Here we go with a new serial:

Pokemon: A Mage’s Tale

Episode 1: Once Upon an Adventure

“Okay, Happini…let’s see what sort of adventures your favorite singing hero will get into today.” a boy with brown hair and tan skin cooed to the small pink humanoid by his side. He reached for the TV remote sitting on the small table by the couch and turned on the TV, making the image of a boy similar in appearance to him walking through a forest playing a small harp blip on the screen.

“In the land of Thianon, a land proud of its oral tradition, wandering minstrels are commonplace.” the announcer explains over the relaxing melody. “But some of these minstrels have a unique gift–the ability to cast magic through their voice and instruments.” An image of a girl in a red costume singing as her song takes the form of red sparkles and flaming notes appears on the screen. “Such minstrels are known as Song Mages, and many use their power to further their art and their patron deity.” The next scene shows the firey notes slamming into a band of goblins before returning to the boy harpist in the forest again. “Arran Seluna is one such minstrel, and together with his friends, Loras Kimbore and Jelan Mirana, he wanders the land seeking out eight jewels that together, form the Song Mage’s most desired treasure–the Pendant of Crystal Auras.” As Arran’s two companions are mentioned, another boy, this one clad in a red tunic with a white shirt underneath, red leggings, reddish brown gloves on his hands and boots of a similar color on his feet, and a girl wearing a loose white tunic and a royal blue skirt with gold trim appear with him. “Can Arran find the pendant and unleash its power before evil descends on the land and threatens to destroy the music of Thianon forever?” An omnious stinger plays as an image of a pendant shaped like a multicolored circle appears with a horde of monsters in the background.

“Watching ‘The Song Mage Chronicles’ again, Brock?” a black haired boy asks as the show’s theme song begins.

“Yeah, Ash–I’ve never known Happini to like anime before, and she’s really getting into it, never mind that I have to answer questions and explain what happened every commercial.” Brock smiles. “I guess she mainly likes it for the characters and the music.” Sure enough, the humanoid creature has stars in her eyes as an angelic like being forms in a stream of green energy from Arran’s harp and strikes at some bug-like monsters.

A black haired girl peeks in the room. “Interesting show…what’s it about?”

“Happini, tell Dawn what the show’s about.” Brock smiles as the show’s title appears on the screen.

“Pini!” Happini replies. “Happini pini pi pi pini, pi pini pini pi!”

“A minstrel with magic power that has to save the world?” Dawn muses as she joins the boys in the room.

“Ash, Dawn, allow me to fill you in on what has happened so far in the story…” Brock whispers to his housemates as the day’s episode title appears on the screen: “If You Need Me, Just Whistle!”. “Arran serves the goddess of music, Karmina, and so when he awakened as a Song Mage, she enchanted not just his voice, but his harp too. She’s also the one that sent him, Loras, and Jelan on the whole quest to get the Pendant of Crystal Aura’s pieces. Jelan is an elementalist–the show’s term for a black mage–that likes playing and collecting flutes and flute-like instruments–and elementalists are often seen with magic whistles, so today’s the episode in which Jelan gets a whistle himself.”

“What about Loras?” Dawn wonders.

“She is a lightbringer–the show’s term for a white mage.” Brock explains. “In the show, she is depicted as a dancer, but in the original comic, she became a Song Mage to Karmina herself, playing a fiddle. Some writers in the fandom combine both versions of Loras.” He watches as Loras appears on the screen with food for the boys.

“So, how does Song Magic work?” Ash is interested.

“Well, if you just play something without saying the incantation, you won’t do anything.” Brock explains. “Naming what you’re going to cast isn’t required, but Arran usually does this.”

On screen, the green emblem of a harp wreathed in laurel leaves appears against a black screen before Arran appears before a purple starry background, holding his harp. “Icy wind, take flight through the stars! Snow Firefly!” With that, he begins a calm melody, which makes glowing balls of blue light with fairy like wings form in the sparkling blue energy, which then proceeds to freeze a bear-like monster.

“Arran could’ve just said ‘Icy wind, take flight through the stars’ and played something to cast the same spell.” Brock explains as the bear-monster tries to swat away the snow fireflies Arran is summoning.

“What would you do if you had power like Arran?” Ash wonders.

Brock is surprised at the question. “Well, it’d be…interesting. Besides, I don’t even know how to play a harp–at least not in a long time.” he confesses as the closing credits roll on the screen.

Happini pictures Brock with a harp and laughs as the three friends troop upstairs to a bedroom and set her down in a small white crib. “You think it’s funny?” Dawn smiles as she tucks Happini in for a nap.

“Sweet dreams, sweetheart.” Brock gives Happini a reassuring pat on the head and leaves her to sleep.

Ash yawns. “Now I’m in the mood to take a nap too…”

“Me too.” Dawn agrees as she sprawls out on the couch and dozes off. Ash returns with a book and settles in a chair to read, but barely gets past page 2 before nodding off. Brock sighs and makes himself comfortable in a second chair by the window overlooking the backyard. Just what WOULD it be like if I were Arran Seluna? he wonders as he too drifts to sleep.

For a while, all is quiet, then suddenly, a purple-white ball of light flies into the room. It dashes about for a moment, interested in the three dozing humans and the sleeping Pokemon upstairs. Then, it forms a bright flash of light, taking Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Happini with it.

In the world of Thianon…

“Where…am…I…” Brock groans as he comes to on a grassy hillside overlooking a large lake. At first, he looks around, interested in his new surroundings, “Funny…how did I get here? And how am I going to get back home?” He looks around, desperate for a boat, a Ponyta, or any other form of transportation to appear and take him home to Pallet Town, but only sees a rolling plain behind him, a few trees, and the lake.

“Pini pi!” Happini arrives some seconds later.

“Well, you’re here, at least…” Brock heaves a sigh of relief. “But where did Ash and Dawn get to?”

“Pini pi…” Happini sighs.

“I don’t know either, sweetheart.” Brock turns back towards the lake and yells to the rippling water. “Light the way to what I seek! Somebody! Anybody!” When no answer comes, he decides to vent his frustration in song. The water is wide, and I can’t cross o’er…and neither have I wings to fly…. His song is interrupted when suddenly, Ash and Dawn form before him in a flash of light, both of them clothed in familiar outfits–Ash in a red tunic with a white shirt underneath, red leggings, reddish brown gloves on his hands and boots of a similar color on his feet, and Dawn in a loose white tunic and a royal blue skirt with gold trim.

“Hapi?” Happini gasps in excitement. “Pini, ha pini pini!”

“You know where we are?” Brock is surprised. “What I want to know is how I managed to teleport Ash and Dawn with just my voice.”

“That is the power of Song Magic, Arran Seluna.” a soothing female voice replies. “You cast Revealing Aura with your song and brought your friends to you. Brock looks again to see who is speaking and notices an angel-like being clad in an outfit made of what looks liked colored musical symbols. “I am Karmina, Goddess of Music and Song, and I have an urgent quest for you and your friends.”

It finally dawns on Brock just what has happened–the odd light has transported him, his friends, and Happini into the world of “The Song Mage Chronicles”, only now he, Ash, and Dawn are playing the roles of Arran, Jelan, and Loras!

TO BE CONTINUED…