wild Pokémon want to listen, you have to be good!"

 

Episode 12a: Clefairy and the Moon Stone (part 1)


"...Historically, the mountain was named Moon Viewing Mountain, and a shrine was built to honor the resident Cleffa, Clefairy and Clefable--which you can still visit and pray at today." Brock went on as the group continued on the road towards Mt. Moon. "It is also a favorite spot in martial arts dramas and movies, so I have had to sometimes take film crews and TV crews up the mountain. If you remember the movie 'One Blade and the Thousand Sen', this was where they filmed a few key scenes and the final battle."

"Really? One Blade movies were filmed here?" Ash gasped. "Cool!"

"I'm sure you know all the mountain caves and trails like the back of your hand!" Misty smiled. "But of all the rock formations, gem mining spots, and other natural wonders inside the mountain, what's the one everyone has to see?"

"The giant Moon Stone at the heart of the mountain." Brock replied. "No one knows for sure how it got there, which has led to some fanciful scientific theories, some folk tales and fairy tales, and even some more out there theories. But most scientists believe it landed there millions of years ago."

He was about to say more when he noticed a brown haired man in a lab coat being dive bombed by some eyeless blue and purple bat Pokémon. "Zubats!"

Piqued Ash located his Pokédex to read up on the bat creatures:

"Zubat, the bat Pokémon. During the day, it gathers with others and hangs from the ceilings of old buildings and caves."

"Then why are they attacking that guy?" Ash wondered.

"The sooner you do something to help that guy, the sooner you'll find out!" Misty replied.

Ash nodded "Tintri, use Thundershock!"

[Take THIS!] Tintri cried before firing off a thunderbolt, sending the Zubats fluttering into the safety of the cave.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked as he looked the young scientist over for any injury.

"I'm fine...the name's Seymour." the young scientist replied. "I came here to research the Moon Stone at the heart of the mountain. But someone--or maybe multiple someones--installed powerful lights that are disturbing the wild Pokémon in the area--that's why those Zubats attacked me."

"But why would someone put up lights in a cave?" Misty wondered. "If you're gonna guide people through said cave, any lights would need to be just bright enough for people to see, but not so bright as to disturb the resident Pokémon."

"That's why I believe that whoever did this nefarious deed is after the Moon Stone." Seymour agreed. "We all know that the Moon Stone is a massive boulder, believed to be a million years old or more, hidden deep under Mt. Moon. It has been revered in mythology and folklore around the world for ages. Some stories even say that just a mere fragment of the stone can increase a Pokémon's power. I believe the resident Pokémon came from space, and used the Moon Stone as their spaceship..."

Misty rolled her eyes as Seymour continued talking about his theory in detail. Not what I think the Moon Stone is, but if you really think it a spaceship--and you have proof of such a thing--we'll roll with it.

She was snapped from her thoughts by a tiny pink fairy-like Pokémon. "Huh?"

"Looks kinda cute..." Ash mused as he retrieved his Pokédex to read up on the tiny fairy carrying a sparkling silver object:

"Clefairy, the fairy Pokémon. Though rarely seen, it becomes easier to spot, for some reason, on the night of a full moon."

"Then why is it out during the day?" Ash wondered as he pocketed his Pokédex, then got out a Poké Ball. "I can at least catch one for Misty!"

"NO!" Seymour cried, startling Ash. "Leave the Clefairy alone! They are special to this area, and worthy of research!"

"Okay, okay, I won't catch one, then..." Ash sighed, putting the Poké Ball back in his bag.

"Den if you're not gonna catch it, hat-boy, I'll take dis Clefairy off ya hands!" a male voice interjected before the Clefairy was trapped in a small cage!

Ash watched in shock as a small cat Pokémon bounded down the trail, giggling all the while. "Ya want dis Clefairy, come an' get it!" it sneered before disappearing into the cave.

Piqued, Ash decided to read up on the small cat Pokémon:

"Meowth, the scratch cat Pokémon. It loves things that sparkle. When it sees a shiny object, the gold coin on its head shines too."

"No wonder it wanted the Clefairy...it wanted the silvery thing it was carrying!" Ash gasped as he put away his Pokédex.

"What I wanna know is how this particular Meowth learned to speak human language..." Brock mused. "But talking Meowth aside, we have to save that Clefairy!"

"Come on!" Ash motioned for Brock to follow him. "Follow that Meowth!"

"Wait for me!" Misty called. "I'm coming too!"

"If we follow these pawprints on the ground, we can find where the Meowth went, and possibly find its master." Brock agreed. "Be ready for a fight!"

To Be Continued...

 

Episode 12b: Clefairy and the Moon Stone (part 2)

(What the Trio play for the Cleffas and the Clefairy)

Previously, on "Pokémon Lightning Yellow"...

"No wonder it wanted the Clefairy...it wanted the silvery thing it was carrying!" Ash gasped as he put away his Pokédex.

"What I wanna know is how this particular Meowth learned to speak human language..." Brock mused. "But talking Meowth aside, we have to save that Clefairy!"

"Come on!" Ash motioned for Brock to follow him. "Follow that Meowth!"

"Wait for me!" Misty called. "I'm coming too!"

"If we follow these pawprints on the ground, we can find where the Meowth went, and possibly find its master." Brock agreed. "Be ready for a fight!"

The group raced down the tunnel as fast as they could, making sure to keep the Meowth pawprints in view. After a few moments, Ash rounded a corner to find the Meowth, a familiar lavender haired boy in a white uniform emblazoned with a red R, and a familiar maroon haired woman in a similar uniform. "Who are you guys?" he demanded.

"And what do you want with the Moon Stone?" Brock added.

The boy looked unusually calm as he got up from petting the Meowth. "So it seems you have found us...all the lights in this cave were in fact our doing.

"As membas of Team Rocket, we were plannin' ta swipe da Moon Stone before you guys showed up!" the Meowth complained.

"Team Rocket?" Ash wondered as the two Rocket operatives stepped before him.

"To protect the world from devastation..." the girl began.

"And unite all peoples within our nation..." the boy answered back. The call and response went on like this:

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket! Blast off at the speed of light! the girl announced

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" the boy smirked, bemused at the shocked look on Ash's face.

"Meowth! Dat's right!" the Meowth grinned, brandishing its claws for battle.

The look on Ash's face turned from shock to anger. "If you want the Moon Stone, you'll have to get through us first!"

He heaved a Poké Ball skyward. "Wings, i need you!"

"Hitomi, let's go!" Brock summoned a Zubat of his own to challened the purple cloud creature and the purple and yellow snake creature Jessie and James had summoned. "Double battle time!"

"Where'd you get a Zubat?" Ash wondered.

"Caught one chasing the Meowth." Brock replied. "Now, you want to face the Koffing, or the Ekans? I'll handle what you don't pick."

James smirked as Ash and Brock debated their strategy. While they're drawing up their battle plan, I'll poison them both!

He called "Koffing, poison both of these twerps with a cloud of Smog."

Ash was unfazed by the poison cloud headed for him and Brock. "Wings, blow away the smog with Whirlwind!"

[I'll help, too!] the Zubat chittered as it flapped up a wind gust of its own, sending the Smog back on Team Rocket, much to their surprise.

"Nice work, Hitomi." Brock smiled at his Zubat.

"I'll handle the Ekans if you take the Koffing!" Ash called as Wings fired a pink Confusion blast.

"Right!" Brock replied, calling "Hitomi, put the Koffing to sleep with Hypnosis!"

The cave lit up in a rainbow of colors as a large dust cloud peppered with different colors of elemental attacks formed in the cave. After a few minutes of directing his Butterfree to dodge and attack, Ash called to Brock "Neither side has the upper hand! We're gonna need a little help here!"

"Astra, use Water Gun!" a familiar female voice called, sending Jessie, James, and Meowth flying through a large hole in the cave wall.

"Misty!" Ash smiled when he saw Misty arriving with a small starfish Pokémon. "Am I glad to see you!"

"You guys looked like you needed a little help against those Team Rocket lowlifes, so I thought Astra could lend you a hand." Misty smiled as the starfish creature twirled in the air beside her.

She located the Clefairy huddled in a corner as Seymor arrived. "As for you, let's get you back to your friends, okay?"

[B-b-but what if those bad humans come back?] the Clefairy stammered.

"I'm sure these three will protect you." Seymour assured the Clefairy. "Now, let's be on our way to the heart of the mountain!"

---------

Later that night, Brock beamed as he set down a tray of what looked like meatballs. "Okay, everyone! Pokechow's ready! it's made according to my own special recipe."

Ash shuddered at a memory. "I remember the time I accidentally ate Pokechow as a baby..." he remembered. "It was terrible!"

"Well, most commercial Pokechow does taste terrible to people." Brock explained. "Homemade Pokechow is made with all natural ingredients, so it should taste as good to humans as it does to Pokémon with some practice."

"He's right, you know..." Seymour raved as he tasted Brock's Pokechow. "If you wouldn't eat it yourself, you probably shouldn't feed it to your Pokémon either. Luckily, many brands are making the switch to all natural ingredients."

Piqued, Ash broke off a piece of one of the Pokechow balls and tasted it. "Say...this isn't half bad!"

Meanwhile, Tintri asked the Clefairy [How much further do we have to go until we find your friends? I want to see you home safely before those Team Rocket guys return.]

[Not too much further.] the Clefairy smiled. [Want to see the Chamber of the Moon Goddess?]

[Sure!] Tintri smiled.

He waved to Ash. [Guys! I think we're close to the heart of the mountain! Come see!]

"Coming!" Ash led the group into another passageway, which came out inside a large open room with a huge glittering silver rock.

"Wow..." Misty gasped, amazed at the tiny moonbows the rock created on the walls as the moon shone overhead. Some other Cleffas and Clefairies were also present in the cave, each one leaving a silver shard at the base of the rock. "It's beautiful!

[It seems the Moon Goddess is sleeping still...] the Clefairy mused before setting down its shard. [Maybe She is waiting for my offering.]

With that, the Clefairy set down its stone at the base of the rock. After a few tense seconds, the silvery rock began to glow a beautiful silvery blue in the moonlight, creating more moonbows on the cave walls. Dozens of Cleffa and Clefairy emerged from the many holes in the cave. [The Moon Goddess! She wakes!] one cried.

[Let us dance in praise of the Moon Goddess!] another agreed, spurring the other Cleffas and Clefairies to dance happily around the rock.

Say... Brock smiled as he listened to the rhythmic tramping of hundreds of Clefairy and Cleffa feet in the cave. "Anyone for giving these little guys some music for their dance?" he asked as he slung his guitar around him.

"Okay!" Ash replied, fishing his whistle from a pocket.

"Count us off and we'll join in." Misty assured Brock as she readied her fiddle to play.

After Brock snapped to establish a jig-like tempo, a festive melody rang through the cave and into the stars, the Cleffas and Clefairy dancing to the trio of a guitar, a fiddle, and a tin whistle all the while. Maybe humans are not supposed to ride the Stone back out to the stars, but the Clefairy see the Moon Stone as a god of some kind. Seymour thought as he watched the group play their festive song for the Cleffas and Clefairies to dance to...

To Be Continued...

 

(what Brock performs)

Episode 12c: Clefairy and the Moon Stone (part 3)

Previously, on "Pokémon Lightning Yellow"...

Wow..." Misty gasped, amazed at the tiny moonbows the rock created on the walls as the moon shone overhead. Some other Cleffas and Clefairies were also present in the cave, each one leaving a silver shard at the base of the rock. "It's beautiful!

[It seems the Moon Goddess is sleeping still...] the Clefairy mused before setting down its shard. [Maybe She is waiting for my offering.]

With that, the Clefairy set down its stone at the base of the rock. After a few tense seconds, the silvery rock began to glow a beautiful silvery blue in the moonlight, creating more moonbows on the cave walls. Dozens of Cleffa and Clefairy emerged from the many holes in the cave. [The Moon Goddess! She wakes!] one cried.

[Let us dance in praise of the Moon Goddess!] another agreed, spurring the other Cleffas and Clefairies to dance happily around the rock.

Say... Brock smiled as he listened to the tramping of hundreds of Clefairy and Cleffa feet in the cave. "Anyone for giving these little guys some music for their dance?" he asked as he slung his guitar around him.

"Okay!" Ash replied, fishing his whistle from a pocket.

"Count us off and we'll join in." Misty assured Brock as she readied her fiddle to play.

After Brock snapped to establish a jig-like tempo, a festive melody rang through the cave and into the stars, the Cleffas and Clefairy dancing to the trio of a guitar, a fiddle, and a tin whistle all the while. Maybe humans are not supposed to ride the Stone back out to the stars, but the Clefairy see the Moon Stone as a god of some kind. Seymour thought as he watched the group play their festive song for the Cleffas and Clefairies to dance to...

"Oooh, those twoipes..." Meowth grumbled as Team Rocket tried to find their way through the mountain caves. "When I get my paws on dat twoipette wit da Staryu, I'll swipe dat smile off her pretty face..." He flexed his claws for emphasis, making them glitter in the starlight streaming in through some holes in the cave.

"That is...if we can find them..." James sighed. "This mountain is like a maze..."

"Well, what did you expect?" Jessie asked. "Of COURSE mountain caves are like a maze! It's like every video game we've ever played!"

Just then, Meowth's ears pricked up at a familiar melody far in the distance. "Funny...do you guys hear music anywhere?"

"What music?" Jessie wondered before she too heard the group's performance. "I don't know who would be performing all the way in the middle of nowhere, but this has a pretty hot beat!"

"Come on! Maybe if we follow our ears, we'll find the twerps!" James suggested before leading the way into the cave. "Then we can have our revenge!"

---------

Some time later, Team Rocket arrived in the large open chamber, where the group was performing their festive set for Tintri, the Cleffas, and the Clefairies to dance to. "Well, well, well...this is the famous Moon Stone..." Jessie smirked.

"It'll look poifect in da boss' private museum..." Meowth agreed. "Right next ta whistle-boy's Pikachu. So why don't we kill two Pidgeys with one stone, and get'em both while our merry band of minstrels plays on?"

With that, the Rockets crept up to the massive Moon Stone, but Jessie stepping on a twig alerted Seymour and the group! "Hey! Keep away from the Moon Stone!" Seymour called, making the group stumble on some wrong notes and wrong chords.

"What do we do now?" Ash asked as he watched Seymour leap to fight the Rockets, making a large dust cloud erupt in the chamber.

"Have Tintri on standby...I'll get Callio to deal with their Ekans and Koffing." Brock explained as he heard the pops of two Poke Balls. "Misty, have one of yours ready in case we need help."

"I still have Astra from earlier..." Misty assured Brock as she quickly set her fiddle and its bow back in its case. "Now, go teach those hoodlums a lesson!"

Brock nodded, then heaved a Poké Ball skyward. "Callio, let's give some crooks what for!"

Jessie smirked at the giant rock snake towering over her. "Ekans, use Dig!"

"Koffing, try Smokescreen!" James called moments later.

Ash panicked when he saw the cloud of think grey smoke headed for him and Brock. "Mina, blow this smoke away!" he called as he heaved a Poké Ball skyward.

[HAAAAAAH!] Mina cried as she flapped up a massive tornado. But when the wind died down, the group noticed that Team Rocket was gone, and the Moon Stone was gone with them.

[How?] a Clefairy gasped, surprised that the Moon Stone was gone. [How did those bad humans take the Moon Goddess?]

Brock noticed a large hole where the Moon Stone had been minutes before. "I think I have a theory..." he assured the Clefairy. "Let's go rescue the Moon Goddess."

He motioned to his Onix. "Callio, follow Team Rocket underground. We'll check the caves to see where the Rockets went."

[You got it, Boss!] the Onix purred before disappearing into the tunnel.

As the group hurried out, one Clefairy approached Seymour with his glasses. [Um, you lost these in all that mess...]

"Oh, thank you." Seymour smiled. "Now to find your sacred stone!" he vowed as he slipped his glasses back on...

---------

"Whee! Team Rocket cried as they rode the Moon Stone down a slope. "Well, dat's one way ta move a huge stone!" Meowth giggled as they whizzed through a tunnel. "We didn't even need shovels!"

[Going somewhere?] Callio asked as he emerged from the cave floor, sending the Rockets flying to the ground at the foot of the slope.

He smiled as Brock and the others arrived. [I got'em, Boss. Since you've still got your guitar with you, we could use a fight song to teach this hoodlums a lesson!]

"One fight song, coming up!" Brock replied before starting a playful Galarian melody in E minor, complete with Low Galarian lyrics.

Jessie froze at the lyrics, never mind she didn't have a clue what Brock was singing. "Oh no...rock star twerp must be casting a spell!"

"Why didn't dey TELL me rock star twoipe knew magic?" Meowth gasped, his imagination running wild with Brock conjuring fire, ice, thunder, leaves, and various other elemental attacks from his guitar.

Just then, the Clefairies and Cleffas arrived, spurred on by Brock's voice. [He wants a little magic, does he? Let's all use Metronome to blast these bad humans away!]

{YEAH!!!!] the Clefairies and Cleffas cheered before waving their fingers in time to Brock's guitar and voice. One Clefairy took the first shot by scratching Jessie, another made what looked like hundreds of copies of itself, and a third conjured a blast of glittering pink wind.

Ash smiled as he saw the explosions and crackles of attacks around him."It's working! Keep singing, Brock!"

The blasts of elemental attacks kept flying at Team Rocket, spurring them to run for the closest cave entrance they could find. By the time Brock finished his song, the various elemental attacks melded to create a massive explosion, sending Team Rocket flying. Various Moon Stone shards began raining in the large chamber seconds later, complete with a huge shard landing in its rightful place.

Seymour smiled as he watched some of the shards land on the Clefairies, making them evolve into Clefables with white glows. "You know...I've decided to change the focus of my research. I'm gonna stay here, and research Clefairy and Clefable culture for a while. Maybe that could be the key to going to space!"

"Well, whatever you discover, be sure and let us know!" Ash smiled as Tintri hopped aboard his shoulder...

---------

"Okay...if we follow this road for a day or two, we should reach Cerulean City." Misty explained as the group departed the mountain the next morning. "Maybe Seymour will get his chance to go to space one day..."

Ash, meanwhile, balked at a message on a road sign. "Gary was here, Ash is a loser? When I get my hands on you, Gary, I'll tear you limb from limb for that!" he vowed as he raced down the road...

 

Interlude: The Dragon Among Flowers

"You okay, Ash?" Brock wondered as the group made camp on the road to Cerulean that night. "That's the first time I've seen you that steamed..."

"I'm fine--wouldn't be the first time Gary insulted me like that." Ash replied before noticing Misty looking up at the twinkling stars. "I'm a little worried about Misty--she hasn't made a peep all evening...is there something in Cerulean she's not looking forward to facing?"

A thoughtful look formed on Misty's face. "Now that you mention it...I suppose I can tell you a little of my family history." she explained as she unearthed a photo album. "You guys may have heard of the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City, who manage to juggle all manner of aquatic performance alongside an idol gig on land. But what you may not know is there was supposed to be a fourth sister in the act..."

The lightbulb went off in Ash's head. "...and that fourth sister is you?"

Misty nodded yes. "Don't get me wrong, I love my three sisters, but...their script writing needs serious work. Their shows are mainly all flash and no heart--and if it wasn't that, they'd argue over how best the story went like kids! The last straw was their inviting me to join their idol unit Waves. That, and I wish they would use the Gym for the purpose it was meant for--testing trainers against Water Pokémon, not their own private theater. If they want a theater so bad, there's always the Wave in town...or the Suiren if they wanted to incorporate water into an ancient play."

She opened the photo album to an old picture of a red haired girl before a piano, an indigo haired girl with an acoustic guitar, a blonde haired girl holding a concert flute, and a younger version of herself with a familiar fiddle. "But their picking on me goes way back...when we took music lessons together as kids, I wanted to play more than the weepy sonatas that our parents made us play. So every chance I could get, I tracked down whatever traditional tunes I could find, and played them when my sisters weren't looking. When Daisy confronted me about it, I said I wanted to play what I wanted to play, thanks. But this made me their preferred target even more--no matter what the role in their sappy romantic stories they wanted me to play, I was made to play it. Mind you, I like performing in a good play if the script is good enough...but as I said before, these scripts needed serious work. Plot holes everywhere, overly melodramatic plots, lines you practically needed a year to memorize for ONE role, the works."

"So, what made you decide to come to Pallet?" Ash wondered.

"I needed to get away from their constant begging me to join Waves." Misty sighed. "For all I know, they still have the costume they saved for me packed in a closet, waiting for when I finally come around. But memo to them--the Gym is not your private theater for cheesy water shows!"

"I wonder why they turned Cerulean Gym into their private theater.." Brock mused. "Granted, while I sometimes hosted storytelling concerts and the odd play in the caverns, I understood that first and foremost the Gym was a Gym."

"The thinnest skin ever." Misty deadpanned. "They were only beaten by two beginner trainers before deciding to turn the Gym into their private theater! If you're gonna be a Gym Leader, you need to know that you are actually supposed to be beaten--you want Joe or Jane Trainer to win your badge."

Her angry look softened. "Ash...if you really really want to add the Cascade Badge to your collection, I will personally battle you myself if my sisters won't."

"Okay...who would I be facing?" Ash was interested. "I know you have a Staryu named Astra..."

"You would also face my best Pokémon--Pearl the Starmie." Misty replied. "If I can't convince my sisters to battle you, all you have to do is beat Astra and Pearl, and a Cascade Badge is yours."

"Staryu sounds easy enough..." Ash mused. "How hard would Starmie be?"

"You would also have to watch out for Psychic attacks." Brock cautioned. "Both Staryu and Starmie also have Ice attacks--that's dangerous for Wings and Mina. The good news for you is, Pikachu has access to a variety of Dark moves--and even a Grass move. So if that trusty Thundershock needs some help, Bite is another good option, along with his Disarming Voice.

"Wait, Tintri knows Disarming Voice?" Misty was interested.

Brock nodded. "Believe it or not, Pikachu can learn Disarming Voice--some Pichus are born with that move.

"This I have to see!" Now Misty was excited. "If that move was enough to do major damage to an Onix, I have to know if it can hold up to a Starmie! So win or lose, I'm looking forward to seeing Disarming Voice!"

"You're on!" Ash smiled, glad Misty was back in a good mood...

 

Episode 13a: A Tour of Cerulean City


"Here we are, everyone! This is Cerulean City--the beautiful city with flowing water and blooming flowers!" Misty smiled, making a grand gesture to the city in the distance.

She turned business-like again. "Ash...if my sisters give you any trouble, let me know. If they try to just give you a badge, I will personally battle you myself--you're not getting any free rides for a badge!"

"Okay..." Ash replied, swallowing hard at what he would be subjected to once he came to the Gym.

"Technically, Ash did win my Badge in a fair fight..." Brock interjected. "You were cheering for him every step of the way, remember?"

"I know that, and that was a great fight from both of you...but I mainly want to stop my sisters from giving Ash a free Badge." Misty explained as she led the way into the city. "So let's go--and since we're here, I can show you some of the sights on the way to the Gym."

---------

Pearl Route--Hanada Keep, Great Valley Temple, the Wave Theater, and Cerulean Gym. a bus' loudspeaker announced as Misty led the boys on board.

"Okay...from this stop, we'll pass the Great Valley Temple and the Wave before we come to the Gym." Misty explained as she found a seat near the middle. "Hanada Keep is back that way..." She pointed back behind the bus. "Cerulean Cape and Nugget Bridge are that way..." She pointed out a bridge at the northern end of the north district. "...and there's dumpling stands and dumpling joints on every corner, so if you need a quick bite, you won't be hungry!" She let that hang as the bus passed by a dumpling stand with a line.

"Maybe I should learn how to make dumplings to pair with my onigiri..." Brock mused.

"Dumplings and onigiri sounds good!" Ash agreed.

He nudged Misty. "So, what's the sports situation like here?"

"Well, if you like baseball, the Cerulean Stars' home park is in the east district..." Misty explained. "But they're not playing today..."

She pointed out a massive arena in the distance. "If basketball's more your thing, Borealis Arena, home to the Cerulean Aurora, is the icon of the north district..."

"Too bad it's not basketball season right now..." Brock sighed. "The Aurora consistently make the playoffs every season, so it's no wonder Pewter's one of their rivals..."

Now arriving at Great Valley Temple... came an announcement as the bus slowed to a stop before a beautiful temple with a sloped roof, allowing some passengers off.

"The Great Valley Temple is sacred to Manaphy and Phione..." Misty explained. "Its claim to fame are the Pokémon carvings in the rock surrounding the temple, and the massive Manaphy statue inside."

"Interesting..." Ash mused as Tintri gawked at the beautiful temple for a moment.

After a few more moments, the bus was on its way again. "Next on the route is the Wave Theater, where you can see all the modern plays, concerts, lectures, and other performances you want." Misty explained. "If you want to see more traditional theater, the Suiren is back in the east district. But this is not to say the Wave hasn't hosted some traditional plays..."

Brock took a moment to admire the majestic blue, gold, and white building with Water Pokémon artwork and pearls coming into view. "If I had to take a stab in the dark, the Wave could probably fit inside the Fireside twice once the Fireside's completed."

"I bet you've probably tread its boards a few times..." Ash smiled as the bus approached the theater.

"Yes--mainly school concerts and plays, though." Misty replied. "But no matter the reason for the show, I will cherish every time I perform at the Wave."

"Are there any shows going on now?" Brock was interested now.

"Not currently, but they are rehearsing 'The Maiden of the Water'--an original adventure play by a local playwright." Misty replied. "It's very loosely based on the folktale 'The Water of Life'.

A bling of a notification from her PokeNav got her attention. hey lil sis, it's daisy--if ur in the area plz be careful--team rckt's been spotted on nugget bridge.

Misty froze at the text message. That's Daisy texting, all right. But those Team Rocket guys couldn't have followed us here...could they?

She immediately texted back here on the bus showin some friends around town rn--did the news say anything about what the Team Rocket lowlifes wanted?

According to da news, dey've been tryin to recruit ppl. came the reply. but u've got astra and pearl w/ you. so i tink you'll be ok.

ok--I'll be back as soon as i finish giving my guests a tour of the city. Misty texted back.

"Who was that?" Ash wondered as he heard the bling confirming that Misty's text message was sent.

"That was Daisy--one of my three sisters, and the one I typically get along with." Misty explained. "She pinged me letting me know that Team Rocket's causing trouble at Nugget Bridge..."

She grinned. "So we're gonna bypass Cerulean Gym for a minute, change routes, go over there, and teach those Team Rocket crooks a lesson. Once everything's safe on Nugget Bridge and Cerulean Cape, then we'll come back to the Gym. Once you've got your Cascade Badge, Ash, I'll be happy to show you more of the sights around here."

"Yeah!" Ash agreed as the bus passed a majestic crystal-like building that glittered in the sun. "Let's run Team Rocket out of town!"

And this saves me from going back and facing Lily and Violet... Misty was equally relieved to be passing Cerulean Gym. While I'll have to face them eventually, protecting the city, Nugget Bridge, and Cerulean Cape is priority #1.

Now arriving at Cerulean Bus Terminal West... came an announcement as the bus pulled into the terminal. Service to Sapphire route, Marine route, Coral route...

Misty didn't bother to listen to the rest of the spiel as she motioned for the boys to follow her into the bustling terminal. "Okay...to reach Nugget Bridge and Cerulean Cape, we'll need to change over to the Marine route, which serves the north district."

"Can we stop and get a drink?" Ash asked as he petted Tintri. "Tintri's thirsty..."

"Drinks are allowed on the bus so long as they are in an easily closed container--so a soda bottle or refillable coffee mug is fine." Misty assured Ash as he searched his bag for some change.

Ash wasted no time in tracking down a drink vending machine in the bus terminal's central square. "Oran water for you, and a Fizzo for me..." he assured his thirsty Pikachu as he inserted a coin in the machine.

[Oran water is fine.] Tintri smiled. [Gotta fuel up to take down those Team Rocket guys again!]

 

Episode 13b: Of Troublemakers and Teleporters


Meanwhile, at the northern edge of Nugget Bridge...

"Some job dis is..." Meowth sighed as he watched the waves lap the rocks of a distant cave. "All we need ta do is find some willin' recruits for da admins and da boss! Yanno how mad Archa gets when we don't meet recruitment numbas!"

"Believe me, I know..." Jessie shuddered at a memory of Archer yelling at her. "At least the last few trainers were polite about saying no..."

An idea occurred to James. "Say...this place is called Nugget Bridge, so why not offer a Nugget to anyone willing to join?" He showed his comrades a seemingly sparkling golden ball for emphasis.

"That's better than my idea of beating five grunts disguised as trainers in a row..." Jessie muttered. "Then we'd get beaten again...or worse, the twerps show up again to beat us."

Meowth gasped when he saw Misty leading the boys across the bridge. "Speak of Darkrai..."

"Thought you could recruit more lowlifes from the good people of Cerulean City, could you?" Misty grinned as she approached the Rockets, with Ash and Brock not far behind. "I'm not gonna stand for that!"

"You and what army, sweetheart?" James sneered as he summoned Koffing.

"Say hi to Pearl!" Misty replied as she heaved a Poké Ball skyward, revealing a beautiful purple starfish-like Pokémon with a golden center and a red core.

As the star-creature clashed with Koffing, Ash decided to read up on Misty's second team member:

"Starmie, the mysterious Pokémon. Its central core glows with the seven colors of the rainbow. Some people value the core as a gem."

[Maybe the core changes color based on its mood?] Tintri wondered he watched Pearl fire a blast of cold wind at both Ekans and Koffing, freezing them, Jessie, James, and Meowth solid!

Misty grinned at her faithful Starmie. "Pearl, send these Rocketsicles on a nice voyage to the middle of nowhere!"

With pleasure. the Starmie replied telepathically before picking up the massive ice cube in a psychic wave, then heaving it into the water. That should teach Team Rocket not to recruit here!

"Besides..." Brock hurried over to the golden ball, which had been dropped in all the chaos. After rubbing some of the gold with a fingernail, he showed Ash and Misty the shiny silver spot he had made. "Their Nugget was actually steel painted gold! Real Nuggets usually go for at least 5000 credits, and often even more."

"What does a real Nugget look like?" Ash was intrigued.

"Well, the easiest way to tell if a Nugget is real is to simply drop it in some water." Brock explained. "A real Nugget will sink to the bottom, while a fake Nugget will float. Our Rocket friends likely picked steel to make a fake Nugget because steel sinks on its own in water--so that would fool an unsuspecting trainer into thinking it was real."

Misty nodded. "Thanks for the lecture, Professor Brock. Since we're here on Cerulean Cape, I suppose I can introduce you two to a VIP of the scientific world--Bill, who created the Pokémon storage system."

Ash balked in surprise. "No way! THE Bill? The Pokemaniac???

"That's the one!" Misty smiled. "While he's not a professor, the global Pokémon community knows his work and discoveries are legit!"

Ash raced across the flowery field, towards a house in the distance. "Come on, Tintri! Let's get Bill's autograph!"

---------

"Bill?" Misty called as the group arrived at Bill's house some time later. "It's Misty...you okay?"

"Over here!" a male voice called from a room down the hallway.

Once Brock turned the lights on, the group noticed a Clefairy with some humanoid features near a large machine. "Bill? What happened to you?" Misty recognized the wavy hair on the Clefairy.

[No Clefairy I know has hair like THAT!!!] Tintri was equally shocked.

"I screwed up on a teleportation experiment and got combined with a Pokémon..." Bill sighed. "So, how about it? Help me out here?"

"Sure!" Ash replied. "What do we need to do to turn you human again?"

"When I'm in the teleporter, go to my PC and run the Cell Separation System!" Bill instructed before disappearing inside one chamber of the odd machine.

Ash located a PC near the door, which was already open to one particular program. "Cell Separation System OK--subject inside Chamber A...click START to run program..."

After nudging the mouse to make sure it worked, Ash found the large green START button on the screen. "Here goes!" he smiled as he clicked the button.

Tintri shuddered a little at the bumps, clicks, whirs, and whistles from the machine. But after a few tense moments, the second chamber opened with a PSSSSSSH... and a cloud of steam.

Misty heaved a sigh of relief as a deep green haired boy in researcher's clothes emerged from the teleporter's second chamber. "Bill, thank Arceus you're okay!"

"Ah, good to be back in my own body again..." Bill smiled. "I'll have something a little more substantial for a thank you gift if you'll come back later, but the least I can do for now is give you a little pocket money for your travels, and my card, if you need me for anything."

"Thanks, Bill!" Ash smiled as he accepted 500 credits and Bill's business card, which had his contact information and signature on it.

"We'll come by a little later--or sooner, if you make a big discovery!" Misty assured Bill. "For now, I've got a tour of the city to finish giving!"

 

Episode 13c: A Clash of Superstars (part 1)


Misty sighed as the bus made its way back to the Cerulean Gym. There's no way around it...and I've stalled long enough...I have to face Lilly and Violet now.

She sighed as she mentally rehearsed what to say, aware of Ash and Brock talking in the seat behind her. Lilly...for the millionth time, I an NOT interested in joining your idol unit. Dancing around singing cutesy lyrics in equally cutesy costumes is NOT my cup of tea.

After taking a breath to calm her nerves and the Beautiflies in her stomach, she next mentally rehearsed what to say to Violet. Violet...I will happily act in a play, but all your water ballets and spectaculars should be put on elsewhere--the Gym is not your private theater. If you want a theater so bad, the Wave isn't far from here, and it can accommodate aquatics easy.

She shuddered a little. That, and your scripts need serious work.

Her nervous smile turned hopeful. At least Daisy has my back should Lilly and Violet hound me to perform in ways I don't want to. If they've gotten wind of our chasing Team Rocket, and try to just give him a badge, I will be more than happy to battle Ash myself!

Now arriving at Cerulean Gym... came an announcement as the bus came to a stop before the majestic crystalline building. Here we are...time to face my fear once and for all! Misty thought as she got up and followed the boys off the bus...

---------

"Wow..." Ash gasped as he glanced around the room housing the Gym's massive main pool. "Did we just walk into Zelda's Water Temple?"

"Nope! This is Cerulean Gym's main pool." Misty explained. "In addition to Lily and Violet's water shows, it's also used for scuba training and swimming lessons."

She tensed up as a familiar red haired girl and indigo haired girl arrived to meet the group. Speak of Darkrai...

"Welcome back, Misty!" Lilly smiled. "Maybe now you're interested in becoming Waves' fourth member?" She held up a poofy green blue, and gold costume with a two layer piano key skirt for Misty to see.

"Lilly...we've been over this before, I do not want to dance around in cute costumes singing cutesy lyrics." Misty sighed. "So please do not ask me again. For all I care, Waves will always be a trio act..."

Violet, meanwhile, was more interested in Ash. "Aw, is this a new boyfriend, Misty?" she asked, oblivious to the look of awkward confusion and shock on Ash's face. He would be perfect to play the role of the prince in our newest water ballet, 'The Swanna Princess'!"

Misty happened to overhear Violet's comment. "Listen--Ash is a boy-that-is-a-friend, NOT a boyfriend! There IS a difference!"

"Lilly, Violet, knock it off!" a third voice called, bringing the shouting match to a halt. "If Misty doesn't want to participate in the unit or the water ballets, that is her choice, and her right." a blonde haired girl explained as she arrived in the room.

Thank you, Daisy! A weak smile formed on Misty's face as Daisy approached Ash.

"Um...Daisy...I'd like to battle for a Cascade Badge..." Ash awkwardly stammered as Daisy looked him over.

Daisy offered Ash a water drop shaped badge to Ash. "I heard about how you guys chased off Team Rocket at Nugget Bridge. You deserve a Cascade Badge just for that."

"No..." Ash replied as he waved away the badge. "I came all this way to battle for a badge, and I'm not leaving until I get a battle for one."

Daisy was about to object when Misty volunteered "I'll do it, Daisy! We'll battle two on two in one of the side pools so Violet doesn't get up in arms about 'ruining' the main pool. That, and I promised him a battle anyway..."

"Okay..." Daisy replied. "You can use the right hall pool to battle, since the left hall pool is being used for rehearsals of Violet's production of 'The Swanna Princess' at the moment. If your challenger wins, he gets a Cascade Badge."

"Deal!" Misty replied before motioning for Ash to follow her into a hallway.

"I know Misty is going to use Astra the Staryu and Pearl the Starmie--so how should Tintri and Wings do for a two on two match?" Ash asked Brock as the group followed Misty down the hall.

"Wings is a bit of a risk--what if Astra and/or Pearl know an Ice type move or two?" Brock cautioned. "The only Fire move that Butterfree knows is Sunny Day. That being said, Sunny Day does weaken Water and Ice moves, and powers up many Grass type moves. So the risk of using Wings might be worth it. Don't forget that Tintri knows a few Dark type moves, since Starmie is part Psychic."

[Misty's super stars won't be so super when I'm done with them!] Tintri bragged as the group arrived in the room with a dock-like arena floating over a pool, complete with a red and blue Poké Ball painted on the widest part of the dock.

"Okay, Ash--two on two match, first team to knock out the other side, wins, okay?" Misty reminded Ash as he and Tintri faced Misty on the blue side of the arena. "Astra and Pearl vs. Tintri and one other one of yours."

[Bring it, Lady Dragon of the Waves!] Tintri taunted.

"Okay!" Misty smiled before motioning to Brock. "Brock, if you would count us down, please?"

"All right--both sides are ready?" Brock asked as he hurried over to the line dividing the Poké Ball arena."

Both Ash and Misty cheered in reply. "Okay! Three...two...one..."

Brock's referee's whistle resounded through the room as Tintri stared down the small gold starfish Pokémon...

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

Episode 13d: A Clash of Superstars (part 2)


Previously, on "Pokémon Lightning Yellow"...

"Okay, Ash--two on two match, first team to knock out the other side, wins, okay?" Misty reminded Ash as he and Tintri faced Misty on the blue side of the arena. "Astra and Pearl vs. Tintri and one other one of yours."

[Bring it, Lady Dragon of the Waves!] Tintri taunted.

"Okay!" Misty smiled before motioning to Brock. "Brock, if you would count us down, please?"

"All right--both sides are ready?" Brock asked as he hurried over to the line dividing the Poké Ball arena."

Both Ash and Misty cheered in reply. "Okay! Three...two...one..."

Brock's referee's whistle resounded through the room as Tintri stared down the small gold starfish Pokémon...


"Tintri, start with Thunder Wave!" Ash called.

"Astra, Confuse the Pikachu with Confuse Ray!" Misty called.

She winced as Tintri leaped over the orange ray of light, then fired a small thunderbolt at Astra, making lightning criss cross across her. [Misty...I can't move...] she groaned.

Horrified, Misty made a T signal with her hands, spurring Brock to meet her at the Red side of the arena. "Is it okay to use items on your Pokémon?"

"According to global League rules, Items are allowed, but it will cost you a time out to use them." Brock explained as Misty dug out a Paralyze Heal from the item closet near the Red side of the Arena. "If you already called time out, then you won't lose another for using an item. So you still have two time outs left."

"Got it." Misty smiled as she healed Astra's paralysis.

Okay--if paralyzing her directly won't work, new plan! Ash thought. "Tintri, try Thundershock!"

"Astra, defend with Light Screen!" Misty countered.

Ash grimaced as Astra surrounded herself with a purple glow, making Tintri's attack fizzle out. Maybe, if I were to use Disarming Voice, it would break the barrier Astra put up!

He grinned. "Tintri, use Disarming Voice!"

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... came Tintri's tiny voice. The wave of electric music notes broke the Reflect barrier and sent Astra stumbling near the edge of the arena, falling in the water moments later.

A whistle blast got Ash's and Misty's attention. "Ring out! Astra is unable to battle." Brock announced as Misty scooped her fainted Staryu from the water.

"Ring out?" Ash was confused.

"In most Gyms and arenas, each side has a safety barrier to protect Pokémon, trainers, and audience members from particularly powerful attacks." Brock explained. "Should a Pokémon hit this barrier, or fall off the edge of the arena, it is considered a ring out, and that Pokémon can't battle for the rest of the match."

Misty smiled, unusually calm about losing one of her two Pokémon. "That was cool! I don't know how your Pikachu got Disarming Voice, but I hear it grows with the Pokémon, so as Tintri grows stronger, so will the attack."

She then heaved another Poké Ball skyward, revealing Pearl. "But you're not out of the stormy seas just yet!"

Okay, Starmie is part Psychic...so in addition to Tintri's Electric moves, he can also use Bite and other Dark type moves. Ash thought. That, and Wings' Sunny Day and Bug moves might be enough to weaken Pearl a little bit.

He whistled. "Tintri, come back!"

He next heaved another Poké Ball skyward. "Wings, let's go! Use Sunny Day!"

Misty smiled as she shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight Wings created--never mind the group was in a building. What an opportunity! Ash won't be so confident once his little Butterfree is a Butterfreesicle!

She called "Pearl, use Icy Wind!"

"Wings, fly over the Icy Wind and put Pearl to sleep with Sleep Powder!" Ash called.

[AHH!] Wings yelped as the blast of cold air hit him, making it hard to fly. [C-cold...]

That should've knocked Wings out in one shot! Misty thought, amazed the Butterfree was still able to fly. Then again, the Sunny Day is weakening all of Pearl's Water and Ice attacks...

A grin formed on her face. So let's show off Pearl's Psychic abilities!

She called "Pearl, use Psybeam!"

"Wings, counter with Energy Ball!" Ash shot back. Wings has a selection of Grass moves, so that's an option if Tintri falls...

He watched as a green ball of energy met the rainbow wave. At first, neither attack had any clear advantage for a moment or two. But after a few tense moments, the green ball of energy powered past the rainbow wave and impacted Pearl!

"Wings, return." Ash called, recalling his Butterfree. "Tintri, let's finish this with Disarming Voice!"

"Pearl, try Power Gem!" Misty called back. That should give the Pikachu a jewel of a headache, and allow me to finish his Butterfree too!

She watched in shock as Tintri darted away from the sapphire Pearl had created, leaped skyward, then loudly sang Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... sending Pearl flying all the way to the other end of the arena and into the water!

"Pearl is unable to battle! Blue wins!" Brock announced, spurring Ash and Tintri to cheer.

"Well, color me impressed!" Misty smiled. "Maybe you're a better trainer than I thought!"

She met Ash and Tintri on the pool deck, a familiar water drop badge in hand. "Here you go...as promised a Cascade Badge to show that you beat me!"

"Thanks..." Ash smiled as he and Misty shook hands. "So, does this mean you're staying here, or continuing on with us?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? There's a wide world of Water Pokémon, and I want to meet them all!" Misty grinned before finding her PokeNav and opening CameraNav. "So of course I'm sticking with you! But before we go, a picture for the Winner's Wall, so Lily, Violet, and Daisy know you beat me!"

"Cheese!" Ash and Tintri smiled as he held the Cascade Badge high for the camera...