1.Ash's Story (Part 3: Hoenn)

Chapter 17

When we continued to walk on Route 11, we heard about the festival of the Millennium Comet, which will happen tomorrow night. We should have seen some tents and festivals in front of us, but in the end, we found an empty spot.

"Is this really where the festival is located?" Mark asks.

"Maybe we should search for it tomorrow." I frown as we decide to have some dinner and set up tents at the spot where we're standing.

During the night, Pikachu wakes up when he hears trucks from a distance. Then we also wake up, as the workers are starting to erect tents for the festival. A yellow pickup then parks on the side and a purple-haired man then comes out with a briefcase. He then takes a magician's stick and opens the briefcase. Pink balloons then magically come out of his briefcase, as he hit them with his stick. A woman then comes out with two fans and hits the balloons with them. Once all the balloons form a circle, they pop up, and a huge tent is slowly created by the magician.

We watch them doing this as the sun rises, and Mark says, "No way..."

"Yeah... the festival really is here..." Minami gasps.

As the opening ceremony was over, we decided to check out the various rides and attractions of the festival. As we move forward, we find a poster on the ground.

"So what is it?" Max asks.

"Hey, that's the magician we saw last night!" Mark says.

"If that's how 'The Great Butler' builds his tent, then we can't wait to see his show!" Alice says.

Then we decide to watch the show and it turns out to be even better than expected. Butler is the purple-haired magician and he puts his white hat on an empty table. After creating a flock of Swablu out of thin air he then slaps the hat with his stick, and when he takes off the hat, a Kirlia suddenly appears! Butler then calls on his Mightyena for another trick. Butler seals back Kirlia, puts a red cloth over it, then burns it off. Out of the smoke comes Diane, Butler's assistant, carrying a crystal.

"Wow... what a trick!" Mark says.

"Yeah, that was cool." Alice says.

Just then, glowing rays come out of the crystal, and then I hear a voice, "The stars are calling for me..."

Minami asks, "Brother, are you alright?"

"I... I guess I'm fine." I say, wondering whose voice is that.

"You are all too kind. For me, the real magic is when I hear your applause. Thank you very much! I am known as the Great Butler! And this is my assistant, Diane. I couldn't do the show without Mightyena and Kirlia!"

"I wish you were here... with me..." I hear that voice again, and it seems that it is coming from the crystal.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Now we will be picking some volunteers to help us with our next trick!" And just then, the spotlights are now on me and Max. "Now what about you two come to the stage and help us?"

Really? We are called, I can hear Alice saying, "Ash, you're so lucky."

"Yeah. That sure is a great chance." Minami adds.

When we get to the stage, the two clowns lead us to a box and then they tell us to go inside. "Now they are our fellow magicians, and they will escape the box before my Dusclops destroys it with Hyper Beam."

Butler summons Dusclops, which slowly approaches the box. I don't know what is going on outside since there aren't any holes for us to watch. And just when the countdown is about to end, both of us are fall through the floor and it turns out that we're on a moving platform and are transported to the other side of the tent.