Frontier Town Sanctum of Wishes

[Jackie Cat]

And yet he'd evolved – even though he seemed young.

"You think there's something about this region that's unusual?" asked Laura. "I haven't heard of any region having all that much in the way of legendary activity, but... Well, maybe it's different where you're from?"

Landsverd, he'd said. But only that he was studying there, and that was where all the colleges seemed to be.

"Where are you from originally?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven had been listening intently, but something Ralsen said made his eye furrow in thought, and he finally spoke up. "You say you've found that the legends seem to have disappeared from Sojavena?"

"That's interesting," he said. "The wardens in Sunward said that their deity is simply slumbering, not that they've vanished entirely. Have you paid the Ward a visit yet in your field research?"

 

[Tetra]

Fascinating... That made sense based on what he'd read. It was hard to guess what exactly the Cyclone was. Maybe Tornadus fit...

He was bristling now to ask more of what Ralsen had seen. "What are the legends like where you're from? Sorry for all the questions," he added, still keeping his tone restrained. "We haven't had a chance to hear from anyone out of town about their stories."

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I haven't heard of any region having all that much in the way of legendary activity, but... Well, maybe it's different where you're from?"

Ralsen gave her a curious look. “I grew up in a small town to the north that greatly revered the legends, even if they hadn’t been seen there for some time. We knew they were still around, though—I suppose I took that for granted.”

He flipped through a few pages in his notebook. “Most of the legends I’ve looked into in Landsverd have been dead ends, more like a figure from history than an active guardian. There’s a few exceptions—I’m hoping I can meet the Two Aeons someday. They’re said to be the patrons of travelers and wanderers. There’s confirmed sightings within our lifetime, which is promising, though admittedly a lot fewer in the past decade or so…”

"That's interesting," he said. "The wardens in Sunward said that their deity is simply slumbering, not that they've vanished entirely. Have you paid the Ward a visit yet in your field research?"

Ralsen’s eyes widened with intrigue. “So you’ve been there? I haven’t yet had the chance. Slumbering sounds about right, though. A lot of the guardians might be, though I suppose either way you can’t meet them.” He gestured around the sanctum of the Wishing Star as an example.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven nodded, a tinge of amusement in his voice. "I have. You could say I stumbled my way there by accident once, but I wouldn't mind going back some time. Though... I'd recommend visiting during the daytime," he muttered.

He thought a moment again before speaking. "Although, is the goal of your research to meet these legendary guardians? That seems awfully lofty considering how difficult it is to find them. Or does your research imply that the legends' reclusive nature wasn't always the case?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Ralsen chuckled at the Beldum’s words. “I know it’s lofty. I suppose I’ve always been the sort to aim for impossible goals.” He glanced sideways at Koa and couldn’t help getting the feeling that they were similar.

“Ultimately, I can’t prove anything yet,” he went on, folding his arms behind his back and casting another glance upward. “It’s more of a gut feeling than anything. But with how scarce the legends are today, contrasted with the clans’ stories… I wouldn’t be surprised if there used to be more of them around.”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven's eye took on an apologetic tilt. "Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's good to have a lofty goal. But there have to be smaller steps to achieve on the way to your ultimate goal."

"Are you chasing rumors? Or cataloging stories? Or seeing if it's a lack of faith in modern times that has driven the legends to silence?"

Steven lapsed into his own silence. Goodness knew the number of dead ends he'd chased and the number of setbacks he'd encountered following the breadcrumbs of history and legends in his own world. A search that had spanned two generations of his family. And it almost hadn't been enough.

He spoke again, his voice gentle. He wanted to see Ralsen succeed, he really did. But he also had to be realistic.

"What I mean is, what sort of research progress do you consider a success? Because even if your research doesn't pay off, it could set the foundation for a future generation of legend seekers."

 

[Tetra]

Koa listened to Steven and Ralsen talk, a slight frown forming on his face at Steven's words. Sensible, rational, realistic. Steven didn't sound half as frustrating as some of the people he'd spoken too, but it was familiar. The idea that some things just couldn't be done. Or shouldn't be chased because they weren't reasonable.

But there was a quiet conviction in Ralsen's gaze that he felt connected to. Ralsen was like him. Chasing something. He almost wanted to ask him why, but decided to hold back.

"Impossible goals are good. Most of what people think is impossible isn't actually impossible anyway." The words came out slightly more forcefully than he intended. He cleared his throat. "There's... importance in chasing something." That sounded lamer than he hoped. And probably more unclear than he meant it to.

"But it's good to know a path to take to your goal, like Steven said. What do you think made legendaries draw back from the world, if they used to be so prevalent?" Maybe he'd never remember and it wouldn't be relevant to his world, but he still yearned to understand.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura listened intently, wondering how to talk about her own experience without risking Ralsen's scepticism. Sure, being offworlders was public, but that didn't mean you could just say any shit you liked to anyone...

"Where I'm from, it's not commonplace to worship legendaries. Seems normal enough in the Soja', albeit in a low-key way. No proselytising, or whatever. I have a... a pretty distant relationship with them, I guess."

She looked at the Grovyle's face, trying to get a read on him.

"What's your own relationship with them like, Ralsen?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Something shifted in the Grovyle's eyes. There was an energy to his expression, like this wasn't the sort of conversation he got to have very often.

"Are you chasing rumors? Or cataloging stories? Or seeing if it's a lack of faith in modern times that has driven the legends to silence? What I mean is, what sort of research progress do you consider a success? Because even if your research doesn't pay off, it could set the foundation for a future generation of legend seekers."

"A little of both," Ralsen replied simply, an unmistakable gleam in his eye. "I'll consider it a success whether I meet them or if I manage to learn more about how they lived and where they've gone. I believe that learning about the kinds of struggles they faced in their time can teach us more about how history led us to today."

"Impossible goals are good. Most of what people think is impossible isn't actually impossible anyway." The words came out slightly more forcefully than he intended. He cleared his throat. "There's... importance in chasing something." That sounded lamer than he hoped. And probably more unclear than he meant it to.

Ralsen seemed pleased with Koa's words, nodding along as the Electrike spoke. "I've always believed similarly. Maybe that's just to justify chasing an impossible goal myself, but..." His eyes softened. "I'm not the sort of person who can sit still. I need a goal to chase."

"What's your own relationship with them like, Ralsen?"

Ralsen looked contemplative, idly running a claw along the edge of his wrist leaves. It was a good question. He wanted to give a good answer. "I think we can learn from each other," he said finally. "We're imperfect, but so are they. They have their strength, and we have ours. Ours might be small compared to theirs, but that doesn't mean we can't benefit each other. That's what I like to think."

 

[Tetra]

Koa nodded along as Ralsen spoke, hanging on every word. Hearing Ralsen spoke was... refreshing. He spoke with reverence and respect, but passion too. Learning about them, he said. Although... that was a sort of angle he'd never considered of legendaries back home. Imperfect... Back home he'd always thought of them as larger than life protectors, who probably made little mistakes, if any.

Of course, here things were so different. They could die. Which was distressing in its own way.

"Yeah exactly!" he said in a passionate whisper. "People- Regular pokemon. And these legends and protectors. I think we can do a lot if we work together." He paused, trying to untangle the little ball of emotions in him into something that made sense. "It's... It matters, to understand the truth. Who they were and what really happened."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven glanced sidelong at Koa. The young trainer spoke passionately, but it also sounded like he had something to prove. It was an eerily similar combination to something he'd seen before... Steven couldn't hide his frown.

"Forgive me," he began, "I had been trying to be gentle about the subject, but..."

He paused, closing his eye with a sigh. When he opened it again, he gave Koa a meaningful stare. "It's not an impossible feat. I know this for a fact."

He turned his gaze to Ralsen. "But if the legends here are anything like the legends I'm familiar with, it may very well be a fool's errand. From someone who has dug up the history of a legend, to another who seeks the same; be careful. It's not our place to meddle in their affairs."

Steven's tone was quiet and serious. "If they don't wish to be found, perhaps there is a good reason to leave them slumber."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura bit her cheek and kneaded the rug beneath her as she considered whether to add what was on her mind. Maybe she should just stay quiet and let Koa respond...? Or maybe now was the time to say it...

...But how?

"Um."

Fuck, what was she going to say? She didn't know exactly what kind of world Koa was from, but he was a trainer, right? That placed him in at least a similar world, most probably? And Steven, too. So Steven could be talking about the same kind of cataclysms she was thinking of.

Or worse.

"Day and night have been artificial on Earth ever since Eternatus absorbed it."

She cleared her throat. "...I've heard accounts of people trying to mess with legendary pokémon going... quite badly."

Howls, that sounded lame.

And howls, she felt kinda bad saying it.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"But if the legends here are anything like the legends I'm familiar with, it may very well be a fool's errand. From someone who has dug up the history of a legend, to another who seeks the same; be careful. It's not our place to meddle in their affairs."

Steven's tone was quiet and serious. "If they don't wish to be found, perhaps there is a good reason to leave them slumber."

Ralsen was quiet for a long moment, surveying Steven with a deep curiosity. He could have been a statue, for the only movement was the slight shifting of his eyes as he mulled over how to respond.

"So you would say that you regret seeking them out," he said quietly. It was something between a statement and a question.

She cleared her throat. "...I've heard accounts of people trying to mess with legendary pokémon going... quite badly."

There was that same curious glint, and a bit of a head tilt along with it. "I admit this isn't an account I'm familiar with. Are you referring to something that happened outside of Luctemar? My knowledge of overseas history isn't nearly as much as I'd like."

 

[Tetra]

Koa felt a familiar edge of frustration come over him. All the people... All the legendaries. They were right of course, but it didn't make him less angry. His whole life, nothing good ever came of it. What does that mean for you?

This time he considered carefully before he spoke. "A lot of bad has come from people seeking legendary pokemon. So much." The knot of agitation inside him tightened but he took a steadying breath to organize his thoughts before continuing. "But that's why I believe it's important. Evil will always seek power. They'll never let legends rest. But if they're the only ones then... That's all the world will know. I want there to be good. To show that people aren't bad and legendary pokemon can be good and kind. Someone has to do something. To show the world that things can be better."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"So you would say that you regret seeking them out," he said quietly. It was something between a statement and a question.

Steven didn't answer right away, his gaze levelling itself somewhere in the middle distance. If one was adept at reading a beldum's expression, they'd see that Steven's stare wasn't focused on anything in particular, almost like he was suddenly lost.

And perhaps he was. Something inside his mind screamed 'yes, say yes!' to the grovyle's question, but the more he pondered, the more he couldn't figure out why. Kyogre's rampage was stopped, and Hoenn was safe. That's all that mattered. He shook his head to ward off the intrusive thought.

"I was never given the choice," he said, finally. Slowly. "What started as a curiosity became a necessity. If I hadn't... There's a very real chance I wouldn't be here today."

Why did saying that make it feel like his heart was being squeezed?

Steven bowed his head. "I don't regret it, but... it should never have come to that. And I hope it never does for you, too."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura found it hard to meet anyone's gaze. Especially Koa's – he sounded like a naive kid, but was she gonna be the one to tell him that? No doubt he'd heard it a million times and it hadn't changed his mind. And she didn't want to change his mind, not really.

"I'm not from Luctemar," she said at last, intensely aware of having gone silent since Ralsen's question. "And most of the accounts I've heard aren't from Luctemar or my home region. All the same, I've read about a number of cases of people trying to get the favour of various legendaries. When I was a teenager, the news was full of panic about a battle between prehistoric weather gods nearly sinking an entire fucking island. Nobody knows if they even noticed the city around them full of scared, fleeing people."

She swallowed. She could hardly stop now.

"About a couple years ago, the sky over my country went dark with... with these fucked-up purple storm clouds. You couldn't even see the sun. Pokémon that got hit by the discharges – I don't think it really... counts as lightning, y'know? – pokémon grew to huge sizes, lost their minds, frenzied, attacked people. Turned out the cause was this pokémon from ancient legends. Three thousand years ago, the same thing happened."

Laura shook her head, telling herself she was a reality away, that it had been years, that despite how it felt, she was not sixteen years old and terrified all over again.

"Both times, other legendary pokémon fought it until it backed down. We don't know what happened the first time round, but the last time?"

Her mouth twitched. She thought of online petitions to get real justice, clickbait articles about what really happened, corporate vultures picking apart Macro Cosmos.

"It woke up and nearly destroyed the country, because one rich bastard thought he'd use it as a fucking power plant."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

When I was a teenager, the news was full of panic about a battle between prehistoric weather gods nearly sinking an entire fucking island.

Steven's eye darted towards Laura in thinly-veiled panic.

Kyogre had been awakened in her reality, too!?

But something was different. She'd said 'gods'. Plural. Had... had Groudon been unleashed as well? He felt sick. They had barely survived one legendary... To think there was a Hoenn that went through something even more devastating than what he'd witnessed.

Dread washed over him like an icy tide.

Nobody knows if they even noticed the city around them full of scared, fleeing people."

He knew. They didn't.

He held his tongue.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I'm not from Luctemar," she said at last, intensely aware of having gone silent since Ralsen's question. "And most of the accounts I've heard aren't from Luctemar or my home region. All the same, I've read about a number of cases of people trying to get the favour of various legendaries. When I was a teenager, the news was full of panic about a battle between prehistoric weather gods nearly sinking an entire fucking island. Nobody knows if they even noticed the city around them full of scared, fleeing people."

Ralsen opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it. There was a flicker of surprise, but with a layer of understanding buried underneath. As if no more questions needed to be asked.

"I was never given the choice," he said, finally. Slowly. "What started as a curiosity became a necessity. If I hadn't... There's a very real chance I wouldn't be here today."

"A choice..." Ralsen mused, his head leaf swaying as her turned to face Steven. "I've often wondered about that. How much our choices are really our own. We can follow a path that feels like our own, without realizing what set us on that path."

His gaze flickered toward Koa briefly. "I suppose I won't know for sure until I get there."

 

[Tetra]

A weather incident in Hoenn, just like his homeworld. Steven's world too was similar. And Laura... Laura sounded like she was talking about something completely different. Giant pokemon rampaging? That sounded like Galar except... The pit inside him grew. Nothing like that had happened in his world. Yet.

It kept happening. A world like his. Except later; further along. Did they have a Team Galactic? Over and over, legendaries and humans. The knot of anger inside him deepened.

"A choice..." Ralsen mused, his head leaf swaying as her turned to face Steven. "I've often wondered about that. How much our choices are really our own. We can follow a path that feels like our own, without realizing what set us on that path."

His gaze flickered toward Koa briefly. "I suppose I won't know for sure until I get there."

"Our-Your choices are your own," he said firmly, maybe too firmly. Get a grip. He continued in a more curious tone. "What would you do if you met one? A legend?"