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Wallace stood on the small patch of sand that could barely be called a beach on the southernmost point of Sootopolis City. The waves gently lapped at his heels, the imposing walls of the crater towering above him, casting shadows and blocking out the glow of the early morning sun.
From the time he'd been able to read, he'd been training in preparation for this day, when he would get to see the mythical Temple of Origins. When he would finally become the full-fledged Guardian of Sootopolis City, and fill the role that had been left empty for twelve years.
What he did not expect was to be standing in front of a crevice in the wall, barely wide enough for him to slip through sideways. He had wondered how the grand temple had stayed hidden for all this time, and he figured this was how.
Well, he supposed the tunic and pants he donned were already ruined from the trip across the lake.
"Milotic, return," he said as he recalled the serpent to her Pokéball. He looked at the capsule, and then the crack in the wall before deciding to keep it in his hand.
He sucked in as much as he could, turning sideways before shimmying through the crack. His loose clothes snagged on the rough stone, threatening to tear them and potentially his skin underneath. He peered into the cave. Just a few more steps until…
Wallace gasped as he slipped out of the crevice and into a corridor. A stairway in front of him, illuminated by candles burning blue flames, led down, down, down towards the ocean floor. Hesitantly, he put the Pokéball in his pocket before he stepped forward, the slap of his sandals against well-worn stone echoing against the high ceiling. It was decidedly almost eerie, as he continued down the cave.
Each footfall sounded like the march of a procession, as if he were walking alongside all of his ancestors who had walked this path before him. He could almost feel their spirits following alongside him.
As he descended further and further, he felt more and more as though there was another living soul in the cave with him, and not one of a beast.
There was only one other person who could be in the temple with him.
Any tension he felt melted away at the thought. He broke into a run down the stairs, nearly tripping before all but flinging himself into his master's arm.
"Master Juan," he said, trying his best to smother his jubilation and relief in a neutral tone as he straightened his posture, "It's nice to see you here. My apologies, I didn't mean to behave so childishly."
Wallace couldn't help but blush as his master laughed, "There's no need to be so professional when it's just the two of us. I already know how excited you are. Besides, in our rites, you are still a child."
"I suppose so," Wallace responded, "Though not for much longer."
Juan nodded, smiling, "You're right. Come now, it's still a bit further to the Temple."
Wallace felt so small, his heart pounding in his chest as he followed his master's assured steps.
The corridor almost felt more like a dungeon, the dim candlelight illuminating only small parts of the stone walls. However, as they trekked further, Wallace began to notice more and more patterns along the walls, not unlike the ones in the Sky Pillar.
"What are those carvings?" He asked quietly, not taking his eyes off of them.
"They tell the story of how Sootopolis City came to be," Juan responded, casting a brief glance over to where his apprentice was looking.
Wallace nodded. The drawings followed like a sequel to the ones in the Sky Pillar. The meteor crashing to earth, forming a crater of white stone that rose out of the ocean and pierced the sky. Mount Chimney erupting, casting ash across the sky and sending the region into a winter so cold the sea turned to land. People crossing the frozen ocean and finding the city as a verdant haven, guarded from the strife of the rest of the region by its mystical aura. The people, allying themselves with the great beast of the ocean. Wallace's stomach flipped when he recognized the images of Kyogre on the wall.
Finally, after what could have well been hours or just a matter of minutes, they came to the end of the hall. Before them stood a pair of massive doors, reaching up further than Wallace could see. Detailed patterns wove across it like streams, glowing faintly in the low light.
"Are you ready?" Juan asked quietly.
Wallace took a deep breath, trying his best to calm his nerves. Was he ready? He'd been preparing for this day since he was young, but he'd never been trained by a guardian like all of those who came before him. Would the spirits see him as worthy?
Hesitantly, he spoke, "Yes."
Juan stepped aside, clearing the path between Wallace and the doors.
Slowly, he approached, feeling his pulse thrumming against his skin. He reached out with a shaky hand, pressed it against the door and whispered a prayer.
In an instant, pale green light shot out from beneath his palm. Intricate patterns tangled with scripture that spoke of acceptance were illuminated as the stone doors rumbled open.
Wallace's breath caught in his throat as he looked upon the Temple for the first time. Water trickled down the far wall like veins, framing a stone dais before forming two clear streams on either side of the room. Despite being far below the ocean's surface, light cascaded down from the ceiling against the pale limestone walls, giving it an aura not unlike Sootopolis City. The very room hummed with magic so potent it was nearly suffocating, despite air clearer than any Wallace had ever tasted.
"Wow," was all he could think to say, in a whisper under his breath.
He felt Juan's hand brush his own as the older man took the lead. Silently, Wallace followed. Their footsteps echoed throughout the cavernous space like the march of an army, yet somehow their voices did not.
As they approached the dais, Wallace could see that there was a shallow pool upon it, perfectly circular and still. Just like the rest of the temple, it was crystal clear, clearer than any water he'd ever seen.
Juan stepped onto the dais, walking to the far side of the pool, leaving Wallace to stand across from him. The cool air seemed to caress his skin, comforting him like the soft embrace of water always had.
He took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and stepped into the pool. He fought back a shiver as the bitterly cold water rippled around his ankles, soaking into the leather of his sandals. Slowly, he knelt, allowing his knees to sink into the pool. He bowed his head, watching his reflection in the water.
In the mirror the water created, he could see how much he'd grown, how much he'd done. He was a master coordinator, a gym leader, a champion, and soon to be a Guardian. The ripples seemed to whisper, You are ready .
Juan's voice filled the cavern, strong yet not loud, "Here in this hallowed space, I present the newest Guardian Apprentice to the spirits of the city and the Guardians who have preceded him.
"His predecessor was taken from this world too soon, before he could train this young apprentice. I have done my best to train him in his father's stead. Wallace is pure of heart, strong, determined, and loyal. As his mentor, I see him as more than worthy to be accepted into the ranks of the Guardians. However," Wallace could see Juan's jaw tighten in his reflection in the water, "It is ultimately the spirits who will decide his worthiness."
Wallace could feel his nerves creeping back in at his master's tension. He was far from the most adherent to the Guardian's Code. He'd never been trained by another Guardian. He'd lived outside the city for eight years, leaving the city without a protector. He was the only apprentice, but Rayquaza knew that hadn't stopped the spirits from rejecting them in the past.
Despite this, he'd mastered all the skills needed to be a guardian. He was fluent in Sootopolitan, well-versed in their history, and could wield a naginata with ease. He was an accomplished trainer, and at one with the pokémon of the sea. The one thing he lacked was unity with the ocean's protector, and any hope of that had been shattered the minute the downpour had started over Sootopolis, five months ago.
He held a bated breath as the temple began to rumble. The pool beneath him rippled and splashed up against his legs, shaking off his reflection. Nerves turned to fear as his heart raced. Was this it? Did it mean his rejection? He tried to stand, but before he could, a column of water erupted up from the pool, far more than it could have ever contained. The stream pulled at his hair and clothes, like a waterfall in reverse, threatening to pull him up off the ground with it. He gasped when the final currents rushed past him.
Instinctively, he looked up. The water swirled around the cavern in a stream, arcing and ducking over and under and splitting only to rejoin itself. Wallace squinted as it began to form a shape that was beginning to feel familiar, with its long fluke like ribbons and fingered fins. His stomach dropped when he realized.
The water, still hovering in the air above him, had formed into the shape of Kyogre. The beast, though it lacked eyes, seemed to peer down at him, its head barely more than an armslength from his face.
He thought he was to be judged by the spirits of his ancestors, not the sea monster that had nearly destroyed the very city he was sworn to protect.
Wallace swallowed. He was supposed to be a master of water and water pokémon, yet here he was, terrified of the very beast that embodied the ocean. He had a right to, though. Kyogre had nearly destroyed the legacy he had been fighting so hard to protect. Was it here now to vanquish that legacy, once and for all? Wallace looked desperately to Juan, who stood silently with his eyes closed, as if frozen in time.
The eyeless beast stared at him silently, as if waiting for him to do something.
Somehow, Wallace knew that this was truly Kyogre’s consciousness given form in the water. Yet despite that, it seemed calm, floating quietly in the air above him. This creature, as it was now, meant him no harm. It seemed to watch him curiously as he stood on trembling legs.
Even so, his hand shook as he raised it above his head. He had to bite his lip to keep his jaw from clenching too hard as he reached out, his sleeve sliding down his arm as he touched the mighty beast’s head. Ever so gently, he could feel Kyogre lean itself against him.
His hand pushed gently into Kyogre’s forehead before it lurched forwards, diving back into the pool from which it had emerged, nearly pulling Wallace down with it. He gasped when he was freed from the torrent, trembling from his own fear and the heat that had been robbed from him by the water. He imagined he looked no more impressive than a wet Growlithe.
“Congratulations, Wallace,” Juan said, “Guardian of Sootopolis.”
“What… was that?” Wallace asked, baffled. Had he really succeeded?
“Your ancestors have passed their judgment. They have deemed you worthy of this role.”
“But that.. that was Kyogre. That wasn't the spirits of my ancestors.”
Juan laughed, kneeling to dip his hand into the pool, gently stirring the water, "The Great Leviathan is a mysterious creature indeed."
Wallace blinked, taken aback by the title, "Why would the creature that tried to destroy Sootopolis City be the one to judge me?"
Juan looked up, a humored smile on his face, "What makes you think they were trying to destroy the city?"
"I…"
"Or were they trying to come to your aid?"
"What?"
Juan stood, drying his hand on his coat, "Kyogre is known to get carried away, yes. But I believe that their initial intention was to protect you, when they sensed a disturbance in the natural order."
"Why would it want to protect me?" Wallace asked.
"I'm sure you've heard about how the ancient Sootopolitans swore their allegiance to Kyogre, in exchange for becoming vessels for their power."
Wallace nodded, "I figured that pact was broken, when..."
Juan laughed, "No, it still holds strong in you. However, there was another part of the pact. Along with their allegiance, Kyogre became inextricably connected with the spirits of all Sootopolitans, when they left their mortal bodies and returned to the ocean."
Wallace took a sharp breath, "So Kyogre passed on the judgment of my ancestors."
"And they decided that you were more than worthy." Juan stepped closer, the water of the pool splashing at his ankles, "May I?"
Wallace laughed a little, gesturing to his sodden clothes, "If you're sure you want to."
Without a moment's hesitation, Juan wrapped his arms tight around Wallace. He spoke quietly, a tremble barely perceptible in his voice, "I'm so proud of you, son."
Wallace laughed a little, tears welling in his eyes as he reciprocated the hug, "Yeah, I'm proud of me too."