Week 13 Story, The Mischievous Mightyena and the Rattatas

Before you start reading please check out the version on my other blog which will be updated! 

I am so excited for you to read my third story here for my portfolio. I cannot believe that I am going to go three for three on all my stories being Pokemon themed. For this entry I decided to retell a story from "More Jataka Tales" by Ellen C. Babbitt in 1922. More specifically of those tales I chose "The Tricky Wolf and the Rats ". I love these Jataka Tales because they are fun and exciting short stories that can be ready very easily along with some lessons to learn from. This like many others contains a story of deception where the tricky wolf tries to pull one over on the rats. I decided to initially alter the story by making a change up with the characters. Rather than a wolf I chose Mightyena who is the closest to a wolf of the Pokemon I looked at. The rats in the original text were all the same species. I changed it to where the regular rats were Rattatas (a mouse Pokemon). The King rat I also changed into a Raticate (another mouse Pokemon) I wanted the reader to be able to distinguish between the regular rats and the king more easily. Raticate is the evolved form of Rattata so it would only make sense that the Rattata's would listen to a Raticate. I hope you enjoy this story and thanks for reading!

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Mightyena

There once was a Raticate who  lived in the Viridian forest, and around a hundred Rattatas who looked to the Raticate as their king.

A Mischievous Mightyena saw this village made up of Rattatas. Mightyena then started mapping out a plan on how he could trap the Rattatas. He wanted to eat them all, but how was he going to get them trapped? Finally Migheyena devised a plan that was too perfect to fail! He went to a corner of Viridian forest near the home of the Rattatas and King Raticate. Then Mightyena waited until he saw one of the Rattatas coming. Then he stood up on his back two legs.

The Chief Raticate saw the Mightyena and asked, "Mightyena, why are you standing like that only on your hind legs?"

"Because I am got into a Pokemon battle earlier and now my back legs are hobbled," replied the Mischievous Mightyena. "It hurts me too much to try and stand or put any pressure on my front two legs."

King Raticate (right) and one of the Rattatas (left)

"I am sorry to hear that, but why are you keeping your mouth open Mighyena?" asked King Raticate.

"My mouth stays open because I am trying to  breathe in as much oxygen as possible.," said the Mighyena. "The air is the only thing that gives me life. I do not eat or drink so this is the only way that I can gather energy to live off of. I can not run or walk, so I am going to just stay here for now. I am just trying to survive and wait until my legs recover where I may run through the forest like I used to." When the Rattatas and King Raticate left the Mightyena began laying down.

Chief Raticate felt so bad for the Mighyena. The King went each night and morning with all the other Rattatas to check in with the Mightyena to see how he was doing. He as if he was not in good shape, but he did not complain his current circumstance.

Every time  the Rattatas and their King left the Mightyena caught and ate the last one. Then he licked his lips clean, and continued on as if nothing ever happened.

Every night the number of Rattatas at bedtime continually shrunk. Then they asked the Chief Raticate what was going on with all the missing Rattatas. The King was not sure, but he was suspicious that Mightyena had something to do with it.

Chief Raticate the next morning said, "You all go first this time as we visit Mightyena, but this time I will leave last."

They did as their King wished. Just as King Raticate began leaving last Mightyena leaped towards him. Unfortunately for Mightyena he was not quick enough. Chief Raticate managed to escape the Mightyena's attempt at his life.

"So you lied about the air feeding you? Rattatas is what you are actually eating. Everything that you said about your lame legs was nothing, but a life. You aren't going to be tricking any one else Mightyena," explained chief Rattata. The King sprang forward towards the Mightyena and used Super Fang on his neck. A critical hit! There was not a PokeCenter in sight to the Mischievous Mightyena finally fainted.

The Rattatas and King Raticate lived happily ever after in their home near Viridian forest.

Week 9, Story: The Greybriar House

Our story begins in 1903 with Dr. Blake from Miskatonic University in Arkham, Essex County, Massachusetts. Dr. Blake was assigned by his University to write an article to investigate the Old Greybriar House and the mystery around the murders that had occurred. It has been 10 years since the famous 1893 murder that occurred at the Old Greybriar House.  The story goes that a trespasser was found dead in the barn, a pitchfork driven through his skull. Nobody knows exactly what occurred that night, but they believe that Hiram Greybriar’s ghost did it. Dr. Blake took interest in this story as he is a skeptic of any supernatural activity and wanted to get to the bottom of what happened that night. It is 7 pm on a windy and rainy night and the crew has just arrived at the Old Greybriar House. “I guess this is it.” Says Dr. Blake. “The legendary Old Greybirar House, let’s see what all the drama is about.”

The Greybriar house

The house from the outside obviously shows its age, windows all shattered, paint color all washed away, cobwebs everywhere, overrun by weeds, and an overall eerie vibe given off. Dr. Blake pulls out his camera and begins to survey even more of the property. Blake sees a young man walking on the other side of the street from the house and decides to approach him. “Excuse me young man do you know anything about the murder that occurred here 10 years ago?” The boy with a shuttered look and a glazed look in his eyes responds with a clear short “Yes.” Dr. Blake with a concerned look asks, “Can you tell me anything you know about this house and what happened hear?” The boy slowly nods his head and then responds. “I used to live across the street from here. My older brother was dared by a couple of his classmates to try to spend the night at the Old Greybriar House. The house was thought to be abandoned after all the previous owner widow Hiram Greybriar committed suicide there after her husband had died in a car accident.

Scene of the car crash

Many other high school students had chickened out on the dare, because they thought the house was haunted. My brother wasn’t afraid though. The night was getting late, so all the other classmates went home after my brother had been in the house a while and seemed like he was fine. It was around 4 am when out of the complete silence of the night we heard a blood curdling scream. My family all rushed over to see what had happened only to find my older brothers was dead. There were no witnesses, no suspects, and no leads. The local police force had given up. They could not find any evidence of who caused my brother's death, but all the locals think it was the ghost of Hirm Greybriar who killed him.” Blake looking visibly concerned looks to the boy and says, “Thanks for the help son.” The boy replies, “Your welcome, I better get home it is getting late.” Blake goes back to looking around the house for evidence. He eyes back to the house at one of the windows and sees a shadowy figure. He sees what looks to be a shadowy figure. Blake squints to see what is behind the window.

Lightning strike

Suddenly, a loud crack of lightning strikes near the house. Blake surprised by how the close the storm was falls to the ground in fear. Blake looks back up to the window to see woman that looks almost floating. Blake out loud screams, “That can’t be!” Blake sees that is the ghost of Hrim Greybriar not just standing there but holding a pitchfork pointed up with another impaled head. Blake’s entire body trembles as it looks like he sees his own head impaled on the pitchfork. The lightning strikes again, Blake looks away from the light, then back to the window. The ghost is gone, but the on the window in blood is written, “Leave Dr. Blake!” Blake sees this and screams while sprinting back to his car. Blake drove like his life depended on it and never returned to the Greybriar house! The house is said to be still haunted by the Greybriar ghost and will kill any trespassers.

Week 10 Story: My childhood room

For my storytelling assignment I decided to go down memory lane and talk about what I can remember from my childhood room. I wrestled about what I should write about until I saw the suggestion of this idea and it was like a light bulb turned on. This was a fun project as I love nostalgia and going back remembering all the good from when I was little and growing up.

I was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. In my life I have lived in two houses. The first was in the very beginning of my life, I was a newborn until about two years old while we lived there. I do not have any memories of that room. When I close my eyes and think of my childhood room, I can picture it vividly.

When you walked into my room you would be struck by the theme of sports. The OU logo and crimson and cream where painted like a banner across the top of each wall. I had a twin bed with power rangers bedding and pillows. Above the bed was about 20 glow in the dark star stickers that were glued to the ceiling and are still there to this day. Every night I would fall asleep underneath the stars. Near the stars was an electric toy airplane that would zoom around my room and hypnotize me until I drifted off into a slumber.

There were two specific items that jumped immediately out to me when I thought started writing about this subject. I had this awesome NBA lamp, it had all 30 teams at the time pictured on it and the main part of the lamp under the light bulb was a basketball. I loved that lamp and hopefully will be able to buy another one day. The second item was this storage unit that I used for all of my toys which was shaped like a basketball. I wish I had a time machine where I could go back and just look around that room one more time. I still have the same room at my parents house, but with none of my fun childhood items. I wish we all didn't have to grow up so fast.

Week 5 Story: Team Rocket finally captures Pikachu

Come see this story and the rest of my portfolio for this course: https://sites.google.com/d/1Zs6KkLEAOA1JdoPBPIM4d_AjY3QT2dds/p/1JGM-gHJlL9adalaPoR1Lp3vSR1PxN52K/edit



Author's note: This idea took hours upon hours of me wracking my brain for an idea. I wanted to rewrite a story from the Ramanya because I enjoyed reading it and it was fresh on my mind. One of my favorite parts of the Ramanya was the story of the golden deer where Ravana finally is able to capture and take Sita away with him. I decided for another retelling of a story to change the characters to those from Pokemon and more specifically the anime/tv show that I grew up watching. I am pretty familiar with those characters because like many others I watched every episode when they aired on Saturday mornings and I felt like they could fit this story with their motives.

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It is a beautiful sunny day in the Kanto region. The sun is shinning there is not a cloud in the sky. Pidgeys fly gleefully through the air as Team Rocket's Jessie, James and Meowth try to device a plan to finally steal Ash Ketchum's Pikachu.

"How are we gonna get past that twerp kid and finally get that Pikachu?" asked James,

Meowth quickly responds, "Beats me! I'm all out of ideas. I think we should just give up."

"Aha! I've got it!" exclaims Jessie "If we can lure the kid away from Pikachu long enough we can take him. Without his trainer to protect him We'll get him for sure! I'll disguise myself to look like a Mr. Mime. Ash doesn't have a Mr. Mime yet and will be so focused on capturing it that hopefully he will leave Pikachu alone and ripe for the picking for us to swoop in!" shouted an excited Jessie.

"It is just crazy enough to work!" blurted out James.

Meowth interjects saying, "Lets get started!"

While all this is going on Ash Ketchum along with his beloved Pikachu and best friend Brock are walking through the forests unsuspecting of what is to come.

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"Ash I know you want to catch them all, but finding some Pokemon in the wild is about as likely as winning the lottery." Brock explains to Ash

"Pika Pika Pi!" shouts Pikachu.

"That's right Pikachu you tell him! Just because the odds are low doesn't mean we shouldn't try!" Ash says in agreement.

Jessie dressed up to look like a Mr. Mime peaks out from the bushes to try to get into Ash's peripheral vision.

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"Is that a Mr. Mime?!?!" Ash yells out in excitement.

Brock elatedly responds, "It sure is! Ash I guess you were right! Mr. Mime being encountered in this part of Kanto is like being struck by lightning! You better catch that one, you might never get another chance!"

"I've got him!" Jessie thinks to herself as she runs away in her disguise to try and lure Ash away.

"You get back here so I can catch you!" Ash yells as he chases the Mr. Mime into the dense forest.

From the top of a hill that oversees the forest and all this is occurring, Meowth and James watch things unfold through a pair of binoculars.

"We got rid of the kid, now what do we do about the friend so we can nab the Pikachu?" questions Meowth.

James responds, "Meowth this is your time to shine, go into the forest in the direction of where Jessie and the kid ran. Once you get there do your best impression of the kid yelling for help. The friend will get worried about him and leave the Pikachu to help find the kid."

"Got it!" Meowth says as he sprints towards his position.

"Help! I need help!" Meowth yelled in the Brock and Pikachu's direction in a spot on Ash impression.

Pikachu's ears perk up as he shouts "Pi Pika Pi!" to get Brock's attention.

"Pikachu don't worry, Ash is fine. If I know him he is probably overrating to nothing. He definitely has everything under control. He isn't in any danger." Brock says to try and calm down Pikachu.

Pikachu passionately belts out, "Pika Pi!" to try and persuade Brock to go after Ash.

"Fine have it your way! If you are really that worried I'll go after him. Just stay safe right here Pikachu. I'll be back with Ash as fast as I can." Brock says as he sprints into the dense forest to find Ash.

"We've got Pikachu right where we want him. Finally, the time to strike is now!" James excitedly thinks to himself as he runs down the hill towards Pikachu.

"I've got you now Pikachu! Your trainers are no where to be found. You are coming with me." James said as he approached the Pikachu.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu screamed loudly at James. Pikachu let off sparks from its cheeks in anticipation of using it's thunderbolt attack to fend off James.

"I am not going anywhere near that thing and getting electrocuted. How can I capture that rat some other way?" James thought to himself

"I've got it. Go Victreebel!" James shouted as he unleashed his Victreebel onto the grass between him and the angry Pikachu.

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"Victreebell open wide and capture that Pikachu in your mouth!" James commanded to his Pokemon.

Victreebel leaped towards the Pikachu and devoured the Pikachu in his mouth. The Pikachu was unable to move. James takes his Victreebel back to the Team Rocket air balloon. Jessie, James and Meowth all high five in extreme joy as they finally have done it. They finally captured Pikachu.

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Week 2 Story, The Sly Swanna and the Krabby

NOTICE: please explore my google site with the updated version of this story and many others that will be included in my portfolio for this class!


This story is takes inspiration from the Buddhist Jataka collection and in the ancient book of stories known as The Panchatantra. Here is a link to learn more about the Panchatantra tradition. The source material of this story comes fromThe Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse. I decided to change the characters to various Pokemon that look similar. I played a ton of Pokemon growing up and I thought it would be a neat twist to a fun story.










THE SLY SWANNA AND THE KRABBY



Magikarp: Image Source Link






Once upon a time a number of magikarp lived in a little pool. It was all very well while there was rain, but when summer came, and it began to be very hot, the water dried up and got lower and lower.


Now not far away there was a beautiful lake, always fresh and cool, for it lay under the shadow of great trees, and it was covered all over with waterlilies. And a swanna lived on this lake.


The swanna used to eat magikarp, when she could catch any, and one day, coming to the little pool, he saw all the fish gasping in it and thought of a neat trick.


“Dear magikarp,” said the swanna, “I am so sorry to see you cooped up in this hole. I know a beautiful lake close by, deep and fresh and cool, and if you like I will carry you there.”


The magikarp did not know what to make of this, because never since the world began had a swanna done a good turn to a magikarp. It was absurd to suppose that a swanna would help magikarp, as to think that a meowth would be kind to a ratatta.


So they said to the swanna, “We don’t believe you; what you want is to eat us.”


This was what the Swanna wanted, but she did not say so. “No!” said she; “I’m not so cruel! I have eaten a magikarp now and then” — she saw it was of no use denying that, because they knew she had — “but I have plenty of other food, and it hurts me to see you here. In this hot water you will all be boiled fish before long!”


“That’s true enough,” said the magikarp; “the water is hot.”


They persuaded an old magikarp with one eye to go and see. The swanna took the one-eyed magikarp in her beak and put him in the lake, and when the magikarp had seen that what the swanna said was true, the swanna carried the magikarp back to tell the others.



Swanna: Image Source Link





The old magikarp praised the lake. “It’s ever so big,” he said, “and deep and cool, just as the swanna said, and there are trees overshadowing it, and waterlilies are growing in the mud.” And he rolled up his one eye at the thought of it.


Then all the magikarp were eager to go. Every magikarp was anxious to remain no longer in the pool. They all begged the swanna to take them to this beautiful lake.


“One at a time!” said the swanna. “I have only one beak!” And she smiled to herself, for that beak was made to eat magikarp, not to carry them.


However, it was decided that as the one-eyed magikarp had trusted himself in the swanna's beak before he knew what the truth was, he certainly deserved to go first.


So the swanna took the one-eyed magikarp in his beak, and carried him over to the lake. But this time he did not drop the magikarp in; he laid him in the cleft of a tree, and pecked his one eye out with his beak; then he killed him, and ate him up, and dropped his bones at the foot of the tree.


Swanna came back for another. “Now then, who’s next?” asked the swanna. “Old One-eye is swimming happy as a king!” He picked up another magikarp, and served him like the first.


This continued for a few days until the pool was empty. The sly swanna had eaten every single one of the magikarp! She stood on the bank, peering into every hole, to see if there were any fish left. There was one, surely! No, it was a krabby. Never mind, she thought; all’s fish that comes to my net!



Krabby: Image Source Link






So he invited the kraby to come with him to the lake.


“How are you going to carry me?” asked the krabby.


“In my beak!” replied the swanna.


“You might drop me,” said the krabby.


“I promise I won’t drop you!” said the swanna.


The krabby had more sense than all the magikarp put together, and he did not believe in the swanna’s friendship at all. So he pretended to hesitate, and he said, "I’ll tell you what. I can hold on tighter with my claws than you can with your beak. I’ll come, but you must let me hold on to your neck with my claws. Then I shall feel safe.”


The swanna was so hungry that, without stopping to think, he agreed, and then the krabby got tight hold of his neck with his claws, and the swanna carried him towards the lake.


But after a while the krabby saw that he was being carried somewhere else, indeed to that tree where the swanna used to eat the magikarp.


“Swanna,” said he, “aren’t you going to put me in the lake?”


“Swanna, indeed!” said the Swanna; “Was I born to carry krabbys? No! Just look at that heap of bones under the tree! Those are the bones of the magikarp that used to live in your pool. I ate them, and I’m going to eat you!”


“Are you, though!” said the krabby, and gave the swanna’s neck a little nip.


Then the swanna saw what a fool he had been to let a krabby put a claw round his neck. He knew that the krabby could kill him.


“Dear krabby!” said she, with tears streaming from her eyes; “forgive me! I won’t kill you, only let me go!”


“Just put me in the lake, then,” said the krabby.


The swanna stepped down to the lakeside and laid the krabby down. And the krabby, as soon as he felt safe, nipped off the swanna’s head as if it had been cut with a knife


The sly swanna was killed and caught by his own trick. And the krabby lived happily in the beautiful lake for the rest of his life.