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

[LightningTopaz]

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

Brock and the gang are back with more tales from around the Pokeworld!


Week 27: The Miko's Manners

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 14, story 3)

Brock grinned as he watched the grew hurry to finish preparations. <i>Here we go--the first show of the new season! This humorous tale from Lavender Town should be perfect for the occasion...</i>

After taking a deep breath to rid himself of the Beautiflies in his stomach, he ran onstage to meet the crowd.

"Once the elder of a certain village built a new house." he began. "When it was finished, he decided to throw a huge party to celebrate." Some in the crowd are surprised when Brock pulls a party popper to illustrate his point. "The problem was, the elder had never thrown a party before, and so the villagers had no clue what to wear, what to do, or how to act." The crowd giggles as Brock's quizzical look.

"The villagers decided to ask the miko, or priestess, for advice. The miko--let's call her Kuwa..." Brock is interrupted by the crowd voicing approval of the name he chose. "told the villagers she too was invited to the party--all the villagers had to do was follow her lead.

The day of the party came, and all the village turned out to wish their elder well. Kuwa was present as well, and blessed the elder and his family." He bows for effect. "The villagers followed their miko's lead, adding their well wishes. Then, Kuwa thanked the elder for inviting her, and the villagers did likewise."

"The elder commanded his servants to bring in the meal." Brock pauses to set an imagined plate on an imagined table. "The villagers waited until Kuwa had blessed the meal and taken the first bite, only then did they begin eating." Brock pantomimes cutting a piece of meat on his imagined plate. "The villagers copied everything Kuwa did--if she asked for seconds, they asked for seconds. If she made polite small talk with the elder, they made small talk amongst themselves. This even spilled over into Kuwa's nervous habits--if she scratched her head, so did the villagers. If she stiffled a giggle, they suppressed their own laughter."

Laughter fills the air at this. "Suddenly, a potato slipped from Kuwa's chopsticks and fell on the floor." Brock pauses to examine the stage, as if a potato had landed there. "Thinking this was good manners, the villagers also threw a potato on the floor." The crowd laughs as Brock pantomimes throwing something to the stage. "The elder was surprised at all the potatoes on the floor, but Kuwa couldn't resist giggling at how silly the elder looked. The villagers laughed right along with her, and before long, the whole house was howling with laughter." The crowd laughs in agreement.

"After she calmed the villagers down, Kuwa told the elder what had happened." Brock concludes. "The elder, luckily, was very understanding--for the rest of the night, he relaxed the rules a little. The villagers enjoyed themselves talking, laughing and dancing, and no one in the village could stop talking about the party for a long time."

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow...

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 28: Ash Meets His Match)

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


Week 28: Ash Meets His Match

(real tale: King Arthur Meets His Match)

"I'm going to do something a little different this week..." Brock begins as he looks out of the crowd. "My friend Ash has won his fair share of Pokemon battles, but there was one battle he'll never forget." Of course, this tall tale was loosely based on one of Ash's encounters with Gary, making it a not-quite-true story. The real Ash had enjoyed it when he had practiced it--now it was time to see if the crowd would enjoy it.

"If there is anything you'd consider a flaw in Ash, it's his pride." Brock explains. "He prides himself on his intelligence, his strength, his skill. He's challenged many powerful trainers, and won most of the time. But his biggest dream is to become a Pokemon Master."

Applause goes up at this. "But I digress..." Brock muses. "So one day, we were on our way to Goldenrod City, we overheard some people talking about a trainer strong enough to even defeat a Pokemon Master. Ash was excited at a potential challenge, so he pressed a girl for more information. She told us that while Ash was pretty tough, this trainer was even tougher. If this trainer defeated someone, she would take the defeated trainer's Pokemon as her own, and make the trainer her slave."

Gasps go up at this, so Brock decides to carry on his exaggeration. "Well, Ash doesn't take no for for an answer, and so we began looking far and wide for this amazing trainer, who was named Valencia. Many other trainers challenged Ash on the way, and he won every time."

The audience is on the edge of their seats as they wait to hear what happened next. "Before long, we came to this woodsy area not far from Ilex Forest, where we spotted a huge farmstead." Brock continues. "Many Pokemon were romping about, and many boys and girls of varying ages worked in the fields, with a young girl probably about thirteen to fifteen years old overseeing it all. She met us at the front gate and told us she was, in fact, Valencia."

Murmurs fill the air. "Valencia showed us around the majestic farm, and told us that all the boys, girls, and Pokemon were those she had defeated in battle." Brock explained. "Misty and I tried to talk Ash out of it, but he was determined to defeat her. So the match commenced--Pikachu against a Charmeleon--and all the workers dropped what they were doing to watch. It was a long and drawn out match, but Ash finally came through in the end!" Cheers go up at this.

"Needless to say, Ash hasn't been back there again, and that's probably a good thing." Brock concludes. "For it's always the young trainers that defeat Pokemon Masters and Mistresses."

The audience roars with applause as Brock takes a bow...

 

[Chimchar98]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 28: Ash Meets His Match)

Not bad! If only it wasn't so short. i wish you'd actually shown us the battle, like the original tale.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 28: Ash Meets His Match)

Hm, now that I think about it, maybe I could've included a few highlights of Pikachu vs. Charmeleon...

 

[Chimchar98]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 28: Ash Meets His Match)

Oh well, that's what editing/second drafts are for!

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 28: Ash Meets His Match)

Maybe later on this season, we can see Brock practicing a revised version.

This week, I'll have the first sidestory of the season up

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 29: The Pikachu Warrior)

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

Week 29: The Pikachu Warrior

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 15, story 2)


"There was once a couple in a certain village that loved each other very much." Brock begins. One day, as the man was out gathering wood for the stove, he heard the crackle of thunderbolts in the distance. Since there was not a raincloud anywhere in the sky, the man decided to venture farther into the woods to see where the thunder was coming from.

It turned out that the thunder was coming from two Pikachus that were playfully sparring with each other." Some "oh"s go up at this. "One of them was very small, and probably was newly evolved." Brock makes a form in the air with his hands so the audience has an idea of how small this Pikachu is. "The other Pikachu was so large, it could have very well been a Raichu, if not well fed." He makes a slightly larger form in the air to prove his point.

"As the man watched from the brush, he saw that no matter how much the little Pikachu tried, the big Pikachu would always beat him. Yet the little Pikachu would charge back into their makeshift arena and try again." Brock continues as he paces the center of the stage, every so often glancing back towards the wings at stage right. "Eventually, the man recognized both Pikachus--the little one was once a Pichu that often came by his house. The big Pikachu often roamed around a rich man's house, where he probably had his fill of the choice food and drink."

"The man felt sorry for the little Pikachu, and vowed to do what he could so it could win a match with its playmate. So he returned home, and told his wife what he had seen. The woman loved her husband's idea, and suggested they leave Leppa Berries out for the little Pikachu." Brock then adds as an aside "One of their favorite foods in the wild."

Fascinated murmurs fill the room as Brock continues "But when they looked in the food pantry, there was hardly any Berries left. But the woman was undeterred--she left one of the few Leppa Berries they had remaining by one of the holes the Pichu-now Pikachu once used to enter the house."

"The next day, the man returned to the forest, where he found the two Pikachus preparing to face off in another friendly match." At this point, Brock has arrived back at his usual spot at center stage. "But this time, the little Pikachu held his ground against the endless barrages of Thunderbolts and Iron Tails...but just when it appeared the little Pikachu would win, the big Pikachu defeated him again." Some "aw"s go up from the crowd. "But the little Pikachu didn't give up." Brock assures the audience. "In fact, he charged right back into the makeshift arena and unleashed all the fury he had--he shocked his opponent with Thunderbolts, he bit him, he smacked him with Iron Tails, and rammed him with Volt Tackles--and finally won a match!"

The crowd cheers at this. "The man watched as the big Pikachu asked... " In character as a older boy, he asked "How did you get so strong so quickly? No Pikachu gains this much strength overnight!"

He replies in a young female voice that more or less sounds like Ash's Pikachu. "The humans in the village by the forest gave me some Leppa Berries as motivation to get stronger!"

"Really?" he replies as the big Pikachu. "Do you think they'll give me some too?"

"Sure they will!" he replies as the little Pikachu.

As himself, he continues. "The man returned home that night and told his wife what happened. They were up late gathering more Leppa Berries for both Pikachus, and the woman even made some warrior headbands for them with some white thread. They left the gifts by the hidey hole before going to bed that night."

Brock glances back towards stage right one last time, then continues "The next morning, the woman went with her husband to watch the Pikachus spar, and she was thrilled to see both of them wearing the headbands she made for them." Some "aw"s go up from the crowd as they picture how the Pikachus might have looked. "When they got home that night, they found that the Pikachus had left them some coins as thanks for the gifts."

He then concludes. "The little Pikachu eventually went on to meet Ash..." The crowd roars as Ash joins Brock on the stage, with Pikachu not far behind. "and as you can see, he's gotten plenty stronger since then!"

Pikachu waves to the crowd as Brock takes a bow...

 

[Chimchar98]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 29: The Pikachu Warrior)

Awww!

 

[Tophat Dragoneye]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 29: The Pikachu Warrior)

I like these stories about Ash and co's adventures you've written so far. Are you going to write more of them with, for example Misty?

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 29: The Pikachu Warrior)

If I can think of one that sounds like a Pokemon episode, I'll see what I can do.

Ash appeared at the end of this one to A. prove Brock's point, B. introduce the play in the sidestory, and C. buy Brock time to change into costume for said play

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle, part 1)

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

Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle (part 1)

Pikachu romps offstage as Ash and Brock embrace onstage. "I'll introduce the play while you go get into costume." Ash offers.

"Deal." With that, Brock treats offstage.

Ash notices Yuki at a piano at stage left. "Maestro, if you would, please."

Yuki nods and begins a spirited melody evocative of an old-timey melodrama as the lights go down. When she finishes the song, the spotlight comes up on Ash again, this time in a red and white tux with a sparkling red top hat to match. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...it is now my privilege to introduce our little show." After acknowledging Pikachu as he returns with a number of cue cards in his paws, he continues over the piano "We now present a hypersensitive hypotenuse of humorless histrionics..."

"Whatever that means..." Yuki comments from the piano, to some laughter.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu agrees as he thumbs through the H section of the dictionary as Ash's H words get increasingly obscure.

"...entitled "Jewels of the Jungle, or 'Fiona Sleeps Tonight'" Ash finally concludes some minutes later, to some applause. "Now then...our story so far..."

The piano plays a few interested chords as Pikachu displays a cue card that reads "THE STORY SO FAR..." "First, let us meet Fiona, our brave and beautiful heroine." Ash announces.

The piano plays a harp-like melody as Whitlea, clad in a typical melodrama heroine's gown, walks onstage with a basket full of prop Berries draped over her arm. Pikachu holds up a "CHEER AND APPLAUD" cue card, making cheers and applause waft through the crowd. But Pikachu is unnerved by the halfhearted applause, and holds up a cue card that reads "I DIDN"T HEAR YOU!!!!" The audience roars with cheers and applause at this. When Ash looks over at Pikachu to see what the matter is, Pikachu motions for him to continue, holding a cue card that reads "YOU WERE SAYING?"

"Innocent, loving, and pure of heart..." Ash muses as Whitlea continues walking cutely. "She has adventuring down to an art!" It turns out the gown only concealed Whitlea's real costume--a safari outfit, for this particular play. "Pursuing her with intentions so ville, is one Sir Vincent de Guile!"

The piano plays a tense riff and Pikachu holds up a "BOO! HISS!" card as Brock appears in a spotlight in a typical melodramatic bad guy costume. "But just when it seems that Fiona's fate looks bleak..." Ash narrates, making the crowd gasp as Brock menacingly approaches Whitlea, who feigns fear. "Her friend Morgan would save her, despite his looks so meek."

At that second, Blair dashes on the stage and assumes a karate pose over a triumphant piano chord, making Brock flee in fear. Pikachu holds up the "CHEER and APPLAUD" card again as the lights go down over an exciting piano melody, making some in the audience clap along.

The lights come up on Ash at stage left. "Our story begins on a beautiful morning, while Fiona and Morgan were on a trip around the world..."

The lights come up on a set of sky, where Blair and Whitlea are "riding" a prop Pidgeot. "According to the map, we should be over the jungles of Fiore very soon." Blair reports as he studies a map.

"I've always dreamed of going on safari!" Whitlea smiles. "Wonder what kinds of Pokemon we'll see?"

The piano plays a tense riff as the lights go down. "But unbeknownst to our intrepid explorers, Sir Vincent de Guile was hot on their trail in the sea below." Ash narrates. "What sort of dastardly scheme does he have up his sleeve this time?"

The lights come up again on Brock riding a prop Blastoise as "water" swirls around him. "If my calculations are correct, they'll fly into a thunderstorm right about....now..."

As if on cue, the lights blink off, "thunder" rolls, and "lightning" flashes across the room, culminating in Blair and Whitlea screaming from the darkness. "Could that mean the end of our brave adventurers?" Ash asks from a spotlight at stage left.

"I HOPE NOT..." reads Pikachu's next cue card, to some laughter.

The audience roars as the lights come up on Whitlea and Blair in a jungle. "Whew...we survived, but our Pidgeot's flown away..." Blair sighs.

"That's okay, we can ask one of the jungle birds to help." Whitlea assures Blair.

"It won't be so simple as that, dear Fiona..." Ash cautions over the piano as the lights blink over to Brock in another part of the "jungle".

"Curses...they're alive!" Brock mutters over the boos and hisses from the audience. "But no matter...I will find them on this island and make short work of them!"

He balks at Pikachu's next title card, which reads "SUCKER!!!" and has an arrow pointing at him. "Who asked you, pipsqueak?" he demands.

Pikachu just displays his next title card, which reads "I DON"T KNOW, I'M ONLY HERE TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE CUES." The audience howls with laughter at this.

The lights blink over to Blair and Whitlea climbing an outcropping. "Goodness, it's a long way up..." Whitlea comments.

"We're almost there, so we'll make it." Blair assures Whitlea.

The audience gasps as Brock emerges from some bushes with a slingshot. "And I'll make sure that they don't!" With that, he fires a rock as the lights go down, and Whitlea screams in terror!

The piano plays an ominous tune as the lights come up on Brock addressing Whitlea, who is now in a bamboo cage. "Hello there, miss Fiona..." Brock begins over a bemused chuckle.

"It's you! My sworn nemesis, Sir Vincent de Guile!" Whitlea retorts. The audience boos and hisses at Brock's character's name.

"Who did you expect? Arran Seluna?" Brock snidely replies, making the audience roar with laughter over the piano as the lights go down.

"The fiend! He's taken her to the cliff!" Ash comments as the lights come up on Whitlea standing on the edge of a cliff, her hands and feet bound.

"WELL, WHERE ELSE COULD HE TAKE HER?" reads Pikachu's cue card.

"What do you intend to do to me?" Whitlea demands.

"Merely drop you in the river that rushes a thousand feet below, that's all." Brock explains.

"I just so happen to know how to swim..." Whitlea comments.

"Oh, but there's a 2,000 foot waterfall by the river's mouth..." Brock cautions. "Are you able to swim that far, dear Fiona?"

"SHE SURE CAN!" reads Pikachu's next cue card.

"I can try..." Whitlea swallows hard.

"Try this!" Brock announces at the lights go down.

Whitlea's scream pierces the darkness. "Oh no? Is Fiona all washed up? Can Morgan find her in time? Find out in part 2 of 'Jewels of the Jungle'!" Ash announces from the dark before the lights come up for intermission...

 

[Tophat Dragoneye]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle, part 1)

Quite a funny tale this time. And Pikachu sure helped with the comedy part. I especially like this part:

Pikachu just displays his next title card, which reads "I DON"T KNOW, I'M ONLY HERE TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE CUES." The audience howls with laughter at this.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle, part 1)

I thought I'd try something a bit different with a spoof of a melodrama--it was originally going to be a straight melodrama, but after seeing all the cue card cues in the script I was originally basing the story on, I decided to run with it, making the story evolve into a spoof of a melodrama.

Stay tuned for more of Pikachu's cue card commentary

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle, part 2)

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

Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle (part 2)


"How am I doing playing the bad guy?" Brock asks as he slips backstage to check the script for the next part of the spoof melodrama.

"It's certainly a different side of you--usually you are playing the heroes or comic roles." Akane replies.

"And yet, you make Sir Vincent de Guile a comic role in his own way." Lotta agrees.

"The next time we do a sketch with your friends, we should do a superhero story!" Rylan suggests.

"What a wonderful idea!" Akane smiles. "You would make the perfect superhero, Brock..."

Yuki playing a festive interlude snaps Brock to attention. "I gotta get going--time for Act 2."

Onstage, Ash appears in a spotlight as the piano's festive interlude segues into a tense melody. "When we last left our intrepid heroine Fiona..." Ash begins as Pikachu displays a "WHEN WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES..." cue card. "she was headed for a 2,000 foot plunge down a jungle waterfall. Now, Morgan races as fast as he can to free her from the harrowing freefall..."

He lets that hang as the lights come up on Blair looking through some brush by the river. "There she is...if I don't free her from that log, she'll fall down that huge waterfall up ahead! I have to do something!"

Pikachu's next cue card reads "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GET GOING!" as the piano plays a frantic melody. Blair gives Pikachu a nod, and dives into the "water", where he pantomimes swimming.

The lights blink over to Whitlea by stage right. "If I can just get my hands free, I can keep this up a little longer..."

"But not for long, my dear Fiona..." Brock intones from offstage to the audience's boos.

Blair, meanwhile, has climed down from a ledge by the bank and is attempting to grab Whitlea as she approaches his location. But before he can pull her to safety, his rope gives way, sending him into the water as well.

"There you are, Morgan!" Whitlea smiles as Blair "swims" up to her and undoes her bindings.

Pikachu shows a cue card that reads "WHEW..." prompting the audience to heave a sigh of relief.

Brock just winces as Blair guides Whitlea to safety. "Curses! Foiled again!"

"Sir Vincent de Guile may have been foiled for now, but that's only the least of Fiona's worries!" Ash narrates from his spotlight before Whitlea screams again.

The lights come up on Whitlea struggling to get free from a prop Infernape. "Let me go, you big furball!"

"Wait a minute...where did these Infernapes come from?" Ash wonders.

Brock smirks in a spotlight at stage left. "I'll never tell...." Some in the audience boo, while some others laugh at the comment.

The lights blink back to Ash as the piano plays an ominous melody. "And so, Fiona is back in the clutches of Sir Vincent de Guile..."

"AGAIN?" reads Pikachu's next cue card.

"As you can see, dear Fiona, this trap is simple in nature..." Brock explains as he walks around where Whitlea is hanging over what appears to be a pit. "As the Chimchars eat the Nanab berries, the difference in weight will cause you to move lower and lower into this pit of Croconaws!" The audience boos when Pikachu displays the "BOO! HISS!" card.

"He may be a dastardly fiend, but he's a smart dastardly fiend at that." Whitlea deadpans as she inches towards the pit.

"YOU GOT THAT RIGHT." reads Pikachu's next cue card.

"I appreciate the compliment, my dear, but it won't save you..." Brock sneers over the piano's tense melody.

"I KNOW WHAT WILL SAVE HER!" Pikachu's next cue card reads.

"It looks like the end for the lovely Fiona...' Ash sighs from his spotlight before spotting Blair sneaking in with some Nanab Berries. "But wait! Morgan may have a plan of his own!"

"OF COURSE HE DOES!" Pikachu's cue card reads.

"If I hide these in the brush, the Chimchars will forget about the other bunch, and I can save Fiona!" Blair explains before heaving his berries into some brush. The audience laughs at the Chimchar sound effects.

Meanwhile, Whitlea spots a loose branch and throws it down the pit, just as her rope gives way.

"OH NO!" Pikachu's next cue card reads as the audience gasps in fear.

The fearful murmurs turn into cheers as Whitlea rockets out of the pit some seconds later to safety. "I was a championship gymnast in my younger days." she explains. "I used the branch to clamp the Croconaw's mouths shut, then used it as a springboard."

"SO THAT'S HOW SHE ESCAPED..." reads the next cue card.

The piano's song then turns tense again. "But Sir Vincent de Guile is not giving up just yet..." Ash intones.

He is interrupted by Whitlea crying "HI-YAH!" before the audience sees the Infernapes rubbing their hands in pain.

"Now why didn't I think of that..." Brock muses, to some laughter as the lights go down.

"THE HEROES USUALLY THINK OF THE GOOD IDEAS FIRST!" Pikachu's cue card reads as the piano plays an exciting melody.

The lights come up on Blair and Whitlea standing on a high cliff. "I asked a Pidgeot to travel with us--she'll land on top of this cliff and get us out of here." Blair explains.

"That turned out to be a foolish mistake, you two..." Brock intones as he walks in the scene. "You're trapped!"

A Pidgeot squawk from offstage prompts Pikachu to display a "NOT FOR LONG!" card as the lights go down.

All Brock can say is "Curses! Foiled again!" as the lights blink off and Pikachu displays a THE END card.

The crowd roars as the cast comes out to take a bow....

 

[Chimchar98]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle, part 2)

That was pretty darn good, I must say!

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Sidestory 4: Jewels of the Jungle, part 2)

I also have a sidestory planned around a superheroine Lotta portrays named Mistress Fever...but before that, I have a few more tales.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 30: Team Rainbow Hunts the Red Gyarados)

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

Week 30: Team Rainbow Hunts the Red Gyarados

(real tale: The Seven Swabians and the Monster)


"There were once seven Pokemon who were very close friends." Brock begins as he settles in his chair. "Their leader, as it were, was a Torchic named Phoenix. The others were Valencia the Charmander, Alyssa the Pikachu, Midori the Chikorita, Saphir the Squirtle, Indi the Vaporeon, and and Lydia the Liepard. Since their names reflected the colors of the rainbow, they liked to call themselves Team Rainbow."

He gets up long enough to retrieve his guitar, then continues. "Team Rainbow wished to be great heroes, and so took it upon themselves to travel around the world in search of adventures."

The crowd claps along as Brock performs a solo guitar rendition of the Zelda theme, but as he speaks again, he starts slowing the triumphant melody down. "But while Phoenix and the others dreamed of being known as heroes, Lydia brought up a great point--how would they be heroes if they had no way to defend themselves?" With that, his performance comes to a halt.

"They spent several months pooling together enough money for each of them to have a weapon, then delivered it all to the town smithy, who crafted each of them a weapon." Brock explained. "Between the seven of them, there were two swords, two bows, a staff, a flail, and a spear."

"One day, on a day very much like today, Team Rainbow set out for the Lake of Rage." Brock then decides to play an upbeat melody reminiscent of an NES game. "They'd heard about the red Gyarados that terrorized the people of that land, and took it upon themselves to drive it away once and for all."

He then plays a melody reminiscent of walking. "They set out early the next morning, and walked for a very long time."

After playing his 'walking" melody for a while, Brock begins slowing it down as the lights slowly dim to mimic the passage of time. "By the time they got to Mahogany Town, the sun was setting." he explains as he finishes the song, under dim lighting. "They made camp on a meadow just outside town, had dinner, and swapped tales of adventures they hoped to have before drifting off to sleep." he continues as he sets his guitar aside and gets up from his chair.

He sprawls on the stage and feigns sleeping for a moment before continuing "Suddenly, around midnight, Phoenix was startled awake by a buzzing noise, and concluded that it was a monster bent on attacking the camp!"

In character as a young girl, he screams "Everyone, wake up! We're under attack!"

He continues as himself "The other six woke up with a jump and scrambled for their weapons, but in all the confusion, Phoenix stepped on a rake a gardener had left behind, and got smacked in the face!"

The audience roars with laughter as Brock feigns the injury and the resulting dizziness."The others watched for the intruder as Lydia tended to the dazed Phoenix, but when nothing appeared, they blew the noise off as their imaginations and went back to bed." With that, he lies back down and pretends to sleep as the lights go down for a few seconds.

They slowly come up on Brock sleeping, as if mimicking a sunrise. "The next morning, Team Rainbow broke camp, and continued on their way." he continues as he gets up. "They arrived in the forest surrounding the Lake of Rage not long after noon, where they watched and waited for the Red Gyarados to appear." He glances off towards stage left, as if watching for the famed Pokemon himself. "As Team Rainbow approached the shore, a ripple in the water startled Phoenix."

As Phoenix again, he gasps "It's the Red Gyarados!"

As himself, he continues "Everyone froze--they couldn't run away, or the Red Gyarados would chase them, tear them limb from limb, and eat them! They waited in tense silence, until Lydia rallied them with an inspiring speech."

In character as a young woman, he proclaims "We can't stand here trembling like timid little Bunearies! We must be brave and engage the Red Gyarados on its own turf!"

As himself, he goes on. "Phoenix nodded in agreement, and silently prayed to Arceus to give them all strength. She then drew her sword..." Awed murmurs go up as Brock draws a sword of his own--a beautiful silver sword with ruby inlays in a flame pattern. "and charged towards the shoreline with a fierce cry!"

With that, he lets loose a war cry of his own as he charges towards stage right! "YAI-YAI-YAI-YAI-YO!!!!"

He comes to a screeching halt some seconds later. "But when Phoenix reached the shore, the lake was as peaceful as could be, with no Gyarados--much less a red Gyarados--in sight!"

Laughter fills the air as Brock sheathes his blade. "Phoenix concluded her war cry had scared the red Gyarados away. The others congratulated her on her bravery, and Lydia for inspiring her as they went off to have dinner in town."

He concludes "What Team Rainbow didn't know was what caused the ripple in the water--it turned out that Phoenix had only scared away a Piplup!"

The audience howls with laughter and applauds as Brock takes a bow...

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 31: Komyona and the Thief)

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


Week 31: Komyona and the Thief

(real tale: Hodja and the Moonbeam)


"It is always said in a certain land that Komyona is a clever young lady." Brock begins as he looks out on the crowd. "But others think her a fool, and often talk about her behind her back."

Angry whispers fill the air at this. "But what they don't get is sometimes, people we think are foolish may be wiser than we think they are." The angry whispers give way to fascinated chatter as the audience wonders what this Komyona story will be about.

"Komyona knew that some people talked about her behind her back, but she didn't pay any heed to it--she could find something to smile about even in the worst of times." Brock explains. "Having said all of that, our story begins..."

The room goes silent as the audience reflects on what the master storyteller onstage has told them. Once Brock is settled in his usual place at center stage, he begins. "One day, a thief struck the city, and stole all manner of things from the people. The townsfolk were so worried about where the thief would next strike, it was all anyone in the city could talk about. Whether it was a fine tapestry, a pair of candles, or some other priceless heirloom, everyone had had something stolen, or knew someone that had. They all agreed the thief had to be caught--the question was, how to go about it?"

"Komyona was one of the lucky few that hadn't had anything stolen, but her husband Takumi was understandably concerned." he continues before switching to a younger man voice. "My love, I'm afraid that our house is not secure enough--what will we do if the thief comes here? How will we keep from being robbed as everyone else has?"

"Worry not, I have an idea..." he replies in character as a young lady.

As himself, he continues. "Takumi saw a sparkle in Komyona's eye--that usually meant Komyona had a plan. And when Komyona had a plan, it usually worked, no matter how far fetched or outlandish it seemed."

Piqued murmurs fill the air as the audience wonders what Komyona is planning. "But Takumi was still concerned, and told Komyona..." As Takumi again, he worries "Worry not? How can I not worry when a thief lurks in town?"

"Have pity for the poor thief." he replies as Komyona.

"Are you nuts?" he yells as Takumi. "How can I pity someone who cheats and steals?"

"You may not know this, but I was once a thief myself." he muses as Komyona.

As himself, he continues. "Komyona told Takumi many tales of her supposed thieving days, but none of it made any sense to Takumi. He decided to go see one of his closest friends that afternoon--we'll call him Masato. After swearing to Arceus he would not tell anyone, Masato listened as Takumi told him..." As Takumi, he explains "My beloved Komyona claims she was once a thief, and therefore owns many treasures."

"Really?" he gasps in a variant of his standard "young man" voice. "I don't recall Komyona having anything like treasure..."

"Oh, but her treasure is hidden--and you'd never believe how she got it." he explains as Takumi.

"How did she get it?" he asks as Masato.

"She sang a song to invoke a magic spell." he replies as Takumi.

"A spellsong? Did she tell you how it went?" he gasps as Masato.

Brock pauses to clear his throat, then sings in character as Takumi <i>Karuto, iichiida shou...</i>

"Well, what happened when she cast the spell?" he asks as Masato.

"A moonbeam appeared in the sky, and Komyona rode on it to the homes of her targets." he explains as Takumi.

The audience roars with applause at the interplay. "Of course, no sooner had Takumi left him, Masato went and told his wife, but had her swear to Arceus she would not tell anyone." Brock explains. "But she went out and told her friends, and they went out and told their friends, and so on. Before long, the whole city knew Komyona's spellsong, and the whole city told no one else." Laughter goes up at this.

"The next night, Masato and his family were jolted awake by a loud crash from downstairs." Brock continues. "When they came to the foyer, they found a young man with bag filled with all kinds of things--candles, carpets, clothing, fine china, jewelry, and many other things. They brought the thief to the city magistrate the next morning, where he was tried. The thief claimed he was innocent, and that he was only trying to ride a moonbeam."

More laughter fills the air. "The magistrate didn't believe the thief, and sentenced him to two years in prison on top of paying all the restitution." Brock concludes. "Yet everyone in the courtroom saw a twinkle in Komyona's eye--her story about being a thief was really a ruse, and a very clever ruse at that!"

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

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 32: Sorin and the Garden)

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

Week 32: Sorin and the Garden

(real tale: Rabbit and Coyote in the Garden)

"Once a priest prepared a garden in the back yard of his house." Brock begins. "He wanted to provide fresh Berries, vegetables, and other food to his people. After he blessed the seeds he had planted, he departed to someplace quiet for his evening prayers.

A few days passed, and he found that the Micle berries were beginning to bloom. He anticipated the day when all his crops were ready for harvest, so he could share them with the less fortunate."

Once sure his audience has understood the setup of his tale, he continues "But one day, Sorin found the garden, and eagerly ate every last Micle blossom. So when the priest returned, he was dumbfounded as to why all his Micle Berries were missing. After concluding no one had stolen them, he figured he would ask Arceus that his Watmel Berries would be safe."

Giggles of anticipation fill the air. "Of course, Sorin found the Watmel Berries next, and ate them too." Brock continues as he walks around the stage. "No matter which crop the priest asked Arceus to protect, Sorin would find it. After the Watmel Berries, he pilfered the Punkins, ransacked the Rawst, and swiped Spelons, to name a few. The priest got so frustrated about his disappearing crops, he took some wax and shaped it into the form of a boy. Once the figure had hardened, he set it at the garden entrance, hoping his homemade scarecrow would lure out whoever or whatever was taking his crops."

"Now, everyone knows that Sorin is quite the trickster..." Brock intones to thunderous applause. "And try as he might to shock and slap the wax boy, his Thunderbolts had no effect, and he ended up stuck in the wax." More laughter goes up as Brock pantomimes struggling to get free. "When the priest found Sorin struggling in the wax, he tied him up around a tree, set a lock on the rope, and hid the key behind a bush." He proceeds to do this to a Pikachu puppet doll. The audience doesn't see Kano in the darkness, waiting for his cue to bring "Sorin" to life.

"Once sure Sorin was thoroughly secure, he went to prepare some hot water." Brock explains. "Mind you, he didn't want to hurt Sorin, so he figured that the pain of hot water would be enough to deter him from eating the plants. So as Sorin sat there awaiting the wave of heat, Mightyena happened to pass by. He saw Sorin tied around the tree and asked him..." In a deeper version of his own voice, he asks the puppet "What are you doing here in this garden?"

"Oh, Mightyena, I am so glad to see you!" Kano intones from his darkened nook as Sorin. "The priest wants to feed me a big lunch of meat, and as you know, I prefer to eat vegetables and fruits. I wish you would take my place."

"So why are you chained here?" Brock asks as Mightyena as Kano makes the puppet "struggle" to get free.

"He was afraid I would run away because I told him I did not want to eat meat, but the key is hidden right behind that bush." Kano replies as Sorin, making the puppet gesture to where the key is hidden. "If you unlock me, you can chain yourself here, and surely the priest will feed you all his meat instead!"

Brock discretely finds the key and undoes the lock and rope around the Pikachu puppet. "So Mightyena set Sorin free, and allowed himself to be locked to the tree in Sorin's place." he explains as the Pikachu puppet "runs" offstage. "When the priest returned, he concluded that Mightyena was the thief, and threw the hot water all over him!"

The auditorium explodes with laughter as the audience pictures Mightyena's reaction to the wave of hot water. "Needless to say, it took Mightyena several days to recover from the burns he incurred, and vowed he would have his revenge on Sorin for tricking him." Brock concludes. "But that is another story for another day!"

Applause fills the air as Kano emerges from his nook and joins Brock in taking a bow....

 

[LightningTopaz]

Re: Live From the Fireside: Season 2 (Week 33: Questions for Meloetta)

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

Week 33: Questions for Meloetta

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 17, story 3)


"Once a certain miko, or priestess, traveled across the land seeking wisdom--we'll call her Rena." Brock begins. Some light applause goes up in approval of the miko's chosen name.

"In every place she stopped, she would ask people questions." Brock continues as he paces the center section of the stage. "Sometimes the questions were general knowledge, sometimes they were moral questions, and sometimes they were philosophical questions. No matter what sort of question Rena asked, sometimes she got great answers, and other times, the answers were not that great." Giggles go up and whispers of what some of the sillier answers were fill the air.

Brock's voice silences the chatter. "One day, Rena came to a small village, and saw that the temple had some wear and tear on its roof and its sides. She found it odd that someone would allow the temple to fall into disrepair, but went inside anyway."

The crowd's speculation turns to why the temple had wear to begin with. "Rena was shocked to find that the high priest was not in his robes, and had been dozing when she arrived." Brock notes.

Laughter goes up at this. "Although to be fair, the young priest--we'll call him Kimari--was a bit on the lazy side, and had only been the high priest for a short time, meaning he was not yet used to his duties." Brock explains to the crowd. "Kimari scrambled to his feet and told Rena..." As a young boy, he stammers "Forgive me, my lady, but the high priest is away right now. He will return in the morning."

As a young girl, he replies "Very well, I will return in the morning, after the morning prayers have been said."

Some "ooh"s go up as Brock continues, now as himself. "No sooner did Rena depart, did Kimari realize he had lied to a miko." Some children in the audience giggle at Brock's expression of feigned panic. "He fell to his knees..." He pauses to kneel on the stage floor before an imagined altar. "and pleaded to Arceus to forgive him for his lie, and to help him out of his predicament."

Giggles filled the air as Brock pantomimed praying for a moment. "Suddenly, Kimari was jolted from his prayers by a soothing song." As he gets up, he sings in gibberish <i>Anome, tafihi de so...</i>

Excited murmurs race through the crowd. "Kimari hurried outside, and was shocked to see the guardian of song, Meloetta, resting against a rock. She looked into Kimari's eyes and asked him... In his best mimic of Melody, he asks "You seem troubled...will you tell me what's the matter?"

As himself, he continues. "Kimari told Meloetta what had happened, and she replied..." As Melody again, he assures the audience "If you wish, I will answer the miko's questions in your place in return for a night's lodging."

"Kimari readily agreed to Meloetta's proposal, and made sure she had the best food and lodging he could find." Brock continues as himself. "Rena returned the next morning, and Kimari escorted her inside the main prayer hall, where Meloetta was waiting. Needless to say, Rena was very honored to be before the temple's patron Legendary, and immediately started asking Meloetta all sorts of questions. Kimari listened from outside--no matter what sort of question Rena asked, Meloetta would answer in her holy spellsong."

He paces the stage, singing gibberish phrases every so often. <i>Talida amia ili...</i> <i>Ruibe neta mode...</i> <i>Matam ista etare ichi...</i> <i>Eshuna, arerina do...</i>

When Brock returns to his place at center stage, he continues "After several hours, Rena emerged from the prayer hall with a smile on her face. Kimari then asked Rena just what it was Meloetta told her to make her so happy."

As Rena, he tells the audience "There is much wisdom in Meloetta's songs... when I asked how much does Arceus love the world, she told me that Arceus' love is as deep as the sea. When I asked what the five basic elements of the universe were, she replied earth, fire, wind, water, and spirit. When I asked Meloetta how you can see the entire world at once, she replied that you can see the world in a person's eyes."

He concludes as himself "Kimari was awed at Meloetta's answers, and vowed that he would take his priestly duties more seriously. Rena, meanwhile, continued on her journey, giving thanks to Arceus for allowing her to speak with Meloetta."

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