Day 15: The Legend of Tapu Bulu

(as told by Mahina Kale to Ash Ketchum)

As you likely know by now, each island of Alola has its own tapu--this time I want to tell you about the tapu that looks after Ula'ula Island, Tapu Bulu.

Long ago in Alola, on Ula'ula Island, a wealthy man and his wife prayed long and hard to have a child. After many years, Arceus, the nui ali'i, blessed them with a healthy baby boy.

But this was no ordinary little boy. From the moment he was born, the boy ate and drank without stopping. Not satisfied with just his mother's milk, the boy would point to the food in her kitchen until she fed him freshly cooked rice as well. His body grew bigger by the day, and by the time he was had come of age, he was as big as a Machamp, and people began to call him Nui Ikaika, which means "great strength"

As the years passed, Nui Ikaika's parents ran out of food, so the neighbors had to help support the growing young man. Not only did the neighbors cook for him, they built him an enormous house when he could no longer fit inside his parents' home. Soon even the neighbors started needing help feeding Nui Ikaika, so they called upon all the people of Alola to pitch in.

Nui Ikaika just kept growing until he was a young man. He became so strong that he could dig a well with his fists, and so he dug wells to protect his people from droughts. His heart was just as big as his body, and he kept his people safe. He could easily defeat anyone who challenged him or the people of the islands.

News of Nui Ikaika's strength naturally reached the chief of his home island, and as he listened to the stories of this boy, he had an idea for how Nui Ikaika could help the Alolan people.

You see, the chief was very worried because a rival chief of a neighboring land--his name is not important to us--had made a vow that he would rule all the islands in the ocean, and this included Alola. The chief knew he had to do something to stop this.

The chief of Ula'ula thought Nui Ikaika might be the answer to his prayers, and so he invited the young man to the great ceremonial house, and explained what was going on. Nui Ikaika offered his services to help. He swore to the chief he would never allow the rival chief to conquer Alola.

When the rival chief heard the tales of this giant and his strength, he sent servants to meet with Nui Ikaika and invite him to his own land. The rival chief wanted the giant to meet his daughter--we will call her Lani, meaning "sky" or "heaven".

Nui Ikaika was intrigued and said he would go.

The chief of Ula'ula had his doubts about his rival's sincerity, but he encouraged Nui Ikaika to go.

So Nui Ikaika traveled to the palace and met the beautiful kamali, Lani. He was immediately smitten. The rival chief proposed that the two islands seek peace by uniting the giant Nui Ikaika with the kamali in marriage.

Of course Nui Ikaika agreed to this.

The rival chief then told our hero that the empire needed his help building a well to save the people from a drought. Nui Ikaika agreed, of course, and so he began to dig.

But it was all a ruse. As Nui Ikaika was working, the evil chief sent a message to his army to surround the giant. Still, Nui Ikaika continued to work, ignoring the commotion surrounding him. When he was deep under the ground, the rival chief instructed his troops to bury Nui Ikaika with rocks.

"He can only be saved by Arceus now!" the cocky chief crowed as Nui Ikaika was being buried.

And no sooner did the last rock settle on the ground, did the rival chief order his troops to invade Alola, beginning with Ula'ula Island.

Just at that moment, however, they all heard a rumbling sound. Suddenly, the rocks that had buried the giant--who Arceus had transformed into a red bird-like Pokemon--thundered into the air. Arceus also appeared by the new Pokemon's side, saying that the new Pokemon's name was no more Nui Ikaika, but Tapu Bulu--and he would be the new guardian of Ula'ula Island!

The troops attacked Tapu Bulu, and he fought with all his strength. "Give up, Tapu Bulu!" the rival chief cried. "I promise that we will unite all of Alola! We will honor Ula'ula."

But Tapu Bulu ignored this and continued fighting for the Alolan people he had sworn to protect.

With Arceus' holy power guiding him, the rival chief was defeated, and Alola was saved. Pleased with Tapu Bulu's valor and courage, Arceus formally made him the guardian of Ula'ula Island, and took him to the heavens to join the other tapu, where he continues watching over his beloved Alola.