#and you can probably tell ive gotten influenced by the pla and submas fandoms lol

[teamconductors]

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Lost Tracks of Time, Chapter 26

Summary: Ingo wakes up in a strange realm of light.

Author’s Note: Something that I mentioned in a tumblr ask from a while ago is that Ingo’s inclusion in Legends Arceus felt detached from the game’s narrative and served to only create retrospective angst. And that part of the purpose of this fic was to give purpose to Ingo’s presence in the game. Well… this chapter shows what I mean.

CW: Gore, Body Horror. The relevant section will be denoted with five asterisks instead of my normal three. If this sounds familiar, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. (For the non-AO3 people, this chapter’s title is “Ingo’s Path of Solitude”.)

Thank you @furiouskettle!

(Shippers DNI)

At the Galaxy Expedition Team’s training grounds were two strange humans. One was a young girl, and the other was an old-appearing man. Both wore clothes torn up from countless pokemon battles. Both bore numerous scars – the girl’s from calming frenzied Nobles, the man’s from a near-deadly attack he didn’t recall. And both were skilled in catching, training, and battling with pokemon.

Akari and Ingo stood in front of each other at the center of the training field. Zisu and other security corps gathered to watch the battles. They started their battles at midday, and the sky turned orange for their last one.

“This is our final stop. Let Gallade’s Path of Solitude begin!” Ingo said.

Akari nodded with determination. She and Ingo turned on their feet and took position on opposite sides of the court.

Ingo took out a pokeball. “Gardevoir, get ready for departure!” He turned and threw the pokeball to let out his Gardevoir. Ingo took his natural battle stance, holding onto the brim of his signature cap while pointing forward. He wasn’t sure why he liked doing it, but he did.  

Akari also took a battle stance – her feet wide apart for balance and arms ready for attacks – and took out her pokeball. “Go, Gallade!” She threw the ball and let out her pokemon. Gallade and Gardevoir bowed to each other.

“Gardevoir, use Calm Mind,” Ingo said.

“Gallade, use Sword Dance!” Akari said.

Both pokemon used their buffing moves, with Gallade seemingly dancing as his arm blades sharpened and Gardevoir closing her eyes and breathing careful breaths. Ingo noted that Gallade finished his move faster than Gardevoir did, though they started at the same time.

“All clear! Gardevoir, use Moonblast!” Ingo pointed to Gallade. His strategy for this path was simple, relying on a Gardevoir with strong defenses to attack with a supereffective fairy-type move.

Akari’s eyes widened. “Gallade, use Shadow Claw!”

Gallade’s arm draped itself in shadows. He ran forward as Gardevoir charged her attack. Gallade wound his arm back as Gardevoir unleashed the ball of pink and blue energy at her opponent. Gallade struck the orb, dispersing the energy that still struck his body, and he proceeded to strike Gardevoir as well.

Ingo noted that both pokemon took similar amounts of damage. With Gallade outspeeding Gardevoir, the battle would easily win in Akari’s favor if they kept going. He may want Akari to win, but he wouldn’t make it easy. “Gardevoir, clear the way and use Hypnosis!”

Gardevoir’s eyes glowed as she stared down Gallade. The opponent stiffened before relaxing his posture, the drowsiness taking effect.

“C’mon, Gallade! Shake off that sleep! Use Thunder Punch!” Akari said.

“Gardevoir, use Shadow Ball!” Ingo said.

Gallade’s arm charged up with electricity. He stared down Gardevoir with half-lidded eyes and ran straight at her, though with less speed than his previous attack. When he got close, Gallade’s drowsiness took over him and vaguely hit Gardevoir at her side. Gardevoir threw down her Shadow Ball on Gallade’s head. The shadows exploded like a burst water balloon on the grounded pokemon.

“C’mon, Gallade! I know you can beat them! One last Shadow Claw!” Akari shot her fist up to the sky.

“We are approaching our destination! Use Moonblast!” Ingo said.

Gardevoir prepared a Moonblast larger than half of her body. Gallade’s eyes opened, and he jumped back to attention. Gallade jumped and formed a Shaodw Claw while in the air. He dove to strike Gardevoir through the attack. Pink and blue energy collided with the shadows. The Moonblast exploded in Gallade’s face, but he struck Gardevoir in the chest. Gallade landed and slid past Gardevoir on his feet, forming a trail in the dirt.

Gallade panted but remained standing. Gardevoir collapsed and fainted. Zisu and the Galaxy Team members cheered for their survey corps member.

“Excellent! Bravo!” Ingo said as he pointed to Akari and the ground. He walked to his pokemon. “You performed well. You more than earned a rest.” Ingo recalled Gardevoir to her pokeball. He stood up again to face Akari. “Gallade has reached the destination called Victory! And with that, we reached our final stop in the Path of Solitude you wished to visit today. Allow me to stamp your pokedex.”

Akari smiled and presented her completed pokedex to Ingo. Ingo took out a stamp set from a bag hidden by his signature coat. The young survey corps member had 4 out of 6 pokemon complete their paths, so Ingo stamped the entries for Carnavine, Toxicroak, Raichu, and Gallade. He hoped to see if Eevee and Empoleon could complete their paths in the future as well.

“Do you actually have a path planned for every pokemon, or are you bluffing?” Akari asked.

“Of course I have schedules for each pokemon! Why would I lie about such a thing?” Ingo asked.

She raised a brow at Ingo. “So, you have an idea on how to challenge Dialga and Palkia? And Giratina? And Arceus?”

“I even have a route laid out for Arceus, yes,” Ingo said.

“You are… incredible,” Akari said, though Ingo thought she was going to say a different word at the end. “Okay, that’s enough battles for now. I’m gonna get some potato mochi!”

“That sounds delightful, Miss Akari. I hope you enjoy them.” Ingo thought of his route next. He was borrowing some of the Galaxy Team’s pastures for some of the pokemon he trained for the Paths of Solitude, so he needed to inspect them. After that, he needed to feed his team, and then he could feed himself.

Akari interrupted his thoughts. “Wanna join me, Ingo? I can get Beni to make you mochi!”

Ingo was taken aback from the pleasant surprise. “Hm… Very well. I think I can make an alteration to my schedule for you!”

Akari led Ingo to the Wallflower. She waved to Laventon and Rei, who met at their usual table, but she led Ingo to a different table off to the side of the restaurant. Trees and the building itself provided shade. Ingo hoped she just wanted to speak in private and didn’t want to sit separately for a more sinister reason.

“Is there a particular reason for this meeting, Miss Akari?” Ingo asked.

“Well… uh, yeah...” Akari briefly turned her gaze away from the man. “…Ingo, are you happy here?”

“Hm? Am I happy here at Jubilife Village? Because I am! Miss Zisu has been treating me well, even with us sharing the same battlefield.”

“No, I meant… I meant here in general. Hisui. This time period. All that stuff.”

“What brought this on? Is something wrong?”

“Well… I come from a different time, and so do you. I’ve been thinking about if there’s anything at “home” for me, so I’ve been wondering about you, too.”

“I appreciate your concern, Miss Akari. But… as I mentioned in the past, I don’t remember much before my arrival in Hisui. I… don’t even recall if I had a family, so I have little reference to compare this time to.”

Akari frowned. “That makes sense, I guess, but that doesn’t quite answer me. Ingo, Are you happy here?”

Ingo took a moment to think about how he’d respond. Even though he loved his position as a warden and battle conductor, there was something about the environment that prevented him from enjoying them fully.

Most of the Pearl Clan simply tolerated him; no one would say it directly, but it was a feeling he could not shake off. Pointing was considered rude, but Ingo did it out of instinct. His difficulty controlling the volume of his voice contributed to his unfavorable image. He especially received strange looks and condemnations, even from the typically affable Clan Leader Irida, when he began making and using pokeballs to carry his pokemon instead of letting them roam in the Space Almighty Palkia created for them. Even with how dangerous pokemon proved to be in this environment, he found himself more at ease around them than around humans at times. Several clan members warmed up to Ingo after a couple years, but he still heard remarks when others thought he couldn’t hear them.

And that was to say nothing about the permanent feeling that something was missing from his life. It wasn’t just about losing memories themselves. His pokemon, Lady Sneasler, former Warden Jove, the current Wardens, Clan Leader Irida, Miss Akari, Miss Zisu, all were great friends and allies. But there were holes in the railroad track of his life in need of spikes that he could not find.

But he couldn’t tell Akari that. “Simply put, I take pride in completing my duties. Caring for Lady Sneasler, representing the Pearl Clan, and conducting battles for you and others are all important to me. Because I can fulfill those duties and help you, I feel content.”

Akari gave Ingo a look of uncertainty. Ingo wondered if something in his mannerisms conflicted with the words he gave her.

“Here’s your potato mochi,” Beni said as he presented two plates, one for each time traveler. “Let me know if you want any more.” He left without another word.

“Thank you, Sir Beni!” Ingo said. “Oh, how much do I need to help pay for the meal?”

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s on me,” Akari said. She picked up a mochi and bit into it. Though she clearly enjoyed the treat, Ingo could tell something was not all right with Akari.

“Are you feeling homesick, Miss Akari?” Ingo asked. He wanted to talk for a short time longer to let his food cool off. “You mentioned before that you remember your home from before you fell from the sky, correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right. About remembering home, I mean. I’m… not homesick.” Akari gave a side glance that let Ingo know not to press the issue further. “But I was wondering… if you wanted to go home?”

Ingo hummed as he thought over Akari’s question. “I’m… I’m quite unsure. Though I am grateful for your concern, it is nothing to worry yourself over. All I ask is for you to enjoy our battles and that you reach greater heights on your journey!”

“…Right,” Akari said. She resumed eating her mochi, and Ingo began eating his.

***

Ingo found himself in a realm of light. He last remembered healing his pokemon but did not recall falling asleep at any point. He had to be dreaming. Though a mostly white space, strange tones of colors shifted between each other in a rainbow kaleidoscope. He stood upright despite the absence of a visible floor. He was not even certain if his sense of direction was correct, a strange sensation for him.

“Greetings, Human. Welcome to my realm. What is thy name?” A voice spoke from all directions and reverberated in Ingo’s head.

Though apprehensive about what this being of light needed from him, Ingo still had to maintain politeness. “Good day. I’m Warden Ingo.”

“Ingo, thou shalt soon find thyself in a world strange for thee. My mission for thou is…”

The rainbow lights collected in front of Ingo. Ingo shielded his eyes as it got brighter. Once the excessive light subsided, what was left was Arceus, the Almighty pokemon Akari caught.

“To live thine life at home in peace,” Arceus said. Their voice still manifested an echo in Ingo’s head.

Ingo stared at Arceus in disbelief. “What a peculiar mission! What brought this on?”

“Thou art aware that I am the one who sent you to Hisui?” Arceus asked.

“I… had suspicions, but I had no track to follow to decisively conclude that.” Akari mentioned in the past that her mission to Seek Out All Pokemon came from Arceus themself. Considering all that happened in the past few years, Ingo had little reason to doubt her. But he did not believe that he himself was sent by Arceus as well. Not until then.

“And thou art aware of Akari’s accomplishments? That is because she took over the role I had given thou.”

Ingo stared at Arceus. A sinking feeling took over him. “…Could I please ask to you elaborate?”

“Yes. Thou knoweth the story of Akari, her appearance into a strange land and purpose to “Seek Out All Pokemon”? That was thine original mission. That was my purpose in transporting thou into this time. That was thine purpose.”

“…In summary, you gave me a journey and destination to reach… and I failed?” Ingo asked after several seconds in piecing together his sudden grief. Ingo’s train of thought followed as Arceus laid down the tracks. He was supposed to have rescued Hisui from Volo and his inane plot to destroy the world? The sick feeling in him worsened by the second. It was not an image he ever expected for himself. But Arceus’ claim was a nightmare. His duties meant everything to him. He had a responsibility to every single passenger and guest who came across his path. Failing even one was not an option as a Warden.

“No. Thou hast succeeded but not in the way I intended.”

White light obscured and took over Ingo’s vision. He saw in a void of shifting days and nights Akari. Instead of her Survey Corps uniform, she wore a strange shirt and short pants. Above her was Ingo. Ingo noted that this version of him had an intact coat, white formal shirt, and blue tie, meaning this was him before he arrived in Hisui. He quickly realized he was watching himself and young Akari travel backwards in time.

And above both humans was a Deep Shadow. It dived toward Akari with glowing red eyes and an aura of lethal intent. Akari braced her impact, unable to do anything else.

“I WON’T ALLOW YOU TO HARM A PASSENGER!” The Ingo in the vision dove toward Akari.

The Deep Shadow tried to strike Akari. Ingo took the strike at his chest, shredding his white shirt. Akari gasped, as though she didn’t expect the man to appear. She watched in horror as the man fell far faster than she was and left behind a trail of blood orbs. As Ingo disappeared, the Deep Shadow turned to try and attack Akari. Then the Deep Shadow disappeared in a blink of light that outshined the surroundings.

“Do not worry. I sent the attacker back to their original time. As thou saw, not only did thou receive a lethal strike and lost thine memories as a result, but thou was also sent back years earlier than I intended,” Arceus said. “And this allowed Akari to enter the time period without issue.”

Ingo’s vision returned to the world of light. “So that’s the cause of my injury…” He brushed a hand across his torso, feeling the tunic’s cloth but also the scar underneath. “I am glad that I helped Akari even back then.”

“Yes, but that is not all. I used Future Sight to gain a vision of alternate timelines in which thou arrived at the intended time. The first Warden for Sneasler would perish a year prior to thine arrival, resulting in a great obstacle in thine duty to Seek Out All Pokemon.”

“Jove was supposed to die?” Ingo asked. His thoughts answered his own question, as he recalled an avalanche the two avoided. If Jove was by himself that day, he might not have noticed the signs and gotten away in time…

“The same problem would have occurred if I only sent Akari. While thou was sent to an unintended location, it allowed Akari a smoother path on her mission.”

“If I may ask, why are you telling me all of this? And how does this relate to “living my life at home”?”

“Thy hast fulfilled thine duty and more. Therefore, if thou wishes it, I can return thee to thine original time.”

“Almighty Arceus, while I sincerely appreciate your generosity, I have a duty in Hisui as a Warden. I do not feel comfortable departing from this station when no replacement is left to carry my duties, including maintaining Sneasler’s condition, taking care over my pokemon, and conducting battles.”

“If thou dost not wish to stay in thine realm permanently, thou can return here as well. What if I returned thou to the same time as thou hast left? For thine allies, it will be as though you never left.”

Ingo hummed. “That would ease my mind slightly, but…” He recalled Akari’s musings about her home. “Is there anything left for me in that station in my original time?”

“There is thine brother.”

Ingo’s heart skipped a beat. “…I had a brother?”

“That is correct.”

“I had a family…” Ingo’s heart made up for the skipped beats by picking up speed. “…If I am able to return to my station in Hisui without any schedule changes, then I would like to see my origin station then.”

“Noted. Allow me to bestow upon thou a gift.”

Ingo felt something on his right wrist. The Sneasler bracelet was gone, replaced by a white, unnaturally smooth bracelet. He felt a weight on the back of his wrist. A small square of black was surrounded by white and gold detailing.

“This is a watch,” Arceus said. “Use it to tell me when ready to return.”

Ingo found himself pulled off the ground. He floated up toward Arceus as the lights around him intensified. Ingo crawled into a ball to escape the lights’ painful effects. And then he vanished in a blink of light and colorful sparks.

*****

Ingo fell up through the time tunnel. The strobing light and darkness dotted by glittering stars brought a strange sense of familiarity and dread within him. Though Arceus’ words already encouraged him to escape his duties for a moment, he mulled them over again to make sure he made the right decision. Akari was correct in her assessment that Ingo was not completely satisfied with his life, but he questioned if he will be able to return to Hisui without a single change in schedule.

More pressingly, was there really someone waiting for him at the end of the route? Was it a reward for succeeding in saving the world, or was this a complicated ruse to get rid of him? Only certain people in the Pearl Clan and Galaxy Team tolerated him and his strange mannerisms that not even he could explain. Then again, it would be strange to employ an Almighty pokemon like Arceus to do such a thing. But the thought would not depart from his mind. Not matter how much he tried to help others, not even Arceus would think it was enough. Or was Ingo doomed to always be missing something in his life?

But he heard a voice that stopped his destructive thoughts in its tracks.

“Ingo! Ingo!”

Ingo looked up to see who called his name. His eyes widened. It was a blip of white that came from among the dark. For some reason, nothing about the man’s appearance surprised him. Tears tried to break out from his eyes. It was the fellow that he shared a face with. It was the man who liked winning more than anything else. Arceus was right. Ingo had a family.

“Emmet?” Ingo said without thinking.

Emmet reached out to Ingo. “Ingo! I am Emmet! I found you! I finally found you!” Ingo did the same.

Ingo’s joy left the station when he saw a familiar Deep Shadow above Emmet.

The next moments occurred in fragments. An extremely sharp pain radiated from Ingo’s neck. Warm red liquid oozed onto his hands. Red liquid flew from the back of Emmet’s head. Emmet wasn’t moving. Ingo tried to scream for help, but nothing resembling his voice came out.

Ingo reached out one hand toward Emmet. Ingo’s fingers fused together, and the skin hardened, forming two claws. The same thing happened to Emmet. Emmet’s skin turned teal. The blood stopped trailing from Emmet’s head. Ingo saw something red poke out from Emmet’s ear. Emmet’s eyes closed, and he seemed to shrink and disappear into his coat.

Ingo feared the worst. Ingo found himself able to scream again. He didn’t recognize his own voice or the sounds he made. Something itched under the skin of his left ear. Pain collected in the middle of his forehead and over his heart. Ingo’s hat obscured his vision, as did his coat that flapped in the tunnel’s wind.

Ingo’s consciousness began to fade as prickling, stabbing pain overtook his nerves. It reminded him of a Sneasel’s poison, a sensation he grew accustomed to from working with Lady Sneasler but manifested hundreds-fold in strength. He finally got relief over the missing segments of his mind. Ingo finally reunited with his family, but it lasted for no longer than a minute before complete derailing.

“Warden Ingo, thou hast professed thine unsatisfactory feelings.” Arceus’ voice rang in Ingo’s head as his vision went white. “Consider this thine second chance, this time with thine sibling as an apology for separating thee. Ingo, rescue the Deep Shadow and prove thyself!”

*****

In the present, Ingo opened his eyes. He wasn’t certain of what he expected to find when he woke up, but the bed he laid on was soft and comfortable, tempting him to stay asleep. But Ingo had places to be, so he refused and sat up.

Ingo realized he was in the Pearl Guild’s infirmary. His coat, cap, and bag all hanged on a clothes stand nearby. A wet towel was tied over his head, which he concluded was for his gem. Based on his dreams, he quickly concluded that he somehow regained his memories from before he became a pokemon.

He heard snoring and saw Sneasler sleeping next to him. She sat in a chair and laid her head on Ingo’s bed. Next to her was the trains history book Emmet got from Laventon.

“Hey, Ingo!” Gaeric said. “You finally woke up! Wow, you were really tired, but makes sense. Rest is important for getting strong.”

“”Finally” woke up?” Ingo asked. “How long was I unconscious for?”

“You were out for about a week,” Gaeric said.

“A week?!” Ingo’s yell shook some of Gaeric’s jars of medicinal herbs and berries.

Sneasler snapped out of her nap. The fur on her face was matted and had a flat spot from Sneasler laying her head. “Huh? What? …Oh, hey, Ingo.”

“Good day, Sneasler!” Ingo said. “I’m surprised Emmet isn’t here.”

“He and the other two are doing missions today,” Sneasler said as she stretched.

Ingo’s ears stood up. “Emmet is performing rescues without me? That is excellent! His anxiety has been terrible. I need to congratulate him once he returns!”

“Cool. Let me just make sure you’re all good before you leave,” Gaeric said. “Let me see your forehead.”

“Ah, of course. I should note that I am not experiencing any dizziness like my previous injury,” Ingo said. He untied the towel from his head. Though Ingo’s gem still possessed the cracks from his old injury, it showed no signs of further propagation or desire to turn to dust.

“That… is a lot better than I expected,” Sneasler said.

“That is a relief. I suspect this resulted from taking a slower train to regain my memories,” Ingo said. “I feel bad for Emmet, though. His express train resulted in numerous issues for him…”

“Well, I put on the salve before any damage happened, but whatever you say. Let me just finish my stuff,” Gaeric said.

After Nurse Gaeric finished checking Ingo’s vitals, he was satisfied with the results and allowed Ingo to leave the infirmary. He and Sneasler walked out and went towards the twins’ tent. Sneasler grabbed the book she borrowed and placed it in her basket.

“Sneasler, I noticed that you were reading Emmet’s book,” Ingo said as he put back on his coat and cap. “Are you interested in trains, too?”

“No…” Sneasler said. “I was just bored and grabbed the closest book I found…”

“You can admit that trains are fascinating! I remember more things about them now, so if you wish, we can talk about them together.”

“Nah, I’m good. I’m not as nerdy as you two.”

“But you have said “all aboard” with Emmet and I back at Mt. Coronet! In fact, I recall you saying it with us multiple times!”

“Y-You’re imagining things.” Sneasler had to admit that her tone was not convincing.

“While I am thinking of it, I am unsure if Emmet has mentioned this, but Emmet and I barely kept ourselves on the tracks while we were inside Giratina’s mind. The Red Chain was affecting us, and… Emmet and I nearly lost ourselves. But then we heard your boarding call.” Ingo smiled. “Sneasler, you saved us from derailing and crashing. I can never thank you enough! Thank you for rescuing us, Sneasler!”

Sneasler’s cheeks warmed. She felt a hand up in front of her mouth and turned her gaze away. “Well… Yeah, it’d suck if you made all the way here and lost to some idiots like Team Wish. You don’t need me to tell you that.”

“We did. We absolutely did.”

Ingo and Sneasler made it to the tent. Ingo plopped onto his haybed and gazed up at the theory board he and Emmet made. It appeared that they wouldn’t need it anymore.

“So, do you actually have all your memories back?” Sneasler sat down next to Ingo.

“That is a good question, but it might be a better idea to explore once Emmet, Chandelure, and Eelektross return. For now, I want to see how much I remember about trains!” Ingo said.

“…Oh no,” Sneasler said.

“Where to begin?” Ingo grabbed the brim of his hat. “Perhaps with a simple definition? No, perhaps not, since you already know what a train is. How about different types?”

***

Emmet held onto Chandelure’s thin metallic arms for dear life as the ghost pokemon flew, their flames lapping at Emmet’s cap and ear feather.

“How can you even tell he’s awake from this far…?” Eelektross asked as he followed his partners. His question was in response to Chandelure’s reason for their extreme speed.

Palina, taking sentry duty as normal, noticed her gaze drawn toward blue flames in the distance. The outpost’s binoculars confirmed her suspicions. “The guests are Emmet, Chandelure, and Eelektross! And my goodness, they are coming this way hot! Open the gate, Lian!”

“I’m workin’ on it!” Lian tried to open the gate as fast as he could with stubby arms. He got the gate halfway up when Chandelure and Emmet squeezed through the opening. He paused and heard the excited pokemon zoom through the main halls to a destination Lian had a feeling he knew. Eelektross followed them with apologies that faded as he chased after them. Lian kept forgetting how long Eelektross’ body was and was reminded as the pokemon took 5 seconds to fully pass through the gate.

“…Now, the Normal and Super lines are similar in structure and share personnel, but Emmet and I personally ensure that each trainer’s team is appropriate for the line they are set to work in!” Ingo said to Sneasler, who nodded along.

“I AM EMMET! I AM HERE!” Emmet was literally thrown through the tent’s entrance. Sneasler jumped into action to catch him and prevent the tent’s collapse from the Sneasel projectile.

“Emmet! What a surprise! You arrived ahead of the schedule,” Ingo said.

“Oh, thank Ar- actually, no, I’m not gonna thank that bastard. Emmet! Ingo has been talking about trains for an hour!” Sneasler said.

“Is that so? My apologies, Sneasler. I did not expect my infodump to last that long!” Ingo said.

“You didn’t stop him?” Emmet asked Sneasler.

“You. I don’t need your logic,” Sneasler said. “Also, why did you fly in here??”

To answer her question, Chandelure also flew into the tent and straight into Ingo’s arms.

“Good day, my Chandelure,” Ingo said as he petted his pokemon’s head. “I apologize for worrying everyone. But several memories have returned to me during my rest.”

“Yep. The Arc Watch told us,” Emmet said.

“Do you… remember everything now?” Eelektross asked as he poked his head into the tent.

“Hm, a good question for certain. I doubt that an average person with no memory issues would remember all the details of their life at once,” Ingo said.

“I want to test it,” Emmet said. “Are you ready to start our journey, Ingo?” He pointed at Ingo and the ground.

“Journey?” Sneasler asked.

“Yes, I am prepared! All aboard!” Ingo pointed at Emmet and the ground.

“This is our first stop: Can you name all the pokemon we had before we came here?” Emmet asked.

“Let me think.” Ingo hummed. “Well, there’s Chandelure and Eelektross, of course. Then there’s Excadrill, the twin Haxoruses, Crustle, the twin Klinklangs, Garbodor, Durant, Galvantula, your many, many Joltiks…”

Chandelure and Eelektross followed along and nodded as Ingo listed off pokemon.

“There is also Archeops, Escavalier, Accelgor, Gliscor, Machamp-“

“Please break,” Emmet said. “I do not recognize those last two pokemon.”

“Yeah, neither do I…” Eelektross said.

Ingo sported a confused stare into the distance. “…Oh! I appear to be confusing our teams in Unova with my team from Hisui!”

“What are the other pokemon?” Emmet asked, curious to what pokemon Ingo raised on his own.

“Well, I mentioned Gliscor and Machamp. There is also Tangrowth, Alakazam, Magnezone, and Probopass. But that was only my main team. I trained several more pokemon for the sake of helping trainers through battles. I altered my team and trained numerous pokemon to craft the perfect opponents for each trainer that boards!”

Emmet’s ears perked up. “That’s like the Battle Subway.”

“Well, I was the only person running the battles instead of employing other trainers to fight first and there were no trains, but yes!” Ingo said.

“Here is our next stop: how did we meet Eelektross and Chandelure?” Emmet asked.

Ingo grabbed the brim of his cap. “…They were our first pokemon, though at the time, they were Tynamo and Litwick. When we turned 10, our parents gave us pokemon to start our journeys. Tynamo was given to you because you liked the strategic advantage of an electric-type pokemon with the ability Levitate.

“But Litwick was not supposed to be my first pokemon. A Litwick followed me around for days before our tenth birthday. Our parents were worried, but I wasn’t. When Emmet and I exchanged birthday gifts to the other, he gave me a pokeball to catch Litwick.” Ingo cracked a smile. “And Litwick became my pokemon with no delay.”

“Is that right?” Sneasler asked Eelektross and Chandelure.

“That’s… correct,” Eelektross said. He was the only witness to Chandelure’s gushing over Ingo being a cute kid. Eelektross noted how quickly Chandelure shrugged off the implication of Ingo’s family not liking them.

“Alright, now I see the course you’re taking!” Sneasler said. “Yo, Ingo. How did you meet my ancestor from Hisui?” Though Sneasler’s memories of Hisui were still spotty, she recalled her ancestor’s meeting of the strange warden well.

Ingo hummed as he thought. “That is a bit more unclear, probably due to my state of mind.”

***

Ingo woke up shivering. The landscape and sky were white. Red liquid pooled around him. Sharp pain radiated across his entire chest. He faded in and out of consciousness, as the pain both tried to make him faint and keep him awake. He couldn’t stop groaning, but his noises of pain were drowned out by a snowstorm raging.

“Someone! P-Please help me!” Ingo said. His groaning turned to crying. His body wanted to quit on him.

But he saw a light at the end of the tunnel, which took the shape of a tall humanoid figure with long claws and a basket on her back.

Ingo found himself getting picked up. The figure held him in her arms and began running. The pain did not let up once, but even though blood continued to pour from his wounds, he found warm safety in the tall stranger’s arms.

“Who is that?!” another figure said. It was a human. “Don’t worry, Sir. Please hold on, and we will help you.”

Ingo’s consciousness finally faded as the human began wrapping something around his torso.

When he woke up again, Ingo noticed something wrapped around his torso. He no longer shivered, as he was in a cave with a campfire nearby. Dried leaves and branches littered the cave. The only notable feature of the cave was an altar. He could see in the corner of his vision a mortar and pestle, shears, and berries and strange leaves next to his body.

Sitting next to Ingo was an elderly man. His violet hair was kept up in two ovular buns and had a moustache to match. He wore a pink tunic with a strange symbol, fluffy pants stuffed into white boots, and a long scarf. Next to the human was a long pokemon with violet and pink claws. The pokemon stood over both men, keeping her eye on the injured stranger.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” the man said. “Don’t try to stand or sit up yet. Your wounds are still healing. I’ll get you to a better healer once the storm clears.”

Ingo tried to sit up before remembering the man’s order. “Thank you for assisting me!” He saw the man and the pokemon jump when he spoke, indicating that he spoke too loudly. The cave echoing his words likely made it worse.

“Don’t thank me,” said the man as he recovered from the loud noise. “Thank Lady Sneasler. She was the one who saw your dark coat and smelled your blood in the storm.” He gestured to the pokemon.

The pokemon brought her hand up to her mouth and snickered in pride.

“Then thank you, Lady Sneasler! Thank you for guiding me to a safe station,” Ingo said.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what in the world attacked you? I’ve been a Warden for a long time, and I’ve never seen gashes like that, not even from an alpha,” the man asked. “There was no poison, no burns, nothing but a strange injury. What happened?”

“I… I have no clue.” Ingo hummed. His stare dozed off to the distance as he tried to backtrack events in his head. “I can’t recall what happened. I… do not even know my location. What station are we at?”

“The Coronet Highlands, specifically Lady Sneasler’s Seat. And let me ask, who are you? You’re not in the Diamond Clan or Ginkgo Guild, are you?”

“Who am I? Who I am is something I’m not certain about. I remember nothing from before you found me…”

“Do you have a name?”

“My name? My name… My name is… Ingo. My name is Ingo!”

“Ingo, huh? I’m Warden Jove from the Pearl Clan. Lady Sneasler here is my ward.”

“Thank you, Lady Sneasler and Warden Jove!” Ingo didn’t smile, but he was sure his gratitude came across.

Lady Sneasler walked to stand behind Ingo. She dropped and sat down, dragging the injured human’s head onto her lap.

Jove’s default fettered demeanor gave way to confusion. “Lady Sneasler? What are you doing?”

Lady Sneasler licked Ingo’s hair. She even picked at his hair, trying to clean him and make him look good.

“Is there something wrong with my head?” Ingo asked.

“Other than the amnesia, no, there isn’t… Lady Sneasler, is now really the time for grooming?” Jove stared at the Noble pokemon.

Lady Sneasler rose her free hand and shooed off Jove’s question. She loved Jove’s confused expressions.

“Well, I’m glad that Lady Sneasler took a shining to you. I guess we’ll figure out what to do with you once you’re better,” Jove said.

“Very well then! I hope to return to proper operating condition soon.” Ingo wasn’t completely sure where his words came from, but it made his thoughts easier to explain. Lady Sneasler’s grooming and the strange sensation it created took Ingo’s mind off his dire wounds, even as Jove’s anesthetics wore off. Ingo felt a little less afraid.  

***

“It now occurs to me that it was Chained Giratina that gave me those near-fatal injuries,” Ingo said. “I fear for what would have happened had Lady Sneasler not notice me in the cold. To returned to our main route: instead of perishing, I spent a couple years in the Pearl Clan and displaying my talent with taming pokemon. With Lady Sneasler’s and Clan Leader Irida’s approval, Warden Jove trained me to become a Warden – Lady Sneasler’s new Warden. Does that line up with your knowledge, Sneasler?”

Sneasler felt stuck something in her throat. “Y-Yeah, you got it. Did you have to mention the cleaning part, though?!”

“Of course! It was part of the circumstances of our meeting!” Ingo said.

“Ugh…” Sneasler didn’t want to admit that Ingo had a point. Recalling her ancestor’s perspective of the meeting reminded her of how much the old lady “took a shine” to the amnesiac, depressed Ingo. It was almost embarrassing to recall.

“We approach our final stop.” Emmet pointed again at Ingo. “How did we become friends with Elesa?”

Ingo paused to think. “…It was while Battle Subway was being constructed, am I correct? Elesa acted as both model and gym leader in Nimbasa City, and she wanted to test us. To be truthful, her aura intimidated me, but we both ended up battling her! I faced her in a singles line, and you faced her on the doubles line. I lost my battle, but you won yours, Emmet.”

Emmet shook his head. “I did not win. And I thought you did?”

“Shit, you have faulty memories?” Sneasler asked.

“…No, wait, didn’t both of you lose? I do remember underestimating her team…” Eelektross said. He looked over and saw Chandelure’s confused expression. “… And you remember winning. Of course, you do.”

“Perhaps our poor collective memories of the event mean that who won or lost doesn’t matter,” Ingo said. “I remember enjoying our battle! She was fun to adapt my strategy against!”

“Mm-hm! I had fun, too!” Emmet said. His smiled quivered. “…I miss Elesa.”

Ingo nodded in agreement. “I think it’s fair to conclude that my memories have returned…” His stare drifted to the distance.

“What’s on your mind, Ingo?” Sneasler asked.

“It… appears that Emmet and I are in a strange situation with no possible resolution. I now remember my duties as a Subway Boss, which is to guide others to their destinations and goals. Similarly, my duties as a Warden are to not only take care of Lady Sneasler but also to help others with matters about pokemon. But here I am, unable to fulfill either purpose.” Ingo began fidgeting with his sleeves. “But my duties here as a pokemon rescuer are just as important! All three roles are important! I cannot stay here, but staying in any one location would leave the other two locations empty.”

Emmet nodded. “I want to return to our origin. I want to see Elesa. I want to see my other pokemon. I want to have fun battles again as a trainer. …But I agree that I don’t want to leave you behind.” He pointed at Eelektross, Chandelure, and Sneasler when he said that.

Sneasler sighed. “You guys are talking about time travel. I mean, it’s obviously possible, but we’d need to meet with Celebi or Dialga, which is… easier said than done.”

“What a predicament you are in,” a familiar voice said. Ingo, Emmet, and Sneasler jumped from surprise.

“Giratina?” Ingo asked. “Are you present?”

“They’re right here,” Emmet said. He pointed to a large pot of water. In the pot, instead of seeing a normal reflection, the water showed the image of Giratina in the Distortion World. He and Ingo surrounded the pot.

“What are you doing in their water??” Sneasler asked, looking over the shoulders of the Sneasels.

“I can observe your world through reflections,” Giratina said. “Let me see if I got this right: you two wanna return to your old times for stuff while also coming back here when you want?”

“That is well put, yes,” Ingo said.

“What, you plan on talking to Dialga or Celebi or something?” Sneasler asked. “Because what they want is more time travel shit, and they’re the ones who can do that, right?”

“No. You won’t need those fools to help you.” Giratina smiled. “After all, you have me. I owe you my life. I know exactly how I can help you.”