As we know, the unfortunate reality of the world is that not everyone can rely on the dungeon to provide. Small towns too far away and most wild pokemon are unable to hunt in the dungeon for obvious reasons. That being said, both the Guild and The Empire agree that carnivorous pokemon have just as much right to life as herbivores and omnivores. While there was once a time where non-intelligent pokemon existed in the wilds[1], natural selection supported intelligence and despite Arceus’ best efforts[2] the odds of finding one outside of a dungeon are next to none.
Of course, that does not mean that excess cruelty is tolerated. Reports of cruel predation made up a fourth of my team’s missions, and often ended with the blood of a monster on my hands. Thankfully, the vast majority of predators were told this next story. One that holds no one origin beyond only popping up after the collar accords[3] became universal in the Guild’s territory. A tale that I wish to ensure survives the test of time so that we do not devolve back to before such a time.
Back then, there was a clear separation between town pokemon and wild pokemon. Towns only accepted non-carnivores, and many towns hunted carnivores to ensure town safety. This is, in fact, the origin of the Guild. Originally an association of hunters to coordinate predator hunts. This resulted in predators making their own alliances, which became the precursor to the empire but not as directly.
The tale starts with two pokemon having an argument, predators of course, about the treatment of prey. One stating that mere food has no rights to kindness and to use food as one wishes, the other arguing that you cannot deny the life lived by prey and to treat them respectfully. After they part ways a series of coincidences lay out the consequences of their respective ideologies. As all good moral folktales are it is a tad contrived[4] in circumstance but it is a fun tale for children nonetheless.
Once, on a cool spring day deep in the woods. A scolipede and a seviper crossed paths and rested in the sun together[5]. As they rested, they talked about the weather, the spring, and as predators are want to do, about their hunts.
“I found an eevee this morning,” the scolipede said, “Poor thing was so frightened. I don’t usually go after children but I had not been successful the last few days.” He lamented, “I spent a time comforting her, letting her know it would be alright. Her name was Lilac[6].”
The seviper laughs, “You asked her name? What does it matter?”
The scolipede replied, “It matters a lot. The girl had a family, an older sister. Does she not deserve to know Lilac’s fate?”
The seviper laughed another sinister laugh. “No, in fact you should eat her too.”
The seviper continues, “As it happens, I also found an eevee but I didn’t bother asking her name. I ate her for dessert, pure and simple. She’s food, food doesn’t need a name”
The scolipede was offended, “You cannot be serious”
The seviper grinned an awful grin, “I am. Are we not predators? We are above such creatures are we not? They serve our needs, nothing more.”
Unable to listen to this cruelty, the scolipede drives the evil pokemon away. His mind clouded in anger and confusion, the scolipede wandered the woods. So distracted by the vile words of the seviper, the scolipede did not notice the tree falling until it was upon him.
The scolipede, for all his strength, was well and truly trapped. He called out for help but none would approach the fearsome predator. None, except a single creature. An espeon stalked into the scolipede’s view and sat just out of reach.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Please,” The scolipede begged, “If you can help me I swear you and your family will be protected by my shell.”
The espeon replied, “I have no more family. My sisters were killed just today, one by your hand.”
The scolipede turned away, “My apologies,” he whispered, “Lilac was a lovely girl.”
The espeon nodded and said, “I know you showed her kindness in her last moments. For that and that alone I will help you, and all debts are paid. Never enter this forest again.”
The scolipede agreed and was freed from the tree. He left the forest never to return.
The seviper on the other, was not so lucky. For a second tree fell and trapped the snake. So too did he cry out and none approached, except for one.
The seviper pleaded to the espeon, “Free me, and I shall never hunt you or your family.”
The espeon again replied, “I have no more family, my sisters were killed just this morning.”
The seviper said nothing, and the espeon merely waited. Finally, the seviper spoke once more.
“Do you expect an apology? She was food, as are all of you. I offer immunity and you spit in my face, accept what is given to you.”
The espeon was unmoved, her blank features giving nothing away. The seviper struggled to free himself, but there was nothing to be done.
He once more turns to the espeon, furious, “What do you want from me!” he demands.
The espeon showed the slightest of smiles, “You took such pleasure over your dominance of my sister. So too will I enjoy my dominance of you[7].”
For 3 days the seviper struggled. For 3 days the espeon watched, leaving only to eat and drink, as the seviper slowly wasted away until thirst took him in the night.
There is a bit to unpack here so we will take this one step at a time.
I want to talk a bit about the views held by each pokemon in this story, including the espeon. The scolipede who believed in respect, the seviper who believed in superiority, and the espeon who acts as the judge. But first an explanation on the structure of moral folk tales.
Many tales will have three characters, two alike and one unlike. Two predators and one prey, two water types and one fire, two mortals and one immortal, the list goes on. The unlike character always acts as a judge. What is a judge you might ask.[8] Well, each like character is used to represent one side of a moral quandary. In this case respect or superiority. You cannot respect what you believe to be beneath you. The judge represents the moral judgement of the debate declaring one side[9] superior.
These characters might be moral themselves, acting as paragons, or they might simply be caught up in the situation and act according to their own motives. This story is a mix of the two. The seviper, while not explicitly cruel, clearly shows no respect. The eevee he killed was eaten for desert, meaning that he had killed at least one other and wasn’t in need of food, but at her for pleasure. Now, indulgence might not be wrong in and of itself but when selfish indulgence costs the life of another it is generally looked down upon even if it is technically legal.
The scolipede, on the other hand, is shown to be respectful, and so opposes the idea that he is in any way inherently greater than the eevee he killed that he removes himself from the seviper’s presence. This is how most predators view hunting. Not from the lens of pride but humility and that is truly admirable.
Espeon, acting as judge, then faces her sister’s killers. She sees one treated her sister with kindness and respect and so, aides the pokemon. Showing forgiveness and reciprocal respect. The other shows neither regret nor sympathy and is repaid with the same. A simple story but a powerful one in my opinion that deserves to be shared.
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[1] Debatable, only references to this are in tales not written history.
[2] Also debatable
[3] The separation of wild and town pokemon being signified by a collar worn prominently
[4] More than a tad
[5] Poison types will often rest together as enjoy their presence. Not without reason but the point stands.
[6] Names are arbitrary in tales and are often used interchangeably. Lilac used here as a memorial to Lilac Delibird, may her soul rest in the stars.
[7] This hints that the espeon was the cause of the trees falling in the first place, likely as vengeance for her sisters.
[8] Literally no one is asking.
[9] Ironically in this case