Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas (Pokemon Watty Award Winner 2014)

Chapter 30

APOLLO

    

            Apollo Love looked at the project and smiled brightly.  “I think it’s coming along nicely, don’t you?” The green Spirit Pokémon nodded its head as they both looked on at the vessel that was being built.  The Chief of Oldale found himself staring into Gallade’s eyes.  Hold on, Luna, he thought.  I will find you, wherever you are.

            From the time he was little he was always protecting his twin sister.  Luna and Apollo had grown up living separate lives.  Apollo was raised to be the Chief of Oldale, while his sister was being prepared and taught the courtesies of court. Though their lives would eventually take different paths, they always shared in each other’s secrets, and remained as close as the heads on a Doduo. Some secrets were as old as Apollo could remember, and near as old as the twins’ Spirit Pokémon.  And I have kept every last one, as well as my promises to protect you.

Even in the battle of Meteor Falls five years ago, Luna had insisted that she and Gardevoir be there to fight.  Apollo had taken extra precautions to keep her away from the heat of the battle.  Luna had commanded the archers, bowman that line up on the fringes of the war and shoot their arrows at their enemies from a distance. 

If she had not been there, though, how many things would have changed? Apollo remembered how it had been Luna who had convinced the late King Sam Marsh to let Carlos Brightflame live so that a peace could be reached.  “If you kill him now, how long until his sons seek vengeance?” Luna had said.  Apollo shook his head as he watched the builders assemble the aluminum panels of the vessel together.  Sam let King Carlos live, and he attacked Mauville anyway five years later. What if we had executed Brightflame then, defeated the Mt. Chimney Kingdom, and raised his sons as friends until they came of age to take over? There would have been more bloodshed, though, and Sam Marsh never spilled a single drop of blood that was unnecessary. 

Doubtless Brightflame had never thought that Chris would send the call to arms to defend Mauville.  Apollo remembered how the combined force of Slateport and Mauville had smashed the force from the Mt. Chimney Kingdom.  There’s power in marriage pacts, the Chief of Oldale knew. 

He remembered when he and Sam Marsh were young.  Apollo had only been barely over a year older than the late King.  They would visit each other often, and Apollo could recall how quickly Sam had been able to learn the art of combat.  I was always better at battle than Sam. Though he was the smarter one.

Apollo remembered how happy he had been when he was told that Luna would marry Sam Marsh.

            “We’re to be brothers now!” Apollo had exclaimed.

            “Who says you weren’t my brother already?” the then-Prince had responded. Sam had been wise beyond his years, but his wisdom never saved him when the flaming arrow pierced his heart in the battle’s aftermath. 

            He watched as the glass-makers carried an immense panel of thick glass to arrange into place on the light metal box.  It was the thickest glass he had ever seen: near two feet thick. Technology these days, he thought.

            Apollo turned to Gallade again.  “Five years without Sam is five years too long,” he said.  Gallade bowed his head.  Not only were Apollo Love and Sam Marsh as close as brothers, the Spirit Pokémon were as well.  Gallade had played and trained with Sam’s Swampert since they were Ralts and Mudkip.  He didn’t know whether the old King’s funeral was harder on him, Luna, or the Spirit Pokémon.  Or Chris…