EVERYONE: Live From the Fireside: Season 16 (ended in this form--being rebooted!)

[LightningTopaz]

@Chimchar98; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 412d: The Legend of Owen, part 4

(real tale: The Hound of the Hill of Spears)

The crowd murmurs in anticipation as Brock arrives onstage. "When Hunter heard how he had fared, his heart sank." he begins.

"But I'll do all I can for you, anyway." he assures the crowd as Hunter.

With that, he sings Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... as Hunter before continuing as himself "This time, Hunter transformed into a tremendous Wailord. Owen got on its back, and started for Teselia. They swept the ocean like a whirlwind. They overtook the mad waves before them, and the mad waves behind couldn't overtake them-until they came into the harbor by the castle of the king of Teselia, where he became a ship again. By Hunter's request, Owen decided to invite the king of Teselia to come down and taste some of the fine wines he had brought from Kalski."

"If he consents to come, he'll bring with him his beautiful daughter, Marla. Then it is up to you to win her heart if you can; and I'll quickly carry you both to Kalski." he explains as Hunter.

As himself, he continues "When the king of Teselia heard that the king of the Aiiro City's son was in the harbor, and wished him to come and taste his Kalskian wines, he came with all his court, among them his beautiful daughter, Marla, with whom Owen fell madly in love."

"Aw"s go up at this. "Owen treated them to a fine meal on board the ship, and gave them the choicest of the sweet wines of Kalski; and asked them to come as often as they wished." Brock continues. "He stayed in the harbor for three weeks, and the king and his court came often to chat with him, and drink the wines of Kalski. Every time they came, they brought the beautiful Marla, with whom Owen was able to get in a few words. Every time he saw her he loved her more and more."

He grins. "It helped that Marla was getting fonder and fonder of Owen-for he was a handsome and brave young man."

More "aw"s fill the room in agreement. "Finally, he persuaded her to come down to the ship one day with only her guardian lady, that they might take a cruise around the harbor." Brock intones. "But when Owen got them aboard, he set sail for Kalski."

He intones "Soon the news spread that Owen had carried off the king's beautiful daughter, and the king had his swiftest ships launched in pursuit. But though they sailed at their fastest, Owen's ship outran them all, and they were forced to return empty-handed."

He assures the antsy crowd "But Marla did not mind being carried away by someone like Owen, the prince of the Aiiro City."

He then concludes "So did Owen ever fulfill both charges? I will tell you the exciting conclusion next week!"

 

[LightningTopaz]

@Chimchar98; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 412e: The Legend of Owen, part 5

(real tale: The Hound of the Hill of Spears)

The crowd applauds as Brock arrives onstage. "When they reached Kalski, and got on dry land, Hunter sang..."

After pausing to sing Seios, higarima laisido... as Hunter, he continues as himself "...becoming a beautiful young lady, an exact copy of Marla, the daughter of the king of Teselia. As per Hunter's directions, Owen left the real Marla with her guardian in a cave on the shore, and took the transformed Hunter with him to the castle of the king of Kalski, and handed her over to the king, who was overjoyed, and gave Owen his freedom and the legendary shining steed, Epona."

Giggles go up at this. "Owen returned to the shore with Epona in tow, and waited with Marla until evening, when Hunter, having cast a sleeping spell on everyone in the castle and escaped, came trotting in his true form to the shore." Brock explains. "Hunter transformed into a ship again...

After singing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... as Hunter, he continues as himself "Owen got on board with the beautiful Princess Marla and her guardian, and the legendary shining steed, Epona, and went on the wind's wings to Fanyan. Having landed by the castle of the king of Fanyan, the ship turned into an exact copy of Epona."

He pauses to sing as Hunter Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... as Hunter before continuing as himself. "Owen, leaving the real Epona with Marla, by the shore, went to the castle with the transformed Hunter. Great was the joy of the king of Fanyan to get the legendary shining steed, Epona. He joyfully gave Owen his freedom and the Sword of Light. Owen returned to the shore, and waited with Marla and the real Epona, until Hunter, having cast a sleeping spell over the court of the king of Fanyan and escaped, came trotting down to them. Here he transformed himself into a ship again..."

He sings as Hunter again Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... before continuing as himself "...and Owen got on board with Princess Marla and her guard, the legendary shining steed, Epona, and the Sword of Light. They swept like the sunlight over the waters until they came to the coast of Sinoch-where they landed just by the castle of the great giant, who owned the Golden Pidgeot of Sinoch."

"Ooh"s go up as Brock continues "Hunter transformed himself into an exact copy of Sword of Light...

He pauses to sing as Hunter again Seios, higarima laisido.... before continuing as himself "Leaving the real sword with Epona and Marla on the shore, Owen took the transformed Hunter to the castle of the giant. When the giant appeared, Owen handed him the sword and asked for his freedom. This the giant joyfully gave him, and the Golden Pidgeot of Sinoch as a reward for his efforts. He was overjoyed to get the Sword of Light. Now, he said, he could destroy all his enemies, and be The Greatest Master of Them All."

He intones "Owen, with the Golden Pidgeot, went off to the shore and waited with his companions."

The lights dim a little to mimic nighttime. "In the middle of the night, the transformed Hunter, in the form of a sword, cut off the head of the giant--the terror of the entire realm--and then returned, in his true Arcanine form, to Owen and his companions." Brock continues as the lights start to brighten. "Then Owen, with Marla, the legendary shining steed, Epona, the Sword of Light, the Golden Pidgeot, and Hunter, set out for his father's castle."

He continues "When he came to his father's castle, he saw his stepmother standing on the topmost tower, with her face to the wind, living on what grains the wind blew to her, and drinking the rain that fell on her. When she saw Owen returning, and saw with him the Golden Pidgeot of Sinoch, which was perched on his shoulder, she let out a scream that rang three times round the world, fell from the tower, and was killed on the flags below, fulfilling both charges at the same time."

Nervous giggles go up at the stepmother's demise. "Owen's father joyfully ran to meet his son, and the gentlemen and ladies of the court danced with delight to welcome him-for they had missed their prince." Brock smiles. "And equally as warm was the welcome they, one and all, gave his beautiful Marla."

"Aw"s fill the air as Brock concludes "Owen and Marla were soon married, with Hunter in attendance. The wedding festivities, the greatest ever known, lasted for nine months and more; with the next day's festivities better than the day before."

The crowd roars as Brock takes a bow...

 

[Legacy]

Glad to see you’re still writing LT!
Keep up the great work.

 

[LightningTopaz]

@Legacy

Good to see you back!

I'll still keep on posting new tales (and re-done old favorites to account for new generations) for as long as I can (and as long as I can find some I can easily adapt to the Poke-verse).

 

[LightningTopaz]

@Chimchar98; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 413a: The Youngest Son (part 1)

(real tale: The Youngest of the Three)

"There was once a king who caught a terrible disease." Brock begins as he arrives onstage. "Many healers came from far and wide, but they found no cure."

Concerned murmurs waft through the audience, but Brock is quick to assure the crowd "Finally, one of the healers suggested..."

“There is only one remedy for our king." he explains in a mimic of Nurse Joy that makes some in the audience chuckle over how accurate it sounds. "There is a certain garden far away from here. In this garden there is a tree that bears shining Leppa Berries. As soon as the king eats one of these miracle Berries, he will be cured."

“But I have heard that giants guard that tree, and pick off the fruit as soon as it is ripe.” he protests in a mimic of Flint for the king

He interjects as himself to explain "Now, the king's three sons were there in the room. The eldest son said..."

“My lord and father! I will go and bring the miracle Leppa Berry for you." he announces in a mimic of Gary for the eldest son.

He continues as himself "After a long and perilous journey; he came to the miracle tree. But a sound sleep overpowered him that night. The giant came, and picked off the fruit. In the morning, the eldest son returned home to tell of his bad luck. The following year, the middle brother went on the quest, but the same thing happened to him. The third year the youngest of the three brothers--whose name was Brian--said to his father..."

“My lord and father! I will go and bring the miracle Berry.” he offers in a mimic of Ash--his favorite and preferred "hero" voice.

“How do you think you will succeed where your elder brothers failed?” he asks as the king.

He continues as he starts towards stage right "But Prince Brian begged until the king gave him permission to go."

Excited murmurs fill the air as a spotlight appears on a familiar prop bow and a quiver filled with 30 green fletched arrows at stage right. "Prince Brian took his bow..." Brock narrates as he slings the quiver on his back and takes the prop bow. "...and came to the tree. Before going to bed that night, he positioned his sword so it would gently poke him if he felt himself dozing off."

The lights dim on the stage to mimic nighttime, but they also reveal a humanoid target on the other end of the stage. "About midnight, a giant appeared and began to climb the tree." Brock explains, gesturing to the target. "Our hero took aim with his bow..."

The audience holds their breath as Brock prepares and then fires a shot for effect. When a thunk confirms a successful shot, they applaud a little. "...and got the giant in the leg." Brock grins, proudly gesturing to his shot embedded in his target's "leg". "Prince Brian climbed the tree, picked the miracle Leppa Berry, and brought it to his father."

More applause goes up as the lights go down, buying Brock time to set his archery gear aside. "Prince Brian told his father everything, and asked permission to pursue the giant." he explains as the lights come up again. "The giant had run away after being wounded, and Prince Brian wanted to be sure it wouldn't cause any more danger. The king said okay, on the condition his two older brothers also went with him. They found the giant's footprints, while led to the mouth of a yawning abyss. The eldest brother asked if he could be lowered into the pit. But about halfway down, he begged to be brought up, as it seemed to be unbearably hot in the pit."

Laughter ripples through the theater as the audience pictures the eldest prince freaking out. "Then the middle brother tried to go down, but was brought up moments later." Brock continues. Then it was Prince Brian's turn. Since he had a pure heart, the abyss did not burn. It was no colder than any other cave."

The lights dim and gain a blue sheen, as if Brock really is in a cave. "After exploring for a while, Prince Brian found a giant sleeping near a lady in gold." he explains. "She was sewing, and before her a shining Pikachu and a shining Meowth were playing in a golden basin. The maiden, seeing our hero, said to him..."

“Hero, what brings you to this forsaken place?” he asks in a mimic of Misty for the lady.

“Your love brought me here, milady.” he replies as Prince Brian.

“Leave this place, hero!" he gasps as the lady. "If the giant wakes up, he will tear you limb from limb!"

“I have come to battle him.” he vows as Prince Brian, spurring excited whispers to race down the rows.

“He sleeps for forty days, and he is only eight days in to his slumber." he explains as the lady. "You have thirty-two more days to wait before he will awaken. But if you don't want to wait that long, tickle his feet with this shining feather, and he will awaken.”

He looks out on the enthralled crowd. "How did our hero fare in this battle? What else awaited him in the underground world? I will tell you more next week!"

 

[LightningTopaz]

@Chimchar98; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 413b: The Youngest Son (part 2)

(real tale: The Youngest of the Three)

Excited whispers fill the auditorium as Brock arrives with a familiar prop bow and a quiver full of green fletched prop arrows, plus a prop sword in its sheath. "Prince Brian did as he was told, and the giant woke up with a jump!" he announces, picking up from where he left off the previous week.

“What a delicious breakfast this morning!” he smiles in a foreboding deep voice for the giant--one of his go-to "monster" voices.

“Get up, monster!” he calls in character as Brian. “Let us see whom fortune will favor—you or me.”

Brock next prepares his own arrow, narrating as himself all the while "They prepared their bows for an archery contest. The giant shot, but Prince Brian avoided the huge arrow. He took aim and shot the giant clear through the heart."

The audience watches in awe as Brock fires his shot at a target at the other end of the stage. Some applause goes up when a spotlight shows that Brock hit the target near the bullseye. "Leaving the body of the giant there, Prince Brian went a little farther." Brock narrates as he slings his gear on his back. "He saw another giant asleep with another beautiful lady in silver. She was sewing, and before her a shining Torchic and a shining Buizel were playing in a golden basin. The maiden, seeing our hero, said to him..."

"What brings you to this forsaken place?" he asks in a mimic of Dawn for the lady

“Your love brought me here.” he replies as Brian.

“Leave this place, hero! If the giant wakes up, he will tear you limb from limb!" he pleads as the silver lady.

“I have come to battle him.” he replies as Brian.

"All right--tickle his feet with a shining feather, and he will awaken." he explains as the silver lady.

Some applause goes up for Brock's vocal dexterity. "The giant woke with a jump as soon as he felt the feather. Brock continues as himself. "They fought a fierce battle, and this giant also was killed. Soon he saw a third giant asleep, nearby another beautiful maiden in crystal. She was sewing and before her a shining Arcanine and a shining Delphox were running a race in a crystal basin. As soon as our hero saw this maiden--whose name was Christine--he fell in love with her. Princess Christine also fell in love with Prince Brian in kind. She said to him..."

“Noble hero, how could you come here?” he asks in a mimic of Serena for the crystal lady.

“Your love brought me here, fair one." he replies as Brian.

“Be on your guard, hero! If the giant awakens, he will tear you limb from limb!" he warns as the crystal lady.

“I have come to fight him.” he smiles as Brian.

As himself, Brock continues "Like the others, the giant woke with a jump as soon as he felt the shining feather. Prince Brian noticed that this giant was wounded in his leg. He realized this was the giant that had tried to steal the miracle Leppa Berry before."

"Oh"s go up as Brock narrates. "So they battled, and this giant also shared the fate of the other two."

He waits for the applause to quiet before continuing "The three maidens told him that they were daughters of three princes. They had been captured by these giants, and forced to be their servants. They showed him their houses, their treasure, and everything belonging to the giants. Prince Brian took what he wished, and prepared three chests for the maidens."

Brock draw the ornate prop green sword for the audience to see. "He kept only a Stormcaller's Blade for himself."

After sheathing the sword and setting it at his side, Brock continues "Entering the stable, he found a normal Ponyta, a shining Ponyta, and a Galarian Ponyta. Princess Christine told Prince Brian to take the jewels hidden in their flaming tails. Prince Brian agreed, taking a ruby, a sapphire, and an emerald."

Excited whispers race through the auditorium, but Brock has other ideas "Then they came to the bottom of the abyss where our hero had descended, and found the rope still there. He, carefully tied the golden maiden, whose name was Orla, to the rope, and called to his brothers to bring her up. Then he brought up the middle maiden, whose name was Ariana, in the same way. But Princess Christine had a bad feeling about what the elder princes planned to do to Prince Brian."

"Listen closely--I fear the worst for you." he explains as Princess Christine. "If it is true that your brothers plan to leave you here, follow the shining path into the cave. Take this magic ring as a token of my love for you. Whatever you desire, invoke this ring and you will have it. If you need help, invoke the three jewels."

He grins at the excited audience. "What other wonders lay within the cave? How did Prince Brian escape and return to Christine's side? I will tell you more next week!"

 

[LightningTopaz]

@Chimchar98; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 413c: The Youngest Son (part 3)

(real tale: The Youngest of the Three)

"What Princess Christine feared came to pass." Brock explains as he arrives onstage. "The two elder brothers left Prince Brian behind."

Angry whispers waft down the rows as Brock continues "Prince Brian did as Princess Christine had said to do, and followed a path that glowed blue into the cave. He followed the path until he found a door."

Giggles go up as Brock knocks at the stage floor for effect. "The door opened, and an old woman let Prince Brian inside. She gave him a hot meal and a bed; but Prince Brian noticed no water was present at the table."

“Why is there no water here?” he asks as Prince Brian.

“There is only one fountain here, and it is guarded by a terrible Hydreigon." he explains in a gentle female voice for the old woman. "Every day a maiden of pure heart is cast to him to be devoured. If he is not appeased this way, he will not let the people take a drop of water. Now only one such maiden remains--Princess Deanna, the only daughter of the prince."

He continues as himself "About then, Prince Brian looked outside, and saw that a great crowd of people were leading along a beautiful maiden. He followed the crowd, then waited until they had left. It was a very long and drawn out battle, but Prince Brian emerged victorious!"

Cheers fill the auditorium at this. "With the Hydreigon dead, the people could take water as they wished." Brock smiles. "A few days later, Prince Brian noticed that there were no lights in the underground realm."

"Why is it so dark here?" he asks as Prince Brian again.

“There is a very large Braviary living upon the top of the north mountain." he explains as the old woman. "Every year she lays her eggs, but a Hydreigon eats them before they hatch. The Braviary believes humans are the cause, and so deprives us of light.”

He continues as himself "The next day, Prince Brian climbed the mountain until he came to the Braviary's nest. Taking refuge under a rock, he watched and waited. Soon a gigantic Hydreigon came creeping up toward the Rufflets. But before the Hydreigon could eat the Rufflets, Prince Brian zapped the Hydreigon with the Stormcaller's Blade."

Many in the audience jump at the green flash that comes from Brock's prop blade, as if the Hydreigon is there. "The mother Braviary saw the whole thing, and said to Prince Brian..."

"Thank you, brave hero, for saving my children. What do you want me to do as a reward for your heroic deed?” he asks in a mimic of Clair for the Braviary.

“All I ask is to return to the world of light." he replies as Prince Brian.

"Climb aboard, and hold on tight!" he smiles as the Braviary.

He interjects as himself "Prince Brian first said goodbye to the people of the caves. Then the Braviary carried Prince Brian back to the world of light. She let him off near his homeland, then returned to the world underground. Prince Brian disguised himself as a poor traveler, and made his way to the royal city. He learned that his two brothers were to marry Orla and Ariana, and Christine would marry the king. He went to the marketplace, and was hired as a Pokemon tamer."

He goes on "That very day, royal officials asked the master tamer to catch a shining Pikachu and a shining Meowth."

"Oh"s waft down the rows as some in the audience put two and two together. "The master tamer was concerned--he knew well that shining Pokemon were rare." Brock explains. "But Prince Brian assured his master..."

"If you'll trust me, I'll have a shining Pikachu and a shining Meowth for you." he smiles in character.

He continues as himself "The master tamer wasn't sure, but decided to trust Prince Brian. At dawn, Prince Brian took out of his pocket the magic sapphire ring Princess Christine had given him. He then sang the following..."

The auditorium listens in awe as Brock proceeds to sing the Swanna Song in character. Gatrandis favel, secret, edena...
Emusto ronzen fine el balaziis....
Katoradis favel siicletu edena...
Emusto koron zen fine, si...

Applause goes up for the timeless melody. "The sapphire glowed, and who should appear but the Jewel Pokemon, Diancie!" Brock grins.

“Ye have called, and I have come. What is it you desire?” he asks in a higher pitched version of Serena for Diancie.

“I need a shining Pikachu and a shining Meowth, please." he replies as Prince Brian.

As himself, Brock continues "Diancie conjured the two Pokemon, and departed in a whorl of diamonds. The master tamer was stunned that two shining Pokemon were before him. He immediately brought them to the castle. All were amazed an apprentice tamer was able to find two Shining Pokemon."

Excited murmurs fill the air. "A few days passed, and word spread that a grand tournament was going to be held." Brock continues. "Prince Brian decided to enter the tournament. So he first invoked the ruby..."

The audience watches as Brock sings in character Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul..., making a prop ruby glow for effect. "...and transformed into a knight in ruby red armor. Prince Brian won every event he competed in. Before long, the hero in red was all that the kingdom could talk about."

He assures the crowd "Princess Christine heard all the rumors. Deep down, she knew Prince Brian had returned--but she had to know for sure. So the next day she asked for a shiny Torchic and a shiny Buizel. Prince Brian procured these Pokemon too. He also made waves on the tournament's second day, clad in blue armor."

The crowd grows even more excited. "But Princess Christine needed definitive proof." Brock tells the crowd. "So on the third day, she asked for a shiny Arcanine and a shiny Delphox. Prince Brian procured these Pokemon too. He also won every event on the tournament's third day, clad in green."

He next reveals the twist in his tale. "But at the height of the festivities, he revealed himself to the crowd. He first told them that the ruby, sapphire, and emerald knights were one and the same. Then he told them who he was, what heroic deeds he had done, and what trials he had endured. The people grew angry when they heard what had happened to Prince Brian. They ran the king and the elder princes out of town, never to return again. Many more swore their loyalty to Prince Brian, and hailed him as the new king."

He concludes "He married his beloved Christine, and gave Orla and Ariana in marriage to two of his best friends. They all went on many more adventures together, but that is another story for another day!"

"Aw"s and applause fill the air as Brock takes a bow...

 

[LightningTopaz]

@Chimchar98; @Tophat Dragoneye; @Soulmaster;

Week 414: The Knight of the Swanna

(real tale: The Invisible Knight)

Applause and intrigued murmurs fill the auditorium as Brock arrives with a deck of cards in one hand. "Thank you...one easy way to get kids--and kids at heart--excited about a story is to bring it to life somehow." he explains. "So when I can't bring props, instruments, costumes, and stage weapons somewhere, I usually bring decks of cards to tell my tales."

Intrigued whispers waft down the rows as Brock shows the audience a card box labeled "The Knight of the Swanna". "But this deck of cards is a little different than the four suited deck you all know--did you know you can also get cards with five suits?"

"No"s and more excited chatter filled the air as Brock prepares one of his generic five suit decks as a demonstration. "A five suit deck has an extra suit--stars--and a few extra cards, which adds up to 75 cards instead of 52--80 cards if you count jokers."

"Wow"s filled the air as Brock deals a 1 of diamonds and a princess of spades on a table for his audience to see, with the stage's video screen showing those in the back what Brock is doing. "Most five suit decks will also have a proper 1 card in between the ace and the 2, and a princess card in between the jack and the queen." Brock explains, gesturing to the cards on the table. "This is a huge help in telling my tales, because I have enough card types to represent many common characters in a folktale."

After reassembling his demo deck, Brock retrieves a deck labeled "The Knight of the Swanna". "Since I've made a lot of story decks, I label each box with the story the deck is for so I can tell them apart." he explains as he prepares his deck.

Once the cards are ready, Brock deals the king of hearts on the table. "There was once a king who had an only son." he begins as he deals the jack of hearts by the king of hearts. "We'll call him Shane, okay?"

Light applause went up in approval of the hero's name. "Now, Prince Shane loved to travel." Brock explains. "So when he came of age, he asked his father to let him to go on a trip around the world. He hoped to see many beautiful and wondrous things, go on epic adventures, gain happiness, knowledge, and wisdom, and return a better person than before--but not necessarily in that order."

Giggles go up at Bock's quip. "His father said okay, and sent a servant with him to keep Prince Shane company on the road." Brock went on, dealing the jack of spades by the jack of hearts. "When all was ready, our hero bade his father farewell, and set off on his grand journey."

He next deals out the princess of stars and the ace of spades. "As he was on the road, he saw a beautiful Swanna being chased by a Braviary. He grabbed his bow, and with one shot, the Braviary fell dead at his feet."

With that, he flicks the three of stars--representing the arrow--at the ace of spades, knocking it away from the princess of stars. "The Swanna landed before Prince Shane, and said to him..."

In a mimic of Misty for the princess, he explains “Valiant Prince Shane, it is not a mere Swanna who thanks you for your rescue, but the daughter of the Invisible Knight, who, to escape the pursuit of the evil wizard Koschei, has transformed into a Swanna. My father will gladly help you in return for saving my life. Should you ever need his help, you only have to sing the song of the Swanna, and he will come."

He sets aside the princess of stars before continuing as himself. "With that, the Swanna flew away. Prince Shane watched her disappear over the treetops, and then continued his journey. He traveled on and on, over high mountains..."

Brock deals a ten of spades for effect. "...dark forests..."

He deals a ten of clubs to represent a forest. "hot deserts..." He deals a ten of diamonds for effect. "and more. Eventually, he came to a vast plain where all the greenery had been burnt to a crisp by the hot sun. There was not a single tree, bush or plant in sight. No bird sang, no insect hummed, no air stirred the stillness of this land of desolation."

The audience listens as Brock continues "It goes without saying Prince Shane was thirsty. After sending his servant on ahead, he soon found a well full of water." He deals a seven of stars to represent the well. "But there was no rope or bucket to draw it up. As our hero pondered what to do; his servant demanded that he be the prince and Prince Shane be the servant!"

"That's not nice!" a girl in the front protests.

"Prince Shane had no choice but to agree." Brock sighs. "Just to be sure Prince Shane meant what he said, the servant had Prince Shane put the terms in writing." He deals a six of spades to represent the servant's terms. "After swapping each other's clothes..." He replaces the jack of spades with the king of spades, and the jack of hearts with the red joker. "...they traveled on for a week."

After making a wall from some number cards on the table, Brock continues "They came at last to a large city, where they went straight to the royal palace. There the false prince dismissed his false servant to the stables, and presented himself before the king." He deals the king of diamonds on the table, and sets the king of spades before it.

“Your Majesty, I have come from afar come to ask the hand of your wise and beautiful daughter Princess Natalie, whose fame has reached my father’s court." he explains in a mimic of Gary for the servant. "In exchange, I offer our alliance, and if you refuse, I will declare war.”

“I will grant your request on one condition, that you deliver us from a large army that even now threatens to invade the city." he replies in a mimic of Flint for the king. "Do this, and my daughter is yours.”

As himself, he assures the audience "What neither the king nor the false prince knew was that Prince Shane had heard the whole thing." He holds up the red joker to prove his point.

After clearing off what cards he doesn't need, Brock goes on "That evening, Prince Shane put on his armor, mounted his Ponyta, and rode outside the city gates."

He nudges the red joker out of the "wall". "There he stopped and sang into the stars..."

He then sings in a mimic of Ash Gatrandis favel, secret, edena...
Emusto ronzen fine el balaziis...
Katoradis favel siicletu edena...
Emusto koron zen fine, si...

He interjects as himself "When the last 'si' had echoed into the starlight, a voice said to our hero..."

“Ye have called, hero, and I have come." he smiles in a gentle male voice for the Invisible Knight. "I will do anything you wish, now and forever, as thanks for saving my only daughter from the hands of the wizard Koschei.”

As himself, he continues "Prince Shane told the Invisible Knight everything, leaving nothing out. The Invisible Knight then sang the following:

He then sings as the Invisible Knight Epona, Epona, come out here by me!

Excited whispers fill the room as Brock deals the blue joker for the audience to see. "At that moment, a beautiful shining Ponyta appeared from a cloud of magical mist. Her mane and tail burned blue instead of red, and her fur shone like the silver moon. With the Invisible Knight alongside him, Prince Shane managed to handily defeat the enemy army."

Cheers go up at this. "It turned out Princess Natalie had seen the whole thing." Brock explains, showing the audience the princess of hearts. "But she feared no one would believe her if she told someone, so she kept quiet at first. But when the king celebrated the false prince's victory the next day, Princess Natalie couldn't stand it any longer. She walked up to our hero, who was waiting at the table with the other servants, took his arm, and told all present the truth."

“Everyone, this is the one who has saved our land from the enemy, and whom Arceus has decreed to be my husband." he explains in a mimic of Serena for Princess Natalie. "He to whom you pay these honors is an impostor and a fraud, who has robbed his master of name and rights. Last night I saw some miraculous feats; but first, have the traitor show the writing which proves that what I say is true."

He produces the six of spades before continuing as himself "When the false prince produced the note, it read 'The bearer of this document, the wicked servant of the real prince, will receive the punishment his crime deserves. Signed, Prince Shane'."

"Oh"s go up as Brock returns the jack of spades and jack of hearts. "The servant turned white as a Gastly. He threw himself at the king’s feet and begged for mercy."

He assures the audience as he sets aside the jack of spades "Luckily, the king was feeling merciful, and banished the servant, never to return to that land again."

He nudges the jack of hearts and princess of hearts together as he concludes "And so it was that Prince Shane married Princess Natalie. The wedding was so beautiful, it was talked about far and wide."

He interjects as he reassembles the deck "Prince Shane went on many more adventures with Epona and the Invisible Knight. But that is another story for another day!"

Applause fills the air as Brock pockets the deck and takes a bow...