Return to Nature
The rapid demise of the Sinnohans left the land of Hisui to Pokémon alone. Flourishing cities disappeared, only ruins of prominent temples to test their former glory. Ghosts started to infest the sites, while Ralts remained to serve as maidens in abandoned shrines. Fauna soon took over Celestica, from the Rhyperior in Sacred Plaza to the Steelix in the trail below, up to Gliscor and Probopass near Primeval Grotto and the Golem in Bolderoll Ravine. If Sneasler’s original arena really was in Clamberclaw Cliffs, we can’t observe any evident relic beside the Alpha Bronzong lingering in the valley. Humans conquered the mountains with sweat and tears, now nature was simply reclaiming what was lost.
The situation in Crimson Mirelands wasn’t much different. Shrouded Ruins and Gapejaw Bow became phantom cities as soon as people started to scatter all around the world in search of the Hero. The process may have been slower, but the state of the ruins tells us it didn’t take long for them to follow the capital in its decline. The existence of Ursaluna in the ancient past suggests the area saw the presence of swamps before — the Holm of Trials and its Alpha Toxicroak may have been in such a state since the middle of the Sinnohan civilization, if its name refers to one of the Hero’s quests — and with humans gone no draining could balance the inclination of the environment to stagnation.
Gapejaw Bog became true to its name, the ponds engulfing part of Golden Lowlands as well, and the same could be said for Sludge Mound to the east, where a bloat of Hippowdon made the filthy waters their home. North to the mound the swamp expanded into the larger Scarlet Bog [深紅沼, Deep Crimson Swamp], the reddish ponds giving the mirelands their current name — here 深紅 [deep crimson] serves as a nod to 紅蓮 [crimson] used in the general toponym. The Alpha Skuntank in the swamp’s heart became the undisputed king of the mire, while population of Croagunk established here possibly migrating from the holm below — this fittingly puts the region in continuity with the modern Great Marsh to which Scarlet Bog geographically overlaps.
Wilderness completely took over less populated areas. No ancient infrastructures beside Turnback Cave survived in Cobalt Coastlands; even the natives of Firespit Island are nowhere to be found, the shrine of the Lava Dome left abandoned to its lonely fate. Alabaster Icelands became a desolate snowfield, with only sporadic presence of ancient humans remaining in stone tablets, statues, and bridges. The fact Snowpoint Temple managed to remain intact from ages of yore even from the perspective of Sinnohans speaks volumes of the first civilization’s architectural expertise, the massive construction will only see its upper floors demolished in contemporary history. As for Obsidian Fieldlands, human facilities were already sporadic at the time of Sinnohans. The two structures forming the Worn Bridge survived until the time of Legends: Arceus, but the same can’t be said for the supposed coastal settlement the folk shrine originated from.
The Hisui of twelve hundred years ago was engulfed by the natural world, slowly erasing the traces of its old inhabitants. Yet, when the Galaxy Expedition Team will set foot on Prelude Beach in the modern era, it will find itself with the short end of the stick: other people already took over the land, self-proclaimed heirs of the ancient Sinnohans. But when did these folks arrived, and from where?
Under a Single Banner
When discussing the narrative behind the Diamond Clan and the Pearl Clan, it’s easy to conclude they were always separate tribes fighting over a disputed land. After all, a different origin seems to be heavily suggested by the use of “clan” alone. In reality, the original term here is 団 [gang], the same word localization usually renders as “team”: they are more properly the “Team Diamond” [コンゴウ団] and the “Team Pearl” [シンジュ団]. The impression the Japanese immediately gives is these are more akin to organizations rather than extended families.
The arrival of these people in the region is told more in detail in Old Verse 5, revealing much about their true nature:
ENG:
Long and longer yet ago, Celestica was here. But folk and town alike, both did disappear. In time, came new folk sailing, sailing ‘cross the sea, called by their love for Sinnoh, great and almighty. But diff’rent were the Sinnoh that each folk did hold dear, and bitter strife and angry war were always at the near. ‘Celestica’ they called themselves, the name not theirs to take. Yet claim it from the past they did, for tragic quarrel’s sake. So once again did our name live, though all our people gone. But even if the name endures, its heart does not live on.
JPN:
昔も昔 カミナギという町があったいつしか人は消え 町の名も消えた時がたち シンオウさまをあがめ海を渡ってくるものがいたそれぞれ異なったシンオウさまをあがめていたいさかいが起きた争いも起こったおのれの正当性を示すためどちらもカミナギの民と称した町の名はよみがえっただがあのときの心はよみがえらない
Long, long ago, there was a town called Kaminagi. Unnoticed, the people disappeared, and the town as well. As time passed, those who worshipped Almighty Sinnoh arrived sailing across the sea. But they each worshipped a different Almighty Sinnoh. Disputes arose. Conflicts broke out. To assert their own legitimacy, both took the name of the people of Kaminagi. The name of the town has been revived, but not the spirit of that time.
Compared to the English version, the original text is less clear in claiming different “folks” were there from the beginning. People arrived in Hisui travelling across the sea, guided by their faith for Sinnoh. The poem then skips some steps in stating “each” worshipped a different deity: it is not specified if these are different folks altogether, or separate factions within a single expedition group. The latter is in fact the most likely scenario: if one group made it there before the other, it would be more difficult for the last arrived to claim any sort of legitimacy over the land — as we directly see with the Galaxy Team. And what are the odds of two different tribes independently arriving via sea in the same place, to revere the “same” deity, at the exact same time?
A closer inspection to their settlements only reinforces the idea. Both Diamond and Pearl Clans share the same style for their tents, both outside and inside, and even the alphabet used on their banners appears to be in common between the two. In the houses of both clans, we can consistently find two portraits, probably denoting a strong cult of ancestors if we notice the small altar for floral offerings between them. On the left, the Sinnohan Hero is depicted in his former glory, with an iconography again in common between the two factions. True to their real names, these are “teams” more than “clans”: they clearly share a cultural background [something even remarked in the game’s press release], from technology to arts, to writing to spiritual and religious sensibility. They were originally one and the same. Their differences are to trace to the ones pictured on the right.
The other figure at the shrine’s side differs between the settlement. For the Pearl Clan, we have a man clearly reminiscent of Archie, for the Diamond Clan the same is true for a lookalike of Maxie. Team Aqua and Team Magma’s leaders evidently have their family roots in ancient Hisui; indeed, the two ancestors were likely the clan’s original founders. Not only they are revered as important figures juxtaposed to the Hero, but they even made themselves represent like the ancient adventurer: excluding the absurd implication of the two having access both to the Origin Ore and to Red Chain’s crystals, the two Origin Balls hanging on their hoods have to be merely symbolic: maybe their egotism wasn’t as high as thinking themselves as Alder’s equals, but they were at least worthy of a couple of his mysterious spheres on their personal icons.
The subtle implication of this sort of representation is to reveal the founders’ characterization didn’t differ much from that of their later descendants. They both thought high of themselves, to a point they eventually lost sight of the truth in favor of their own partial ideology. If the Diamond and Pearl Clans had a common origin, they broke in halves as soon as the two men started to dispute on their worldviews, gathered a loyal number of faithful recruits, and founded their own “teams”. To gain such a great following, they were probably prominent figures to begin with — maybe important priests for their once common religion. At the end of the day, the same story will perfectly repeat in modern Hoenn, considering Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire reveal Archie and Maxie originally worked together in a common organization, only to go on separate ways out of disagreement.
“I heard our leader Maxie and Team Aqua’s leader Archie used to be on the same team.”
The particular reason for this split is to search in the identity of the god they worshipped. Upon their arrival, they all revered Almighty Sinnoh; but who actually was this great deity? What did it teach? What does it want? What is it that it embodies? A theological dilemma that had different answers for the two future leaders: for one, the essence of god was the steady pace of time; for the other, the infinite expanse of space. A conflict beautifully put in words by the ancient poet in Old Verse 1.
ENG:
Once there were two. And one looked upon time’s steady pace. And one looked upon the expanse of space. And the two set out: the fullness of future they did seek, the world’s far end would they greet. Two different paths — each walking alone a path their own, though they walk with almighty Sinnoh.
JPN:
ふたりのものがいたひとりは流れる時をみたひとりは広がる世界をみたふたりはさらなる未来そして世界の果てを求めそれぞれの道を往くことにしたシンオウさまと共に
There were two people. One looked upon the flow of time, the other looked upon the expanding world. The two people sought a further future, and thus the world’s end. Choosing their respective paths, Almighty Sinnoh was with them.
The text is already cryptic by itself, and the English only adds further layers of uncertainty. For instance, the ambiguity of the subjects led many fans to believe the poem refers to Dialga and Palkia, witnessing the birth of their concepts from their respective dimensions, Arceus — here Sinnoh — with them despite the different path they ultimately embody. But in reality, both そして [two people] and ひとり [one person] are used to address humans specifically. This is the story of the clan’s founders, and how they originally came in contact with their respective deities. This is why, despite choosing different paths, Sinnoh walks with both of them: it is not a vague hint to Arceus’ omnipresence, but a concrete image of two different gods joining the divergent causes of the high priests.
We will reflect later in this article on the notion the founders actually met Dialga and Palkia in person, and on the fact they both sought a “further future” and the “world’s end”. But now that we’ve covered the basics, we have to take a couple of steps back and ask ourselves what the culture that originated the clans really was. People came from beyond the sea, but the verses don’t elaborate further: it was likely beyond the author’s knowledge. Luckly for us, the games provide enough contextual clues to grasp the bigger picture.
Beyond the Written Wall
When the clans’ culture arrived in Hisui, they already worshipped an entity named Sinnoh, and they were aware of the name of Celestica as well. The seemingly accurate portraits of the Hero they possess only stress more how a contact between these people and the Sinnohans happened in the ancient past. As we’ve discussed in detail in our previous article, during the late period of their history the followers of Arceus settled colonies all around the world in order to spread the teachings of their cult. From Kitakami to Sinjoh, relationships with foreigners were established, and we can imagine the most prominent figures and names of the Hisuian culture started to be known outside the region’s borders.
It is in this context that we should frame the clans’ civilization: the reason they revered Almighty Sinnoh even in their hometown was because the religion spread across the ocean during the colonization period. However, we also know they ultimately grew unsure of the god’s true nature and appearance, meaning enough time passed since the original contact that some details blurred to myth. It is a strike contrast from Sinnohans, considering the iconography of the Hero was accurately preserved instead. We see no human depiction in Celestica, Pokémon were the focal point back then; the clans seem to be more focused on ancestral worshipping instead, resulting in the figure of the ancient adventurer to eventually outshine that of their own chief god.
Why did they decide to suddenly leave their hometown? Maybe it was supposed to be a pilgrimage of sorts: now that they started to lose the grasp on the essence of the divine, they decided to depart in search of the land of gods where their cult originated. It is more unclear if they knew about Celestica’s disappearance, although it is totally possible the information was delivered through the surviving Sinnohans that scattered across the globe in search of the Hero. If a desolate wasteland is what the clans were expecting upon their arrival, then the religious motives could also intertwine with a more mundane territorial expansion: they do claim the name of Celestica for themselves after all, they are no foreigners to cultural appropriation.
To sum this up, the civilization that colonized Hisui after the Sinnohans had an original contact with Celestica, incorporated their cults in their culture, showed a particular interest in the figure of the Hero to a point they started to overshadow the main deity and forget what it really looked like, and finally they decided to sail across the sea to join their religious roots once more. One final piece of evidence makes everything fall in the right place.
As elaborated in the previous thesis, Solaceon Ruins were probably not established by Sinnohans. Despite the track seemingly leading to their entrance is adorned by Greco-Roman columns, this likely marked the beginning of a path to the small shrine on the ruins’ side. And while the place may have been excavated in ancient times for mining purposes, the architecture on the inside is different from anything else dating back to the time period Celestica belongs to. Not only that, but the central role the Symbol Pokémon play here is in contrast with the fact the ancient people of Hisui had their own writing system composed of hieroglyphs. This is not a Sinnohan site, meaning it must either precede or succeed them. It is likely the latter.
The signature trait of the ruins is the copious presence of Unown, both as living organisms and as the homonymous alphabet in inscriptions carved on the walls. Even its Japanese name remarks the connection, ズイの遺跡 [Zui Ruins] comes from 随 [voluntary, free], but also constitutes the root of 随筆 [miscellaneous writings] — and from Legends: Arceus we know it’s Solaceon Town that took its name from the ruins, not the opposite. While the layout differs largely between the Generation IV and the Hisui iterations, claiming the lower floors were only built in modern times would be unsubstantiated. Not only the architecture is consistent in the entirety of the facility, but the engravings of the first levels are none other than instructions to reach the top, and a man even retrieves a Green Shard on the second floor. Then, the unexplorable sections in Legends: Arceus were either buried underground at the time of our adventure, or they were simply not shown due to wacky environmental design. Developers seem to have been particularly challenged by giving Solaceon Ruins a proper reinterpretation, resulting in two conflicting portrayals — just notice how they were originally located north to Lake Valor, only to be moved south in their later appearance.
One thing that remained consistent is, however, the inscription on the wall of the upper floor. We can read it since Diamond and Pearl, and it plays a more important role in Legends: Arceus main quest with the Miss Fortune sisters stealing the Wall Fragment [せきばんのかけら, Slab Fragment] bearing parts of the writing. The text goes as follows, transliterating from Unown:
ENG: Friendship. All lives touch other lives to create something anew and alive…
Friend. すべて の いのち は べつ の いのち と であい なにか を うみだす
JPN: Friend. Every life meets with another life to create something.
This seems to be a message to encourage humanity to always help one another, as it’s only through cooperation that something can be created anew. The link between Solaceon Ruins and the concept of “friendship” is indeed spoken to the visitors progressively while they made their way to the sacred slab, as Unown F, R, I, E, N and D — in this order — are the only wild encounters in the rooms on the right path to the upper section. Notice how the word “friend” is engraved in English even in the original text, while all the others are in Unown-coded Japanese. This doesn’t necessarily mean those who built the ruins actually spoke the language, the way ancient text is just written in Unown without being converted to a proper idiom with its own lexicon is just a gameplay convenience so that players can understand the lines without a master degree in evolutionary linguistic. However, it does highlight how these people were strongly affected by contact with foreigners, mixing the vocabulary from two distinct sources. And considering Unown are stylizations of real-world Latin characters, it’s likely it was the oriental influence to have come last, slowly substituting the “English” terms of which we can find a trace in the engraved “friend”. This, assuming Unown was always their writing system.
The assumption is indeed grounded in reality. In fact, after retrieving the Wall Fragment from the sisters and returning to its proper place, Calaba will indulges us with her reading of the slab, also interpreting the message as Sinnoh’s guidance.
“Let me read what it says. ‘All lives touch other lives to create something anew and alive…’”
“…I see. I suppose it means people helping each other, like how you helped retrieve the fragment. I’ve read this passage many, many times. But this is the first time I’ve truly understood what it means. Maybe this is almighty Sinnoh’s guidance?”
This is, incidentally, a ground-breaking reveal, and one that it is incredibly easy to miss. Calaba, an old Warden of the Pearl Clan who shows in multiple occasions to be particularly closed to foreigners, can perfectly read a text written in Unown. Despite the alphabet on the tents barrens doesn’t seem to look much alike the Symbol Pokémon many shapes [but this can also be an oversight from the developers, considering the icon for the Wall Fragment equally presents some obscure characters instead of the intended ones], the clans share a history with the ancient writing system, their current one possibly deriving from it — despite the low resolution, it does appear to be different than the characters used in the rest of Japanese settings, included Jubilife Village in the same game. In all likelihood, the original culture that crossed the sea to reach Hisui was the one that built Solaceon Ruins as well. This was likely one of the first sites these people established upon their arrival; it was at least well before the split in different teams, considering the general message of harmony and collaboration, and the fact no particular hint to the future theological dispute seems to be present.
The location in Crimson Mirelands may point out to their arrival from the east, contrary to the future western incursions of the Galaxy Team. Obsidian Fieldlands remain mostly deserted during the clans’ hegemony too, in continuity with the general distribution of Sinnohan settlements. After all, it only makes sense for those who claimed for themselves the name of Celestica to be particularly interested in the regions their predecessors occupied the most.
A mysterious tribe from beyond the sea that knew about Sinnoh and the Hero, grew ignorant of the former’s true colors, and is familiar with Unown. Considering Sinnohans never developed such an alphabet, the specimens in Solaceon Ruins were probably brought there by these people from their hometown. And we know of a culture that perfectly match this profile, brilliantly closing a twenty-three years long lasting narrative hole.
ENG:
We humans need to walk with them. We leave here for the sake of them.
JPN:
わたしたち にんげん かれらと ともに あゆむ こと ひつようかれらの ために わたしたち たびだつ
We humans need to walk together with them. For their sake, we depart.
This inscription, originally written in Unown, is found in the upper-left section of the Ruins of Alph in Johto. The ancient site is one of the most crucial aspects of the lore, and the very first attempt of the franchise to introduce the concept of a forgotten human civilization that once lived in harmony with Pokémon. We will not explore its complete narrative here, this story requires its own article when it’ll come to analyse Generation II, but we have to focus on some important key details.
Like addressed in the Celestica thesis, the temple of Sinjoh was built during the age of exploration by the cooperation of Sinnohans and the people from the Ruins of Alph. While part of this culture remained there for a while, performing ritual dances on the Mistry Stage in honor of Arceus, a group eventually returned back home to spread the new religion. The Kimono Girls currently carry those traditions in Johto, although evidently ignorant of their ballets’ original meaning. But despite traces of the Sinnohan influence remains to these days, no representation of Arceus can be found anywhere in the ruins. Maybe this was originally meant to be a sign of respect towards an omnipotent god, but as Ecruteak City current traditions reveals us it eventually led to the true nature of “Sinnoh” to fade in obscurity.
At some point in time, the site was left abandoned. As the inscription tells us, people “departed” for “their sake”, and to “walk together with them”; as the authors stress their identities as “humans”, it is safe to assume “them” to be Pokémon — something remarked even more clearly in other engravings. People of Alph must’ve started to realize how they were growing more and more apart from the teachings of Sinnoh, and so decided to abandon their home to seek its guidance once more. And where could they have been headed, if not to the northern lands where Sinnoh was said to reside? Crossing the sea, they reached Hisui, and with Unown from their former home they built Solaceon Ruins to symbolize a new beginning, an era of friendship, cooperation, and communion with the divine.
The fate of these people was left unspoken in Generation IV, but Legends: Arceus reveals their good resolutions were eventually betrayed. Misguided by their own ignorance, they started to dispute on the true nature of Almighty Sinnoh, and split in different clans: those who decided to worship Dialga joined the Diamond Clan, those revering Palkia founded the Pearl Clan. Both couldn’t see they were just looking at a single side of the same coin. This is also why the figure of the Hero remained so prominent in both cultures: the alchemic glyph in Sinjoh reminiscent of the one in the Hall of Origin highly suggests the man was present when the site was established, meaning the people of Alph had a direct contact with the ancient adventurer — his iconography passed along the generations.
This also allows us to drawn a more precise timeline of the clans’ arrivals. The Ruins of Alph are addressed as a 1500 years old complex in Generation II, but the Hiker in Sinjoh reveals the same people were the ones who encountered the ancient Sinnohans to build the Arceus’ shrine. In other words, the temples in Johto necessarily have a much ancient history, and the chronology archeologists came up with must refer solely to the more recent stratum. The ruins are from 1500 years ago, that’s when their inhabitants left.
“The ruins are about 1,500 years old. That’s all we know about them. But it’s not known why they were built…or by whom.”
The future clans arrived in Hisui 1500 years ago, about 700 years after the disappearance of Celestica and more than 1300 years before the events of Legends: Arceus. Much time passed since the first colonization and the people we see in modern Hisui, to a point their alphabet likely started to differ from ancient the Unown, and their own story seemingly started to fade as well — Calaba never realized what the inscription in Solaceon Ruins truly meant before we came to help. Everything started to fall apart when two men started to have a disagreement.
Seeking the End of the World
The exact moment the original culture split is left in uncertainty. For the disagreement between the two founders to have sparked some sort of background is needed, and arguing about the legitimacy of one god over another requires such gods to be known in the first place. Maybe the tribe came across the depictions of Dialga and Palkia we can currently see in Deertrack Heights, but the most likely scenario is they made it up to Celestica. Located halfway through their respective settlements, the people of Alph had all the interest in reaching the former capital and explore their ruins in order to gather clues about Almighty Sinnoh’s true nature. And in front of the remnants of the city’s main temple, two statues of heavenly beings stood still: the avatars of space and time towered in all their might in front of one another. The imagery remarked the cooperation between the two realities in order to weave the tissue of reality, but the foreigners evidently flipped the original intent: the two weren’t helping one another, it was a conflict that was depicted. Given the lack of context, this wasn’t a huge assumption: with the premise the creator was a single entity, the lack of Arceus’ iconography, and Giratina’s statue now unrecognizable, the only possible conclusion to that scenery was a god facing a devil. But who was who?
The ambiguity left behind by Sinnohans soon sprouted conflict. It should be noted that the creatures depicted in the temple were not completely unknown to the clans: in order for the founders to pursue “time” and “space” specifically, a certain significance to those concepts had to be given even before the schism. They simply confounded multiple entities from the myths in a single deity they chose to revere, and the different sensibility of Maxie and Archie’s ancestors led to identify “Sinnoh” in different aspects of reality. Their blind conviction eventually led to separate paths, and the Diamond and Pearl Clans diverged in theological disagreement. Two settlements were established at opposite slopes of Mt. Coronet: while the time worshippers turned back in Crimson Mirelands, the acolytes of space decided to expand in Alabaster Icelands.
The locations weren’t chosen by mere chance. A villager in the Pearl Settlement [シンジュ集落, Pearl Village] states the hamlet was established in the snowy fields because it’s here the clan’s founder originally met Almighty Sinnoh. Indeed, Old Verse 1 seems to suggest Palkia and Dialga were physically present at the high priests’ side, a notion confirmed by in-game dialogues. The resident even wonders if there’s a particular reason Sinnoh manifested here of all places, since the harsh climate of the icelands led to a high mortality rate.
“After journeying to Hisui from across the sea, our ancestors met almighty Sinnoh in this place. That is why the Pearl Clan decided on this location for our new home.”
“I wonder if there was some deep meaning as to why our ancestors met almighty Sinnoh here.”
“If only the founders of our clan had met almighty Sinnoh somewhere a bit more safe or warm… I’m sure many of us could have lived longer.”
The question is legitimate: why here? As we’ve already discussed in the previous article, the settlement was established on the ruins of an ancient Sinnohan site — as evidenced by the bridge and the stairs in stone alien to the clans’ culture. If anything, Palkia may have already been familiar with the place if people worshipped his figure here in the past. But it’s likely the immense faith the founder proved to possess to precipitate the encounter the space bunshin. After all, the clan didn’t have any reason to think they would have met Sinnoh among the mountains of ice, yet it’s here they decided to move towards: was it a fortunate combination of coincidence, or the was the high priest able to sense Palkia’s presence led by divine providence?
Be it as it may, Palkia recognized the founder’s faith as sincere. In fact, it even gifted him secrets beyond what was known by Sinnohans. The Lustrous Globe [だいしらたま, Great Pearl Orb] is addressed as a “treasure” preserved by the Pearl Clan, and Irida confirms the artifact was originally retrieved by Archie’s ancestor. Given the Origin Forme of the two gods are never depicted in ancient sites, it’s unlikely the globe was discovered among pre-existing ruins. Then, the true shape of “Sinnoh” was probably revealed by the god itself as a reward for the establishing of its covenant. And it’s probably from the globe — or to better say, from the “great pearl” — that the clan got its name and its effigy. Then, the same must be true for its rival.
“I’m told this once belonged to the founder of the Pearl Clan! It’s somehow connected to almighty Sinn — er, to mighty Palkia, I mean.”
“Oh, but seeing you reminds me — I’ve learned more about the Lustrous Globe! It seems to hold the power to transform mighty Palkia into its otherworldly form, if you can believe that!”
The context behind the establishment of the Diamond Settlement [コンゴウ集落, Diamond Village] isn’t spoken so clearly, but we can infer similar circumstances to its counterpart. The clan’s founder has to have met Dialga at some point, and the sundial in the village’s center combined with the idea the residential districts of Shrouded Ruins could be once located in the area make it the perfect place for a covenant with the god of time to be established — a Red Shard on Route 214 always pointed out to an historical past of the surroundings. The Adamant Crystal [だいこんごうだま, Great Diamond Orb] was similarly bestowed to the clan at some point, passed down through generations until it reached the hands of Adaman’s grandfather first, and of his nephew then.
“This used to be my grandfather’s. He said it was somehow related to almighty Sinn — I mean, to mighty Dialga.”
“It’s about something my grandfather told me… He said the Adamant Crystal has the power to change mighty Dialga into its otherworldly form!”
This reveals a first difference between the clans’ approach to hierarchical organization. While the Diamond Clan leader seems to be a hereditary position, with Adaman succeeding his grandfather as the keeper of the crystal, the Pearl Clan follows a more meritocratic approach: despite not being related by blood, Irida and Palina were both considered to take the lead. This is a natural consequence of the factions respective believes: a cult centered around the importance of time would obviously be inclined to give greater importance to the generational turnover, while for the space worshippers a worthy leader must be chosen among those who seek the vast world regardless of their age.
“But Lina — that is to say, Palina — she’s very dear to me, no matter what anyone might say. We were both in the running to become leader of the Pearl Clan. We strove to surpass one another, but…she taught me a great deal, too.”
Incidentally, this would mean Adaman also descends from the clan’s founder. We can’t be sure of the first high priests’ ultimate fate, but in the lack of further evidences we have no reason to think a change of the “reigning” dynasty occurred at some point in the timeline, especially since we know their bloodlines reached contemporary history. Despite this, the two characters don’t seem to have much in common in their designs: the founder is much more reminiscent of Maxie, while the current leader has his direct descendant in Perrin. More plausibly the two are only distantly related: Adaman could belong to a secondary branch of the founder’s family tree, with the future leader of Team Magma being a more direct scion. But the fact a minor shoot of the dynasty ended up in charge means the primary line of descendance was unable to fill the role. Indeed, both Diamond and Pearl Clans’ original chiefs had their more recent successors in a region far from the wintry Hisui, and the exodus of their families must predate the events of Legends: Arceus since we can’t find in the game any evident descendant in flesh. What could’ve pushed the two zealots in the far shores of Hoenn?
In all likelihood, the reason is to search in their inflated egos. We’ve already pointed out to the peculiarities of their iconographies and to their deliberate juxtaposition to the figure of the Hero, but their attempt to emulation doesn’t end here. Old Verse 1 notes how they both sought a “further future” [さらなる未来] and thus the “world’s end” [世界の果て]. This last locution is also cited by a villager in the Pearl Settlement through multiple dialogues, establishing it as a known concept in their folklore.
“I heard there’s a place called the “world’s end.” Where is that? Is the world gonna end?”
“I’m gonna go look for the world’s end together with my Pokémon!”
“They say almighty Sinnoh watches over us from somewhere beyond the skies.”
Moreover, the latter expression appears to be similar to the more poetic “earth’s end” [地の果て] referenced in Old Verse 2, a place where according to the author a being resides in a solitude they can very well comprehend. This feeling of sympathy on the poet’s behalf, combined with the villager’s realization this “end” is not just a final point in time but also a destination to reach beyond space, makes Arceus the most plausible candidate for the one who dwells here. The end of the world is nothing more than the universe very border, past of which the house of god towers alone beyond the laws imposed by spacetime: the Hall of Origin. The two founders both knew of the stories of the Hero who walked in the residence of Sinnoh, and badly wanted to follow his footsteps. Ironically, they managed to understood such a place could only exist outside both space and time, in a “further future” at the “world’s end”: if only this dichotomy clicked in their minds as clear as their partial ideologies!
In the end the founders never managed to climb the stairs of heaven and witness the dome of Sinnoh. They never succeeded in prove themselves right — or more importantly, prove the other wrong. Their desperate search ultimately led to the abandonment of the teams they founded, and they or their descendants eventually reached the region of Hoenn where other, different stories would have unfolded.
Glimpse of Mundanity
Looking at Diamond and Pearl clans’ customs and traditions it’s easy to notice they borrow many elements from the real-world Ainu ethnic group. These people inhabited the region of Hokkaido since ancient times, living in relative isolation in small hunter-gathering groups up until the Japanese colonization during the Meiji Restoration in 1869. Pokémon obviously rewrites their story by a large extent in making them foreigners succeeding to an even more ancient culture, but there are undeniable parallelisms in the dynamics between the clans and the Galaxy Expedition Team.
The two villages are much reminiscent of kotan, traditional Ainu towns. These centers were scarcely populated, often composed from five to ten houses — which is more or less consistent with what we see in the game. They were usually settled near a river, which is true for both Diamond and Pearl Settlements established near the courses stemming from Lake Valor and Lake Acuity respectively. This is also mirrored in their real-life counterparts; the former matches the major kotan on the coasts of Lake Akan [阿寒湖アイヌコタン], the latter is loosely based on the Ainu community of Hamatonbetsu [浜頓別町]. Despite we don’t come across rods or other fishing tools other than Iscan’s, it’s possible the clans originally sustained themselves with the Pokémon inhabiting these rivers. The Diamond Clan was at least interested in traversing the course located in the west, considering the four wooden bridges established at various latitudes through the marsh.
The tents design is only vaguely reminiscent of the cisa, traditional Ainu houses primarily made in bark and grass. Contrary to the Alph culture they stemmed from, the clans don’t seem to be skilled in working with harder materials like stone, besides the unpolished trails leading to each house in the mirelands. This was presumably a consequence of the reduced manpower upon the split: if the meeting between people creates something anew, then it’s only natural more people can succeed in greater deeds, and fewer have to settle for less. The materials used for the tents are consistent with those of cisa, but the Pokémon counterpart lacks the characteristic elongated shape mirroring the course of the river the settlement is set nearby. If the houses looked more like cisa in the past, they stopped as soon as fishing became a less prevalent source of food for their inhabitants.
The interior is more akin to its source of inspiration. Cisa usually presented a fireplace in the center, where family and guests would gather for the meal. All around shelves housed various items for hunting, storage, cooking, clothing, and every other mundane activity, while at the house very sides there were the resting places — although bunk beds certainly weren’t a thing at the time the game is settled.
The layout is generally in line with the real-world counterpart. The beds on the sides leave room for shelves with wooden bowls, small cases, and various textile articles. Baskets storing tied carpets are occasionally followed by a rudimental frame, with a stronger wooden support compared to those normally used by the Ainu. One aspect Pokémon remarkably diverges from its inspiration is indeed the clothing, the hoods both teams’ base outfits possess would be anachronistic if we use our timeline. Some designs, especially those of the leaders, share some similarities in the attire’s decorations, but some distinct features like the men’s sapanpe and the women’s matanpushi, respectively a crown and a headband used in ceremonies, are noticeably missing. Ainu also don’t have the custom of tying their hair, while characters like Mai and Sabi don’t follow this rule. All things considered, these are just details developers have decided to keep to give more uniqueness to the setting: the clans are a reinterpretation of an existing culture, but there’s no need to restrain the creative process to perfectly adhere to reality. There are even influences from other sources of inspiration.
While we don’t see this directly in the game, a villager in the Pearl Settlement informs us the clan uses particular “snow goggles” to protect themselves from the light reflected on the snow, even warning us on the risk of getting sunburned without. These are implements used in the real world by populations living in the Artic to equally prevent snow blindness. It’s not the first time the franchise references those items: maybe the clan managed to get their hands on some ancient Baltoy to get the idea.
“Snow goggles protect your eyes from the light reflected off the snow!”
“Snowy terrain reflects a lot of light, so it’s even easier to get sunburned here than at the beach! Though we don’t go about exposing much skin here in this climate.”
In the center of the tents we do find a fireplace of sort, but a unique-looking metal pot is on top of what appears to be a small, primitive stove. This is remarkable because its design implies metallurgy, but nowhere in the settlements we come across furnaces or other smithing sites. More than a full-fledged iron implement, it is more plausible this is merely lacquered wood. Indeed, Japanese lacquerware [漆器, shikki] was a prominent feature in Ainu culture, but it didn’t originate from it: most of lacquered items belonging to the natives of Hokkaido were imported from the south of Honshu. Did the clans also have contacts with cultures from beyond the sea?
This is indeed confirmed by a residence of the Pearl Settlement. Given the unfortunate location of the village, resources aren’t easy to retrieve for its inhabitants. The lands of ice make agriculture an impossible task [despite all the attempts, considering we can loot Medicinal Leeks near the tents], and mining in the cold with the constant risk of avalanches and frail terrain isn’t the best choice either. Because of this, the clan has established a long-lasting trading relationship with the Ginkgo Guild.
“It’s hard gathering food out in these parts. Not much to find in the first place, I guess.”
“It’s a real pain getting hold of materials here in the icelands. We have to buy almost everything from the Ginkgo Guild.”
We’re not going to explore its narrative in this article, but this necessity confirms the guild’s presence in Hisui from well before the arrival of the Galaxy Expedition Team. Commerce between those realities may have taken place by barter of needs and information, but it’s also possible the tribes came to know of the worldwide currency sometime before Kamado’s colonization — it would explain why Arezu has no problem in accepting the new coinage when she moves in Jubilife Village. On the matter, lacquered pots in the mirelands’ settlement confirm the Diamond Clan had similar contacts with the Ginkgo Guild, although to a lesser extent since they don’t need their help to survive. Despite the marshy state of Crimson Mirelands, the location of the Diamond Settlement is in the population’s favor. As we addressed already, Cloudpool Ridge and Diamond Heath were probably cultivated since the times of Celestica, and their state suggests they are still taken care of by the nearby village to these days, with Bolderoll Slope serving as the perfect site for mining.
“In the Diamond Clan, we make curatives using Medicinal Leeks and the like, sure.”
Among the herbs gathered by the time worshippers we find the Medicinal Leek [クスリソウ, Medicinal Plant], a villager confirming they use its healing properties to make curative. While those are probably less refined than the Potions and the Revives crafted by the Galaxy Team, the beneficial effects of the vegetable on both Pokémon and humans made it worth the name of “wayfarer’s friend”, resonating in all Hisui. And considering how some Pokémon hold the item, its properties seem to be known even to the region’s fauna, something we directly see in the second episode of Hisuian Snow.
It should be noted a commoner in Pearl Settlement restricts agriculture to Jubilife, suggesting the Diamond Clan hasn’t a really good grasp on the practice: they are merely preserving pre-existing cultivated lands, assuring they do not wither nor run out of goods. Managing finite resources and mediating international trading requires the clans’ civilization to be far more advanced than it may seem at a first glance, and the administrative apparatus of both tribes has its heart in their respective leaders.
“If we wanna grow stuff on our own fields like the Galaxy people, we’ll need help from Pokémon!”
The clan leader [おさ, chief] represents the supreme authority of the team, encompassing both the temporal and the secular power. As we see during the game’s main story, it is the duty of the leader to handle diplomatic relationships with the opposite faction and with eventual third parties, and we can imagine they manage internal matters as well, from avoiding infighting to perhaps having a word in nominating wardens. More importantly, the leader serves the role of high priest, a medium between the world of men and the divine. This isn’t merely symbolic: both Adaman and a villager in the Diamond Settlement remarks the young chief was never able to came in contact with Sinnoh, not even hearing its voice. There would be no reason to specify this if not to underline the peculiarity of the fact, strongly suggesting previous leaders did manage to speak with the god directly.
“Not much of a leader, am I? I’ve never even seen almighty Sinnoh with my own eyes”
“Young Adaman is in a tricky position, oh my, yes. He has never seen nor heard almighty Sinnoh, yet we rely on him to lead our clan. I wonder… Is he truly up to the task?”
After the two founders departed, Dialga and Palkia didn’t suddenly decide to ignore their worshippers altogether. The two beings continued to manifest for generations to the high priests, presumably offering some form of guidance even if only through telepathy. Indeed, Mai does say Sinnoh has been hiding his form since long ago, meaning at least physical apparitions are a rare occurrence even for the divine mediums. The two dragons didn’t show any particular interest in ending the millenary misunderstanding either; maybe they thought it was something humans had to figure out themselves, or maybe they are just that detached from mortal matters.
“Almighty Sinnoh steers all time. It’s said to have created the very universe using its power over time’s flow, and this land of Hisui was born in the process. It’s by the grace of almighty Sinnoh that Pokémon can live and thrive here. We of the Diamond Clan are descendants of a people who crossed the sea and settled here in the Hisui region to venerate almighty Sinnoh. However, it stole away from the world long ago, hiding itself from our sight… Almighty Sinnoh has only rarely been seen by any human, if the old tales are to be trusted.”
Regardless of the specific knowledge the leaders may have obtained from their respective gods, a more organized religion started to shape in the course of centuries. The old cult of ancestors persisted till the modern era, as we can see with the well-preserved iconographies of the Hero and the founders over their small altar for offerings. But the focus obviously started to shift on Sinnoh. To the Pearl Clan, this entity was responsible for the expanse of space; to the Diamond Clan, for the inevitable flow of time. Both were sure of one thing: it was the one who created the universe itself.
“Almighty Sinnoh created the world. Space was then born from that creation.”
“Time flows forever onward thanks to the grace of almighty Sinnoh.”
Almighty Sinnoh is seen as a benevolent entity. The Pearl Clan passes on an adage in which the love for god and the company of those to one dear are all that it takes to live a good life regardless of where, blending the newfound cult to the oldest spiritual sensibility more centered around human connections. The Diamond Clan similarly recites its own version of Old Verse 18. Whether if they managed to get their hands on one of the old author’s works or if they learnt the prayer from Sinnoh itself, the revised verse excludes the notion the deity can be “angered”, saying it is our anger instead that can sorrow the Almighty and lead to the end of times. Surely, it resonated with the notion of “friendship” as a cornerstone of their believes: maybe someone still remembered the initial ought they swore upon in Solaceon Ruins.
“With love in your heart for almighty Sinnoh and with your dear ones close at hand, you can live just about anywhere. This is one of the Pearl Clan’s teachings.”
“Give not into sorrow. Give not into anger. Offer only friendship to those around you. Give not into sorrow. Give not into anger. Bring not almighty Sinnoh to sorrow. For that is when time’s flow will cease.”
Other prayers reveal us more on the cults’ views of the world, and their diverse approaches to life based on the different weight they put on the concepts of space and time. While localization differs considerably between the two, these are almost the same words that will be later engraved on the statue of Dialga or Palkia in Eterna City, depending on the version:
“Dialga, once created, brought time into being. Be it in laughter or in tears, the same time flows on. Such is the blessing of Dialga.”
“Palkia, once created, brought forth the many dimensions. All things — alive or not alive — arrive at the same space. Such is the blessing of Palkia.”
The Japanese text is less strong in claiming the moment here described is the birth of the two dragons rather than the concepts they incarnate, but overall this version was adapted more faithfully than in the previous titles. Worshipping Dialga means to be aware time flows regardless of people’s lives. Moments of joy and moments of fear will all eventually end, and as the years will go by death will come for everyone. This isn’t something to fear nor to hopelessly try to avoid: if we truly are meaningless in the vast river of time, isn’t it a blessing that we are free to cherish small instants of happiness in a world that may as well go on without us?
Palkia’s analogous is far more cryptic. According to the myth, the beast once created many “spaces” [次元], and everything will once converge to a single one of these. Whether alive or not, all matter has the same final destination. Given Pokémon inconsistency with terminology, it is difficult to understand if developers were referring to dimensions like the Distortion World and the Dream World, or to the Multiverse Palkia is hinted to be responsible for. Regardless, the philosophical implications seem to be similar to those of the rival clan: everything eventually reaches an end, and accepting this truth doesn’t invalidate the beauty of the journey in between. But what does it mean that things will converge in a single space?
The universe started with a vortex of chaos in which everything was intermingled. You may then suggest this natural state of being is what the universe is naturally returning at, but would that really make sense? In its act of fracturing, the Original One divided the aspects of the primordial vortex in the many things of the universe, and the successive war against the Giants has affirmed its domain over the forces of chaos. It is true that after the destruction of their planets of origin, remnants of the defeated titans still roam in outer space with the ill intent to propagate their twisted powers. But it is also true humans proved to oppose this pulsion in every instance it tried to prevail. At the end, the same Spirit of Humanity that birthed the Original One is continuing to seek individuality against the primeval, nullifying unity. Is the prayer saying we are destined to fail then? It seems unlikely, since this is equally called a blessing.
The Japanese verb used here for “arrive” is たどりつく. This more accurately describes the action of arriving at a place after a long struggle, barely managing in the intent. Everything will eventually converge to a single space, a single universe, a single point: but it won’t be easy as a natural reaction. With time, more and more agents of chaos will arrive to strike down humanity — maybe the reason so many giants’ remnants target Earth specifically is because they sense in us their natural enemy. With them, the tissue of reality will start to tear apart more and more. This isn’t just something we directly see upon our encounter with some of these monsters — Eternamax being the primary example — but also a process slowly and silently proceeding right before our eyes.
In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Pal Park is replaced with a peculiar structure. This Ramanas Park [ハマナスパーク, Hamanasu Park] is named after the Ramanas rose [浜茄子, hamanasu], a flower symbol of the Hokkaido region. The floral species exists in the world of Pokémon as well, and we can see it growing in number inside the park. At the time of Legends: Arceus these roses were even more common; we can observe some specimens since our first steps in Prelude Beach, but the majority undoubtedly lies in Ramanas Island [ハマナスの島, Hamanasu Island]. Located in the mouth of the river passing east to Sandgem Flats, the small isle is a secluded paradise for both fauna and flora. Flowers and trees grow only disturbed by a family of Chimchar which made the place its home, an Alpha Infernape leading the group. It is maybe the blessing of Landorus, that we encounter right here, to have made the place so prosperous.
It’s on the shores of the island we find Hiemo [スエトシ, Suetoshi], a member of the Diamond Clan who’ll task us with the request to bring him a Scyther so that he can eradicate all the Ramans roses growing on the spot and bring them to his wife — incidentally revealing the clans are familiar with the institution of marriage. Request 51 obviously ends up to be a huge misunderstanding on Hiemo’s part: the woman just wanted some flowers, not the extinction of a whole ecological niche.
“They’re for my wife, y’see! She told me she wanted to fill our garden with these Ramanas roses. So I’m gathering every last one here to fill that garden right up for my darling dear!”
“So she just meant…to plant some? Well, that was a pretty severe misunderstanding.”
The villager then comments on how fortunate he is that we came before he managed to finish his job, and we may know exactly what could’ve happen in that case. While Ramanas Island and Ramanas Park do not overlap exactly, the former coinciding more with Route 219 or 220, we can infer the population of flowers on those shores eventually spread across the Heartwood and was then engulfed into the human facility. If so, the reason the park is absent from the original games may just be Hiemo’s fault. We never played a version of Legends: Arceus settled in the New Timeline, and so we never stopped the incautious husband in destroying the local biodiversity.
“I’m glad you came along before I plucked every rose on this island!”
It is a gameplay convenience, instead, that we never found Ramanas roses’ fossils in the Underground up until the remakes — maybe we just discard them as useless in the lack of their usage, which would also explain why even in the later iterations we must complete the Sinnoh Pokédex first to find them. Mysterious Shards [なぞのかけら, Mysterious Fragment] S an L are described as small fragments inside of which the pattern of the peculiar flower can be distinguished, the larger even indented as if made of petals. Considering their in-game connection with Ramanas Park, these are likely parts of ancient roses underwent a process of mineralization.
The gems hold an “enigmatic power” [不思議な 力], and we can exchange them for stone slabs imbued with the exact same energy according to their description. These Slates [のせきばん, Slate] are obviously reminiscent of real-world game cartridges, allowing us to catch various Legendary Pokémon from titles originally running on Game Boy, GBA and DS. But beside the obvious meta-narrative, these items exist in-universe. Who made them? Why did they share the same source of energy with crystallized Ramanas roses? And why this power resonates with strong beings to a point of luring them in the park?
The answer to all these questions is likely that there’s no answer. Or, to better say, there isn’t a logical one. Everything happening in Ramanas Park seems to be incoherent and disconnected: upon “charging” a certain slate we can enter a shrine dedicated to the respective Legendary Pokémon. The item will then react with a pedestal inside, emanating a bright light that teleports us to a completely different location. For minor Legendary Pokémon we arrive in the Pure Space [きれいな空間, Clean Space]. As the name suggests, this is a “clean” or “beautiful” pocket dimension, vegetations growing wide among the fields of roses. Yet, when we enter in battle with the creature in front of us, we start to notice something’s not right. In the background we see masses of land rising from the ground as if tilted by tectonic movements, stacking on the top of one another. This state of pureness is just a prelude to a seemingly unavoidable defilement.
Higher beings manage to resonate with a world beyond this initial land of cleanness. The Strange Space [不思議な空間, Mysterious Space] is originally named after the same “mysterious power” emanating both from the fragments and the slates: it is the ultimate embodiment of their enigmatic forces. The location is much reminiscent of the Distortion World: an arid wasteland in perpetual darkness, with masses suspended in the sky floating without a sense of direction, crossing vertical rivers intersecting with one another in a confusing scenario. Using the Distortion Slate specifically will trigger a battle with a Giratina in its Origin Forme, but its shape is curiously covered in black. The oddities don’t end here: the Pokémon serves as a full-fledged secret boss-fight, as it can’t be caught by any means and it is the only encounter in the park to be set at level 100. Despite dropping the Griseus Orb upon defeat, the Pokémon is not actually holding one during the fight. The immediate conclusion would be the Strange Place is the Distortion World in which Giratina can assume its proper form without secondary means, but if we use the dragon ourselves in battle it will retain its altered appearance.
This is only the point of a much greater contradiction: since we need to catch Giratina before unlocking the fight against this shadow, how come there are two of them? In all likelihood, this isn’t the real article, or at least not the one belonging to our spatiotemporal coordinates. Indeed, everything starts to make more sense if we accept Ramanas roses work on spatial distortions. The state of both these “spaces”, using the same 空間 the Pearl Clan relates to Palkia in their prayers, are clearly altered in different degrees. The lands are starting to twist and converge on one another in the Pure Space, up until reaching a state of complete desecration. The Strange Space isn’t simply a Distortion World lookalike, but a representation of how our world may look like if these disturbances would ever manage to took over; and with how much it resembles the former domain of chaos, it is clear what mover lies behind them. A place without distinctions of above and below is the pinnacle of the primordial forces opposing individuality, and in a reality where the Material World has succumbed to amalgamation, the current ruler of the opposite side of the world can’t but lose its sanity and at the same time reach the zenith of the power it unwillingly came to embody. Shadow Giratina is merely a potential, a husk devoid of any sense of self and bound to serve chaos and chaos alone.
This is why everything related to Ramanas roses seem to elude the laws of causality. Sure, the flowers are undeniably related to space — their original name can be literally read as “beach aubergine”, nodding them to Palkia domain over water. But space and time are inevitably interlinked, and so a distortion in space bears implications for the course of time as well. Upon defeating a Legendary Pokémon in the park, a statue suddenly appears on the pedestal we used to access the fight in the first place. Even assuming the shrines were made by the people running the facility, it is unlikely they are aware of the roses’ true nature, and they surely don’t have time to craft the effigy of a creature we just came in contact with. The statue simply appears here with no apparent cause-effect relation, and we even unlock a copy to adorn our Secret Base.
Speaking of which, similar statues can be retrieved digging in Grand Underground, stored in mysterious “stone boxes” sorted by Type. Despite being buried several layers below sea level among various other ancient implements, we can find depictions of modern Pokémon like Porygon as well. This would imply that someone else from more recent times carved those sculptures, and a dialogue in request 103 hints at this more explicitly.
“There are some folks who’re saying they’de make statues of Pokémon if we find some quality stones.”
The digging operation that will later result in the Grand Underground exposed rare minerals imbued with the essence of Types [maybe resulting from proximity to the Plates we can also retrive during our excavations], made in the shape of Pokémon by some interested sculptors. But this doesn’t explain all the oddities. Upon being placed in our Secret Base, a statue will increase the chance of encountering a Pokémon of the respective Type in the undergroud. It’s even possible to infer this is the same mechanism behind massive mass outbreaks in Legends: Arceus — the request is numbered right after the missions investigating the phenomenon. But if that’s true, then the minerals started to react only in the post-game.
Like those in Ramanas Park, the statues seem to be affected by some form of spatiotemporal distortion. Even if someone carved each one of them, how come they returned in the Grand Underground inside secret chests? It’s not like they are simply placed there for adventurers to be found, they are actually buried behind walls of rock among various precious items. It’s as if the minerals simply returned where they came from. It begs the question if these stones are even luring Pokémon nearby or if they are simply making them appear on the spot. Maybe the trigger was the incident on Mt. Coronet that risked to severe the tissue of reality — Mai suggests the outbreaks are a “gift” from Dialga and Palkia for having saved the region, at least confirming some form of distortion is involved in their appearence — but the sole existence of the artifacts as we found them in the present is impossible in a linear timeline, and the common denominator between this phenomenon and the park is the presence of Mysterious Shards nearby.
“Perhaps these new outbreaks truly are just a gift from almighty Sinnoh. A gift meant for you — for all the good changes you’ve brought to all of us here in Hisui.”
The space distortions catalyzed by fossilized Ramanas roses simply nullifies causality. No one placed back the statues in the underground and no one put on the pedestals the Legendary Pokémon effigies. The Pokémon manifesting in the park don’t arrive here, they simply appear out of nowhere. The slates able to channel the flower’s energy are themselves a byproduct of the roses binding reality. After all, if chaos truly nullifies diversity, then “above and below” mix together as much as “before and after”: in a world overtaken by the original unity, time and space must cease to exist.
The fact Ramans roses are starting to mess with the tissue of reality is proof enough the envoys of chaos are actively infiltrating again in the Material World, even without the more evident actions taken by the remnants of the defeated Giants. But this can’t be the world sought by the Pearl Clan. The space to which everything converge is a place we reach with struggle, when humanity will finally be able to impose over chaos the laws of individuality. If we’ll truly manage to defeat those who seek indiscriminate amalgamation, it’s completely in our hands; but if the foresights of Gothitelle hold ground, then the universe will go out in the gentlest of ways.
Gothitelle unleashes psychic energy and shows opponents dreams of the universe’s end. These dreams are apparently ethereal and beautiful.
Closing this long digression, we must discuss a last, crucial aspect of the clans’ culture: their relation with Pokémon. The cult of Almighty Sinnoh is particularly pervasive of people’s religiosity, to a point the names of commoners all have their roots in the semantic fields of space or time, but their faith doesn’t seem to be strictly monotheistic. For instance, the Pearl Clan has at least passed on legends of the old incident involving Darkrai, while the Diamond Clan recalls the existence of Shaymin to a point we can acquire its dedicated set even before catching it. It does make sense a culture in which time is so prominent to have some sort of spiritual curiosity towards the passing of season the Mythical Pokémon testifies, and a villager does put emphasis on the day-night cycle as a proof of the centrality of the concept they venerate.
“The moon has set, and the sun rises in turn. Time flows on, and all is right in the world.”
Pokémon are mysterious, wonderful beings worth of our deepest respect, and if god created the universe then the lives inhabiting are also there according to its will — they may even be perceived as its direct emanations, in line with the animism characteristic of Ainu culture. Those friendly towards humans are accepted in the settlements and help the community with the gratitude of the villagers.
“If we didn’t have Pokémon to help us, there’s no way we could survive in this frozen land.”
“Some Pokémon are naturally friendly toward humans! We live together with Pokémon like that, and we try to help each other out.”
“Some Pokémon can actually be very affectionate towards humans. They live and grow together with us, and even protect us from wild Pokémon!”
The Pearl Clan particularly benefits from this relationship. The harsh environment of the icelands isn’t just detrimental for resources, but it also exposes the village to the wildlife adapted to the snow: nature is equally beautiful and cruel, and Pokémon have to feed themselves too. The first line of defense is constituted by the Noble Avalugg they came to revere, keeping at bay predators targeting the village with an ill intent. In one of the tents we can see a Gligar, maybe kept to hunt down insects and other unpleasant invertebrates. In another lives a Machop, likely useful to transport heavy materials. At the top of the settlement a small drift of Swinub and Piloswine baths in the thermal waters — maybe an attempt to farming? Bergmite on the other hand seem to have been domesticated as pets. One habits a tent with two women, while in request 84 we meet the self-proclaimed Bergmite expert Dominia [エイカ, Eikia]. Showing her the Ice Chunk Pokémon’s completed Pokédex page leaves her baffled with the new discoveries, which tell us the clans don’t possess a vast knowledge on the monsters’ physiology. They simply wish to coexist with them in harmony while possible, and the success of the small icicles isn’t a surprise considering they descend from the Noble they have the most contacts with.
“Though Lord Avalugg may not move about much, he keeps the wild Pokémon in check and watches over the safety of our settlement.”
Diamond Settlement isn’t less bustling with fauna. Lilligant protects the village from dangerous creatures just like Avalugg does the wintry mountains. The Lickitung inside one of the houses may serve a similar role to the Gligar of the opposite faction, feeding on the larger bugs of the mire. Rhyhorn may likewise help in constructions, its large size can explain how the stones before each tent could’ve been transported. The presence of a domesticated Teddiursa is particularly relevant considering the importance bears hold in Ainu traditions, the “god of bears and mountains” being particularly prominent in the pantheon. The sacrality of the animal comes from the meat and the fur obtained from their hunt, and it’s definitely possible the Diamond Clan adopted similar practices in the past — they may have blurred to less violent rituals once learned the sacrality of Ursaluna. Finally there are Psyduck. They are not really of any help, but they can be good companions when they don’t suffer of headaches or take over your bed.
“Whenever wild Pokémon attack, we summon Lady Lilligant and rely on her for protection. Not much we can do by ourselves against Pokémon, after all.”
Despite all the attempts, Pokémon still remain a huge incognita for the clans. Fear of the unknown is natural for humans, and the mysteries behind these powerful creatures obviously make people cautious. Indeed, the idea Almighty Sinnoh is a Pokémon was alien to their believes up until we reveal the truth, and this fact is enough to throw a villager in existential dread. If the universe was created by a Pokémon for the Pokémon, what can possibly be the role of humanity in the grand scheme of things?
“If only we could grow to understand the wild Pokémon of Hisui. Then we could roam the entire region without fear.”
“So… almighty Sinnoh is a Pokémon… Just like…the Pokémon in our settlement?”
“How should people deal with Pokémon in a world that’s said to have been created by none other than a Pokémon?”
Before those dilemmas had time to arose, the clans couldn’t but look up the sky and wonder of the creator’s true nature. In the attempt to come closer to the Almighty, they eventually came in contact with beings whose blood was connected to god. The descendants of the ten Noble Pokémon still roamed in Hisui, even if half of their original shrines were now gone or almost unrecognizable. Legends spoke of the Hero’s retinue blessed by the light of Sinnoh, so taking care of their successors had to be its will. For this reason, wardens [キャプテン, captains] were designated to watch over the ten, assuring their territory stays safe and bringing offerings to their shrines. According to the official website is “the people” who tasks the warden, but the process of election isn’t ever really explored. The leader or other influential captains may oppose or promote a charge, but it’s possible their directives may be overruled by the population and vice versa. Consequently, five of the old battlefields were restored of their ritualistic purpose.
“But there are still Pokémon here today in Hisui with a connection to almighty Sinnoh. And it is the duty of wardens like myself to attend to their needs.”
“As long as the descendants of the noble Pokémon live among us, that means we still have almighty Sinnoh’s divine protection.”
Numerous torches are littered across Hisui, and while the same model is used by the Galaxy Expedition Team in their base camps, most can be ascribed to the clans. The paths to most arenas present these lights, and the same is true for the trail leading to the Diamond Settlement. We can find them also inside Wayward Cave, although the place is covered in darkness during our first visit due to Melli unwanted commitment to his cause. It makes sense to find them in a secluded area like this, especially considering its importance to connect Coronet Highlands to the south.
“What’s the big idea, putting back all the torches I spent ages tidying away? Do you get some sort of amusement stomping around and ruining people’s noble deeds?”
The clans’ torches equally embellish the path to Deertrack Heights, and the wooden stairs installed in substitution of the old stone steps suggest a certain importance was given to the site even in more modern days. Maybe Wyrdeer initially remained more sedentary, only to join the other four mounts at a later time. Speaking of which, taking care of the Ride Pokémon was surely more challenging than the Nobles which resided near their shrine. Fortunately, both leaders and wardens pass on through the generations a relic bridging the gap between the worlds of Pokémon and men.
The Celestica Flute [カミナギのふえ, Kaminagi Flute] allows us to play a melody able to lure the Ride Pokémon so that we can use them as mounts to explore the region at ease. Adaman gifts us the item, and we see Irida has a natural talent at it. Both Mai and Calaba have their own flute, and we can imagine the wardens of Basculegion, Braviary and Sneasler do too: they are pretty much a necessity when it comes to fulfill their duties. But where did they come from in the first place?
“Ursaluna is enraged, yes, but…he must still recall his long relationship with the Pearl Clan. He never fails to show up the moment I play my Celestica Flute.”
According to folklore, the flutes were originally a gift bestowed by Almighty Sinnoh. This however begs some questions: did Palkia and Dialga really granted the tribes a sacred item to make humans and Pokémon come closer, yet remained completely uninterested in the core misunderstanding behind their faiths? Moreover, we know the Azure Flute existed at the times of the Hero, and the game proves the Celestica Flutes are none other than its sheer form. The reason the melody is able to lure the mounts, after all, is simply because the original timbre played by the Sinnohan adventurer was imprinted in the minds of his companions’ descendants. The jingle is also the same produced by the Azure Flute, and the one that we can hear in the titles screen of Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
“I hear the Celestica Flutes were gifts bestowed on us by almighty Sinnoh way, waaay back when.”
“I wonder if almighty Sinnoh gave us the Celestica Flutes in hopes that they would bring us closer to Pokémon…”
Incidentally, the same tune can be heard in HeartGold and SoulSilver tuning the Pokégear’s radio on certain frequencies inside the Ruins of Alph. This strongly suggests similar melodies were once played in the ruins as a consequence of the interactions with Sinnohans. Now that we know the clans stemmed from this culture, we can suggest the Celestica Flutes date back to Johto. The stories are true, the instruments are an ancient gift to humanity from Almighty Sinnoh: it just wasn’t any of the deities they came to worship.
Perpetual Struggle
When we visit the five remaining arenas we can notice some interesting design choices. At the time of the game the administration of the ten descendants was divided in half between the team, but the shrine’s entrances feature elements from both cults. For instance, stone effigies of both Dialga and Palkia tower over the two banners celebrating the Noble. These icons are smaller reproductions of the Sinnohan statues adorning the trails to Deertrack Heights and the Grandtree Arena, but they show two main differences: they are not covered in moss due to their more recent crafting; and they watch in opposite directions, in stark contrast with the predecessors whose eyes meet each other. Moreover, from the banners we can observe small charms bearing the symbols of both clans, regardless of the current warden’s affiliation.
This situation is clearly a balance obtained after centuries of negotiations and compromising, and the diplomatic talks weren’t always peaceful. Old Verse 5 confirms numerous conflicts eventually broke out between the two factions, and it’s only natural considering the stubbornness of their dogmas: it was them who managed to understand the true will of Sinnoh, the others had been merely deceived by a wicked devil. And so, it was their right to claim the name of Celestica and take care of the ten descendants altogether. In this clime of tension, war was simply inevitable.
In their 1300 years old history countless battles may have been fought, who knows how much the warden distribution changed over the course of the years. Maybe the Diamond Clan was able to subdue the whole region for a time, maybe the Pearl Clan almost wiped out its rivals centuries later. These stories are lost to history, and we may never know the specifics. Surely, this perpetual war is the main culprit for the tribes’ technological stagnation and severe underpopulation. They continued to kill each other to a point of keeping their respective progress in stall for over a millennium.
The last open conflict likely took place less than two decades before the arrival of the Galaxy Expedition Team. The clans’ animosity is far to be resolved at the beginning of our adventure, but the distribution of wardens all over Hisui is balanced among the sides. When we notice how young the current leaders are, it’s easy to infer the current state of affairs is the result of a peace treaty, by definition successive to a period of war.
The current leader of the Diamond Clan was always destined to take the reins of the team. Adaman [セキ, Seki] original name derives from 金剛石 [kongōseki, “diamond”], and in line with the traditions he would have succeeded the previous chief as a shoot of the reigning dynasty. Yet, we know he received the Adamant Crystal from his grandfather. If both Adaman’s father and mother never became leaders and the boy found himself as the next heir in line when the old man passed away, we can only conclude both died beforehand. And this is just the start of his troubled family situation.
Mai [ヨネ, Yone] is the current warden of Wyrdeer, and the striking resemblance with Marley makes evident an ancestor-descendant relation. This is also highlighted by the Pokémon she uses in the Training Grounds, Crobat and Weavile are also in the team of the Sinnoh’s Speed specialist. Moreover, the modern counterpart is originally named マイ [Mai], which beside the identity with the English localization for the warden is also an alternative reading of the same kanji 米 [yone/mai, “rice”] Mai also takes root from.
The girl reveals to be a bit of a prankster, in strong contrast with Marley’s gloomy personality. For example, she will continuously delight us with dubious puns; originally, she fills her sentences with いいよね [īyone, “all right!”], the ending pronounced just like her name — English localization keeps the joke playing on the assonance between “Mai” and “my, my”. This joyous personality is in apparent contradiction with her more short-tempered side showed in the concept art, which also adds she is physically strong and hence takes care of the fieldworks. All things considered, Mai’s personality seems to be that of an older sister trying to act both tough and cheerful to brighten up her younger siblings. A small girl in Diamond Settlement confirms the inference:
“Did you know Adaman is Mai’s little brother? Well, they’re not really related, but they’re siblings all the same. And I’m their littlest sister!”
Adaman and Mai are not related by blood, but they share a brother and sister relationship. The concept art extends this whole family dynamic to their Pokémon as well. An Ursaring is labeled as the “first child”, but we never come across this specimen while playing the game. Its only other appearance is in the ending card of the third episode of Hisuian Snow, depicting a small glimpse of the group’s youthful days. The absence of the “firstborn” is suspicious, and if the gap between the second is wide enough it may have recently passed away of old age. Mai and Adaman are the second and third child respectively, Leafeon following right behind as the fourth. Curiously, Munchlax is confirmed to be the “sixth child”, which begs the question: who is the fifth?
The little girl commenting on the two siblings also adds she is equally their little sister, however Mai and Munchlax are confirmed to have been “raised together”. This means Calens can’t possibly be the missing fifth due to her apparent young age, and indeed she refers to herself as 末 [youngest child] in the original version. The concept art simply fails to depict the seventh, too.
“This here is my partner, Munchlax. We were raised together like siblings.”
The missing link of the family must be someone slightly younger than Adaman, maybe someone who looked upon him as he did to Mai. And it’s exactly the girl who reveals us Melli [ツバキ, Tsubaki] personal history makes him the perfect candidate for the role.
“He was very shy and withdrawn as a child, until one day when he announced he was going to work hard to help Adaman. I was happy to see him grow more optimistic, but I fear he may have taken that to…extremes.”
The current warden of Electrode was once a reserved child, until he decided to dedicate his heart and soul to the cult of Sinnoh. The reason, at least initially, was to help Adaman to carry his duty as the future leader — and Mai just happens to know the details. In all likelihood Melli is the lost “fifth child”, and indeed he refers to Adaman as “big brother” in the official concept art. His obtuse bigotry to the traditions is just a dead end in his attempt to prove himself worthy to the eyes of the sibling he admires. Maybe it’s easy for extremists to start as lonely children.
This solitude seems to permeate the whole “family”. Adaman has lost both of his parents, but Mai equally had to put on a smiley face while she worked hard to make a living. Melli was able to escape his isolation only looking up to his adoptive brother. Considering the clans aren’t foreign to the concept of marriage, it doesn’t seem we’re in a tribal scenario where everyone is considered related to one another. Then, all they have in common is the lack of a real family. The seven children are likely orphans, Pokémon and humans who found themselves alone in a world scarred by war — presumably Calens alone joined in a period of peace, under unknown circumstances. What else could’ve they done, if not to comfort each other in those dark times?
The last war didn’t claim victims just on one side. Irida [カイ, Kai] claimed the title of the Pearl Clan’s leader after a childhood spent in solitary training. While the charge is not hereditary for the worshippers of Palkia, this precocious regime may point out to the fact she was the daughter of someone important — it would explain an altisonant name deriving from 真珠貝 [shinjugai, “pearl oyster”].
“Young Irida started training to become the clan leader when she was barely out of infancy. She’s never had anyone her age to play with.”
“It’s true Irida never had playmates, but she always had Glaceon by her side.”
The girl never had anyone to play with except for the Eevee that will later become her loyal Glaceon. This implies her parents seemingly died in the ongoing conflict, and we have a direct confirmation for her mother. The silence surrounding the father betrays the status of the woman, her loss remembered as a significant event among the villagers: if not the clan leader, she was at least a prominent warden.
“Irida was so young when her mother left us, the poor girl can’t even recall her mother’s face. Perhaps that’s why she adores Palina so much.”
Irida’s mother died when the girl was moving her first steps into this world, and she eventually forget her face. This void left a vivid mark in her heart, and while Adaman overcame the grief sharing it with his siblings, she eagerly sought the hug of a mother. She found one in Palina [ガラナ, Garana]. The future warden probably thought herself more as an older sister, but she nonetheless took care of the orphan like a parent would do. Among the ending cards of the third episode of Hisuian Snow we can see a small moment between them, as we discover she was the one who gifted the young leader her hairclip.
From there, things only started to get worse for their relation. With a name deriving from ガラナ [garana], a plant associated with the “eyes of the god” in real-life folklore, we can imagine she too belonged to a relevant family. And so, mother and daughter became rivals in the race for succession as the clan’s chief. Irida’s dedication was no match for anyone, but they were maybe the support and the teachings of the woman she came to love, to be determinant to be judged worthy of the title. That’s at least the conclusion she arrived, while Palina was sent in Cobalt Coastlands as the warden of Arcanine.
“But Lina — that is to say, Palina — she’s very dear to me, no matter what anyone might say. We were both in the running to become leader of the Pearl Clan. We strove to surpass one another, but…she taught me a great deal, too.”
At first, the woman may have even been glad of this turn of events. She genuinely loved Irida as part of her family, and now she finally realized her dream. The fact she had to move to a coastal region was only a pleasant consequence of her promotion: her concept art remarks she once was a skilled swimmer, and that’s why she keeps to these days her “diving goggles” around her neck. That, until the day of the incident.
“Our previous lord…was swallowed by the waves. He was rescuing his young pup that had been swept out to sea and ended up giving his life to ensure the pup’s safe return…”
When we reach Firespit Island, no lord inhabits its shores. The previous Lord of the Isles perished when its pup was swallowed by the waves, being swept out by the stream in the attempt to saving it. All under Palina’s supervision. Where was she? Why didn’t she prevent Growlithe to jump in the water? What kind of warden allows a Noble to die in front of her very eyes? Villagers surely started to spread mean words behind her back, Irida informs us some people started to “question her worthiness to be a warden at all”. With a single mistake, Palina’s world started to crumble. The concept art remarks that since the days of the incident she stopped diving, starting to despise the sea and the Pokémon living inside it. She even decided to not raise the survivor prince as a lord: what if history repeated itself? What if she worsened the situation? No, maybe it was too late. People hated her already. She deserved to be hated. If only she managed to became the leader. If only Irida gave up on her dream.
“I held my tongue the first time, but now I must insist! Stop calling me Lina in front of everyone! And yes, I’m well aware you’re our leader, Irida. How could I forget that you were the one chosen? You, who can use your Celestica Flute to summon Pokémon and have them carry you to even the farthest reaches of vast Hisui…”
“My, you speak in such disparaging terms of the seat that my lord, Arcanine, calls home! And to think, you call yourself our leader, Irida.”
The relation between Irida and Palina completely cracked after the incident. When the two interact, the warden answers betraying a note of envy towards her pupil’s success, and she insists to not be called by nickname. She even diminishes her when she starts to suffer the heat of Firespit Island, wondering how she can call herself a leader as whiny as she is. Maybe a part of her means it as an unsuccessful joke, she does ultimately ask us if we can “look after Irida” for her, showing how deep inside she wants to mend their relationship. But her words must hurt nonetheless, coming from what the young lady once thought as a mother.
Palina, however, never had the maturity to be a parent; she too was just a girl with hopes and dreams on her own, who ultimately ended up crushed by the weight of her sin. She wasn’t even able to tell how things truly went that faithful day.
“During that incident, Iscan and Basculegion saved my life as well. Since then, I’ve felt a great deal of affection for Iscan here. I truly adore him… But I know there are those who speak ill of me behind my back… So I try to meet with Iscan where there are no prying eyes, to preserve his reputation.”
In reality, she threw herself among the waves and desperately tried to save the lord and its son. She was ready in the frontline. She was worthy to be called a warden. But the sea is an indomitable monster, and the water was about to take her too. It was only thanks to Iscan [ススキ, Susuki] and his Basculegion that a second tragedy was avoided.
Yet, this story isn’t known by the evil tongues of the Pearl Clan. Iscan, after all, is a warden of the opposite faction, and spreading the story of how he saved a member of his enemies may put him on a bad light instead. It may be an unjustified fear, but Palina decided to never disclose the full version to protect his savior. The man on the other hand is an ingenuous and simple man, and he may have not even realized the extent of the thoughts the girl is repressing. Sure is his heart is in a good place: despite being easily frightened by ghosts he is supposed to take care of for his job, he didn’t hesitate when he had to face a potentially deadly situation to save someone else’s life.
In the end Palina started to develop affection towards the man who rescued her, but she also confides us they are in fear to disclose their relation to the public. The shared social anxiety led them to secret encounters in places where malevolent eyes cannot reach, the Palina’s concept art shows both praying to the tomb of the former Lord of the Isles on Veilstone Cape. It is the classical trope of the forbidden love between enemies, but it reveals much of the undergoing racism that took roots after centuries of bloodsheds. Wardens of opposite clans falling in love with each other? Blasphemy worthy of Sinnoh’s anger!
The remaining captains reveal less of the world around them. As the regions where the settlements are established, it makes sense Crimson Mirelands and Alabaster Icelands to be less interested in the wardens’ turnover between the two sides. We can infer the Brava Arena was always under the Diamond Clan jurisdiction, being strictly connected to the trails leading to the village. Lilligant is currently watched over by Arezu [ヒナツ, Hinatsu], her design obviously hinting to a blood relation with Mars. The Bronzong and Purugly used in the Training Grounds mirror the Team Galactic Commander’s Pokémon in the present, and even her name derives from 火夏星, an old-fashioned term for the homonymous planet.
According to the official website Arezu feels great responsibility towards her role as a warden, and she prefers to take action rather than disappoint her leader. Indeed, during the game she reveals to be quite a proactive character, always taking initiatives to establish friendly relations between different factions. Progressing with the main story she will eventually join Jubilife Village as a hairdresser, something she evidently was always fond of based on the concept art’s sketch. She will surely find herself at ease among the Galaxy Team, if it’s true her descendant will later join the ranks of the organization born from its ashes. Moreover, Arezu also tried to mend the reputation of her team with the local Pearl Clan warden, although Calaba [ユウガオ, Yūgao] may seem her complete opposite on the surface.
“I don’t need any help from your sort. Or the Diamond Clan, for that matter. That young lady, Arezu, offered to help, but associating with the Diamond Clan… It just won’t do.”
If Ursaluna was ever taken care by the Diamond Clan, the duty passed to the space cultists since quite some time, even before the start of the last conflict. Calaba is currently the oldest human character in the franchise excluding those with supernatural lifespans, with an age of 99 years her parents may have lived at the same time of Kalos’ Sun King. It comes naturally she is particularly wary of foreigners, be members of the Pearl Clan or mysterious people from beyond the sea: who knows how many lives she had to see extinguished by meaningless conflict. No, strangers can’t be trusted!
“Miss Calaba is doing everything she can to regain the fragment, but at 99 years old… It’s a bit hard for her to chase leads all over the place.”
In her century of experience, Calaba developed a deep sense of religiosity — underlined explicitly by the concept art — and was always available for teaching a young Irida the wisdoms of the ancestors. The official website also points out to her knowledge of medicine, which is presumably why she always carries with her a big basket filled with all types of herbs. Her whole life was dedicated to help the community and pray to the Almighty, and that is the extent of what she’s willing to care for. Or at least that is what she says to herself, but in reality her heart is softer than she wants it to be. Not only she ends up helping both Arezu and us, opening up a bit to the world outside. But she also reveals to have a soft spot for children: would a grumpy old hag let a boy from the Diamond Clan ride on the back of the sacred beast so central to her devotion?
“Calaba let me ride Ursaluna the other day! It was sooo much fun!”
The situation in Alabaster Icelands is quite mirrored compared to Crimson Mirelands. Here Avalugg was probably always under the Pearl Clan’s influence, as we know how crucial the Pokémon is to the village prosperity. The current warden Gaeric [ハマレンゲ, Hamarenge] is clearly the ancestor of Wulfric. Not only they share the passion for the Iceberg Pokémon, but the ancestor also retroactively quotes the Gym Leader line of defeat. Even their names share an etymology: the modern counterpart ウルップ [Urup] derives from 得撫草 [urup-sou, “glaucous weaselsnout”], which can be equally read as “hamarenge” like in the warden’s original name.
“Outstanding! I’m tough as an iceberg, but you smashed me through and through!”
The warden is a simple man: despite his devotion towards Sinnoh is affirmed by Irida, Gaeric simply wants to test the limits of his body. His insane training regime brought him in attempting to almost climb Avalugg’s legacy with bare hands, and he even trained the clan’s leader during her youth — we can see the girl in the concept art struggling in the cold snow while he looks proud at the apprentice with his arms folded around his chest, a pose he seems to particularly like.
“Gaeric cares for the Pearl Clan with all his heart and believes in almighty Sinnoh just as deeply.”
“Gaeric once managed to climb nearly to the top of Avalugg’s Legacy, I’ll have you know. He says he made it to within six feet of the top. Might makes right — or at least height!”
“This gentleman is Avalugg’s warden and my most honorable teacher, Gaeric. So show some respect, Adaman!”
While the mirelands house the oldest warden, the northernmost regions of the icelands are presided by the “youngest”, according to the official website. Sabi [ワサビ, Wasabi] does indeed look like a child, her disconnected attitude often difficult to decipher. Her appearance are much reminiscent of Cheryl, and even if the Pokémon on their teams don’t match, the motto “safety in numbers” surely passed on the generations. The etymologies of their name don’t really have much in common beside the culinary semantic field, the Sinnoh’s HP specialist is originally モミ [Momi], deriving from 籾 [momi, “unhulled rice”], while the warden obviously has its roots in “wasabi”. All things considered, the weakest connections compared to other ancestor-descendant relationships may suggest Sabi and Cheryl to be only incidentally related, the Trainer’s family could’ve stemmed from a sibling yet to be born at the time the game is settled.
Through the game it’s hinted Sabi possesses a small form of clairvoyance, presumably due to natural affinity to the Psychic Type — the concept art notes her eyes to be “psychic-like”. This has obviously made her the perfect candidate to be charged with a representative role in a clan of time worshippers, and Braviary was a perfect match. Maybe the fact a warden was designated at such a young age may point out Snowpoint Temple passed among the Diamond Clan territories only after the last peace treaty, creating a power vacuum the child prodigy could promptly fill.
Obsidian Fieldlands and Coronet Highlands were also divided in halves. With Mai presiding over Wyrdeer, the Grandtree Arena was handed over to the Pearl Clan. Kleavor current warden is Lian [キクイ, Kikui], and considering he doesn’t look much older than Sabi he may have taken the title in similar circumstances. The design is much reminiscent of Clay, strongly suggesting another ancestor-descendant dynamic, and at least the Mamoswine in the Training Grounds will be carried over in the present. Indeed, the boy is named after 菊芋 [kikuimo, Jerusalem artichoke], while the Unovan Gym Leader ヤーコン [Yakon] originates from yacón: both plants are commonly known as “ground apples”.
At this point you may have noticed a pattern: we generally find descendants of the Pearl Clan in regions different from Hisui, while the Diamond Clan tend to be more grounded to the territory. Lian’s family eventually reaches Unova, while Gaeric bloodline will continue in Kalos. Mai, Arezu, and Sabi all remains in Sinnoh instead. The reason behind is simple, and reflected by some dialogues in the Pearl Settlement: those who seek an infinite space are obviously more inclined to expand their horizons towards new lands, while revering the concept of time requires your presence to be affirmed across the ages.
“My partners and I are going to get stronger and travel across this wide world!”
“Even we in the Pearl Clan might start moving to new areas if our clan gets bigger!”
The last void that needed to be fill in the new captains’ arrangement was the warden of Sneasler in Coronet Highlands, which had to go to the Pearl Clan after Melli was confirmed as the keeper of the Lord of the Hollow. In this case help came from the heavens, quite literally. Ingo [ノボリ, Nobori] is not the ancestor of the homonymous Subway Boss, but the genuine article. The man apparently travelled in the past by unknown means, and found himself in Hisui with his memory almost completely faded away. He only remembers his name, and is only able to instinctively recall railway vocabulary in his speeches.
“Ingo’s a bit like you, you know. He appeared one day from who-knows-where. What’s more, much of his memory seems to be missing. Maybe traveling with you will help fill in some of the gaps in his memory.”
His concept art confirms that he was found unconscious by a member of the Pearl Clan “xx years ago”; if the censored numbers are indicative, it would mean he was around Hisui for at least a decade before our arrival. This is coherent with the state of his attire, which was well-preserved upon his first reawakening in the past but is now completely ruined, the buttons even presenting “rust”. The man may have been teleported just by chance intercepting one of Giratina’s distortions, but the timing perfectly lines up with the events of the last conflict. In fact, he may even have contributed to end the bloodshed altogether: the clans are aware of Ingo’s incredible talent in Pokémon battles, fruits of modern competitive training in a world yet too young to keep up with a master of his caliber, but this alone implies they witnessed the former Subway Boss at work. After all, he must have gained an immense trust if a closed culture like the Pearl Clan not only accepted him among their ranks, but even rewarded him with one of the most important tasks in their system of believes.
“Ingo is unbelievably good at battling with Pokémon, don’t you think? I mean, it’s like his knowledge about Pokémon is on a completely different level.”
If Ingo really was praised as a war hero, then his travel through time may have not been truly incidental. Was Arceus just setting up the stage for our grand mission? It’s a possibility, but maybe we’ll never truly know the depths of god’s will — at least, Masters EX confirms explicitly more people arrived in Hisui through a space-time distortion.
“Back in Hisui, where we were before… There were some people who went through what we are now.”
“Apparently, they suddenly fell from the sky one day. And if I remember correctly… That’s it! It was from a rift!”
The memory loss seems to be an unnecessary impediment if the warden really arrived through divine intervention, but the mechanisms around this phenomenon seem to vary a lot depending on the traveler. We can decide ourselves to roleplay a character unaware of the world they came from or to be more self-aware, while Alder doesn’t seem to recall his past as the Hero at all. If we want to take Masters EX in consideration, Adaman and Irida have their memories blurred only of the moments right before they were taken forth to Pasio. Ingo seems to rest in-between: he recalls some confused bits, and we help him putting together some distant recollections of his brother and his Chandelure. But in the end, is knowing your past really something to seek when you’re trapped in an age that’s not yours? Maybe even this ignorance is Arceus’ blessing.
“I recall, faintly, that I had a partner once. A precious one. Its name escapes me, but I remember that it wielded flames with mastery. If only it were here, I’m sure it would light the way, luring us onward…”
“I’m starting to recall a man who looked… like me. We’d battle and discuss Pokémon, I think… The words “I like winning more than anything else” flashed through my mind just now…”
At last, we arrive, and with us Hisui trembles in its foundation. Towards the end of our journey we came to learn of true nature of Sinnoh, we reveal to the world the false premises of their cults are founded upon, and we can finally put an end to a cycle of violence that perpetuated for far too long. The solution was truly that easy: the gods were both real, time and space must be intermingled for the universe to exist. And it’s not like we came with some grandiose revelation: both clans knew this lesson from the start, they were the ones who spoke of friendship upon setting foot on these shores.
“Our clans both revere a different almighty Sinnoh, but if they’re both the real deal… then this dispute with the Pearl Clan would be a huge waste of time…”
“It’s time we buried the hatchet and worked together with the Pearl Clan. This conflict has gone on for far too long.”
It all started with a simple disagreement, and right before they knew it they were massacring their own brothers and sisters for a reason they may not even remember anymore. If during the whole span of this millenary struggle you asked someone why they were fighting so eagerly on the battlefield, they would’ve probably answered they didn’t have a choice. It was the other side, the evil enemies, who wanted to fight. But if this holds true for both sides, then it may really just be possible to bury the hatchet once and for all, and talk this through.