Chapter 35 - The Ice Fall Festival

Olga finally agreed to walk at a slower pace as they moved away from the crowded section of the beach. Both she and her vanillite seemed calmer than before, and their attention was fixated on a small house nestled among the rocks.

"Are you sure you don't want to look for Rey and the others?" Celeste asked, striding to her side. Olga stopped, cast a weary glance at the girl and groaned, before resuming her walk towards the house.

Celeste refrained from groaning back to spite the woman. Instead, she let Olga go to her "shrine" all by herself while she patiently waited for Pat, who was moving slower than usual because of Aria's added weight. However, even after he arrived, the girl considered leaving.

Olga was in a mood and Celeste wondered if perhaps her friends had the wiser idea when they bailed on them earlier.

She sighed as she finally decided to walk towards the house again. It made no sense turning back now that she had walked all the way there.

The structure, made of stone and covered in moss, was clearly old. There were no decorations outside, or anything that indicated the building was of any significance. Celeste decided the simplicity of the place was refreshing before walking inside.

Part of the girl expected that the interior of this shrine would be a contrast to the outside. She somehow thought it would blow her away.

And It did… in a way.

Much like the building's exterior, the interior held no signs of extravagance. Even more surprising, there was nothing that appeared remotely religious. No candles for Arceus, no offerings for Solgaleo, no sacrifices to Yveltal… nothing resembling the temples Celeste had visited before. Instead, there was only one spacious empty room, featuring a central statue of a man and murals adorning the walls. Next to the girl, a small workbench stood with scattered pieces of wood and a saw, sitting alongside a box of candles.

The only other people within were an elderly couple. The man cheerfully made conversation with Olga, remarking about how cold it had become the past few days. By the workbench, the woman sifted through the box, voicing her frustration at not finding the perfect candle.

Olga was being surprisingly kind to them. She made small talk without groaning and she assisted the woman in her search for a candle.

Celeste found this new behaviour almost endearing.

While absentmindedly stroking her vulpix, she approached the statue in the centre of the room. That also wasn't a particularly remarkable statue, but the placement suggested importance. Her eyes moved to the small plaque with an inscription below it.

Captain Oliver Silverwind, founder of Polaris.

With Aria perched on her shoulder for a better view, Celeste's curiosity led her to approach the murals. To her surprise, Olga's vanillite hovered in front of the leftmost one, its expression filled with sadness.

The mural in question depicted a scene of people and their pokémon gathered before a ship. Judging by their clothes, that had been two or three hundred years ago. In the background, there were wingull and pidove flying around the mast of the ship.

Her eyes then shifted to the people in the image, many of them standing alongside their pokémon. She noticed a man with a pansage and a strikingly familiar pink-haired woman with an audino. There were others too—children, men, and women of all ages. The crew appeared large and diverse.

Celeste tilted her head in confusion. She vaguely recalled something about humans and pokémon not coexisting in the past.

Was that before or after the time these people lived? Despite her knowledge of history, Celeste had always struggled with remembering specific dates.

She shook the thought away and refocused on the mural before her.

One person, in particular, captured her gaze. In the centre of the scene, Celeste immediately recognised the man from the statue and the puppet play. Captain Silverwind, with his striking dark skin that contrasted beautifully with his long, silver hair pulled back into a ponytail, wore a wide grin and his eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

"He looks a lot like Rey," Celeste said, and then got surprised when she noticed a tiny vanillite on his shoulders…

She peered back to Olga's own vanillite.

It couldn't be…

The girl shook her head, laughing at her silliness, and then turned to the small sign by the mural.

"Gateon Port—the start of a journey," she read and looked at the vulpix in her arms. "Where the hell is Gateon Port?"

"Orre," Olga said, approaching her pokémon and showing him a small candle. The vanillite perked up in response.

Celeste turned to the image once more. She knew close to nothing about Orre, which was weird for someone who had travelled as much as she did. The proximity to Unova explained the pokémon in there, at least.

"This is the story of that puppet play, isn't it?" she asked Olga as they both continued walking towards the next mural. The artwork depicted a storm, with the Captain standing confidently on the ship's deck, arms open wide. This time, the inscription read Challenging Fate.

"Orre was as much of a ravaged land back then, as it is now," Olga explained as she stopped by the mural. "Some believe it was a result of civil war, while others say Thundurus and Tornadus wreaked havoc across the region. In the end, the cause doesn't matter. Silverwind, along with a group of like-minded people, set sail in search of new and safer shores in the far east."

"Wouldn't it be easier to go to Unova?" Celeste asked, still studying the artwork ahead of her. "I can't even begin to imagine taking a journey like that centuries ago."

Olga shrugged. "They were explorers, adventurers. Every land had its problems, so Silverwind and his crew embarked on a quest to discover a completely new place to start over." She gestured to the mural. "Unfortunately, they ended up sailing into a terrible storm. Legend has it they fought to keep their ship afloat for days, but eventually, it began to fall apart, and their supplies started to ran out."

Celeste's smile widened as she recalled the puppet play. "But he didn't surrender, did he? He challenged fate."

Olga snorted dismissively. "To a puppet play, you pay attention, huh?"

The woman then gestured towards the next mural, and Celeste joined her in front of it. The title read Meeting the Star, and the artwork depicted Captain Silverwind on his ship, but this time the storm had subsided. Instead of thunder and rain, there was a gentle halo encircling the vessel, with a shining star hovering before him.

Olga turned to Celeste, her expression softer now. She took a moment, carefully choosing her words. "According to the story, Silverwind prayed for the skies, and a star descended to aid him and his crew," she explained. "He called that star Polaris, and it guided his ship to the new land he had dreamed of."

"Polaris?" Celeste recalled the inscription on the statue.

"It's another name for the North Star, which guides sailors to safety. He thought it was fitting," Olga explained, leading them to the final mural titled A New Beginning.

The image depicted the stone building that would become the "shrine" they were in, still in its unfinished state. In the scene, humans and pokémon, mostly ice-types, worked together in its construction. In the background, lapras glided through the sea, carrying crates and essential resources like wood and long strands of algae. On the land, seel, swinub, as well as the pansage from the first mural, pushed rocks. The humans helped the pokémon out, carrying the rocks and gathering food.

It was a beautiful scene that showed the inhabitants of the island coexisting.

Silverwind wasn't the central figure this time, but he stood in the back, lifting a rock to the wall being built, with his vanillite floating beside him.

"As you must have guessed, the land they found was an island inhabited mostly by ice pokémon," Olga continued, turning to Celeste. "The island was so cold that they thought they had somehow travelled all the way to the Arctic regions. They were happy, though. Despite the temperature, the land was bountiful, and they could finally have their new start."

"That is a nice story." Celeste smiled. "Why did you come here today, though? Wouldn't some last-minute ice-cream sale be more important?"

Olga turned to the girl with some pride in her usual stoic facade. "Because on this day, exactly 279 years ago, Captain Oliver Silverwind, together with his crew and the ice pokémon, built the first building of Polaris Village."

To reinforce her point, the woman gestured to the unfinished structure in the mural—the same one they were in. Surely a practical building in the beginning, it now stood as a shrine in honour of the founders of Polaris Village and the star that guided them there.

Celeste nodded, understanding the significance of the place.

And then it hit her.

"The town was called Polaris?!"

"In honour of the star… and probably because of the cold," Olga said, all the softness gone in an instant.

"But this is Four Island, not Polaris," Celeste insisted.

"Do you really think anyone would name their town after the number four?" Olga crossed her arms, annoyance creeping into her voice again.

"Well, it could make sense if this was the fourth one they found," Celeste shrugged and looked at her pokémon for support. Powder had lost interest after the first mural. It seemed she liked the puppets more than the story. Pat blinked a few times and stared at the wall, probably just as uninterested, but Aria, who was perched in her head and listening attentively, was nodding vigorously, at least.

Olga let out an annoyed sigh. "When Kanto was annexing the Sevii Islands and making them their overseas territories, they changed the names." She turned around to the workbench and examined two pieces of wood in there before returning to Celeste. "It was forty years ago, I think. The government thought it would be easier for the Kantonians if the islands names followed some simple dumb logic. Then people from the mainland moved here, and the name stuck."

The woman gestured for Celeste to pick a candle from the box, and once she did, they both moved outside. The sun was setting, and some clouds covered it, making the dusk much darker than usual.

"Since the founding of Polaris, we've been celebrating the Ice Fall Festival on this day. Throughout the years, the festival has gone by different names, but its true essence has always remained," Olga explained, walking towards the ocean. She stopped just past the waterline in the sand, squatting down without minding her pants getting wet.

"The essence?" Celeste asked, crouching beside Olga.

"To remember. Remember and be grateful," Olga said. "We are grateful for our history and the path that has brought us here today. We are grateful to the stars that guided us here, just as they guided our ancestors."

The woman carefully placed the candle on top of the wood and retrieved a lighter from her pocket. The flame that illuminated the candle burned with a bright blue hue. She waited for a few moments, allowing the wax to melt and adhere to the wood, securing the candle in place. Olga motioned to her vanillite, who floated near the candle, and gently released it onto the water.

"We light this candle in gratitude for those who have guided us to this moment," Olga said, assuming an almost reverential stance. The gentle waves lapped against the wooden raft as vanillite floated nearby, using its ice to navigate the wave breaks and ensure safety. "We also light it with the hope of guiding those who may be lost on their own journeys," she continued. "May our candles burn as bright as our spirits."

In silence, Celeste observed everything with newfound admiration for Olga, although she couldn't help but feel somewhat out of place in what clearly appeared to be an intimate moment. She was then startled when the woman handed her the other piece of wood.

Without uttering a word, Olga simply gestured to the candle in Celeste's hand.

Celeste nodded and carefully positioned the candle on the wooden piece. She lit the flame, mirroring Olga's earlier actions, and held the candle in place as the wax melted.

"The journey that led us here, huh," she muttered to herself, watching as her pokémon got closer.

She had broken her hand on her first day out. Before that, she had faced poachers and felt fear and a sense of being lost more times than she could count. There were things around that she could not explain… and they were terrifying. And yet… when she was scared, she met Powder in the mountains, and when she was lost, she found Pat in the sea. She had made friends—Delia, Luan, Lori, Mia, and even Rey. She had also grown stronger. While she had lost some battles, she had also won some. She had won a whole tournament.

Glancing to her side, Celeste noticed Olga nodding in encouragement.

Perhaps most importantly of all, she had found a mentor for whom she would always be grateful. Despite their rocky start, Celeste liked to believe that she had made a friend for life in the strange owner of the tackiest ice cream shop in the world.

The journey ahead was long, but Celeste felt a sense of pride in how far she had already come.

"Pat," she said softly. "Do you think you can take this candle after the shore break?"

The slowpoke stared at her for a moment before emitting a cheerful "po." With the wooden plate held gently in his mouth, Pat slowly made his way into the water. Celeste watched with a hint of nervousness, but in no time, Pat surpassed the breaking waves and released the wooden plate.

Celeste and Olga sat together by the water, watching their candles drift towards the setting sun. A gentle, yet cold breeze blew, and their pokémon were peacefully cuddled together, enjoying the moment of tranquillity.

After a while, the older woman shifted her gaze towards Celeste. Her eyes seemed distant, carrying a hint of resigned sadness in her expression. "Thank you for being here with me today."

The girl felt her heart sink. Olga had wanted her son to come…

"Not everyone values our history and traditions," she said tiredly, answering the question she knew Celeste had. "To me, for good or worse, this is the ground we stand on as we build our future. To others… To most nowadays, it's a hindrance. An outdated practise that brings nothing to the table," she sighed. "A waste of time."

"I think your traditions are beautiful," Celeste said quietly, and then attempted a smile. "As the daughter of two historians, I'm pretty sure I can come up with a bunch of arguments in favour of preserving them."

Olga chuckled. "When I was younger, this was quite the show, with dozens of candles lighting up the ocean. I think you'd enjoy it." With her gaze distant, she closed her eyes, allowing the breeze to wash over her. "I lived in Paldea for quite a while, you know? Back then, I was studying under a chef in a city called Cascarrafa. But it didn't matter if I was far away. Somehow, I'd find a way to come here every year… I tried to teach Rey how important it was to celebrate this date with his family, but he thinks I'm forcing him back." She turned to Celeste, her eyes revealing the sadness within. "I started coming up with excuses for him to come. Telling him I needed help with my business and that he was the only one good enough to solve my problems."

"Olga…" Celeste whispered.

"That backfired, obviously. He gets really entitled sometimes." The woman looked away and muttered, "I never apologised for that battle he made you fight, huh?"

Celeste smiled. "I really thought you were going to fire Delia…" she said, her eyes still fixed on the candles. "But it motivated me to start training. In the end, it turned out to be a good thing… I'm thankful for that."

The woman gazed at her young protégé for a moment, then stood up, extending her hand to her. "Come on, we can't have you being late for your award."

The girl took her mentor's hand and jumped up. She carefully lifted Powder in her arms before following Olga toward the town.

"By the way, Lori told me something about north stars and following them a few days ago," Celeste nudged the woman. "She said it was your advice… I'm curious about your… inspiration."

The girl grinned at Olga, who looked back at her, raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Don't pry."

—*—*—

"I am so sorry for bailing on you, Miss Olga!" Delia exclaimed as soon as she spotted Celeste and Olga walking into the arena turned stage in the centre of Articuno Plaza. She was flustered and spoke quickly. "I swear I only went along because I thought I could convince Rey to turn back…"

"Don't worry about it, kid," Olga waved her hand, but paid little attention to the girl. She spotted some other adults, including Mia, who were organising snowflake-patterned boxes on the table and left the girls to join them.

"Hey Cee, I'm really, really sorry I bailed on you too," Celeste said mockingly while trying to mimic Delia's voice. She then raised her eyebrows at Luan and Rey, who were beside Delia. "Since when are you two friends?"

"We are not."

"Yesterday."

The two boys spoke in unison, and Luan blushed like usual. Rey simply shrugged and walked away, avoiding his mother as he left.

"Peace offering for leaving you behind earlier?" Luan said, raising his hands and turning to Celeste again. He then pointed to one box on the table where Olga was. "First prize was going to be this new incense kit Razzo is launching and a voucher for a spa day in Cinnabar's thermal baths. Mia thought this was lame, though, so you are also getting the Protect TM. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Why not an ice move?" Delia asked teasingly. "I'd hate to get a TM for a move Shelly already knows."

"I… uh… didn't think about that…" Luan answered awkwardly. "I settled on a TM with a move most pokémon could learn."

Celeste giggled. "I'm happy with it."

"What about second place?" Lorelei asked, approaching the group.

Luan scratched the back of his head. "Just the voucher for the spa."

She laughed. "Good thing I'm heading to Cinnabar next. Maybe you should come along, Cee?"

Celeste exchanged a quick look with Delia. Their plan was to go to Pallet Town. Back in September, she had promised Professor Magnolia that the first thing she would do in Kanto would be to visit Professor Oak. She had declared that absolutely nothing would distract her from that.

Well… it was November now, so there might have been a few distractions.

"That's… one idea." Celeste glanced at Delia once more, but her friend remained silent.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and jammers of all ages!" the DJ yelled enthusiastically, interrupting their conversation. "Please go to your seats, as our closing ceremony is about to begin!"

Lorelei gestured for Celeste to wait around the corner with her, suggesting it would be better to stay nearby for when they were called.

The girl still had all her pokémon out of their balls. Powder was in her arms and Aria was using Pat as a glorified car, like she had done all day. As the crowd moved toward the stands, Celeste lingered behind, to make sure her slowpoke would move away and clear the space.

When Pat finally started to walk, she stood up and noticed a boy, dressed as a ranger, moving toward Lorelei…

He looked oddly familiar.

Celeste moved closer to her friend, attempting to place his face to a name.

"There you are, Lorelei," the ranger said, stopping by the redhead. "I hope you still remember what you said before, that you were taking me to the lapras."

The word lapras fell like a bomb on Celeste.

She remembered him. After all, when the lapras showed their vision to her, the girl made sure she'd commit the poachers to memory.

There was a woman with black hair and a piercing laugh.

There was Gozu, the large man she had also met on Mount Lanakila.

And there was a boy with an oversized beret. She didn't see his face well, but she remembered his voice… She remembered his name.

Ryder.

Who looked and sounded a lot like the ranger casually talking to Lori about the location of the lapras…

The few that escaped his first attack.

Celeste's heart was pounding, and she felt the world closing in on her. There was no time to waste.

Powder sensed her trainers' tension, and Celeste nodded to her vulpix before placing her on the ground. She was ready to act on the girl's command. Aria and Pat followed suit, sensing the urgency in the air.

"Hey Ryder!" she yelled, hoping that maybe she made a mistake.

The boy turned to her, responding to the name. "What?"

She gritted her teeth. "Freeze him with Powder Snow and Water Gun. Aria, if he tries to run, use Swift. Now."

A/N:

Second part of the chapter that was out yesterday.

Since this story has been going on for a while, I'm going to recap some of the callbacks in here:

- In chapter 26: To-Do, Lorelei told Celeste:

"I grew up around a person who always taught me we should have a clear goal to follow, like a north star. If you have a heading, you will never be lost."

- Chapter 25: Smooched. The lapras vision with the poachers, Ryder was always there, but Celeste only met him in person now. :D

The other ranger, Gozu, also showed up in Luan's chapter (chapter 33: the voices in his head, pt 2)

- Also the battle Olga is apologising for is Rey's battle with Celeste. When he told her Delia would be fired from Olga's shop unless she battled him. That is basically the One Island mini-arc (chapters 13-19).

-Celeste talked to prof. Magnolia and promised to visit professor Oak in the very first chapter (after the prologue).

We are in the last leg of four island arc now, and I'm excited!

NEXT CHAPTER: Battling Ranger Ryder