“Why did you bother with all of this? What was the goal you’d hoped to achieve?” Warden Ingo asked, a hand going to the tattered cap he always wore. Despite the light around them, it cast a shadow that hid the man’s normally glowing eyes from sight. Something in the man’s voice made him nervous.
It was likely just the way the warden’s naturally loud voice echoed in the space around them. Yes, that was probably it.
“You could never understand. But if you must have an answer, I seek a higher power,” Volo said, scowling at the ragged old man. “I seek to change the world and the Grand Creator’s power is what I need to do it! I have bested his champion! I have entered his realm!”
“But he’s not here! He has not appeared to me!” Volo’s words came out as a snarl. “I have devoted everything to this moment. To gaining his attention. He must come. He must!“
It was wrong. Wrong!
Arceus, the Creator of All Things, should have appeared! He should have seen everything, sensed the moment Volo had set foot in his domain, and revealed itself to him! But there was nothing. Nothing but stars and endless space and an amnesiac old man who’d grown attached to Arceus’ Chosen One.
“Is that so? Betraying the trust of a kind child was just a step in your plan, then. Spitting on the loyalty of those around you so you could claim what you desired…” There was growl to the man’s voice as he started walking forward. “Such foolish actions, for one who claims to be so devout.”
There was rumble that echoed around them. Through the room, through the space, through time, through the very universe. The stars seemed to tremble where they were. Volo felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, staring at the normally calm and distant warden as he slowly approached.
“Thou art a fool. A determined fool, but a Fool nonetheless. I suppose I can give thou some credit, though.”
The air around the old man shimmered as his posture straightened, revealing an impressive height that had been hidden by his perpetual hunch. An aura of More falling over him that Volo couldn’t put into words, but sent a chill of fear through him.
Warden Ingo’s head rose, his face furious with glowing, golden eyes that glared at the arrogant mortal before him.
“Thou has succeed in thine goal, thou has gained mine attention.” Arceus snarled out. “But this is not the boon thee may have believed it to be.”
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Arceus-Ingo from @gouda-nough ‘s Ingod Au over on Tumblr! Now in full color!
The basic idea is that Ingo, instead of being someone who fell through time to end up in Hisui, he’s actually Arceus in disguise to guide Akari/Rei along their journey. And gets super attached/parental towards them throughout it.
Volo defeated the kids, leaving them upset and terrified that their loss had doomed the world. Unaware that Arceus (who’s basically Pokeworld’s God) was right there the whole time and is (now) fully aware of what Volo was planning/up to and more than prepared to handle it.
I don’t think I succeeded very much in making Arceus Ingo look eldritch during the final confrontation, but I think I did a fairly good job of making him look furious!
I had fun with the little writing nugget I put in. I just felt like this really needed something extra when I posted it.
