What does it feel like to keep borrowing power from other Legendary Pokémon, never paying the usage fee, and then getting caught red-handed by the owner?
Tapu Fini!
The guardian deity of Poni Island in the Alola region, one of the four island guardians. She had a black body shaped like a mermaid and long flowing hair, and her main body lived inside a violet shell. When the shell closed, it resembled the head of a sailfish.
Rather than a shark, it was actually a sailfish!
But if she stayed hidden underwater, with Calyrex's tiny eyes, it really was hard to tell.
"...She controls water. It's said she can create pure water that cleanses filth!"
The instant Tapu Fini appeared, every Legendary Pokémon present became vigilant!
Aside from Calyrex, who was teary-eyed as he stared at his broken fishing rod, Goddess Mewtwo was the first to act. She only used Psychic to try to restrain this sudden "attacker," though!
However!
Brilliant Fairy light slammed into Goddess Mewtwo's psychic power, the two forces colliding and then cancelling each other out, whipping up a fierce psychic whirlwind across the island. And at that moment, Ogerpon stepped forward!
"Boponi!"
From within her green cloak, she formed a spiked club out of thorns and vines!
Ivy Cudgel!
Hey!
Smack the target with a cudgel wrapped in vines. The move's type changes depending on the mask worn. It lands critical hits easily!
Thud!
She leapt up and slammed Tapu Fini with a club, but the strike that should have been super effective was blocked by Tapu Fini's violet shell!
"Reti!"
Iron Defense!
Tapu Fini's eyes shifted. She opened her shell like a swordfish's head, thrust her hands forward, and an intense cold gale poured out from within the shell!
Icy Wind!
Little Widow shivered under the freezing wind. Frost formed over her body, her speed dropping. And then Giratina snapped his head!
Thunder!
A wrathful bolt was flung out by Giratina, and Tapu Fini, who was doubly weak to Electric, had her attack interrupted and hurriedly floated upward!
[Oh! That worked, huh? So this thing really is Water-type!]
Effective. Of course it was effective!
But Tapu Fini had a sky-high 130 Special Defense. Even if it was effective, it didn't mean much.
"Hold on, stop fighting!"
Hikaru quickly stopped the brawl and looked up at Tapu Fini, who hovered in midair, scrutinizing them.
"Although she's called a guardian deity, sometimes she brings terrifying calamity to anyone who approaches carelessly. She dwells deep within thick fog, using water to attack. Ocean currents are her source of energy..."
[Oh? So this is Tapu Fini. By human standards, she's probably pretty good-looking, huh.]
[Looks like she came to demand an explanation from you!]
Giratina stared at Tapu Fini. Alola was simply too far from Sinnoh. Even though she was called a guardian deity, Giratina had basically no impression of her.
What could be confirmed was that the Tapu were not among the first Legendaries born at the dawn of creation, but rather natural evolutions that emerged in later eras.
Still, the power to cross life and death and manipulate the spirit world was absurdly overpowered. Giratina thought that even he didn't possess that kind of authority. So among all Legendary Pokémon, aside from himself, she seemed to be the only one who held such power.
That argent giant dragon, the otherworlder, wasn't included in the discussion!
"Hm. So you're not a shark. But you are indeed a fish. I want to ask you, guardian deity of a distant land, why did you attack the Pokémon who came to explore?"
Calyrex decided to handle it, since he came here to fish precisely for this, and he also used Healing Pulse on Ogerpon. Little Widow recovered from her trembling state and happily thanked Calyrex.
Thank you, big-head little deer? Big-head rabbit?
"I, I am the Big-Head King."
But Tapu Fini dismissed Calyrex's questioning with contempt.
Attack?
She was only curious, testing their power, that was all!
And don't come casually near the island I guard. Even in a dream, it's the same!
Calyrex widened his eyes. "Randomly attacking innocent passersby, and you call that testing?"
"The moral compass of an island guardian deity is different from yours, Calyrex." Hikaru explained. "In Alola, the island guardians sometimes protect the islands, and sometimes they bring down punishment. They're fickle, temperamental."
"Although they're called guardian deities, it doesn't mean they often help. Their personalities are unexpectedly changeable. Sometimes, they even attack humans and Pokémon who annoy them."
"And something like that can still be called a god?" Calyrex couldn't understand Alola's humans.
Hikaru spread his hands. "Different regions have different customs."
"The people of Alola believe the island guardians are incarnations of nature. And since they represent nature, gentle rain, nourishing dew, furious winds, and thunderous lightning are all part of nature's cycle."
Goddess Mewtwo said, "When nature gains personality and will, it becomes even more terrifying. The power of nature... I've had the fortune of experiencing it."
Tapu Fini also corresponded to the Hawaiian deity associated with the sea, the underworld, and sorcery—Kanaloa.
Thus, her mist could cross the boundary between life and death, allowing departed souls to return to the world once more!
"Reti!"
Tapu Fini floated closer to Hikaru, carefully examining the human who had been borrowing her power. At the same time, she danced lightly in the air, appraising the other Legendary Pokémon present.
The King of Bountiful Harvests of Galar.
A ruler of the Distortion World, one of the mythic sovereigns.
The strongest Pokémon created by humans.
And a Grass-type Pokémon that looked like a little girl!
Not bad, not bad. Such powerful forces gathered here!
Human, you're as interesting as what I sensed.
"I'm sorry for borrowing your power. Are you here to bring charges against me?" Hikaru asked helplessly, watching Tapu Fini circle around him.
"If this is Tapu Fini's island, then is this sky island Poni Island? But the terrain doesn't look right, and there's no iconic huge ruins. Instead there are lots of coconut trees."
Naturally. Because this was not Poni Island.
Tapu Fini stared at Hikaru, conveying exactly that.
This was Exeggutor Island, the "dream" of the Exeggutor.
After Tapu Fini pointed it out, everyone turned around and saw that coconut forest suddenly "move"!
"Boponio?!"
Ogerpon realized that one of the palm trees she had hidden behind earlier was among them. Now those big trees swayed and stood up, letting out silly, vacant cries, wobbling their heads and necks...
Only then did everyone notice: the "fruit" growing on those coconut trees were not "coconuts"!
"W-What are these things?!"
Calyrex lived on the tundra and had never seen a Pokémon that only existed in tropical regions. The Big-Head King snapped to attention, tried to crane his head upward, and discovered that compared to these guys, his own head wasn't even uniquely big!
"S-So big-headed!"
Finally, it was my turn to say that!
"These are Exeggutor..." Goddess Mewtwo recognized the Pokémon. "In Unova, only a few islands have them. But they look different?"
Giratina: [That's the thing humans have been researching, right. What was it called again... Similar Pokémon can appear in different regions.]
Hikaru said, "Regional forms. That is, the same Pokémon can look different in different regions. Changes in ecology, plus pressure from distribution and survival competition, produce a new form."
"The Pokémon here are... Alolan Exeggutor."
"Ordinary Exeggutor isn't like this. It should look like a coconut tree or pineapple tree with legs, called the walking tropical rainforest. Each fruit has a face, each with its own consciousness, and they seem uninterested in anything outside themselves."
"They usually have three heads, each thinking about different things. They communicate via telepathy to decide what to do, and they have powerful psychic power."
"But in Alola, intense sunlight and a warm climate awakened the hidden power within Exeggcute before it evolved. Under the blazing sun, it ultimately became what you see now."
"There's also a theory that Alolan Exeggutor is actually this Pokémon's original form. In ancient paintings and old architecture, its figure is carved out again and again."
"After growing up leisurely in warm regions, it no longer needs its original psychic power, and its psychic ability weakens. However, it awakens a new energy instead, and that is... Dragon!"
Giratina froze, staring at those foolish-looking long-necked coconut trees swaying and laughing in a dazed way, utterly shocked!
[What? These things are Dragons?!]
Hikaru said, "Yes. Not only Dragon, they also have the special move Dragon Hammer!"
Apples are Dragons, and coconuts are Dragons too?
If it were the old Giratina, he would never have acknowledged something so ridiculous. But after spending long enough around Applin, finding them oddly cute, he could reluctantly accept it.
Still...
Among the creations of the gods, there always seemed to be bizarre things.
A chaotic mess of thoughts flooded Giratina's mind. The ruler of the Distortion World stared blankly at those long-necked palm trees wobbling about, then looked at Calyrex with a rather impolite gaze.
[Calyrex. Since you're also big-headed... do you also have hidden power? If you get sunburnt, will you turn into Dragon-type too?]
Calyrex glared. "How rude! How am I similar to a Dragon?! I have fought against the poison Dragon, you know!"
Hikaru laughed.
"Dragon forms are all over the place. Did you forget Hisui's Goodra from ancient times? That thing is basically a snail, isn't it?"
And besides, sushi can be Dragons, giants can be Dragons, gluttons can be Dragons, flame turtles can be Dragons too. A considerable portion of Dragons are just plain weird!
Hearing Hikaru, Giratina remembered some ancient matters as well. Come to think of it, Hisui really did have a Goodra with a heavy shell on its back, and he always felt that form looked a bit strange...
Yes. It looked just like Unova's Escavalier, and Johto's Magcargo, too!
So it's a snail!
Ah. Snails are Dragons too!
"It's said the island guardians stay in places they like. Under normal circumstances, you can't see them, meaning they don't often remain in their ruins. But if you call for them at the ruins, sometimes they will appear."
"And this is Exeggutor Island beside Poni Island."
Hikaru finally came back from the shock and realized exactly where this island was.
Wasn't this the island from the Sun and Moon story where Lillie hid from the rain?
It was said to be a special protected zone in Alola, not allowed to be developed. Many Alolan Exeggutor liked to hide among palm trees as camouflage.
This island sometimes had rain. In the past, it had even served as a trial site for the island challenge. But more importantly...
This island held the flute that calls the sun and moon!
The Sun Flute, or the Moon Flute!
After obtaining the flute on this island, you would return to Poni Island's Altar of the Sunne or Altar of the Moone, and play the flute to make the legendary cosmic Pokémon evolve!
Hikaru said, "The ritual performed at the altar uses two flutes to play a melody, granting power to a Legendary Pokémon. It shaped Alola's legends. And since ancient times, the flute that calls the sun and moon has been said to be placed on Exeggutor Island."
"Reti~!"
Tapu Fini studied Hikaru, then stated her demand.
You borrowed my power without a word.
That power is not for you to use casually.
Since you already used it, then pay the price.
"Then what is the price?" Hikaru asked helplessly. Getting caught by the owner was truly awkward, and the statue's power really had been borrowed directly from her.
In the Ruins of Hope, there were also stone statues of the deity, with Tapu power condensed within them.
"Reti—!"
Tapu Fini solemnly presented her condition, and it made Hikaru start in surprise!
Hikaru said, "You mean you want me to do the Island Challenge? No. I'm past that age. Isn't that a trial for eleven-year-old kids? And I'm an outsider."
What kind of "price" was the Island Challenge?
Hikaru's expression turned strange.
Tapu Fini gave a light snort.
Eleven-year-olds can do the challenge, and sixteen- or seventeen-year-old teenagers can do it too. There's no problem.
The Island Challenge rules were set by us island guardians. We can change them however we want!
And then, you should settle down in Alola. Come to Poni Island. I approve it!
"Wait. What do you mean, settle down in Alola? You're far too self-centered. That is my dear friend! I refuse!"
Calyrex was the first to object. He was still counting on Hikaru to help promote vegetables and revive the Crown Tundra.
Giratina also objected: [Where he settles should be his own choice, shouldn't it? In Unova and Paldea... and even Sinnoh, Sinjoh, he has people closely tied to him. Are you telling him to abandon us friends and go to some distant place?]
This land spirit really was absurdly "my-way-or-the-highway."
"She seems to be plotting something." Goddess Mewtwo lightly swayed her tail, sensing something unusual, and offered an incisive comment. "Forcing someone to settle down for no reason is strange. If it were an invitation, it would still be far too odd."
"Is she trying to use the legendary artisan's power, or have him take on some important job?" she added.
"Boponio?" Ogerpon thought for a moment. She wanted to say she asked first, but she was timid, so she could only look at Hikaru with anxious worry.
Come to Kitakami first. P-Please come to Kitakami first!
That was the emotion in her eyes. She looked like she was about to cry. That guardian deity's tone was too forceful, and Ogerpon was scared.
Once she was out of a battle environment, her timid, easily frightened nature showed clearly. Even after living for hundreds of years, she was still a cute little girl.
Tapu Fini narrowed her eyes.
Not allowed?
So you're deliberately rejecting my request because you see Alola growing stronger by the day!
Hmph. Even among so many Legendaries, he's quite beloved...
Then I like him even more.
Making him come settle here can't be helped. Even if an island guardian can set rules, there are still customs that must be respected, at least a little...
There was a job. Only someone who could communicate with the dead could hold it, and they also had to be a resident of Poni Island, or at least the nearby Seafolk Village.
Tapu Fini abruptly looked at Calyrex and made a "sales pitch."
I've been watching you, Big-Head King, for a long time.
I've noticed you really like eating carrots.
Our Poni Island has a world-famous specialty: Poni Super Carrots! Big and delicious. Would you like to try them?
Calyrex glared.
"You're trying to bribe me with carrots! Do you think I'm the kind of guy who would abandon my friends for carrots?"
"I get it now! So you're a commercial rival!"
"You're the one stealing the market for my Radiant Vegetables!"
Tapu Fini set me up!
(End of Chapter)
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