Episode 21: Anger of the gods
“Well this place looks welcoming,” Leos said after a lengthy silence. After short negotiations with the Constellars outside of the Stardust Treasury, the group had been allowed inside so long as they kept a constant watch on Griselle.
“I like it though. It looks pretty,” Prem said, prancing alongside him. The Constellar Church was still in the centre of the city, surrounded by a lake that let out an ominous, spatial atmosphere around it. Specs glittered in the air like stars, whilst a light fog made everything dark, hazy and blurry to look at. “I still don’t wanna come here, though.”
“Pretty? You can barely see it,” Leos said, sceptical. If not for the warm light coming through the stained-glass windows, the building would be nearly invisible from their distance.
“This place was built here for a reason, you know,” Blossom said. All was silent, minus their conversation. “Ignorant of Faernia’s seasons, this lake gets bathed in moonlight every night. But Etheria’s moons can’t be seen from here, not even with a telescope. It makes it perfect for communicating with the stars or viewing our star signs.”
“So much has been happening that I’ve forgotten to ask you about why you have Libra branded on your stomach,” Leos said.
Prem beamed up excitedly. “I can tell you that one! Constellars get branded by the star gods they worship – the star gods are just the zodiac signs. So me and you would be Aries, Leos.”
“And by getting branded, you gain access to Constellar magic akin to your brand,” Blossom finished for him. “Constellars can use the magic of any star god, but only the one of which you are branded will your magic work correctly. Outside of the ability to summon Spectres, Constellar magic is very much identical to Pokémon attacks.”
“Wait really? What’s the point of going through all that complex magic stuff if it doesn’t let you do stuff Pokémon can’t already do?” Griselle asked.
“I imagine it lets Pokémon perform attacks they couldn’t normally learn,” Leos said.
“Exactly that! And then there’s a few super special tricks. Like, my orb can summon items and heal wounds if I try hard enough,” Prem said.
“Constellars are weird,” Griselle pouted. Leos smiled.
“I’ve not been branded. That could explain why when I used Double Team that time, it tired me out instantly,” Leos thought as he recalled his recent battles. He remembered that Ariala had saved him back then and cringed, so he dismissed the thought to enter the church.
The instant Leos set foot inside however, an overwhelming fatigue struck him. It was like a rush of cold wind blasted his front, causing him to gasp and his head to spark with pain. He let out a sharp, dry, growl, and grabbed his head with both hands as he struggled to stay on his feet.
“What the? Stop!” he cried in his mind. His eyesight blacking out as quickly as he had been hit. He couldn’t even tell whether he had lost consciousness or not, just that he spun and stumbled from lack of balance as his view faded to darkness.
Seconds later, he was surrounded by gravestones in a grey, swamp-filled clearing. Heavy fog obscured everything that wasn’t centimetres in front of him, so he grabbed the graves around him to stay on his feet and keep track of where he was. His focus returned as quickly as it had vanished, but he had been warped to this unsettling location.
“What is going on? Prem? Blossom? Ida?” he called out. A single gust of wind blew past him for a second, erasing all of the fog in an instant. In its place, dark walls surrounded him on all sides in the distance. Around him, the swamp began to flow like fire, only its texture was purely black.
Directly in front of him was Tapu Lele, who laughed childishly with a cryptic echo applied to her voice. Her arms were stretched out as she used her tremendous psychic powers to torment a struggling Ariala. The Clefable was suspended in the air, screaming and crying out as if her body was being torn apart, her death imminent. She couldn’t open her eyes and her body twitched in very uncomfortable spasms.
“No! Mother!” Leos cried.
He was stopped by another blast of wind, only this time, it was a powerful wind accompanied by the black flames. The flames morphed into a tornado of fire that engulfed Tapu Lele completely, degrading her innocent laughter into sinister grunts. The dark flames had infected and transformed her into a monstrosity right before his eyes. He couldn’t properly identify the one-eyed monster she had become; just that the way it loomed over him, laughing, mocking him, spreading its toxic, dark flames in every which direction, terrified him beyond his greatest fears. And Leos knew to never be afraid of anything.
The creature fell on top of him, and he screamed at the top of his voice. In a flash of heated darkness, just as quickly as he had been warped there, he found himself staring at the stained glass artwork on the windows of the church. His breathing was unsettled, but not hoarse or tired like it was when he battled.
“Leos! Leos, are you okay?” Prem cried in his face. He took a moment to blink at the Pikachu and settle his breathe, and quickly returned to his feet.
“Yes, I appear to be fine. I don’t know what happened there,” he said. He could still feel himself shuddering a bit, the appearance of the shadowy monster fresh in his mind.
“Are you sure? That happened out of nowhere! Please don’t push yourself, I’m worried!” he cried.
“Me too! I’m the one the weird stuff should be happenin’ to. You sure you’re not tired?” Griselle cried as well.
“I’m fine. Just some kind of strange dream,” Leos said, and shook his head. As he looked over at his allies, several Constellars gathered around him. “I mean it, I’m fine.”
“A premonition, and caused by nothing more than stepping into the church. You young man are a gift from the stars!” A Mimikyu came forward. Leos could only assume it was a Mimikyu, anyway. The Pokémon was shorter than Prem and had no visible feet of any kind at all. An aged, yellow rag designed to look like a Pikachu covered most of its body. “Tell me, child. What did you see in your vision?”
Leos’ face tightened and he hesitated, but he explained the contents of his vision anyway. To his surprise, his description caused a wave of chatter and concern to take over the room, and the Mimikyu edged backward.
“I don’t- Prem darling, who is this Pokémon?” Mimikyu asked. “Such a nasty vision is befitting only of a Constellar Lord.”
“This is why I didn’t want to come here. I’m not your darling,” Prem moaned and hung his head.
“So much is goin’ on you’re losing me,” Griselle said.
“Then just keep quiet and focus. We’ll explain later,” Blossom hissed, keeping back with her. Ida was stood over them both with her lance out.
Mimikyu approached and slowly unveiled its long, dark arms to hold Leos’ head up. He flinched away but calmed down once he realised she meant no harm. “I see it in your eyes now, actually. The only other Pokémon to get such a detailed, terrifying premonition was Master Lin. Someone go and contact him, please.”
“Constellars only get premonitions when they get branded. But normally they’re super vague and don’t really mean anythin’,” Prem explained while the Constellars got to work. “If you got one straight away, then that means you’re like, a super powerful Constellar, Leos!”
“Prem!” Leos said, making him cringe.
“O-oh, right, your name. S-sorry,” he said. Mimikyu giggled, and a hint of blush showed through her rag by her real eyes.
“Oh Prem, you’re as goofy as ever. You came back to get this Pokémon branded, didn’t you?” she asked. “I’ve missed you ever so much, you know. Sessions aren’t as fun without your character around.”
Prem shuffled away behind Leos. The Oshawott shrugged and sighed as he stood guard over his friend. “Pardon me, but you haven’t introduced yourself yet. Who are you?”
“My name is Rosie. Master Lin has chosen me as his right hand. I… I love Prem, though,” she bowed. Only the top half of her rag bowed however, as her main body was too short. “And I mean love, with all my being. I didn’t have much to my life until I tossed away my old appearance and modelled myself after him. Since becoming a Constellar and a Pikachu, my life has so much more meaning. I owe him every last hint of love and gratitude I can muster!”
“Right,” Leos replied. “Wait. Prem, is that what you meant when decided to start wearing that Charizard poncho?”
“It suits him wonderfully. Our Pokésonas, identified by well-crafted ponchos – how could we not be a match made in heaven?” Rosie said with a dreamy sigh. She actually started rambling aloud, talking about nothing but Prem until Leos cleared his throat. “A-ah! I’m sorry about that. I’m just so excited to see you again! I truly cannot express more just how much I miss you, darling.”
“I’m not staying, though. We only came to learn about Constellars,” Prem said with clearly lost patience.
“Where is he? There!” Master Lin said, coming from deeper within the church.
He was sweating and his eyes were wide, but it somehow gave off a feel that was as excited as Rosie was earlier. Leos couldn’t reply, surprised to not be intimidated by the creature. “To think that it would be you of all Pokémon! Your deduction in Tapu Fini’s chamber should have given me the hint, and yet here I find myself losing words by your appearance right now!”
“What’s gotten into everyone?” Leos raised his voice.
“Within no given timeframe, a Constellar is chosen by the star gods, one that is capable of being branded by all twelve. They receive a clear premonition that allows them to lead Pokémon safely through the future,” Master Lin explained. He surprised everyone by bowing on one knee. “That Pokémon is no better the choice to become the successor to me, as the new Constellar Lord.”
“Please stop bowing. It really doesn’t suit you.” Leos wanted to look away. “I hate to break it to you though, but I’ve no intention of becoming a Constellar, especially now that I’m supposed to be your leader or something.”
“Of course. You are Ariala’s son. You’re devoted to the blessings of the Tapu, aren’t you?” Master Lin said as he stood up.
“Actually I’m neutral. I don’t believe in any gods or goddesses to lead my life. I’m guided by fact and reality.” He folded his arms. Griselle made a sound of surprise and stared. “I came here to find out why you were in a place you weren’t supposed to be.”
“We Constellars are segregated for our differing beliefs, but truly, the reason for our segregation is to prevent needless conflict. The Tapu have never taken kindly to our religion,” Master Lin said. He patiently cupped his hands together. “Set our differing beliefs aside however, and you will find that we both wish for the same thing – the salvation of all Pokémon in Etheria. When I heard of the news of Tapu Fini’s absence and my ability to access her chamber when no one else could, I had only one answer. You may investigate as you please, but you will find no evidence of malicious intent, I assure you.”
Leos stared at him for the evidence he needed. Lin didn’t even look offended by the obvious accusations, but he wasn’t about to give up. Inviting him to investigate was Master Lin’s biggest mistake however, and he was going to ensure the priest knew that.
“Wait, Tapu Fini? Has there been much I’ve missed?” Rosie said, tilting her ‘head’.
“Leos. Even though you declined leading the Constellars, I implore you not to ignore your premonition,” Master Lin said. “What you saw can affect the entire world, so even if you would not guide Pokémon to avoid the outcome, you can still save yourself. To that end, it would be remiss of me to not work with you in these pressing times. Rosie has already informed me that your premonition foreshadows Ariala in danger to Tapu Lele.”
“I will deal with it my own way,” he said.
“Listen to me! All Constellar Lords get a premonition. Mine foretells of a terrifying war between the Tapu and Eris,” Master Lin raised his voice. Leos and the others went quiet. “News of Tapu Fini’s death have no doubt gotten to the other Tapu. They’re preparing for a massive assault as we speak!”
“What?” Ida said above everyone else’s cries. “I am a commander! I would have heard about this if it was happening. Don’t spread lies!”
“If you haven’t heard, then we have time yet,” Master Lin said. “Think about it. Princess Ariala is opposed to war between the two planets. I am certain that she would even go as far as to oppose the Tapu to prevent them from leading a war. If my premonition tells of a war and yours a grave battle between them both, then I believe we have a pair of fitting puzzle pieces.”
“We can’t let Ariala confront Tapu Lele,” he said, looking at the floor. He realised what he said and glared back up at Lin. “Don’t talk like you know my Mother!”
Master Lin nodded. “Do as you will, but you must heed these warnings. Together we can prevent this war.”
“We have to move. Now,” Leos said. He stopped in the doorway and half turned to look at Master Lin. “I still don’t trust you, but if it’s true, I’ll find a way to stop that premonition my own way. You do you.”
“Leos?” Griselle squeaked as she bounced after him. “Er wait for me!”
“Yes, Prem, wait please!” Rosie cried. Prem stopped for her, making the others stop as well. “You’re going to go just like that? C-can’t I get something like a cuddle or a kiss? Pretty please?”
“I think we all know the answer to that. Why even bother asking?” Leos said with a shrug.
“I love you so much, Prem. I could never not ask,” she said, going quiet. Prem groaned and started playing with his hands. “W-will you?”
“Master Lin, where could we find a graveyard?” he asked. Rosie moaned and sighed.
“I could give you that information. Just one quick snuggle, darling. That’s all I ask!” she said.
“Behind the church,” Master Lin said, making her moan even louder. “Go across the bridge and walk around the lake. You may find something unexpected there.”
“Unexpected?” Leos raised an eyebrow.
“A certain tomb. Whatever you are planning, go with careful respect,” he said. Leos’ face tightened and he left at that, the others following in silence.
No one spoke until they reached said graveyard, surprised to find that there was soil here. Unlike everywhere else in this section of Faernia, soil and greenery surrounded the countless stones making up the fields of the graveyard. There were paths, but those were made out of shorter cut grass rather than roads or stone walkways.
Being this close to the lake and the church, the fog surrounding the church wafted here to keep the area cold and hazy, but it was also lighter and easier to see through. The glitter from around the lake was there as well, but less prevalent and mostly scattered across the tops of the gravestones. Bug Pokémon could occasionally be spotted amongst the grass, either foraging for whatever nutrients they fed on or singing along with the Kricketot.
“Uh-um, Prince Leos, aren’t you scared?” Griselle asked.
“Scared? Of what?” he replied.
“Your dream. I’d be frightened if I had a dream about Mama getting killed. Times ten since its Tapu Lele.” She prodded her paws together.
“I can’t be afraid. If I let detrimental feelings like that affect me easily, then I’ll never deal with situations like this,” he said. “I must decipher the meaning of this daydream. Why it happened, whether it’s a real premonition or not, and why I even had it.”
“Tha-that’s why I’m here, though!” she said as she pushed her way in front of him. “Mum and Dad said that if I was ever to meet the new prince or princess, that I should help them out with all my being. So let me handle big feelings like that! Don’t say I must do this, ‘cos we’re here to do it with you!”
“I thought you said you didn’t understand what was happening?” he said.
“I… I don’t, but I—”
“Then don’t say things like that. It won’t be long until I can start my research on you, but don’t feel like you have to stick around me for no reason.” He dismissed her. She stopped moving completely, her face of shock mirrored across everyone else.
“Now now my lord, there’s no need for that attitude. We’re all here on our own terms, remember?” Blossom tapped him.
“Except for- wait, you’re right. Never mind then, do as you will,” he said, unfazed.
“Don’t worry, he likes acting tough,” Prem whispered as he passed Griselle. “Stay around long enough and he’ll warm to you. I promise.”
“Yeah… yeah! And either way, it’s pretty admirable. That’s my prince, shouldering the world’s greatest problems all on his own!” she said.
“He’s not your prince, though,” Prem said.
“If you’re done arguing, get over here. This is what Lin wanted us to see,” Ida called out and grabbed their attention. She was off in her own place, stood over a triad of stones. Leos didn’t waste time in reading them.
“Ah. These are former members of the Faernia royal family. So the royal family get buried here,” he summarised. Every grave here was put into a pattern that fitted within a large court, whilst each being grander than the other graves. One of the graves on the opposite side at the far end had been damaged however, so he walked over to investigate.
“Why are the Faernia royal family buried in the Stardust Treasury?” Prem asked.
“Better yet, why are Eris’ royal family buried here as well? This side has their gravestones,” Leos said. He followed the pattern of the stones while talking aloud to himself. “The graves are ordered based on the generation that each family reigned over. There’s over a millennia of family history for both planets right here. But if we follow this pattern right to the end, then that means…”
His theory took him right up to the broken grave. It had been dug up excessively and the headstone was chipped off and covered in cracks, but still readable. Sparkly glitter was littered all over this grave and more than the other graves, making it stand out even more. Diantha’s name and some respects were carved into it, as well as the dates of when she was alive.
“Princess Diantha perished at only age sixteen at the hands of our God Tapu Koko. It was tragic, and yet, it seems someone likes to drag tragedy further,” Ida said, clearly disgusted with the state of the grave. Leos was flicking through Rune’s diary like mad, and stopped at a page to glance up and down at the grave and the book.
“The dates match. This is actually Princess Diantha’s grave. My auntie,” he whispered in disbelief. “Did Master Lin know about this? Or was he the one that dug it up? Callous bastard!”
“Language!” Blossom smacked his head. “My lord, I am still your retainer. And that means advising you.”
“I never even agreed to you being—”
“Leos, listen and look at yourself! You’re holding in your anger like a prissy, spoilt teenager!” she said, making him flinch. “We were given the right to investigate. This is our starting point. You need to calm down, look at everything logically, and respect that everyone else is here to help.”
“Argh,” he growled and looked away.
He dared to look over at everyone else; surprised by the mixture of emotions they all showed. Prem and Griselle were clearly worried, Blossom was right and angry with him, and Ida resembled a look he had seen Ariala give him many times before. A stern combination that hinted at taking responsibility, as well as expectation of a turnaround of the current mood he was showing her. He stelled himself with a deep breath and shut his eyes. “I’m sorry, everyone.”
“Sorry?” Prem replied.
“When I dragged you all into this, I thought it would be an easy case to solve. But it’s gotten so complex that I don’t actually know what to do anymore, and that’s turning into me mistreating others,” he said, facing Diantha’s grave. “Tapu Fini’s suicide, Master Lin’s presence, my premonition, and now Diantha’s open grave – there’s no clear connection to any of it.”
“That’s what I meant. It’s hard and it’s super scary, right? So let us handle some of the trouble, too!” Griselle said.
“You can count on me, Leos. It’s just like all those other mysteries we solved so far,” Prem said. “We’ll just focus on one thing at a time until we’ve got a connection.”
“Right, yes. It’s time to study. That’s how we’ve solved all our other cases so far,” Leos said, rubbing his chin. “This is why I count on you, Prem. Seriously, thank you.”
“A-aww, but it’s all you, Leos,” the Pikachu said with a giggle, and scratched his ear. “So uh, what do we do first?”
Leos took a while to answer, deep in thought. “The open grave is an immediate problem. Diantha’s body actually isn’t in there.”
“So the missing Diantha,” Ida said. “If you want my thoughts, it’s the state of the grave that bothers me. It looks like someone was really in a hurry to get the body out.”
Leos stepped back to get a proper look at it. The glitter all over it was impossible to ignore. It didn’t even look dug up properly. There was a deep hole with the soil spread out like something underneath had gushed out of it, while the headstone was dislodged. “Actually, it almost looks like…”
A sharp revelation hit Leos and his eyes widened. He almost couldn’t breathe for a moment, lost in the danger that his possible solution had thought up. Desperate to disregard it as a guess, he spun around to check every fact he could.
The glitter wasn’t in the air like it was around the lake; it was all on the floor or the headstones. And not surrounding headstones, only the ones that led right up to this one. By walking backwards, he could see clear as day that the glitter was making a path.
“Prem! These sparkles. Please tell me what they are!” he cried.
“What’s gotten into you? Figured it out already?” Ida replied. Prem moaned a bit and then rubbed some of the glitter onto his arm, trying not to scratch the headstone. It disappeared into his hand without any discomfort.
“These are Tapu scales. They’re just like the ones that come out when I use my healing magic,” he said, widening everyone’s eyes.
“And Blossom! Look at the way the grave was dug. That doesn’t look like it was dug at all, does it?” he said.
She gave it a round of thought, and then mimicked Leos. “You think Tapu Lele did this, didn’t you?”
“Think about it. Tapu Lele is known to release scales that can heal when she flies at high speed. And with her Psychic, she could just pull the body up without digging. That would create this ‘gushing’ effect that the soil is in,” he said.
“Why in the world would Tapu Lele want a dead body, and Princess Diantha’s of all Pokémon?” Ida asked, still sceptical about the idea.
“A bargaining chip. An edge,” Leos muttered, flicking through Rune’s diary again. “She must know how much Diantha means to Rune. A challenging act for the death of Tapu Fini – Master Lin’s premonition could actually come true!”
“Wait wait wait, but that’s a guess!” Prem cried. “What is true is that once Ariala finds out that Tapu Lele might have done this, she won’t stand for it. The two could fight! Then your premonition could come true, Leos!”
“So either way, our next stop is to find one of the Tapu at all costs, right? More than anything in the world, we need to find one of ‘em, and quick!” Griselle squealed.
“Right. We have to find out why Tapu Lele did this and stop her from fighting Ariala. We can’t waste time—” Leos stated, freezing completely once he turned around. Someone was watching them, a Dewott.
The Dewott stood close enough for its features to be identified, and that was what stole Leos’ mind. It was tall and proper, with its arms held firmly at its sides. Its head fur was excessive, messy, half covered the tops of its eyes, and stretched to neck level around the back of its head. A ragged, slightly torn red cape flowed behind it, which half hid a multi-coloured sword in a sheath. Its face was bold and calm, unlike Leos and his friends.
They stood here for what must have been upwards of a minute, doing nothing but staring at one another. Eventually annoyed with his thoughts, Leos curled his hands to make fists and tightened his gaze.
“Now you decide to show up. Come to get your diary back?” he said.
“Well this place looks welcoming,” Leos said after a lengthy silence. After short negotiations with the Constellars outside of the Stardust Treasury, the group had been allowed inside so long as they kept a constant watch on Griselle.
“I like it though. It looks pretty,” Prem said, prancing alongside him. The Constellar Church was still in the centre of the city, surrounded by a lake that let out an ominous, spatial atmosphere around it. Specs glittered in the air like stars, whilst a light fog made everything dark, hazy and blurry to look at. “I still don’t wanna come here, though.”
“Pretty? You can barely see it,” Leos said, sceptical. If not for the warm light coming through the stained-glass windows, the building would be nearly invisible from their distance.
“This place was built here for a reason, you know,” Blossom said. All was silent, minus their conversation. “Ignorant of Faernia’s seasons, this lake gets bathed in moonlight every night. But Etheria’s moons can’t be seen from here, not even with a telescope. It makes it perfect for communicating with the stars or viewing our star signs.”
“So much has been happening that I’ve forgotten to ask you about why you have Libra branded on your stomach,” Leos said.
Prem beamed up excitedly. “I can tell you that one! Constellars get branded by the star gods they worship – the star gods are just the zodiac signs. So me and you would be Aries, Leos.”
“And by getting branded, you gain access to Constellar magic akin to your brand,” Blossom finished for him. “Constellars can use the magic of any star god, but only the one of which you are branded will your magic work correctly. Outside of the ability to summon Spectres, Constellar magic is very much identical to Pokémon attacks.”
“Wait really? What’s the point of going through all that complex magic stuff if it doesn’t let you do stuff Pokémon can’t already do?” Griselle asked.
“I imagine it lets Pokémon perform attacks they couldn’t normally learn,” Leos said.
“Exactly that! And then there’s a few super special tricks. Like, my orb can summon items and heal wounds if I try hard enough,” Prem said.
“Constellars are weird,” Griselle pouted. Leos smiled.
“I’ve not been branded. That could explain why when I used Double Team that time, it tired me out instantly,” Leos thought as he recalled his recent battles. He remembered that Ariala had saved him back then and cringed, so he dismissed the thought to enter the church.
The instant Leos set foot inside however, an overwhelming fatigue struck him. It was like a rush of cold wind blasted his front, causing him to gasp and his head to spark with pain. He let out a sharp, dry, growl, and grabbed his head with both hands as he struggled to stay on his feet.
“What the? Stop!” he cried in his mind. His eyesight blacking out as quickly as he had been hit. He couldn’t even tell whether he had lost consciousness or not, just that he spun and stumbled from lack of balance as his view faded to darkness.
Seconds later, he was surrounded by gravestones in a grey, swamp-filled clearing. Heavy fog obscured everything that wasn’t centimetres in front of him, so he grabbed the graves around him to stay on his feet and keep track of where he was. His focus returned as quickly as it had vanished, but he had been warped to this unsettling location.
“What is going on? Prem? Blossom? Ida?” he called out. A single gust of wind blew past him for a second, erasing all of the fog in an instant. In its place, dark walls surrounded him on all sides in the distance. Around him, the swamp began to flow like fire, only its texture was purely black.
Directly in front of him was Tapu Lele, who laughed childishly with a cryptic echo applied to her voice. Her arms were stretched out as she used her tremendous psychic powers to torment a struggling Ariala. The Clefable was suspended in the air, screaming and crying out as if her body was being torn apart, her death imminent. She couldn’t open her eyes and her body twitched in very uncomfortable spasms.
“No! Mother!” Leos cried.
He was stopped by another blast of wind, only this time, it was a powerful wind accompanied by the black flames. The flames morphed into a tornado of fire that engulfed Tapu Lele completely, degrading her innocent laughter into sinister grunts. The dark flames had infected and transformed her into a monstrosity right before his eyes. He couldn’t properly identify the one-eyed monster she had become; just that the way it loomed over him, laughing, mocking him, spreading its toxic, dark flames in every which direction, terrified him beyond his greatest fears. And Leos knew to never be afraid of anything.
The creature fell on top of him, and he screamed at the top of his voice. In a flash of heated darkness, just as quickly as he had been warped there, he found himself staring at the stained glass artwork on the windows of the church. His breathing was unsettled, but not hoarse or tired like it was when he battled.
“Leos! Leos, are you okay?” Prem cried in his face. He took a moment to blink at the Pikachu and settle his breathe, and quickly returned to his feet.
“Yes, I appear to be fine. I don’t know what happened there,” he said. He could still feel himself shuddering a bit, the appearance of the shadowy monster fresh in his mind.
“Are you sure? That happened out of nowhere! Please don’t push yourself, I’m worried!” he cried.
“Me too! I’m the one the weird stuff should be happenin’ to. You sure you’re not tired?” Griselle cried as well.
“I’m fine. Just some kind of strange dream,” Leos said, and shook his head. As he looked over at his allies, several Constellars gathered around him. “I mean it, I’m fine.”
“A premonition, and caused by nothing more than stepping into the church. You young man are a gift from the stars!” A Mimikyu came forward. Leos could only assume it was a Mimikyu, anyway. The Pokémon was shorter than Prem and had no visible feet of any kind at all. An aged, yellow rag designed to look like a Pikachu covered most of its body. “Tell me, child. What did you see in your vision?”
Leos’ face tightened and he hesitated, but he explained the contents of his vision anyway. To his surprise, his description caused a wave of chatter and concern to take over the room, and the Mimikyu edged backward.
“I don’t- Prem darling, who is this Pokémon?” Mimikyu asked. “Such a nasty vision is befitting only of a Constellar Lord.”
“This is why I didn’t want to come here. I’m not your darling,” Prem moaned and hung his head.
“So much is goin’ on you’re losing me,” Griselle said.
“Then just keep quiet and focus. We’ll explain later,” Blossom hissed, keeping back with her. Ida was stood over them both with her lance out.
Mimikyu approached and slowly unveiled its long, dark arms to hold Leos’ head up. He flinched away but calmed down once he realised she meant no harm. “I see it in your eyes now, actually. The only other Pokémon to get such a detailed, terrifying premonition was Master Lin. Someone go and contact him, please.”
“Constellars only get premonitions when they get branded. But normally they’re super vague and don’t really mean anythin’,” Prem explained while the Constellars got to work. “If you got one straight away, then that means you’re like, a super powerful Constellar, Leos!”
“Prem!” Leos said, making him cringe.
“O-oh, right, your name. S-sorry,” he said. Mimikyu giggled, and a hint of blush showed through her rag by her real eyes.
“Oh Prem, you’re as goofy as ever. You came back to get this Pokémon branded, didn’t you?” she asked. “I’ve missed you ever so much, you know. Sessions aren’t as fun without your character around.”
Prem shuffled away behind Leos. The Oshawott shrugged and sighed as he stood guard over his friend. “Pardon me, but you haven’t introduced yourself yet. Who are you?”
“My name is Rosie. Master Lin has chosen me as his right hand. I… I love Prem, though,” she bowed. Only the top half of her rag bowed however, as her main body was too short. “And I mean love, with all my being. I didn’t have much to my life until I tossed away my old appearance and modelled myself after him. Since becoming a Constellar and a Pikachu, my life has so much more meaning. I owe him every last hint of love and gratitude I can muster!”
“Right,” Leos replied. “Wait. Prem, is that what you meant when decided to start wearing that Charizard poncho?”
“It suits him wonderfully. Our Pokésonas, identified by well-crafted ponchos – how could we not be a match made in heaven?” Rosie said with a dreamy sigh. She actually started rambling aloud, talking about nothing but Prem until Leos cleared his throat. “A-ah! I’m sorry about that. I’m just so excited to see you again! I truly cannot express more just how much I miss you, darling.”
“I’m not staying, though. We only came to learn about Constellars,” Prem said with clearly lost patience.
“Where is he? There!” Master Lin said, coming from deeper within the church.
He was sweating and his eyes were wide, but it somehow gave off a feel that was as excited as Rosie was earlier. Leos couldn’t reply, surprised to not be intimidated by the creature. “To think that it would be you of all Pokémon! Your deduction in Tapu Fini’s chamber should have given me the hint, and yet here I find myself losing words by your appearance right now!”
“What’s gotten into everyone?” Leos raised his voice.
“Within no given timeframe, a Constellar is chosen by the star gods, one that is capable of being branded by all twelve. They receive a clear premonition that allows them to lead Pokémon safely through the future,” Master Lin explained. He surprised everyone by bowing on one knee. “That Pokémon is no better the choice to become the successor to me, as the new Constellar Lord.”
“Please stop bowing. It really doesn’t suit you.” Leos wanted to look away. “I hate to break it to you though, but I’ve no intention of becoming a Constellar, especially now that I’m supposed to be your leader or something.”
“Of course. You are Ariala’s son. You’re devoted to the blessings of the Tapu, aren’t you?” Master Lin said as he stood up.
“Actually I’m neutral. I don’t believe in any gods or goddesses to lead my life. I’m guided by fact and reality.” He folded his arms. Griselle made a sound of surprise and stared. “I came here to find out why you were in a place you weren’t supposed to be.”
“We Constellars are segregated for our differing beliefs, but truly, the reason for our segregation is to prevent needless conflict. The Tapu have never taken kindly to our religion,” Master Lin said. He patiently cupped his hands together. “Set our differing beliefs aside however, and you will find that we both wish for the same thing – the salvation of all Pokémon in Etheria. When I heard of the news of Tapu Fini’s absence and my ability to access her chamber when no one else could, I had only one answer. You may investigate as you please, but you will find no evidence of malicious intent, I assure you.”
Leos stared at him for the evidence he needed. Lin didn’t even look offended by the obvious accusations, but he wasn’t about to give up. Inviting him to investigate was Master Lin’s biggest mistake however, and he was going to ensure the priest knew that.
“Wait, Tapu Fini? Has there been much I’ve missed?” Rosie said, tilting her ‘head’.
“Leos. Even though you declined leading the Constellars, I implore you not to ignore your premonition,” Master Lin said. “What you saw can affect the entire world, so even if you would not guide Pokémon to avoid the outcome, you can still save yourself. To that end, it would be remiss of me to not work with you in these pressing times. Rosie has already informed me that your premonition foreshadows Ariala in danger to Tapu Lele.”
“I will deal with it my own way,” he said.
“Listen to me! All Constellar Lords get a premonition. Mine foretells of a terrifying war between the Tapu and Eris,” Master Lin raised his voice. Leos and the others went quiet. “News of Tapu Fini’s death have no doubt gotten to the other Tapu. They’re preparing for a massive assault as we speak!”
“What?” Ida said above everyone else’s cries. “I am a commander! I would have heard about this if it was happening. Don’t spread lies!”
“If you haven’t heard, then we have time yet,” Master Lin said. “Think about it. Princess Ariala is opposed to war between the two planets. I am certain that she would even go as far as to oppose the Tapu to prevent them from leading a war. If my premonition tells of a war and yours a grave battle between them both, then I believe we have a pair of fitting puzzle pieces.”
“We can’t let Ariala confront Tapu Lele,” he said, looking at the floor. He realised what he said and glared back up at Lin. “Don’t talk like you know my Mother!”
Master Lin nodded. “Do as you will, but you must heed these warnings. Together we can prevent this war.”
“We have to move. Now,” Leos said. He stopped in the doorway and half turned to look at Master Lin. “I still don’t trust you, but if it’s true, I’ll find a way to stop that premonition my own way. You do you.”
“Leos?” Griselle squeaked as she bounced after him. “Er wait for me!”
“Yes, Prem, wait please!” Rosie cried. Prem stopped for her, making the others stop as well. “You’re going to go just like that? C-can’t I get something like a cuddle or a kiss? Pretty please?”
“I think we all know the answer to that. Why even bother asking?” Leos said with a shrug.
“I love you so much, Prem. I could never not ask,” she said, going quiet. Prem groaned and started playing with his hands. “W-will you?”
“Master Lin, where could we find a graveyard?” he asked. Rosie moaned and sighed.
“I could give you that information. Just one quick snuggle, darling. That’s all I ask!” she said.
“Behind the church,” Master Lin said, making her moan even louder. “Go across the bridge and walk around the lake. You may find something unexpected there.”
“Unexpected?” Leos raised an eyebrow.
“A certain tomb. Whatever you are planning, go with careful respect,” he said. Leos’ face tightened and he left at that, the others following in silence.
No one spoke until they reached said graveyard, surprised to find that there was soil here. Unlike everywhere else in this section of Faernia, soil and greenery surrounded the countless stones making up the fields of the graveyard. There were paths, but those were made out of shorter cut grass rather than roads or stone walkways.
Being this close to the lake and the church, the fog surrounding the church wafted here to keep the area cold and hazy, but it was also lighter and easier to see through. The glitter from around the lake was there as well, but less prevalent and mostly scattered across the tops of the gravestones. Bug Pokémon could occasionally be spotted amongst the grass, either foraging for whatever nutrients they fed on or singing along with the Kricketot.
“Uh-um, Prince Leos, aren’t you scared?” Griselle asked.
“Scared? Of what?” he replied.
“Your dream. I’d be frightened if I had a dream about Mama getting killed. Times ten since its Tapu Lele.” She prodded her paws together.
“I can’t be afraid. If I let detrimental feelings like that affect me easily, then I’ll never deal with situations like this,” he said. “I must decipher the meaning of this daydream. Why it happened, whether it’s a real premonition or not, and why I even had it.”
“Tha-that’s why I’m here, though!” she said as she pushed her way in front of him. “Mum and Dad said that if I was ever to meet the new prince or princess, that I should help them out with all my being. So let me handle big feelings like that! Don’t say I must do this, ‘cos we’re here to do it with you!”
“I thought you said you didn’t understand what was happening?” he said.
“I… I don’t, but I—”
“Then don’t say things like that. It won’t be long until I can start my research on you, but don’t feel like you have to stick around me for no reason.” He dismissed her. She stopped moving completely, her face of shock mirrored across everyone else.
“Now now my lord, there’s no need for that attitude. We’re all here on our own terms, remember?” Blossom tapped him.
“Except for- wait, you’re right. Never mind then, do as you will,” he said, unfazed.
“Don’t worry, he likes acting tough,” Prem whispered as he passed Griselle. “Stay around long enough and he’ll warm to you. I promise.”
“Yeah… yeah! And either way, it’s pretty admirable. That’s my prince, shouldering the world’s greatest problems all on his own!” she said.
“He’s not your prince, though,” Prem said.
“If you’re done arguing, get over here. This is what Lin wanted us to see,” Ida called out and grabbed their attention. She was off in her own place, stood over a triad of stones. Leos didn’t waste time in reading them.
“Ah. These are former members of the Faernia royal family. So the royal family get buried here,” he summarised. Every grave here was put into a pattern that fitted within a large court, whilst each being grander than the other graves. One of the graves on the opposite side at the far end had been damaged however, so he walked over to investigate.
“Why are the Faernia royal family buried in the Stardust Treasury?” Prem asked.
“Better yet, why are Eris’ royal family buried here as well? This side has their gravestones,” Leos said. He followed the pattern of the stones while talking aloud to himself. “The graves are ordered based on the generation that each family reigned over. There’s over a millennia of family history for both planets right here. But if we follow this pattern right to the end, then that means…”
His theory took him right up to the broken grave. It had been dug up excessively and the headstone was chipped off and covered in cracks, but still readable. Sparkly glitter was littered all over this grave and more than the other graves, making it stand out even more. Diantha’s name and some respects were carved into it, as well as the dates of when she was alive.
“Princess Diantha perished at only age sixteen at the hands of our God Tapu Koko. It was tragic, and yet, it seems someone likes to drag tragedy further,” Ida said, clearly disgusted with the state of the grave. Leos was flicking through Rune’s diary like mad, and stopped at a page to glance up and down at the grave and the book.
“The dates match. This is actually Princess Diantha’s grave. My auntie,” he whispered in disbelief. “Did Master Lin know about this? Or was he the one that dug it up? Callous bastard!”
“Language!” Blossom smacked his head. “My lord, I am still your retainer. And that means advising you.”
“I never even agreed to you being—”
“Leos, listen and look at yourself! You’re holding in your anger like a prissy, spoilt teenager!” she said, making him flinch. “We were given the right to investigate. This is our starting point. You need to calm down, look at everything logically, and respect that everyone else is here to help.”
“Argh,” he growled and looked away.
He dared to look over at everyone else; surprised by the mixture of emotions they all showed. Prem and Griselle were clearly worried, Blossom was right and angry with him, and Ida resembled a look he had seen Ariala give him many times before. A stern combination that hinted at taking responsibility, as well as expectation of a turnaround of the current mood he was showing her. He stelled himself with a deep breath and shut his eyes. “I’m sorry, everyone.”
“Sorry?” Prem replied.
“When I dragged you all into this, I thought it would be an easy case to solve. But it’s gotten so complex that I don’t actually know what to do anymore, and that’s turning into me mistreating others,” he said, facing Diantha’s grave. “Tapu Fini’s suicide, Master Lin’s presence, my premonition, and now Diantha’s open grave – there’s no clear connection to any of it.”
“That’s what I meant. It’s hard and it’s super scary, right? So let us handle some of the trouble, too!” Griselle said.
“You can count on me, Leos. It’s just like all those other mysteries we solved so far,” Prem said. “We’ll just focus on one thing at a time until we’ve got a connection.”
“Right, yes. It’s time to study. That’s how we’ve solved all our other cases so far,” Leos said, rubbing his chin. “This is why I count on you, Prem. Seriously, thank you.”
“A-aww, but it’s all you, Leos,” the Pikachu said with a giggle, and scratched his ear. “So uh, what do we do first?”
Leos took a while to answer, deep in thought. “The open grave is an immediate problem. Diantha’s body actually isn’t in there.”
“So the missing Diantha,” Ida said. “If you want my thoughts, it’s the state of the grave that bothers me. It looks like someone was really in a hurry to get the body out.”
Leos stepped back to get a proper look at it. The glitter all over it was impossible to ignore. It didn’t even look dug up properly. There was a deep hole with the soil spread out like something underneath had gushed out of it, while the headstone was dislodged. “Actually, it almost looks like…”
A sharp revelation hit Leos and his eyes widened. He almost couldn’t breathe for a moment, lost in the danger that his possible solution had thought up. Desperate to disregard it as a guess, he spun around to check every fact he could.
The glitter wasn’t in the air like it was around the lake; it was all on the floor or the headstones. And not surrounding headstones, only the ones that led right up to this one. By walking backwards, he could see clear as day that the glitter was making a path.
“Prem! These sparkles. Please tell me what they are!” he cried.
“What’s gotten into you? Figured it out already?” Ida replied. Prem moaned a bit and then rubbed some of the glitter onto his arm, trying not to scratch the headstone. It disappeared into his hand without any discomfort.
“These are Tapu scales. They’re just like the ones that come out when I use my healing magic,” he said, widening everyone’s eyes.
“And Blossom! Look at the way the grave was dug. That doesn’t look like it was dug at all, does it?” he said.
She gave it a round of thought, and then mimicked Leos. “You think Tapu Lele did this, didn’t you?”
“Think about it. Tapu Lele is known to release scales that can heal when she flies at high speed. And with her Psychic, she could just pull the body up without digging. That would create this ‘gushing’ effect that the soil is in,” he said.
“Why in the world would Tapu Lele want a dead body, and Princess Diantha’s of all Pokémon?” Ida asked, still sceptical about the idea.
“A bargaining chip. An edge,” Leos muttered, flicking through Rune’s diary again. “She must know how much Diantha means to Rune. A challenging act for the death of Tapu Fini – Master Lin’s premonition could actually come true!”
“Wait wait wait, but that’s a guess!” Prem cried. “What is true is that once Ariala finds out that Tapu Lele might have done this, she won’t stand for it. The two could fight! Then your premonition could come true, Leos!”
“So either way, our next stop is to find one of the Tapu at all costs, right? More than anything in the world, we need to find one of ‘em, and quick!” Griselle squealed.
“Right. We have to find out why Tapu Lele did this and stop her from fighting Ariala. We can’t waste time—” Leos stated, freezing completely once he turned around. Someone was watching them, a Dewott.
The Dewott stood close enough for its features to be identified, and that was what stole Leos’ mind. It was tall and proper, with its arms held firmly at its sides. Its head fur was excessive, messy, half covered the tops of its eyes, and stretched to neck level around the back of its head. A ragged, slightly torn red cape flowed behind it, which half hid a multi-coloured sword in a sheath. Its face was bold and calm, unlike Leos and his friends.
They stood here for what must have been upwards of a minute, doing nothing but staring at one another. Eventually annoyed with his thoughts, Leos curled his hands to make fists and tightened his gaze.
“Now you decide to show up. Come to get your diary back?” he said.