Based off of How the Wicked Tanuki was Punished, obviously, a Japanese folktale.
Characters: Tanuki (Weavile!Giovanni), Fox (Ninetales!Ariana), Son (Sneasel!Silver), Auction Master (Sun), Buyers (White and Lack-Two), Guard (Hugh)
There once stood a forest on a mountain, filled of plants and towering trees, soaked in the sun during the warm seasons, and cloaked in a veil of snow during the colder months.
But almost no wild thing ever roamed in it.
The people of the neighboring village now travel on its dirt paths for the search for wild foods and healing herbs, hearing nothing but the rustle of trees from the chilly wind, a reminder of mankind's simple but dangerous ability to bring upon destructive imbalance to anywhere they go.
And as you may ask, who were the wild roamers of this barren place?
Why, they were a Weavile, a Ninetales, and a Sneasel.
A family the three were, and very powerful too. The Weavile, Giovanni, and his mate, the Ninetales Ariana, had mastered their natural arts, with their Sneasel son, Silver, the most powerful of them all, holding knowledge both of Weavile's stealth and claw and a Ninetales' vast wisdom. With these abilities, they easily hide from hunters that ever treaded on their territory that is a clearing, and feasted off on roots and plants that grew around.
But as time went on, the family grew bored of eating plants, for in their hearts, they were predators.
Of course, everyone noticed each other's boredom, but didn't spoke up, until one day, Giovanni came up with a brilliant plan to solve the problem, and told it to his mate.
"How about we go to the human town and I pretend to be dead, while you disguise yourself as a woman?" he suggested. "They always have a sale every seven sun journeys, and only the one with the highest price gets it. We can make enough money to spend on meat for a good time."
Ariana smiled. "That sounds perfect. And after that, I can pretend to be dead and you sell me."
The Ninetales then covered an illusion on herself, seemingly appearing to be a statuesque woman with red hair and equally red eyes dressed in a yellow orange dress akin to her fur, while her mate laid down onto the ground, appearing to be limp and dead.
Using her powers, she lifted her mate, but to anyone who see her, she was carrying a dead Pokemon, and started her journey to the village.
After a trek through the forest, often stopped to keep the Weavile levitating, she arrived to the town, where there was an auction taking place on the stage seated in the crowded town center.
As she rushed over to the town center she saw in the distance a man in a blue coat, likely the auction master, holding a small staff with a purple orb close to his mouth while with his other arm was outstretched to the crowd.
"Well that was a great sell over that Z-Crystal!" he cried. "Anymore offerers?"
She stopped at the edge of the crowd, then cried, "I have something to sell!"
The man and some of the people turned towards her. Instantly, the crowd murmured on what the lady held. Weavile were very hard to see, with fur so wonderful to wear in the cold weather, beautiful red feathery fur that can be adorned on necklaces and headdresses, and claws that can be forged into merciless weapons. A truly good thing to buy.
"So...you have a dead Weavile to sell?" the man on the stage asked.
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Well that sure is great!" the announcer remarked, then gave her a wide smile. "Come up here Miss!"
The Ninetales nodded, and weaved through the crowd, dashed on the steps, and onto the center of the platform, making sure that Giovanni was still levitating the whole time. She then set the body down onto the table.
"So what price you will ask for?" the announcer asked to the crowd.
"115 dollars!" someone shouted.
"1,148 dollars!" another cried.
Soon, the crowd began yelling their prices, with the man waiting for Ariana, still in thought to make a confirmation for the sell.
Until finally, an offer caught the ear of the Ninetales.
"1,146,250!" the offerer cried.
Everyone went silent, and turned to the willing buyer, a seemingly friendly woman with curly brown hair, wearing a plain white dress and accompanied by a Mandibuzz.
"I will take that price," Ariana announced.
"Going once….going twice…."
Nobody spoke up.
"AND SOLD!" the auction master cried. "Now come up here and get your Weavile miss!"
The woman along with her Mandibuzz ran up to the stage, and handed the Ninetales her money. The Mandibuzz then grabbed the Lucario by the legs, and both left the stage and the crowd, heading south to town where their home was presumably was. Ariana then left soon after, going back to her clearing home.
The Weavile on the other hand, was brought to the woman's home, and placed in a corner, left alone soon after. When he was certain that the woman and her Pokemon were completely out of the house, he dashed over to the window.
"Thank the gods that I got sold," Giovanni thought, as he unlocked it. "Easier to climb then being on four legs all the time." When he finished his task, he opened the window, and leapt out, racing into the forest he lived.
After this, the family lived in great joy, finally able to taste the food that was deprived from them so long. But after a time, the meat ran out, and the two had to go back to the town for money again, this time, with Giovanni covered in an illusion of a tall human man with black hair and gray eyes dressed in a black trench coat, carrying his "dead" mate in his arm.
As it was before, they went to the auction, filled with many people hoping for a wonderful possession or just to see the spectacle of the event, and as was before, there were many willing buyers, for Ninetales were rare and valuable to have for the many wonderful things it can give.
But unlike before, an evil thought had taken hold of the plan.
"If Ariana dies, then I and Silver can have more meat for myself," the Weavile realized as the people continued shouting unsatisfactory prices. "Why hadn't I thought of that?"
With the wicked plan in his mind, he waited for a good price, until finally, an offer caught his ear.
"1,719,375 dollars," a loud voice calmly said over the cries.
Everyone went silent once more, and turned to the willing buyer, a stern looking man with messy light brown hair wearing a blue trenchcoat.
"I will take the price," Giovanni replied.
"Going once….going twice…." the announcer warned.
Nobody raised a voice.
"AND SOLD! Now come up here and get your new prize sir!" the auction master cried.
The buyer walked calmly up to the stage and to the table in its center, where Giovanni tapped on his shoulder and beckoned for him to come closer.
"What is it that you need?" the man asked.
The Weavile then moved his head closer to the man's ear. "This Ninetales is alive sir," he whispered. "Unless you want it to run away, you should kill it."
The man gave him a questioning expression, but nodded, and threw the Ninetales over his shoulder. When he went home, he stabbed the poor Pokemon in her heart, with the only thing she left behind were a now heartless mate and a son unaware of her fate.
"Hey Dad…." Silver asked, looking up from his small pile of berries and herbs. "Can I-"
"No," Giovanni replied with a glare, then continued to eat his meal that is a leg of a Tauros.
Silver held a sigh. He knew that it was useless to try to ask his father for a piece of the delicious leg. Ever since his mother went "missing", his father changed. No longer did he play with his son. No longer did he train him in battle. No longer did he gave his son a part of his meal. All he gave was constant indifference, which was fine for Silver. It gave him time to make sure the plan on how to avenge his mother's death work.
He went back to eating his meal, a bore as it was, but he knew it was necessary unless he wanted to die, and it was a good time to think over other plans.
"Maybe I should trip him over some sharp rocks…" he thought as he chewed on a Pecha Berry slowly, then shook his head. "He's too sharp eyed for that."
"How about poisoning his food?" He shook his head once more. "He has a strong sense of smell."
He continued to think of more plans, each rejected until he swallowed the last leaf from the pile. He stood up, and started his routinely walk to the north of the clearing, the chasm where a long, stone bridge stretched from the forest and its neighboring village to the other parts of the region.
Using the magic he learned from his mother, he sent out illusions of a Pidgey, his seers for those far. He watched as they scattered, then sat down on a rock, waiting for any progress in his plan.
Until finally, a surge of joy jolted through him him.
"Thank you gods!" he rejoiced, leaping from his seat. He quickly called back his illusions, and dashed back to the clearing. Of course, Giovanni, whose back was turned to the Sneasel, took no notice, as he was busy sharpening his claws on a flat stone.
Silver then took a deep breath, and rubbed his paws. "I can do this," he assured to himself, the leveled his eyes to the Pokemon's head.
"Dad, I'm a better illusionist than Mom," he said.
Giovanni turned from the flat stone, and raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure? I know how your illusions look like. They're either too pale to seem like they're alive, or they move very strangely."
"I am a better illusionist," Silver insisted. "Want to see?"
"I have no time for nonsense Silver," the Pokemon simply replied, and went back to sharpening his claws.
"I am better," the Sneasel continued.
It went for this like a while, until finally, Giovanni decided to settle it with a wager. "How about you go to the bridge up north and send out your best illusions? But either way, I can tell from real to fake. That sounds good?"
"I agree," Silver said, suppressing a smile.
"Now go," the older Pokemon ordered, and the Sneasel nodded, racing off immediately after as great joy coursed through him.
"Thank the gods I finally can do this!" he rejoiced once more as he sprinted towards the other side of the bridge. "Now to hide…."
He stopped when he reached solid ground, and looked around for a perfect hiding spot. His eyes then landed on a large tree covered in a thick green, leafy veil, and outstretching large arms.
"Thank you Xerneas!" he praised, then clambered up to the tree and hung onto a sturdy branch, making sure the leaves covered his body.
The loud trotting of Rapidash and the grinding of wheels grew louder and louder, as Silver watched his father walked slowly until he stopped right at the spot where land ends on his side, looking ahead.
"I see," Giovanni observed as a carriage pulled by two Rapidash surrounded by Zebstrika that carried armored men approached the bridge. "He made illusions of this. But he can't fool me."
The Weavile dashed forward to the carriage, his paws swiping the air in the intent of breaking through the "illusion." "I had won my wager Silver! You can never deceive me!"
But of course, to the humans, it seemed like it was a wild Pokemon about to attack.
They prepared their weapons, but one of them in the front of the Weavile roared in rage, then pointed at Giovanni with his saber, who stared at the blade with a gaping mouth.
"Spark!" he ordered to his mount.
Instantly, electrical energy crackle from the Zebstrika, and with one bound, it landed a kick on the confused Weavile's head.
The Pokemon fell hard on the stone ground, but before he can get back up, his adversary landed on him, instantly crushed and dead.
The man sheathed his saber then leaned downwards, and picked up the corpse. "Hy-yah!" he cried. The Zebstrika started its gallop again, allowing the carriage and its guards to continue on.
The whole time, Silver watched, and when it ended, he celebrated for the vengeance of his mother. When he was certain the humans were gone, he raced back home, and packed all his belongings and food. After that, the forest stood cold and empty, for its last resident has left to another place, where he would live in peace until he died.
115 dollars = About 1 US dollar
1,148 dollars = About 10 US dollars
1,146,250 dollars = About 10,000 US dollars
1,719,375 dollars = About 15,000 US dollars