Chapter Text
At 25 years old, Adaman realized something had changed.
It had been a week since the red sky had changed back. A week since the clans had finally met the Almighty Dialga and Palkia who had spoken directly to their leaders.
Adaman was sitting beside his bed mat and looking at himself in the mirror, rubbing at his completely clean shaven chin in mild confusion. It was a rather odd observation, but he shaved since Almighty Dialga had spoken to him.
Maybe Dialga had… blessed him so his hair didn’t grow anymore? The idea was strange just to think about, let alone find a proper reason for. Regardless, not needing to shave meant Adaman had gained valuable free time in the mornings, and ever since meeting his god, Adaman had made an effort to use all his free time to further his clan. (Mai had accused him of becoming a workaholic.”
“Thank you, Almighty Dialga.” Adaman said aloud just to be sure, much to the confusion of his leafeon.
He used the extra time (only around 15 minutes in the long run) to help tend to the clan pokemon every morning. More and more of them had started to gather following the red sky, and he was the most adjusted to pokemon aside from the wardens, so it was only logical.
- - - -
About a month later, long enough that Adaman had completely misplaced his razor blade, he discovered another change, although it wasn’t very surprising in the long run.
“Did you learn how to cut your hair?” Arezu asked him one day when he was visiting Jubilife. “You haven’t come by for an appointment, but it looks completely fine.”
Adaman blinked and brought up a strand of his hair to look at. He never really gave it much thought until it started to get a bit too long, and usually it was Arezu to actually point it out to him. He tended to try going as long as possible before finally getting it cut since it always took so much time.
“Huh. I didn’t even notice.” Adaman muttered to himself.
To Arezu, he simply gave an easygoing smile and said, “What can I say? It’s quite the time save, not needing to go to Jubilife whenever I need it trimmed.”
Arezu had playfully shoved him and accused him of trying to avoid Kamado.
Later that day, Akari told him and Irida that she’d figured out how to go home, and suddenly, Adaman was much more grateful that he wouldn’t need to waste an hour getting his hair cut every month or so. He made a promise to spend his new free time to visit Jubilife.
- - - -
A year and a half later, Adaman, Irida and all their wardens were all gathered at Spear Pillar.
Akari and Ingo had worked together in the week prior, handing out gifts and farewell letters that the two had apparently been gathering and preparing for months ahead of time. When the time finally came, they personally went to each clan and Jubilife to tell everyone they were leaving before inviting a select few to see them off.
(Kamado did not show up. Apparently the man had given a gruff farewell at the gates before stomping back to his office.)
Adaman and Irida were the last to say goodbye to Akari. By the time the girl had reached them, she was sobbing freely and her sleeves were damp from constantly trying to wipe her eyes.
“Thank you so much. If you two hadn’t been so kind to me, I don’t—“ Akari choked up as she spoke to Adaman and Irida. “D-during the r-red sky–”
Adaman shook his head and held up a hand to stop her with a fond, sad smile. “I would do it all again even if it took twice the amount of time, Akari.”
Irida nodded with tears in her eyes. “Yes, even if we had to cross double the distance to reach you.”
Akari shook her head frantically as she tried to speak above her own sobs. “I- I’ll miss you guys so, so much, a- and I don’t even know h- how–!”
Irida stepped forward and pulled Akari into a hug, speaking softly. “We understand. You don’t need to put it into words.”
“Hey,” Adaman put a comforting hand on the girl’s shaking shoulder. “It’s ok, Akari. Take as long as you need. We’ll wait for you.”
- - - -
Around two years following Akari’s departure, Adaman never even thought about shaving or cutting his hair anymore. Only Arezu’s rare jabs about how he should try out her newest style would make the idea of doing such ever enter his mind. It was a good thing he had no intentions of growing out a beard.
Mai teased him on his 28th birthday, like she always did, about how she’d forever be older than him, and he good naturedly promised her that he’d catch up eventually. He didn't mention that the gap between their ages would only get wider before he'd inevitably take the lead.
Later that year, Sabi’s coming of age celebration was the most rambunctious event the clan had ever seen. The girl had insisted on inviting every child (and parents) from Jubilife and the Pearl Clan, and although not everyone in question showed up, the resulting mess from the army of kids took another day to clean.
“You’re one year closer to my age now! You’ll catch up to me in no time.” Adaman teased Sabi.
Sabi giggled. “You’re silly Adaman. How would I do that?”
Adaman said nothing and simply gave an over dramatic shrug as if he had no idea.
- - - -
One day a mother and child hailing from the Pearl Clan arrived at the Diamond Clan asking to be welcomed in. The child was weak and lacked the needed resistances to survive the chill of the Icelands, and where his younger self would have declined while spouting things about respecting clan boundaries, Adaman had hardly thought twice before saying yes.
A few months later, Adaman was negotiating with Irida about setting up a proper trade schedule and route between their clans. They decided to have Iscan and Palina be the head representatives of the trading units.
“Adaman!” A small child came running up to him one day with a defiant pout, “You were there when the sky was red, right? You know that Lord Dialga’s better!”
“Is not! Lord Palkia’s the best!” Another child yelled back.
Adaman grinned at the two children, one wearing Diamond Clan clothing and the other in Pearl garb. It was no longer uncommon to see both colors at either settlement, but he found it greatly amusing that the Pearl child favored Lord Dialga.
“Well, I can hardly believe that one is greater than the other. Time is always of the essence, but you shouldn’t ignore your surroundings either.” Adaman said vaguely. He and Irida had more than rubbed off their many sayings on each other over the months.
The children were rather dissatisfied with his answer and they ran back to their parents who were having friendly conversation to try and get a different response.
Adaman shook his head and turned back to the conversation he was having with Iscan about Palina’s wedding ideas. “Hopefully one day they’ll learn to live together.”
- - - -
3 years later, two clans became one.
The only warning Adaman got was Sabi refusing to go to her warden duties in the icelands that day and looking downright miserable about it. Not even the other children were able to cheer her up. Instead, she had gone off with her electivire and magmar and returned later that day with baskets and armloads of the herbs Calaba tended to forage for.
All the wardens were on edge when the first Pearl member had stumbled into the mirelands.
“All injured come this way!” Adaman yelled amongst the crowd, directing people toward the medical tent, “If you have any items or supplies, meet with Palina and Iscan so we can get it all in order!”
Torches and lanterns blazed into the night as Diamond Clan members hurried around to help the tired people of the Pearl Clan who had trudged all the way to the Mirelands looking for shelter. Pokemon of both clans were trilling and roaring and barking in the scuffle to help where they could or scramble out of the way where they couldn’t.
“If there are any wardens who are not busy, meet with me now to discuss lodging and food distribution!” Adaman demanded.
Only Lian and Sabi ended up being able to meet with Adaman.
Lian was crying as Sabi led him over to Adaman, and it took the teen several attempts to tell the whole story between his sobs. Sabi had to use her clairvoyance a few times to guess the endings of sentences when Lian couldn’t finish.
Back when the distortions and mass outbreaks were still happening– back when Akari was still in Hisui, if there was ever an outbreak, the girl almost always showed up in time to handle the pokemon before any damage was done.
Almost .
It seemed she’d missed a mass outbreak of zoroarks, and they’d finally made a move.
“C-Calaba—“ Lian was unable to finish, but the distraught look on his face said it all.
The eldest of the Pearl Clan was nowhere to be seen amongst the refugees no matter how many times Adaman re-checked. He did a head count several times but kept coming up three short.
Wait, three?
Lian and Calaba weren’t in the crowd for obvious reasons, Ingo had left years ago, Gaeric was helping a clansman limp to the medical tent, and Palina was helping Iscan hand out blankets. Every Pearl warden was accounted for which meant that–
“Lian. Where’s Irida?”
Adaman summoned Lord Wyrdeer and rushed off to the Icelands.
He found the ruins of the Pearl Clan settlement and a bloody battlefield littered with dead zoroark and the massive body of Lord Avulugg. A few hours later he found Lord Braviary as well, and it suddenly made sense why Sabi had looked like she’d lost a loved one the whole day.
Adaman spent the entire night searching the area for Irida until finally, Lord Wyrdeer forced him to leave with the only person he’d managed to find. He returned to his clan with a body wrapped in fabric, and Calaba was buried the next day.
Adaman stopped his monthly visits to Jubilife, which had become simple courtesy after Akari left, and used the time to search the Icelands instead.
- - - -
It took 2 years before Adaman finally found Irida.
“Sorry leafeon, I know how much you hate the cold.” Adaman apologized as his loyal pokemon began to tug at his hair from where it sat around his neck.
Leafeon growled and yipped, pulling so hard that Adaman’s head hurt. When he still ignored it, it finally stood up and landed on the frosty floor of the Icelands.
“What’s gotten into you?!” Adaman asked.
His leafeon responded by running off through the snow that it had previously bit and scratched him over touching. Adaman raced after it as it loudly yipped and yowled for the entire Icelands to hear.
Adaman grit his teeth and ran faster when the echoes of another pokemon’s howls began to respond to his Leafeon. Hopefully he wasn’t about to get a pack of pokemon’s attention.
Suddenly a familiar figure leapt into view and Adaman ground to a halt, staring with wide eyes.
A glaceon glared at leafeon, growling fiercely.
“I— hey! You’re Irida’s, aren’t you?” Adaman asked, cautiously stepping closer.
The glaceon abruptly stopped growling, finally noticing Adaman. It immediately changed its tune, brrrrr -ing at him in happy greeting and flicking its tail.
“Is. Do you know where Irida is?” He asked it with a quivering voice.
“Brrrrrp! ” Glaceon chirped and turned to lead him somewhere.
Job done, Adaman’s leafeon promptly jumped back up to ride on his shoulders as the man quickly fell into step.
Glaceon led him to the edges of the Icelands where great evergreens stood covered in snow. Adaman shivered on principle as he crossed into the forest. There was a reason that the Pearl Clan had never gone into these woods despite the bounty of resources that was within.
Adaman cautiously walked through zoroark territory behind Irida’s glaceon.
“ Brrrreee! ” Glaceon called aloud after bringing Adaman to a den made of boulders and collapsed trees.
Adaman inhaled sharply as a shuffling came from inside and a set of glowing yellow eyes blinked open. A zoroark slowly stepped out from the darkness with a huff, staring Adaman down.
It was wearing a very familiar necklace.
“I-Irida?” Adaman asked softly.
The zoroark huffed and looked away.
Adaman returned to his clan with glaceon in tow and quietly told Gaeric that he’d found Irida. A week later the clan finally held a funeral for the lost Pearl leader.
Nobody faulted Adaman for not attending the ceremony. He spent the entire day in the Icelands telling a ghost about all the things she’d missed ever since her death.
(He hated knowing that Irida died at the same age he was trapped at.)
- - - -
Adaman was 38 when someone finally noticed that he still hadn’t aged past 25.
“I haven’t seen you cut your hair or shave. I literally looked through your stuff, you don’t even own a razor anymore,” Mellie listed, walking in circles as he ranted.
“I don’t? Wait– you went through my stuff?!”
Mellie turned on his heel and pointed accusingly, “Also! There isn’t a single gray hair on your head! I have gray hairs, but you’re still fresh as a daisy even though you’re leading two clans!”
Adaman sighed. It was honestly more surprising that Arezu hadn’t gotten suspicious first.
“Mellie, we’ve united, I’m still leading one clan.” Adaman reminded him.
“Yes, yes, the ‘ Celestica Clan ’ now, whatever,” Mellie waved a hand in irritation, “That still doesn’t mean you aren’t leading twice the amount of people you previously were! Something’s up with you, Adaman!”
Officially unifying the Diamond and Pearl clans had been so easy that it hurt. Without their leader or elder, the people of the Pearl Clan had readily turned to Adaman, and the clans were officially unified within the same year of Irida’s funeral.
Adaman took a deep breath. “Fine. Call the wardens to my tent, this is something you all deserve to know.”
When Adaman opened the flap of his tent, he was met with nearly all of the wardens already inside. Sabi, still covered in mud from tending to Lady Ursaluna, gave him a cheery wave as he entered. Adaman just gave her an unsurprised nod and waited for Mellie to round up the few wardens missing.
“Mellie has noticed something about me that I feel will become more and more clear the longer I wait,” Adaman said after everyone had gathered, “It’s only fair that I explain myself.”
“Something that Mellie noticed?” Lian asked incredulously.
Palina was looking at Adaman with open worry. “What is it?”
Adaman took a deep breath and looked each of his wardens in the eye. “You all remember how Almighty Dialga spoke to me when it came from the rift.”
Everyone nodded in confusion, and Adaman couldn’t help noticing that even Sabi didn’t seem to know what he was leading up to. Maybe the Almighty had blocked her clairvoyance from their doings?
“Ever since that day, I’ve stopped aging.”
The tent was silent for a moment.
“ WHAT?! ” Mellie yelled. “You’re telling me that your secret to always looking pristine is that you can never look worse?!”
Nobody mentioned that Adaman had been looking more ragged ever since the clans had unified. His body may have stayed the same, but the state of his clothes and exhaustion in his eyes had made him seem as old as he should be.
“Mellie, I don’t think that’s what you should be focusing on.” Gaeric said with a dazed look.
“Thank you, Gaeric.” Adaman said with slight exasperation. “But yes, Mellie, that’s why I don’t need to cut my hair.”
The tent was quiet as the others digested the news.
“Did…” Palina hesitated for a beat, “Do you know if Almighty Palkia blessed Irida too?”
The mood in the room immediately turned somber.
Yes , Adaman wanted to say. She was cursed blessed to never be taken from the vast lands of Hisui. She’s still in the Icelands, hunting down the other zoroarks.
“I don’t know.” Adaman said instead.
He changed his monthly visits with Irida into weekly ones after that.
- - - -
“Gaeric’s started thinking about retirement.” Adaman told Irida one day.
Irida tilted her head and made an inquisitive growl, stooping over to write in the snow with an extended claw. “What happened to him?”
Because to Irida, there was no reason in the world that the Gaeric she remembered would ever stop working. Before the fall of the Pearl Clan, he’d climbed to the top of the highlands daily and victoriously wrestled abamasnow.
Even after the death of Lord Avulugg, the man began climbing the withdrawn Lady Sneasler’s cliffs, helping Sabi get familiar with Lord Ursaluna’s child, and filling in for Arezu whenever she struggled to balance wardenship with her barber shop. Adaman and the others had all unanimously agreed that Gaeric should keep his wardenship despite having no charge.
“He’s almost 60 now, Irida,” Adaman said simply.
Irida’s eyes widened at the news and he nodded sadly. Only last month, Irida hadn’t realized she’d missed the anniversary of the Red Sky. She’d completely lost track of time.
“He’s going to be an elder in a few more years, and he doesn’t have a Lord or Lady like Calaba did to keep going.”
Irida hesitated for a moment before writing, “How old am I?”
Adaman felt a stab in his heart as he read her question. He’d always been intimately more aware of the passage of time than the others. Ever since meeting Almighty Dialga, he’d gotten even better at it. Despite Professor Laventon’s introduction of clocks, Adaman had never needed one.
“You’re 37 years old now. Your birthday is in a month.”
Irida huffed and laid down with her head on her paws. Adaman didn’t pursue the topic.
- - - -
Adaman was beginning to lose his clan’s trust.
It was inevitable, really. One could only go so long without aging before people began to get suspicious, and going off into known zoroark territory every week didn’t help improve public opinion. It wasn’t like Adaman had told his people that there was only one zoroark left.
Only Sabi remained as a working warden by then thanks to her clairvoyance which kept her safe and unharmed from a variety of dangers. The others were all either retired or had died. Lian in particular had been forced to stop prematurely after a mudslide crushed his leg.
Adaman’s unofficial loss of leadership began as soon as he caught wind of the rumors.
“ He’s working with the zoroarks. ” Some said.
“ No, one of the foxes replaced him .” Others said.
Regardless, the clan had begun to see him as a threat. One night, all of the old wardens still alive came to him with worried looks and Adaman was forced to finally consider stepping down.
“What if I finally told them?” Adaman wondered.
Mai shook her head, her wrinkled face downturned in a sad frown. “There’s too much suspicion now. They might fear you more or think you’re lying to save yourself.”
“But-“
“Even if they don’t, you’ve been leading for 60 years.” Arezu cut in. The fact that she’d come all the way from Jubilife despite her age was telling of the growing danger. “That’s longer than any one’s ever led before.”
“I could lead for even longer though!” Adaman exclaimed. “I could literally lead forever!”
“Is that all you’re going to do? Keep leading the clan?” Palina asked sharply with a stern look filled with all the authority of a clan elder. “You’ll burn out eventually.”
“I-“
“There’s going to be a coup soon.” Sabi said suddenly.
Everyone stared at her, and Adaman, the man immune to time, was suddenly on a deadline.
“When?” Adaman finally asked.
Lian gave him a look and stamped one of his crutches. “Does it matter?! Just because you don’t age doesn’t mean you can’t die !”
Adaman stood firm. “When is the coup, Sabi?”
“… Soon.” Sabi said quietly.
Adaman nodded in grim acknowledgment. “Fine then.” He turned to look at all of his friends, some of the only ones still alive to have ever seen the Red Sky. “All of you, keep your clan together. Help them, and let them help you.”
“Adaman?” Mai had a worried look.
“Sabi, do you know what I’m about to ask you?” Adaman ignored her with a set face.
Sabi nodded and glanced to the doors where the symbol of the Celstica Clan hung. “I’ll do it.”
“Adaman, what are you planning?” Palina asked firmly.
“When the time comes, do not step in to stop the clansmen.” Adaman ordered. “I don’t want them to turn on any of you because of me.”
A month later, Sabi came into Adaman’s tent and silently handed him a bag that he had packed in secret. Adaman took off his necklace, his mark of leadership which had long ago lost its twin, and gave it to Sabi.
Adaman was still 25 when the Hisui he once knew officially started to die.