The Tapus
Self-Name: The Tapus
The Tapus are a species with maybe, maybe, a hundred individuals worldwide. They have exceptionally long lifespans and slow reproductive cycles, so they aren’t exactly an endangered species—and they furthermore aren’t hard to find, for their unique disposition tends to make them public figures.
Every Tapu is born from an egg that they carry with them the rest of their life. These eggs are infused with Infinity Energy during their long incubation period and, when the Tapu finally emerges, they tend to be masters over whatever Type they were infused with due to the environment the egg developed in—all share the Fairy typing, but their second one could be anything.
Tapus, once hatched, have a peculiar biological drive to seek out an island and make it their own. Every known Tapu on Pokérin either owns or effectively owns an island, and no two Tapus share an island. (Alola is a bit of a special case, but each of the four main islands still has its own Tapu.)
Physically, their appearance is quite varied. While each Tapu’s body will incorporate their egg into themselves somehow, this could be arm plates, a bowl, or even abstracted away all over the Tapu’s skin. Within the shell, they have black skin and humanoid faces with small, often dainty features (though this isn’t a hard and fast rule, as Bulu should make clear). They have no need for legs for all of them can float around with ease.
Tapus are very protective of their islands like someone might be toward a garden, if even the animals that visited the garden were part of its intended beauty. Elsewhere in the world, there are Tapus who take background roles in their societies, ones that are rarely seen, or ones that purposefully try not to take charge.
That is not the case in Alola, where all four of the Tapus are well known and undeniably in charge. In fact, barring any particularly clever Zoroark I don’t know about, the Alola region is the largest Pokérinian nation not ruled by Pokérinians themselves. While visitors to Alola may think the Tapus just take the role of distant deities, the fact of the matter is much of their laws, traditions, and attitudes can be traced directly back to Tapu decree.
Most Tapus do not get along with others of their kind—I am uncertain how they ever manage to produce an egg because of it, so most just keep to their islands and refuse to acknowledge the existence of others. However, the islands of the Alola region are very close together, and so the four Tapus were made aware of each other rather quickly. Early in Alola’s history, the four of them were forced to band together to deal with an interdimensional incursion from another reality and through it discovered that they could be much more effective if they worked as a unit. So they effectively united the four of their islands after the event, and Alola was born. As Pokérinian society developed and advanced, they adapted as well—largely refusing the influence of technology in their personal sanctums, but there are always exceptions.
While they are the leaders of Alola, they prefer to focus their efforts on protecting the islands from outer influences rather than inner ones, believing their citizens to be worthy of managing things themselves. After all, the Tapus do choose personal Kahunas from the populace to oversee the affairs of each island.
The Kahunas did not do a good job quelling the War of Pants. And so, eventually, the Tapus stepped in. Their timing was unfortunate—Miranda, Soma, and I were currently trying to track down some leads—when all four of them descended upon the currently largest battle and ended it in a dramatic show of power, lifting up all the Tsareena and Scrafty leaders in their power. Tapu Fini was the one that spoke for the group, informing the Tsareena and Scrafty in no uncertain terms that if hostilities did not cease immediately and stay ceased, some righteous judgment was going to be dished out on every Scrafty and Tsareena in Alola. Naturally, they backed down and haven’t so much as dared to lift a finger against each other since.
In what I am certain was not a coincidence, the requests I had put in to meet with the Tapus were approved the day after. I was instructed to come with a minimal entourage to Lele’s temple, the home of the Tapu known for entertaining guests the most often, as well as using technology. Naturally, Lele is also the youngest of the four, though still easily several centuries old.
All of them were there. Koko, the Electric Tapu, excitable and decisive. Lele, the Psychic Tapu, a young healer who often didn’t realize the destruction she could cause. Bulu, a quiet, stoic Grass Tapu, rarely spoke while I was there. And Fini, a cold Water Tapu who has a decidedly low opinion of Pokérinians and, by extension, humans. How unfortunate that she is the one most versed in politics and relations, and thus is the one people such as myself have to speak with most often.
I took Miranda and Soma with me, Miranda because she was always with me, Soma because he was a witness to recent events we most certainly needed to talk about.
When we entered I found it quite interesting to see what was essentially an ancient ruin with a modern couch set up next to a full widescreen TV with a massive cable that went somewhere into the ground. Lele wanted the best of both worlds, creating a somewhat contradictory setup.
The meeting itself was held in a much more traditional manner—the Tapus floating on the level above, looking down at us like judges in a court. This was a natural position for all of them—they were, after all, the very leaders of the Alolan islands. While they do not go out of their way to claim to be gods, they do not refute the claim either, and so the culture came to expect certain things from them like taking a “higher” position.
Koko and Lele were friendly enough; Bulu rarely spoke and Fini was actively cold and calculating. They first asked what my purpose here was and, for the first little while, all we talked about was their species, which is where I got most of the above information. However, the discussion quickly changed when Fini posed a rather unfair question. The following is the transcript of the meeting starting at that point.
[Meeting between Tapu Fini, Taku Koko, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, Doctor Julian Bashir, Miranda, and Soma Innerweave. Beginning at timestamp number seven.
Fini: Doctor Bashir, you do realize that this quest of yours, the one which you have done nothing but question us on since we began, was in no small part responsible for the War of Pants?
Bashir: That… is incidental, Tapu Fini. We are awar—
Fini: Oh, no doubt you have an explanation. And the explanation we shall hear. But surely you know the timing of this meeting was no accident. Your presence—and the presence of the Federation and the other powers that have subsequently landed on our world—is causing strife and disarray. You seek to equalize, to give Tsareena the same say as Scrafty, the same say as Pokérinians, the same say as us . In doing, you threaten the peace and structure this world has. Peace is always delicate, and your kind has a habit of ruining it.
Lele: Fini, that’s not exactly fair…
Soma: Honorable Tapus, if I may… Bashir and the Federation do not seek to destroy, they seek to build up, to promote. Their intentions are pure and their reasoning sound. Our world does, in fact, exist in the unfortunate position of denying many who should have a “say” their right. Equality is one of their major concerns as a civilization, and since many in our world have expressed a desire for a closer alliance, Bashir’s job is an important one.
Fini: I have read up on all the press releases, I am aware of his purpose and their purpose. I simply wish to point out that, in seeking what you deem “good”, you have caused much that is undesirable. And I do not just speak of the War of Pants. It may have been the most ridiculous of the conflicts, but it is not the only one.
Bashir: I’d like to point out that there were conflicts before, but they were just never reported. I have many records of historical pokémon slaughter, abuse, and occasional Pokérinian abuse. And there are more than a few legends against the f—
Miranda (hastily): What he’s trying to say is that these things were happening before, but everyone thought they were normal. Now his people are here, and suddenly maybe it’s not normal.
Lele: I agree. I have seen how brutal it can be, out there. I’m the healer—as a healer, you see… a lot.
Fini: Lele, it seems as if that screen of yours has swayed you to their thinking.
Lele: You’ve known me long enough to know that isn’t true.
Koko: Maybe you just have a terrible memory, Fini! Lele’s always been a little off.
Lele: Koko! We have guests! We are the regal guardians of Alola!
Bulu: And their recording device caught you saying that.
Lele: Eep!
Fini: It is of little concern what the others see, the contents of this meeting are public knowledge. I make it no secret that I dislike the Pokérinian drive for progress and development, and your Federation lives and breathes that. However, that attitude is not directly harmful to our islands. This idea of “sapience…” assuredly is.
Soma: Surely, you do not suggest that you are against the spreading of an idea? In all your history as the Tapus of Alola, you have never once shunned the freedom of the people to speak, even against you!
Fini: If we had, how would you know about it?
Soma: I… well. That’s a somewhat unpleasant thought. Do you care to elaborate on the implications?
Fini: No.
Soma: As you wish.
Bashir: Look, I’m not here to tell you how to run your country or to suggest you should give up what power you have—I can tell that’s at least part of what you’re concerned about. You have led these people for hundreds of years and I see no reason why you can’t keep doing so. All I ask is that you consider the potential for change; if not in yourselves, then in your people, something I know you are familiar with.
Fini: You show your true colors, Bashir. You are not simply a scientist doing a job, you are a missionary on a quest to bring your ideas.
Bashir: ...I am a scientist first and foremost, honorable Tapu. I would continue to catalog the sapience species of Pokérin even if I thought there was no chance of what I consider progress. But I have seen many great people here, bonds between Pokérinians, pokémon, both within the system this world has created and without. This very planet’s existence has challenged my views on what makes a being sapient and, even with it, wonder if should they even desire the equality we offer. You ask if I am aware that I am causing chaos—to that I say, undoubtedly, yes. But no idea worth spreading will easily work its way into the minds of a world. It will cause conflict, disruption, and change. I believe that the momentary upsets in this current day more than make up for the bright future.
[Silence for a few seconds.]
Bulu: You speak well, Bashir.
Bashir: Thank you, Tapu Bulu.
Fini: While your words are well spoken, I—
[Tapu Lele’s phone starts ringing.]
Lele: Uh, hold on, uh… Yes, hello? Wh… no? I don’t even own a car, how can I—this isn’t even a person, is it?
Koko: Lele, come on! Didn’t we tell you to silence that thing?
Lele: I… uh… forgot.
[Silence again.]
Soma: ...Perhaps now is a good time to mention that we have some idea of who caused the War of Pants, and it was not a Tsareena or a Scrafty. It was one of my Galarian Counterparts, likely working in tandem with others, but our information is admittedly scant.
Koko: Wait, this was deliberate!?
Miranda: Afraid so.
Koko: Galarian, huh? ...I’m going to track his people down for daring to set foot on our islands and cause a war!
Fini: Koko! The islands have not been without the Tapus for—
Bulu: The Ultra Wormholes.
Fini: ...Those were temporary excursions.
Bulu: Transporters, Fini. I am sure Doctor Bashir would be willing to lend us use of such devices to investigate the aggressions against our people, yes?
Bashir: I will have to clear it with the Captain, but I see no reason why she should refuse.
Fini: I would rather we not rely on the Federation’s toys.
Lele: You don’t have to use them.
Koko: Drop me into the midst of them! I’ll smite the lot of those Galarians for daring to—
Soma: Perhaps, Honorable Tapu, we should report the rest of what we know so you can make a better decision.
Koko: Yes, yes, just make it quick.
[Recording sample end. Rest of the meeting is under file TapuMeeting1.Bashir]
Koko did end up leaving Alola for brief periods to do his “investigating,” but he was a hothead and not very good at uncovering any leads. Lele was much more useful, and she will show up in these reports quite a few more times. Bulu rarely interacted with me after that, and Fini and I spoke only when absolutely necessary.
I suppose we are fortunate that the Tapus did not decide to silence us or kick us out of Alola, as I am sure Fini desired. Perhaps she was laying it on thick on purpose, or perhaps she just couldn’t convince the others of her position. Or, another thought, maybe she found us too useful to remove—we were actively looking to find out who caused the War of Pants.
One last thing. While we were in the meeting, I did remember our original mission and asked about Zygarde. Bulu remembered him being in Alola back when the pokémon League was being set up, and that he was involved in some way with the Necrozma Incident, but the historical records and the Tapu’s memories of that time are understandably muddled given all the interdimensional disturbances that were occurring. None of them had heard or seen from Zygarde since.
Though, at this point, the hunt for Zygarde seemed of secondary concern.