#.he and sneasler are so special to me

[hoofpeet]

The single father of all time <3

[lucky-clover-gazette]

my favorite moments from theamandafiles’s confrontation with volo. this is an adult woman talking to a screen for 7+ minutes and im obsessed with it. the dynamic she’s made up in her head for this game is so far from what’s actually happening, but also absolutely fantastic. the sneasler rant has nothing on this.

transcript under the cut:

He is so passionate about his thing, about his special interest. He really is. I am constantly losing my grip on reality. I have no room to judge Volo for a little bit of unhinged laughter and some mildly insane musings.

Hmm? Sorry, I just. I think I just realized what's going to happen. Sorry. Am I an idiot?

That was your—that was you who did the hole in the sky. Okay, mhm, all right. I got blamed for that, Volo, I don't know if you knew that. It's fine. Honestly, it's fine. Just let's keep, let's keep learning more about Volo.

Right, yeah, we did that! We did that, Volo, right? Didn't we fuckin' do that? Why don't we donate them to a museum or something? Wouldn't that be sick? Would that be fuckin' awesome if we put them in a museum for all to see?

What's—what's this? Hey, what the fuck? Who's this? Is this a prank? Surely, with the hair. Because I did not just see that you have a fuckin' Arceus hairdo.

Oh, okay! Volo's crazy! Right, right. Look at the fucking hair. Yeah! No, Volo's fucking crazy—yeah, no, he's a deranged lunatic.

Actually, yeah. Look at his eyes, oh my god. Volo's going to kill me and then cook and eat my remains. It's. It's fine. I'm fine.

Pokemon Wielder Volo? You mean (voice cracks) Gingko Guild Merchant?

You know what, Volo? I'm crazy, too. Look, I can match this. Like you said, when you said you were going to wipe out Jubilife City, I'm all for that. I am all for that. Absolutely! Yes! Let's do it. We can make this work. I am not invested in helping these people. Yeah, we live in a society? Not for long, am I right?

Just, I looked at the costume again. And his hair. He—he did his hair, you guys. And it's... bad.

First and foremost, what the fuck are you wearing? Literally, I keep looking at it. And the more you look, it's like, the more you look, the more you see.

I'm just really unpacking this... as I kick his ass. Anyway, where was I, Volo? Let me just continue to fuck you up. Volo is really doing this. Volo is really doing this. He's doing it in green pants.

He method acted an entire love story between us. Yeah, he is that crazy. He's that crazy, that he's going to let me slip through his fingers. Are you sure, Volo? You really sure? Maybe, like, that was your plan at first. Because if I may be so bold, uh, it's actually not even fucking possible for anyone to spend as much time with me as you have without falling in love with me.

Like I said, I said it before, and I will stand by that—and I'm about to beat you, by the way—

Call me. Call me, Volo! Oh wait, you can't, because we live in the fucking past, and you don't have a phone. And I do. Mhm, yeah. You know, you can't call me on your arc phone because Arceus didn't give you an arc phone, did he? Oh, poor Volo. He did his hair like Arceus and everything. And for what? Right. It was probably the green pants, Volo, honestly. And the gladiator sandals, what the fuck are you doing?

What the fuck was I thinking? God, why do I always go for these crazy ass fucking men?

I don't want to be picked by Arceus! If anything, I wanted to be picked by you! But unfortunately, I'm amazing. And Arceus loves me. I'm sorry that your little fucking hairdo didn't work to impress Arceus, and that all I had to do was literally exist and Arceus stanned the hell out of it.

What, are you going to kill me? He's going to kill me with a knife now just to get me out of the way. Like, what the hell, why does everybody want to fucking kill me?! I get it. I'm the best. I'm amazing. I'm the best that ever was. But murder is illegal, okay?

What is this? Are you fucking kidding me? What is this act? Oh, my god. Volo... this is very camp.

Volo is fucking crazy. Did I even get to heal these motherfuckers? Am I supposed to catch this motherfucker? This Satan ass Pokemon. This is Satan, I guess. And he came to, like, pull up for fucking Volo. Why? The hair? Was it the hair?

Finally, I got, like, a word in edgewise. Finally. Acorn, take this motherfucker out. Yeah. This is embarrassing for you. You're a God Pokémon? Where? You could have fucking fooled me, Giratina.

I do find it very inspiring that my little tugboat-ass Jay Jay the Jet Plane Togekiss, like, ended your entire bloodline. Mhm, yeah.

Volo! Oh, honey, sweetie, are you okay? Are you going to be okay?

He's fucking crazy. He's so crazy, Volo, I fucking love your crazy ass... but this is toxic of me to say, so, I hate it. I hate you. What was I talking about? Yeah. No, you're such a bad guy. You're the bad guy, Volo. I didn't even read that, fuck.

I know, Volo. Believe me, I would have agreed with you when those motherfuckers kicked me out in Jubilife City. I would have agreed if you had come to me then and you would've said, "Let's take down the whole fucking world. Let's end the entire planet." I would have said, "Okay. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Hell, yeah. That's exactly what I want to do right now." But you didn't. And now I'm here, and I'm... being noble, and I'm going to say, "You better stop, because this is not okay. Cut it out."

I'm crazy too, Volo, I'm so fucking crazy. I'm so unhinged, I'm crazy, nobody understands the inner workings of my mind, Volo, you don't get it.

This is your last chance to scoop me up as your partner. Honestly, Volo. That's what it is. I would fix your hair, I would. We would go back to the salon—to the salon!—I would fix it up. It's not that bad. It just needs a little shaping.

(Deep sigh) Volo, you could have had it all. I would have been your crazy bitch. We could have been Bonnie and Clyde, Volo. And we still can, honestly, if you say the word. And let me fix your hair. And also your outfit.

So I also just want to say really quickly, I noticed that you had a Togekiss, and that means that your Togepi that you had in the beginning evolved to a Togekiss. But in order to do that, I think you need to love your Togapi. So it's like, you do—you did have the capacity to love someone.

He's fucking unhinged. He's deranged, he's crazy. Like, why did his eyes go crazy like that? What the fuck?

He actually looks so good right now, like, minus the hair. The hair is so bad. Volo, that is the one and only reason Arceus did not choose you. Honestly, that's all it comes down to. Easy as that!

But I'm putting my thumb actually, on the—I'm putting it on the screen, over the weird part of your hair? I'm begging you. Let's destroy society together. Come on.

That's so sad, he's, like, hanging up his hat. Actually, please put the hat back on. He's giving me something—he's giving me the plate. Spooky plate. Yeah, that's for sure. That's for damn sure, Volo.

Why do you suddenly look so good? You know, you look deranged and crazy like a fucking lunatic. And I could have swore you off forever, but now you look so cute and good. And I'm like, what the fuck were you thinking, Volo? You threw it all away for what, the arc phone? Bitch. It's really not even that good of a phone. Honestly, there's, like, no games on it.

I don't know. I figured like, a true Arceus fanboy would be impressed and enamored by the girl who Arceus is simping for this hard. Like, if you were to date me, I'd literally bring you with me to meet Arceus, and you'd be able to live your stupid little dream.

Although I will say, for someone who so deeply wants me to fail, you giving me that last plate, that spooky plate... I dunno. It's just kind of interesting, and I am reading into it. Yes.

Volo you are fucking out of your mind. You're crazy. I tell you, you're fucking insane. Somebody wheel him off. Seriously, what the fuck? He's going out in public looking like that.

[keiraspades]

pla hc no.4

Ingo gets sick while in hisui, not anything special just common cold, and calaba is acting like he’s fucking dying.

Bro is just so confused like- “No ma’am, I am not cursed for helping the Zorua kits, I am fucking sick, it’s allergy season wtf do you want from me-“

and calaba is just- “No, you have been cursed by a zoroark for messing with it’s kits. you need to do *yap yap yap*” and she just keeps telling him to do shit that just makes him more sick until he just-

goes to lady sneasler and is like “yeah i need to hide so i can stop being fucking sick”

the clan forgets that it happened but Ingo no longer trusts them with his health care so now everyone thinks he’s just really healthy but in reality he’s sipping homemade antibiotic soups in lady sneasler’s den whenever he gets sick.

[mocc-tok-flip-flop]

So it's been a while since I posted, but I got deep into the Pokemon fandom again and the train twins have now taken over! I just had to design some Pokemon forms for Emmet and Ingo!!

I know some people aren't as into stats and abilities, but I really wanted to sit down and hash out their strategies and movesets. They're subway masters AND ridiculously strong and skilled trainers, so I wanted to make sure that their Pokemon forms also reflected that! So if you're into that (or learning how Hisui changed their partnership) it'll be under the Read More below!

Let me know if y'all want to see more of these guys! I have even written their Pokedex entries and figured out their habits and natures! (Also, just because I thought it was funny, now Ingo is the one who's weak to Earthquake)

Ok, so the first thing I determined were general specialties! Ingo, despite his intimidating appearance and his fighting typing, is actually a better special attacker. I imagine that the twins play up the perception that other people have for them: Ingo is indimidating and Emmet is friendly, so Ingo is actually a sneaky special attacker and Emmet is a surprise physical attacker!

Their base stats reflect this, and I put their total around evolved starter range to make sure they're viable for competitive battling. As for typing, it was mostly based on various Pokemon they have on their teams, but I kinda wanted to make them partially types suited more to their counterpart, so Electric for Ingo and Steel(?) for Emmet? It's not perfect, but I HAD to make sure Ingo shared a typing with Lady Sneasler so they can be friends in Hisui. And Emmet is a Bug type because Emmet.

I agonized over their movesets and abilities for a long time, but I really wanted to show that they are a Duo, Please Do Not Seperate. So their moves and abilities help to cover each other in a double battle! Ingo has the absolute beast of a move Boomburst (both because he's loud and because it's a 140 base special attack with no downsides) so he's got Brick Break to make sure that there's no screens or shields blocking his big finishing move. Workup helps with all of his moves and since it boosts physical and special, it works to hide his little-known special attack specialty until it's too late.

I had fun with Emmet's moveset! Not only does he have Reflect to help cover his beloved brother's weaknesses, but in the case they're fighting a singles battle he's got U-Turn to effortlessly switch into his brother's big finisher move. I waffled between Reflect and another move that would reduce special defence (set up even better for Ingo's finishing move), but ultimately decided I liked Emmet shielding his big brother better.

I also want you to know that for his move Attack Order, Emmet literally commands a small battalion of Joltiks who like to hide in his coat. Verrry cute.

Of course, the codependency doesn't stop at their moves! Ingo's ability literally reduces the damage that Emmet takes when they battle together, and Emmet's Volt Absorb ability means that Ingo can always heal up his little brother if the Joltiks don't heal him first.

And now we get to the sad part. During their separation, both of them change, as now they no longer have each other to rely on in battle. Ingo changes out his Brick Break for an Aura Sphere, as when fighting solo (and sometimes multiple opponents) he doesn't have time for a lot of setup and is best on relying on his special attacking rather than trying to play the long game. His ability also changes to Defiant, to reflect his heightened need for fighting and his determination to find what he knows is missing (YES I know technically abilities can't really change but THEY'RE SPECIAL OK and it was sadder this way).

And oh boy, while Emmet can pretend he's fine as much as he wants, his changes truly show how much Ingo's loss devastated him. There's no-one left to switch with, so he trades his U-Turn for a more aggressive Lunge instead. And even worse, his new ability, Anger Point, will boost his attack once he hits half health. Which means that now he will try to get hurt and stay hurt, since now his brother can no longer heal him :(

Sorry for so much rambling, but I got suuuuper into designing these guys! The actual designs are alright, but I still think they need to be more distinctive somehow. Might go back and tweak it a bit later, but I'm happy with it for now. Why are they weird kangaroo things with hooves? Idk, but they look cool and that's what really matters~

[blueisquitetired]

The Birth of a Shadow

Context for this one: This was the originally planned chapter 15 that….. obviously didn’t work out. The original conceit was that Emmet was having trouble using magic, so he had to dive through his brother’s memories to learn what it felt like. It was supposed to be a journey backwards in time, featuring different times of Ingo’s life before he met Emmet.

Unfortunately, that didn’t really work out, and I ended up cutting the whole thing. We didn’t lose too much in the process, just the exact specifics of Ingo’s past and an explanation for his beef with moms. 

So yeah, here’s what got written out, featuring Ingo’s origin story and a tone that really doesn’t match the rest of the fic.

Length: 2,000 words

Rating: G 

CW: Child endangerment? I guess???

Deep breathes. In and out. Reach inside and-

Opening his eyes, Emmet threw out one of his hands, attempting to channel some unknowable energy. 

Nothing happened.

“Any luck?”

Mai sat on the grass next to him, idly plucking strings on her guitar. This was his third day of magic lessons with her and so far….

“No. Nothing.”

Sighing, Emmet lay down on the grass next to her, looking up at the bright blue sky. At least it was a nice day.

“Maybe it did work, but you just didn’t notice?” Lady Sneasler was sitting a bit away with the rest of the peanut gallery. Not close enough to get in the way, but still easily reachable. “It’s supposed to be kind of subtle right?”

“He would feel it. Probably.” Mai sighed. “At least that’s how it works for me.”

“Right. Because that’s been such a good indicator so far.” It was Melli who spoke this time, the warden having joined the group to help Elesa with her embroidery and just enjoy the show. Emmet was starting to understand why Lady Sneasler didn’t like him much.

Still, he had a point. As much as Emmet appreciated Mai’s assistance, one just couldn’t escape the fact that their magics were completely different. Mai’s were nature spells cast via music, and Emmet’s…

Well it certainly wasn't that.

“Well, does Ingo feel his magic when he casts it?” Mai asked, bringing the group back on track. “His magic would certainly be more similar to yours than mine.”

“Not sure.” Shrugging, Emmet tried to remember times that his brother had used magic- and came up frustratingly short. “He does not like using it. Or talking about it.”

“Too bad.” Mai sighed. “That would have been helpful.”

“Hang on.” Elesa finally spoke up, having been far too concentrated on her embroidery to join in the conversation so far. “Didn’t you say you had Ingo’s memories? Doesn’t that mean you can learn straight from the source? Maybe even figure out how he learned magic originally?”

“Wait what do you mean he has his memories-”

That…. was a good point actually. Emmet had been kind of avoiding touching that part of his psyche at the moment, but there weren't any actual barriers. Still, he was still sort of… put off by the idea.

“Those are private.” He managed finally, working around the bitter taste in his mouth. “I have not received permission. Snooping is a breach of trust.”

“Normally yeah, but this isn’t exactly a normal situation.” Pointed out Lady Sneasler. “You’ll need to be prepared for whatever comes our way. I think Ingo will forgive you for a bit of snooping if it helps save his life.”

“I suppose…”

It still didn’t sit right with Emmet. Sure, they could read each other’s minds whenever they wanted- but that didn’t mean they did! Boundaries were important, and privacy was to be respected. Still, Lady Sneasler was right that this was a special situation….

“….alright.” Taking a deep breath, Emmet attempted to calm his racing heart. “I will look through Ingo’s memories. Try to find out how magic feels. Or how he learned it.”

“Attaboy!” Lady Sneasler grinned. 

Mai seemed a bit more skeptical.

“So how exactly does that… work?”

Emmet shrugged.

“It is like meditation? Kind of? I close my eyes and….” He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, going boneless. “This will take a while.”

“How long is a while?”

But Emmet didn’t answer, already beginning to tune the rest of the world out and sink into his own subconscious. Carefully, he reached for his brother’s soul, embracing it and sinking into his brother’s memories. He wasn’t exactly sure where to start- memories had a tendency to be a bit finicky after all, but if he just started somewhere familiar and worked his way back….

He thought of the first time they met, an old and messy memory colored by time and his subpar human recollection, only still around because of how many times he’d watched his brother’s version.

A version that was responding to the memory he had fed it, sparking up around him and begging to be recalled.

So he let it.

oOo

Someone was crying.

The monster stopped and listened for a moment, the sound of soft sniffles and a human in distress. It really shouldn’t get any closer, shouldn’t approach, especially not after last time- but there was crying! Crying was something it knew well, and if it could help…

Maybe it could assist from the shadows. As long as it wasn’t seen, there would be no reason for the human too….

This time would be different.

It followed the sound.

As much as Emmet would love to relive that particular memory again, now wasn’t the time. Instead, he honed in on that mention of “last time” pulling on it and looking for the related memory. It wasn’t hard to find.

oOo

[This section would contain several scenes from Ingo’s past in reverse order. This would include him disguising himself as another child and getting run off for being a duplicate, trying to take a human form and not doing a very good job (and getting run off), and him visiting Hisui and having a bad time.]

oOo

First, there was nothing.

Not pain, or sorrow, or even emptiness- no, there was just nothing at all.

And then-

“Oh. It’s beautiful.”

There was something.

A… a face? Yes. A face. A… a red face who was…

“Dude it just looks like a blob with eyes.”

A different voice. A different person? Yes, there they were, behind the face-

“That’s just because you can’t appreciate the sheer craftsmanship on display here.” The face moved, getting taller and… further? Further away. (From what?)

“Sure. Whatever. But does it work?”

“Of course it works! I made it after all!”

“…so you haven’t tested it yet.”

“What’s the point of a test? It’s a changeling. They aren’t complicated.”

There was a conversation happening. That’s what this was. Understanding was… difficult, but possible. The whole thing was quite alien overall.

“Anyway, I’m releasing this bad boy today. You wanna see?”

“Sure I guess. Don’t have anything else planned.”

The face came back(?) bending forward and-

SENSATION!!!!

THERE WAS TOUCH HAPPENING!!!

WHAT?!!!

And with touch came feelings!!! Pride and confidence and-

“Huh. It’s being more squirmy than normal.”

Squirmy? Movement? Was something moving?

“Maybe cause you finished it? So it’s ‘coming to life’ and all that?”

“Yeah maybe. Let’s get going before it gets harder to carry.”

And then.

AND THEN.

Movement! Lots of movement! The squirmy apparently! So much movement and things that had names but there was no time to ponder such things as MOVEMENT WAS HAPPENING.

And then movement stopped happening.

And everything was dark.

“This place good?”

“I think so. I checked out a few houses beforehand and this one had a baby.”

“Cool.”

Movement started up again, going a bit before-

THE TOUCH WAS GONE!!!!

Where did it go?!!!

“Now what?”

“It’s supposed to eat the baby.”

“….maybe you need to move it closer?”

The touch returned briefly…. before disappearing again, replaced by-

Different touch?

Calm touch. Sleepy touch. Touch full of dreams, muted sensations of lightssoundscolorsemotions. Touch that-

There was hunger.

Hunger. Hunger. Hunger.

And emptiness. Something that needed to be filled. Something that could be filled if- if-

If there was eating.

And so there would be eating. There would be devouring. There would be biting and tearing and-

yes

YES!

Yes! There was taste, there was warmth! There was energy and magic and-

PAIN

Pain that caused screaming, pain that caused crying. Pain that was more intense than hunger or pride. Pain that encompassed all else and-

Light.

“Yes yes Johny. Mommy’s here. Now what’s got you so-”

A sharp gasp, thudding footsteps and-

“GET OFF MY BABY!”

Touch. But not gentle touch- rough touch. Pulling and grabbing and flinging. Flying before impact, new fresher pain as-

New impact. New pain. New-

This was danger.

Danger. Danger! Pain meant danger and there was so much pain, so there was so much danger but how was-

And then something happened.

Something happened and suddenly the shadows reached out, sweeping in and pulling out of danger. 

The shadows were gentle. Calm. Quiet and dark and-

Grabbing, pulling, RIPPING and angerangerANGER

“What was THAT!?”

There was laughing.

“I believe that’s what we call a failure Alimar.”

“Shut up. Shut up. This is just- just a slight hiccup. We can just try again.”

Try what again? Why was there anger? Why was there failure? Was it the danger?

And why was the pain still there?

Movement. More. Movement that made the pain stronger. Movement that pulled at somethings. Somethings that could be felt. Somethings that could be moved.

“Stop squirming.”

That wasn’t the only somethings. There was more! More somethings that could also be moved. Easier even, since the voice was not holding them. They could be moved, and they were moved because it was fun and made the pain less noticeable. Oh! Fun! That was new!

“What in Titania’s name has gotten into you?!”

More yanking. The face was back! But it was dark. Because it was night. Strange. Night. Had night existed before? What was night?

“Looks like yelling at it worked.”

“Yeah I guess.”

Night was something that came after day. But day came after night. That didn’t make sense. How could it come before and after?

“Okay. Here’s a new place. Let’s try this again.”

That was how time worked right? Yes, day and night were based off of time. Which was. Harder to understand then day and night combined.

The touch that hurt was gone and the somethings were dropped. They were dropped and-

Huh.

They felt.

The somethings were moved, and where they moved they felt. The feeling was soft. Soft because it was a blanket. That’s what it was. 

“Eat the ####ing baby already.”

The somethings were- they were tendrils? Yes. That’s what they were. The tendrils moved and felt and they felt each other and oh! That was not soft! That was… smooth! Smooth! And both tendrils could feel the other tendril and wasn’t that strange. What were tendrils anyway?

…limbs? Right. And limbs were… uh. They were attached to something alive! And they could do things! 

Obviously. They could move and feel.

But what were they attached to?

“….What is it doing?”

“UGH.”

Touch again! Not good touch!! But! There were more tendrils! More! And they were attached to-

Uh-

“Dude I don’t even think it sees the baby.” 

“Yeah I noticed.”

Actually, what was ‘it’ anyway? There was the human baby- but that couldn’t be ‘it’. And the blankets could not see so. Maybe the tendrils? They were attached to something alive, and if it was alive it could probably see!

But what were they attached to???

They were- They-

???????

No seriously what were they attached to.

There was hunger.

Yes but the tendrils!

Hunger.

The tendrils lead to something but that something did not exist but it could be felt which meant it did exist-

Wait.

Was that seeing?

Hunger

If seeing was happening then seeing was ‘it’ and the tendrils were attached to the it (which was seeing) and seeing happened with eyes that could be moved-

MORE MOVEMENT!

Hungerhungerhungerhunger

Movement that changed seeing!! Yes! Good! Good! That was-

Pride! Pride for figuring it out! Pride for-

hunger

Okay okay hunger. Hunger which meant movement which meant-

What was that?

“…is it broken?”

New thing to move!!! It could be moved and it moved a lot and how many more movement-

HUNGER

Right, right, okay. Movement again which was biting and biting on the baby which brought warmgoodenergymagiclife- AND PAIN AND CRYING!!!

PAIN AND CRYING MEANT DANGER!!! DANGER MEANT SHADOWS AND LEAVE AND AWAY!!!

“Wha- hey where’d it go?!”

“#### it shadow sneaked again. I have to catch it before it-”

NOPE!!

IT WOULD NOT BE GRABBED!

GRABBED WAS PAIN AND PAIN WAS BAD AND IT DID NOT WANT THAT!

“Come back here you little-!”

The shadows pulled it far away. Far far away.

Where it would be safe.

[smashwolfen]

Eyyo, it's WIP Wednesday and I actually have something in the works I would like to share!

More so to see if I can actually do it but also to get practice with my nice new ink brush thing I bought the other day. There is a, hurdle, in obtaining the good Legends Arceus cards, as some of them in particular are uhhhhh... unfortunately VERY pricey for even most folks to consider buying one card a good idea coughcough SneaslerV alt art, pearl clan with ingo card, Iridas full art coughcough Or even just a card for a character doesn't exist yet!!

So I decided if I want something badly enough, I'll just, make my own unique cards!

So far the VERY rough prep and idea work on normal paper for 2 folks who DESPERATELY deserve their own full art cards.

Laventon has his own normal looking trainer card, but thats it for him. He doesnt even get new art for it either it's just the one from his release! If he had a full art card it would very much have to include the three P's. His Pokemon, Pokedex, and Potato Mochi!

Then the one I really wanted to do from the start when I had this idea a while ago, good ol' Warden Ingo, well before his appearance in V Star Universe with the Pearl Clan was shown. He may not be doing his signature pose, but he's with his Lady Sneasler doing Warden things.

Nothing exceedingly extravagant, but more so to see if I can go through and complete my ideas. These 2 will be on normal paper for now as practice with using my brush to line tiny details, and once done I'll pencil crayon them in with the colours I plan to use for my tried and true cards in the end, which will be watercoloured! That way I have a better visual for what I want the watercolours to be like!

So far my lining has been rather consistent in my first solid testing!

I decided to do my Legends OC Akiko as my first prototype card with the inking! The only thing I didn't use my brush pen for was the writing for the pokedex and the framing of the inside portion of the box, which I used a 0.05mm pen for, but literally everything else was with one tool! Along with Akikos card, I'm gonna do this tealish colour for the border of the others cards, since I used the similar colour to the "Legends" text on the title card for Legends arceus. Along with the border, im also making my own special backing of the cards im doing!

Instead of the good ol' swooshy blue backing with the cracked open pokeball we see in every card since the dawn of the TCG, these are gonna a have a Hisuian pokeball, calmly sitting in the grass with Mount Coronet in the distance! With a stylized "Pokemon" to go with it! And each back will inevitably be hand drawn!

To get an idea of why I want so much prep and practice done beforehand to the main watercoloured cards, I'm doing them to scale

They are all going to be made to be the size of the real cards themselves. Practice ones too! I gotta get good with a steady hand!! So many tiny details, so many thin lines, SO MANY WAYS TO MESS UP AND WORRY!!!

BUT

Like I said, if I want a card badly enough, I'll just make it myself! XD

Hopefully you'll all like the end results of my agonies, our boys need cards of their own, even if they're just gonna be for me XD

[elithesia-autem-danguarde]

Giving Emmet A Pokémon Team In Hisui

I currently have several different ideas swarming around in my head about Submas and the brothers being reunited in one way or another. But today I would like to give me two cents about what team of Pokémon I believe Emmet would have as a Hisuian trainer.

Since Ingo has another team in Hisui, I figure that it’s only fair that Emmet does to, including a special guest to almost stand-in for Sneasler. I haven’t come up with any story ideas of Emmet being a warden (mostly because I like even numbers and would have to make up another to balance the two clans), but I could still see him having special relations with Pokémon, especially if he retains his memories from Unova. So without further ado, here’s who I think would comprise Emmet’s Hisuian team of Pokémon and why:  

Luxay: Not forgetting entirely where he stems from, Emmet takes Luxray as a pure Electric type partner since Eelektross is not available. I admittedly have a bit of a bias here as well since I really love Luxray, but I genuinely felt this was the best option to stick with in regards to a Hisuian main for Emmet, especially with how it contrasts Ingo’s Gliscor. Scizor: Since Durant is not available as a Bug/Steel type option in Hisui, Scizor instead steps in to take that spot, granting Emmet some technical strength in battles. A man just has his preferences sometimes, especially given how he would retain his memories. Yanmega: Bug types are a big part of Emmet’s team, and he does have aerial coverage back on his Unovan team, so I feel Yanmega offers the best of both of those worlds. It’s a stronger Bug type than something like Dustox of Beautifly, and it also has the Flying type to help cover other potential weaknesses. Steelix: Probably my biggest stretch, but Steel is one the the four types I usually associate with Emmet’s team (You can check how I define his and Ingo’s Unovan teams for more context), and he would absolutely go riding on a Steelix throughout the land of Hisui to scare the piss out its residents. It also provides him with a unique Ground-typing to show how he has to think a bit differently to home. Pachirisu: We all love headcanons about Emmet’s little Joltik hoard back on the Unovan Subway, but there are unfortunately no Joltiks present is Hisui. So Pachirisu takes a spot in order to be a small, cute little Pokémon for Emmet to happily carry around on his shoulder from time to time, as well as give him some more Electric type power on his team.  Rampardos: Rock is another type I associate with Emmet, and I can totally see him having a big strong dinosaur on his side that probably loves him because he gives good belly rubs. Either way, it would be another formidable force to handle in battle, which we know he takes very seriously.  Hisuian Zoroark: There is pretty much no story idea in my head where Emmet goes to Hisui and ISN’T involved with Hisuian Zoroark somehow, so this lineup is no exception. Though not a warden officially, Emmet watches over his special Zoroark that provides illusions to keep unwanted wild Pokémon encounters away.

[nell0-0]

When it comes to Volo, it seems like his partner will be Togekiss given the ending but others think Giratina which would be interesting. Especially since Cynthia still has her Giratina. As for Cognita, I may hate Enamorus because she made me in game broke trying to get her but the two just fit very well.

As for the eventual Ingo, it depends if the wardens will have their aces or their nobles(well, at least their species. Gaeric’s won’t fit in the lodge) Pokémon. So either Gliscor or Sneasler works. But I would love if the pair trend continued for it not to be a second Hisuian but rather Emmet getting a special outfit or sygma suit. Know how cool and kinda touching it be if he teamed up with Chandelure to try to bring out Ingo’s memories? In Gen 5 he did use Ingo’s team for the most part so it’s not farfetch’d. Could also show how strong his amnesia is depending on the results(my guess is it wouldn’t fully be fixed but perhaps a memory would be loosened)

Giving Volo a Togepi as a sync pair is probably gonna be it, but I meant story wise since Volo and Giratina are kinda linked, you know? Strike them down and all that

I feel you with Enamorus. Even when I caught her, my hatred was so huge towards her that I've never been able to consistently use her. But, well, I love Cogita ^^

They have so many posibilities for warden Ingo it's mind blowing. I do like that idea, though. So wholesome, it has the potential for a very nice and cute story

[hoofpeet]

Trans solidarity 👍

[jiracheer]

Ingo for “Here, take my blanket/jacket" please!

authors note: INGO,,,, MY WEAKNESS,,,,,,,,,,, I know you didn't specify which Ingo, so i went with warden ingo!! hope that's okay!!

I wanna give a special thank you to Lyon!! They were kind enough to proof read this for me!! <3

prompt: “Here, take my blanket/jacket." tags: fluff. It’s so fuckin sweet i felt like i was going to EXPLODE

You rubbed at your arms and blew hot air into your hands, feeling the tips of your fingers go numb at the action that was barely doing anything for you. They weren’t kidding when they said the Highlands were freezing cold.

Blinking over at the man who accompanied you to the cliffs in order to find salt for Professor Laventon, you watched as Ingo marched along with ease. He must’ve been so used to this type of weather… I mean, he did frequent here a lot with Lady Sneasler. And, didn’t he say his hut was here? You wondered what it was like to spend so many days in the cold.

But when the thought came, your mind drifted back to Irida.

“Ingo.” You disturbed the peaceful silence, drawing a hum from the odd man before you. “You know… I’ve always wondered how Irida copes with all this cold! Have you seen what she wears? Super cute… But isn’t she cold?” You picked up the pace, matching his steps and leaning slightly against him in hopes of soaking up his warmth. He felt like a furnace when you pressed against his arm, making him jolt.

“Lady Irida does have an interesting sense of fashion… but I suppose it is what makes her most comfortable. You and I both know she doesn’t cope well in the heat. Perhaps she runs at a higher temperature than we do. The whole clan probably does.” 

You nodded along to his explanation, despite finding it a bit odd. Nonetheless, you took it for what it was.

“Does the cold bother you? It doesn’t seem like it. Perhaps you should also don the same outfit she does!” A laugh sounded from you, causing Ingo to tilt his hat down in mild embarrassment. A part of him adored the sound of you laughing. It was unique in its own way and always left his lips jumping.

A rumble in his chest desperately wanted to sound. Laughing was a challenge nowadays, but at least smiling wasn’t too tough. Akari and Rei had taught him that with each and every battle they had with him. For Giritina's sake, even you got a smile out of him

“I don’t think my figure would fit such an attire, hero-”

“Y/N, Ingo. Just Y/N.” It would always bug you when he would call you ‘Hero.’ You just wanted to live your life normally in Hisui now that you were practically stuck there, but maybe, just maybe, after kicking Arceus’ ass again, you could convince the being who trapped you to let you go back home.; more specifically, to let you and Ingo go back home.

That is, if he even remembered what his home was. He seemed familiar but you could never recall who he was or what he did before Hisui.

“Ah. Yes. Y/N. My apologies.” He tilted his hat at you before readjusting it, allowing the rim to rest above his eyebrows with his hands tucking themselves on his back once more. Ingo was always so polite. “... And besides, I do believe pink isn’t my color.”

“Oh it so is! I’ll have to speak to Anthe about making you your own.” You elbowed him gently, grinning at the typically somber man. “I’ll make sure it’s modest, just for you.”

Now a grin was starting to pull at his own lips, and a huff of a laugh exited his nostrils with the shut of his eyes. “Of course, Y/N.”

And that was that. The conversation ended on a light note and the two of you continued on your merry way, stopping every so often to hit at the pink salt growing on the side of the mountain to toss into your basket. But as the sun slowly began to descend, so did the temperature. You couldn’t help but shudder and chatter your teeth as the hours went by.

Ingo was quick to catch onto this and his hand hovered over your shoulder before it would drop. He felt so awkward around you. Not in a bad way, no. He just wasn’t sure how to exactly act around you. You made him feel a certain way and it made his head hurt when he tried to think about it.

Lost in his thoughts Ingo didn’t even notice how a particularly harsh gust of wind almost blew you away, forcing you to grasp at the collar of your jacket in an effort to stay as warm as possible. Your nose and ears flared bright red, and your eyes watered from how harsh the ice particles were in the breeze. It was when you grabbed his arm for support did he snap himself out of his thoughts, almost leaping into the air when you squeezed his bicep. You stopped walking, gasping for some sort of breath.

The wind was so cold you could hardly breathe. 

“Y/N…?” Ingo supported you by grabbing your forearms, a frown forming on his face. “Arceus, you’re freezing!” With ease, he leaned back and shuffled off his jacket, throwing it over your shoulders and clasping the two buttons before drawing the collar closer to your face. “Here, take my jacket. It’ll keep you warm until we reach my hut.” His face was so close to yours. Your eyes fluttered open and met his own gaze.

The two of you just… stood there. Barely a single breath away from him, the tip of your nose brushed against his own and you leaned forward to hide your cold face in his shoulder. Your cheeks became a newfound red and it wasn’t because of the weather. He felt so firm and stable, and when your hands came to grasp at his tunic you gasped.

“Aren’t you c-cold? I can’t take your jacket!” Leaning up on your tippy toes, you grabbed more of the Warden’s clothing with a gasp. “You’ll get cold and sick, a-and-”

Gentle hands held yours and pulled them close to his face, cupping them in order to blow heated air onto them. You Immediately melted, eyelashes fluttering with a gaze that read heavily of the emotions you felt for him.

“I’ll be just fine, Y/N. Trust me. Now come, let’s get you someplace warmer… preferably with a bowl of stew.”

Keeping your hands in his, he walked ahead of you to shield you from the harsh winds. Along the easy, the two of you had the biggest smiles on your face…

… Even if Ingo was freezing his ass off.

[ari-nemera]

Hello I have headcanons about Ingo's Hisui team and I'm going to make that everyone else's problem.

Have I thought about this a bit too much? Maybe.

To start- I headcanon that aside from battles, most of his team are generally left out of pokeballs or allowed to roam like Sneasler, and are only confined to pokeballs during travel or battles.

Two of his Pokemon specifically are pretty much sapient, so I don't believe Ingo would contain them like that. (I tend to lean towards the Alakazam line and the Machoke line being intelligent and culturally unique Pokemon.) ANYWAY. Let's get down to it:

Alakazam ♂️

One of the only two team members not naturally found in the highlands. A trade evolution. (Ingo's entire team has special circumstances to their evolutions, needing trainer participation to reach their full potential. This is clearly a nod to Ingo being an incredibly skilled and educated trainer. His knowledge of Pokemon has not been lost with his memory)

Headcanons:

1) A service Pokemon in two ways. Using calm mind on Ingo when his brain fog or nightmares are really bad. Generally just a friendly companion to keep Ingo company. Really helps with his mental health. A friend. 🤗

2) like the rest of his evolution line, he can teleport and bring others along with him. Have you ever wondered how everyone gets around Hisui so quickly? (Seriously 😒) Ingo is still the boss of travel. His Alakazam is a willing travel aid to anyone looking to get around Hisui in less than a three day's walk. This is pretty close to what's already been seen with a certain abra in canon. It feels fitting that Ingo would eagerly offer this service, and that his Alakazam would oblige. Does Ingo say things like 'all aboard'' and 'please remain still until you have reached your destination'. Oh you bet. That Alakazam needs his own little hat.

Tangrowth ♀️

The only other Pokemon not found in the Highlands. Also evolves after learning ancient power, which it must gain via level up via battling. Also one of the Pokemon he's had around for the longest, although not one of the strongest members of his team.

Headcanons:

1) As a lvl. 41 tangela when you first fight her, she would already be capable of ancient power... Meaning Ingo waited to evolve her until after your first battle. (Rising to a challenge eh?)

2) The Hisuian tangela Pokedex entry mentions it's vines are used as a herb, and Ingo making use of this would not surprise me. Especially If it's medicinal in some way. Additionally- This entry matches an earlier Pokedex entry in Galar, which is a super fun thing the Pokemon team snuck in there. Our silly professor in Hisui is clearly Galarian. Of course the entries would be similar. Laventon might even be the one to gift the tangela to Ingo. (They're both from English speaking regions in a non-English speaking ancient Sinnoh. They both see Pokemon as partners and not monsters. The chance to find comraderie in that is high)

Probopass ♀️

The start of the Highlands gang. Probopass is honestly a given. You've got a forgetful dude with amnesia who frets about becoming decoupled or losing his way. Having a living compass would be a godsend. Fits well with Ingo's theme. A silly Pokemon for a sad silly man. Don't even really have to headcanon anything here hahaha.

Machamp ♂️

Also a Machoke when first battled- a common sight in the Highlands. Also a higher level than his previous Pokemon, insinuating far more battle use. Another trade evo. (Ingo who are you sharing your Pokemon with? your brother's not here.)

Headcanons:

1) Befriended early on as another assistive Pokemon. He's probably helped Ingo out with physical stuff on multiple occasions. (Not like that wtf) If Ingo does have a hut in the Highlands, that Machoke probably helped build it.

2) Now a Machamp, most likely also evolves after he lost to you. Ingo hasn't had a good battle in years. Suddenly having a fully evolved team is worth it! I like to think Machamp likes having more arms for bone-crushing hugs. Someone's gotta care for this sad blorbo. 😟 he never cares for himself.

Magnezone

Like Probopass, another given. Also like Machamp, this dude is one level higher than the rest. It's an electric robot from the future. Sad future man comes across sad future robot. Bonding over tragic circumstances ensue.

Headcanons:

1) They are both nostalgic for each other and what they represent. They're also both awkwardly emotionless at first glance but generally friendly. A match made in caveman heaven. (This is apparently a joke reference that only people who live in Oklahoma get sorry) This is one of Ingo's favs bcus it's also steel/electric. There is a deep familiarity in working with electric type Pokemon. If only he could remember why....

2) That random Magnezone u see flying around the Highlands is his actually. No I won't take constructive criticism. He lets it do what it wants. Oh you caught it? Different Magnezone.

Gliscor ♂️

Definitely his Hisui "starter" as a Gligar. This dude is two levels higher than the rest of his team. Evolves while holding razor fang at night. Already fully evolved when you fight it. His Ace. 💖

Headcanons:

1) Probably the reason his coat looks like shit. Taming this bad boy as a gligar is when Iridia went "holy shit ok. Do you uh. Want a job? We've got this other huge-clawed venomous purple Pokemon out back-"

2) Like Ingo, He loves to battle. Almost a little vicious. Also a ground type, something Ingo primarily worked with in his past. So like the Magnezone, battling alongside his Gliscor comes naturally. Eerily familiar even. (side note- What is it about Ingo's Ace Pokemon being like- things that are usually really deadly to other people and Pokemon. First a soul-eating lantern and now a literal vampire. Wtf.)

3) This poke is also 6'7" and definitely works as a gliding Pokemon for Ingo. Can't do powered flight, but can make going down the Highlands a breeze when his Alakazam isn't around.

Okay that's it that's the post thank you all for coming everyone go home.

[imfluentinfangirlandgay]

In Which They Needed Cosmic Help - Ch 1

Putting this here because I'm hyperfixated on it but someone on AO3 didn't like me adding the tags 'I am the lorax and i speak for the twins/ship them together and I break your shins' and complained and got my account banned for 2 weeks :/

Summary: Ingo never really knew what to do at parties. This was an important celebration, the Pokedex had just been completed, after all. The Gods were conquered.

He didn't expect a sudden appearance of a familiar face because of an almighty deity, though.

Word Count: 2739

Hurt/Comfort, slight angst

The festival was something that even Ingo, in his time here, had never seen before. Granted, this was a very special occasion. Not only had the child that fell from the sky and subdued the nobles captured gods and quelled them, she had extensively researched every single Pokemon in the entire region of Hisui. The biggest goal of that Professor, the Galaxy Team, and the rest of the Pearl and Diamond Clans had come to fruition all because of this one miraculous child. Every man, woman, and child of Hisui was gathered in Jubilife Village, all celebrating with unfathomable amounts of food and drink. Paper decorations and torches were strung up all around the village, criss crossing each other in a dizzying pattern. People danced and sang, merrily humming along with the musicians playing.

Currently, Akari was talking with Rei and a few other Survey Corps members, laughing and talking. Her Samurott and Luxray were nearby, chittering happily to each other. Some Chimchar dashed between the partygoers, the lights from the torches flickering warmly at the large gathering. Even Cyllene was drinking and smiling merrily. Two Starly sat on a rooftop nearby and sang a tune. Many of the Pokemon from the pastures had migrated to the party and were curiously investigating the humans.

Ingo stood off to one side, back straight and his arms crossed stiffly behind his back. His silver eyes darted between the partygoers, watching out for any sign of danger. In his head, he knew there would not be anything of the sort, and if there was, the Security Corps or Rei could handle it effectively. He had literal gods with him, after all. Even so, Ingo yet again felt that nagging feeling in the back of his mind, that he was forgetting something.

At this point, what wasn’t he forgetting? Everything before Hisui might as well be smoke for how his mind portrayed it. Before the Pearl Clan and Sneasler, he only has vague notions and dreams about what happened to him previously. He might not have even thought he had had a life somewhere before if he hadn’t remembered being found by Sneasler in the Highlands. Even with the situation with Rei joining the team and obviously coming from a time more similar to Ingo, he still couldn’t remember. Their battle had shaken some things looser in his brain, but it was like shaking a large tree. Some leaves fell, but nothing else was gained.

Ingo closed his eyes. The warm glow of the lanterns permeated his eyelids and soaked into his coat. He breathed in. Out. Nope, the guilt was still there. Why? He couldn’t even remember why he would be at fault. He reckoned it had something to do with what he was forgetting. As if that helps him deduce the answer. The feeling would come and go as it pleased, which was unfortunate for Ingo, as it came more often than it went.

The party was setting into its final station, some of the older folks heading to their homes and the Diamond and Pearl Clans gathering at one spot to begin their trek back to their respective camps. The musicians had ceased playing, some of the torches burnt out. It was late in the night. Stars twinkled overhead in the clear night sky.

Ingo straightened his arms at the elbows, beginning to trek curtly over to the Pearl Clan so he could leave with them. He had to check on Sneasler sometime soon, too. The herd of humans was thick and viscous, like Combee honey. He picked his way through the crowd, taking care to not get in anyone’s way. It wasn’t until he managed to get halfway to the familiar pink robes that he noticed something.

A Pokemon was watching him intently. It was massive, easily more than twice human height. It was pure white, with golden rings around its middle. Its feet - hooves? - were adorned with gold, its piercing red eyes staring directly into him. It didn’t blink. Ingo watched it back, unsure what to make of it. Rei had not mentioned this Pokemon before, but it definitely seemed like something the boy would have miraculously run into on his surveys. Nobody around him seemed to take notice of it, continuing on with their search for their respective groups.

It stared. He stared back. The noise of the crowd died away without him noticing it, though the people still moved fluidly around him. Someone bumped past him but he couldn’t tear his gaze away. Then the large Pokemon reared, casting off an aura of gold light and warmth that he could feel from half the clearing away.

There was a jolt as someone knocked flat into him and sent him tumbling to the ground. He landed with an “umph!” on the dirt path amidst the mass of feet and legs. Ingo laid for a moment, unsure what he had just witnessed. Then he became aware of some noise that he had previously not been privy to.

“...den Ingo, are you okay? Sorry for bumping into you like that, I didn’t even notice! Here, give me your hand, I can help you up.”

Ingo bolted up so that he was seated on the ground. “Safety checks finished. I’m okay, just next time watch your mirrors before you go full steam ahead!” He pointed to the Diamond Clan kid and at the ground and paused before standing, snapping his heels together. The child looked confused, but apologized again and slunk off. Ingo looked up at where he had seen that weird Pokemon, but it was gone. Only the dark grass remained. Odd.

Ingo wanted to investigate. He made his way out of the crowd and studied the ground where that Pokemon had been. No marks in the grass, no footprints, nothing to ever indicate that something had been here. A few more minutes were spent gathering all the people of each group, cleaning up after the party, and preparing the Security and Survey Corps to lead the way for each Clan back to its respective home safely. Ingo began to walk back over to the Pearl Clan by the edge of the village.

He’d hardly made it six paces when a loud clap of thunder came from the spot he had just been standing in moments prior. He jolted, a hand flying to a Pokeball at his waist on instinct. He stood up straight. On the ground lay a man, dazed. His eyes shifted in and out of focus for a moment as he blinked them again. Ingo blinked, too, but for a different reason.

“Where am I?” The voice sounded a bit too familiar for Ingo’s liking. Laying on the ground in front of him was a carbon copy of himself. The haircut, the silver eyes, even the outfit he wore was a replica of the one Ingo adorned, except that instead of black, it was a brilliant white. And pristine - not a rip, tear, or stain to be seen. Ingo felt something tug at his mind suddenly, something right on the tip of his tongue. He knew this man. He did. But how? All of his time before Hisui was so foggy and hazy even he had trouble knowing if they were just dreams or fragments of what once were memories.

Ingo stood, rigid as a statue. He heard commotion behind him and someone shouted at him, but he couldn’t hear them. His mind was a whirlwind, half-memories flooding back to him in disjointed ways so jumbled he could hardly keep them apart. Battle after battle with Pokemon he recognized but did not know, trains, this man, his ______. Ingo crouched a mere three feet from the man.

Ingo’s copy was straining to sit up. Something in the back of his head screamed at him to help him up, but Ingo couldn’t move. Only stared. The figure swiveled his head away from Ingo for a moment, taking in the other people that stood nearby. Akari, Rei, Adaman, Irida, Cyllene, and Kamado had all come closer, but still stood several feet from the pair. Everyone else stood on the other side of the creek now, watching with fearful eyes.

Ingo wanted to pry open his mind, release the memories pricking and prodding at him. He wanted to know this man. He wished he knew anything, any shred of information. His heart swelled at the sight of this brighter version of himself but he didn’t know why.

As soon as they saw his face, a mirror image of Ingo’s, the group closest to the pair all stopped. Their eyes widened, none taking another step closer. Akari lowered her Pokeball. “Uh…” Akari voiced. She didn’t know what to say. “Ingo, who is-”

The man shot to his feet in an instant. “Ingo! Is he here? Where is he? I need to find him.” All Akari could do was point vaguely behind him, where Ingo was still crouched. The stranger whirled, keeping a hand on the brim of his white cap. And his face changed.

Whereas before there seemed to have been a reflexive smile, he absolutely beamed. His silver eyes crinkled in the firelight, his entire body changing its stance. The other dropped to his knees, his hands shaking and against his chest. Ingo didn’t take his eyes off him once. He didn’t think he was even blinking.

“Ingo? Is it really you? This is where you’ve been?” Ingo nodded slowly, still not taking his eyes off the other man. He had to remember, he had to, he had to.

“Remember what? Are you saying that you… don’t know me?” He must have spoken aloud by accident again. The other’s face crumpled, but not outwardly. His smile merely faltered but his eyes changed. They widened and drooped, his cheeks following suit. His very hair seemed to change with the change in mood, the points on his sideburns sagging. Ingo hated it. He had a guttural reaction to seeing this man upset, he should always have his smiling face! He should always be winning, just like he loves to!

How did he know that?

He gazed into Ingo's eyes. Those silver irises began shimmering with liquid. The poor passenger looked absolutely desperate. “Ingo, it’s me! Your brother! You have to remember me! It’s-”

Ingo blinked. That white Pokemon stood before him once again, this time directly in front of him. Time had paused. The bright man’s mouth hung open, mid-sentence, with tears in his eyes, but unmoving. Rei’s hair had frozen, no longer swaying in the breeze. The townsfolk that Ingo could still see must have been hit with Blizzard, they were all so immobile. Only Ingo and the large Pokemon seemed able to converse in this bubble of time. Ingo looked up at it, his eyes widening. It bowed its head down so that it was mere inches from his face. It pressed its muzzle to his forehead and closed its eyes as it shimmered gold before fading. Something in Ingo’s mind broke. A tidal wave of pictures, smells, and feelings washed over him, feeling as if he had unlocked some secret part of his mind. He re-lived his own former life through his own eyes at the speed of a moving train.

And he remembered. He remembered.

“-Emmet.” Both men spoke simultaneously, surprising everyone but each other. “My brother,” Ingo added with finality. “You’re my twin brother. Emmet. Emmet.” He relished the feeling of the familiar name, one he had not spoken in so, so long.

The white-clad image of Ingo simply stared for a moment, not comprehending. Then he flung his arms around Ingo. “Ingo! I found you!” he wailed loudly, nearly blowing out Ingo’s eardrum. He didn’t care.

“Emmet, I remember! I remember!” Ingo reciprocated the hold. It felt right. Ingo remembered, he actually, truly, remembered everything. He felt tears leaking from his eyes but he didn’t care. Emmet was openly sobbing into his shoulder.

“Ingo, you were gone for so long… the Battle Subway wasn’t the same without you… I went looking for you for months and I couldn’t find you anywhere, even Chandelure couldn’t find you. Excadrill dug a hole in the garden and searched the entire region for you, I put up posters and I did everything, but you weren’t there. You were gone. Elesa said I should do my best to put myself back together but I couldn’t. They said you were dead. I knew it wasn’t true.” He continued rambling in this manner, both men crying into each other. Ingo simply nodded into his shoulder, indicating that he was listening. He just kept murmuring Emmet’s name to himself, reciting it so he would never again forget it.

They stayed like that for a long time, until eventually their breathing leveled out. Ingo could feel his and Emmet’s heartbeats in sync. Ingo finally pulled away, looking into his little brother’s face. There were deep circles under his eyes. The silver in them appeared to have glazed over, his normal cheerfulness gone. His cheeks were more gaunt than he last remembered. Emmet had a soul patch now, which comically matched Ingo’s small beard. He looked worse for wear. Then again, Ingo didn’t think he looked much better. Emmet was shaking, his hands wobbling as he gripped Ingo’s shoulders for dear life, as if afraid he would fade to nothing. Ingo was doing the same to Emmet, his calloused hands rubbing against the smooth, untarnished cloth of his white coat. It must have looked silly to anyone else.

Emmet was still smiling, as usual, but now there was something behind it. Something bright and warm and hope. It was hope. Ingo smiled, too, he couldn’t help himself. His other half was here again. He hadn’t even realized it but now that Emmet was here, everything simply felt right again. Some piece of him was replaced, restored. He felt less exhausted. “Please,” he murmured, “don’t leave me again.”

Ingo gripped Emmet’s shoulders harder, squeezing them. “We’re a two-cab train. I’m not switching tracks anytime soon.” Emmet smiled again, wetly. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off.

“Ingo, who is this?” Ingo and Emmet both looked up simultaneously. Akari stood a couple paces from the two twins, dark eyes flitting between them. Her hands were wrung together, her legs stuck together tightly as if he was planning to run. Ingo had never seen the girl look so nervous.

Ingo and Emmet got to their feet in perfect sync.

“This is my brother, Emmet.”

“I am Emmet!”

“Oh, uh, hi! I’m Akari.” Emmet continued smiling down at the girl, who seemed to be nervous of him.

“Hold it right there!” A voice behind them called. The three turned to Kamado, watching them with his usual stern expression. “Ingo, Akari, who is this and where did he come from?”

“Commander,” Ingo saluted. Mindlessly, Emmet copied him. “This is Emmet, my twin brother. He came from the world I was previously from.” The Commander looked taken aback. Behind him stood Cyllene with her Abra, the two Clan leaders, and further behind were the citizens of Hisui. All were watching them. Ingo felt small with everyone watching, as if he were the one on display. Emmet placed his hand on his shoulder.

“I am Emmet!” he announced proudly. “Ingo was stolen from me. So I found him! I like winning more than anything.” He looked at the Commander, smiling his bright smile. “Did you steal him? Because if you did, I will challenge you to a double battle at once!”

“Emmet, that’s not nice.” The Commander’s eyebrows furrowed. Emmet was about to say something else until Ingo tapped him on the shoulder. He really hadn’t changed much, had he?

It was silent for a moment.

“Let’s pack up for now and lead the clans home. Ingo, you and your brother may stay in Jubilife for the night if there is no space in the Pearl Clan currently. We need to get the children to bed.” Kamado finished his orders, nodding to Irida and Adaman. Akari nodded too, but stayed close to the twins. She kept looking back and forth between them.

“I have extra lodging space in my home, I wish to confer with Sneasler tonight,” Ingo noted. Kamado nodded. “As you wish. Return in the morning to discuss. For now, let’s all return to bed.”

[Next]

[greentrickster]

Someone on AO3 asked if Ingo has a sneasel now, and of course I have to say yes to that, because I’m nice, and Ingo deserves a sneasel!

But then I got thinking... how...? Because he doesn’t have one on his team, he wasn’t caring for any when he returned to his time, and I wouldn’t want to forcibly separate a sneaslet from its mom like that. So... what do...?

However, I’ve figured it out - Ingo actually gets one because of Melli! By mistake! After Melli has returned to Hisui!!!

How, you ask? Why by the fact that the box Melli had his descendants hold onto to deliver to Ingo doesn’t just contain those precious letters from friends and family, it includes some of his old stuff as well. Including, as I already established like the psychic type I am, a few feathers Ingo had collected over the years from the sneaslets as they grew. And, also because I am a psychic type, Emmet’s been to Kanto in this AU, where they have perfected the art of creating pokemon clones from ancient DNA!!! And that’s from stuff like fossils and amber and stuff - the DNA from Ingo’s feather collection is probably in way better shape!

(If anyone knows more about how DNA and DNA degradation works than me and is about to tell me this isn’t how it works, shhhhhhh, Bill freaking fused himself with a pokemon by mistake and you can capture God, I can have this.)

And the twins visit Sinnoh and get the feathers some time before they visit Kanto, so Ingo has time to bring up that he misses Sneasler and her babies, and no, getting a modern sneasel wouldn’t be the same. Giving Emmet the chance to bring up the Pokemon Lab (listen, that’s all it’s called in Fire Red and that’s the game I’ve played) he heard about while he was traveling, and how they’ve started reviving ancient pokemon from fossils to study them (slowly, with lots of care to make sure they’re not just tossing new species into the wild willy-nilly), and Ingo has those Hisui sneasel feathers, so maybe...?

Ingo thinks about all this for a few months, and decides that it’s worth looking into when they visit Kanto, so he packs a few of the feathers when they go and, when they visit the lab, asks if they’d be willing/able to use a sneasel feather to make him one...? He’ll let them have a feather or two in exchange if they want.

This is the part where at least one scientist breaks into tears at the sheer excitement of this possibility and, long story short, Ingo donates two feathers to the lab (which they assure him will be more than enough), and he walks out with a newly-made pokemon egg that, by the time he and Emmet return home, has hatched into a brand-new baby Hisui-variant sneaslet.

And Ingo is very happy.

(Also, when the media catches wind of the fact that Ingo has an extinct pokemon he’s raising and whether he’ll be breeding it, making it more, handing it over to science for study, etc., he tells them that he’s actually already donated DNA samples like the one used to create his sneaslet to the Pokemon Lab that specializes in this, and he’s leaving the creation, distribution, and future of what’s done with that DNA up to them, as he’s not a scientist and they’ll have a better knowledge and understanding of how to handle all this than he would. His own qualifications for caring for this particular sneasel are ‘got yeeted back in time and spent a few years specifically caring for this sort of sneasel.’ And, like... the whole Alola incident is probably still pretty fresh in everyone’s minds at this point, along with all the other nonsense that happens in the Pokemon world, so everyone goes, “You know what? Fair.” And mostly leave him alone on the topic.)

[spitdrunken]

(Personally, I quite like the idea of Lady Sneasler having a cock and trying to put the eggs inside Ingo that way,, but he doesn’t have a womb so they are expelled again too quickly! If you have a pussy, she stuffs you full LMAO)

I keep think about this now lol. I like to think that the trio ends up with a few sneasel pokehybrids that have ingos hair but the reader's eyes.

Of course, the process of getting to that point is taking up the most brain space lol. Lady Sneasler pumping you full of eggs from behind as Ingo is soothing you in front, making sure you don't pass out from overstimulation as he waits for his turn.

notes: pokephilia, pregnancy, oviposition, breeding

don’t ask me about how genetics or pregnancy work this is all super unrealistic but i was thinking that the creatures that hatch from the eggs are more pokemon than human (perhaps with the colour of your eyes, or a patch of gray hair, though.) and the ones that don’t are genuine pokehuman hybrids, more human than pokemon! they have a sneasel’s ears, senses and claws, but are human otherwise lmao

Sneasler’s eggs are smaller than one might expect, because they live on cliffsides without a permanent nest, and need to move them around quite a bit. Your Lady is a special Pokemon though, so her eggs are a bit bigger! Her cock is honestly not meant for humans to take (though that has never stopped her), and it’s already thick enough to show underneath your skin. It hurt getting it in, but for the sake of her eggs, she took it slow. 

Ingo had insisting on bandaging her claws up with some of his Tangrowth’s vines beforehand, and he’s looking out for you now as well, rubbing at your clit as his Lady pounds into you. He kisses your cheek and tries to get you to respond by asking questions from time to time, making sure you’re still a bit coherent. This gets considerably harder when her eggs are filling up the entire way to your womb, rubbing and teasing every little bit of your insides. As soon as the first one pops in fully, Sneasler is letting out a delighted purr and pressing her hand against your stomach. (She can’t feel it inside because of the ‘bandages’. This bothers her quite a bit.) 

Your belly’s all swollen by the time she’s done with you, and Ingo meets no resistance at all when he slides inside you. You’re so wet it feels like he’s sinking into something warm and slimy. He’s gotten so riled up watching you get fucked that he won’t last long at all. Your lips are soaked with drool, but he kisses you regardless, wiping some sweat off your forehead even as he’s losing all his composure. He’s babbling an endless string of praises. You’re so beautiful, you’ve taken everything so well, he can feel your belly pushing up against him, you’re so wet and warm and-- When Ingo cums, he does so with a yell of pleasure.

As soon as he tries to pull out, his Lady is behind him, pushing her hand against him and forcing him back inside you to the hilt... No matter how sensitive is. If he can still cum, he can contribute to your children!

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

(OH GOD THIS TURNED OUT SUPER LONG I AM SO SORRY IN ADVANCE AAA- your au just, got my brain going)

EMMET SO CHILL ABOUT IT ALL, probably because he's preeetty out of it due to a high fever "Oh? Did i die? Is this heaven? A bit disappointed, thought there would be more trains" (does not remember what a train is but there should be more of them).

Maybe Ingo finds himself hovering outside the medical tent much to his confusion, just like the Forgotten Noble that paces back and forth before sitting back down (Lord Zoroark is a worried old man, like a father anxiously waiting for news about his son). He tries to justify it's probably due to curiosity, the stranger looked a LOT like him, so they probably are from the same place, right...? That would also explain the worry tearing at him-

And maybe BECAUSE he is so close to the tent Calaba sees him, before he is dragged inside to assist, because she "has to set and immobilize a broken leg and most people do not take kindly to that" so someone needs to help, holding the man in white down so she can DO her job without him trashing about.

Ingo has this overwhelming need to be comforting, but also feels he's going to be sick, specially when the poor man screams. Yeah, he's in bad shape, and it crushes the Warden's heart beyond what he can explain.

But hey! That means he has to stay to recover! Maybe they'll have time to talk...? It also means Lord Zoroark is NOT leaving until his own warden can come with him, so Pearl Clan now has that to deal with...

(NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR LONG ASKS I LOVE THEM I LOVE THIS)

calaba asking ingo to HELP AAAA... listen, it’s a big job and she’s one old woman, she could use some help even beyond the limb setting. so she drags ingo in bc a) he’s close b) it seems like this involves him somehow c) he’s usually pretty reliable for being calm and levelheaded in stressful situations. but...

she’s never seen him this freaked out. normally he takes injuries and illness, even his own, pretty much in stride. but for this person he’s visibly almost panicking, if you know what to look for. he won’t stop moving, there’s so much visible tension in his shoulders and hands, and there’s this desperate look in his eye when he asks calaba if the stranger is going to be okay. even though he still doesn’t seem to entirely know why it matters so much to him. she suggests he go tell irida about the situation or like, sit down, and he tells her he would prefer to stay and help, with an undertone that very clearly means don’t make me leave him, please.

meanwhile lord zoroark is guarding the tent from anyone who even looks vaguely in its direction, also kind of sizing ingo up. because he might recognize him as lady sneasler’s warden, but he definitely recognizes him as the only face that exists, even vaguely, in emmet’s memories. someone who was important enough to be retained even through whatever happened to him. the question is just whether that importance is positive, or negative.

and the whole time emmet’s suuuper in and out, and even when he’s hazily conscious he’s pretty confident that this is either some weird dream or the afterlife. bc it’s light and warm, he seems to be in some kind of structure that is not a cave, the big zoroark is Conspicuously Absent, and most importantly there are people around that don’t seem to be attacking him? that doesn’t happen. but he likes that one voice that drifts past occasionally. at times it even seems vaguely familiar.

[mass-piplup-outbreak]

End of the Line - Chapter 2

[first] - [next] read it on ao3!

Chapter 2: The Beginning Emmet’s search comes to an end.

To: sinnohhistorical@sinnoh.gov From: subwaybosse@nimbasatransit.com Subject: Re:Disappearance

Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate that people are still talking to me about Ingo. Even six years later.

The documents that you sent are interesting. But they seem to be nothing more than a coincidence. I don’t understand how my brother could have ended up in ancient Sinnoh. Therefore, I’m not inclined to believe you. If you could provide something more definitive, that would be another story.

My brother is a good man. I won’t entertain baseless stories like this in the future.

Regards, Subway Master Emmet, Nimbasa City

To: subwaybosse@nimbasatransit.com From: sinnohhistorical@sinnoh.gov Subject: Re:Re:Disappearance

Hello, Subway Master Emmet,

We are sorry that our last communication wasn’t as clear as we intended it to be. Our intentions were not to show you false stories and conjectures, but rather, the research we’ve done into ancient Hisui.

Perhaps we should explain further. During this time period, there are records of a phenomenon known as the space-time rift. There is at least one known individual to have fallen through this rift, with Warden Ingo of the Pearl Clan being a theorized second.

If this Warden Ingo is indeed Subway Master Ingo from our modern time, then our records indicate that he did not have a chance to return home.

In the time between our last correspondence, we have uncovered a photograph we believe depicts Warden Ingo. Please take a look at it, and let us know your thoughts.

Thank you for your time, The Sinnoh Historical Society

[File Attachment]

To: sinnohhistorical@sinnoh.gov From: subwaybosse@nimbasatransit.com Subject: Re:Re:Re:Disappearance

I am taking the next flight out. When can we meet?

‥

Emmet learns a lot from his trip to Jubilife City. The Hisuian Era is a very interesting time period, and if the circumstances were any different, he would love to spend a day just going over all of the Sinnoh Historical Society’s displays. Did you know that the term “Sinnoh” actually comes from the deity Pokémon that were worshiped in ancient Hisui? Fascinating stuff.

Unfortunately, Emmet isn’t in Sinnoh for purely scholarly reasons. In fact, his reason for visiting is far more personal.

The folks at the Historical Society are kind, at the very least. Emmet’s always had difficulty discerning tone, especially when it comes to written communication, but he thinks that they’re being genuine when they say they want to help him understand. They switch out with each other throughout the day, always making sure there’s at least one person available to answer any of Emmet’s questions, guide him through the archives, even just grab him some water when it gets too much.

Emmet can’t help but feel, however, that they pity him. The poor sap that lost his brother, the fool they have to give the bad news to. He’s been looking for Ingo for six years, but now, it seems like that search is finally coming to an end.

“So… he was a Warden,” Emmet states, pushing away a history textbook that the Historical Society gave him as a bit of an introduction. “What exactly did a Warden do?”

“Oh, many things!” The nearby attendant, a young girl, takes the book from him. She flips the pages, a bit before the point that she had shown to Emmet. “They were the caretakers of special Pokémon that were said to be blessed by Almighty Sinnoh.” She points to a photo of a strange, purple Pokémon that looks like a weird Sneasel. “Our records indicate that your brother was the Warden of Sneasler, an evolution of an extinct variant of Sneasels.”

Emmet squints at the picture. Okay. Kind of strange, but. Okay. There’s a single line of text, a caption, underneath.

The last Sneasler was reported to have died 214 years ago. To this day, the Pokémon is considered extinct.

“214 years ago…” Emmet murmurs under his breath.

“That’s a bit outdated,” the attendant eagerly explains. “It’s actually been closer to 220 years.”

Over 200 years. Ingo was transported over 200 years in the past. Emmet feels that tremble, that aching, but he holds it back. He takes a deep, shaking breath, trying to keep his train from derailing.

Emmet taps the table, the sharpness muffled by his gloves. Anything to distract him. “And when did my brother…?”

“We’ve been in the process of restoring the personal diary of the clan leader at the time,” the attendant says. “As far as we can tell, he showed up in Hisui around 305 years ago.”

There’s been a question on Emmet’s mind, a dark cloud threatening to swallow him whole. The day that Ingo disappeared was the absolute worst day that he ever lived through. Ever since, it’s been like his life was divided into two parts: with Ingo and without Ingo. He always thought that this was going to be a blip, that one day he would look back on this time and be glad that it was over. Ingo would return home, he had to. They weren’t supposed to be alone like this.

But…

Nobody could survive for that long, could they?

Emmet closes his eyes, bracing himself for the answer he’ll receive, when he asks his question.

“Ingo isn’t coming back, is he?”

‥

“Stop it! Hold still!”

Emmet whines, which causes his brother to flick his knee as he rifles through his bag. Eventually, Ingo pulls out his hoodie, which they packed away for colder days.

“We’re going to have to use this.” Ingo hands the hoodie to his brother. “You have to hold it up to your nose until it stops bleeding.”

The pair of them are stopped on the side of the road between Nacrene and Castelia City. It stopped raining a while ago, but everything is still wet and slippery. Emmet learned this fact when he newly-caught Joltik suddenly scurried up a tree, which he slipped off of when he tried to follow. Ingo helped calm him down when he started crying, and now Emmet is holding his nose as it bleeds, trying his best not to sniffle.

“But this is yours!” Emmet argues. “I can’t bleed all over your hoodie.”

Ingo sighs. “Emmet, it’s the only clean thing we have. Do you want to use your dirty clothes from the mud yesterday?”

“No…” Emmet admits, looking away from his brother. He concedes, taking the hoodie and pressing it against his nose.

“It’s temporary, just until we reach Castelia City,” Ingo assures him. He stands, offering a hand to Emmet. “They’ll fix you up there, and then I’ll clean my hoodie. And once you’re better, we’ll challenge the gym!”

Emmet takes Ingo’s hand, and the rush of standing causes his vision to go black for a moment. When it returns, Ingo has an arm around his waist, supporting him. Others may not see it, but Ingo is smiling at him, as bright as it’s ever been.

“You should challenge the gym while I’m hurt,” Emmet suggests as the pair of them continue their way down the path. Joltik scurries after them, nipping at their ankles. “There’s no point in waiting around for me.”

“Emmet, we’re either doing this together, or not at all,” Ingo reminds him. “You said so yourself.”

“I did,” Emmet recalls. He leans his head against his brother’s, but just the small action is enough to cause the pain in his nose to flare up. “Ow. Ingo, do you think it’s broken?”

Ingo hums, thinking for a moment. “Probably.”

Emmet starts to cry again.

‥

Emmet’s been doing his best for a very long time. It used to be so simple before, so easy. First it was school, then the Gym Challenge, then engineering classes, and finally, the subway. Everything that Emmet did, he gave it his all. He was living his dream with the Battle Subway, after all, and he would be a fool to squander it. As long as Ingo was by his side, he could do anything.

And then, quite suddenly, Ingo wasn’t there anymore. Doing his best became much more complicated after that, but Emmet couldn’t afford not to. Gear Station had to be perfect, like nothing ever happened. It had to stay just like it was, because that was how it looked when Ingo was around.

Not only that, Emmet was pushing the search forward as much as he could. Have you checked here yet? Have you heard anything yet? Ingo is coming home soon, please don’t give up on him. He wouldn’t leave on his own, not like this. Please keep looking, please, please, please...

He’s been doing this for years.

Today isn’t like that, though. Today, Emmet is not doing his best to cling onto that last shard of hope that he had. Today, Emmet was trying not to cry.

Ingo would want him to be strong, right? They were always stronger together, but… that isn’t an option anymore.

The Sinnoh Historical Society had one last thing to show to Emmet. An end to the story, so to speak. One of the attendants is nice enough to head out to Snowpoint City with him, and they even accompany him onto the small hike out of town. The sun is hanging low in the sky and everything is dim when they finally arrive.

The Pearl Clan’s graveyard had been designated as a historical site just a few years ago. Emmet supposes he must be lucky.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” the attendant says, stopping by the remains of the front gate. “I’ll be here when you want to leave. You remember how to find him?”

“Yes,” Emmet nods, putting on his best smile. “I will be fine. Thank you for your concern.”

The graveyard itself is unnerving. Maybe it’s something innate to all graveyards, or maybe it’s because Emmet knows what he’s walking towards. It’s been ages, centuries since the last burial here, and it looks like it. The stones are crumbling, snow piled high on top of them. There’s a loneliness to all of it, so he focuses on counting headstones.

Emmet knows it when he finds it. The inscription has worn out over time, but when you know what you’re looking for, it’s still easy to read.

Ingo

At the edge of an ancient cemetery, Emmet’s search has finally come to an end.

“Ingo.” Emmet smiles. He has to smile, even though there are tears running down his face. This is for his brother. “I finally found you.”

‥

For the first time in what must be years, Ingo hears his name.

He’s been sleeping, almost. It’s not quite close enough to abandoning his awareness to truly cure his exhaustion, but it’s still nice to stop thinking for a while. Thinking leads to loneliness, and loneliness leads to anguish, which isn’t fun.

The shift from absolutely nothing to the blinding white snows of the icelands has been a source of pain for Ingo for centuries. Not only were the two states of being very different, it also meant that he was awake.

Ingo hates being awake.

This time, however, he doesn’t get much of a chance to let that thought sink in. As soon as he’s pulled himself back together, something charges into his chest, immediately knocking him back and onto the ground.

Contact.

Ingo hasn’t been corporeal since he died. He was starting to forget what it felt like to use his hands.

For a split second, the Pokémon is unfamiliar to him. It’s glassy, and its strange, spindly arms are wrapped around him in what must be its best approximation of a hug. But then he catches sight of its ghostly purple flames, and Ingo realizes.

“Chandelure…” he says. It’s the first thing he’s said in a long time.

Chandelure says nothing, just buries itself further into his chest. He doesn’t think it speaks much, anyway, so he tries not to take offense.

For the first time in so long, Ingo finally feels like something is right. Like he’s finally regaining some of the pieces of himself he lost on the way to Hisui, or even after he died. He doesn’t have a heart anymore, but he knows it would be leaping out of his chest right now in joy.

He doesn’t know a lot of things, but at least he knows what a Chandelure is.

And then, he notices that there’s someone behind Chandelure.

“I’m sorry…” The person sobs into his gloved hands, his whole frame shaking with every breath he takes. “I wasn’t strong enough. I didn’t bring you home.”

Ingo’s heard it before. Though it feels a bit too late to be crying over someone like him.

Who is this, exactly?

Chandelure notices Ingo is staring, and so it graciously floats out of the way. Ingo shuffles towards where the stranger is kneeling, until he’s sitting right in front of him. At least, he thinks this is a stranger. It’s been a long time, everyone he knew in life surely must have passed on by now.

And then, he looks up. His cheeks are stained by tears, his eyes all puffy. Ingo knows who this is.

“Emmet.” He says the name as though he knew it all along. As if it’s been on the tip of his tongue for years.

It’s Emmet, it’s Emmet! Emmet is… special? Important? Something like that, Ingo’s sure of it. When he sees Emmet, he gets the distinct feeling that he just found all of the answers that he’s been looking for, like this is the end of the most terrible time of his life. It’s hope, he realizes. Ingo is hopeful.

When Emmet looks up, though, his eyes do not land on Ingo. Emmet looks past him, to the Chandelure hovering behind its departed trainer.

Of course. Of course he can’t see him.

“Chandelure, you don’t have to stay here.” He unhooks one of the Poké Balls from his belt. “You can return if you’d like.”

In response, Chandelure huddles closer to Ingo. Emmet seems to understand, placing it in the snow in front of him.

“He’s gone,” Emmet manages to choke out before he breaks into another sob. He curls back in on himself, sobbing into his sleeves. “He’s really gone!”

Ingo’s pretty sure he had memories of Emmet, once upon a time. He can vaguely remember his journey with Akari through Wayward Cave. He mentioned someone then, didn’t he? But so many things have changed since then, and existing as a tormented spirit doesn’t do wonders for one’s memory.

But Emmet looks like Ingo, and that has to mean something. There’s a pull in his chest, and to his surprise, Ingo realizes he’s relieved. Like he’s been running around for a whole day, one thing after the other, and he can finally go home and sleep. Only, it’s been much longer than a day, and he already knows he can’t sleep.

For some reason, the word ‘half’ comes to mind.

Emmet stays by Ingo’s grave for a while, long after he’s run out of tears to cry. And for some reason, Ingo stays with him. He wants to bring him some water, maybe even a blanket. Emmet is in pain, and Ingo knows that just isn’t right.

A few Pokémon come out of their balls, some of which Ingo can just barely remember, all of which are clearly saddened. A yellow spider nuzzles into Emmet’s side, and he runs his hands through its fur. Even Excadrill—and Ingo knows Excadrill—comes out, sitting at the gravestone and looking up at the etchings. All of them return eventually. The only exception is Chandelure, who refuses to leave Ingo’s side. It’s familiar, holding onto its arms, letting it carry his weight. He thinks he’s done this before.

The sun was already low in the sky when Emmet arrived, but over time, it’s been steadily growing darker. When the last slivers of sunlight are peaking out over the horizon, Emmet abruptly stands, brushing the snow off his white jacket. He takes a deep breath, wiping off the tears that are left on his face. Emmet forces a smile, putting his best face forward, so to say.

“Goodbye, Ingo,” Emmet says, and hearing those words again is just too much. “I’ll be back sometime.”

The thought strikes Ingo to his core: he can’t be alone again. He just found Emmet, and already, the deepest part of his very being knows that they aren’t supposed to be separated. For the first time in a long while, he feels warm, alive. Ingo doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. He stands, and if it’s the most natural thing in the world, he follows Emmet out of the graveyard.

This time, nothing stops him.