"Broken and shattered,
and yet it remains...

Do you know what it is?"

THE ESSENTIALS - PLEASE READ THIS SECTION, IF NOTHING ELSE

SOME IMPORTANT WARNINGS

SEMI-IMPORTANT THINGS

THINGS YOU JUST MIGHT WANT TO KNOW

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art by Erik ( ouvertyr )

(HI)STORY

"If you don't do what's right,
sin is waiting at your door,
longing to control you.
But you must rule over it."

Long before Volo's birth: The ancestors of the Diamond and Pearl clans arrive in Hisui. They encounter settlements and temples belonging to the Celestica people. Over time, the newcomers become the dominant force in Hisui. Celestica temples are overtaken, destroyed, or fall into ruin. Old gods are reimagined, or shunned as demons. Names such as 'Dialga' are lost to time, as the worship of Sinnoh (once an epithet of Arceus) takes precedence and splits into two distinct factions.Not so long before Volo's birth: The Diamond and Pearl clans reach an uneasy peace after centuries of war, though they still disagree over whether Sinnoh rules over time or space. New settlers continually arrive in Hisui; some of them will eventually found the Galaxy Expedition Team and Jubilife Village.21 years before canon events: Volo is born in one of the few remaining Celestica settlements. His hometown is isolated, his family is poor, and life there is very difficult. Volo's father dies shortly after his birth.12 years before canon events: Volo's mother gives her 9-year-old son into the care of the Ginkgo Guild of merchants, hoping that it'll be his chance at a better life.7 years before canon events: A 14-year-old Volo starts working as a merchant, accompanied by his Togepi. He enjoys the travelling and talking, but his real interests lie elsewhere. He's intensely fascinated with Hisuian history and legends. He is also an advocate for catching and raising Pokémon.2 years before the events of the game: Jubilife Village begins to take form. Meanwhile, Volo goes exploring in the mountains and finds a plate engraved with ancient writing that refers to the Original One. By this point, he is already very well-read, and he recalls a Celestica legend about someone who travels with Pokemon, searching for fragments of Arceus, a deity that was once worshipped by Volo's own ancestors. The hero eventually met and challenged Arceus, and gained its blessings and approval.From this moment onwards, Volo becomes obsessed with the idea of meeting Arceus, as the Ancient Hero once did. He comes to believe that it's his destiny.

The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
*but he did not accept Cain's. *
This made Cain very angry.
Then Cain said to Abel,
“Let’s go out to the field...”

A space-time rift opens over Mount Coronet. There are mysterious bolts of lightning, Hisui's noble Pokémon become frenzied, and a girl called Akari falls from the rift. ( Note: I'm going to just refer to Akari for ease, but Rei protags are welcome here too! )Volo is fascinated by Akari. Initially, he believes that they're part of the same divine plan, and so he supports her. Meanwhile, as he continues his own research into his ancestors' religion, he learns of Giratina, a being that was banished to another world due to its violent nature. Though it seems that Giratina and Arceus are in opposition, Volo feels sympathy towards Giratina, believing that he and it are kindred spirits, as 'unwanted children'. He believes that they should both challenge Arceus, and hold it accountable for the pain and unfairness that exists in the world.As the search for the remaining plates continues, Volo becomes envious and suspicious towards Akari. He tries to collect some of the remaining plates for himself, but when he's unsuccessful, he decides that Akari is an obstacle to his own destiny and that he must defeat her. He resolves to take the plates from Akari when the time is right.Volo travels with Akari to the ruins of the Temple of Sinnoh, where he reveals that he had the final plate all along, and he demands that Akari hand over the others. A battle ensues. Though Akari wins, Giratina appears. Volo orders Giratina to strike Akari down, but Akari defeats Giratina and it vanishes. The Celestica Flute transforms into the Azure Flute in Akari's hands, confirming that Akari is Arceus' chosen one. Volo can't accept this and he leaves.The story eventually spreads around Hisui, including the things that Volo said about claiming responsibility for the space-time rift, and his declaration that he would conquer Arceus and destroy the world. As a result, he becomes feared and hated throughout the land. He is banished from his guild, and from the other settlements in Hisui. He continues to live as an exiled outlaw, with only his Pokémon for company.As the people of Hisui (Sinnoh) continue to negotiate their relationship with Pokémon, Volo's story becomes a warning about the danger that can come from powerful Pokémon falling into the wrong hands - and from associating with Giratina, whose name (rightly or wrongly) will remain a byword for evil for centuries to come.

Cain said to the Lord,
“My punishment is more than I can bear...
I will be a restless wanderer on the earth..."

POKÉMON

VERSES

BEFORE: Covers all events leading up to and during Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Volo is a friendly travelling merchant from the Ginkgo Guild, with a side-interest in Hisuian history and legends, and a hidden talent for Pokémon battling.

AFTER: Covers any events after the confrontation at the Temple, i.e. the last time we see Volo in the game. Banished from his guild and shunned by most people, he travels alone through Hisui's vast wilderness.

FUTURE: Set roughly 6 years after Volo gets transported (accidentally) to the modern world. He's a wandering trainer and researcher, still wanting to meet Arceus but not having much of a plan...

SOME THINGS TO NOTE...

This isn't an "evil all along" Volo.I do like those theories too, but the Volo you'll find here was genuinely supportive and fond of the player character until the post-game events. What changed his mind and when is a subject for exploration, but it wasn't all a long game of manipulation.Not everything that Volo says is 100% reliable or true. By the time The Reveal happens, his beliefs have become grandiose and irrational.My version of Volo is wildly delusional, especially during the Temple confrontation, so I take most of what he said there with a pinch of salt. Maybe the space-time rift (and all of the consequences) were due to Volo summoning Giratina. Or maybe they weren't. The finer details can be worked out for interactions, and it's fine if your muse wants to blame Volo for all of that.Hisuian muses may know (of) Volo, but what they've heard may vary wildly.This is a place (and time) where information gets around via story-telling. Stories can get embellished or corrupted. In practice, that means that I'm not going to lay down what other characters "should" know about Volo. Maybe they haven't heard anything about him at all. Maybe they vaguely recognise his name, but only as a merchant. Maybe they think he's evil incarnate. We can figure it out through plotting if that helps!

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