SparklingBlue
Pokémon Trainer
- Location
- Questing through the Pokeworld
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Traveling Interlude 4: The Swindlers of the Stage
"Who knew that Tanooki Mario and Zigzagoon Mario were actually real?" Ash smiled as the group got back on the road again the next day. "I wonder what other famous characters from myth and legend we might meet on this trip?"
"We may meet a lot more, and the ancient theater troupes that bring them to life." Brock replied. "Have you two ever seen a Tawame play before?"
"Not really--but I'd love to one day!" Ash smiled. "Those acrobatic acts and fights I've seen in books look cool!"
"You NEED to see a Tawame play at least once in your life!" Misty raved. "I've lost how many times I went to the Suiren on field trips as a kid..."
"Well, if you ever wondered where they get their beautiful costumes from, we're coming up on Feather Town." Brock explained. "It has long been revered for making costumes for the ancient and modern Wakunese theater, thanks to the abundance of indigo plants and other coloring materials."
Then something occurred to Brock. "In fact, Feather Town's abundant indigo fields are how our league--the Indigo League--got its name."
He returned to the guidebook. "In addition to many resident theater companies putting on both ancient and modern plays, you can watch the costumes get made, try on genuine costumes for pictures, and see actual costumes on display in the Museum of the Theatrical Costume."
"Sounds cool!" Ash smiled as he petted Tintri.
[Wonder if they have Pokemon sized costumes we can see?] Tintri mused as he imagined himself on an ancient Wakunese stage of old, delivering a Thunderbolt to a massive Gyarados puppet.
"Only one way to find out!" Ash smiled before hurrying off down the road.
"Wait for us!" Misty and Brock were not far behind...
---------
"Wow..." Ash gasped as he, Misty, and Brock arrived in the town, where seemingly hundreds of portable stages had been set up. "So many stages..."
"That's because all the local troupes here are getting ready for the annual Costume Showcase." a girl with deep purple-black hair in a teal T-shirt and pale yellow shorts replied as she met the group at the town square. "My name's Tena--my family makes the costumes for the Souten Troupe in town."
"I'm Ash--and these two are my traveling companions--Misty and Brock." Ash explained as Misty and Brock waved hello. "...and my Pikachu, Tintri." he added as Tintri bounded on his shoulder.
"We were on our way to Vermilion, and had to stop by when we heard about this place's costume tradition." Misty explained.
"You won't be disappointed--you'll see a lot of talented actors, and equally beautiful costumes, during the Showcase." Tena assured Misty. "If you three need somewhere to spend the night, you can come stay at my house."
The group didn't notice Team Rocket in the indigo fields on the western outskirts of town, picking as much of the plants as they could find. "Why didn't we think of this before?" James mused. "If we use the local indigo to make our own costumes, we could bilk the actors into buying a cheap costume, and we keep the profits!"
"Don't remind me of what happened the last time we tried hording a town's local product..." Jessie shuddered at a memory of the group's attempted trap."
"Relax--I doubt da twoipes wouldn't be so dumb as to try trappin' us like Rattatas again." Meowth assured his human companions as he plopped some indigo leaves into a basket. "Dere...dat should be enough for us to make a rounda cheap costumes."
He noticed the group as they rounded the corner towards the large Museum of the Theatrical Costume, with Tena leading the way. "Looks like da twoipes are busy wit' a tour of town...let's get ta woik before dey know we're here!"
---------
"These are beautiful..." Misty smiled as she admired a blue and gold costume with swirling water designs hanging on a rack in Tena's weaving room later that night. "Is this for the Showcase, or one of the other plays the Souten troupe is doing?"
"That is Sapphire Dragon's costume for the play we are doing--'Eight Spirits' Journey to the Night Castle.'" Tena replied. "Those water designs were not easy to make!"
Ash was about to ask who the Eight Spirits were when the lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh yeah...the Eight Spirits of mythology! Is Ruby Phoenix's costume ready yet?"
"That's actually the one I am working on." Tena replied as she settled before a well loved loom set up with red and gold thread. "Once this is done, I'm doing Jade Beautifly's next."
"I don't think I know about 'Eight Spirits' Journey to the Night Castle'..." Misty admitted as she listened to Brock play a beautiful, soft melody on his guitar in time to the sound of the loom. "They say it has at least seven different versions---so how do you know which version's which?"
"Each version focuses on a different character, and some slight differences in the storyline." Brock explained, still improvising in D major to Tena working. "In order, the versions are Rainbow, Fire, Rain, Earth, Light, Wind, Moon, Snow, and Thunder. While each version of the play tells the same basic story, each one features moments and scenes that may be very different in another version, or may tell the story a slightly different way."
"No matter which version you see, it's an adventure you won't forget." Tena agreed as she looked over a row of stitches. "Maestro, some music please?"
Brock obliged with a mysterious melody punctuated with harmonics. "The show tells the story of White Taillow, a noble rogue that ends up with the map to Nobunaga's castle--known as the Night Castle--and plans to attack the Aiiro City after stealing them from Nobunaga's men while they are too busy carousing in a post station." Tena explained, bemused by Brock playing the traditional melody 'Sakura, Sakura' with harmonics. "Excited at her find, White Tallow runs into one of the Eight Spirits on the road--which one depends on the version of the play you see..."
"What about the Rainbow version?" Ash was intrigued.
"In the standard Rainbow version of the show, who White Taillow meets is random." Tena replied. "White Taillow then tells the Spirit about her find. The Spirit brings them to the Eight Spirits' secret hideaway, where they make plans to infiltrate the Night Castle, and foil Nobunaga's invasion before it ever starts."
"Sounds exciting!" Misty smiled as she watched Tena work, and Brock perform.
"Yeah...it would be so much fun to play Ruby Phoenix myself one day!" Ash agreed as he watched the sun set over the indigo fields...
"Who knew that Tanooki Mario and Zigzagoon Mario were actually real?" Ash smiled as the group got back on the road again the next day. "I wonder what other famous characters from myth and legend we might meet on this trip?"
"We may meet a lot more, and the ancient theater troupes that bring them to life." Brock replied. "Have you two ever seen a Tawame play before?"
"Not really--but I'd love to one day!" Ash smiled. "Those acrobatic acts and fights I've seen in books look cool!"
"You NEED to see a Tawame play at least once in your life!" Misty raved. "I've lost how many times I went to the Suiren on field trips as a kid..."
"Well, if you ever wondered where they get their beautiful costumes from, we're coming up on Feather Town." Brock explained. "It has long been revered for making costumes for the ancient and modern Wakunese theater, thanks to the abundance of indigo plants and other coloring materials."
Then something occurred to Brock. "In fact, Feather Town's abundant indigo fields are how our league--the Indigo League--got its name."
He returned to the guidebook. "In addition to many resident theater companies putting on both ancient and modern plays, you can watch the costumes get made, try on genuine costumes for pictures, and see actual costumes on display in the Museum of the Theatrical Costume."
"Sounds cool!" Ash smiled as he petted Tintri.
[Wonder if they have Pokemon sized costumes we can see?] Tintri mused as he imagined himself on an ancient Wakunese stage of old, delivering a Thunderbolt to a massive Gyarados puppet.
"Only one way to find out!" Ash smiled before hurrying off down the road.
"Wait for us!" Misty and Brock were not far behind...
---------
"Wow..." Ash gasped as he, Misty, and Brock arrived in the town, where seemingly hundreds of portable stages had been set up. "So many stages..."
"That's because all the local troupes here are getting ready for the annual Costume Showcase." a girl with deep purple-black hair in a teal T-shirt and pale yellow shorts replied as she met the group at the town square. "My name's Tena--my family makes the costumes for the Souten Troupe in town."
"I'm Ash--and these two are my traveling companions--Misty and Brock." Ash explained as Misty and Brock waved hello. "...and my Pikachu, Tintri." he added as Tintri bounded on his shoulder.
"We were on our way to Vermilion, and had to stop by when we heard about this place's costume tradition." Misty explained.
"You won't be disappointed--you'll see a lot of talented actors, and equally beautiful costumes, during the Showcase." Tena assured Misty. "If you three need somewhere to spend the night, you can come stay at my house."
The group didn't notice Team Rocket in the indigo fields on the western outskirts of town, picking as much of the plants as they could find. "Why didn't we think of this before?" James mused. "If we use the local indigo to make our own costumes, we could bilk the actors into buying a cheap costume, and we keep the profits!"
"Don't remind me of what happened the last time we tried hording a town's local product..." Jessie shuddered at a memory of the group's attempted trap."
"Relax--I doubt da twoipes wouldn't be so dumb as to try trappin' us like Rattatas again." Meowth assured his human companions as he plopped some indigo leaves into a basket. "Dere...dat should be enough for us to make a rounda cheap costumes."
He noticed the group as they rounded the corner towards the large Museum of the Theatrical Costume, with Tena leading the way. "Looks like da twoipes are busy wit' a tour of town...let's get ta woik before dey know we're here!"
---------
"These are beautiful..." Misty smiled as she admired a blue and gold costume with swirling water designs hanging on a rack in Tena's weaving room later that night. "Is this for the Showcase, or one of the other plays the Souten troupe is doing?"
"That is Sapphire Dragon's costume for the play we are doing--'Eight Spirits' Journey to the Night Castle.'" Tena replied. "Those water designs were not easy to make!"
Ash was about to ask who the Eight Spirits were when the lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh yeah...the Eight Spirits of mythology! Is Ruby Phoenix's costume ready yet?"
"That's actually the one I am working on." Tena replied as she settled before a well loved loom set up with red and gold thread. "Once this is done, I'm doing Jade Beautifly's next."
"I don't think I know about 'Eight Spirits' Journey to the Night Castle'..." Misty admitted as she listened to Brock play a beautiful, soft melody on his guitar in time to the sound of the loom. "They say it has at least seven different versions---so how do you know which version's which?"
"Each version focuses on a different character, and some slight differences in the storyline." Brock explained, still improvising in D major to Tena working. "In order, the versions are Rainbow, Fire, Rain, Earth, Light, Wind, Moon, Snow, and Thunder. While each version of the play tells the same basic story, each one features moments and scenes that may be very different in another version, or may tell the story a slightly different way."
"No matter which version you see, it's an adventure you won't forget." Tena agreed as she looked over a row of stitches. "Maestro, some music please?"
Brock obliged with a mysterious melody punctuated with harmonics. "The show tells the story of White Taillow, a noble rogue that ends up with the map to Nobunaga's castle--known as the Night Castle--and plans to attack the Aiiro City after stealing them from Nobunaga's men while they are too busy carousing in a post station." Tena explained, bemused by Brock playing the traditional melody 'Sakura, Sakura' with harmonics. "Excited at her find, White Tallow runs into one of the Eight Spirits on the road--which one depends on the version of the play you see..."
"What about the Rainbow version?" Ash was intrigued.
"In the standard Rainbow version of the show, who White Taillow meets is random." Tena replied. "White Taillow then tells the Spirit about her find. The Spirit brings them to the Eight Spirits' secret hideaway, where they make plans to infiltrate the Night Castle, and foil Nobunaga's invasion before it ever starts."
"Sounds exciting!" Misty smiled as she watched Tena work, and Brock perform.
"Yeah...it would be so much fun to play Ruby Phoenix myself one day!" Ash agreed as he watched the sun set over the indigo fields...