《Arceus' Glory: An Anthology of myths, legends, tales, and histories.》
Creation Myth and The War
An Anthology of Myths, Tales, Legends, and History of Arceus¡¯ Glory
By Dr. Damien Shiftry, Folklorist, Anthropologist, Historian, Leader of the Traveling Tales Guild Team (Rank A)(Retired)
Scribe: Melos Smeargle, Rear Striker of the Traveling Tales Guild Team (Rank A)(Retired) and his wise decision to use a pen and ink well as opposed to his tail, this time. (Yes, you must add that, what part of ¡°Every Word¡± went over your fluffy head?)[1]
In my many years of exploration with my wonderful team, we learned of many stories and their histories. We even made a few stories of our own but that is for another time (as many are rather unflattering *chuckles* if I do say so). I wish to have these tales written down for posterity, so that they are not lost in time as many such stories seem want to do. For this first tale, I suppose we shall begin at the beginning, (Ooh, I like that).
Creation stories differ from one town to another, as it seems details have been lost, changed, or simply misremembered over the thousands of retellings. While Arceus has occasionally come down and spoken with one chosen or another, the creation of the world is never discussed for obvious reasons. The version I wish to make record of is the one told to me by Mew himself, (at least the Mew I spoke to was a male incarnation this time. Mew¡¯s life cycle can be discussed later but for now). I will acknowledge that Mew is an unreliable narrator at best, but there are a few factors in this story that point me towards it having more truth than other stories the pink trickster has told, which will be addressed in the discussion portion. (Pink Devil more like but I¡¯ll never say that to their face).
Without further ado, the first tale is the Creation of Arceus¡¯ Glory.
When Arceus awoke[2] for the first time, all was darkness. Her first thought was to fill it with light, and light shone from her. Alas, the world was still dark, for nothing existed to be illuminated by her. Arceus floated in the formless dark, contemplating this. Her contemplations led her to a new thought. She was alone. Struck with this, she made companions.
She felt within her the need for balance, one side cannot be more than the other lest it all fall apart. So her creations came in pairs or triplets to maintain that balance. She felt the openness of the space around her, and Palkia was born to tie it all together. And she felt the passing of the uncountable seconds bearing their weight upon her, and created Dialga to rule that burden. They were there, lit up by her radiance. She smiled at her children and the three were happy for some time.
But the urge to create came upon Arceus once more, and thus gave the two children siblings. She took the life she felt from her children and made the Great Deer Xerneas. Then, feeling the imbalance made the Winged Death Yveltal. From there she made a world for her children to roam. Creating the Earth, and Groudon to rule it. The seas, and Kyogre to rule them, and in the skies, Rayquaza to watch over the two titans. Still she continued, her creations covering all aspects of her new world.
Arceus and her children were happy again for a time. But a new imbalance was felt, her own. She had been created alone, and despite all her children showering her with love she felt separate from them. None were her equal after all, holding but a fraction of her power. Over time, she realized what she needed. A partner, not a child but a true partner who could challenge her, be there for her, support her and her them. In a moment of (what she will later claim at least) desperation to ease her loneliness, she poured her power into a new creation.
Exactly half of her power was molded into forming her equal. From this, Giratina was formed. Though the traitor would wage war, they were happy. Together, they created the mortals. Starting with mud, Arceus had Xerneas breathe life into it, while Giratina had Yveltal grace it with the touch of mortality. This creature became the base from which all pokemon were formed. The creature now known as Ditto. The first mortal. Together, Arceus and Giratina molded pokemon after pokemon. Starting with Mew, giving them their unique powers as a test for what they wished to do, the limits that mortals could endure, the highest mortal. The first true pokemon.
And there was peace and rejoicing for a thousand years, known as the Era of Heaven.
(Arceus above that last bit makes me want to puke.) Now, before moving on there is a bit to unpack here, both in terms of the story, narrator, and what we can piece together from it all. Firstly, (or lastly? No let¡¯s keep it firstly) the ending, specifically the description of mew, is Mew¡¯s own flair. As powerful as he was and is, there are other mortal Pok¨¦mon of similar power. What is interesting is the mention of Ditto, a rather rare Pok¨¦monthat even to this day prefers remaining transformed as opposed to their natural look, like a zoroark¡¯s illusionary self. The why is personal and varied but that is neither here nor there for the moment.
The mention of ditto indicates that they were either the first Pok¨¦mon, or that they are not, in fact, Pok¨¦mon at all but a proto-mon. Mew¡¯s telling of the creation would have us believe the latter because he enjoys the self-given title of ¡°The First Pok¨¦mon¡± which many believe, yet this admission of ditto¡¯s existence before his own lends a certain amount of credence to the tale as a whole. Some parts may be muddled of course but it fits with many retellings of other regions My team and I have explored.
With a few notable exceptions. The first, (which hopefully Melos noted)[3] is that Arceus awoke ¡°For the first time¡± This is important as it hints that Arceus is not an infinite goddess, but more a created immortal creator. This, in turn lends credence to the belief that, while wise and loving like a good mother, is as flawed as any created being can become, flaws that may be magnified by her incredible power. The first of these flaws is even acknowledged (if twisted to be a ¡°non-flaw¡±) by the Church of the Empire is her Ego. Arceus as the creator simply knows best in her own eyes, but if she is imperfect so can her views and decisions. This ego, while not problematic in an infallible being, is potentially disastrous in someone of great authority. And Arceus is in a position of the highest authority.
The first hint of this is that she focuses the light to emanate from her and her alone. There is no mention of stars or the sun or even the moon in this or other stories. The first mention of this chronologically is during one small tale set during the Era of Heaven. How the sun and moon became how they are now we do not know, and while there are some stories, they hold little merit and many glaring issues. Secondly is Arceus¡¯ obsession with a perceived ¡°Balance¡± which lead to the creation of her mortal enemy Giratina in the first place is again a concerning attribute.
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The final bit of note is, in fact, the description of Giratina as Arceus¡¯ equal. Not simply in strength, other tales specify that but Mew does not. Instead, Mew emphasizes ¡°Her True Equal¡± the only other emphasis is on her own ¡°First True Pokemon¡± (Arceus it hurts my soul). This hints that Giratina was not some schemer as other tales portray him as, at least not at first. He was equal to Arceus in all things, including love perhaps, the desire to create most definitely as the nest story will show, and perhaps, equal in the potential of her wrath. Some stories I will share will come back to this but for now I leave you with this.
Arceus does love us, as her created children. But as a mother who dotes too much can smother a child so too can Arceus smother us by over bearing on our lives. This is why she keeps her distance from us most of the time, only coming over when we seek her. But we must also keep in mind her own failures when asking for help, and as with anything to use our own judgement. At the very least, we can understand that even our creator is imperfect, and I find comfort in that. (The archbishop didn¡¯t though. Ahh, nearly got lynched)
The second tale I need to pass upon my readers is The War, naturally. After the Era of Heaven came The War. It was the turning point of history, where the immortals removed themselves from the plains, the world was split in two and dungeons rose to prominence¡ And Humans were created, the inciting incident according to all historical records we have. Unlike the creation of the world, the war is not a story that has a hundred variations, but just one. There are many written accounts dated to The War, and they all say the same thing. This bothers me, as it only shows one viewpoint. That of a third party aligned with Arceus. This third party is unknown, and not the Pok¨¦mon. I will discuss this in more detail but I ask you, the reader, to not let this story wash over you passively. Truly read and wonder what might be missing as this retelling though complete in terms of what we have, feels almost forced. Or maybe I¡¯m seeing things. This is the simplified version taught to early school children.
Giratina, equal to Arceus herself, created man. This is an undeniable fact, for Giratina proudly claimed humans as his creations. Arceus was furious. For she had heard Giratina¡¯s ideas for humans, the path they could lead her world. She refused, and Giratina betrayed her, making humans from a ditto, casting away Arceus¡¯ blessings and granting his own boon of ingenuity and cunning. For a time he hid his creations but soon, they engaged with the children of Arceus and She found out.
Arceus demanded humans wiped from her world, but humans were smart, tenacious, and multiplied fast enough to prevent the purge. Giratina abetted his creations, a second betrayal, and soon it came to war. Pokemon, mortal and not alike stood with Arceus. The only exceptions being Jirachi, who granted the wishes of humans, The three sisters of wisdom, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf who taught humans to use their knowledge to the fullest, and Darkrai, master of dreams. For this, they were cursed. Jirachi was thrown beneath a mountain, buried in the earth forever more. Only those who can brave the dangers of the dungeon can have their wish granted.
And Darkrai, having seen the dreams of humans and pitying them, was given a lighter sentence. He was stripped of his title, no longer the master of dreams but a Lord of Nightmares. None may sleep peacefully in his presence for his very existence brings forth the images of fear and death in the minds of pokemon.
The pokemon mortals who dared betray their mother were similarly cursed, their types changed to create the first poison and dark types, as a reminder of their poisonous and darkness filled hearts.
Many were slain in this war, this war with no winner. Giratina may have lost but Arceus did not win. In the end she, with all her might and glory, could not wipe her world clean of humanity. So she split them. One world for her children, the other for humans. To hold these worlds apart she created 3 anchors, submerged in 3 lakes, hidden within 3 dungeons. One in a vast forest, one in the deepest caverns and one a top the highest peaks. Finally, the last traitors, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, where separated, each guarding one anchor. Trapped in their lakes forevermore.
And Giratina? He was sent to the space between worlds. A place where meaning is lost, the laws of nature are no more rigid than water in a stream and the only light coming from the glimpses of the worlds that he will never, ever, be a part of again. Known forever as the Traitorous King of Distortion, Giratina.
And that¡¯s it. Oh, there are many battles recorded and a list of sieges and heroes and what not. But surely you asked yourself, why would humanity warrant such an extreme response? In fact, humans have been summoned several times to deal with catastrophes that pokemon simply do not have the brain power to figure out. I met one once, when I was a child. A human brought over to foil a nasty plot to destabilize the empire and bring a devastating war visited my hometown. He was a decent chap, the reason I wanted to be an academic. I wanted to be as observant as he was¡ (I must share his story at some point). But back to my point, the deed had been done, why the purge? There is no answer beyond, Giratina betrayed arceus.
This is another issue I hold with the official version of The War, and another reason I reside in the guildlands and not the empire. Giratina, to be blunt, did not betray Arceus. He went behind her back to be sure, disobeyed her. But Giratina is not ¡°Arceus¡¯ Child¡± in that sense, he is her equal. A partner. Not someone inherently beholden to your whims. If a reason was given as to why humans could not be created that would be one thing but no reason is given, and I wonder if a reason was given to Giratina. I do acknowledge the horros humans wrought upon the world during The War. Their strategies were powerful and cutthroat. Admirably brazen and despicably honorless. That being said, they were fighting for their lives and the lives of their entire race.
I would be remiss in also acknowledging that Jirachi, despite the severity of their punishment, deserved it. He granted horrible wishes less to support humans and more to hurt Arceus. This he stated himself. (Jirachi chapter? Mmm, I¡¯ll think about it). Darkrai though, he is a kind soul and deserves better than eternity as a pariah. As for the split in worlds, I ask again why? Why was this the best option as opposed to say¡ another continent? Would have been easier and you could have trapped the sisters in just as isolated environments. Distortion already existed even before the world was split so that¡¯s not the reason either.
I¡¯ve met very few people who take this view seriously, most just shrug and say that the reasons were lost to time, or that Arceus knows something we don¡¯t. Alas, they could be right, but if that is the case why doesn¡¯t she inform us? Arceus may have the right by power of withholding the information but doing so only makes one wonder why she would. The most probable reason is that her reasons are unflattering. Or maybe the truth is so horrible it would hang over our heads for the rest of our mortal lives. Whatever the truth, what remains is something that no other myth, legend or historical account has. Complete agreement on the facts, and that is highly suspect.
[1] If you insist, leaf for brains.
[2] Most stories tell of Arceus ¡°Awakening¡± hinting that she herself is a created being, but no information of this unknown creator has been uncovered
[3] I did, have some faith
Downfall of the Lilly Clan Compound, a warning against Isolationism.
Perhaps a slightly longer story is in order. (hmm¡ what say you Melos?[1] Perhaps the Lilly Commune. Yes.) A bit of background information, the Lilly Commune was an isolationist Zangoose community, a fortress really. Zangoose are culturally wary of other species and have tended to create separate communities scattered around Arceus¡¯ Glory. The Lilly Commune being the worst of the bunch. They spoke to no one, traded nothing, and only left the walls to hunt and drive away ¡°Trespassers¡±. I have my own opinions about isolationism but that is not the worst of it I¡¯m afraid.
The Lilly Commune apparently had a specific taste of entertainment, gladiatorial combat. They were careful, only grabbing the uncollared to avoid suspicion. They would capture pokemon and pit them against each other in a fight to the death. Their favorite fighters being their hated enemies, sevipers. This, fittingly enough, would lead to their downfall. We have little knowledge about the inner workings of the Commune as they kept very little on paper, and the only written account is of one of their victims. Specifically, a confessionary diary written by one Seviper Lillykiller. I¡¯m sure that surname makes it clear who this pokemon is and why his diary is of such historical value.
Lillykiller was one of these gladiators, but a special one. He was not captured from the forest, but born in captivity. His mother was abused by her captors and bore an egg. The egg was then raised to be a ¡°Champion.¡± The favored of the arena. Raised from birth to do one thing, kill. Not hunt, not fight, kill and kill to entertain his captors. Even joining the guild his teammates could see the effect of that. His team leader Taver Toucannon noted, ¡°Watching Seviper work is beautiful, and terrifying. I often had to remind my team to focus on their fights. Sometimes Seviper¡¯s victories would drive off whatever creatures remained; such was his skill.¡±
Lillykiller would later become a solo-adventurer to great success. While his life could fill an entire book in and of itself, we will only be touching in the downfall of the Lilly Compound from Lillykiller¡¯s perspective.
Warning, the following contains graphic descriptions of abuse, death, gore, and suicidal thoughts. If these upset you please do not continue.[2]
Excerpt from the personal diaries of Seviper Lillykiller. Released by Dr. Kira Drowzee.
I don¡¯t want to write this. I really don¡¯t. Just thinking about it hurts, even years after the fact. But I have to, for Ava.[3]
That day started like the others, Mr. Feeder came in with my breakfast and we talked. I told him all about my last fight, and he told me about the mountains again. I had a fascination with mountains at the time. I couldn¡¯t really picture something so tall as above the clouds, but Mr. Feeder had been there. I also made it to a mountain once, it was just like he said. Beautiful, the forest sprawling and the dark spots of the clouds drifting like great flying beasts.
I noticed that something was wrong but didn¡¯t say anything, wrong questions were punished. I figured it was because this was my 500th battle. I would be free after I won according to the promise of the Matriarch[4]. I was excited, I would be able to walk outside. Mr. Feeder left to feed the others and I dreamt about finding a mountain and reaching the top. Then Mr. Feeder came again, which surprised me. He only came once a day with breakfast. He told me he would be leading me to the arena today. I was excited. I¡¯m a damn good fighter and Mr. Feeder never watched me fight before. I realized I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell him about it when I won so I didn¡¯t question it.
Then we were in the arena. I saw the seats filled to the brim, for my last fight. I smiled and waved, they cheered as always, laughing. I didn¡¯t realize that they knew. They fucking knew and were laughing at my smiling face. I waited through the Matriarch¡¯s speech, talking about me, how I would be free if I won. Then the crowd booed. That wasn¡¯t right, I thought. The crowd always cheers. She then waved her arms and my challenger was revealed.
I looked to the other side of the arena, and saw Mr. Feeder, holding a spear[5]. He had no armor like the other Zangoose I had fought, just the spear. I was so confused at this point I didn¡¯t realize he was walking towards me until the spear was thrust at my face. I dodged, barely. My body quaking, mind on fire wondering why Mr. Feeder was attacking me. He was my friend, he told me stories, held me after the guards used me letting me cry into his shoulder. He was the only friend I had in this loveless place, and in a moment of clarity I realize it was a lie.
A sinister lie as a last resort. A safeguard against this exact scenario where I grew too strong, too close to freedom. It hurt so much. It still hurts so much. I don¡¯t really remember thinking after that. I simply acted in pain and hurt. I coiled up and shoved my blade into the ground. I was crying but I didn¡¯t make a sound. Some thought about him not deserving my tears. I stared at the dirt, not looking at him.
Maybe I could have found it in me to kill him, but I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t. I realize now I was trying to deny them spectacle, but that motive wasn¡¯t put into words in my mind.
I didn¡¯t look at him even as I saw his feet approach. I waited for the spear to hit me, my short, little life flashing before my eyes[6] and I realize that I would never know what lay beyond the arena and my cage. I also realized that I didn¡¯t care, not if the rest of the world was like this. In that final moment I felt so completely empty that I welcomed the spear. It never came. I saw it stab the ground and Mr. Feeder walked away. He shouted something I couldn¡¯t hear, my thoughts so far away it took hypnotism to remember. ¡°I cannot kill my own blood.¡±
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Even now I think back, to the times he comforted me, spoke with me, spent in silence with me. I can only imagine that he was simply one of the many who took my mother, but he claimed me that day. Suddenly I was back, the emptiness still there but something else was there with it. Something I cannot put into words because that feeling was taken just as quickly as it appeared when several spears pierced his chest.
He didn¡¯t move, or scream. I think he was also denying the crowd but I can¡¯t be sure. I hope that was it and not shock. He looked back, our eyes met even as he coughed up blood. He smiled and a guard sliced his head off with his claws. It rolled to my left; face pointed away. I screamed then. I demanded it all to stop, to slow down why was it all happening so damn fast. Then next thing I know I was tearing out the guts of a third guard. I wish I could claim to have blacked out again as more came but I did not. I already decided that I would die only after taking every single mon here down with me.
I started with the guards, spinning between their moves as I always did. Curving my body, swaying in time with the rhythm of battle. Head, leg, stomach, heart, arm, neck, each move killed. The guards stopped coming all at once and I didn¡¯t so much as blink before moving on to the crowd. I took one female and thrust my blade into her guts, spilling intestines and a full womb. I sliced into it also as she screamed. I went for a male next, his leg severed and lungs punctured. That¡¯s how I remember it really. Male, Female, Child, Arms, and Legs all of it from one second to the next was passed by and paid for with blood.
I left the arena for the first time and saw the fleeing Matriarch. She was my next target of course. The only thing I remember from her was calling to seal the gates so that I couldn¡¯t escape. Mon kept getting in my way. I would kill her, her children, her followers, every single creature in this place until I put down. I chased her, bodies in my wake. When she made it to a structure she turned and faced me with her guard. They didn¡¯t last long. And when we were face to face I didn¡¯t so much as allow a single word come out of that lying mouth of hers.
Throat slit I paused my war to watch her bleed out, slowly as she tried to crawl away. I only moved on when she finally stopped moving. Again, the rhythm began. I went house to house, searching every room, checking every nook and cranny. Males holding their mates. Females holding their children. Kids hiding in alleys and cupboards. I did not stop. Every noise was just blood to be spilled. Every gasp a throat to be slit. Every sob must be silenced. Blood painted the compound red.
I can see their faces even now. I young one I found hiding in an empty tub, female, scared, begging for her daddy. I split her skull. Blood mixed with brains in the empty tub and I moved on. A male with no mate held his son, begging me to spare his child. I did not. I speared him through the chest with my tail, reaching the son behind him and killing them both. I waited for the lucky shot. The final blow. I had wounds from head to blade and I was so tired. Surely one of these bastards would kill me. Please. Just kill me. Don¡¯t you want to live? Apparently not.
I slew one last female, realized I was in the center of the compound and heard only silence. I waited for the claw to drop. For the last mon to reveal themselves and end me, for my wounds to take me. But they were flesh wounds. I would recover, I would live on. Then I saw the woman¡¯s eggs and something in me broke. I blacked out then, stupidly enough I don¡¯t remember leaving the compound in some sick twist of fate. I can remember every face of every life I took that day but I don¡¯t remember doing the one decent thing I did with my life. 2 eggs in a basket, covered in hay around my neck. Ava and Emmy. I took them
I am sorry, Ava, for ending it short today but I can¡¯t do more. Ava, I want you to know that I still love you. You have been my guiding light for all these years. The one thing that I am truly proud of in this world. My time in the arena is blanketed in shame. My achievements of the guild are empty compared to you. I will never stop loving you. And if you cannot forgive me, I understand. It changes nothing. Never forget that it changes nothing.
The crimes of the Lilly Compound were many. Since the revelations there are strict rules for all such compounds including mandatory trade agreements and regular visits from guild representatives to ensure compliance with the laws of civility.
I want to point out a few things here. Firstly, I want to explain that this is one retelling in this diary. This day is retold with different details not touched on as Lillykiller works through this. Secondly, Lillykiller was officially pardoned of his crimes by Guildmaster Willow Toxicroak, citing extenuating circumstance. Finally, I want to say that though Seviper Lillykiller is now dead he lived a very fulfilling life recorded in his diaries that were made public by his request upon his death. I add his story here only to examine the dangers of isolationism.
Isolationism is inherently dangerous, for both the people isolated and the world at large. The primary danger is the warping of civil norms. The Lilly compound had been isolated from the outside for so long that their moral character suffered greatly. Ideas of superiority, and moral relativism became rampant. If you were a part of them, you were above everyone else. Us vs Them in its absolute worst form. This lead to morals being dependent on the people involved. Rape was bad if you did it to a clan mate. But it was fine done to a non-clan mate. This happens every time a group practices complete isolationism without fail.
The secondary danger is the direct danger to anyone nearby. If the non-clan mates are not people why not invade? Why not kidnap them and put them into an arena for our entertainment. Why not raise a kid to be a killing machine? Thankfully this led to self-destruction and not a war. The last thing the Guild needs is an internal war with the empire breathing down our necks.
Isolationism in its purest sense has been banned thankfully, but if the dangers are forgotten I fear what may come in the future. The guilds were lucky that Lillykiller had a somewhat solid character for a seviper. Imagine if someone so skilled in death became an enemy of the guilds. It is a terrifying thought. I pray to Arceus it never happens.
[1] He didn¡¯t listen at all
[2] Seriously, this shit is fucked up.
[3] Ava is Lillykiller¡¯s adopted daughter, the only survivor of the Lilly compound.
[4] Zangoose compounds always run by a head female called a Matriarch.
[5] Zangoose compounds used weapons against poor type matchups to supplement their weakness. Few pokemon use weapons as it is considered a sign of personal weakness
[6] Lillykiller was estimated to be between 16-19 winters at the time.
The scolipede and the seviper
As we know, the unfortunate reality of the world is that not everyone can rely on the dungeon to provide. Small towns too far away and most wild pokemon are unable to hunt in the dungeon for obvious reasons. That being said, both the Guild and The Empire agree that carnivorous pokemon have just as much right to life as herbivores and omnivores. While there was once a time where non-intelligent pokemon existed in the wilds[1], natural selection supported intelligence and despite Arceus¡¯ best efforts[2] the odds of finding one outside of a dungeon are next to none.
Of course, that does not mean that excess cruelty is tolerated. Reports of cruel predation made up a fourth of my team¡¯s missions, and often ended with the blood of a monster on my hands. Thankfully, the vast majority of predators were told this next story. One that holds no one origin beyond only popping up after the collar accords[3] became universal in the Guild¡¯s territory. A tale that I wish to ensure survives the test of time so that we do not devolve back to before such a time.
Back then, there was a clear separation between town pokemon and wild pokemon. Towns only accepted non-carnivores, and many towns hunted carnivores to ensure town safety. This is, in fact, the origin of the Guild. Originally an association of hunters to coordinate predator hunts. This resulted in predators making their own alliances, which became the precursor to the empire but not as directly.
The tale starts with two pokemon having an argument, predators of course, about the treatment of prey. One stating that mere food has no rights to kindness and to use food as one wishes, the other arguing that you cannot deny the life lived by prey and to treat them respectfully. After they part ways a series of coincidences lay out the consequences of their respective ideologies. As all good moral folktales are it is a tad contrived[4] in circumstance but it is a fun tale for children nonetheless.
Once, on a cool spring day deep in the woods. A scolipede and a seviper crossed paths and rested in the sun together[5]. As they rested, they talked about the weather, the spring, and as predators are want to do, about their hunts.
¡°I found an eevee this morning,¡± the scolipede said, ¡°Poor thing was so frightened. I don¡¯t usually go after children but I had not been successful the last few days.¡± He lamented, ¡°I spent a time comforting her, letting her know it would be alright. Her name was Lilac[6].¡±
The seviper laughs, ¡°You asked her name? What does it matter?¡±
The scolipede replied, ¡°It matters a lot. The girl had a family, an older sister. Does she not deserve to know Lilac¡¯s fate?¡±
The seviper laughed another sinister laugh. ¡°No, in fact you should eat her too.¡±
The seviper continues, ¡°As it happens, I also found an eevee but I didn¡¯t bother asking her name. I ate her for dessert, pure and simple. She¡¯s food, food doesn¡¯t need a name¡±
The scolipede was offended, ¡°You cannot be serious¡±
The seviper grinned an awful grin, ¡°I am. Are we not predators? We are above such creatures are we not? They serve our needs, nothing more.¡±
Unable to listen to this cruelty, the scolipede drives the evil pokemon away. His mind clouded in anger and confusion, the scolipede wandered the woods. So distracted by the vile words of the seviper, the scolipede did not notice the tree falling until it was upon him.
The scolipede, for all his strength, was well and truly trapped. He called out for help but none would approach the fearsome predator. None, except a single creature. An espeon stalked into the scolipede¡¯s view and sat just out of reach.
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¡°Please,¡± The scolipede begged, ¡°If you can help me I swear you and your family will be protected by my shell.¡±
The espeon replied, ¡°I have no more family. My sisters were killed just today, one by your hand.¡±
The scolipede turned away, ¡°My apologies,¡± he whispered, ¡°Lilac was a lovely girl.¡±
The espeon nodded and said, ¡°I know you showed her kindness in her last moments. For that and that alone I will help you, and all debts are paid. Never enter this forest again.¡±
The scolipede agreed and was freed from the tree. He left the forest never to return.
The seviper on the other, was not so lucky. For a second tree fell and trapped the snake. So too did he cry out and none approached, except for one.
The seviper pleaded to the espeon, ¡°Free me, and I shall never hunt you or your family.¡±
The espeon again replied, ¡°I have no more family, my sisters were killed just this morning.¡±
The seviper said nothing, and the espeon merely waited. Finally, the seviper spoke once more.
¡°Do you expect an apology? She was food, as are all of you. I offer immunity and you spit in my face, accept what is given to you.¡±
The espeon was unmoved, her blank features giving nothing away. The seviper struggled to free himself, but there was nothing to be done.
He once more turns to the espeon, furious, ¡°What do you want from me!¡± he demands.
The espeon showed the slightest of smiles, ¡°You took such pleasure over your dominance of my sister. So too will I enjoy my dominance of you[7].¡±
For 3 days the seviper struggled. For 3 days the espeon watched, leaving only to eat and drink, as the seviper slowly wasted away until thirst took him in the night.
There is a bit to unpack here so we will take this one step at a time.
I want to talk a bit about the views held by each pokemon in this story, including the espeon. The scolipede who believed in respect, the seviper who believed in superiority, and the espeon who acts as the judge. But first an explanation on the structure of moral folk tales.
Many tales will have three characters, two alike and one unlike. Two predators and one prey, two water types and one fire, two mortals and one immortal, the list goes on. The unlike character always acts as a judge. What is a judge you might ask.[8] Well, each like character is used to represent one side of a moral quandary. In this case respect or superiority. You cannot respect what you believe to be beneath you. The judge represents the moral judgement of the debate declaring one side[9] superior.
These characters might be moral themselves, acting as paragons, or they might simply be caught up in the situation and act according to their own motives. This story is a mix of the two. The seviper, while not explicitly cruel, clearly shows no respect. The eevee he killed was eaten for desert, meaning that he had killed at least one other and wasn¡¯t in need of food, but at her for pleasure. Now, indulgence might not be wrong in and of itself but when selfish indulgence costs the life of another it is generally looked down upon even if it is technically legal.
The scolipede, on the other hand, is shown to be respectful, and so opposes the idea that he is in any way inherently greater than the eevee he killed that he removes himself from the seviper¡¯s presence. This is how most predators view hunting. Not from the lens of pride but humility and that is truly admirable.
Espeon, acting as judge, then faces her sister¡¯s killers. She sees one treated her sister with kindness and respect and so, aides the pokemon. Showing forgiveness and reciprocal respect. The other shows neither regret nor sympathy and is repaid with the same. A simple story but a powerful one in my opinion that deserves to be shared.
[1] Debatable, only references to this are in tales not written history.
[2] Also debatable
[3] The separation of wild and town pokemon being signified by a collar worn prominently
[4] More than a tad
[5] Poison types will often rest together as enjoy their presence. Not without reason but the point stands.
[6] Names are arbitrary in tales and are often used interchangeably. Lilac used here as a memorial to Lilac Delibird, may her soul rest in the stars.
[7] This hints that the espeon was the cause of the trees falling in the first place, likely as vengeance for her sisters.
[8] Literally no one is asking.
[9] Ironically in this case
The Collared and the Wild
This next tale is one that most people have heard. One that is necessary (in my opinion at least) to tell to children as a cautionary tale. To help them understand this world a bit better the ugliness must be revealed to them. Only then can the beauty be properly appreciated. This is not to say that one should traumatize their child of course, but it helps no one to shelter them to the point of isolation, in fact it can be very harmful to the child to do so.
As in most things, balance is key. One I too had trouble finding this in my own parenting.[1] In fact one can see this story as the ideal in parenting. Neither too harsh but not too coddling either. The simple statement of truth but with a softer edge that fiction can bring. Stories in general (in my opinion) are necessary in raising moral children. As a great mon once said, ¡°Stories do not tell children Monsters exist. Children already know that. Stories teach them that Monsters can be beaten.¡±[2]
This story is about two pokemon, a collared pokemon and a wild one, both children. They become friends but the friendship ends when reality comes between them. The origins of this story are likely based on the personal experience of many pokemon over the years. Children being trusting and na?ve can and will make friends wherever they see fit and this can end poorly, with no fault on either side.
I believe it is this relatability that makes this story so popular. It doesn¡¯t so much serve as a warning as it does a reminder that there are always factors we might not think about when we enter a situation and to be wary for them. Now there are of course plenty of counter examples to this particular scenario but I will discuss more at the end. Now then, on with the story.
In a small town, a young rilou was lonely. He was the youngest pokemon in the village and few older children wanted to play his games.[3] Because of this, the rilou spent much time in the woods near the town. He was always careful, watchful, and mindful of his parent¡¯s warnings. He was once more in the woods, splashing in the small stream just downstream of where collared would get water, when a loud splash was heard around the bend.
Curious, the rilou made his way down to a deeper part of the stream and hid in a bush along the shore. He waited a moment before sticking his muzzle out and looking for the source of the noise. He saw nothing for a moment then water burst onto the shore. Out of the water, drenched coat dripping water, was a young electrike. With a snap of electricity the sodden fur puffed out and the mon shook itself off.
The lack of a collar let the rilou know this was a wild mon, and he should keep his distance. He made to leave when he snapped a branch in his hand. The electrike was on the young mon in an instant. Teeth bared when it noticed the collar on the rilou¡¯s neck.
¡°Oh!¡± it said in a light voice. ¡°Sorry I-¡± The electrike got off immediately, ¡°You scared me¡±. It finally managed defensively. The rilou was calm, surprised of course but not scared. The electrike did look sorry.
¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± He said, ¡°I get scared too.¡± The rilou rubbed his collar and shrugged, ¡°What were you doing?¡± He asked.
The electrike shrugged as well, ¡°Washing a bit, I don¡¯t like dirt.¡± The rilou nodded to himself. Then, children were wont to do asked the most important question.
¡°Wanna play with me?¡±
The electrike startled at this, ¡°Really?¡± Causing the rilou to smile,
¡°Yeah, I know the best place for tag.¡± He said, running up and smacking the electrike¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your it.¡± The two children play like this for the rest of the afternoon. And the next day, and the next. A week goes by and the children became close. They talk and romp and laugh. They even spar ¡°Like grown-ups.¡± The rilou didn¡¯t tell his parents, not wanting to worry them or worse, tell him he couldn¡¯t see his friend.
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Of course, like most friendships it faced some harsh weather. When the rilou went to meet his friend, the electrike had just finished a hunt.[4] When the rilou entered the clearing he saw his friend, jaws clamped over a squirming rattata. The electrike did not notice his friend, as the rilou was stunned into silence. Though the rilou had eaten meat[5] on occasion he had not hunted himself, nor knew where meat had come from.
The rattata dies with a soft rattle, and the electrike finally looks up to see his friend. It smiles, flecks of blood on its teeth.
¡°Hey,¡± It says, ¡°Want some?¡±
The rilou just stared at the dead mouse pokemon, ¡°Why did you do that?¡± He asks quietly. The electrike just looks confused. He hunted, got his meal. This was normal for him.
¡°What?¡± It said. It looked at the rattata. ¡°I hunted, I know it¡¯s not very big but we can share.¡± When the electrike looked back it saw his friend crying.
¡°Why?¡± the rilou sobbed. He was scared now. His friend killed someone. He killed it, why? The electrike was just confused.
¡°I was hungry?¡± it asked, ¡°Why are you crying?¡±
The rilou looked away from the rattata, at his friend, ¡°Because you killed it!¡± he screamed. The electrike stepped back, then growled.
¡°So what? I was hungry!¡± It screamed back. The electrike was hurt. His friend was screaming because he wanted to eat?
The rilou yelled back ¡°Would you kill me too? If you got hungry?¡±
The electrike took another step back, the growl went silent. The words hit him like a sucker punch. ¡°No¡± he whispered.
¡°Liar!¡± the rilou screamed and he ran home. The electrike didn¡¯t move. He just lay down and cried, not understanding why its friend hated it so much.
The rilou made it home and ran into his mother, telling her everything. It took several hours before she managed to calm him down and explain, but it was too late.
When he went back to the clearing the electrike was gone, the rattata was still there, untouched. He never saw the electrike again.
I remember telling my son this story, and his first words were ¡°That rilou¡¯s a jerk!¡± But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s accurate. We know the rilou was young. He wasn¡¯t told where meat comes from so when he was confronted with that information it scared him. I know very few children who react well to being scared. Truthfully, I put the blame on the parents for not informing their child about this pretty important facet of life.
People take different things away from this depending on their views of the world. One might use this tale as a reason why relations with predators and prey don¡¯t work. Others might say that the way to avoid these situations is to help children become more tolerant of predator¡¯s needs.[6] To both I call foul, Children, especially younger children are already the single most tolerant people I know.
The don¡¯t care what species you are, they have no negative experiences to affect their view of their peers, they have no biases formed nor prejudices developed. They only know if someone is nice or mean and that is it. And friendships between predators and prey, wild and collared, what have you are perfectly fine, and in fact should be encouraged because of the diversity of thought it can bring to a pokemon.
No, if anything this is why children must be given truth the moment they can understand it. Had that rilou understood where meat comes from, and we know he is of the right age as his mother explains it to him at the end, then the fight would have never happened the way it did. I have no doubt that the rilou would have had a negative reaction seeing death for the first time but perhaps the friendship wouldn¡¯t have been burnt so badly.
It is not a happy tale by any means, but an important one for both parents and children alike.
[1] Can¡¯t relate.
[2] G.K. Chesnaught
[3] Exhibit A for why I never had children, heartless mites.
[4] Perhaps self-evident but electrike and manectic are both carnivores
[5] The rilou/Lucario line is omnivorous
[6] Because it is.
The stories behind collars 1/3
I have mentioned collars a few times, and perhaps I should go into depth for the record. I do not know if collars will still be used in the future and I feel it should be stated at least to make it clear. I also find the history of collars fascinating.[1] You see, in the earliest days of the guild, there was a, well not a war but certainly a fight for supremacy between wild predators and the herbivores in town.
Collars came as a compromise of sorts (though it really stretches the word compromise, more like a, no one can win so this is what we¡¯ll settle for sort of business). All that was originally agreed was that Townsfolk would signify their alliance with a colored cloth that was made visible. Wild pokemon gave their word not to hunt pokemon who did this, in exchange, guilds would no longer actively hunt abiding predators as well as deal with imposters.
But how did it come to that; one might ask.[2] Well, there were two prevailing mindsets responsible. Dungeon towns had popped up in many places and to the average Town dwe1ller, wild predators were evil monsters while predators viewed towns as threats to natural order. Since this is an anthology, I may as well further describe these views with stories told around the time.
The first is a story used, primarily, to scare children around the Luminous Dungeon in the southern part of The Empire. A place that had focused on purging a particular pokemon from the area. The memories of said pokemon still haunt folks in the area to this day.
Prima was a young buneary. Her fur was soft, her tail perky, and the skip in her step was full of joy. She had left her house to wander the town, but soon grew bored. She wandered and wandered till she made it to the front gates.
The buneary stopped and pondered the gates. Prima had been told time and time again to stay in town. The forest is dangerous. Monsters lived in the forest. Prima sighed; she was bored though. She shook herself. She wasn¡¯t scared of monsters! She was a big girl and she could see flowers that mom would love.
Prima nodded to herself once more, a few flowers and she¡¯d be right back. Walking up to the gate she looked out on the path. The trees lining the empty dirt road. She looked back at the town, the street empty of anyone who would stop her. That could end any moment.
Step step.
Prima froze. Waiting for a monster to jump out at her. She waited, and waited, but there was nothing but the wind. Prima sighed and headed to the flowers she saw. She went over to the tree they were under when
SNAP!
Prima whipped her head around, ears down to fight, but the forest was empty. Prima looked back at the town.
¡°Just the flowers,¡± She said to herself. She turned, and headed to the tree they were under.
The wind blew through the leaves in an eerie whisper that had Prima once more checking her surroundings. The town was still there, she just needed the flowers, that¡¯s all. She could get some stupid flowers. Prima turned to the flowers and once again headed towards the tree they were under.
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Prima tilted her head as she slowed down, why haven¡¯t I gotten to the flowers yet? She wondered. The tree wasn¡¯t very far but every time she looked at them they were no closer than before. Prima looked one last time at the village, looking the same as ever, just as empty. That¡¯s not right, she thought as she turned back. Looking once more to the flowers, Prima froze. Icy fear ran through her body, from the tip of her ears to the last hair on her tail.
A large black figure stood not 3 big hops from her, holding the flowers, The thing had dark red eyes that stuck Prima to the spot as surely as if she¡¯d been tied to a stone. A smile of yellow teeth slowly stretched across the black muzzle, a halo of blood red hair framed the strong thin body, powerful legs and sharp red claws.
The beast ran a pink tongue across its lips and flexed its claws. Prima spun, and froze again, seeing nothing but trees where the town once stood. She felt a rush of warm air on the back of her neck, fur standing on end as the monster whispered in her ears, ¡°Run¡±.
Prima bolted, weaving in and out of trees as fast as she- THWACK! Prima was on the ground, fire spreading over her face as blood poured down her nose. Looking up, she watched the space between two thick trees that she had run into dissolve into a single massive oak. She knew right then that she wasn¡¯t going home. Her mother had told her about this monster.
¡°Zoroark¡± she whimpered, A beast able to trick your eyes, ears, and nose. The most dangerous monster, one with no mercy in its heart. She couldn¡¯t escape, she couldn¡¯t fight back, all she could do was wait for the thing to be done with her. The zoroark took its time, its prey sufficiently broken. It grabbed the scruff of Prima¡¯s neck, and savored her screams as it devoured the child, its teeth as red as its claws and hair. The beast left nothing but bones as it disappeared into the night.
A tad gruesome[3] but highly effective I am told. Again, this was from pre-collar days, when the primary motive was survival for the towns. Making sure children understood that they must never leave alone because they would be killed and eaten. The fear towns had of predators is palpable in the story.
How the narrator only refers to the zoroark as ¡°It¡± as opposed to he or she. It is a beast, not a pokemon. This is a natural devaluing of pokemon that happens even today. There are still pokemon, herbivores and carnivores alike who call the other ¡°It.¡± This was especially true for towns who were frightened for their families and friends.
Now, again, zoroarks were driven from the southern region of The Empire after a local warlord who employed wild ones was overthrown. No, to clarify the vast majority of zoroark cannot make trees appear out of thin air like in the story. Very few have the skill and ability to project illusions that far from their bodies. Only a small handful have ever existed who would be able to pull something off like what we hear about in this story.
Many people fail to understand this, and even today zoroarks are met with the most prejudice of any pokemon. At least sevipers have their own sense of honor, at least you can trust your eyes while in the same room with them. The stress of the unknown makes even tolerating zoroarks a test in charity that too many fail.
Many of them choose to live isolated in the wild, leading to the issues associated with generations of isolationist activity. Zoroarks rarely do well in high population settings, and react poorly to confrontation. They are territorial, especially against each other, and since people insist on treating them as untrustworthy monsters, they end up being just that. A self-fulfilling prophecy of hate.
I¡¯m not saying that the wild pokemon were any better mind you. They had their own prejudices against the pokemon in towns. (Plenty of hate to go around, right?) A deep breath
[1] You find all history fascinating, doesn¡¯t mean it is.
[2] Literally no one asked.
[3] A ¡°tad¡± was it?