This is yet another Pokemon story by my sister, The Great Immortal.
Please send any C& Cto her at her e-mail address,
dangermouse42@yahoo.com.  As always, I'll forward any messages I receive
to her as well.  This is actually my favorite fanfic that she's written
yet.  ^_^ 

Jennifer

jcaliff@nsai-petro.com       http://www.topher.net/~jcaliff/iserlohn.htm



Hello, my happy readers! Where does this story fit
into the Great Immortal's Universe, you ask? Well, it
fits quite snuggly before the beginning of "The
Lifting Darkness" and after the latest installment of
"A Day in the Life," yet still has absolutely nothing
to do with either, so if you haven't read them, don't
worry about it. ^_^ Enjoy!

"A Pok�mon Fairy Tale!"

By: The Great Immortal, DangerMouse

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, there lived a
beautiful prince whose name was Prince James (or
Kojiro-oji, depending on whom you asked). He was a
very fashionable prince - he knew all the right
people, went to all the right social functions, ate
all the right food, and so on. But, this beautiful
prince was sad. His parents always kept him locked up
in their tiny eight-story house with only three
hundred some odd rooms. All Prince James really wanted
was to run away from his home, give up his fortune,
spend his days running menial jobs for a crime
syndicate, and to rough it in the woods occasionally. 
However, his parents were adamant about him staying
put, so stay put he did. Still, every night he wished
on a star to be saved.

One night, Prince James had made his usual wish.
Expecting the usual response (i.e. nothing), he folded
his arms on the windowsill and rested his head in them
for a good, long cry. However, much to his
surprise, a bright light filled the room. Prince James
gasped and rushed to a corner as the light came
together in a ball and suddenly exploded. In its place
stood a slightly agitated young man. He was wearing
an atrocious outfit of brown pants, an orange shirt,
and a green vest. On top of the whole ensemble was a
pink, frilly apron covered in hearts that matched
perfectly the pink frilly handkerchief on his head.
His
back was graced with a set of gossamer wings, not
unlike something a butterfly would wear. In his hand
he held a smooth wooden rod tipped by a miniature
pok�ball.

"Who... who are you?" asked Prince James of the
fashionably challenged youth in his room.

"I am Brock, your Pok�fairy Princess." He glared
around the room for no apparent reason.

"You're a fairy?" asked Prince James.

"Pok�fairy!" corrected Brock, doom on his face.

"That's great!" exclaimed Prince James. "After all,"
he continued, looking at the audience and winking,
"you're not a real man until you have a fairy!"

Brock scowled and muttered something under his breath.

"Anyway," began the Pok�fairy Princess, "I am here to
help you with your problem. Quite frankly, we're
tired of hearing you complain."

"So you'll stand up to my parents and convince them to
let me go?" asked Prince James, clasping his
hands together, his eyes filling with sparkles.

"Heck no!" exclaimed the fairy - excuse me, POK�fairy.
"I've seen your parents. They're scary. No, I'm
going to find someone brave enough to do it instead."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" cheered Prince
James.

"Yeah, whatever," mumbled Brock as he slowly
disappeared.

"I really appreciate it, Fairy Boy!" called the
Prince. Any response Brock might have made was lost in
the sound effects of his exit, luckily allowing this
story to retain its "G" rating.

* * * * * *

Brock, the Pok�fairy Princess, searched far and wide
for anyone brave enough to stand up to Prince
James' parents. He considered a pok�mon slaver - I
mean trainer, with a bad Australian accent, a samurai
with an affinity for bugs - he even went so far as to
consider a few of the really sentient psychic
pok�mon, but none of them seemed worthy enough.
Pok�fairy Brock was about to give up all hope. He
flitted down into the woods and sat on a boulder near
a small pond. Suddenly, Brock was aware of
another person nearby. Rushing into the woods, he was
amazed at what he saw.

A handsome young woman, about Prince James' age, was
standing in a sheltered grove of trees. She was
practicing some moves with a sword. Next to her, a
sleepy Meowth was playing with a ball of string.
Brock drew his eyebrows together and squinted in
concentration. He knew this woman. Pulling out his
PeopleDex, he pointed it at her and waited for it to
register. The results confirmed his thoughts. He
rushed across the grove. This was just the person he
needed!

"Brave Fencer Musashi!" he called, running towards the
woman. The woman stopped in mid-swing of
her sword and looked at the boy. Internally, she made
a face. This boy couldn't dress!

"Actually, it's Jessie now," she replied, watching the
boy carefully. She didn't put down her sword.

"Really?" asked Brock, flipping through his PeopleDex
again.

"Really," affirmed Jessie. "It's a long story.
Basically, it's a culture thing. I could go on all
day, but..."

"Yes, yes, yes," replied Brock, hastily making the
correction. Putting the PeopleDex back, he walked up
to Jessie and put on a noble air. "I am Brock. I am
here to ask you to undertake a noble quest. But I
warn you," paused Brock for dramatic effect, "you will
face three very tough trials if you accept this
mission. Can you - "

"Why do trials always come in three?" interrupted
Jessie. Brock scowled at her for breaking "The
Moment."

"I don't know! Why do American idol groups always come
in fives? The point is, you will face three
trials so you can save Prince James. I will be with
you, in the far, far back, offering support and
useless
hints. You wanna do it or not?"

Jessie was thoughtful for a moment before asking,
"What do I get?"

"Oh, I don't know!" cried an exasperated Brock,
practically yelling. He was beginning to wonder if
promising to save Prince James was a bad idea.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

"You get Prince James," he said happily, nodding in
satisfaction. Jessie thought a moment more, then
shrugged.

"Okay." The woman put away her sword and turned to go
get her things. Halfway there, she stopped and
faced Brock. She had a quizzical look on her face.

"What are you anyway?" she asked.

"I'm a ~~~~~." The rest of the sentence was lost in
mumbles.

"What was that?" asked Jessie sweetly.

"A pok�farryprinceess..."

"Hmmmm?"

"A POK�FAIRY PRINCESS, ALL RIGHT?!?!?" yelled Brock,
breathing heavily.

"Ahh. Just wonderin', Fairy Boy."

"That's POK�fairy!" he corrected again, loudly.

"Whatever," smirked Jessie. She gathered her stuff and
walked off towards Prince James' mansion,
leaving Meowth to his string.

* * * * * *

"Oh, well this is nice..." remarked Jessie.

When they came to the edge of Prince James' family's
estate, they found it surrounded by thick vines
and spiny brambles. It was practically impassable.
Jessie stared at it a moment before shrugging. Hefting
her pack, she started to walk away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" cried Pok�fairy Brock,
flitting after her and grabbing her arm.

"Where else?" she replied, yanking out of his grip.
"Home. I can't get through that stuff."

"Ahh! But that is where I can help you!" exclaimed the
Pok�fairy Princess. He walked to the edge of the
barrier, did a little dance, waved the wand, and with
the crackling and creaking of branches, accompanied
by the screaming of wilderness animals, a path opened
up, leading straight to a meadow.

"Not bad, Fairy Boy," remarked Jessie on his
handiwork. She reached over to one of the brambles and
was surprised to see it was a rose bush. Taking one of
the beautiful, fragrant flowers, she tucked it into
her belt.

"That's POK�fairy and we're not done yet," said Brock.
"Walking along this path, you will come across
three meadows, each containing a trial you must face.

"Couldn't you have opened me a path away from these
meadows?" asked Jessie. "Surely this isn't the
only way to the estate." 

"No. Now the first trial is the easiest."

"Of course," remarked Jessie dryly.

"I believe," continued Brock, "that you are truly
worthy of the task of saving Prince James. However,
there is one other you must impress first. That is the
only hint I can give you. If you fail the first test,
you will be torn limb from limb by a ferocious beast."

"Pleasant," sighed Jessie. "How about number two?"

Brock nodded. "The second test is more difficult.
There you be facing an enemy so stupid, it is
inflicted
with the most terrible of advantages."

"What's that?" asked Jessie, slightly worried.

"That, I cannot tell you," lamented Brock. His eyes,
were they visible, would have had a dangerous glint
in them at this point. "Next is the final and most
terrible trial of all. It has been known to make grown
men weep, to claw at there own eyes, and beg for
swift, merciful deaths." Brock paused a moment. A
hush fell over the field as if everything was holding
their collective breaths. Brock breathed in slowly.

"Okie-Dokie! You're set! Have fun!" he said
enthusiastically, shoving Jessie towards the entrance.
Jessie smiled in anticipation. She loved a good slug
fest. From the sounds of these tests, it was going to
be some party.

* * * * * *

Jessie walked into the first meadow and found it
surprisingly pleasant. Wild flowers grew in abundance,
sweetening the air with their gentle perfume. Pidgies
were chirping, the sun was warm, and a nice breeze
was blowing. Jessie couldn't imagine anything sinister
inhabiting such a place. She walked briskly across
the meadow. Maybe whatever she was supposed to
encounter hadn't shown up for work today. Jessie
began whistling softly to herself.

I wasn't until she was halfway across the meadow that
she noticed The Change.

The breeze remained the same, the sun still shined,
but it was utterly and completely silent, save her own
breathing, whistling, and walking. Jessie felt fear
creep up her spine. Her walk broke into a run, but she
knew it was too late. Behind her, a beast of some kind
thundered along, closing the distance between
them in mere seconds. Jessie felt its weight as it
pounced on her back, felt its breathing on her neck as
she fell to the ground, felt it licking her ear as she
lay there, waiting for the killing blow.

Licking her ear? Jessie blinked and rolled over.
Sitting next to her was a very friendly Growlithe. It
barked at her and licked her face while she stared at
it, incredulous.

"You're the beast that's supposed to rip me limb from
limb?" she asked the Growlithe, who licked her
face again in return. It started panting and she saw
its sharp teeth. "Never mind," she said, scratching
its
head. "I believe it. You must be the one that
determines if I'm worthy. Did I win?"

The Growlithe barked at her and danced around her legs
as she stood up. "Guess so," she laughed, trying
to keep from being knocked over. She saw on the ground
the rose she had picked up earlier. It had been
knocked out of her belt when the pok�mon pounced her.
Picking it up, she wrapped it in a handkerchief
and tied it to the Growlithe's collar.

"Very pretty," said Jessie with a smile. She looked
up. "Well, it's getting late and I have a quest to
complete. See ya' around!" Jessie waved goodbye to the
Growlithe, who barked once more and darted
away. Jessie walked quickly on to the next meadow.

* * * * * *

Prince James stared solemnly out the window. He was
sad. He was bored. He was lonely. As if in
answer to his prayers, a pok�mon hopped into his room.

"Growly!" exclaimed the Prince, rushing over to hug
his pok�mon. "Growly, I never realized how dull it
was being a Damsel in Distress... OW! What the..."
Much to his surprise, Prince James found a rose tied
with a handkerchief to Growly's collar. That was what
had stabbed him. He carefully took it off of
Growly's collar to examine it more closely.

"Where did you get this?" he asked his pok�mon, but
Growly had already curled up in a ball and had
fallen asleep. Prince James put the rose in a vase by
his bed, mindful of the thorns. He held the
handkerchief up to his nose. It smelled of sweet
perfume. The prince glanced curiously at his pok�mon,
then, with a sigh, went back to sitting by the window.

* * * * * *

Jessie had barely taken two steps into the next meadow
when the second trial began. In front of her stood
a young boy. He had a haughty expression on his face
and grinned at her with a twisted smile. Standing
next to him was a pikachu. Lightning crackled around
the small rodent in an act of defiance.

"TEAM ROCKET!" yelled the boy suddenly, pointing
straight at Jessie. "YOU CAN'T HAVE MY PIKACHU!"

"CHUUU!!" echoed the mouse.

"Okay," said Jessie, preparing to walk around the boy.
"I'm on a much more important quest right now."
The boy looked at her in shock. He acted as though he
was trying to speak, but couldn't get the words
out.

"What could be more important than chasing my
pikachu?" he asked angrily. "That is your purpose! 
Your only reason for existing!"

"That all depends on who you ask," remarked Jessie
with a smile. "Besides, I'm going to get me a hunk
of blue hair bishonen, so I certainly don't have time
to mess with a little brat like you!"

"Why you..." growled the boy. "I, Ash Katchem, hereby
challenge you to a pok�mon battle!"

Jessie grinned and reached for her own pok�balls. "I
accept," she said evenly.

"NOOOOOOO!!"

Jessie spun around and saw Brock flitting towards her
at a very rapid pace. He looked extremely worried
and upset. 

"Why not?" asked Jessie.

"You can't win, Jessie!" cried Brock.

"And why not? He's young, inexperienced, stupid - he's
only been a bloody trainer for like three months!
There's no reason why I shouldn't win!"

"You won't, Jess," said the Pok�fairy sadly. "You
really can't."

"Huh," she scoffed. "I'll show you, Fairy Boy."
Reaching around, she grabbed her first pok�ball.

"Squirtle! I choose you!" exclaimed Ash. A small
turtle pok�mon appeared in the meadow, said it's name,
and prepared for attack.

"Okay," breathed Jessie, gearing up for the pitch.
"Pok�ball goooahhhh!" she screamed as she tripped
and fell flat on her face. Her pok�mon was never
released from its ball.

"Squirtle! Water gun attack!"

Jessie felt the water hit her as she flew back across
the meadow and slammed into a boulder that so
happened to be there. She sat on the ground dazed for
a minute before standing up groggily and rubbing
her back.

"YOU STUPID KID!" she yelled. "We're battling POK�MON!
I didn't even get to call mine out!"

"You snooze, you lose," replied Ash, tapping the brim
of his stupid hat.

"Grrr... LICKITUNG, GO!" yelled Jessie. Her pok�mon
stood on the field, dwarfing the squirtle. She
smiled brightly and pointed her finger at her pok�mon.

"Lickitung! I want you to disable that turt - "

Jessie never got to finish her command. Suddenly, a
herd of Grimers came slugging through the field,
trampling her pok�mon. She stared at her now fainted
pok�mon in shock. Jessie spun around and looked
at Brock square in the face. She grabbed the front of
his shirt and glared down into his eyes.

"What the HECK is going on!" she growled under her
breath. "I can't do anything without something
bizarre and random happening to prevent me from doing
what I was trying to do!"

Brock squirmed in her grip. "I told you!" he cried.
"You can't win! He's too powerful!"

"WHY IS HE POWERFUL?" she shouted. "HE'S SO STUPID IT
JUST -" Jessie stopped short and dropped Brock back on
the ground. She closed her eyes and put a hand over
her mouth. After a minute, she looked back at Brock,
meeting his eyes.

"It can't be. He doesn't..."

Brock only nodded solemnly. Jessie turned to look at
the smug pok�mon trainer wannabe across the meadow.

"Oh my God. He has..." she paused and swallowed hard
before answering.

"Dumb luck..."

END PART 1!!