Tapu Coco is the most active and impulsive of the four Tapu. It is renowned for its high energy and warrior’s spirit. Melemele Island hosts a large number of festivals every year to pay tribute to Tapu Coco, far more than the other islands combined. These festivals always feature impressive displays of strength and valour in the hope of satisfying Tapu Coco’s immense appetite for battle. Old tales speak of Tapu Coco expressing great dissatisfaction towards inadequate tribute by causing unrelenting thunderstorms that lasted through days and nights. Tapu Coco does not react negatively towards those who battle upon its sacred grounds. In fact, it welcomes such behaviour.
Tapu Coco is indecisive. Far more often than the other Tapu, it will select kahunas who are ill-suited to the position. It seems that it can be easily misled by the quality of strength, as it never fails to select a strong trainer. Tapu Coco’s impatience and impulsiveness means that Melemele Island also sees the highest turnover of kahunas. It is rare for a kahuna of Melemele Island to serve until death. However, those that do tend to be revered as the greatest kahunas of all time. Refusal to accept the position has been known to result in a thunderous tantrum, but sometimes Tapu Coco does not react at all.
Tapu Lele, despite its appearance, has a reputation for being guilelessly cruel. Rumours circulate of those who who turned down the position of kahuna suddenly becoming afflicted with madness, terror and in some cases, suicidal ideation.
Despite this, the people of Akala Island do not live in fear. Tapu Lele is seen as very straightforward compared to the other Tapu. It does not demand constant satisfaction like Tapu Coco nor does it unleash havoc at random upon large groups of people like Tapu Bulu. It is not unpredictable or violent and its punishments tend to be dealt out on a one-to-one basis. Celebrations in Tapu Lele’s honour are rare, viewed by locals as frivolous and unnecessary. The price of Tapu Lele’s protection is plain and simple: respect one another, respect the natural world, and respect the Tapu’s demands.
It is a strongly held belief on Akala Island that only a fool would reject a request from the Tapu, so there is little sympathy for those who fall victim to its cruelty. Tapu Lele rarely reselects a kahuna and expects those who are chosen to bear the title until they die. For Tapu Lele to dedicate its life to protecting Akala Island, it expects its kahunas to dedicate their lives to the Tapu in return. If Tapu Lele does reselect, this is usually very bad news for the former kahuna.
Tapu Bulu is the most feared of all the Tapu. It is the hardest to predict and is by far the most destructive. Tributes to Tapu Bulu are quiet, private affairs, bearing no resemblance to the high energy festivals of Melemele Island. Many pray to Tapu Bulu daily, and every autumn rural households offer a sample of their crops to Tapu Bulu before feasting on the rest. Ula’ula Island’s inhabitants take it upon themselves to teach everyone in their community how to pay their respects to Tapu Bulu, because the mistakes of one may lead to the punishment of many.
Tapu Bulu is considerably less active than either Tapu Coco or Tapu Lele. It may lay dormant for years at a time. Historically its appearances tend to be connected to large-scale, disruptive events that create island-wide controversy. The destruction of Po Town and the death of most of its inhabitants is seen to be proof of the wrath of Tapu Bulu, believed by many to be an act of punishment towards the kahuna for using his position to incite gang crime amongst the town’s youths. Many believe the construction of a Pokémon League atop Mount Lanakila will invoke the wrath of Tapu Bulu once more.
For every instance of Tapu Bulu reacting to a controversial event, there are many more where it has not stirred. A minority have started to believe that Tapu Bulu does not possess any sense of morality at all and what it desires the most is to be left alone in peace; the devastation that takes place in response to unrest is simply an effort to silence it.
Tapu Fini is the least active of the four Tapu, having revealed itself only to a select few. It is thought of fondly by the inhabitants of Poni Island as a calm, thoughtful and tolerant guardian, keeping the island safe from threats from the sea and emerging only in times of great crisis. Festivals in Tapu Fini’s name arose from a desire to bring the island’s inhabitants together rather than a need to satisfy the Tapu.
Tapu Fini, perhaps due to the sparsity of life on Poni Island, does not select a kahuna as routinely as other Tapu. Unlike the other islands, Poni Island may go for years at a time without a kahuna, with one only being selected at a time of great need. Tapu Fini selects only those who will accept the position with enthusiasm and are prepared to dedicate their lives to it, and as a result every one of Poni Island’s kahunas has carried their title to the grave.
