Pokemon: The Rainbow Prophecy

Started by EmeraldSky April 22nd, 2009 12:24 PM
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EmeraldSky

Make the Colors in the Sky!

At the arcade, playing DDR with Ash
Seen 7 Hours Ago
Posted 3 Days Ago
6,203 posts
18.5 Years
My co-author and I are back with another fic! This time, we decided to take an adventurous turn, so enjoy the show!

Pokemon: The Rainbow Prophecy

Episode 1: Legend of the Rainbow


The morning sun shines down on a grassy plain not far from a lake. A black haired boy with a cap on his head tosses a blue Frisbee to a yellow mouse creature, who runs to catch it. "Great catch, Pikachu!" the boy smiles to the creature, who brings back the Frisbee to the boy in hopes he will throw it again. The boy throws the Frisbee again as a black haired girl watches a blue penguin creature look for any gems that wash up on the lake shore.

A pink humanoid creature picks a few reeds growing on the shore and brings them back to its master, an older brown haired boy with tan skin that is tending to a grill "Pini?" it asks.

The boy smiles as he takes the reeds. "Say, did you know you can make a flute from reeds, Happini?" he asks.

"Pini pi?" the humanoid creature is interested.

"Yeah..." The boy unzips his bag and takes out scissors, tape and some modeling dough balls. "What you do is cut the reeds into smaller lengths..." he explains as he cuts some of the reeds. "stop them at one end..." He then plugs each cut reed with a dough ball. "bundle them up so they look like a raft..." He carefully arranges the reeds in order from longest to shortest, before fitting another layer of reeds between them. "and tape them together." With that, he tapes both bundles together. "To play it, all you have to do is blow gently across the tops of the reeds, like this... He demonstrates by playing a few notes of "Ode to Joy".

"Oh, panpipes, Brock!" the girl smiles. "Play something!" the older boy smiles and proceeds to play a few bars of the Zelda theme before segueing into a calmer melody that puts the humanoid creature to sleep.

The black haired boy hears the song and interjects "Isn't there a story where one of the heroes plays panpipes?"

Brock finishes his song, then begins "In fact, there is...the story goes that in a world far away from here, there was a land named Ethea, which was protected by seven gemstones, one for each color of the rainbow. The evil demon lord Favak saw these gems, and wished to claim them for his own, as he was jealous of their beauty. So he stole the gems and hid them away in seven temples filled with many monsters and traps. The people cried to the goddess of light for help, and she responded through the oracle Mikara, who prophesied 'Three friends unite, with bow, sword and pipes of power; and seven gems will bring light, giving hope in our darkest hour.'

Not long after the prophecy was foretold, two mages and a summoner appeared, bearing the items in the prophecy..."

Some hours later...

...and ever since then, the people of Ethea remember the same prophecy--that whenever a servant of Favak attacks again, three beings bearing bow, sword, and pipes will rescue them." Brock concludes

"Wouldn't it be cool if we found a way to Ethea, Ash?" Dawn smiles, her head spinning with ideas. "It would be so cool to go on an adventure like that!"

"Oh please, it's just a story!" Ash scoffs, picturing him, Dawn, and Brock as characters in a video game based on the tale. The Ash in the dream casts a fire spell doing 100 damage to a dragon. The Brock in the dream says some gibberish and tosses a light blue ball in the air, summoning Articuno, which does 500 damage to the dragon.

"But really, what if Ethea really exists?" Dawn asks, snapping Ash from his RPG daydream. Ash groans--if Ethea exists at all, it is in a video game, or Brock's imagination, he figures. Nah--most of Brock's imagination probably has to do with girls.

"Okay, so let's suppose Ethea really exists." Ash sighs, playing along with Dawn. "Where would we find the portal, or teleport, or whatever--to get there?"

"Let's think back to Brock's story..." Dawn begins. "The portal would be in an area surrounded by rocks..."

Just then, Happini dashes back to the hill, excited, "Pini pini!" she calls, motioning for the three humans to follow her.

"What is it, sweetie?" Brock gets up, grabs the panpipes he made, and follows Happini down the hill.

"Wait for us!" Ash and Dawn are not far behind.

The group runs down the hill, through a small forest, and out to a small plain, where Happini points out a neatly made ring of rocks. "Pini!"

Brock is confused. "What's so great about a ring of rocks?"

"For one thing, who could have arranged them this neatly?" Ash agrees.

"And in the story..." Dawn continues, oblivious to the fact that Ash has tripped on something and has fallen in the grass. "There were gems nearby the rocks..."

As Ash eases himself to his feet, he sees what he tripped on--a ruby! Problem was, there were no means of mining gems on a plain--you would need to go back to the lake to do that. "Hey guys..."
"Hm?" Brock looks back and breathes a sigh of relief that Ash is okay. Dawn feels around him for any broken bones, but the only evidence the fall has left is a bruise and a few scratches.

"Why don't we go back to the lake and look for gems there?" Ash suggests.

"Before we do anything, let me be SURE you're okay..." Brock starts as he examines Ash for any injuries, but only confirms that the only injuries Ash has are a bruise and some scratches on his arm that do not appear to be serious.

Ash laughs. "I'm fine, nothing's broken! But I do appriciate the concern, though."

"Better safe than sorry." Brock cautions.

"Pika chu." Pikachu agrees as he examines Ash's legs to see if there's injuries there. Once sure his master's lower body is fine, he asks "Pika pika chu?"

"No, my shoulder's not hurt, so come on!" Ash smiles as he invites Pikachu to his usual perch. He then walks over and picks up the ruby he tripped on. "How'd this get here?" Just then, it begins to glow bright red, prompting Ash and Pikachu both to shield their eyes.

"Oh my..." Dawn gasps.

"Could it be..." Brock agrees.

Just as quickly as the light appears, it dies down. "What was that?" Dawn asks.

"I was halfway expecting... and Brock imitates a big booming voice. "A BIG BOOMING ENTITY TELLING US WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD!"

"With echo..." Ash adds.

"WITH ECHO!" Brock repeats, still in character as his huge entity.

"What if that was a being from Ethea?" Dawn stammers, still shocked from the shining gem.

"Oh, come on..." Ash laughs. "If Ethea really existed, the ruby would shine again and we would get magic rings or something..." Just then, the ruby glows again, and all three gain rings on their left hands. Ash's is a ruby ring, Dawn's a sapphire, and Brock's an emerald.

"You were saying?" Dawn asks, showing Ash her ring.

Ash sweatdrops. "Maybe it is real, after all..."

"Told'ja!"

Happini, meanwhile, is admiring the emerald in Brock's ring. "Pini..." she smiles.

"Yeah...the sparkly is pretty...." Brock coos back.

"Pika..." Pikachu is impressed by Ash's ring--a teardrop shaped ruby set in white gold with some diamonds at the edges.

"Hm.." Dawn watches the circle of diamonds surrounding the sapphire in her ring sparkle. Happini, meanwhile, is admiring her reflection in the large square emerald in her "daddy"'s ring.

"You look nice in green..." Brock smiles.

Ash then gets an idea. "If these are magic, I bet the magic words are..." He holds his left hand in the air and calls "Moltres Pokemon Power, make up!" Nothing happens. Dawn and Brock stare at him, prompting him to giggle in embarrassment. "I guess those aren't the magic words, then...:"

"Pokemon! Metamorphose!" Dawn tries the transformation call from "Yes! Pokemon 5", but nothing happens. "Those aren't it either..."

"Let's try...Magic Jinx!" Brock calls, halfway expecting the music from "The Fairies Jinx" to cut on, but nothing happens. "Sorry, Happini--guess I can't become a fairy." Ash and Dawn picture Brock in a fairy costume and giggle.

"Pini pi..." Happini is disappointed. She then spots Brock's panpipes in one pocket of his bag and attempts to play "Ode to Joy", but her shaky attempt creates a swirling blue void in the ring of rocks.

Ash is shocked. "No way!" He rubs his eyes just to be sure he's not dreaming. "Someone pinch me...."

Pikachu is glad to comply with the request, making Dawn laugh as Ash yelps "OW!!!"

"You're not dreaming, Ash..." Brock gasps. "So lets go see what's on the other end of that portal!" Ash sighs and follows his friends into the void, seeing as he doesn't have much of a choice.

When the trio comes to a few minutes later, Ash gawks at the scenery--no more are they on a plain, but now they're on a cobblestone street overlooking a large temple made of white marble. "I don't think we're in the park any more..."

"I don't think we're even in Shinou any more..." Brock agrees.

Dawn examines the temple-- it has gems inlaid in the designs carved in the marble, columns in the entryway, and statues of what she figures are angels lining the stairs--just like in Brock's story! "This is Mikara's temple! Come on!" With that, she races the boys up the stairs and into the temple.

A young woman with navy blue hair and piercing yet gentle gray eyes clad in an ornate white robe with light blue, purple, and gold trim awaits the trio. "Welcome travelers...I see you are not from this world." she begins.

"We got here by accident!" Ash explains, but Dawn motions for him to quiet down.

Mikara notices Ash's ring and gasps! "Oh my! The three chosen ones have come from another world!"

"Chosen ones?" Brock is confused.

"Just smile and nod..." Ash assures his friend, as he has been through the "chosen one" routine before. Little does he know that this quest would be very different than his adventure with Lugia.

"You have not heard the prophecy?" Mikara replies. "Three friends unite, with bow, sword and pipes of power; and seven gems will bring light, giving hope in our darkest hour. The pipes are already present, but the bow and sword need to appear." Brock looks down by his side and recognizes his panpipes, which are now conveinently clipped to a small bag. "Furthermore, you would not survive very long in those clothes if you were to face a monster..."

"So what shoud I do?" Brock asks.

Mikara studies Brock's ring and starts saying something in an unknown language, none of which Brock recognizes until Mikara says "Song of Power, awaken in this gem!" The emerald glows a soft green for a moment.

"Wow!" Dawn is amazed at the glowing emerald.

"I've been pulled into a TV show..." Ash groans--he knows what is coming next.

"Now that the Song of Power has awakened within you, command it to sing within your own heart." Mikara instructs. "That will awaken your true powers"

Brock swallows hard, lifts his left hand high, and calls "Song of Power!" No sooner does he say this does he begin to glow green. "Sing within my heart!" With that, he performs a few karate moves before making a running jump into a wave of green light.

"Pini?" Happini shudders, amazed that her "daddy" is turning into a superhero just like on TV. She gets starry eyed when she imagines all the cool outfits he could possibly be wearing when he emerges. Ash and Dawn are just as awestruck.

Inside the light, what Brock is turning into is completely different than what his friends think. A beige robe appears first, which then gains a geometric pattern inset in dark brown. Some simple brown shoes appear on his feet, and a matching skullcap crowns his head. As a finishing touch, various solid colored Poke Balls appear in the small bag. Finally, the green light lands, revealing Brock in his new outfit.

"Brock's become a priest or oracle himself?" Dawn is confused.

"No--he is a summoner--one who has trained to bond with Legendary Pokemon." Mikara explains. The lightbulb goes off in Brock's head when he realizes that this is the same outfit he wore on his adventure with Lucario, but even then, his powers were temporary.

Ash facefaults--how come HE wasn't the summoner?

Inspired, Brock takes a light blue ball from the bag. "Scatter frozen blades of air!" he incants before heaving the ball skyward. "Articuno!" At this, the ball opens in a rush of chilly air and snow, which forms into an Articuno. Ash eagerly fumbles for a Poke Ball, but it is frozen by an Ice Beam. "This is mine, okay?" Brock reminds him as he calls back the Articuno. He then fishes out a white summon ball. "Shiny crystal light, energize! Jirachi!" As the ball flies skyward, it opens in a flash of light, which forms into Jirachi.

Happini jumps at the opportunity for a wish. "Happini pini pi!" she asks. Jirachi nods and conjures a stack of various candies high enough to touch the ceiling.

Ash sweatdrops. "Figured she'd wish for candy..."

"There's enough in here to start a candy factory..." Dawn gasps, marveling over the mountain's size.

Happini, meanwhile, darts towards her candy mountain and is about to snatch a bag of Gummi Teddiursas when Brock pulls her away. "Not right now--if I can find a place to store all this, we'll have some later."

"Pini?" Happini protests.

"If we were to eat all that now, you'd get sick." Brock replies as he calls Jirachi back, unaware that Ash is pilfering boxes of Minty Balls from the mountain.

Happini tears up and starts to cry. At first, Brock stands firm on his 'no candy right now' rule, but as her wails intensify, he caves in. "Okay, okay, you can have some--but only one kind for now." Happini cheers and digs into the bag of Gummis from before while the rest of the candy flies into Brock's bag, as well as conjuring a bundle for her.

"What powers do I get?" Dawn asks as Brock carefully slips Happini into the bundle. It wasn't fair for only Brock to get powers.

Mikara examines Dawn's ring and begins chanting in the odd language again, Dawn only recognizing "Light of Wisdom, awaken in this gem!" before the sapphire in her ring glows a soft blue.

"Wha..." Dawn is shocked.

"The Light of Wisdom has chosen the girl--and now she must tell it to light her way to awaken her power." Mikara explains.

Dawn musters what courage she can, lifts her left hand high, and calls "Light of Wisdom!" She begins to glow blue. "Show me the way to true power!" All Ash can see is blue light, but he knows that inside, Dawn is changing.

Inside the wave of blue, Dawn first gets small white gloves with a sapphire on the hand., Next, a white robe similar to Mikara's appears, only hers has green, blue, and silver trim. Some small boots appear on her feet, and a white ribbon with a sapphire inside appears in her hair to finish the look.

When Dawn emerges, a beautiful sword's sheath with swirls of green and blue is before her. "What is it?" she asks as it sets itself by her right side.

"That is the Rapier of Holy Auras, a special blade only a white mage like youself can wield." Mikara explains.

Dawn sees the bruise and scratches on Ash's arm from earlier, and forms a small blue light in her hands. "Life's refreshing breeze, blow in energy! Cure!" Ash watches in shock as his injuries from before are engulfed in the blue light, making them disappear.

Ash swallows hard as he approaches Mikara and offers his ring. Mikara examines it and begins the incantation a third time. All Ash can understand is "Fire of Courage, awaken in this gem!", which makes the ruby inside glow a soft red.

"Pika?" Pikachu is mystified that the gem can glow.

"The courage within you burns brightly--call upon it to awaken your power." Mikara coaxes Ash.

Ash takes a deep breath, lifts his left hand high, and calls "Fire of Courage!", making him glow red, much to Pikachu's shock. "Burn within me!" At this, Pikachu shields his eyes in fear as his master is engulfed in red light and thunderbolts. He weaves among the rings of red thunder, making a tunic appear on his body. Red gauntlets with sapphires inside appear on his hands, and leggings and boots appear on his legs and feet. A familiar wide brimmed mage's hat appears on his head, and a navy blue cape billows from his back, completing the look.

"Pika!" Pikachu recognizes this outfit--the same way Ash gained powers in his adventure with Lucario! He gasps as a miniature version of the hat and the cape appear on him with a flash of red.

"Now you're a black mage too!" Ash smiles as he invites Pikachu aboard his shoulder.

"Pika pika pikapi! Pikachu!" Pikachu calls, but nothing happens.

Just then, a beautiful spruce bow inlaid with ivory and gold appears before Ash, and a quiver filled with wing decorated arrows appears on his back. "This is the Celestial Bow of Colors, an enchanted bow black mages use to shoot enchanted arrows if they so desire." Mikara explains. "Why don't you try to hit this target?" At this, a target appears on a wall by the altar.

Ash fishes out an arrow and aims as best as he can, but his sheer nervousness causes his shot to veer off to the left, smashing a vase in the process.

"Robin Hood, Ash is not..." Dawn notes as Mikara picks up the pieces.

"I'm so sorry!" Ash begs. "I didn't mean to break it, honest!"
Mikara says a few words in the odd language, and the broken vase is magically repaired. "If you would like to train with these weapons before you leave on your quest, come downstairs."

"Quest?" Dawn gasps.

"We didn't turn into these outfits because we were on vacation, now were we?" Brock chides as the threesome follow Mikara downstairs into a small room filled with targets and practice dummies.

Some minutes later, Ash calls "Pull!" prompting Pikachu to toss a small target into the air for him to shoot. Dawn spars with a practice dummy, and Brock is studying songs to summon everything from whirlwinds to secret doors, as well as how to bond with other Legendaries. Before long, all three have some degree of proficiency with their powers, but Dawn is secretly doubting herself as the three friends depart the temple to explore the town later that afternoon: Are we really going on a quest? Will we live long enough to go home? is anyone back home worried about us?

Ash, meanwhile, is marveling over the various stone and brick houses that line the cobblestone streets, while Pikachu snaps to attention over the calls of the merchants in the marketplace.

Dawn notices Pikachu's enamored look. "You're wanting to get a souvenir, aren't you, Pikachu?" Pikachu nods as Dawn counts what little gold Mikara gave them, at the same time studying the rainbow of tunics and dresses of the people around them.

But before our heroes can continue farther down the street into the marketplace, Brock feels something clinging to him. He looks down to see a auburn haired girl looking back at him. "Lord Summoner, have you come to speak of legend?" she asks, her dark brown eyes shining hopefully.

Brock is unsure what to say at first, but then spots a boy running to him. "Show us what legends you have bonded with!" He glances back to Ash and Dawn as more children arrive, desperate for ideas on how to politely turn them away or entertain them.

"Just humor them for a while, they'd love a story." Dawn whispers.

Brock sighs and addreses the children. "Come, and I will tell you of many wondrous things."

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!" the children cheer as they follow our heroes to a fountain in the town square that overlooks the marketplace to the west.

"Even in another world, Brock has a thing for kids." Dawn smiles as the children gather around Brock.

"He does have a large family at home, after all." Ash reminds her. "And coupled with Happini, he's had lots of practice."

Once sure the children are comfortable, Brock begins his tale: "Once a landowner hired a boy skilled in woodworking--we will call him Sorin. Because of Sorin's high quality work, he was loved and respected among his people. But the other thing about Sorin the people loved was his ability to play panpipes, like summoners. So whenever they had a little time to spare, the people would stop and listen to Sorin play melodies like this..." He retrieves his own pipes and blows a few bars of Zelda's Lullaby, conjuring a few Pidgeys in the sky, much to his audience's amazement. He acknowledges his applause and goes on. "Of course, the landowner got quite sick of the pipes after some time, so he began scolding Sorin for the tiniest mistakes, saying..." He switches to an older version of his "somebody's in trouble" voice. "You lazy boy! Do I pay you just so you can play those pipes all day?" He returns to himself. "In fact, Sorin's love of the pipes did not hinder his work at all. Finally, the landowner just snapped from his rage, and beat Sorin for no reason. Even though Sorin's tears and cries for mercy were many, the landowner was not content until even the pipes were broken." He delibrately blows a squeaky note to simulate pipes being broke.

"That's not very nice!" a boy comments.

"How awful!" a girl agrees.

"Did Sorin run away?" another girl asks.

"Yes, Sorin ran away--he ran out of the house, out of town, and all the way to the small village nearby, where his grandfather lived." Brock replies. "When Sorin's grandfather saw his grandson approaching, he ran to meet him and held him close. 'My son, what brings you to me in tears?' he asked. 'Oh Grandpa, the landowner I have served for a year has beaten me, driven me away, and broke the pipes the old summoner made for me years ago.' Sorin sobbed."

"Don't cry, Sorin--you may stay with me for a while." his grandfather replied. "I will show you how to avenge yourself against the one that wronged you so."

"But did Sorin get new pipes?" a boy asks.

"Yes--his grandfather sent for the village summoner and asked him to make a set of pipes." Brock replied. "When they arrived the next day, Sorin played them for hours." He plays a few bars of Saria's Song to illustrate, making some Dratinis surface from the fountain and dance for a few seconds. "Not only did the villagers come to love his music, even the Pokemon came to listen--and Sorin befriended many of the Pokemon."

"And then?" the children beg.

"Meanwhile, back in town, the landowner called his sons together and said to them 'Last night, I dreamt of a Parchirisu that had silver fur, and shimmered like mist. I was enamored by its beauty, and wish for you to find and capture it.'" Brock continues. "The three boys balked at their father's request..." He switches to an imitation of Ash. "Father, we have never heard of such a Pokemon!" He returns to himself. "they said."

"Pika pi!" Pikachu is impressed by Brock's scarily accurate imitation of his master.

Ash just blushes in embarrassment. "I'm not that high pitched, am I?"

Dawn just bites her tongue as Brock continues. "'It doesn't matter! Go and find it for me--whoever finds it will inherit my land when I pass on.' the landowner said. "The eldest son eagerly volunteered to find the Parchirisu, and left early the next morning."

"And then?" a girl asks.

"He arrived in the village several hours later, just as Sorin's grandfather was returning with water from the well. When the eldest son explained why he had come, Sorin's grandfather replied 'My grandson should be able to help--he is in the woods hunting for our afternoon meal.' The eldest son found Sorin and asked him to find the odd Parchirisu. Sorin smiled and said. 'I will be glad to help you find it--we will hunt this evening, provided you bring a thousand pieces of gold for it.'" The children are awed by that much money. "That night, the eldest son returned with the promised gold, and found Sorin there, playing for the Pokemon. The mist Parchirisu was present in the crowd, enjoying the magical melodies as much as its fellow Pokemon. Sorin set down his pipes, carefully picked up the Parchirisu, and offered it to the eldest son. 'Be very careful with it,' he warned. 'If it gets away, I will not be responsible.' The eldest son paid his gold and started for home, but as soon as Sorin started playing again, the Parchirisu dashed from his hands and into the brush." The children giggle at this. "The eldest son had no choice but to go home empty handed. The middle son tried the next day, and the youngest son the day after, but they too suffered the same fate as their brother, and two thousand more gold pieces were wasted."

"I bet the landowner got really mad for losing that much gold." a boy comments.

"Oh, he did..." Brock continues. "So much so that he vowed to catch the mist Parchirisu himself the next day."

"He bound it in rope?" A girl guesses what will happen next.

"Set a trap?" A boy also takes a guess.

"Hired a mage to fight it?" another boy guesses.

"No, he did none of those things." Brock assures the children. "When Sorin saw the landowner returning, his eyes filled with rage, and he played a frantic melody." He plays the whistle song from Zelda to illustrate this, making an image of Suicune appear in the sky. "At the sound of the pipes, all kinds of Pokemon--Bunearies, Ursarings, Ninetales, Arcanines, Arboks, Swellows, Pidgeots, and Staraptors, to name some--they all came and surrounded the landowner. The landowner fell on his knees and pleaded for mercy, but Sorin replied 'Do you not remember how you once beat me and drove me away? At one note from these pipes, I could summon an even larger Pokemon to eat you alive.'" He switches to a scared version of his older self voice. "Oh no, please, have mercy!" He returns to himself. "the landowner begged. Sorin then said 'If you are truly sorry for what you did to me, the sell half your goods and give the gold to the poor.' The landowner agreed, went home, and did what Sorin had asked--which made him even more well loved among the people--and all because of a set of summoner's pipe's...the end." The children, Ash, and Dawn applaud.

Just then, a high pitched scream pierces the air, and a real mist Parchirisu dashes into the marketplace, enraged by someone or someTHING. "What do we do now?" Ash gasps as the children flee to their parents.

"Normally mist Parchirisus are friendly, but they can get very fierce when angered or theatened, Master Black Mage." a man explains.

Dawn draws her blade, eager to fight, but Ash is shaking as he readies an arrow--he has not counted on being attacked by something this small!

To Be Continued...
The Saga of the Kagayou Theater

The First Sparkling Stage (Waku)
The Stage of Crystal (Paldea)/The Stage of Light (Kalos)/The Royal Stage (Galar)/The Stage of Victory (Talie)
The Global Stage (Unova)/The Stage of Paradise (Alola)
The Shimmering Stage (Waku)

EmeraldSky

Make the Colors in the Sky!

At the arcade, playing DDR with Ash
Seen 7 Hours Ago
Posted 3 Days Ago
6,203 posts
18.5 Years
Now with embedded music!

When we last left our heroes...

Just then, a high pitched scream pierces the air, and a real mist Parchirisu dashes into the marketplace, enraged by someone or someTHING. "What do we do now?" Ash gasps as the children flee to their parents.

"Normally mist Parchirisus are friendly, but they can get very fierce when angered or theatened, Master Black Mage." a man explains.

Dawn draws her blade, eager to fight, but Ash is shaking as he readies an arrow--he has not counted on being attacked by something this small!


[Cut BGM]

Episode 2: The Adventure Foretold

[BGM: Sudden Attack!]

Ash's heart raced as the mist Parchirisu lunged at him--he had to do something, but was fighting the best option? He looked over it Dawn, the blank look on her face a clue that she too was unsure on how to handle the shimmering gray Parchirisu that was before them.

Happini, meanwhile, darted over to the mist Parchirisu, much to the horror of the crowd of onlookers. "Pini pini?" she asked it. She came scrambling back to the bundle seconds later as the Parchirisu snaps at her.

"So much for trying to make friends with it..." Ash sighs.

"Not everything is friendly here, okay?" Brock scolds a shuddering Happini. "I'd hate to see you get hurt." With that, he stares down the pint sized opponent. "And you're going down for scaring my little one!" He blinds the Parchirisu with a flash of light from his ring to illustrate his point. Ash takes that opportunity to fire an arrow into its leg, wounding it.

"Nice shot!" Dawn comments as she veers out of the way of a Thundershock.

Ash then forms a fireball in his hands. "Destruction of nature, gather in flame! Heat!" To his horror, the fireball fizzles out when it reaches its target. "It didn't work!"

"You've forgotten that Parchirisu is an electric type..." Brock starts.

"I know, but why would that cause a fireball to fizzle out like that?" Ash is confused at first, but then the lightbulb goes off in his head. "Wait...it could also be a water type too!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious..." Dawn sighs as she swipes at the jumping Parchirisu.

A lightning spell won't work either, so my only option left is ice! Ash thinks. He forms a ball of blue energy in his hands. "Scatter your chilly sharp blades! Ice!" The resulting blast of cold knocks the Parchirisu to the ground, shivering.

Dawn is about to deliver the final blow when Brock motions for her to wait. She is a little perturbed at first, but watches as Brock takes his pipes and plays the same calm song that put Happini to sleep before. As the song continues, the Parchirisu is bathed in a soothing pale green light, and when it fades, it is a normal mist Parchirisu again. The crowd cheers, grateful that their assailant was not actually meaning to hurt them.

[BGM: We Did It!]

Ash overhears one woman say "That's odd, no mist Parchirisu would attack unprovoked." as the crowd disperses.

"My question is, what or who could've provoked that one to attack us?" a man asks.

Dawn is also thinking about the man's question as the trio starts back to the temple. "You think something delibrately provoked that Parchirisu?"

"If it was, I'm not sure what..." Brock muses. "Mikara would likely know, though." he assures Dawn.

An hour or so later...

[BGM: Reverent Wonder]

"...but I decided to try and calm it, which worked, thankfully." Brock concludes his account of the battle as Mikara listens. "Our question is, what, or who, could've provoked a normally peaceful creature?"

[BGM: Heroes, This is Your Quest]

"A servant of Favak is on the move, driving many creatures wild, much like the mist Parchirisu you fought." Mikara explains.

"Really?" Ash gasps.

"For many years, Ethea has been protected by the Rainbow Stones--seven gems with great power." Mikara explains. "And ever since the beginning of time, the demon lord Favak has wished to claim them for his own and corrupt them with dark power."

"Why? Just because he is evil?" Ash asks.

"No--he wants to rule a world in his image, and to do that, he would need to destroy this one by corrupting the Rainbow Stones." Mikara replies.

Just like Cyrus in our world... Dawn thinks. Then again, Cyrus was human, and we're dealing with a demon here...

"Favak has also tried to corrupt other worlds in his quest to find a world he can rule himself." Mikara continues. "In fact, he has even tried to corrupt your world, although you three stopped the one he possessed in time."

Brock's mouth drops open. No way! Cyrus was possessed by a demon?

"So we're dealing with a nemesis we have met and defeated in our world, only here, he is a million times stronger?" The whole concept of Cyrus being possessed all along makes Dawn's head spin.

Ash swallows hard. "What if this could affect our world too? It'd be Spear Pillar all over again!"

"Only much, MUCH worse." Brock shudders.

"Remember the Gengar incident?" Ash asks Brock.

"We'd need something much more powerful than a giant Jigglypuff to defeat a demon." Brock notes.

"And you already have such a Pokemon." Mikara explains. "You have the Creator of Destiny, Mew, with you--but you are not to summon her unless you are in great need." Brock reluctantly puts the purple summon ball away.

"So we already know our quest--find the stones and defeat Favak?" Ash asks. Mikara nods. "How are we going to find new powers?"

"Along your travels, you will find books containing great power. Read one, and its power will be given to you." Mikara explains before addressing Brock. "As for you, you will encounter other Legendaries on your adventure--prove your power to them and they will lend your power to you."

Oh, THAT's very helpful... Brock silently grumbles.

"Furthermore, you should be careful not to summon too many creatures too often." Mikara cautions. "The power drain will exhaust you, and then you wouldn't be able to aid your friends."

"Okay, so if I have all the Legendaries at my disposal..." Brock starts.

Mikara cuts him off. "Not all--these four will not wish to join you, no matter how hard you try." Images of Mewtwo, Darkrai, Arceus and Deoxys appear before Brock.

"Guess that answered his question." Dawn notes as the images disappear.

"You will know if something helpful is nearby if you play this melody." Mikara explains as a musical staff with four notes, C-D-C-A, appears. Brock tries it on his own pipes and the melody echoes around the room.

[BGM: Echo Melody Answer]

"If a Legendary is close by, it will respond to your call." Sure enough, the various summon balls are bouncing around in Brock's bag, much to Happini's delight. Inspired, Brock improvises a melody around the call, garnering applause from everyone when he finishes.

"Very clever!" Ash smiles.

"If you have no further questions, then I wish you luck on your journey." Mikara replies before chanting in the odd language again, making everyone glow in their respective colors.

[BGM: Mikara's Farewell]

"I think that was a blessing..." Dawn notes as the group exits the temple, winds out of town and onto a plain.

A few hours later...

"So where do we find those spellbooks?" Ash is more interested in learning a new spell than complaining about the long walk.

"Only one way to find out!" With that, Brock plays the echoing call, and it returns at almost full volume, prompting Pikachu to shield his ears from the higher C note.

[BGM: Echo Melody Answer]

Dawn then spots something white buried in the grass by Ash's feet. "Look!"

Ash is not amused about digging in dirt. "Don't tell me we're going to dig up something without a shovel..." Pikachu, meanwhile, leaps off Ash's shoulder and enthusiastically digs in the dirt. Dawn grabs a small rock to help, and even Happini pitches in with a stick. Ash sighs, picks up a rock, and does what he can to help.

After some digging, Dawn wipes some dirt off the object. "It's a book!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu notes as he examines a second book, this one purple, that they have uncovered.

[BGM:How Do We Call the Power?]

Ash eagerly snatches the purple book, but when he opens it, the letters don't make any sense. "Wha..." He tries to read the words on the page. "Amana zuoka furoma habiku...."

"Let me see!" Dawn runs over and tries to make sense of the words, but has no luck.

"It's all Greek to me!" Brock complains as he too tries to read the cryptic words.

Happini, meanwhile, studies the odd letters. "Pi, ni, pi ni, pini pi..." she begins.

Brock sighs once he realizes what Happini is really doing. "Fine time for the ABC song..."

Ash and Dawn both facefault. "How could the ABCs help in a time like this?" Dawn snaps, frustrated.

"At least she knows the letters..." Ash sighs.

"Let's hang onto this book for now, and look at the other book." Brock suggests, taking the book from Happini.

"Pini pini!" Happini protests.

"I know, but Pikachu already knows how to read." Brock assures her. Pikachu cocks his head, confused. "I'll tell you a story tonight, okay?" This brightens Happini's mood a little.

"Could you understand any of that?" Ash whispers to Pikachu. Pikachu gains a question mark over his head. "Guess not..."

Dawn takes the white book and opens it as Brock puts the purple book in his bag. "Conjurors, seek truth in silence..." she reads, making her glow a soft light blue for a moment.

Ash hurries over to look, but the letters on the page are gibberish to his eyes. "Funny, how come Dawn could read that one just fine, and it's gibberish to me?"

"I'm not sure...maybe I got lucky?" Dawn figures. "But I do sense a new power within me..." With that, her hands glow blue for a moment. "Conjurors, seek truth in silence! Scan!" At this, Ash glows in the same blue aura for a moment before Dawn comments. "Wow...Ash, you have a long way to go if you want to be a master mage..."

"Huh?" Ash is bewildered as to how Dawn can say that, much less why he feels a little tired and feels like he's levitating.

"Look at all this...Fira, Demi, Flare..." Dawn notes. Ash sleepily nods, and when the aura fades, he slumps against a tree, asleep.

Happini notices Ash is asleep, and when Brock isn't looking, she eases herself over to the shortest pipe on the panpipes and blows the loudest and most out of tune high G she can muster. Naturally, Ash jolts awake, his hat sitting askew, and his arrows lying around him in little heaps. "What was THAT for?" he demands as he gathers up his arrows and puts them away. Everyone else is laughing profusely. "Yeah, scaring me half to death is the funniest thing in the world..." he darkly grumbles.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Dawn laughs. Pikachu nods in agreement.

"But...why did I just fall asleep like that?" Ash is confused. Happini is still laughing as Brock takes her in his arms.

"You had too much to eat back in town?" Brock guesses.

"We haven't eaten since we left Shinou..." Dawn reminds him. Ash's stomach growls as if on cue.

"I suppose we can stop and camp here on the plains..." Brock sighs as he unloads his camping supplies.

[BGM: In Camp]

"Good idea..." Dawn agrees as she notes the setting sun. "I don't know why that new spell put you to sleep..." Happini and Pikachu romp in a patch of wildflowers nearby.

After a hearty dinner, Brock prepares to tell Happini a story. "Once, there was--" A rustle gets his attention. "Who's there?"

[BGM: Ambush!]

Just then, an odd crystal-like being with spindly arms and legs jumps from the brush, making Happini cry in fear as Ash and Dawn both retrieve their weapons...

To Be Continued...
The Saga of the Kagayou Theater

The First Sparkling Stage (Waku)
The Stage of Crystal (Paldea)/The Stage of Light (Kalos)/The Royal Stage (Galar)/The Stage of Victory (Talie)
The Global Stage (Unova)/The Stage of Paradise (Alola)
The Shimmering Stage (Waku)

EmeraldSky

Make the Colors in the Sky!

At the arcade, playing DDR with Ash
Seen 7 Hours Ago
Posted 3 Days Ago
6,203 posts
18.5 Years
When we last left our heroes...

"But...why did I just fall asleep like that?" Ash is confused. Happini is still laughing as Brock takes her in his arms.

"You had too much to eat back in town?" Brock guesses.

"We haven't eaten since we left Shinou..." Dawn reminds him. Ash's stomach growls as if on cue.

"I suppose we can stop and camp here on the plains..." Brock sighs as he unloads his camping supplies.

"Good idea..." Dawn agrees as she notes the setting sun. "I don't know why that new spell put you to sleep..." Happini and Pikachu romp in a patch of wildflowers nearby.

After a hearty dinner, Brock prepares to tell Happini a story. "Once, there was--" A rustle gets his attention. "Who's there?" Just then, an odd crystal-like being with spindly arms and legs jumps from the brush, making Happini cry in fear as Ash and Dawn both retrieve their weapons...


Episode 3: Shaymin's Calling

[BGM: Sudden Attack!]

Ash readies an arrow as Dawn scans the crystalline monster. "Conjurors, seek truth in silence! Scan!" The monster calms down as it is enveloped in the blue glow.

"Why didn't it go to sleep?" Ash asks, keeping an eye on his target all the while.

Dawn just studies what the spell has shown her. "This is a Twisted Crystal...it is weak to projectiles and fire magic."

Inspired, Ash fires his shot, making a large crack in the monster's body. He fires another shot, but it is too far off to the left. Pikachu helps by unleashing a Thunderbolt, but all this does is stun the monster.

"Ash! Fire another arrow!" Dawn calls before she too tries to injure the monster, but the hard crystal only makes her blade bounce off. Ash nods, and aims another shot as Pikachu zaps the monster again--but this arrow is too far to the right, making it pass through the Thunderbolt on the way into a tree trunk, making the wings on it turn green and charging its head with electricity.

Brock quizzically examines the charged arrow, which is still sparking in the tree trunk. "How'd this happen?"

"We'll worry about that later!" Ash calls back as he fires another shot. Two more arrows later, the monster explodes into shards of tainted crystal and disappears in a puff of white smoke.

[BGM: We Did It!]

Dawn sees the sparking arrow in the tree trunk as she sheathes her blade. "What is that?"

"All I did was aim at the Tainted Crystal, but my shot was too far to the right, so it went through Pikachu's Thunderbolt, and got electrified." Ash figures.

"Let me try something..." Brock reaches for the light blue summon ball. "Scatter frozen blades of air! Articuno!" The ball opens and reveals Articuno again. Ash shakes off the urge to catch the beautiful light blue bird and retrieves his Pokedex instead.

"Articuno, the freeze Pokemon." Dexette explains. "As she flies through the sky, she cools the air, causing snow to fall." Ash sighs, sad that he can't have such a Pokemon himself. Happini whines as she shivers under Articuno's wings, so Dawn wraps her in a blanket.

"How's Articuno going to help?" Ash asks.

"I'd like you to fire at that patch of lichens over there..." Brock points out another tree with some green lichens growing on one part of its trunk. Ash nods, retrieves his bow, and fires another arrow. Articuno fires an Ice Beam into the sky, which the arrow passes through, making blue sparkles appear around its head and its wings turn blue. The lichens freeze up when the arrow lands, but the rest of the tree isn't affected.

"It did it again!" Dawn is amazed.

Ash tries to process just what his arrows are doing when they pass through an attack. "If I can find a way to enchant them to start with..." He thinks about this as the group breaks camp.

"I'm more worried about us running into a monster we can't defeat." Dawn interjects. Ash starts worrying about what would happen if they died in this world--would that mean they'd also be dead at home?

"Then let's get to work, starting...now!" Ash smiles as he fires an arrow at a twig, snapping it in two.

[BGM: Frantically Growing Stronger]

Later, Pikachu throws another target for Ash to shoot, Dawn spars with an imagined opponent, and Brock starts carving a long stick into some form of weapon, so he too will have another way to defend himself should a magical melody fail. Articuno tries to help by firing an Ice Beam at the stick, but when it emerges from the blast of light, it is now a rainbow colored staff with a marble ball on top.

[BGM: The Wings I Love Most

Brock smiles and hugs Articuno. "Thank you!" Everyone else drops what they're doing in surprise as the Articuno chirps a contented peep. "Thank you...Kouri...." Brock smiles. The Articuno chirps again, pleased at the name.

"Kouri?" Ash is confused.

"Remember what Brock told us in the story? It's not unheard of for summoners to name their summons." Dawn explains.

Brock and Kouri snuggle for a little longer, then Brock says "Return to me," calling her back into the summon ball. "It's late, gang....let's get to bed." With that, the trio settles in for the night.

[Cut BGM]

The next morning, Ash is jolted awake by a low C note from panpipes in the distance. That, and he is hovering over where he slept! He grapples for something to hang onto as the pipes go up the musical scale, sending him higher in the air in the process. Suddenly, a airy note is heard, sending Ash falling to the ground with a crash. "What just happened?" he asks.

"I was only practicing..." Brock protests. As he corrects his wrong note, Ash hovers again for a moment.

"Pika?" Pikachu is bewildered as to why Ash looks so battered this early in the morning.

"What did you do?" Dawn asks with a yawn.

"All I was doing was running through some scales, and the pipes affected Ash somehow." Brock explains. Before Brock can explain any more, a green light ball appears in the sky.

[BGM: A Legendary Appears In the Sky

"It is I that affected your friend, Sir Summoner." the light explains. "I am Shaymin."

"So it was a Legendary, and not the music..." Ash gasps at the white hedgehog with grassy quills hovering in the sky before him.

"I come to you because my home in the woods nearby the town of Drasina is in great danger." Shaymin explains. "Long have I guarded the emerald in my home--and I fear the dark one is trying to take it."

"We'll do what we can, okay?" Dawn assures Shaymin.

Shaymin smiles. "You will come? You have my thanks!" Before she flies away, Shaymin adds "Drasina lies to the east of your position--half a day's journey, at most."

"How do we call you if we need you again?" Ash calls as Shaymin turns to leave.

"You will know when I am here, Sir Black Mage." Shaymin assures Ash before flying away into the sunshine.

[Cut BGM]

Dawn waves goodbye to Shaymin, then tells Brock "Play the C major scale--just to be sure it wasn't your instrument that affected Ash." Brock complies, only to have Ash blown about in a breeze some more as he goes up the scale, then gently guided to the ground when he goes down. "So Shaymin is still nearby..."

"I guess we need to get to Drasina before the sun gets hot." Brock agrees as he puts his pipes away, gathers his gear, and slips Happini back into her bundle before picking up his new staff and leading Ash and Dawn onto the plains.

[BGM: A Casual Jaunt]

Ash notices he doesn't have very many arrows left. Please let there not be any fights... he silently pleads as he walks. Then, an idea occurs to him: Why not try cutting the grass? It works for Link, anyway...

He fishes out an arrow and fires into the grass, cutting some grass in the process.

"Didn't you say you didn't have very many arrows left?" Dawn is concerned. She is shocked when she finds a bundle of arrows lying where grass was seconds earlier.

"You were saying?" Ash smiles as he picks up more arrows.

"So much for my being helpful..." Dawn sighs.

"What's going on?" Brock asks, setting his staff against a tree. As he tries to play peacemaker, Happini darts over to the staff, curious as to what it does. Brock is right behind her seconds later. "Don't touch that--!" He covers his face with his hands as he hears a zap.

[BGM: That's Not What I Meant...]

"F-first a rude awakening and n-now this?" Ash shivers as he looks down on his feet, which are now encased in ice blocks. Pikachu heaves a rock at the ice cubes, but the ice doesn't even crack from the tiny stone's impact. He starts to generate some sparks, and unleashes a Thunderbolt, charring everything but the ice cubes.

"Life's refreshing breeze, blow in energy! Cure!" Dawn's spell heals Ash most of the way, barring the ice cubes.

Brock, meanwhile is scolding Happini. "Daddy's things are not toys, okay?"

"I-I'm still h-here!" Ash calls. Pikachu charges up again, but Ash motions for him not to discharge. Brock then fishes out his pipes and tries a calm melody, in hopes the song will lift Ash again, but even that doesn't work. Then, Ash charges a ball of red light in frustration. "Out of the ground, raze all greenery with flame! Fire!" Amazingly, the ice cubes melt, leaving Ash free to walk.

"Bout time..." Dawn sighs. Ash just gives her an icy stare, unaware that Happini is pilfering his stash of Minty Balls.

"Calm down guys...let's go." Brock motions for Ash and Dawn to follow him.

BGM: A Casual Jaunt]

The rest of the journey goes without incident for the most part, until Ash spots a lake in the distance. "Wow---I haven't seen water that blue since Lake Verity!"

"Just think of the fish in there!" Dawn agrees. Happini licks her lips at the thought of fishing as the group approaches some buildings in the distance. Some Lotads swim closer as the group walks by the shore.

"We'll go fishing later, okay?" Brock assures Happini. Happini smiles and daydreams of Brock catching a fish so large, everyone can eat some. Her daydream is short-lived when she hears the crinkle of a Minty Ball being unwrapped, but when she turns to see who unwrapped it, she sees Ash chewing something as the empty wrapper is discarded. Tears well up in her eyes and she starts to cry.

"Now what?" Dawn groans.

"Pikapi, pika pika chu." Pikachu explains, pointing out the discarded Minty Ball wrapper.

"She has her own..." Ash starts to protest, but Happini's wails intensify. "Okay, but just one." He digs through the box and gives a Minty Ball to Happini.

Brock is confused. "She has her own?"

"Remember that stash of candy she wished for?" Ash asks. The lightbulb goes off in Brock's head--the one she wished for when he first summoned Jirachi. "Did you take some of it?" he sternly asks Ash.

"I had this stash to begin with!" Ash protests.

"One piece is enough, so don't give her more!" Brock warns. Unbeknownst to him, Happini is pilfering what Minty Balls she can from Ash's bag. Not even Ash realizes his stash is disappearing.

[BGM: Mountain Wildflowers]

As our heroes arrive in town, Dawn is amazed by the two mountains standing by the nearby lake. "It's beautiful!" she comments.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu agrees as he leans on the signpost that reads "Welcome to Drasina".

"I'm glad you like the view, Lady White Mage." a brown haired girl clad in a white robe with greens and browns for trim replied as she meets the group at the entrance to a small shrine to the north of the town square. "I am Kaendra, Oracle of Earth and caretaker of the Shrine of the Sky Warrior. Mikara told me in a dream you three would be coming."

"Let me get this straight--oracles intercede for towns and cities before the Legendaries and provide religious guidance, and summoners teach kids through stories and heal?" Ash asked.

"That is correct, Master Black Mage." Kaendra replied.

"I see..." Ash smiles. "I have only been a black mage for a short time, and they did not cover the difference between oracles and summoners during my training." Kaendra thankfully buys Ash's ruse.

"No wonder kids flock around you in hopes you will tell a story..." Dawn comments to Brock.

[BGM:Trying Not To Go Crazy]

Brock, meanwhile, is trying oh-so-hard not to go crazy around Kaendra. "I would tell you the most wonderful tale!" he smiles. He offers his hand to Kaendra, making her sweatdrop. "May I?"

"Let's see you try to make a story up about the mountains." Ash smirks, snapping Brock from his trance--although Brock has learned hundreds of tales from all around their world, would he be able to tell a tale to an audience that has not heard of Kanto, Johto, Houen, or Shinou? His previous tale, "The Piper and the Mist Parchirisu", thankfully did not refer to places in their world, so his audience likely understood it well.

Kaendra just giggles. "The children have not had a visit from a summoner in some time, so they would likely enjoy a tale more than I would." Brock sighs--halfway out of happiness, and halfway from despair. Happini notices the enamored look on her "daddy"'s face and giggles.

"Way to go on not losing it." Dawn assures Brock as the three depart the shrine.

[BGM: A Summoner Has Come]

Brock gets the opportunity to try and tell a tale a short while later, as he begins a joyful melody on his instrument to entertain himself. A boy hears the song and calls to a group of children "Look, a summoner has come!" As more children arrive, Ash leads his friends under a tree, where the children get comfortable.

"Lord Summoner, how did the mountains by the lake get there?" a boy asks.

[BGM: A Tale of Wonder]

"A long time ago--before any of you were even born--the Sky Dragon, Rayquaza, lived in a large cave on the east bank of the River of Stars in the heavens." Brock begins. "Across the river, Ho'oh, the Phoenix of Many Colors, lived in the Rainbow Forest. As they left their homes each morning, and returned there each evening, they would meet each other. Ho'oh would soar on majestic wings, and Rayquaza would deftly swim in the river, scattering stars about.

"One day, the two of them met on an island somewhere in the heavens, and spent many hours conversing. As they talked, they found a white stone in the earth, like this one..." Brock pauses to retrieve a vaguely white stone from his bag. After letting the children admire the gem for a while, he goes on. "Although the stone was caked with dirt, Ho'oh found it beautiful. Rayquaza suggested they carve a pearl from it, and the two of them set to work." With that, he starts rubbing the dirt off the stone as he continues "Rayquaza smoothed the rough edges with his claws, and Ho'oh cleaned the dirt from it with her beak. They worked hard for months, untill finally, they made a small round ball. Ho'oh then gathered dew from the Rainy Hills, and Rayquaza drew some of the magical waters from the River of Stars." He then sprinkles some water onto the somewhat cleaner stone. "Together, they washed and polished the stone, and when they were done, it was now a beautiful pearl." The children gawk that the stone Brock started with is actually a real pearl as he shows the cleaned pearl to them. "They loved their handiwork and had come to know each other so much, neither wated to return to their homes. So they called the island home, and guarded the pearl there."

"Did the pearl have powers?" a girl asks.

"Yes, it did--the power of earth." Brock replies. "All that were bathed in its light grew stronger--trees never lost their leaves, flowers bloomed year round, and any seed that was planted in soil blessed by its power yielded a plentiful harvest, and that's only a few of the powers it held." Pikachu is especially enamored by the notion of flowers all year round.

"I bet the Great Lord Arceus was jealous." a boy comments.

Brock just smiles. "Arceus was not the jealous one, but rather, his envoy--Mew, the Creator of Destiny..."

Dawn is shocked by Mew being the villian in the tale. "Wait--isn't Mew a good guy?"

"Some stories in our world cast Mew as the bad guy too." Ash reminds her. "I guess it's because destiny can be a good or bad thing." Dawn nods and continues listening.

"One day, Mew came upon her balcony in Arceus' palace, saw the pearl's light, and deeply desired to have it for herself." Brock continues. "While Arceus slept that night, she sent spirits to take the pearl from Rayquaza and Ho'oh while they slept. The spirits did so well stealing the pearl, not even Arceus knew what his envoy had done. Once Mew received the pearl, she would not show it to anyone, but locked it deep inside her personal chambers, which were locked by seven rainbow doors.

Rayquaza and Ho'oh awoke the next morning, and were shocked to find the pearl gone. Rayquaza checked every inch of the riverbeds, while Ho'oh searched among the mountains--they looked and looked for days and days, but did not find their pearl."

"And then? And then?" The children are interested in whether or not the pearl is found.

"Some time later, Mew's Day of Life came, and all the Legendaries came to Arceus' palace to offer their gifts and tributes." Brock goes on. "A grand feast was prepared, with all kinds of food--the choicest meat, the ripest fruits, the finest aged cheeses, and sweet nectar, to name a little of the menu. As the Legendaries shared in the great meal, they all said to Mew 'May your fortune be as wide as the sea, and your life be as long as the mountain!'

Mew was flattered by all the gifts and tributes, and said to her guests...." He switches to a vaguely French sounding female voice. "My friends, I thank you all for your presence, but now it is my turn to show you a gift--something that cannot be found in heaven or on earth." As himself, he continues "With that, she took seven keys--one for each rainbow door--and brought out the pearl from the inner sanctum of her chamber on a gold platter. The other Legendaries were amazed by the pearl's beauty, and admired it as much as Mew did.

Meanwhile, Rayquaza and Ho'oh were about to give up on their search, when Ho'oh spotted a familiar light coming from the Great Lord's palace. They raced there as quick as they could, where they found the Legendaries admiring and commenting on it. After making their way through the crowd, Ho'oh interjected..."

"This is our pearl!" Dawn fills in the dialogue.

"Mew was shocked by Ho'oh's claim, and she shot back..." He switches to his Mew voice again. "No, I found this pearl first! It belongs to me!"

Ash fills in Rayquaza's dialogue. "You are right in saying that this pearl comes not from heaven nor earth--Ho'oh and I carved it ourselves, and it took us many years to do so."

"...Rayquaza explained." Brock narrates as himself before continuing. "Arceus happened to overhear the ruckus and said to Ho'oh and Rayquaza..." He switches to a deeper version of himself. "Is what you say true?" As himself, he goes on. "Rayquaza and Ho'oh nodded, but Mew held the tray away from Arceus and called for the guard to eject Rayquaza and Ho'oh. Arceus was angered at his envoy, and a great melee broke out as all of them--Rayquaza, Ho'oh, and Arceus against Mew--tried to grab the pearl. In the confusion, the pearl rolled off the tray and fell into the air. Rayquaza and Ho'oh dashed outside and guided the pearl safely to the earth below. Once it had landed on earth, the pearl became a large lake with clear blue water. Rayquaza and Ho'oh each created a mountain nearby the lake, so they would have a way to look after their pearl on earth--the two mountains you see by the lake today." He concludes by saying "Some say that Rayquaza and Ho'oh live inside the mountains, and frolic on the lake when the moon is full." Everyone applauds.

"His skill is as sharp as ever." Dawn smiles as Brock takes a bow for his audience.

"Pika." Pikachu smiles. The children run off to play while our heroes go to make themselves comfortable in the oracle's house.

[BGM: In Our Host's House]

Ash is amazed by the ornately carved furniture in the house and the handwoven rugs on the floors. "This is beautiful!" he comments as he admires the Persian carving on one chair.

"If only I had furniture like this..." Dawn agrees as she notes the carved Piplup on a table leg, complete with tiny sapphires for eyes. Happini, meanwhile, notes a red swirl vase on one table and gently pushes it to the edge, but Brock catches it in one hand before it hits the floor. Happini laughs and applauds at her "daddy"'s agility, and darts to another vase, but Brock catches that one too. This continues for a while: Happini pushes a breakable item off the furniture, but Brock dashes to catch it in the nick of time. Before long, he is struggling to balance the three vases in his arms, the three glass orbs in a cup on his head, and three more jars on one foot.

"Here.." Ash takes the orbs and puts them back on the table. Dawn puts the jars back in the corners with the other glassware in the kitchen, allowing Brock to set the vases back in their proper places.

"Don't touch anything." Brock warns Happini. Happini tears up, but Brock can tell the tears are fake. "I meant that--don't touch anything in here." he repeats a little more sternly.

"Aren't you going to rock her and sing to her?" Dawn is concerned.

"She's only crying to see if I cave in...she'll give up eventually." Brock explains. "Besides, my siblings did that all the time, so I know fake tears when I see'em."

"I'm sure you sent them to their rooms plenty of times." Ash smiles.

"Yeah--I didn't want to yell at them, so when I needed to calm down and count to ten, I would send them to their rooms." Brock replies.

"Did you take stuff away?" Dawn asks. "That's what my mom did."

"I got grounded and my allowance cut." Ash adds. He shudders at the memories of having his allowance cut due to bad grades, or being grounded from the TV for breaking a lamp. "Physical punishments are nothing compared to getting your allowance cut."

"I didn't hit them physically, but I did ground them and cut allowances." Brock replies. "They hated it when they couldn't watch TV for a week."

"I remember when I got a D in math, and Mom confined me to my room for the weekend to study." Dawn shudders.

"I remember the time I played soccer in the house and broke a lamp." Ash replies. "Grounded from the SNES for a week, a written apology, and had to pay for the new one. It hurt even more because that was the day Final Fantasy 3 came out. I got teased for a week after that, cause everyone else had the game and not me."

"Did you get the game eventually?" Dawn asks.

"Well, a day after I was let off my grounding, Mom felt she'd been too harsh about the lamp, and apologized." Ash continues. "That didn't help the teasing."

"Well, what do you suppose the worst thing Brock did as punishment was?" Dawn muses.

"Let's ask Happini..." Ash walks over to the kitchen table, where Happini is sulking. "What's the worst punishment Brock's given to you?"

"Pini pini pi pini..." Happini explains.

"He grounded you from the TV?" Ash asks. Happini nods.

"I'd prefer to model what I want them to do rather than punishing what I don't want them to do." Brock explains. "Grounding is my last resort."

"My mom would think you were nuts, but Happini's turned out okay so far." Dawn sighs.

"She knows that I am the master, and she is to follow my rules." Brock assures her. "And when the rules are broken, there are consequences that fit the crime." Ash and Dawn nod.

"I wish Mom was like that..." Ash muses.

Kaendra enters the room and smiles at Happini before addressing the group. "Come, I have much to tell you."

"Come on, sweetie..." Brock calls to Happini as he takes her in his arms. They follow Kaendra into her room, and settle in three chairs overlooking a view of the town.

[BGM: Heroes, This Is Your Quest]

"Now then...Shaymin has appeared to me in a dream, saying that monsters have appeared in her temple." Kaendra explains. "and that as a precaution, she has closed its doors with an enchanted lock, only to be opened with a melody from a summoner's pipes. I fear that the Rainbow Stone Shaymin guards, the Terra Emerald, has been taken by the demon lord, but again, the temple has been locked, and no one can get inside to clear out the monsters."

"I would be honored to unlock it." Brock begins.

"And just how are we supposed to deal with the monsters?" Ash is concerned.

"We have not fought that much..." Dawn concedes.

"I have confidence you will succeed--since you bear the bow, sword, and pipes of the prophecy." Kaendra assures them. The group looks at each other and sighs--they may have the items, but that doesn't make them feel any more confident.

[Cut BGM]

That night, the group drifts off into an uneasy sleep in the living room, acutely aware of their adventure in the morning. Ash tosses and turns a little before hearing some sleepy cries and Brock's gentle tenor lulling Happini to sleep. All Ash can make out of the lullaby is Colori immersi nella scia dell'arcobaleno... before he too drifts to sleep.

"What is it about that Italian song that Happini likes?" Dawn wonders as she looks out the window at the stars outside.

"Although she doesn't understand the words, she likes the tune." Brock explains as he climbs into bed, Happini, his pipes, and his staff nearby. Pikachu snatches his master's blanket, but Ash takes it back.

The night passes without incident for the most part, but around one that morning, Ash is jolted awake by a high moan. His first thought is to fumble for his bow, and he quickly readies an arrow, thinking a monster is nearby. His mind races about possible opponents as he nervously aims the arrow.

"What's the matter?" Dawn asks. She then hears the high moan herself, but is comforted when she hears Brock stirring. "Put the bow away...it's just Happini." Ash heaves a sigh of relief as Brock examines Happini.

"Tell me what's the matter, sweetie..." Brock coos as he cradles Happini.

"Pini pini..." Happini groans.

"She says her stomach hurts." Brock translates as he gets some mint leaves, water, and a mortar and pestle. After brewing a cold mint tea, he offers it to Happini, who happily drinks it down after initally complaining.

"Wonder how she got it?" Ash asks, before gasping in horror--three of his Minty Balls are gone, and he wasn't the one that ate them!

To Be Continued...
The Saga of the Kagayou Theater

The First Sparkling Stage (Waku)
The Stage of Crystal (Paldea)/The Stage of Light (Kalos)/The Royal Stage (Galar)/The Stage of Victory (Talie)
The Global Stage (Unova)/The Stage of Paradise (Alola)
The Shimmering Stage (Waku)