Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Location: Central Nimbasa City

   Today has been a really long day. More so than usual, and that’s saying something considering that he is often very busy. The second Emmet and his brother walked into Gear Station at the start of their shift this morning, they were bombarded with work. Between back to back battles, paperwork, and running safety checks, he hasn’t had a moment to rest since he left the apartment with Ingo this morning. He feels like dead weight on his feet. Which is why he decided to wrap up his shift a little earlier than Ingo. Typically, Emmet wouldn’t leave even if he was tired… but he can barely function as it is because of how exhausted he is. It’s not safe to work in those conditions. 

   So, as soon as he had finished up his safety run of the Doubles Line, Emmet clocked out. Normally, he would be helping his brother run safety checks on the other lines right about now, but Ingo had insisted that he go home and rest. He’d said he was worried about Emmet and didn’t want him to overwork himself and Emmet found he couldn’t argue with his twin. There wasn’t much else to do that couldn’t be done tomorrow in the way of office work anyway. There is no point in torturing himself. Plus, Ingo enjoys making sure everything is in order. He trusts his brother is capable of finishing up at the station alone.

   Thus, Emmet is walking back to the apartment by himself.

   The moment he steps out of the front doors of Gear Station, wind blasts him in the face. It kicks up the ends of his coat and threatens to blow his hat off into the night. Emmet shudders and pulls his coat tighter around himself. Early spring weather is always a toss up in Nimbasa. It’s warm during the day, but the second the sun disappears, it gets cold again. Emmet should have worn his thicker coat or maybe he could have borrowed his brother’s Chandelure to combat the chill. He hates being cold with a passion!

   Alas, Emmet didn’t make the proper preparations and he’s too tired to turn back and wait for Ingo. All he can do is suffer for his lack of planning. He presses on, grumbling to himself. The second he gets home, Emmet is turning up the temperature in the apartment and he doesn’t care if Ingo complains. Surely his twin will understand that it’s necessary.

   The streets are rather empty tonight. Usually there are at least a couple people on the sidewalks or Pokémon out and about, but Emmet doesn’t see anything right now. There aren’t even cars on the road.

   How odd… maybe he hit it just right and beat the crowd. Yeah, that has to be it.

   Emmet pays the emptiness no mind as he strides down the sidewalk. It’s almost midnight. The after work rush must have passed. Him and his brother are normally on their way home much earlier than Emmet is now, after all. Due to how busy they were today, their shift had to be extended. That’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. There’s no need to be paranoid.

   The rest of Nimbasa is likely as lively as it always is. Plus, less people means he doesn’t have to fight his way through crowds in order to get home. The streets of Nimbasa are often dreadfully crowded. It’s nice to be able to move freely for a change.

   Emmet walks down to the end of the block, then turns right onto the next street. It’s just as empty here too. All the lights in the buildings he passes are off; nobody in sight. Now that’s more than a little weird… a single block being empty is nothing to be worried about, but two blocks in a row? That’s almost unheard of in a city like Nimbasa. Emmet’s skin crawls. Every step he takes feels almost heavy.

   Something is wrong. But he can’t exactly place what that something is. 

   He picks up the pace. Maybe when he gets home, the feeling will go away. He’s probably just jumpy, as a lack of sleep often makes him feel. Everything is fine. But maybe he should be aware just in case. Emmet focuses on the path he’s taking, glancing around occasionally. The sidewalk is silent. The world around him is still. 

   Emmet really doesn’t like this. His shoulders are tense and his hands are clenched… no, it’s okay. He’s alright. Just one foot in front of the other and he should be home in around five minutes.

   The path in front of him remains empty… is it getting colder? Emmet forgoes holding his coat closed in favor of just wrapping his arms around himself. The wind in his face is picking up speed as he presses forward. Emmet can see an alleyway opening coming up and just looking at it fills him with an odd sense of dread. His mouth tastes funny now. Like lead or something metallic. Emmet tries to ignore it. He doesn’t want to walk past that alley, but he has to in order to get home. Emmet will just walk by quickly. 

   His heart pounds in his chest as the opening draws closer. Emmet swears he can taste his pulse. 

   The alley is just a couple steps ahead now. If he strained, Emmet could almost peer into it. The wind around him grows sharp. Electric. Alive. It makes the hair on his arms stand on edge. A gust pushes against him, as if it’s trying to knock him back. He has to keep his head down just to keep moving. 

   He digs his heels into the pavement, pushing forward. The alley is right in front of him. 

   Emmet freezes for a moment as he reaches the mouth of it. He can’t move. His bones have locked in place like that of a science class skeleton. Something is going to happen. He’s sure of it. There’s an almost staticky energy here; as if he’s standing right next to a broken power line or an angry electric-type. Emmet shudders. He just has to get past it and everything will be okay. Emmet takes a breath. It tastes of sulfur.  

   A blur of white darts out in front of him and Emmet jumps. His heart leaps into his throat, ears ringing. What was that? He glances around, trying to find whatever that blur was. There’s nothing on the empty sidewalk to his left and the space in front of him is clear of blockages too. Emmet turns on his heel; nothing behind him either. His skin is buzzing, muscles tense. What was that? There had to be something there. 

   As frightened as he is, Emmet knows he wasn’t hallucinating. Something really did flash by him. So where is it? Nothing can just disappear like that, right? 

   A pressure erupts in his head, making his temples throb. It feels like something is trying to break his skull. Emmet is going to vomit.

   There’s a presence in front of him. An energy he can feel as if it was physical. He whips back around to the path ahead. 

   There’s something there now. 

   Emmet shouts, hand flying to his Pokéballs. Before him is… a golden ring?  Emmet has never seen anything like it before. It has odd spikes on the end of it and is bent in a weird shape, but it’s undeniably a ring. The strange glowing object hovers in place, unmoving in front of him. Is this the work of a Pokémon? Emmet glances around again. Still nothing. “Uhh… what are you?” He doesn’t know why he’s speaking to it, but he doesn’t know what else to do. “I-” Emmet is cut off when the ring starts to move towards him. Its glow gets brighter the closer it gets. What is it doing? Emmet can only stare at it.

   Unbeknownst to him, a figure watches from the heavens. They do not like that their domain is being breached. That human is not to be taken from them. As far as Truth is concerned, they are allowed to do whatever they want with the humans in their domain. Their creator is not allowed to have their favorite. They enter the mind of their human and give him a truth.

   Emmet trembles as he watches the ring. He feels like he’s been glued to the ground, unable to move. Then, he smells smoke. 

   You are not safe. Run, Emmet.

   He flinches at the weird fuzziness in his head. It feels hot. Like he’s standing in front of a raging wildfire. His lungs ache like he’s breathing in ash. Where did that come from?

   The ring is right in front of him. Its glow burns Emmet’s eyes.

   He doesn’t have time to think about the strange voice in his head as the ring swoops towards him. Nope. Fuck no. 

   Whatever pressure was holding Emmet in place is lifted and he jumps to the side to dodge the ring. He manages to get past it without it touching him before Emmet starts sprinting down the street. He is aware he probably looks ridiculous, but he doesn’t care. The wind is wailing like an anguished spirit and clawing at his coat as he runs. Emmet does not want to be outside anymore. He just wants to be within the safety of his apartment. The streets of Nimbasa are creepy when nobody is around! 

   Thankfully, Emmet is not that far from home.

   Every step he takes puts more distance between himself and that awful ring. Yet it feels like something is still hot on his heels. Chasing him. Emmet can’t stop. Not even for a moment.

   He will get home if it’s the last that he ever does. That is Emmet’s Truth.

   It takes him about five minutes to finally get to his apartment building. There are more people in this area. Good. There’s safety in numbers right? Emmet all but bursts into the lobby, startling a couple people, and makes a beeline for the elevator. The doors open right as he reaches them, allowing Emmet to step inside. He hits the button for the third floor, then leans back against the wall of the elevator. His clothes are all tousled and his chest is heaving…

   What in the name of the dragons just happened? 

   Emmet is out of the elevator the second the doors open again and in his apartment just as quickly. As the door clicks shut behind him, Emmet presses himself back against it and releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding. His body is still tingly and he feels as if he can barely hold himself upright.

   What in the world was that?

   It was unlike anything he’s even heard of! And that energy around it was terrible. It felt like he was going to die! Emmet…

   He blinks. All of sudden, his head feels like it’s filled with fog. The room around him spins. Emmet squeezes his eyes shut, trying to combat the wave of nausea that rolls over him. He feels like he’s going to throw up.

   The sensation lasts for a minute, then the fog recedes and the nausea slowly dies down. Emmet opens his eyes, dragging in a deep breath. 

   What… what was Emmet just thinking about? He could have sworn that he knew just a second ago. Emmet was… he was… afraid of something, right? But what? 

   Hmm. Maybe Emmet was just paranoid. He tends to feel anxious when he’s alone in the dark. A good night’s sleep should make him feel better. Whatever frightened him won’t be able to harm him while he’s in his apartment anyway. Everything is fine. 

   He stands there for a moment longer before finally pushing himself off the door. Emmet can’t waste his time standing around forever. Now that he’s home, he has to make sure everyone is fed before going to bed. He decides to cast the strange fear he’d just felt aside. There’s no use dwelling on it. 

   Emmet sheds his coat, hanging it up on the coat rack by the door before slipping his shoes off. He then walks deeper into the space, sliding his gloves off and shoving them into his pocket. Emmet passes the light switch, not bothering to turn the lights on as he makes a beeline for the kitchen. He knows the layout of their apartment like the back of his hand, after all. No lights needed. Though Emmet also knows Ingo will just flip the switch on when he comes home. It’s become somewhat of a routine for them. Emmet leaves lights off and Ingo flips them on. That's simply how they've been doing it for years.

   Once he’s in the kitchen, Emmet opens the cabinet with all the Pokémon food in it and grabs one of the bags. They'd gotten a new brand recently. All of their Pokémon seem to love it, which makes Emmet happy. It's cheaper than the brand they'd been using before, and the ingredients are much better for the Pokémon. He might as well feed his team while he waits for Ingo to get home. Their bowls are already lined up on the counter where Emmet had laid them out this morning.

   Ingo has always found Emmet’s habit of washing the bowls and setting them out for later a little odd, but it does make things more efficient! Ingo says that it adds so much time to Emmet's morning routine, but it only adds about ten minutes and Emmet likes waking up earlier anyway. He's often too tired to do dishes after work, so this way works better for him. Ingo prefers to just do his dishes when he gets home. Being up late is more Ingo's thing; Emmet is not a night owl like his brother. Already, Emmet finds himself longing for his bed. Alas, he can’t let himself sleep until Ingo gets home and they’ve had dinner. 

   Emmet pours food in all of the bowls, then sets the bag aside to put a couple of them on the floor. Once the dishes are ready, he reaches down to his belt and plucks off all the Pokéballs he has with him before tossing them up in the air. His team appears in a flash of light, followed by happy chattering. Cavern, Ingo’s Excadrill, and Emmet’s Durant, Attitude, waste no time in racing to their food bowls. Archie is right behind them. The feathered Pokémon shoves his way to one of the bowls, drawing annoyed grumbles from his companions. Emmet just sighs at their antics. His Pokémon are always eager for food. They act like they’ve been starved all their lives! Emmet isn't sure how Ingo gets his to be so well behaved... well, most of them anyway. Cavern is just as rowdy as Emmet's team.

   “Easy now! You’re going to make yourself verrry sick if you don’t slow down.” Emmet hardly gets a reaction from them. Though, he can hear Engine’s mechanical whirr beside him before they float over to their own food dish. “Well, at least one of you has sense.” There’s a hiss to his right and Captain smacks Emmet with his tail. The motion has little jolts of electricity running up Emmet’s spine. “Ah, I didn’t mean you of course. You have plenty of sense, Captain. Now go eat your food too. I’ve gotta feed the Joltik.” The Eelektross huffs at Emmet, but ultimately moves down to eat his food.

   With that, Emmet snatches the last two bowls from the counter and heads over to the living room. There’s already a hoard of Joltik waiting for him on the coffee table, buzzing and chirping at him. Emmet’s grin widens upon seeing them. A new clutch of Joltik hatched not long ago and it seems they’re already strong enough to be venturing out of the den he’d made in the guest room. “Goood evening, passengers! Our sincerest apologies for the wait! You’ve all been so patient. I thank you kindly for your cooperation. As Ingo would say: bravo!” He sets the bowl down and the Joltik are on it in an instant. Emmet reaches down to snatch a berry from the dish before turning towards the hallway.   

   He lifts his hat as he walks, fumbling a little due to both his hands being full. Emmet manages to get it off though and he offers the berry to Conductor, who almost never leaves Emmet's hat. The little Joltik buzzes at him, taking the fruit happily. Now there’s only one more stop on the dinner train.

   Thunderfangs hasn’t left the guest room turned den since she had her clutch. She usually doesn’t leave until at least a week after all her young are grown enough to start wandering around the apartment. Emmet knows she’s still got some Joltik in her nest, so she’s been rooted in the guest room for a while. Emmet pauses in front of the door, knocking twice. “Thunderfangs? I brought dinner. May I come in?” He waits patiently until he hears a soft buzz come from the other side. As soon as he has her acceptance, Emmet cracks the door open and slips inside.

   The lights in the room are down low so the atmosphere is calm enough for the Galvantula and her Joltik. It's probably the calmest space in the whole apartment. Thunderfangs is curled up in her web in the corner, where she has been for the past couple days. Emmet smiles at her as she clicks her mandibles at him. “Greetings. Here you are,” Emmet says, placing the dish down near her web. “I added a little more to your dish today. Both for yourself and the little ones you’ve still got with you.”  Thunderfangs chitters at him; an expression of her gratitude.

   Emmet gives her a salute before leaving the room. He doesn't want to linger too long. Thunderfangs gets kind of antsy if he overstays his welcome. She's still protective of her Joltik right now and Emmet can respect that.

   Finally, all the Pokémon are fed. Now Emmet has to deal with himself. Ah, but he should check on Ingo too. Pausing in the hallway, Emmet shoots Ingo a text asking him when he’ll be home. Ingo is quick to reply; soon.

   Alright, then Emmet should probably start figuring out dinner for him and his brother. Ingo will likely be hungry by the time he gets home.

   Emmet walks back into the living room, setting his hat down on the cushion next to him. Conductor is still enjoying his Cherri berry inside of it. Emmet doesn’t really feel like cooking, so he swipes out of his messages to look for places to order from. He spends a good ten minutes looking through menus from different places before deciding on one that he likes. There’s a new place that just opened down the street. Maybe Ingo would like to try it? They don’t usually like to stray away from foods they know they’ll like, but maybe something new won’t hurt tonight. Emmet scrolls through the menu again for a minute, just to be sure that he is actually okay with what's on it. Yeah, looks promising. He’ll ask Ingo. Emmet opens his messages again.

Hey, Ingo.

There’s a new place that opened down the street.

Want to try it?

   He waits for a moment. No answer. Huh… Ingo replied to him not that long ago. Is his brother not looking at his XTrans? Emmet will just wait a little longer. Surely Ingo is just busy.

   A minute bleeds into two… then five… then another ten.

   Ingo isn’t answering.

   That’s not right. Ingo always answers within a few minutes, no matter what. His brother is always punctual because he knows how stressed Emmet gets when he isn’t. So why isn’t Ingo answering? Is he okay? Did something happen? No, panicking won’t do him any good. Emmet is sure Ingo is fine…

   He stares at his screen, waiting for the blinking dots to show up. Surely Ingo is fine. He’ll answer any minute now… nothing. Emmet’s leg bounces as he sits on the couch, waiting for a response. The more time passes, the more anxious Emmet gets. Ingo should be out of Gear Station by now. Maybe he’d gotten caught up by something on the streets? Or an eager trainer looking for a battle? That happens somewhat often here in Nimbasa. Yeah. Emmet will just wait a little longer… 

   It would be good to get his mind off it for now. Emmet has been working on trying to manage his stress levels. So, he drags in a deep breath and tries to come up with another task to do.

   Emmet is still in his work clothes. He can take a shower and change his clothes. That should be enough to calm him down. Ingo will be home by then... yes. Emmet is sure of it. They don't live very far from Gear Station, after all. How much longer could it take Ingo to get home?

   Nothing.

   Ingo is not home by the time Emmet is done in the shower. He didn't hear the door open. Emmet opens his messages again. Still no response. It's been an hour now. An hour and Ingo isn't answering him. Ingo is never not on schedule. If anything, Ingo is far more punctual than Emmet is. Which makes this very out of character. Emmet feels sick… something is wrong, verrry wrong. He can feel it like a rock settling in his stomach.

   Still, Emmet forces himself to dry his hair and brush his teeth before leaving the bathroom. Not taking care of himself would upset his twin.

   Once that’s done, Emmet doesn't bother going back out to the living room, instead moving towards his bedroom. It's dark. Emmet leaves the lights off, walking over to his bed and sitting down on the edge. 

   Emmet clicks on his brother's contact, trying to call Ingo. He’s fine. Everything is fine. Nothing is wron-

   *This number cannot be reached.* 

   Something is very wrong. Beyond that. Something bad happened. Something happened to Ingo and Emmet wasn’t there to help him… Emmet left him. Alone in the station. Emmet should have been there with him, but he went home early. He just had to leave his twin behind and now Emmet doesn’t know what happened to him. Emmet should have stayed with his brother. He should have refused to leave his twin’s side. Why didn’t he stay with Ingo?! 

   There must be a problem at Gear Station. That's the last place Ingo had been before he stopped responding. Is he still there or did he leave? Emmet isn't sure, but he's got a fast way to find out.

   He shoots up from his bed and marches over to his desk. His computer is sitting there, still plugged into its charger. Emmet practically yanks it out and brings it over to his bed. He flops back down into the spot he'd been in moments ago. Emmet’s movements are robotic as he types in his password and opens the app he’d installed to be connected to Gear Station’s cameras. He checks over the current feed first. Everything looks fine in the station. Nobody is there now. Emmet moves to the cameras installed on the Battle Lines. Doubles is fine. So is Multis… there’s something wrong with the footage on the Singles Line. It’s all grainy and distorted… that’s weird. Verrry weird. Emmet’s heart is pounding in his chest.

   He goes back into the logs for the Singles Line, scrolling through from the beginning of the work day. Everything is fine. Nothing seems out of place.

   Emmet can see Ingo battling against all the passengers that came aboard today. Nothing is wrong… until Emmet gets to the logs from a couple hours ago. Four hours ago, the feed started getting fuzzy. No other issues. Two hours ago, the audio cuts out randomly before coming back on. An hour ago, Ingo is standing at the end of the line, doing his safety run… then the feed gets really fuzzy. Emmet can barely make out his brother’s form moving to sit on the seats. Bad. Ingo shouldn’t be slacking off on the job. No, that’s not important right now! His brother is sitting there for a minute, then the video cuts out. The static gets really loud, mixing with what sounds like thunder, then there's banging and screeching. Then all the sound goes abruptly silent.

   The screen remains black for what feels like an eternity before flickering back on. Ingo is gone. 

   What happened? Where did Ingo go?! The audio was horrifying. It sounded like Ingo was being attacked! Emmet feels nauseous… Ingo couldn't have gotten off the Singles Line, could he? Was the camera blacked out long enough for Ingo to have reached the station? The subway was stopped when the camera clicked back on... so maybe Ingo got off? But then what happened in the car? Nothing was damaged other than the camera, even though it sounded horrific.

   Emmet scrolls through the other logs. The main entrance has nothing. Neither does the back. There’s no signs of break in, or of anything being moved. Nothing. Ingo is just gone. 

   Emmet can’t breathe.

   His chest squeezes and his head is spinning. This can't be happening. This is a bad dream. Emmet is hyperventilating. That's bad. He knows that's bad. He can't stop. Where did his brother go? Why can't he find him on the cameras? The Singles Line camera appears to be the only one that isn't working. So at least one of the other cameras should have seen Ingo. Why didn't they? 

   With shaking hands, Emmet turns his wrist and opens his phone app. He clicks the first contact he sees. It rings. Once. Twice.

   "Hey, Em! It's rather late, not that I don't appreciate your call. What's up?" Elesa's cheerful voice says through the phone. Emmet can't return her energy. He can barely even think right now. 

   “E-Elesa…. ‘Lesa… Ingo-... Ingo… Gone. He’s gone. Elesa, he’s gone.” Saying it out loud only makes the truth settle in. Ingo's gone. He's not late. He's not caught up with something in Gear Station…

   Ingo is gone.

   Emmet wipes away the warm streaks spilling down his cheeks. No. Now is not the time to derail. He can’t stop himself from sobbing. It's loud enough that he can see the colorful blurs of Pokémon in his doorway through his peripheral. He doesn't dare look at them. Emmet knows he'll break down if he does.

   There are words being spoken. It takes Emmet a moment to process them. "What?! Emmet! What do you mean Ingo is gone!?”

   "... Footage.. the subway footage.... Elesa, he wasn't-.. he wasn't answering me! He's not coming back... I saw-... on the-the cameras.... the Singles Line... the cameras cut out and Ingo was gone!! There was screaming and-... it’s awful. He- he never even got off... I can't find him!" Emmet can feel a weight settle over his shoulders. He glances back, finding Captain curled around him. The Eelektross makes a whining coo and Emmet finally snaps. He wraps his arms around Captain, wailing into the electric Pokémon's scales. His brother is missing.

   Emmet should have stayed at the station with Ingo. But he didn't and now he's lost Ingo.

   Elesa sounds like she's panicking. Emmet can barely make out her words, as there's a lot of movement happening on the other end of the line. "I'm coming to you... just hang on, I'll be over there in five. And I'm calling the police too. Everything is going to be okay. We'll find him."

   No. Nothing will be okay. How can anything be okay now that Ingo is no longer here? His twin brother is missing. Until his brother is safe and sound at his side, nothing is ever going to be alright again. But that will not be so. Not tonight. Not for a while. Emmet already knows. What he's witnessed on the cameras is beyond what Emmet can even begin to understand.

   Ingo isn't coming home.

Chapter Text

Location: Gear Station

Time: 4:56 am

   Emmet is standing in front of the Singles subway, his computer clenched in his hands. All the lights are on and the doors are open while police search the vehicle. Another team was sent to scope out the rest of the station; they’ve been searching for three hours.

   Nobody has found anything.

   Every second of this fruitless search is driving Emmet crazy. All he can do is stand on the platform, staring at the metal grates in the floor. The fluorescent lights above him buzzing and there are muffled voices of people coming from multiple places and there’s a beeping somewhere to his left and static coming from police radios… Emmet’s foot taps against the floor. So much noise.

   He feels numb. He should be helping search the tunnels, not standing here and being useless. Emmet knows this station better than anyone. But they’re making him stay by the subway. They said they needed him to be in sight. That’s stupid. Verrry stupid. Emmet isn’t the one they are after, so why does he have to stay put?

   Emmet feels useless, standing on the very platform Ingo never returned to. His hands clench tighter.

   Someone clears their throat. Emmet doesn’t look up, but he can hear whoever it is getting closer to him. “Em? The police want to talk. Can you handle that?” Elesa says. She reaches out for him, but Emmet steps back. He doesn’t want to be touched right now. His skin is crawling and he feels sick. Being touched would just make it so much worse. 

   The last thing he wants to do is talk to the police. Emmet does not like them. He is quite sure they do not like him either. This whole time, they have been either ignoring him or telling him to stay put when he tries to sneak away.

   Emmet does not like them.

   He can’t find the words to speak right now, so Emmet just nods curtly. If he refuses to talk to them, they are just going to waste time trying to convince him. Emmet does not want to waste time. Time is precious in cases like this. He’d prefer the police spend more of it looking for his brother than talking to him.

   Elesa accepts his nonverbal answer. Good.

   She’s walking away a moment later, presumably to get whoever wants to speak to him. He waits in his spot by one of the benches on the platform until he hears footsteps coming towards him again. Emmet foot taps faster.

   The footsteps stop just in front of him. Emmet stares at their shoes, unable to force himself to meet someone’s eyes. If he does, Emmet is not certain he will be able to hold himself together. He has to keep his composure. Otherwise this conversation is going to take longer.

   He recognizes Elesa’s yellow flats, so he focuses on them instead of the black boots of the officer. “Hello, Mr. Cartwright. I am Officer Jenkins. I’d like to ask you some questions, if that’s alright?”

   Emmet hums, which confuses the officer. Elesa takes over for him. “Sorry, sir. Emmet tends to get quiet when he’s stressed. You can go ahead and ask your questions.”

   Officer Jenkins sighs. Emmet can hear the annoyance in the sound, but he doesn’t call attention to it. “Alright… Can you tell me what you were doing when your brother disappeared?” His tone is stern. Void of emotion. Like this is just any old day. 

   Emmet bristles. How can he say that so bluntly? It hurts to even think about it. Just how heartless can someone be? Breaking down over it won’t get Emmet anywhere though. Remain calm. Emmet can get through this. He drags in a shaky breath, forcing himself to smile as he lifts his head. A glance at the man’s face tells Emmet all he needs to know about him; an older man with a deep frown on his face and a certain sternness in his brown eyes… Emmet doesn’t like people like this guy. They’re all mean. “Home. I… was home. I tried to contact him. Didn’t answer… I checked the cameras. Verrry bad.”

   “How so?”

   He can’t put what he saw into words. If he even tried, Emmet would not be able to keep himself together. He’s glad he decided to bring his computer to show the evidence. Emmet holds out his computer to Officer Jenkins. “Here. See it.” The older man doesn’t seem to appreciate his tone, but accepts the computer anyway. Elesa also leans closer, likely wanting to know what happened herself. Emmet just watches Officer Jenkins open it and scroll around for a second. Then the audio starts to play and Emmet can’t breathe. He immediately moves away from them, striding over to the subway. Emmet can’t freak out; find something else to focus on.

   The police officers in the subway barely acknowledge Emmet as he steps on board. They’re too busy trying to find evidence of anything. One is crouched by the seats where Ingo was sitting and another is by the door on the other side of the car, both looking for anything out of place. Emmet could tell them that there’s nothing. It looks the same as it always does. Not even a speck of dust is out of place.

   He doesn’t want to call attention to himself. Emmet would prefer they focus on their tasks anyway. It makes it easier for him to compose himself. 

   “Mr. Cartwright?” Someone says from behind him. Damn it. Emmet had been hoping to have a moment to himself, but it seems the universe just doesn’t want to be kind to him. Well, he can’t get out of it now. Emmet turns around, giving the young woman before him a strained smile. The lady doesn’t wait for a response. “We found these Pokéballs underneath the seats. If you would allow it, we would like to take them with us as evidence for evaluation.” She holds up six Pokéballs that Emmet recognizes instantly. His heart drops into his stomach. 

   Those are Ingo’s Pokéballs… he doesn’t have his Pokémon with him. Ingo is alone wherever he went. His twin would never abandon his team! And take them away for evaluation? No, Emmet won’t allow that. Ingo’s Pokémon don’t deserve to be treated like evidence. They’re living creatures with lives and feelings and a home to come back to. He’ll be damned if he lets anything happen to them in Ingo’s absence. They need to be going home with Emmet. If they cannot have In-… they will have Emmet at the very least. “Nope. I am Emmet. No way.”

   The officer doesn’t like that answer, though she tries not to let it show. She gives him a tense smile; all teeth, like the snarl of a feral Pokémon. “Sir… we’ll only need them for a few days at most. Please, let us take them-”

   “Negative. They are coming home with me. No discussion.” Emmet says, voice clipped. He snatches the Pokéballs from her nearly manicured hands. The action is rather rude, but Emmet has a feeling she might not have given them up easily had he not forced her too. He stuffs them into his pockets. Letting Ingo’s team out right now doesn’t seem like a good idea and Emmet is not sure he has the strength to face them. If he does… he can’t allow himself to break down around other people. Nope. No time to derail. Everybody smile. “Goodbye now.”

   Emmet turns on his heel and strides out of the subway.

   Elesa and Officer Jenkins are still watching the footage. It’s awful. Elesa is pale and covering her mouth with her hand and Officer Jenkins also looks disturbed. Emmet can’t go back over there, so he heads off towards the entrance to the tunnels. Finally a chance to slip away from this horrible place. He wants to help look. Emmet has been wasting time on platform three anyway.

   He’s been wandering around the tunnels for almost an hour now. Every step he takes is a lost cause. Emmet knows he will find nothing but empty tunnels and darkness, yet he keeps wandering. He feels like a ghost, drifting from tunnel to tunnel. It’s stupid, but Emmet hopes that he’ll find his brother somehow. Maybe he’ll just be crouched down by one of the electrical panels, fixing some issue there or searching for Joltik to stop them from draining electricity from the third rail. In his imagination, Ingo never answered Emmet’s messages because of something mundane like that.

   Every tunnel is empty. He’s not there. Ingo is gone.

   Emmet’s hands are clenched at his sides. This isn’t fair at all. How could Ingo have disappeared in Gear Station? They’ve spent so much time here; so many years. Even before Ingo and Emmet became Subway Bosses, they still came to visit often because their mom was the Station Master. Their childhoods were spent racing across platforms and playing hide and seek in the maintenance tunnels. And when they got older, they worked as Depot Agents. They helped maintain the subway system and the trains themselves. Then finally, they took over and created the Battle Subway. They know these tunnels like the backs of their hands. Ingo couldn’t have just gotten lost.

   His footsteps echo around the silent tunnel as his boots click against the tracks.

   The station feels hollow. This was their dream, their pride and joy. Emmet still remembers sitting in the living room of their childhood home, drawing blueprints for the Battle Subway with crayons. Their mom was so proud of those childish drawings. They’re still framed and hanging up in their parents’ house. Emmet stares down at the empty tracks as he walks.

    It’s so cold.

   “Emmet! Em, where are you?” Elesa’s voice echoes around the tunnel. Emmet doesn’t want to face her, but he knows he’ll have to. She’s not the type of person to give up easily. So, he stops. He doesn’t move to find Elesa or attempt to keep going. Emmet just stands there until he sees light illuminating the tunnel. He didn’t bring a lantern. He doesn’t need one. Emmet fares just fine in darkness… “Ah! Oh, there you are. You scared me! I thought you-... well…”

   Emmet winces. He knows what she is trying to say. She was worried he’d disappeared too. Fighting the way his stomach rolls at the thought, Emmet forces a smile as he turns to face Elesa. She looks tired. Her hair is messy and her makeup is smudged. Emmet’s never seen her look anything less than put together.  “I am Emmet. Hello, Elesa… I am fine.” Really, he is fine. For now. Emmet can ignore his emotions for the time being. 

   Elesa is not convinced, but she doesn’t try to press the matter. He’s grateful for that. Emmet is not sure he would have been able to handle that. “Right. Uh, the police are done with their search of the station. They said they were leaving to go over the case. I said that was fine. Hopefully they’ll have some answers sometime soon,” Elesa says. Emmet just nods along. He appreciates that she’s just giving him the rundown. Anything longer and Emmet wouldn’t have been able to listen. A beat of quiet passes and then Elesa clears her throat. “You should probably call your parents, Em.”

   His parents? Dread washes over Emmet like a tidal wave. “I am Emmet. It’s… it’s so early in the morning. I can call them later.”

   “Emmet! They have to know.”

   Objectively, Emmet knows that. He knows that he should have probably called their parents first, but… Emmet doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to wake them up with such horrible news. He doesn’t want them to feel just as hopeless and distraught as Emmet currently is. And most of all, he doesn’t want them to worry about him. This isn’t fair. Just the thought of the conversation that will follow makes Emmet feel sick. He doesn’t want to deal with this right now. “This is terrible news to wake them up with! Yup. Verrry bad news, Elesa.”

   She sighs. Elesa knows that this is tough on Emmet. Of course it is! The twins have rarely ever been apart and Ingo is missing. This isn’t something that can just easily be brushed off.

   Elesa is feeling terrible herself and it’s probably so much worse for Emmet. She can see that he’s already close to bursting at the seams. But eventually they’ll have to let everyone know that Ingo is gone. It’s the right thing to do. That doesn’t make it any less difficult though. She just wishes she knew how to properly help Emmet. Ingo has always been the one who understands him best and Elesa has been their friend since they were all young, but it’s just not the same. “I… You’re right. But someone has to tell them eventually. It’s better to just do it now.”

   Silence. Then, Emmet nods. She’s right. He knows Elesa is right. Emmet can force himself through a phone call. For the sake of his parents. “Okay. Can you give me some space?”

   Elesa nods. “Of course. I’ll go wait for you back by the main entrance… if you’re not back in an hour, I’m coming back to find you.” With that, Elesa turns and walks back towards the platform. The clicking of her footsteps echoes around the tunnel. Emmet just stands there and listens to the sound until it fades away into silence. Emmet is alone again.

   Being alone did not bother him before. It’s so quiet that Emmet’s ears are ringing. 

   Emmet turns on his heel and strides over to the wall of the tunnel, then slides down against it. He should be more concerned about getting his coat dirty (he doesn’t even remember grabbing it), but Emmet finds he just can’t be bothered. What’s the point in even keeping his coat clean if his brother is no longer here to match with him. What’s the point of anything without Ingo? Emmet feels like a piece of himself is gone. 

   He stares at the wall in front of him. What would Ingo be doing in this situation? Surely he wouldn’t be sitting on the floor doing nothing. His brother wouldn’t rest until he found Emmet if this was the other way around. But Ingo isn’t here to be doing anything and Emmet can’t force himself to get back up. 

   At the very least, Emmet should do as Elesa said and call his parents. Turning his wrist, Emmet types in his password. The feeling of dread in his gut increases with every passing second. He opens his contacts and scrolls down to his mother’s number. She’s more likely to answer at a time like this than his father would be. Emmet stares at her number, finger hovering over the call button. His chest feels tight. Before he can back out, Emmet clicks the button and his XTrans starts to ring.

   It rings and rings until it goes to voicemail. Emmet ends the call, then redials. Voicemail. He tries again. His XTrans rings twice before the call is picked up. Emmet opens his mouth to say something, but the words get caught in his throat and end up coming out as a choked sound. There’s shuffling on the other end of the line, then his mother is speaking.

   “Emmet? Is that you? It’s so early in the morning, hun. What’s wrong?” Her voice is still raspy from sleep. Emmet must have woken her up. He’d been hoping she would have already been awake, but it seems Emmet’s luck is really bad right now. “Hello? Emmet, please answer me.”

   Her prompting derails Emmet’s train of thought. He drags in a shaking breath. Is he even going to be able to get through this? Maybe he should have asked Elesa to do it… no. It would be easier to hear it coming from him. Emmet exhales, attempting to gather his composure. “H-... hey Ma… Iiii’m…” He’s stuttering again… Emmet really wishes Ingo were here to do the talking for him… that thought has an involuntary sob rising in his throat. He can’t get many words out, so Emmet decides to just get the important part out. “I-Ingo’s… mmmmissing.”

   That does the trick. “What?! Missing!! What do you mean he’s missing?!” There’s more movement on the other end of the line and Emmet assumes she’s getting out of bed.

   “H-he’s gone, Ma… he nnnnever… neveeer came home… call-called the police… couldn’t find him. Ma, Ingo’s gggone.” The tears that Emmet had been trying to force back spring forward and he finds himself crying again. Warm trails streak down his face as he stares at the darkness in front of him. His mother is shouting now, but Emmet can’t really make out what she’s saying. She must have put the phone down to try to wake up his father. That’s fine. Emmet doesn’t want her to hear him sobbing right now.

Location: Emmet’s Apartment

Time: An Hour Later 

   Elesa ended up having to drag Emmet out of Gear Station. He was a mess. His face was red and soaked with tears and he couldn’t get a single word out without stuttering, so he’d stopped talking on their way back to his apartment.

   Emmet is miserable. It feels like the world is crashing down on him, like nothing will ever be okay again.

   When they got to the apartment, Elesa brought him over to the couch and rushed to grab one of the blankets from his room. Apparently she thinks some 'TLC' will do him good. He knows she's just trying to get his mind off what happened. Emmet didn’t have the heart to tell her it won't work.

   Emmet’s team was quick to come find them and Elesa had taken the Pokéballs from his pocket and released Ingo’s team as well. Lavender was immediately on Emmet, chiming mournfully and circling around him. When she deemed him well enough, she settled in his lap. She’s been wailing softly since. The other Pokémon busied themselves with tasks. Mudball, Ingo’s Crustle, scampered after Elesa to help get blankets with Attitude and Ingo’s Haxorus, Whistle, hot on his heels. Thunderfangs came out of her den and went with Captain to the kitchen. Cavern is pressed against Emmet’s side, careful of his metal pieces and Archie is perched on Emmet’s shoulders. The warmth is comforting. Even all the Joltik have found things to do in the form of helping transport things as a team.

   It takes some time for Elesa to come back into the living room with an armful of blankets. By then, Captain had brought Emmet a water and is curled up on the couch on one side of him with Thunderfangs on the other. Elesa stops by the couch to wrap a blanket around Emmet. Mudball has a pillow on his shell, and both Attitude and Whistle also have blankets that they give to their teammates. Once everything is distributed, Elesa offers Emmet a smile that looks more like a grimace before she walks over to the armchair nearby.

   Neither of them say anything for some time. Elesa just stares off into space while Emmet idly pets Lavender’s glass body. His brother’s Chandelure looks just as miserable as Emmet feels. Her flames are dim and her body is colder than normal. In the absence of her trainer, Lavender must feel terrible. Ghost types tend to bond deeply, after all… Emmet holds her a little tighter.

   Elesa clears her throat. “I got a call from your parents. They said they were coming here. They want to check in on you and see if there’s anything they can do to help the investigation.”

   Emmet nods a little at her words. Normally he would be a little more annoyed that his parents were essentially coming over without warning, but he can’t bring himself to be right now. He doesn’t want to be alone… Emmet isn’t ready to face how quiet the world will be without his brother. “Okay.”

   Neither of them say another word, simply sitting together in the darkness of the living room.

Chapter Text

Shift: ??? Perspective 

   He evaded them. A mere mortal escaped their grasp. They attempted to bring him to their domain and he ran away from them. That shouldn’t be possible! And yet he has done it. They even had to go through the trouble of erasing his memory of the incident. If they hadn’t, the human would have hidden away from them. They couldn’t have that.

   The one in black was much easier to catch… though that is because they made it impossible for him to evade them. There was no way out for him. Regardless, it should not be so that the one in white can escape them. Their will is absolute for humanity.

   Could it be that there is another who has authority over this human? That must be the case. Otherwise a simple mortal would not have gotten away from them. What are the guardians of this region again? They are… ah yes, the dragons. Lowly legends compared to them, but respectable nonetheless. 

   They will have to call upon the dragons and ask of their involvement. They know the dragons are very protective of those in their domain. It is within the nature of a dragon to hoard, after all. Though if either of them have meddled with their affairs, they are going directly against their creator’s will. They will not stand for this, but they have bigger issues to address before they deal with that. For now, they will focus on this human. 

   He is sleeping now. Surely he cannot escape them in such a state. 

   They appear in the human’s chamber in a flash of light, hovering over his bedside. He seems to be completely unconscious. They lean closer, attempting to enter his mindspace… their energy is forced right back out. Blocked. They try again, only to once more be blocked. They cannot enter this human’s mind. How bothersome.

   There has to be something causing this. They look around the human’s room. Perhaps his home is being protected? If so, they cannot enter his mind in this space.

   Oh yes. They can feel a fiery energy over this space. Annoying… but fixable. They will just send the human outside of this home. Surely they can call him to their domain from there. 

   Now to compel the human to do as they say. They lean over the human once more, then press their face to his forehead. A bright light pulses through the room, then their physical form dissipates and the human’s eyes snap open.

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective

Time: 6:10 am 

   Emmet’s eyes snap open and he drags in a sharp breath. The room around him feels oddly charged and his head feels strange; like it's filled with fog. He’s felt this before… he can’t remember when.

   A sense of dread fills Emmet as he stares at the ceiling. His mouth tastes like metal. He blinks against the darkness of his bedroom. Emmet feels hot, like he’s overheating. When did he get here? The last thing Emmet recalls is sitting in the living room with Elesa and his Pokémon. What happened after that? Emmet doesn’t remember falling asleep at all, though clearly he did. Elesa must have brought him to his bed, then. Or maybe it was one of the Pokémon. He should go check on them just to be sure everything is okay.

   Before he can get up, there’s a flash of golden light and Emmet flinches against it, but it doesn’t stop. He tries to cover his eyes; he can’t block it out. Static buzzes across his skin. He shouldn’t look at the light. The light is bad. But It only gets brighter and brighter, demanding to be seen. Emmet can’t ignore it. His hand falls away from his face and his eyes open. The fog gets thicker… 

   Emmet should go outside. He should watch the sunrise. 

   Outside. Yes, being outside sounds like a good idea. Maybe the cool air will help with the pounding headache growing behind Emmet’s eyes. There’s no use staying inside. It’s a waste of a perfectly good morning. Emmet smiles as he pushes himself up. He’s excited to go see the sky. It will be wonderful, won’t it? Emmet slides over to the edge of his bed, putting his feet down on the ground. Stepping out for a minute can’t hurt. 

   Emmet rises from his bed. A spike of pain in driven straight through his skull. It almost sends Emmet to his knees. He doesn’t stop, swaying on his feet as he heads towards the door. The pain makes his vision blur, but it won’t be a problem for much longer. He just needs to get outside and then everything will be just fine. Emmet is certain of it.

   He walks to his bedroom door and all but throws it open. There’s a Pokémon in the hallway that startles at the sudden movement. It looks down at Emmet, concern clear on its face. He can’t see it very well. All he can make out is a splotch of green with a random mix of pinks and purples and all sorts of colors. It hurts to look at. Emmet ignores it. It doesn’t matter. Emmet just needs to go outside. 

   The Pokémon follows after Emmet, anxiously fidgeting. Something is wrong with her trainer and Darling doesn’t know what. “Garba?” She tries. Nothing. He ignores her. “Gar-garba. Garbador!” Emmet is unresponsive. What’s wrong with him? Darling is starting to panic. Is this some sort of dissociation? She knows Emmet is still struggling over the loss of his brother, they all are, but Darling didn’t think Emmet would experience this drastic of a reaction!

   Wait, can’t humans go mad as a result of things like this? She thought it took more time! But clearly something is very wrong with Emmet. He’s not even walking normally. Maybe she should go get Elesa. The other human might know how to help her friend.

   The pile of trash continues to follow Emmet as he walks down the hall and into the living room. There are more Pokémon in this room and another human. They all appear to be sleeping. Emmet doesn’t pay them any mind. None of them can bother him if they are sleeping. This is good. Being stopped would be verrry bad.

   The front door is close now. Only a couple steps away and then he can leave this place. He just needs to get to the door and down to the lobby. Nothing else is important. Emmet strides right past them and towards the door. The pile of trash steps forward to block his path. “Garbador! Gar-gar!” It sounds upset with him. Emmet just frowns. He won’t let it keep him from leaving. That would be awful. 

   He needs to go outside and see the sun. Anything that stands in his way is an obstacle that must be removed. 

   Emmet reaches forward and shoves it to the side. The Pokémon makes a yelping sound that sends a sharp pang through Emmet’s heart. He almost wants to bend down and help it up and apologize for hurting it. Weird. Why did that upset him? He… Emmet can’t waste time thinking about that. He steps around the trash Pokémon and continues towards the door. With the blockage out of his path, Emmet is able to reach it.

   He doesn’t waste a moment before throwing it open and walking out of the apartment.

Shift: Darling’s Perspective 

   Darling is fully panicking now. Something is really wrong with Emmet. He just shoved her! Emmet wouldn’t hurt her like that, would he? And his eyes looked strange too. There was an odd golden glow to them. Darling has never seen anything like that before. That can’t be a symptom of dissociation, can it? Humans don’t have glowing eyes. So is something else messing with him? It certainly looked like the hold of some kind of psychic Pokémon.

   Wait, wait! She can’t waste time worrying over what’s causing the issue. She needs to stop it first. Emmet just left the apartment without anything. No Pokémon, no XTrans, not even shoes. Darling needs to stop him. 

   The Garbador rushes over to the couch. Elesa is fast asleep with her Ampheros, Ruby, and Whistle curled around her. She reaches down and shakes Elesa. It doesn’t work. All it does is wake Ruby and Whistle, the former glaring at Darling. Ruby hates being woken up abruptly when she’s sleeping. Whistle looks a little annoyed too, but she seems to understand there must be a good reason for Darling to wake them. As bad as Darling feels for doing so, they’ve got bigger problems to deal with right now!

   “Ruby, Whistle! I need you to help me wake up Elesa!”

   Ruby huffs. “Why? It’s the middle of the night.” 

   Whistle makes a disapproving sound at Ruby as she moves to get off the couch. “Don’t be mean. There must be a good reason she’s waking us.” 

   Darling motions to the open front door. “Quickly! Emmet just left and he’s acting weird. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He shoved me.”

   Ruby and Whistle are wide awake. Whistle looks over at the open door, panic taking hold of her too. Ruby pushes herself up from the couch. “Hold on! Everyone stand back.” Both Whistle and Darling move away from Ruby as she charges her electricity. Then, Ruby releases it on Elesa. It’s not enough to be harmful, but it certainly wakes her up. The human jolts, eyes snapping open. Elesa looks at the three of them with confused agitation. 

   “Hu..? Wh… w’as wrong?” She grumbles. Elesa turns her squinted gaze towards Ruby. “Ruby? What was that for?” Darling frantically points over at the front door, hoping Elesa gets the idea. Elesa follows the point. It takes her a second to process what Darling is trying to convey. “The door is open…?” Elesa is quiet for a second before realization hits her. She shoots up from the couch. “Emmet?!” Without another word, Elesa rushes through the living room and out the front door. 

   “I’ll follow her. Both of you stay here and make sure everyone else is okay,” Whistle says before heading after Elesa. She closes the front door behind herself, leaving Darling and Ruby to stare at it for a moment. 

   Ruby and Darling turn to each other and share a look. Hopefully this isn’t a bad sign.

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective 

   The apartment building is quiet as Emmet makes his way through the halls. He should be able to get to the lobby and then out the door soon enough. Emmet can’t wait to get outside. He wants to be out in the open air and see the sunrise. Nothing else will matter beyond that; not the Pokémon he left in the apartment or the intense of his head that only gets worse with each step he takes. Emmet won’t collapse, nor will he throw up. Pain is not a deterrent. Everything is fine. Once he gets outside, nothing will matter. Emmet will be free. 

   His footsteps are near silent against the carpet below him. He watches the swirling colors of the pattern as he walks across it. The carpet is pretty, but it’s not nearly as pretty as the sky outside is. Emmet just knows.

   It doesn’t take him long to reach the end of the hall. He pauses. Which way should he go? The elevator is in front of him, but Emmet doesn’t want to take it. It’s too slow. He’ll be able to get outside faster if he takes the stairs. This is only the third floor, after all. It’s not too much walking. Emmet turns to his left and makes for the stairs. He’s almost there. 

   “Emmet! Emmet, where are you?!” A voice shouts from down the hall. Oh. It seems someone is trying to stop him again. Emmet will not evade the call. He needs to get outside before he is stopped. Otherwise… otherwise what? Emmet needs… outside. Why? Emmet needs to go outside because… because he needs to.

   But what if he doesn’t get outside? What if he doesn’t want to be outside? What if-“Emmet! Please answer me!” The voice is closer now. Who is that again? Emmet’s feet stop. 

   No. He needs to get outside now. Emmet won’t let anyone stop him. 

   Emmet takes another step, but it’s too late. Elesa rounds the corner, with Whistle hot on her heels. Her expression is frantic. When she spots Emmet, she immediately rushes over to him. Emmet attempts to sidestep her, but she grabs his shoulders with a force that could bruise them. He isn’t going anywhere. “Emmet! What were you thinking?! Are you okay?! Please tell me you weren’t about to-... to go do something crazy,” Elesa says, looking over him with an urgency that makes Emmet feel sad. He’s worried her again. Emmet isn’t supposed to do that.

   The fog in his head starts to fade. Emmet gags on nothing, his legs finally giving out. His head is pounding. He’s never had a headache this bad before. Someone gasps, dropping to their knees to try to stabilize him. There’s a hand on his shoulder and another on the back of his head. Their touch is soothing, so he leans into it.

   What was he doing? Where is he?

   Emmet looks up. He can’t tell. His vision is too blurry. He drops his head back down and he presses his forehead against the floor. That’s probably a bad idea. The floor is verrry dirty. But it lessens the throbbing behind his eyes. It hurts so bad that he doesn’t even care about the germs. Emmet groans.

   “Emmet?! Talk to me!” Is that Elesa? It certainly sounds like her. The hands on him gently guide Emmet, picking him up off the floor. He’s rolled onto his back and his head is placed on something soft. Emmet squints against the light above him, staring at the blurry figure. That’s definitely Elesa. He’d recognize his best friend anywhere, even if he can’t see well. She runs a hand through his hair.

   “… ‘Lesa…? Wha.. wha’ happen?” Oh man. Emmet’s tongue is heavy. He can hardly get words out. That might be a problem. Actually, a headache this bad is probably worth a hospital trip. What if he’s having a medical emergency? Should he ask Elesa to call an ambulance? 

   There’s a beat of silence, then Elesa brings her hand down to cup his cheek. She moves his head a bit. Is she looking at his eyes? Do they look weird? “I was going to ask you that… your pupils look funny. That’s not a good sign, is it? Are you in pain? Do you remember what happened before this?” Isn’t that the question of the hour. He should remember what he was doing and yet he has no recollection of anything before this moment. Emmet is annoyed that he doesn’t.

   “My head’s… bad. Hurrts… don’t know.” Emmet can’t get any more than that out. Wow, this really is bad. He’s starting to feel panicked. His body feels weak. What if it’s shutting down? What if Emmet is sick? Like really sick. Fatal kind of sick. Emmet’s heart is racing, which doesn’t help the pain of his headache. He’s going to throw up. Emmet should ask Elesa to call for help, but he can’t get his mouth to work again. Fuck. All he can do is stare up at the ceiling of wherever they are right now. Why do bad things just keep happening to him? 

   Emmet squeezes his eyes closed and does something he has never done before. He prays to the dragons.

   Please. Please let him be okay. Please let the pain go away.

   No answer. Of course not. The dragons don’t deal in healing. Emmet wants to cry. He should try to focus on making his mouth work to ask for help.

   Emmet opens his eyes. There’s something blue obscuring his vision. What is that? They’re covering Elesa’s already blurred face and they emit a soft glow. Are those… eyes? They look like eyes. Not human ones though. Emmet stares at them and they stare back at him. He has to be hallucinating right now. Yet another bad sign pointing to a very serious issue. 

   A warmth fills the air. 

   Truth stares at the human. This is the first time he’s ever called to them before. They’d feel more giddy if he wasn’t clearly in a lot of pain. It seems their Creator has tried to take him again. Truth is starting to feel annoyed. Their human is being threatened and now he is in pain. How can the Creator be so cruel? Surely they must know what their action has caused? They will not stand for this. Truth would have preferred not to cause a scene with the Creator, but now it appears they have to. They will have to enter their Creator’s hall as soon as possible. Though before they go, they will help their human. Truth closes their eyes and sends forth a wave of healing fire. 

   There’s a wave of heat that floods over Emmet. He closes his eyes as it pulses through his body. Emmet can hear Elesa’s voice, but she can’t make out what she’s saying. It’s like she’s really far away. How strange.

   Somehow, the warmth chases away the pain in his head and the nausea. Emmet feels like he can breathe again. 

   When he opens his eyes, his vision isn’t blurry anymore. Elesa is leaning over him still, though now she looks like she’s about to burst into tears. And Whistle is beside them. Oh. Emmet didn’t even notice her before. He smiles at the two of them. “I am Emmet. I’m feeling better now.” Though he’s not sure why. Emmet doesn’t even know how to begin to explain it. Maybe he should make that clear so Elesa doesn’t ask. “I don’t know how, but my head isn’t pounding anymore… can I get up now?”

   Elesa drags in a shaky breath, nodding a little. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s get back to the apartment.” 

   With that, Emmet is helped back to his feet. He sways a little before righting himself again. “I apologize for my derailment.” Emmet wipes his hands off on his pants as he looks around. They’re in the hallway near the elevator. Now how in the world did he get out here? “Why are we in the hallway?” 

  Despite herself, Elesa laughs a bit. “That’s what I was wondering too. Ruby, Darling, and Whistle just woke me up… Darling was pointing to the door and she looked scared and the door was open, so I figured it had something to do with you. I ran after you. I’m not sure why you went out here.” She looks down at his feet. “You’re not even wearing shoes.”

   Emmet looks down at his feet. So he isn’t. He doesn’t remember why that is. Tonight has been both the worst and the weirdest night of his life. Emmet wants to go sit down. Whistle steps closer to him, interrupting his thoughts.  She whines at him as she leans down to lick his cheek. Emmet pets her head. “Sorry for worrying you, my friend. I am fine now.” Whistle still seems concerned, but she accepts his apology anyway. 

   Elesa rubs her eyes. It’s been an awful night. Truly, the worst night of her life and she’s sure Emmet feels the same. Maybe the stress is just getting to them both. “Okay. Great. Cool… I don’t have the energy to process what just happened and I’m pretty sure you’re going to be getting noise complaints sometime soon. I think I woke up the whole floor,” she huffs. Elesa is glad she was able to stop him before he left though. Who knows what would have happened if she didn’t? Well, there’s no use in thinking about the ‘what ifs’ now. Elesa wants to go back to bed.

   She lets her hand fall away from her face to grab Emmet’s hand. “Why don’t we go back to your apartment? I think neither of us are in a good state at the moment.” Elesa suggests. That sounds like a great plan. He nods, not trusting himself to get the right words out. Elesa understands. She starts leading them down the hall. Behind them, Whistle follows, still keeping an eye on Emmet. He can feel her messing with his hair while they walk.

   Emmet lets his mind wander as he passes by the closed doors of his neighbors. What happened to cause Emmet to leave the apartment? He really doesn’t remember anything… could he have been sleepwalking? Emmet doesn’t really have a history of doing that, but maybe all the stress from… what happened has caused something to shift in his head? Emmet isn’t sure if that line of thinking even makes sense, but he’s too tired to keep trying to come up with possible solutions. It seems Elesa is too.

   Emmet can see she looks exhausted; her hair is messed up, there are dark circles under her eyes, and she’s trembling a little. She must have gotten a pretty rude awakening in order to come get him. Emmet feels bad for that. He didn’t mean to cause Elesa any more distress.

   Unfortunately, any reassurance he could give her would be for naught. Emmet has already stressed her out with this whole ordeal. The damage is done. 

   The best he can do is avoid situations like one from now on.

   It doesn’t take very long to reach his apartment. The door is closed now, which means at least some of the Pokémon must be awake too. Emmet sighs. He’s just gone and woken everyone up, hasn’t he? Leave it to Emmet to cause a scene in the middle of the night. He just needs to go back to sleep… a wave of panic shoots through him. Actually, maybe sleep isn’t what he wants. A shudder races up his spine at the thought. Maybe he’ll find a book or something to read instead.

   He’s shaken from his thoughts when Elesa opens the door and all but yanks Emmet through the doorway. Whistle chirps at him as she steps through behind them, licking his cheek once more before waddling into the apartment. He tries to follow after her, only for Elesa to pull him back. Emmet turns to her with a confused smile, but Elesa doesn’t say anything for a moment. She just turns and closes the front door.

   “No more funny business tonight, okay?”

   “No more funny business. I am sorry for worrying you, Elesa.” For good measure, he pulls her into a hug. Emmet does not want to stress Elesa out any more. 

   It lasts for a minute, then Emmet has to pull away. His skin is starting to itch and the last thing he needs to night is a panic attack. Thankfully, Elesa lets him go. 

   Emmet does not make promises he won’t keep. He will not worry her again if he can help it. Turning on his heel, Emmet strides into the apartment. He won’t worry any of his friends any more.

   The apartment is still quiet, though there are a few Pokémon now in the living room. Whistle and Darling are standing by the couch while Ruby is by the kitchen counter. He can also see Captain and Lavender closer to the hallway entrance. When Emmet walks in, all eyes are on him. Lavender immediately rushes over to Emmet with a warbling cry, knocking into his chest with such a force that he almost stumbles backwards. He’s a bit shocked to see her.

   Lavender left to be in Ingo’s room a while ago and nobody has been able to get her to come out since. Did he worry her so much that she pulled herself away from it? Emmet opens his arms for the crying ghost, wrapping her into a hug. Her gentle warmth soothes him. His own starter is right behind her. Captain coos at him as he wraps himself around Emmet’s shoulders. “Greetings passengers… I apologize for jumping the tracks. All systems are operational now.”

   “Good. Don’t do that again,” comes Elesa’s voice from the kitchen. Emmet didn’t even notice she moved. She’s standing in front of the cabinet now, pulling out a cup. “I might have to start barricading your door if it keeps happening.” Elesa fills the cup with water, then walks over to Emmet and offers it to him.

   Emmet nods. “Noted. And thank you,” he says, shifting to hold Lavender with one arm. He takes the water and chugs it all in one go. Emmet has not had nearly enough water today. He didn’t even realize how thirsty he was until just now. 

   Before he can stop her, Elesa takes the now empty cup with a fond smile. “You’re welcome. Now go back to bed. Your parents will be here in the morning.” Elesa yawns, moving towards the couch as she speaks. The idea of going back to bed fills Emmet with dread. He has a bad feeling about it…

   “I don’t think I’ll be getting back to sleep. I should update Gear Station on the situation and close down the Battle Subway,” he says. There. That’s something better to do. Elesa gives him a disapproving look, but she seems to realize arguing will get them nowhere. Instead, she just nods and sets the cup on the coffee table before flopping back down into the pile of blankets and pillows she’d left on the couch. “Goodnight, Elesa.”

   “Night.” 

   Emmet watches her for a moment before heading back to his room. Darling and Whistle follow after him. He pauses in the hallway to pet them and thank them for their assistance before disappearing into the darkness of his bedroom.

Shift: ??? Perspective 

   Thwarted again. How is that possible? They thought for sure they would be able to reach the human this time, but no. Another human had gotten in their way. This shouldn’t be possible! Now they cannot attempt to enter the human’s mind for a little while, lest they cause more accidental harm. Humans are so fragile. Much more so than they anticipated. They do not want to harm him by messing with his energy again. That could risk unraveling the human entirely and that would be very bad.

   They do feel sorry for the pain they have inadvertently caused him tonight. And so they will not attempt to manipulate him like they did again. 

   They will just have to find another way. Perhaps they could send another token? No. He ran away from the last one, he would probably run once again if they tried the same tactic…

   It will take them some time to figure out what to do. Bothersome. They do not have time to waste. This time period is already becoming increasingly more unstable. They need his help in order to ensure their champion, his other, can come home again… if they cannot bring the one in black home, the world will fall out of balance. It was already so, and thus it must be again. Though connecting to the one in white is harder than they imagined it would be. This is not good at all.

   It seems they really will have to seek out the dragons. This region is their domain. They will have to listen to their will if they want it to be saved. And they will likely know how to handle this. It is their only option now. 

Chapter Text

Time: Four Hours Later

   The Depot Agents reacted the same way everyone else had; horror. Emmet told them everything he knew and that he would not be coming to work for a while. In his absence, he wanted the commuter lines to remain open. Only the Battle Subway portion of Gear Station would be closed. It’s not fair to the people of Unova to shut down the whole subway, as a good portion of the population relies on its service to go about their daily lives. Emmet also put Agent Cloud and Agent Isadore in charge of the station in his absence. He believes them to be capable of making sure everything is in order while Emmet deals with this situation. They readily agreed and urged Emmet to take time for himself. 

   Emmet doesn’t want to take time for himself. He didn’t tell them that. If he did, they would have been pushy. 

   He’d like to think he has a good relationship with the Depot Agents. In fact, Emmet would even say he’s friends with some of them. Of course, closeness leads to worry and personal investment in his life. Emmet does not want to have to deal with more people than necessary worrying over him. So, not telling them was his only choice. 

   After he finished talking to the Gear Station personnel, Emmet took his XTrans off. He tosses it down onto his nightstand.

   There are so many notifications. All from family members. He doesn’t want to go through the messages from his parents. They’re going to be at his apartment sometime soon anyway… Emmet can’t help but dread their arrival. He doesn’t want to have to process what’s happened all over again; to feel useless in trying to solve the issue. Emmet has been trying to ignore it. If he doesn’t think about it, it can’t hurt him right? 

   No. Even when he’s not thinking about it, the gaping hole in his heart is all encompassing. His brother is gone. He’s gone and there’s nothing Emmet can do. Is there? So far, the police haven’t found anything. There’s no reasonable explanation for what happened. His brother is just missing and what? Radio silence. The police haven’t even called since they went to Gear Station. Sure, an investigation takes time and it’s the middle of the night, but Emmet feels like they should have found something. Or at least called to assure him they were doing the best they could do. They haven’t. They won’t.

   Nimbasa’s police department is well known for being negligent. They don’t care at all. 

   It’s unreasonable to feel bitter. But that doesn’t make him feel any less so. Emmet sighs, running a hand over his face. This is ridiculous. He shouldn’t be wasting his time sitting around, but then what should he be doing? What is someone supposed to do when their brother goes missing? Emmet has nothing but his grief. Tears won’t find Ingo. 

   It’s useless.

   There’s a coo on his right. His partner is curled up next to him, head on Emmet’s thigh. He reaches down to pet Captain. Captain has been hovering at Emmet’s side since he came into his room earlier. Clearly his partner is worried about him… everyone is worried about him. They shouldn’t be worried about Emmet, they should be worried about Ingo. Emmet is not the one missing. Why does nobody seem to understand that? It makes him angry. If they just used that energy to find his brother, maybe Ingo would be home already… that’s not true is it? No matter how badly Emmet wants it to be.

   “I am fine,” Emmet finally says. Captain just huffs, floating up from the bed to curl around Emmet’s shoulders. He sighs. “I just want my brother. Why can’t anyone find him?” The Pokémon can’t answer his question. Captain just whines and nuzzles into Emmet’s cheek. It causes a wave of static to buzz across his skin, but it does little more than tickle a bit. 

   A knock rings out through the quiet.

   Emmet glances up at his door before looking away. A moment passes, then there’s another knock. He should answer. It’s not polite to ignore Elesa… but Emmet doesn’t want to talk right now. If he does, he’s not sure he’ll be able to bite back his frustration. He’s afraid he might say the wrong thing if that happens. Elesa is not at fault for this, but Emmet tends to take out his emotions on whoever is closest to him. It’s mean… he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings because he cannot process his own. 

   Elesa doesn’t open the door. “Emmet? I… I made breakfast. It’s not much, but… please come eat.”

   There’s another stretch of silence, then he can hear her footsteps moving away from his door. Emmet does not have an appetite. Though, he knows he should eat anyway. It’s important for his health. Emmet doesn’t care about that right now. He just flops back down and rolls over. What’s the point in even getting up?

   What’s the point in anything? 

   Emmet doesn’t ever want to get out of bed again. 

   Captain trills at him, trying to get Emmet to sit back up. It’s no use. Emmet doesn’t intend to get up. He wiggles out from under Emmet, then nudges him. Emmet pushes Captain away. “No. Leave me alone.” Captain whines, still trying to get him out of bed. “Captain, stop.”

   The Pokémon huffs and moves to hover over Emmet. “Eel! Tross!” 

   Emmet grabs the pillow next to him and covers his face. “No.” 

   Seeing Emmet like this upsets Captain greatly. His partner is usually so lively. In the absence of his twin, Emmet has become bitter and despondent. Captain isn’t sure how to help his trainer. He misses Ingo. Everyone does… that’s not something that can be remedied. Captain looks over at Lavender, who is hovering by the window. She hasn’t left Emmet’s side since he came back into the apartment last night. Lavender hasn’t spoken much either, but she pulled herself away from Ingo’s room in order to help watch over Emmet. That’s got to count for something.

   Captain whines. “What do we do, Lavs?”

   Lavender looks away from the window, eyes distant. It takes her a second to process what he’d said to her. Then she looks down at Emmet. “I… I don’t know, Captain. It hurts. I’m sure Emmet is hurting too. You know how he is… stubborn.”

   Both Pokémon fall silent. Emmet has not moved from his spot. It’s clear he has no intention of leaving the room to get food. That’s not good. He’ll get sick if he doesn’t eat. Even they know humans require food. Lavender floats over to the edge of Emmet’s bed. “I might be able to move him. He will be angry.” 

   “It’s still worth a shot, isn’t it? Emmet needs to eat.”  

   Lavender hums. She may not have her trainer, but she still loves his brother too. As much as she wants to lie herself down on Ingo’s bed and never get up, she can’t leave his brother alone. She’d be doing her trainer a disservice. Ingo wouldn’t let his brother wallow like this, so Lavender shouldn’t either. It kills her to see Emmet hurting too… and last night scared her. When Darling came into Ingo’s room, frantic and fearful, to tell her that something was wrong with Emmet, Lavender realized something. She realized that she could very easily lose Emmet too if she wasn’t careful. Lavender can’t lose both of them. So, she will be strong. That’s what Ingo would have wanted her to do. She won’t leave Emmet’s side again and she’ll do everything in her power to keep him safe.

   Lavender drags in a deep breath, then uses psychic to lift him out of his bed.

   Emmet flails as the psychic energy wraps around him. He’s lifted out of his bed and towards the door. “No! Unfair! That’s cheating. Put me down right now!” Lavender ignores his complaints, instead following after Captain as he moves towards the door. She pauses and waits for Captain to open it before floating Emmet out and down the hall. 

   This is beyond unfair. Emmet should remove psychic from Lavender’s move pool! He shouldn’t have to get up if he doesn’t want to. And he doesn’t! There’s not much he can do about it now though. He’s already out in the living room and heading towards the kitchen. Elesa looks up from the kitchen counter when she hears them coming. She looks a little surprised, but ultimately decides not to comment on the situation. Good. Emmet is about two seconds away from losing his shit. This is humiliating.

   Lavender brings Emmet all the way to the kitchen counter and plops him down on the bar stool next to Elesa before allowing her psychic energy to release him. Emmet shoots a glare at the ghost type, which Lavender ignores easily.

   Elesa gets up from her seat and moves around the counter, grabbing a plate that had been sitting by the stove. She sets it down in front of Emmet. It’s got scrambled eggs and a piece of toast. Emmet just stares at it. He’s not hungry. They can’t make him eat if he doesn’t want to. Just as he’s about to turn it away, Lavender floats over to him. She lifts a berry out of a nearby food bowl and shows it to Emmet. The gesture is a sort of pact: I’ll eat if you eat. Emmet stares at his brother's starter. “That’s not fair. Manipulation. Verrry rude, Lavender,” he says. Elesa covers a snort as she sits back down. It’s not funny. Emmet glares at her too. 

   He doesn’t want Lavender to not eat because he is refusing to… fine. She wins. Emmet sighs as he scoops some of the eggs up and eats them. Lavender takes a bite of the berry. A singular bite. Is she for real? So she’s playing that game, huh? Emmet groans, resigning himself to eating the full plate of food. This is so unfair.

   The rest of breakfast was uneventful. Emmet managed to finish his plate and Lavender ate two berries. Which was absolutely not fair. She should have eaten more than that, but Emmet couldn’t get her to. Talk about a hypocrite. Though, that’s still better than nothing, isn't it? Any amount of food is good for her.

   He takes both his and Elesa’s plates and brings them to the sink to wash them. There’s no point in leaving them dirty. They’d start to stink over time and Emmet can’t stand having something stink in his home. So washing it is.

   Elesa goes back into the living room, getting to work folding the blankets she’d used last night and putting them into a neat pile. She doesn’t want to leave a mess in Emmet’s apartment, after all. Plus, cleaning makes her feel at least a little normal again. She’ll take any excuse to ignore reality right now. 

   Neither of them have spoken much. Not since last night. Though both of them were rather shaken after that. Even now, Emmet still doesn’t know why it happened. He’d stopped trying to think about it a little while after it happened. There just wasn’t any answer he could have come up with. Or, not any that make sense anyway. It was just another one of those things Emmet can’t explain and likely won’t ever be able to. He’s starting to get really tired of those. Can’t he just have a normal day without something bad happening? What did Emmet even do to deserve this?

   He sighs as he opens the dishwasher. Thinking about it is just going to upset him again. So, he focuses on loading the dishwasher instead. There isn’t a whole lot that needs to be washed. Just a couple of plates, the silverware they’d used for breakfast, and a mug. Emmet could just hand wash them, but he doesn’t want to put in the work for that. He just wants to go back to his room and ignore the world again.

   While the two of them are cleaning, there’s a knock on the front door. Emmet and Elesa share a look. Great. Looks like the tracks to his room are going to be delayed again.

   He resists the urge to roll his eyes as he puts a dishwashing tab into the dishwasher and turns it on. There’s no avoiding this. Even if he really wants to. Emmet should just rip off the bandaid. He turns closes the dishwasher and clicks the start button, then Emmet goes to answer the door. Emmet almost wishes Elesa would answer the door, but they’re his parents. He should be the one to let them in. Emmet walks around the kitchen counter and over to the door. His hand hovers near the handle as he takes in a deep breath.

   Emmet can do this, even if he doesn’t want to. He can say hello and then he can go hide. Simple plan. He fights back a groan as he turns the handle and opens his door to reveal his parents on the other side.

   They both look tired. His mom has dark circles under her eyes and a frown on her face. Her usually tidy, silver hair is loose from the bun she always wears it in. Emmet has scarcely seen it loose. It’s almost jarring to see. His dad doesn’t look much better. Though, he manages to give Emmet a small smile. Emmet can imagine that neither of them have gotten much sleep, if any. “Hello. Come in.” Emmet steps to the side, opening the door wider for them. His mom walks in first, wrapping Emmet into a hug the moment she’s inside. Her arms are trembling. Emmet’s dad follows after with a small suitcase rolling in after him. He shuts the door behind himself and walks off into the living room. Emmet can see him greeting Elesa in the corner of his eye. “Hey ma… how are you?”

   She sniffles, then leans back to look at his face. “I’m holding up, honey. How are you?”

   Emmet looks away. “Fine.” It’s a lie and they both know it. She sighs and then guides him further into the apartment. The two of them follow after his dad into the living room. 

   “I’m so glad you’re both okay,” his mom says as she goes to hug Elesa too. Elesa just accepts it with a sad smile. 

   Elesa eyes him over his mom’s shoulder and Emmet shakes his head. Telling his parents about what happened last night will end badly. There’s no doubt in his mind that it will. It would send his mom spiraling and his dad would be trying to fix the problem. Emmet really doesn’t want to deal with that on top of everything. Elesa nods a little. She won’t tell them. Emmet’s shoulders relax a bit.

   There’s an unspoken tension in the room and an absence that all of them can feel. Meeting under these circumstances is horrible. There’s no denying that. Emmet doesn’t even know what to say to his parents and they don’t know what to say to him. Now they’re walking on eggshells around each other. Emmet’s dad walks over to him and pats his shoulder. “Good to see you son… have the police said anything yet? Any news?”

   Emmet’s hands clench. “No. Nothing. They have nothing.” 

   It’s the truth. They have nothing because there was nothing they could find at Gear Station. His dad nods. “It’s only been a day. Surely they’ll find something soon. Until then, all we can do is wait.”

   Wait.

   Emmet hates waiting. He shouldn’t have to wait for answers. He should just know them, but he can’t. Emmet doesn’t answer his dad, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. He offers Emmet a short hug, then goes over to Elesa and his mom to talk. Emmet tunes all of them out. He loves his parents. Really, he does… but Emmet doesn’t want to talk to them right now. He doesn’t want to talk to anybody right now. So, he turns on his heel and walks away from them. They’re going to be staying for a few days anyway. Emmet knows he’ll likely be seeing them tomorrow. For now, all he wants to do is lie back down. 

Chapter Text

Shift: ??? Perspective

   They need to figure out how to capture the human in white. He is needed to save this world and every second wasted leads only to more destruction.

   There is a harmful energy building somewhere in this human city in the land of the dragons. It is too weak at the moment for them to figure out where it is, but they know it will only grow stronger the longer they wait. They need the human in white to answer their immediately call to get rid of it before it causes irreversible damage.

   Which means the human cannot be allowed to evade their call any longer. Their champion is starting on his journey soon in a time far past. They need the other one to be starting as well if everything is to go as planned. Yet they cannot reach the human in white. Every attempt they have made was somehow stopped. They have caused more harm than they intended in doing so. 

   They need to come up with a better plan in order to get that one to start his journey.

   And so, they must speak to the dragons. Surely they will know what to do. This land is under their protection, after all. They are not so careless as to invade their territory and cause harm without consulting them. It is time to seek help. 

   In their star-filled domain, they call upon their inverse in the world below theirs. Down in the depths of the darkest reaches of reality.  Their call is cast into the shady cosmos, echoing and ringing through the vast expanse of their domain.

   The sound swirls and contorts as it dips into the murky distortion realm. And now, they wait. Their inverse will show themself soon enough. It has been a long time since they last saw their child. Many a year in uncounted time. They wonder what their inverse has been up to while guarding the distortion realm. Certainly nothing to warrant their intervention. 

   Ah, well. Perhaps they could just ask. Their relationship with the distortion guardian has improved since the time of the red sky. Their child was so angry back then and it was their fault. Maybe they should make an effort to check in more often. Would that make their inverse happy? They are not sure.

   They are getting distracted. More of their focus should be put into figuring out what to do about the current situation with the human in white.

   They stare off into the starry space of their hallowed hall, trying to come up with a plan while they wait. They need to make it so their plan is flawless. Otherwise, harm may befall the world they hold so dear. 

   While they are thinking, the space around them begins to shift. Ah, right on time. They can always count on their inverse… well, in recent years that is. They cast their thoughts aside as they turn their attention to the center of their hall.

   Shadows begin to pool in front of them, morphing and clawing at their pristine realm. They watch as it tears up pieces of their domain, creating rips in the very fabric of reality. The sickened shade bubbles up through the cracks, breaching their hall with a bitter hiss and smoke. It spreads across the space in front of them like water.  

   Red-tipped tendrils spill out of the pool and reach for their heavens, hooking themselves on the edges of their hall. Then, it stops and the darkness is still for a moment; only a moment. Red irises bubble up from the shadow and peer up at their creator, a question awaiting in its gaze. 

   FATHER. WHY HAVE YOU CALLED ME? 

   Giratina. I request the presence of the dragons. I need thee to retrieve them at once.

   DRAGONS? WHICH DRAGONS? 

  The dragons of Truth and Ideals.

   TRUTH AND IDEALS? AAH, UNOVA’S DRAGONS. SURE, SURE. I’LL FETCH THEM FOR YOU, FATHER.

   The shadows bleed away from their domain and they are left to wait once more. Giratina seems happier than they expected. They’d even called them ‘father’. It has been a long time since Giratina has done that. Since their youngest years, in fact. Perhaps their child is in a good mood. They can only hope so. Seeing their children happy does please them.

   They trust their inverse to follow their orders. Since their relationship with Giratina greatly improved after the days of their inverse’s rebellion, they have been more willing to work with them. It makes them happy. They would be most upset if their champion is not able to complete their task, which led to this shift in their relationship. They were very lonely without their inverse. Their other children are often too busy guarding their region to visit their creator, thus it has been even longer since Space or Time have spoken to them. They do not hold that against their children any more. 

   Their thoughts are cut off when the pool opens again. This time, the forms of the dragons seep out of it before it closes behind them. Truth bows their head while Ideals rolls their eyes.

   Truth and Ideals. I possess questions for thee. 

   Questions? What may we answer, Mighty Creator? Truth says. 

   ‘Tis in regards to a human in thy domain. I require him for a task to keep this reality in peace. I hath reason to believe thou art thwarting mine efforts. 

   Truth and Ideals share a look. The white dragon huffs, shifting a little in their spot. It appears Truth is unhappy for reasons unknown to them. Well, maybe that’s not so. They have felt Truth’s fire multiple times while trying to catch the human in white. Perhaps it is Truth alone that has been protecting the human. A moment later. Truth speaks up again.

   Which human do you refer to?

   The human in white that runs… oh, what was it? Ah yes, Subway. The Subway human in white. I hath already claimed the one in black. I require the one in white now. I hath been unable to reach him. Doth thou know why?  

   There’s a moment of silence, then Ideals snickers. Truth glares at their twin, clearly unhappy with something. The black dragon steps away from Truth and addresses their creator. 

   Yes, Almighty Creator. Reshiram… does not want to share their human. I let you take mine already… but I do want him back eventually. See, my twin and I are quite fond of those humans. They devote their lives to our purposes, whether that be intentional or not. Ingo is my favorite and Reshiram prefers Emmet. They do not share. 

   Truth huffs, looking away from them. 

   Zekrom is not telling the full truth. I can share… but I do not want to. Emmet is my favorite human, yes. I do not want him to be away from my domain. 

   Goodness… thou art on name basis with these humans. Thee must care a great deal for thy humans. I see. Fear not, Ideals, Ingo shall return to thy domain… if I can reach Emmet. I require his assistance if that is to be so. If it helps, Emmet need not leave this time period, Truth. And thou art welcome to leave thy domain and follow him around thine world if thou wishes in exchange for thy cooperation. And if thy twin art willing to take over until thou art back. 

   The white dragon perks up. Their words must excite Truth, as they turn to their twin with a pleading expression a moment later.  Ideals stares at Truth before sighing and shaking their head. 

   Fine. I know you’d let me do the same if I could. 

   Truth lets out a happy roar, flapping their wings gleefully. 

   Thank you! You are the best twin any dragon could ask for. 

   The best twin? That does not seem right. Were the two of them not fighting but a few years past? They seem to remember the dragons hating each other until not long ago… well, it’s none of their business if it causes no problems to the stability of the world. They make no comment on that, instead clearing their throat to call the attention of the dragons back to them.

   Very well. Then this is settled. I must call upon Emmet now. I- 

   Wait! If I may… Emmet will not be inclined to listen to you right now. In fact, I believe he may be driven by anger and refuse you if you try to reach him. He is bitter in the absence of his brother… He wants his twin. Human connections are very powerful, Almighty Creator. Emmet must be motivated first. Let me help you. I… do not want my human to be so sad anymore, nor do I want to cause him pain. Let me give him a truth to follow and then you may request his help. I believe he will be more willing to listen then. 

   A silence falls over their domain. Could that really be so? They had no idea humans could act in such a way… perhaps Truth is right. They spend more time around humans, and they clearly like Emmet in particular. Perhaps they know better? It may be easiest to have Truth’s help while they are in Truth’s domain. 

   I see. Truth… I request thine assistance in protecting this time. Thou art responsible for thy human. Give Emmet thy truth. As for Ideals… I shall return thy human once mine task is complete and this world is no longer in peril. If I should require thine assistance, thou wilt answer mine call. 

   Both Truth and Ideals bow their heads.

   Of course, Almighty Creator. I would like to help. 

   Sure. If I’m required, I’ll come.

   Good. Thou art dismissed… Giratina?  

   They do not get a verbal response from Giratina. Instead, the shadows open across their domain once more and swallow the dragons. Then, they are alone again. They can only hope that in the time it takes to recruit Emmet, the world will not fall out of balance. 

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective 

   Emmet is lying on his back in his room, staring at the ceiling above him. He can hear the sound of muffled voices through the wall. His parents must be talking to Elesa in the other room. The walls in the apartment are quite thin, which means it’s hard to block out sounds. He can’t make out what they’re saying, but he doesn’t really want to either. It’s not like their conversation is relevant to figuring out what happened to his brother. And if they are talking about it, they’re talking in circles. Ingo can’t be found. 

   There’s no evidence for them to go off of. No clues to dissect. Nothing.

   Maybe he doesn’t want to be found.

   Ingo could have messed with the cameras. He could have left without a trace if he wanted to. So what if he did? What if those rumors of Ingo secretly hating Emmet are true? He hears people whispering about to sometimes at the station. Emmet never paid them any mind before, but what if he should have? What if his twin finally got tired of him and wanted to run away? The two of them have always been together in everything they do. From working together to living together, they are scarcely ever apart. Emmet thought Ingo was okay with that, but he never even asked if he wasn’t. He just assumed Ingo felt the same way he did. 

   Could it be possible that Ingo thought he couldn’t say anything to Emmet about how he really felt and decided to just leave without a trace because of that? Ingo does have a tendency to push things down in favor of not upsetting him… but then why wouldn’t Ingo at least take his Pokémon with him? They’ve done nothing wrong. Their Pokémon are innocent, even if Emmet isn’t. Ingo wouldn’t abandon them without a good reason. He just wouldn’t… but he did. 

   Ingo is gone. He left… and Emmet is alone.

   There’s a shift in the air. Something warm. Is someone messing with the heat? Emmet groans, putting his arm over his eyes. He doesn’t want to get up and tell his family to not mess with the temperature. So, he’ll just have to suffer.

   Unbeknownst to Emmet, a pair of blue eyes watches him. They can’t stand seeing Emmet in this state. Their human is usually more alive than this; more determined. Without his brother, it’s like all the life has been drained out of him. He’s angry and sad and clearly not taking care of himself… it reminds Reshiram of themself. When they were fighting with their own twin. Reshiram was upset and angry, much like their human is now. They can’t let him stay like this. Emmet is capable of so much more than wallowing, they know it. They will get him to help the Creator and then everything will be alright again. Reshiram will make this their Ideal. In the spirit of their twin.

   So, Reshiram expands their presence. They enter Emmet’s mind, trying to be as subtle as possible, and give him a truth.

   He is not gone forever. 

   Emmet jolts. What was that? That sensation… he’s felt it before, hasn’t he? This strange sort of warmth in his mind. He can almost feel phantom flames around him. It felt like… a thought, but also something heavier than that. No, that can’t be right… 

   He is not gone forever?

   Ingo can still come back. That’s right. Emmet is acting like his brother’s fate is already decided. That’s not true at all. It’s only been a day. That’s not long enough to justify giving up. No. No amount of time is long enough to justify giving up. Ingo wouldn’t give up, so why should Emmet? Even if Ingo left on his own, Emmet won’t just let him get away with that. He’ll rip his twin a new one if that’s the case!

   But is it? Emmet knows Ingo would never leave without his Pokémon, no matter how angry he was with Emmet. So that must mean Ingo was taken or something of the sort. And Emmet must retrieve him.

   There has to be something he can do. Sitting around gets nothing done. Crying is not helpful. It feels better to ignore the world, but Emmet won’t get his brother back this way.

   But it seems like everything is hopeless; the police haven’t found anything and they’re not going to. Emmet knows that. His family is at a loss. He can see the way they’re walking on eggshells around him, worrying that whatever they say will shatter him. Emmet is not a child. He misses his brother, yes, but he is done crying about it. 

   He wants to get up and do something. That’s what Ingo would be doing if Emmet went missing, isn’t it? But what can he do? Emmet has nothing to go on. The footage from the subway is useless and there was nothing inside the station that could have been a clue. The only thing he knows about Ingo’s disappearance is that it doesn’t make sense. Nothing can just disappear without a trace like Ingo did. Unless there was some kind of Pokémon involved. There are plenty that can use teleporting moves, right? What if Ingo had been taken by one of those moves? It has to be possible. 

   And if Ingo was taken by a Pokémon, was it working alone or was it being commanded?

   Emmet wishes he had his computer so he could start researching possible explanations. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have it. He’d left it with the police to show them the footage and never got it back before they left the station. Which means Emmet will likely have to go to the police station to pick it up if he wants it back. Sneaky…

   He takes his arm off of his face, letting it fall back down to the mattress below him. Another groan escapes Emmet as sits up.

   Emmet really does not want to go to the police station, but he needs his computer if he wants to get to work. He could try to use his XTrans. Though it’s not really meant for extensive research. Emmet doubts he’ll be able to find what he needs with its inferior search engine. Which means going to the police station is going to suck.

   For his brother, Emmet would do anything. Looks like the police station is the next stop on his route. Ugh. He should tell his family that. Surely they’ll be willing to go with him. Going alone would be worse! Yeah. Emmet can imagine that they’re also eager to do something.

   So, Emmet swings his legs over the edge of the bed. Captain startles beside him, clearly not having expected Emmet to move. He coos, uncoiling himself from Emmet’s leg. Emmet reaches down to pat his starter’s head. “Apologies, Captain. There’s no more time for rotting in bed! That train has left the station. We’re off to the next stop. Destination: Find Ingo, set! All aboard.” 

   Captain looks a little surprised by his words, but ultimately floats up to Emmet’s shoulders to coil around them. “Eel! Eelektross!” 

   “Indeed, my friend. Let us depart. Oh! Are you coming aboard, Lavender?” Emmet says, turning towards the window Lavender was hovering by. She blinks at him, then shrieks in a tone Emmet recognizes as agreement. “Verrry good. Onward.” 

   With that, the three of them set off for the living room. 

   A pair of hidden eyes follows. Reshiram watches them go. Good. They like seeing Emmet’s determination. Surely this will put him on the right path.

Chapter Text

Time: The Next Day

Location: Nimbasa City Police Station 

   Just as Emmet thought, his family was eager to have something to do. Though they ended up having to wait until the next day because they wanted to get everything in order first. And by everything, that meant publicly announcing Ingo’s disappearance too… Emmet didn’t want to do that, but he knew it had to be done. So, his dad called the police station and asked them to put out a public statement.

   It was issued not long after that from what Emmet was told. He refused to see the statement himself. He spent the rest of yesterday in his room making sure he has all his answers together if they decide to question him. 

   Emmet is prepared now.

   So, Emmet and his family went to the station as early as possible today. Which turned out to be around noon. His dad said they couldn’t leave before they had breakfast and then Elesa insisted that Emmet take a shower before they went because according to her, he looked ‘positively dreadful’. Rude. He chose not to take offense to that and took a shower. Emmet will admit he feels better after doing so. 

   He probably looks better too, but in all honestly, Emmet isn’t really concerned about that. His appearance is the least of his worries.

   Now they’re finally at the station. The officers that are walking around don’t really pay Emmet and his family much mind. That’s fine. Emmet doesn’t want to talk to more people than necessary. All he wants to do is get his computer and get out. Though Emmet has a feeling they’re not going to just let him leave without at least a little bit of questioning. Thankfully, Emmet had the time to prepare himself for that.

   He walks up to the desk in the middle of the room. The man behind it doesn’t acknowledge Emmet for a moment, finishing something on the computer in front of him. Emmet doesn’t say anything. He knows he’d be annoyed if someone interrupted him while he was working on something. So, he stands there for a minute or two until the man finally looks up at him. Emmet offers him a smile. He’s not sure how friendly it appears, but he also doesn’t care. “Hello, sir. My name is Emmet Cartwright. I’m here to collect my computer. I believe it was taken by the police after an investigation in Gear Station. The last person who had it was Officer Jenkins, I think.”

   The man’s eyebrows raise. “Oh. Hello, Mr. Cartwright. We were just about to ask you to come down to the station to answer some questions,” he says.

   Emmet sighs, throwing a glance back at his family. Elesa gives him a sympathetic wince before he turns back to the guy behind the counter. “I am Emmet. Yup. I figured that would be the case. I’ll answer questions as long as I get my computer back. I never consented to having it taken for evidence.” 

   “Of course. If you’d just wait over there,” he pauses to point to the chairs near the front door, “I’ll have an officer out to speak with you shortly.” 

   Emmet nods, then walks off towards the chairs. It’s rude to just walk away without thanking the man, but Emmet is trying to conserve his energy. Which means cutting out as much unnecessary talking as possible.

   His mother steps in to properly thank the man. “Thank you, sir. We appreciate your assistance.” Then, she motions for his dad and Elesa to follow after Emmet. He sits down in the chair closest to the door, leaving his family to pick their own seats. His dad chooses the spot next to him while his mother and Elesa sit across from them. His mother frowns at Emmet from across the small table in front of them. “You should have said thank you, dear. You’ll end up getting on people’s nerves if you don’t. Trust me, I learned that the hard way,” she says with an amused huff. He just shrugs. 

   “I forgot.” Of course he didn’t. Emmet just didn’t feel like trying to be overly polite. He’s not a kiss ass, nor is he a people pleaser. That was Ingo’s thing. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

   Elesa rolls her eyes at him. “Yeah right. It’ll be all good and dandy when they come to arrest you for being rude, Em.” 

   He sticks his tongue out at her. Which is childish, but he doesn’t care. “I am Emmet. They won’t arrest me for that. I’m innocent, I swear.” Emmet makes a crossing motion over his heart. “On Reshiram’s truth.” 

   Beside him, his dad gasps. “Emmet! Don’t go sayin’ stuff like that, boy. You better mean it.” 

   “When have you ever known me to be a liar, pops?”

   His dad can’t argue with that. Emmet has never been a fan of lying. Even when he was little, Emmet was brutally honest. So much so that it got him in trouble sometimes and he struggled to make friends when he was a kid. His dad rubs his temple with a sigh. “I suppose you’ve got me there. But still, you shouldn’t say that. Reshiram can hear you now, you know? Ever since that…” he leans closer to whisper to Emmet, “Team Plasma stunt a couple years ago, the dragons have been awakened. I’m sure they can hear you.”

   Emmet isn’t sure if he believes that. Not the part about the dragons being awakened. Of course not! Emmet remembers seeing stuff about that on the news. He just doubts the dragons would care to listen to every prayer that's sent their way. Why would they care about Emmet of all people? He’s not very interesting. Still, he decides to listen to his dad. Just in case. Emmet wouldn’t want to upset the dragons over a joke. “Okay, okay. I won’t say it again unless I really mean it.”

   His dad seems appeased with that response and sits up again. The four of them fall into silence now, waiting on the officer the front desk guy promised. Emmet really hates waiting. It feels like such a waste of time! If only life could be as efficient as a subway. Maybe then Emmet wouldn’t have such a hard time navigating it. Oh well. He’ll just have to cope with the lack of efficiency.

   While he waits, Emmet flips his wrist and turns on his Xtrans. He should check his emails to make sure nothing is wrong with Gear Station. Emmet clicks on his mail app and starts to scroll through it. There aren’t very many new messages. Only four. Three of them are just business emails trying to sell him crap while the fourth is an email from a subscription he has. Emmet clicks on all of them just to get rid of the notification. He hates having notifications, so any time he gets one, Emmet opens it so the pop up goes away. It makes his screen look nicer in his opinion. 

   “Mr. Cartwright?” 

   Emmet looks up at the woman calling his name. She seems familiar… ah, right. That’s the lady who tried to steal Ingo’s Pokéballs. Verrry rude lady. Emmet remembers her. He gives her a strained smile as he rises from his seat. Hopefully this will be done quickly. Emmet doesn’t want to be here for hours. “I am Emmet.” 

   She nods, her short black hair bobbing as she does, then motions for him to follow her. “Follow me please.” 

   He does as he’s told. There’s no reason not to, after all.

   The lady keeps glancing back at him while they walk. He feels almost like a child that’s about to be punished for bad behavior. She could at least try to be more discreet about it, sheesh. Emmet ignores the urge to say something about it. That would be rude. Emmet does not want to be too rude right now.

   The walk is silent, which Emmet is grateful for. Small talk is just not something he’s very good at. She brings him to a door all the way at the end of a hallway, then stops and motions to the door. “Right in there please. Officer Jenkins will be with you shortly,” she says. He’s not already in there? Why isn’t he? Emmet resists the groan threatening to escape him, instead silently walking into the room. This is such a waste of time. He just wants his computer! Is that really so much to ask for? 

   Emmet flops down into the seat on one side of the table. The first thing he notices about the room is how much he doesn’t like it. It’s cold and dark and uninviting. Isn’t this an interrogation room? It certainly looks like one. Emmet can’t help but wonder why they brought him here. Do they not have any other rooms for conversation? Maybe not. It is a police station, after all. They hold criminals here. Emmet sighs. He wishes he could have just stayed in the lobby with his family for this. What questions are they going to ask him that they can’t be present for? It doesn’t make sense.

   Well, it’s too late to complain about it now. He’s just gotta get through this and then he can go back home and finally start making progress. Emmet wants to find Ingo as soon as possible.

   Emmet’s foot taps against the floor while he waits. Where should he start in his research? Emmet doubts he’ll be able to find anything about a secret organization that could be behind this, as they likely wouldn’t go public with their plans. He also isn’t sure it could be the work of an organization. That might be a bit of a stretch. So he should start researching Pokémon then. Emmet will probably have better luck in getting results that way. Plus,  Emmet will have more fun learning about Pokémon anyway. People are verrry boring.

   Another minute ticks by and Emmet is starting to get bored. Just how long are they going to make him wait? Emmet reaches up and takes his hat off, flipping it over to reveal the little yellow Pokémon who’s made his home inside it. Conductor blinks up at Emmet, squinting under the harsh light in the room. Oops. Looks like Emmet accidentally woke him up from a nap. No wonder he couldn’t feel the Joltik moving around before. Emmet gives Conductor an apologetic smile, then pets his head. All is forgiven the moment Emmet starts to pet him. Conductor does love attention. He buzzes at Emmet, tilting his head a little so Emmet can pet him better.

   He wishes he could have more of his Pokémon out with him, but this room is far too small for them. And something tells Emmet he would get in trouble for having them. It could be taken as a threat, after all. Emmet doesn’t want to give the police a reason to be angry with him. Maybe then Elesa’s warning would have some truth to it. 

   His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Emmet is quick to shove his hat back on his head, not wanting the officer to see Conductor. He can hear the Joltik chitter at him and makes a mental note to apologize to him later. For now, he has to focus on this. Emmet looks up, finding the officer from that night in the doorway. Officer Jenkins doesn’t react to him as he walks around the table to the other side. He’s got a clipboard in his hands, but no computer. Is Emmet going to have to ask for it again? 

   Officer Jenkins clears his throat, then sets the clipboard down. “Good morning, Mr. Cartwright. I’m glad you were able to make it down to the station. We have some questions for you, if you could be so kind as to answer them?”

   “Sure, hit me with it,” Emmet says. For some reason, the officer’s frown gets a little deeper in response. Oof. No humor for this guy, huh?

   He clears his throat. “First, where were you on the night of Ingo Cartwright’s disappearance?”

   What? Emmet told him what he was doing when they first spoke. Why is Officer Jenkins asking him again? He couldn’t have forgotten. Or maybe he did in the time they’d been apart? There was a lot going on that night, after all. If Emmet was in his shoes, he might’ve forgotten too. He is very forgetful sometimes. Emmet decides to humor him. “I was home. In our apartment.”

   Officer Jenkins jots that down. “And what were you doing?”

   “Feeding my Pokémon.”

   The officer sighs, rubbing his face in clear annoyance. Wow, he just can’t do anything right can he? Emmet isn’t sure what he’d done wrong though. This is what he was doing when… it happened. “I’m going to need more than that, sir,” Officer Jenkins says, fixing Emmet with a stern look.

   Emmet frowns. More? What does he mean by more? That’s exactly what he was doing. “Uh… what do you mean by ‘more’, sir? That is what I was doing.” Seriously, does he expect Emmet to give him every little detail of his night? Is that important to Ingo’s case? Shouldn’t they be more concerned with what Ingo was doing? Emmet doesn’t understand why he needs to be so thorough in his explanation of his own night. He’s not the one who went missing!

   Jenkins’ expression tightens. “Please don’t joke around, Mr. Cartwright.”

   “I’m not joking around… but I guess I can say more. I came home from Gear Station early. We’d been working all day. I was tired. Ingo told me to go, so I went… then I walked home. And I fed the Pokémon. Then, I tried to text Ingo and he didn’t answer. So, I took a shower. He still hadn’t answered. So I tried to call him and couldn’t. Then I called Elesa, my friend, and she called you. That’s what happened.” Emmet feels a little winded after saying all that. That’s the most he’s said in one sitting in a very long time. 

   Unfortunately for Emmet, Officer Jekins doesn’t seem happy with his response. Was that not detailed enough? Emmet told him everything that happened. There wasn’t any more to say! He is starting to get antsy. Maybe he should ask for his computer again so they can give it to him and he can leave. Before Emmet can, Officer Jenkins is speaking again. “Right… you said he told you to go. Was he upset with you about that?”

  Of course not. Ingo insisted Emmet go home and rest. Emmet would know if his brother was mad. “No.”

   He watches the police officer write down some things. The room falls silent while he waits and Emmet’s foot taps faster. He glances around the room. If only there was a clock in here so Emmet would know how much time has passed. He doesn’t want to be off schedule. This visit was only supposed to be at most an hour long, after all. Being off schedule would ruin the rest of the day. Officer Jenkins clears his throat, grabbing Emmet’s attention once more. “Fine… would you say you and your brother were ever… on bad terms with each other?”

   Emmet’s eyebrows furrow. “Bad terms…?”

   Officer Jenkins seems to get tired of the back and forth. His frown grows tight and his brows furrow. The glare he fixes Emmet with sends chills down his spine. "Sir. If you're not going to take this seriously, I am just going to come out and say it. Were you ever violent with Ingo Cartwright? Did you hurt him? Force him to do things he didn't want to do? Do you have any reason to believe that he might have been trying to escape from you, Mr. Cartwright? I've seen videos of you getting aggressive with the people who challenge your subway and being demeaning to them too. Did you do that to your brother?" His tone is sharp and dripping with accusation. Emmet is frozen. Getting aggressive with passengers? Being demeaning? He's never done that! Emmet is only joking most of the time. That's the point! His words are meant to be a challenge to get his passengers to keep training... do people really believe he's aggressive because of that?

   His chest feels tight… is the room getting smaller? Emmet is lost. Why is Officer Jenkins asking him this? Emmet had no idea he came across as such a horrible person... and violent with Ingo? No, never! Emmet would never be violent with anyone, much less with his beloved older brother. Ingo means the world to Emmet. Doesn’t he know that? He can’t believe Officer Jenkins would think so poorly of him. Is Emmet really that terrible that people think he would hurt his brother? That can’t be true… “I-... I don’t… what does that have to do with…?

   Officer Jenkins clicks his pen a couple times, irritation clear in his features. “Just answer my questions, sir.” 

   Emmet shakes his head. “No… no, I wouldn’t… never.” That’s the truth. Emmet knows it is… so why does it look like Officer Jenkins doesn’t believe him? “That’s… enough questions. I want my computer and to leave. Now.”

   For a moment, Officer Jenkins doesn’t say anything. He just glances at the mirror behind Emmet and then down at the clipboard… Officer Jenkins’ lips pull into a thin line. His expression has dread flooding Emmet’s system. Is he not going to be let go? They can’t do that! Is this an interrogation? Like a real one? They have no reason to arrest Emmet or to hold on to his private property without reasonable cause. That’s illegal, isn’t it? Emmet stares at the table. This can’t be happening right now.

   The silence between them is thick enough to cut with a knife and oppressive like gravity is trying to drag Emmet into the floor. Acid burns the back of his throat. Emmet is going to throw up.

   Officer Jenkins rises from the table. “Very well. Right this way, sir.”

   Emmet is on his feet and out the door as soon as Officer Jenkins opens it. He wants to go home. Right now. Emmet isn’t even sure if he’ll be able to ask for his computer again; his tongue feels like sandpaper, his heart is pounding and his head is spinning. Emmet wants his family and he wants to go home. He feels numb as he’s led back out to the entrance. His parents and Elesa rise from their seats to talk with the officer. He can’t make out what they’re saying through the static in his ears. Emmet’s hands are trembling, so he stuffs them in his pockets. He’s fine. Everything is fine… 

   His mom’s hand is on his arm now and Emmet can’t help but pull away. It burns. Emmet tears his hand out of his pocket to rub the spot his mom had touched. He rubs it hard enough to hurt. Emmet keeps his gaze focused on the ground. “Emmet? Are you alright, honey?” Her voice sounds worried. Emmet can’t answer. She seems to understand as much, turning back to whoever she was talking to before. “Thank you, sir… have a good day.”

   Emmet is being guided a moment later. He’s not sure by who, but he’s grateful that they’re not actually touching him. His skin still burns.

   He lets himself be brought out of the police station and hopes he never has to go inside it ever again. 

   The car ride home is mostly quiet. His parents are in the front seat while Elesa sits in the back with Emmet. He can see her stealing glances at him, but chooses to ignore it. Instead, Emmet focuses on his hat in his lap. Conductor is nestled in his hands, letting Emmet pet him. The static he emits helps settle Emmet’s nerves, oddly enough. That’s part of the reason why Emmet loves Joltiks so much. Conductor purrs in response to his petting, the rumble traveling through Emmet’s palms. 

   In the time since they’d left the station, Emmet’s hands have stopped shaking and he feels like he can breathe again. He’s still feeling a little antsy, but other than that, Emmet is doing better than he was. 

   It’s not until they’re almost back at the apartment that someone finally speaks up. “... are you alright, son? What happened back there?” His dad says from the passenger seat. Emmet glances at him through the rearview mirror before looking away again. He’s not sure if he wants to talk about what happened right now. But maybe it will help him feel better to tell someone? It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?

   “They… they asked me if I ever hurt Ingo… if I was the reason he was gone," Emmet tells him. His voice trembles more than he would like it to, but at least Emmet managed to get the words out.

   That doesn’t seem to be what they were expecting, as his mom swerves in shock. Elesa jumps and grabs the handle above her while his dad tries to calm his mom. Emmet shields Conductor, who chirps in alarm. “Easy, Enia darling…” he says, reaching over to hold her shoulder. His mom manages to get the car under control again a few moments later.

   “Ah, sorry my dears!” She gives all of them an apologetic look before it morphs back into one of anger. “What do you mean they were questioning you like that? No way! No son of mine will be treated with such disrespect on my watch. Those ass-”

   His dad squeezes her shoulder a little. “Honey, it’s okay. Focus on the road. You’re still drivin’.”

   His words settle Emmet’s mother again. The white-knuckled grip she had on the steering wheel relaxes and she takes a deep breath. Emmet will never understand how his dad manages to do that. His mother can get quite worked up when she’s upset. It’s honestly impressive. 

   Meanwhile, Elesa lets herself relax in the seat. She looks over at Emmet with a frown on her face. “Wait, does that mean they’re trying to accuse you of…?” She doesn’t finish the question, but the unspoken part is no mystery. They’re trying to accuse Emmet of hurting Ingo.
 
   The car falls silent. It would make sense, given the line of questioning… Emmet isn’t sure what to make of that. If the police think he did this, they’re going to spend all of their time trying to convict Emmet and they’ll barely spend any trying to find his brother. Which means Emmet is essentially on his own in this investigation. 

   He already knew that in the back of his mind, but the confirmation isn’t reassuring. 

   The silence stretches on until his mom pulls into the parking lot of the apartment building. She doesn’t pull her keys out of the ignition yet though, instead turning in her seat to face Emmet. “Emmet, dear. You’re going to come home with me and your father for a little while. Okay? Just so we can make sure you don’t get harassed like that again.” 

   Emmet doesn’t want to leave. He should stay in Nimbasa and look for Ingo. “But-”

   Beside him, Elesa sighs. “Emmet… it might be best if you go for a couple days. What if they come knocking on your door? I just… it would be safer, wouldn’t it? I have to go back to my gym tomorrow, as much as I don’t want to… I won’t be able to be with you,” she says.

   He doesn’t want to admit it, but she might be right. Emmet doesn’t know what the police will do. It sounded like they wanted to arrest him on the spot back in the station… a couple days can’t hurt. He has his computer now; his dad had gotten it while Emmet was freaking out. Which means Emmet can still do his research at his parents’ house. And Anville Town isn’t so far away from Nimbasa that he can’t get back in case of an emergency. With that in mind, Emmet nods. “Alright. I’ll go for a couple days.”

Chapter Text

   It’s been quite some time since Emmet last left Nimbasa without Ingo. Years even. Emmet hardly goes anywhere without his brother. So, to leave their apartment without him… it feels like he’s leaving a piece of himself behind; like he’s abandoning Ingo, even though he knows that this is for the best. Ingo would want Emmet to be safer, just as Emmet would want the same for Ingo.

   So why can’t he just push his fear aside and do this? Why is Emmet still standing by the edge of his bed, staring at his half packed suitcase? He was fine moments ago, folding clothes and putting them in the suitcase. It was easy. Mindless. Then, he stopped to grab a shirt he wanted to pack out of his dresser. Emmet has been staring since.

   It’s only for a couple days to get the police off his back, then Emmet can be back in the apartment. Emmet can do that, can’t he? It should be easy… 

   His parents left to go bring Elesa home, so Emmet has until they get back to finish packing. He’s on a time limit. 

   Emmet only has a few more shirts and a pair of pants to pack and then he’ll be finished. He has to do this.

   There’s a soft chime from somewhere above him. Emmet doesn’t have to look up to know who the source of the noise is. A purple circle of light is cast down onto the bed and the clothes, Emmet’s shadow in the middle of it. Emmet swallows thickly. He’s been standing still for so long that he must have made Lavender worry. Emmet promised he wouldn’t make his friends worry, didn’t he? 

   He can’t go back on that promise. Emmet will get through this. 

   Ignoring his brother’s Pokémon, he folds the shirt still clenched in his hands and stuffs it into the suitcase. Eventually the purple light fades. Almost done here.

   Though Emmet will still have some other things to do before he can leave. The first order of business is to get someone to watch over the Pokémon he’ll be leaving in the apartment. The Joltik can’t go with him, as there are far too many of them, which means Emmet will have to be picky about who he gets to watch his apartment. He does not know very many people who are good with bug types and Elesa has to go back to her gym. So, his choices are very limited.

   Emmet considers his options while he folds the remaining clothes. Who could he call? He doesn’t have very many friends…

   Skyla isn’t an option. She’s a great friend, but he does not trust her with his apartment. Uncle Drayden is likely too busy to stop by his apartment every day, which means so is his cousin Iris. Plus, Opelucid is rather far away. Emmet isn’t sure how he feels about having someone like Cilan watching his apartment. He likes Cilan, but Cilan is also a kid. And Emmet doesn’t know many of Unova’s other gym leaders very well. Sure he’s friendly with most of them, but is that enough to ask for favors from them? Emmet isn’t sure… so who does that leave? 

   He’s putting a pair of pants in his suitcase when it hits him. He can ask Burgh! Burgh is more Elesa’s friend than he is Emmet’s, but he’s spoken to the man on more than one occasion. Plus, he’s the bug type gym leader. He’ll definitely be able to care for Emmet’s bugs, and Burgh owes Emmet a favor from when Emmet was helping him with Joltik breeding a while back. It’s perfect. 

   As soon as he’s done packing, he’ll call and ask Burgh for his help. Then Emmet can decide which Pokémon he wants to take with him. His parents' house is bigger than the apartment, but they only have so much room for Pokémon. 

   Actually, he might as well decide who to bring while he’s thinking about it now. Emmet knows for sure that he’ll be taking both Lavender and Captain with him. He never goes anywhere without his starter and… Emmet doesn’t want to leave Lavender behind. He doesn’t want her to feel any more alone than she likely already does. Not that he thinks she’ll even let him leave without her. Emmet looks over to where Lavender is hovering above his desk. She has not really left him since after he sleepwalked. It took him nearly an hour to convince her to stay in the apartment so they could go to the police station this morning and she was right back on him the second he came back. So, she’s definitely coming. Lavender chimes at him when she notices him looking at her. Emmet smiles.

   “Sorry, just thinking.” She stares at him for a moment before seemingly accepting his answer. Lavender goes back to… whatever it is she’s doing over there. 

   Aside from the starters, who else should he bring? He can’t bring Darling or Whistle because they’re too big. Thunderfangs won’t want to leave her clutch, so that crosses her off too. He can probably take Attitude and Archie if they promise to be on their best behavior. Engine and Motor won’t want to be apart from each other, but he could only take one Klinklang if he did need one of them. The two of them will have to stay. Which leaves Mudball and Cavern with Emmet too. And then he’ll have a full team. Emmet doubts he’ll need it, but it never hurts to be prepared. He’s glad to have that settled. 

   By the time he’d chosen his team, his suitcase is all packed. He puts the last stack of folded clothes inside before zipping it closed. Emmet has enough in there to last him a couple days, plus extras in case he needs them. He can also do laundry at his parents’ house in the event of an emergency too.

   Next on the agenda is to call Burgh and ask him to come watch the apartment. Emmet is sure he’ll agree. If he doesn’t, Emmet will just have to leverage the favor he’s owed. He doesn’t like holding things over people’s heads, but sometimes it's necessary. This might be one of those times. Emmet would rather not spend another hour trying to solve this particular problem.

   Emmet grabs his XTrans off the charger on his nightstand and sits down in his bed. He opens it, only to be immediately bombarded with notifications. There are hundreds just from his messages app alone. Emmet hates it. That’s so many messages to open to get those notifications to go away! It’s going to take him an hour at least to do that. No! Emmet is getting derailed. The notifications can wait, as much as it pains him to ignore them. He has to call Burgh. No distractions! Why does he even have so many anyway?

   Ingo’s disappearance was announced this morning… oh.

   Emmet does not want to open those notifications. His thumb moves anyway.

   He opens his messages app. Almost every contact he has is filled with messages. He can see little bits of condolences in the preview part of the contact. Emmet ignores it. He had no idea so many people even knew him… or maybe that’s not the case. Plenty of people know who Emmet is, they just preferred his brother. Ingo was always more popular than him. He’s sure these people are only talking to him because they can’t talk to Ingo. If Emmet was the one who went missing, he knows Ingo’s XTrans wouldn’t have looked like this. It would have been empty. 

   Ingo would hate the way Emmet is thinking right now. He can almost hear his older brother’s voice chastising him… Emmet’s eyes feel wet.

   “Lure…?” Comes a ghostly chime from his right. Emmet nearly sobs. He can’t bring himself to try to reassure her. It hurts too much. 

   The bedroom is still for a moment, then Emmet can feel warm glass press against his cheek. He closes his eyes, letting Lavender’s glow chase away the darkness around him. Emmet doesn’t have time to derail. He needs to call Burgh and leave. He needs to see this through… Emmet pulls Lavender down into his arms and she presses against his chest. Her violet flames flicker up, harmlessly dancing across his face as he hugs her. Emmet needs a moment before he can get his voice to work.

   The two of them just sit there for a while, simply existing in each other’s space. Emmet’s hands tremble where he holds her, the XTrans slipping out of his grip and onto the mattress. His chest heaves as tears slide down his cheeks, splashing against his white sheets. Lavender shifts in his hold, then starts to whistle a song. A lullaby. It’s one Emmet recognizes. Soft and mellow and oh so familiar.

   She used to sing it for him and his brother when they were still on their Pokémon journey. Its melody carries the memories of sleepless nights, sitting by a fire in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a ghost, an eel, and his brother. Emmet’s heart hurts. That was such a long time ago… he misses his brother so much.

   How can that be possible? To ache so deeply for a presence that hasn’t been gone for very long. Emmet feels like it’s been years… maybe the reality is what makes it hurt so bad; the knowing that Ingo will be gone longer than Emmet would like. It’s not going to last just a couple days. Not this time. Ingo will not be there to comfort him when he opens his eyes. His room, his apartment, his life will be too quiet. 

   It’s a truth Emmet has been trying so hard to distract himself from in the form of refusing to think about it. His thoughts have been so focused on what Ingo would do and what Ingo would think and how useless the search is that Emmet has not allowed himself to actually address the fact that he’s struggling in his brother’s absence. Emmet can’t allow himself to be stuck in this constant state of denial if he ever wants to be able to do something about it, but that doesn’t mean he should be stuck in the fact forever either. It happened and that can’t be changed. He is not gone forever…

   He doesn’t want to be feeling these emotions, but he can give himself a moment to grieve Ingo’s presence, can’t he?

   Emmet runs his hand over Lavender’s glass body, listening to her song as it cuts through the otherwise silent room. He can feel his heart rate start to slow and his breathing begin to even out again… Lavender has been so helpful. Certainly more so than Emmet has been.

   Maybe this moment is one she’s already had for herself. Lavender was inconsolable before. He has no doubt that she could lock herself away from the rest of the world and lose herself in her sorrow. But she isn’t doing that. Lavender chose to give herself something else to do. She chose to help him. His brother’s starter has always been so willful, just like Ingo himself. The two of them understood each other well. Emmet will follow her example and he’ll find his brother for both of them. And to do that, Emmet needs to process what he’s feeling. Running on fumes will only make matters much worse.

   “Thank you, Lavender,” he manages to get out. Emmet drags in a deep breath, leaning down to kiss her glass. “I love you.” It feels a little strange to be saying that to his brother’s Pokémon, but then again, why should it? Lavender has been with him since he was a kid too. She’s an important piece of his life. Lavender coos at him, then chimes. Emmet understands that as her telling him she loves him too. 

   Seconds bleed into minutes and longer still until Emmet feels like he’s ready to face the world again. One foot in front of the other, Emmet will make this journey. He likes winning more than anything else. Accepting any less than that is simply not Emmet’s style. It’s about time he remembers that. 

   Emmet opens his eyes, then looks down at Lavender and smiles. “I’ll call Burgh now and then we’ll be on our tracks to our next destination. Are you ready?”

   “Chan.” Lavender chimes, floating up and out of Emmet’s arms. He gives her a salute. 

   “Right. Then, all aboard.” Emmet picks up his XTrans from where it had fallen onto his bed. He’s ready to face anything the universe throws his way. Emmet will not back down any more. Full steam ahead! He turns on his XTrans and it opens to his message app. Emmet moves to swipe out of the app, only to pause when a new message pops up. It’s a waste of time to read it. Emmet needs to call Burgh… but he finds himself curious anyway. Emmet swipes up to find it’s a message from Cilan. Huh. He’s not heard from the kid in a while. Though, that could be because they’re both busy people. 

   Despite himself, Emmet opens Cilan’s contact and reads the message.

Hello, Mr. Emmet. I heard the news.

I’m so sorry. 

That’s awful to hear! 

Are you holding up alright? I’d like

to come visit you right away, but I

wouldn’t want to impose. I just

hope you aren’t in bad shape. 

Is there anything I can do to help you?   

   That’s not what Emmet was expecting. He thought Cilan would be hounding him with questions about Ingo like everyone else has, but it seems Cilan is more concerned about his wellbeing than anything else. Emmet’s smile widens a little as he looks at his screen. He’d grown somewhat fond of Cilan ever since he started coming around Gear Station more often. He visits twice a month at least to talk about trains or to have a Pokémon battle, which is always fun. Though Emmet noticed recently that Cilan visits the Doubles Line more often than Singles. He’d wondered why that was, but ended up chalking it up to Cilan just preferring doubles… maybe Cilan cares about Emmet more than he thought.

   Wait, doesn’t Cilan know quite a bit about Pokémon? Yes, he’d called himself a connoisseur. Maybe he would be able to help Emmet figure out what kind of Pokémon could have potentially taken Ingo? If the police aren’t going to be helpful, Emmet will just have to build his own team of investigators.

   This might be a bad idea, but an idea is better than no idea at this point. Plus, Cilan is a friend. 

Hello Cilan.

I am doing better.

I wouldn’t mind a visit,

but I am leaving Nimbasa.

I am going to stay with my

parents for a little while.

If you’d like, you can visit

me there?

Really?

You wouldn’t mind that?

I would be honored to, Mr. Emmet. 

I’ll clear up some time in my

schedule and stop by.   

   Emmet sends Cilan the address of his parents’ house. He’s actually looking forward to seeing him and getting some help in his research. Surely it will go smoother with Cilan’s contribution. 

   Now then, no more distractions. Emmet needs to get back on schedule. Call Burgh and leave. That’s what he needs to do. He swipes out of the messages app and opens his contacts. Burgh’s name is thankfully close to the top, so Emmet doesn’t waste any more time scrolling. He clicks on Burgh’s name and then hits the call button. 

   It rings and rings and rings... Voicemail. Emmet internally groans. Of course it went to voicemail. He’ll just have to try again. Emmet can’t just leave a message and hope Burgh sees it. He’s got to be leaving his apartment soon. This is urgent. Emmet hits the call button again, listening to the ringing… annnd voicemail once more. Emmet ends the call, then dials again. Okay. If he doesn’t pick up this time, Emmet is going to have to reconsider his options. He doesn’t have time to sit here and wait for his call to be taken. 

   Emmet is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice the ringing has stopped. The line is silent for a moment, then Burgh clears his throat on the other end. “Hello?”

   He nearly jumps out of his skin, almost dropping his XTrans. Burgh picked up! Emmet rights himself and answers with as even a voice as he can manage, which isn’t actually that difficult, given Emmet’s tone never changes. “Good morning, Burgh. I need help.”

   There’s a shuffle, then Burgh’s voice is louder. Was he not holding his XTrans? Ugh. “Emmet Cartwright? Oh goodness. I heard the news this morning. I’m so-” 

   “Please don’t. No apologies. I need a favor.” Emmet feels a little bad for cutting him off, but he doesn’t need condolences. He’s going to get Ingo back, so it won’t matter if people feel sorry for him. “I need you to watch my apartment. I am going to stay with my parents for a couple days.”

   “Watch your apartment? Oh! Don’t you have Joltik in there? Sure, sure. I’ll watch your lovely place if I can spend time with those little delights.” Burgh sounds a bit more enthusiastic now. Good because Emmet did not want to have to beg him. That’s unbecoming. 

   “I am Emmet. Yup. Thunderfangs also has part of her newest clutch in the den. She is still broody. Can you handle that?” Emmet doesn’t want her to be mistreated in his absence, so it’s important that he drives his point home. Not that he’s too worried. Burgh can handle bug types.

   “Thunderfangs is a Galvantula, right? Of course! I can handle her just fine.” 

   He breathes a sigh of relief. Emmet is glad she’ll be in good hands. “Verrry good. I am leaving my apartment now. Please update me if anything happens while I am gone. Thank you.”

   “Sure thing. And… I hope you’re alright yourself, Emmet. Have a nice trip.”

   Emmet hums his agreement, then ends the call. He will be alright. Everything is going to work out in the end. Emmet misses Ingo more than anything, but he will let that be his guiding force instead of a weight on his shoulders.

   Now to round up his Pokémon and be on his way.

Chapter Text

Location: Nimbasa City (On the Way to Anville Town) 

   Road trips are among the worst things in the world in Emmet’s humble opinion. They’re so slow compared to the speed of a train and much less efficient too. Plus, being locked up in a car on a busy street is truly awful! They’re barely even moving. He would have preferred to take a train back to Anville Town; they’re so much faster and there is far more leg room. They would already be there by now if they had.

   Unfortunately for Emmet, his parents drove to his apartment and they had to get their car back somehow. Avoiding the subway is probably in Emmet’s best interest right now anyway. With Ingo’s case being made public, he’s sure he would have to fight his way through a massive crowd. He’s already had to put his XTrans on silent with how many calls and e-mails he’s been getting and Emmet doesn’t even want to imagine how many calls Gear Station has gotten about this situation. He’s sure he’d be overrun if he stepped foot in the station. That is the last thing Emmet would like to deal with. So, he begrudgingly agreed to get in the car. 

   So far it’s been just as awful as he expected. They’ve been stuck on the same road for almost a hour now. The traffic in Nimbasa is always terrible. He’s not sure he’s ever seen the streets completely free of cars. There’s always something. 

   His parents haven’t spoken to Emmet much since they left, which he is grateful for. He’s already feeling a little too jittery to engage in conversation. So much has happened since just this morning alone, after all. Emmet’s social battery is rapidly dying. Even on a good day, it would be too much.

   Instead, he takes in his surroundings. Lavender is sitting in the seat next to him, dozing off. The cars around them block out the sight of the crowded city sidewalks, but Emmet can still see people weaving through lines of traffic on foot. Horns are honking in the distance, a sound that scarcely ever stops in Nimbasa. Above them, the sky is starting to grow dark as night approaches.

   He’s holding Captain’s Pokéball in his hand, running his thumb over grooves and chips it's gained through years of use. Traffic only inches forward every few minutes. At this rate, it’ll be really late when they get to Anville Town.

   While Emmet is watching the world around him, he has an idea. If he’s going to be in the car for the foreseeable future, he might as well make use of his time. Emmet slips Captain’s Pokéball into his jacket pocket. He’s got his computer with him now, so he might as well do some digging on Pokémon that could’ve maybe taken Ingo. Emmet grabs his bag from the floor and unzips it. He’s glad he decided to keep it with him and not put it in the trunk.

   He pulls his computer out of his bag and sets it on his lap. Finally, he has time to start trying to find some answers. Emmet has been itching to do just that since he got home from the police station. He flips the lid open and waits for the screen to turn on. Almost as soon as it does, Emmet is typing in his password and opening the search. 

   He stares at the blinking line in the search bar. Where should he start? There is no real jumping off point for trying to figure out what happened. It could take him hours just to find somewhere to start with alone. Emmet resists the urge to groan, reaching over to pat Lavender in an effort to combat his annoyance. Her golden eyes blink open for a second and she gives him a sleepy chime. Emmet smiles at her; she’s so cute when she’s sleepy. He refocuses on his computer. 

   Emmet decides to take a shot in the dark and types in ‘Pokémon teleporting moves’. About a thousand different results show up… he has his work cut out for him, doesn’t he?But maybe if he can find a move that looks like what happened on the cameras — even though he didn’t actually see very much — he might be able to confirm that it was indeed a Pokémon that took his brother. Then hopefully that would lead to the actual Pokémon species responsible. What he’s supposed to do with that information if he finds it is yet to be determined. 

   Geez, Emmet already feels like he’s losing steam. Research that isn’t related to trains is difficult. He clicks on the first link he sees. Hopefully this leads somewhere.

Time: Forty-Two Minutes Later 

   So far, he hasn’t found anything of use. Most of the links he’s clicked on just show normal teleporting moves. Every attack Emmet watches and reads about doesn’t seem like it could do the sort of thing he’s looking for. Plus, the Pokémon who can learn those moves don’t appear to be powerful enough to disappear a whole person. And even if they were, a normal attack wouldn’t have caused the Singles camera to malfunction and Emmet would have been able to see what happened. So, he crosses all those options out and keeps looking.

   With every link he clicks on, he’s starting to lose hope. What if this doesn’t get him anywhere? Who is he kidding? He is no investigator. How is someone even supposed to do this kind of research successfully? Emmet is just going in circles… but he can’t let his tracks end here. Not while Ingo is still missing.

   It’s not until all the links on the first couple pages are purple that Emmet decides his search topic is too broad. Maybe being more specific with the details might help? There are many Pokémon who can teleport things, but not all of them are strong enough to do something like this. So, perhaps Emmet shouldn’t be considering average Pokémon.

   What about a legendary then?

   Legendary Pokémon are capable of causing crazy things to happen, aren’t they? Emmet has never met one personally, but he’s heard stories about them. And he’d also seen the news during that whole Team Plasma thing a couple years ago. He’s sure one could cause something like this. He’s just got to figure out which one. Which is easier said than done… then again there are only so many legendaries to choose from. It’s a shorter list to consider for sure.  

   He might as well start with what he knows; Unova’s legendaries.

   The twin dragons don’t teleport things. Emmet knows that for a fact. So, that crosses both of them off the list… and the third one too. Last Emmet heard, Kyurem is an ice-dragon type. He doesn’t think they can even learn a teleporting move. Or that they would come out of hiding again to randomly steal his brother. So it can’t be any of them. 

   What about the other legendary Pokémon living in Unova? He hasn’t seen much about them, but from what he’s heard, they tend to stay as far away from humans as possible. Which is fair considering most humans would take advantage of their power. That also means they don’t usually mess with human affairs. Would a typically peaceful Pokémon even want to take his brother from him? He doubts they would on their own, but maybe they could do it if under the command of a trainer? 

   Just to be sure, Emmet looks up the Unovan legendaries he knows of. With each page he reads, he feels more sure of his assessment that it isn’t any of them. He should move on and look elsewhere.

   Emmet doesn’t know a lot about the Pokémon from other regions. He’s never really had a reason to go so in depth about such a thing before. Maybe a more broad search to start with can help him narrow down his options.

   He types in “legendary Pokémon’, then gets to work. 

   The first link is an old article from over ten years ago. Emmet skims through it. It’s about the conflict between Team Magma and Team Aqua, which almost caused the world to be destroyed. Emmet vaguely feels like he remembers hearing something about that when he was younger, but he’s not sure. It looks like those legendaries only have control over physical things; land and water. No teleportation. Emmet moves on.

   The next link he clicks is about Johto. Emmet scrolls through the infographic posted by some professor in the region about the legendary beasts. Interesting, but it’s not what Emmet wants. He clicks away.

   While he’s scrolling down the search page, Emmet notices something. Most of the top searches are articles from ages ago. Maybe he should be looking for more recent things? Emmet goes into the filters and sets the timing to things from the past couple of years, then updates the search page. He watches all the old articles disappear, leaving behind things from five years ago on. The first couple links he sees are about the Team Plasma thing that happened in Unova, which he ignores. Emmet already decided that the dragons have nothing to do with this.

   He scrolls down a little further and comes across something dated a year ago. Something about Alola. Emmet clicks on the link. That region isn’t very far from Unova, so maybe it’s possible a Pokémon from there managed to find its way to Nimbasa. He scrolls through the article… it's about something called the Aether Foundation. Emmet slows his scroll, reading over exactly what happened. He finds himself… disturbed. Experimenting on Pokémon is always bad, but this just seems to take it a step further. Emmet is horrified. How could anyone do such a thing? His horror remains as he gets to the end of the article where something called an ‘ultrabeast’ is brought up. Emmet isn’t exactly sure what that is, but it sounds scary… maybe he should look further into that?

   “Emmet? Are you okay back there, hun?” His mom’s voice nearly makes him jump out of his skin. Emmet looks up, finding her looking at him through the rearview mirror. Crap. His expression must have given him away. Emmet blinks at her, then manages to school his face back into a smile. He is absolutely not going to tell his mom about what he just read. It was bad enough that he had to read it! Explaining would be much worse.

   He clears his throat. “I am Emmet. Yup. Everything is fine. Don’t worry about me,” he says, a shaky smile spreading across his face. His mom doesn’t look like she believes him and neither does Lavender. Any mentions of Emmet must be some sort of sleeper agent code for her. He swears Lavender was just fast asleep, but now she’s staring at him. He can feel her eyes burning into his very soul. Lavender coos, hovering up to get a better look at his face. “I promise I am operational. All systems online.”

   Lavender makes an annoyed huffing sound while his mom narrows her eyes at him. “Okay… we’ll be arriving in a little bit, dear. We won’t be in the car much longer.”

   Emmet nods and she turns back towards the road. Meanwhile, Lavender stares daggers into him as he looks down at his computer again. He can feel her glass against his arm as she settles closer to him before grumpily going back to sleep… Emmet has got to be more mindful of his face. Yikes.

   He shakes his head a little, then redirects his focus back to the task at hand. Clicking out of the article he just read, Emmet decides to look up ultrabeats. The article link from before pops up again, which he ignores, but other than that there is only one other link. Oh great. Not a lot is known about ultrabeasts. Just his luck. Emmet sighs as he clicks on the link. It opens to a picture of a handwritten document… in a language Emmet can’t read. He doesn’t know Alolan and he also doesn’t know anyone who does. Damn.

   Looks like this research session has been unhelpful. Emmet wants to tear his hair out. Why can’t this search just be simple? Why does everything have to be so complicated? 

   This is hopeless... Emmet closes his computer and puts it back into his bag. Then, he pulls Lavender into his hold… he’s so tired.

Location: Anville Town

Time: 11:47 pm 

   Emmet doesn’t know when he nodded off, but it must have been long enough ago to startle awake at the sound of a car door slamming. His head snaps up, finding the car parked in his parents’ driveway. Both of them are already out of the car. He rubs his face, then lets Lavender float out of his arms. He should probably get out too… ugh. 

   He reaches out and pulls the door handle to push the car door open. He was right about them getting here late. The sky is dark and the moon has taken the place of the sun. It’s past his bedtime. Emmet presses the heel of his hand against his eyes. He just wants to go inside and lay down. If his social battery was low before, it’s certainly fully dead now. Emmet will have to resume his research tomorrow. All he wants to do right now is sleep. 

   The sound of rolling wheels draws Emmet out of his thoughts and he lets his hand fall away from his face. His dad is bringing his suitcase over to him. Emmet doesn’t say anything, just taking the handle with a grateful nod. “C’mon then. Why don’t we get you inside?” His dad says, reaching over to guide Emmet in that direction. He’s careful not to touch him though, hand hovering just over his back. Emmet is grateful for his dad’s understanding. The last thing he wants is to freak out in the middle of the driveway because of a touch. 

   His dad brings Emmet down the small stone walkway that leads to the porch and up the stairs to the front door. Then, he steps in front of Emmet to pull it open and motions for him to enter. Emmet doesn’t waste a moment, ready to be one step closer to going to sleep.

   It’s not meant to be it seems.

   Voices are speaking in front of him, but Emmet can't hear it as the world starts to blur around him. There are people here. They’re standing in the doorway. A hand reaches towards him and Emmet flinches back. Why are there people here? His parents didn’t say anyone else would be staying with them. That wasn’t part of his plan. Emmet’s gaze remains on the floor, his hand clenching around his suitcase handle. Why is there yet another thing in his way? He can feel his heart rate start to spike.

   The hand doesn’t try to reach for him again. Instead, the person attached to it leans down a little. Emmet can see it’s his cousin Iris. She frowns at him. “Sorry, Emmet. No touching right now? That's okay. We can talk tomorrow,” Iris says, her voice quieter than it usually is. His cousin straightens up and motions towards something, then a cool, metal arm nudges Emmet towards the staircase on his right. Ah, she must have been beckoning Lavender. The ghost chimes at him, trying to get Emmet to let her guide him. “Good night.” He can see Iris waving at him through the corner of his eye as he’s led away.

   There are voices talking in the foyer as Emmet starts up the stairs, but he doesn’t have the energy to try to figure out what they’re saying. He’ll just ask tomorrow. Or maybe he won’t. Emmet is not in the mood to make plans. Right now, he wants to be as far away from people as possible.

   It doesn’t take long to reach the top of the staircase, then Emmet turns right into the hallway that leads to one half of the second floor. 

   Old wood creaks under his feet as he’s brought down the dark hallway. Emmet recognizes the pattern. It’s one he used to hear every day when he walked down this hallway as a kid. Only, there was always another set of footsteps that followed after his own. It sounds incomplete now. Emmet’s hands clench and unclench. It’s not how it should be. Why aren’t things how they should be? He doesn’t like being off schedule.

   Lavender nudges him towards a doorway. The door is already cracked open. Emmet knows that room. With trembling hands, he pushes the door all the way open and stumbles inside. The lights are off. Emmet doesn’t need them to see. He kicks his shoes off as he walks, snatching his hat and the blue jacket he’d been wearing and tossing them to the floor. Conductor skitters around in his hair, shocked by the sudden absence of his hat.

   Emmet can barely feel it. He can barely feel anything. He ignores the scratchiness of the rug under his feet and the bed with white sheets on the left side of the room. Emmet doesn’t want white. With a choked sob, he collapses into the black sheets that always sat opposite him. Always on his right. 

   Everything is wrong.

   Emmet grabs one of the pillows and hugs it close to his chest. It’s not what he wants, but it’s the only thing he has. 

   Everything is wrong. Nothing is how it should be. Emmet can’t stand that it isn’t. He wants his schedule to be perfect again, for everything to be right and for his brother to be where he should be. But nothing is right and Ingo isn’t here. His chest heaves as tears stream down his face. 

   There’s something messing with his Pokéballs. He can feel them shifting around until one of them pops. Then, a weight presses into his back and a soft current of electricity runs along his spine. Captain coos at Emmet, resting his head on the back of his trainer’s. The weight of his partner forces Emmet to try to breathe correctly and the longer Captain sits there, the easier it gets for Emmet to do so.

   His head is still spinning, but the world isn’t as muddled together as it had been a moment ago. Emmet can feel tears running down his cheeks, but he ignores it in favor of focusing on the sound of Conductor buzzing in his hair and Lavender’s soft whistling coming from somewhere above him. Everything is going to be alright. Emmet can breathe.

   At some point, Emmet registers that he’s falling asleep. Today was too much for him. That surprise of having someone else in the house just sent him over the edge, it seems. Emmet will have to take it easy tomorrow then.

   For now, he will sleep. 

Chapter Text

Shift: Truth’s Perspective 

   Reshiram is not sure what to make of Emmet’s current state. They have been following him since they planted that truth in his head… and circumstances have put a damper on his human’s spirits. He was doing fine for a little while and then other humans frightened him into being down in the dumps again. That is very annoying. Reshiram has been trying hard to uplift Emmet and get him ready to face their creator’s tasks. It’s not going to go well if Emmet stays upset like this. No matter what truth they offer the human, it will be all for nought if the world around Emmet keeps bringing him right back down again. And how are they supposed to explain that to their creator? They know very little of how the human world works due to their distance from the mortal realm, so it will be a challenge in itself.

   The dragon of truth is at a loss for what to do. 

   What would help Emmet in this situation? Obviously trying to keep their distance while also reassuring Emmet didn’t work. The human convinced himself that it was just a thought and not a divine truth. Reshiram can’t even blame him for that, as they had intentionally made it seem like it was a m undane thought. They need something that is less fleeting than that. Something that will continue to motivate him even in the face of less than satisfactory situations. But what?

   What would Reshiram want if they were apart from their twin? Well, the only answer is that Reshiram would want Zekrom. Their twin would be what motivated Reshiram. That can’t be for Emmet… can it?

   It is not possible to bring his brother back right now, but maybe Emmet and Ingo do not need to be completely disconnected. Reshiram is sure it’s worth at least suggesting something of the sort to their creator.

   With that, Reshiram lifts their presence away from the small house Emmet is staying in and takes off through the dark sky. They do not need to go very far. Just far enough to open a link to the distortion realm where it can’t bring harm to any of the humans living in the area. Reshiram flies over the town and over the forest nearby, getting far enough that there are no houses around before they land. The grass around them rustles as they land and little pieces of forest debris is kicked up by the breeze their wings creates. Reshiram pays it no mind as they press their forehead against the dew-dampened ground.

   They send their presence into the shadows, summoning the entrance to Giratina’s domain. Calling upon them is always difficult and takes a great deal of energy out of Reshiram, but they believe this to be worth it. The dragon’s head is bowed for a long while before a pool of shadows begins to bubble up across the ground in front of them. Reshiram lifts their head in time to see red irises peering at them through the shade.

   TRUTH? IT’S BEEN MANY CENTURIES SINCE YOU LAST OPENED MY REALM… WHAT DO YOU NEED?   

   Hello, Giratina. I called upon you to request entry to our creator’s domain. I need to speak to them.

   YOU WANT ME TO BRING YOU TO MY FATHER? 

   They narrow their eyes at Reshiram, clearly suspicious of the dragon. It’s not often one wants to enter their creator’s domain without first being called upon by them.

   DOES THIS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HUMAN FATHER ASSIGNED YOU RESPONSIBILITY OF?  

   Yes. This is important to the task the Almighty Creator wants done. 

   Giratina hums, looking away from Reshiram in thought.

   WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?  

   Truth narrows their own eyes now. Of course Giratina wants something in order to fulfil a request. Typical.

   What’s in it for you? I don’t see why anything should be in it for you… but what is it you want in exchange? 

   HMM… I WANT TO JOIN YOU. DISTORTION IS BORING… I WANT TO WATCH YOU AND… WHAT WAS YOUR HUMAN’S NAME? EMMET? YES, EMMET. I WANT TO WATCH YOU ON THIS JOURNEY.  

   I don’t believe I have control over that permission. I don’t care if you follow us around as long as you do not harm my human or try to take him from me… but are you sure the Almighty would allow that?

   Giratina laughs a little, the shadows around them flickering.

   I HAVE BEEN ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR FOR THE PAST COUPLE CENTURIES. I KNOW FATHER WILL LET ME HAVE SOME TIME TO EXPLORE IF I PROMISE TO REMAIN DOCILE. BESIDES, THIS SITUATION INVOLVES ME TOO… WELL, THE PAST VERSION OF ME. I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS SIDE OF THE INCIDENT. I DID NOT SEE IT BEFORE. ONLY THE PAST.  

   Reshiram is not sure if they trust Giratina, but they have no reason to distrust them either. And they are telling the truth about being on good behavior. Giratina has not really caused anything too dangerous to happen in some time. The only thing Reshiram can recall happening with them recently was that thing in present Sinnoh, but that was years ago and only garnered a stern talking to from their creator. 

   Fine. But it may be better to ask the Almighty themself. I have no say in their final judgement.  

   VERY WELL. I WILL TAKE YOU TO FATHER THEN.  

   With that, Giratina sinks back into their shadows and the pool expands. Reshiram eyes it for a moment before stepping inside and letting it transport them to their creator’s realm.

   In an instant, Truth’s eyes open to the shimmering hall of their creator’s domain. There’s a shadow at their side that they recognize to be another one of Giratina’s forms. It is the only one able to be within the creator's realm. The rest of Giratina must remain in the distortion realm... in front of them is the glowing visage of their creator. Truth bows their head and waits to be addressed.

   Truth. Giratina says thou wishes to speak. What hath you requested mine audience for? 

   Giratina speaks the truth, Almighty Creator. I wish to speak to you about Emmet.   

   Truth steels themself against the surge of energy that their creator sends forth. Now they have their undivided attention. Good.

   Ah, yes. How art thou fairing? Hath thee convinced him to listen to mine call? 

   Not yet… see, I have run into a problem. My attempt to provide him motivation was… ruined by human circumstances. It seems he just keeps getting knocked down. Without his support system, he is having trouble getting back up. Emmet is upset once again. I am afraid a single truth is not going to be a long term solution, Almighty Creator. I believe a more permanent solution is required.

   And what doth thou suggest? 

   What do they suggest? Truth knows they want to connect Emmet to Ingo somehow... but how? This is outside of their domain. Perhaps the creator themself will know better than they do.

   … A connection. His twin cannot be removed from where he is now. Not until the task is complete… but I believe it would be beneficial to connect the two of them. It is my experience that being in connection to one’s twin is enough motivation for any task. I have reason to believe that they will motivate each other if they are able to converse. 

   Silence falls over the starry realm. Truth doesn’t dare look up while their creator considers their words. Instead, they look over at Giratina. They have been rather quiet during this conversation. Truth wonders what their plan is… their creator hums thoughtfully.

   A connection? Hmm… it could be so. I hath promised mine champion a gift for his troubles as well. Perhaps this could work for both problems… yes. I shall send Emmet mine gift and he shall speak with his brother. Truth. Let it be so. Bring mine gift down to thy human, but tell him not from where it came and make no mention of me. Say only that a gift hath been presented to him and that he may tell no other human of its existence. I shall reveal mine presence to him in due time. Be gone from here now.

   Truth bows once more and prepares to leave their creator’s realm. They’re stopped by the sound of Giratina clearing their throat. The dragon of truth looks over at them, as does their creator.

   FATHER. I HAVE A REQUEST AS WELL. I WANT TO FOLLOW TRUTH AND THEIR HUMAN FROM THE SHADOWS. I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS SIDE OF THE STORY. I PROMISE I WILL BE ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR. 

   They consider Giratina for a moment. They don’t see why their child cannot watch under these conditions. Giratina has been behaving well as of recent too… They nod curtly. 

   Very well. Thou hath mine permission to watch from the shadows, Giratina. Dismissed.

   A blast of golden energy sweeps over the hall and Truth is cast out of their creator’s domain.

  Reshiram awakens again in the same spot in the forest that they’d left from. They really wish their creator would not throw them out of their domain like that. It’s nauseating. Reshiram shakes their head as they rise to their feet, trying to dispel some of the sluggishness that comes with being pushed out of a realm without warning. If only they could complain to their creator about it. Alas, they know the Almighty is not aware enough of the consequences of their actions to change anything. There’s no point in trying to bring it up either. They will not understand.

   It takes a moment for Reshiram’s vision to stop spinning. That sensation is truly awful. It’s almost as bad as the dizziness that comes from popping out of a Pokéball after a failed attempt at capturing them. Reshiram’s eyes focus on the forest around them. When they do, they notice there’s a glowing light in front of them. They blink at it. Is this the gift their creator sent down? It must be. Reshiram reaches forward and takes the light in their grasp. It feels oddly tingly. Like Zekrom’s static whenever they are around their twin. 

   Now all they have to do is deliver this to Emmet and hope for the best. 

   Reshiram spreads their wings and takes to the night sky. The home Emmet is staying in shouldn’t be too far away. Though they assume he is likely sleeping now. Humans go to sleep when the sun is not in the sky. They know that for a fact. So, they will have to wake their human up in order to present the gift to Emmet. Reshiram finds themself feeling almost excited. Will they be able to see Emmet face to face in order to give the gift to him? That would certainly be the easier way to do it. Plus, their creator never said that Reshiram has to stay away from Emmet. They only said not to make any mentions of where the gift came from. Which means they are free to do pretty much anything else. Reshiram has never seen Emmet in person before. They’ve always been so busy protecting Unova and trying to avoid being captured by greedy humans that they have never had the time to do so. This is exciting. 

   They watch the trees pass below them, feeling more eager the closer they get to the house. While they’re flying, they should come up with a way to get Emmet to come outside. They don’t want to have to deal with the other residents of the house... Reshiram will have to enter Emmet’s head again if they want to avoid the others.

   That should be easy enough. Reshiram has already entered his mind on multiple occasions… though they’ve never tried to do it while he was sleeping. Hopefully it won’t be too different.

   The dragon ascends higher into the sky when they approach the town. They would prefer to not be spotted by any other human if they can. Reshiram has a task to do. Getting distracted by some random human who either wants to catch them or have a battle with them is not an option tonight. Or ever. Reshiram does not like encounters like that at all. They avoid it when they can and Zekrom likes to make fun of them for it. Apparently, Zekrom loves messing with people. That’s not surprising, though Reshiram often has to scold their twin for their recklessness.

   Before they know it, they are approaching Emmet’s home. They start to glide down as they near it, aiming for the woods behind the house. There should be enough coverage in there to avoid other humans seeing them. They touch down in front of a little pond, startling the Pidoves sleeping nearby. Reshiram shoots them an apologetic look, but their attention is more focused elsewhere. There are a couple annoyed curses thrown their way that Reshiram ignores in favor of seeking out Emmet’s energy. 

   Just as they expected, Emmet is asleep in his bed. There’s an Eelektross curled up on the pillow next to him and a Chandelure sleeping in front of the window. Hm. Avoiding waking them up might be tricky, but Reshiram is sure they can manage it. 

   Reshiram focuses their energy on Emmet, worming their way into his mind. He’s in a dreamless sleep. Good. That makes it easier for Reshiram to take over without having to deal with any of the dream Pokémon. The dragon of truth takes a moment to compose themself before sending a single command to Emmet. 

   Come outside.

Chapter Text

Time: Past Midnight

   Come outside. 

   A warmth blooms in Emmet’s chest as he blinks awake, spreading across his body as he regains consciousness. What happened? Emmet’s head is spinning and he feels weirdly tingly… he stares up at the ceiling. The room around him is dark, but the moonlight spilling in through the window is enough for Emmet to be able to see. His eyes follow the cracks in the old plaster, trying to wake himself up more. It feels like his brain is moving slower than normal and it takes him a second to even remember where he is. He’s in his childhood bedroom. Lavender brought him here. Emmet had been so overwhelmed before he fell asleep that everything from the moment he got to his parents house to just before he went to bed is a blur.

   He’s used to having a headache or feeling drained after having a breakdown, but something about this is different. His body feels heavy. Like there’s lead in his veins. Emmet has to fight just to lift his arm and rub his eyes, trying to dispel the cloudiness of his vision. 

   Emmet feels like he just woke up from some kind of coma. He shouldn’t be this sluggish.

   What time is it anyway? Emmet pulls his hand away from his eyes to grab his XTrans from the nightstand next to him. He doesn’t even remember taking it off. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe Lavender took it off for him with her psychic. Where did she end up going? He glances around the room. She’s hovering by the window near his bed, fast asleep. Her ghostly flames ebb and flow, mimicking the motions of breathing. Emmet watches her for a moment. Lavender seems fine, so he turns back to his XTrans and clicks it on to reveal the time: 12:28 am… he straps it to his wrist with a sigh. Emmet doesn’t remember what time he got to his parents’ house, so he doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep… he’s grateful Lavender managed to get him to an empty room earlier. Emmet doesn’t even want to imagine the full blown freak out he would have had if he didn’t get space so soon. He should give Lavender more treats for her hard work. Emmet is sure looking after him is quite a hassle. He’s surprised Ingo was able to do it… when he was here.

   Emmet sits up. He’s in his childhood room. The room he’d spent so many years with his brother in… it’s too quiet without the sound of someone else sleeping across the room and Emmet is on the wrong side. He looks down at the black bed sheets beneath him. Almost nothing has changed since Emmet and his brother left. The bedsheets are still black and white. There are shelves full of train books and colorful drawings plastered across the walls. It’s like a snapshot of what his life used to be like…

   Suddenly, Emmet doesn’t want to be in this room any more. His hands start to tremble again… maybe fresh air will do him some good. He should take a walk. Emmet slides his legs out from under the covers, careful of his noise level. Emmet doesn’t want to wake Lavender or Captain, who he’s just realized is curled up on the pillow next to him. The two of them deserve all the sleep they can get. He’d feel bad for disturbing them. Once his feet are on the floor, Emmet rises from the bed and silently walks over to the door. He’s glad it’s already open wide enough for him to slip out without making a sound.

   The hallway is empty. Of course it is. It’s the middle of the night. Still too quiet. Emmet turns to his left and walks down the hall to the staircase. He keeps his gaze on his feet as he goes, ignoring all the pictures on the wall of his childhood. There are reminders everywhere…

   He thought he was past this. That he’d given himself enough time to feel sad and move on, but right now it seems like that couldn’t be further from the truth. Emmet doesn’t understand why he can’t just be done with it. Why does he have to keep feeling this way? Aren’t there more productive things he could be doing with his time? He should be continuing his search, but… Emmet doesn’t even have the strength to be in a room. He feels ridiculous. It’s just a room, why does he want to cry?

   Emmet drags in a shuddering breath as he walks down the stairs into the foyer. The front door sits in between Emmet and being outside. He stares at the colorful stained glass for a moment, hand hovering over the golden doorknob… He can’t cry. He shouldn’t still be wanting to. So why can he feel himself tearing up?

   Would Ingo waste his time crying? Emmet doubts it. Ingo has always been stronger than Emmet. He’s sure his brother would already be tearing Nimbasa apart himself if Emmet was the one who disappeared… Ingo wouldn’t rest until he found him. Then why does Emmet feel so stuck? Why can’t he do the same? It’s like everything he does is wrong and everywhere he goes, he’s reminded of what he’s lacking. It’s been this way his whole life… but this time, Emmet is alone in facing it. He grabs the doorknob and all but tears the door open as he steps out onto the porch. 

   Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t it have been someone else and not Ingo? It’s wrong to wish this on someone else. That doesn’t stop Emmet from doing it. Maybe all those rumors of him being cruel are true. He must be if he’s feeling this way.

   Emmet stares out at the houses across the street. He bets the neighbors are just going about their regular lives. They don’t have to worry about half of themselves being stolen in the middle of the night. Emmet shouldn’t have had to either. But he did.

   His hands clench at his sides. None of this is fair at all. 

   Turning on his heel, Emmet strides out into the yard. He’d forgotten to put his shoes on, but he doesn’t care. The cool grass under his feet is soothing and the sharp stones bring him back to reality. Emmet doesn’t stop walking, like his body is moving on autopilot. He walks around the side of the house, ignoring the flowering trees and the stars above him. Emmet doesn’t want to see the good in the world. None of that matters right now. Nothing does without his brother.

   He rounds the corner of the house and walks into the backyard. It looks the same as it used to. The trees he’d climbed when he was little still stand, older now but there. The old fence his dad built around the yard is worn, yet it hasn’t been brought down yet. He pauses by the gate, running his hand over the old metal clasp… it’s funny how some things change forever while others stay the same. Emmet does not like change and yet it’s as unavoidable as the cycle of night and day. He wishes things didn’t have to be that way.

   But everything has changed and now his world is too quiet: hollow. And cloudy as if he's been shrouded in fog. This is where Emmet and Ingo spent their earliest years. Where they learned and grew as a matching pair… and now it’s empty. There’s no life in the tall grass leading to the treeline. The wind does not carve its way through the leaves in high branches and wild Pokémon do not call into the night. It’s silent in the way death is. And just as empty too… Emmet has always been quiet — he did not say a word until he was seven years old. He is the pause after thunder; the flash of lightning. He’s incomplete without the sound that comes with it. Because what is lightning without its thunder, after all? It’s nothing more than a bright flash, unnoticeable unless faced head on. Ingo has always been the more noticeable twin. And now that he’s gone… what is Emmet? Is he even anything at all?

   People have always considered Emmet less likable than Ingo for this reason. It’s a truth nobody ever addresses and yet everyone knows. Frowny as his twin is, Ingo is more sociable. He speaks more and knows just what to say to people. Emmet lives on scripts and smiles. That is the way he’s always been. With Ingo as a buffer, Emmet becomes more palatable. Without Ingo…

   Ingo was everyone’s favorite and he’s left Emmet alone in a world that only barely tolerates him.

   No. Ingo would be upset if he knew Emmet thought this way. He’s certain of that. So why can’t he stop? Emmet is not defined by Ingo. They are a pair not a mirroring image, for he is Emmet and his brother is Ingo. And yet in his twin’s absence, Emmet can’t help but feel like he is lacking. Like he is facing the truth that has always lingered in the background; the reality in Emmet’s shadow. He is only half of himself without Ingo. All their lives, Emmet has relied so much on Ingo. And now that he is alone, he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

   He sinks to his knees, ignoring the way the morning dew soaks into his pants. Emmet just wants his brother back, but it feels so hopeless.

   Let me help you then. 

   Emmet jolts, his head snapping up as the tingly warmth in his mind grows stronger. What is that? He looks around, but there’s nothing there. That couldn’t have just been his imagination, could it? Not a change. It felt far too real. Emmet slowly pushes himself back up to his feet. “What?” His voice is shaky, but loud enough to be heard. Only silence answers him.

   There’s a tug in the back of his mind, then Emmet feels like he’s standing in front of a fire. Warm radiates from seemingly nowhere.

   Let me help you, I said. Come to me. I have something to give you. Come. To the pond beyond the trees. Find me, Emmet. Let me provide you a truth to keep yourself afloat. Hurry now. 

   Emmet blinks at the empty space in front of him. He’s so shocked that he can’t even go back to thinking about what he was just thinking about. What just happened? He’s pretty sure his mother taught him not to talk to strangers when he was younger. Surely that applies to weird disembodied voices talking to him in his head, right? Oh no… what if Emmet’s losing it? Is hearing voices one of the steps in the descent into madness? It should be. This is verrry odd and off putting. Emmet isn’t sure if he should be more concerned about his mental health or the possibility of something being in the forest surrounding his house. Maybe both. 

   He glances in the direction the voice was trying to get him to go. Following voices is not safe driving; very unsafe tracks to travel. Unfortunately, Emmet is curious. And curiosity is one of his greatest weaknesses. 

   Emmet looks around to make sure nobody is watching, then he turns towards the forest and starts walking. This is very stupid. He’s almost certain this is going to end badly for him, but Emmet needs a distraction in his life right now. No more crying. 

   As he approaches the treeline, Emmet looks down to watch where he’s going. He could get away with not wearing shoes in the yard, but out in the woods is a different story. There’s all sorts of things that would be painful to step on hidden in the tall grass… it would have been safer to go get his shoes, but it’s too late now. Emmet is already walking deeper into the trees. There’s no room for backing down.

   It’s been a long time since Emmet last walked this way. He can’t even remember the last time he did… Emmet was never one for anything beyond the deck or the porch. He’d never even gone past the fence until he was a teenager and his dad forced him to help carry sticks for firewood back to the deck one summer. And Emmet hated every second of doing that. Was that the first and only time he’d been back here? Emmet can’t think of any other time. Hopefully he still remembers where he’d been told the pond was. It can’t be too far; just past the old oak tree with a tire-swing on it, that’s what Ingo always said… Ingo liked the tire-swing when they were kids. Emmet has never seen it.

   Just how many things has Ingo seen that Emmet hasn’t? How many things has he done that he never told Emmet about? How much does Emmet not know…?

   Probably far more things than he would care to think about. 

   Emmet shakes that thought away as he strides through the underbrush. He passes by a couple pine trees before spotting a tire-swing up ahead towards his left. It’s old. The rope attaching it to the tree looks close to snapping; tattered and with pieces sticking up in every direction. The dark rubber of the tire is sun bleached and covered in dirt. It looks well used… well loved. Emmet slows his stride as he approaches it. He wonders how many times it has been used and how long has it been since it was used last. It could have been yesterday or maybe it was years ago. Emmet will never know.

   Human. Approach me.  

   Right. He has a task to complete. No more distractions. Emmet drags in a deep breath, then walks past the oak tree. The pond is right where Ingo said it would be all those years ago. It’s smaller than Emmet imagined it would be, but not in a bad way. Emmet cuts through the grass and weeds as he approaches the edge of the water. There’s nothing here. Nothing but a pond and the forest around it. There’s not even moonlight; it’s blocked out by the thick canopy above him. It’s just dark and quiet… Emmet is not sure if he’s more relieved or concerned that his mind is playing tricks on him. This has to be a major red flag for some kind of issue that he should get checked out. Not only that, but this isn’t even the only strange thing that has happened to him.

   Emmet had been trying to ignore them… the ring from the night Ingo disappeared… sleepwalking right after that with no recollection of anything… and now this? Voices in his head? Maybe the police were right to suspect Emmet. Could it be possible that… what if Emmet really did hurt Ingo and just doesn’t remember doing it?

   The thought alone makes Emmet sick. But with all these unexplainable things happening, it just might be true.

   Something rustles behind him. Emmet nearly jumps out of his skin, whipping around. His hand flies to his hip, only to grip nothing. He doesn’t have his Pokéballs. They’re still in the room and Emmet is defenseless. He can only watch as a white form appears from the trees nearby. It’s tall and clearly powerful. Emmet isn’t sure if he should run or try to fight it. This was a really stupid idea.

   He remains frozen until the creature fully emerges… Emmet knows who that is, but that doesn’t make him feel any better. What is Reshiram doing in his backyard?! A legendary dragon. In his backyard. Is Team Plasma back up and running? Are they going to jump out of the bushes and kidnap him? Is that what happened to Ingo? Emmet has so many questions and none of the answers, which seems to be a running theme as of recent. This is too much for him to handle. Emmet needs to go back to sleep. Clearly he’s sleep deprived enough to be hallucinating again. Reshiram stops in front of him, silent as it regards him. “Oh. I am dreaming. Great,” Emmet mumbles, reaching up to rub his face.

   There’s a rumble in the air… is Reshiram laughing at him?

   This is no dream, Emmet. It is truth. I am here with you. 

   Well, the dragon of truth does not lie. Emmet has no choice but to believe it… he does not want to. “Okay… why? Why are you in my parents' backyard?” There’s a pause, then he realizes he was just referred to by name. He wasn’t aware Reshiram knows who he is. “I am Emmet… how do you know that though?”

   Reshiram does not say anything for a moment, then they shuffle closer to Emmet. They dip their head down, meeting his eyes with their glowing blue ones. 

   I like you, human. You are my favorite. You dedicate yourself well to living in truth... I do not come to you to discuss that, though. We have other matters to attend to. I come with a gift. I cannot tell you whom it is from, but know it is not I who bestows this upon you. I am only the messenger and the deliverer… and I wanted to help you. Also know that you may not tell any other human about this. It is just for you. It is a promise. 

   With that, the dragon holds out one of their paws and opens it to reveal a golden light. The light hovers over Reshiram’s palm as Emmet regards it. He’s being given… light? What is he supposed to do with light? And the fact it comes from unknown origins isn’t reassuring at all. Emmet can only feel like this is going to be something he doesn’t like. “Well that’s not foreboding at all… a light?” 

   Reshiram huffs, shaking their head. 

   Not a light. Accept it and it will transform into what it is meant to be. 

   Emmet nods a little. “Oh. Right. Can I refuse? I feel like this is similar to taking candy from a stranger… verrry unsafe, you see. Not following safety protocols at all to do that.” He is aware that being snarky with Reshiram might not end well, but Emmet wants to see if he can get any partial answers he can run with. If he could just get hints as to who this being that sent him the light is, maybe he can figure out who they are and seek them out himself. 

   Reshiram seems to sense that he is trying to get answers for them, though. They lean down and press their muzzle against his forehead, blowing warm smoke over his face. Emmet leans away, coughing a little at the sulfur-y scent. 

   You do not have to accept, but you will want to. It will be worth it and it will save you some stress. 

   Damn. Looks like Emmet isn’t going to get anything out of Reshiram. He looks back at the light still in the dragon’s paw. If they say it’s worth it… Emmet might as well. He’s already made some poor choices tonight, so what’s one more? Clearing his throat, Emmet holds out his hand for the light. “Fine. I’ll take it. Thanks,” he says. The dragon seems to perk up at this, their face shifting in a way that almost makes it look like they’re smiling. Emmet lets himself smile back. 

   For a moment, nothing happens. Then, the light rises into the sky and shoots towards Emmet. He tries to step back, but the light reaches him first. Emmet braces himself to be hit by an attack. No impact comes. The light just zips down into his XTrans and it lights up. It’s so bright that Emmet can’t look at it and it illuminates the whole area around him. He can feel it shifting around on his wrist, like the shape is changing. Maybe it is. Emmet has no way of knowing yet; if he tries to look at it, it will burn his eyes. 

   A full minute passes before the glow dissipates, then Emmet slowly turns to inspect the damage. His XTrans looks the same… though there are now golden hooks on all of the corners. Emmet stares at it. “What did that do?” Reshiram leans down to peer at his screen, then huffs a sound that Emmet interprets as an ‘I don’t know’. He sighs, then taps his screen. “Of course you don’t know. Just my luck.” Emmet types in his password and it opens to his home screen. He notices the change immediately, as it’s smack dab in the middle of his screen. There’s a new app. It doesn’t have a name. It’s just a white square with a black triangle pointing up in it. What kind of app is that? “Uuuh… the gift is an app? Hmm. Boooring. Verrry underwhelming.”

   Try opening it? 

   Emmet's face hardens into a glare as he looks up at the dragon. “I am Emmet. I was going to do that.”

   Reshiram doesn't say anything, but Emmet can just tell they're making fun of him. There's a certain look in their eyes that Emmet knows well. It's taunting. He glares harder for a moment before looking back down at his screen. Who knew a dragon could be so annoying.

   You’re too slow. Open it faster. 

   He decides not to dignify that with a response, instead clicking on the app. It takes a second to load, but eventually it opens to a dark screen. The layout of the app looks like the messages app, but there’s only one contact and no options to add any more. Just one. The name on the top of the screen is blurred out and the profile picture looks the same as the app icon. So who is this? Emmet glances at Reshiram, who looks just as confused and curious as Emmet is. Though maybe their interest stems from the fact that Reshiram just doesn’t know how technology works?

   Well, Emmet might as well see if he can figure out who this is supposed to be. Maybe it’s the being who sent this ‘gift’ in the first place. If so, Emmet has some choice words for them. He decides to just keep it simple for now.

Hello?

   The moment he sends that message, the name at the top of the screen starts to become clearer. Letter by letter, the name starts to become legible in a solid white font. Emmet watches it slowly appear and upon the last letter becoming visible, his heart nearly stops. The once illegible blob of white has been replaced with his brother’s name. Before he can stop himself, Emmet is typing more.

Ingo?

Ingo, please answer.

Where did you go?

Why did you leave me?

Did I do something wrong?

If you’re angry, we can talk. 

Please!

   Emmet knows what he’s typing is mean, but he can’t stop. His chest is tight and he can feel his eyes getting wet. He needs answers.

Chapter Text

   Emmet stares at his screen. He’s been trying to reach Ingo for days. He’d sent countless messages in the time since Ingo disappeared and Ingo did not respond to a single one. Emmet is waiting with bated breath, his heart pounding in his chest. Part of him is sure that Ingo won’t respond here either. Why would he? This strange app from some identified source surely can’t connect him to Ingo. The other part of Emmet is desperate for some kind of sign that his brother is at least alive and ok. That’s all Emmet needs right now. Just confirmation that he isn’t screaming into the void.

   He doesn’t know how long he’s staring at the screen before Reshiram nudges Emmet. Emmet looks up at Reshiram, confusion written in his expression. Is Reshiram trying to take it away from him? No. Emmet forces himself to take a breath, then allows the dragon to do what they want. He can’t imagine Reshiram would go through the trouble of bringing this gift to him just to take it away from him. That would be cruel.

   Reshiram brings Emmet over to a nearby tree, pushing him to sit down under it. There’s no use in trying to fight them, so Emmet sits. The rough bark against the bare skin of his arms and the dampness of the grass he’s sitting in is grounding in a way Emmet didn’t know he needed. He tilts his head back, taking a moment to just breathe in the fresh air. The dragon beside him shifts as well, settling down in the grass and putting their head in Emmet’s lap. Reshiram is softer than Emmet imagined they would be. It’s like how he would imagine touching a cloud would be, but less cold. Actually, Reshiram is rather warm. Like a hot cup of coffee or a blanket that just came out of a dryer. Emmet brings his hand down to pet their head… it’s a little jarring to be petting the legendary dragon of truth, but that’s nothing compared to the other strange things that have happened in his life. Emmet might as well take comfort where he can get it. 

   “Thank you,” Emmet says after a moment. 

   Reshiram makes a rumbling sound at him.

   Pay it no mind. I am assigned to be responsible for you. I want to help.  

   For now, Emmet ignores the implications of that statement. He’s too tired to try to unpack that right now. Later. Instead, he just nods and looks back down at his XTrans. There are blinking dots on the other side of the screen. Ingo’s typing back. He’s actually answering! Emmet sits up. His hands feel clammy and he’s pretty sure he’s trembling. Tears well up in his eyes, blurring the sight of the screen in front of him. Emmet is quick to wipe them away. He doesn’t want to miss this.

   The dots are there for what feels like an eternity before a text bubble finally shows up. Emmet can hardly breathe.

Hello.

I have been told that this is

a connection to someone I

am close with. I believe 

Ar**** thinks this will help

motivate me on my tracks

forward. 

That said, please do not 

blame yourself for my 

derailment. This is not 

your fault in any way.

I did not want to be 

uncoupled from you.

Know this, at the very

least. 

Please forgive me. 

I’ll always forgive you.

No matter what.

Thank the dragons you’re ok.

I was so worried.

Where did you go?

Where are you?

   For a moment, there are no more messages. No blinking dots. No acknowledgement of his words. Emmet starts to panic again. Why isn’t Ingo responding? His heart rate starts to pick up again, which causes Reshiram to whine at him. Emmet peels his eyes away from the screen to glance at them.

   Try to breathe, Emmet. All is well. 

   Right. Breathe. He drags his hand down the dragon’s head, forcing himself to take deep breaths. Everything is ok. Emmet is fine and Ingo is fine too. Maybe Ingo is just anxious about something. Ingo tends to not respond if he doesn’t want to address something. Emmet will just have to prompt him. He looks back at his screen, then types a few more messages to coax his brother into answering.

Ingo?

Please don’t ignore me.

I need you to talk to me.

Please?

   A minute passes, then the dots show up again and Emmet can breathe.

I am afraid to get your hopes up.

I have a feeling my tracks

will not lead home for a long 

while. I have been completely

derailed. My memories have

Left their station and will not

return for a while. I am afraid

I do not even recall who you 

are. But I have a feeling you

are dear to me.

I was told I must remain in

Hi*** until I have completed

my task. Which is to apparently 

seek out Pokémon. I do not 

know how I am supposed to 

do that. 

   He doesn’t remember? Ingo doesn’t remember anything? No. No, this can’t be happening. That can’t be possible. Ingo has only been gone for a couple days and he can’t remember anything? Surely this has to be some kind of cruel joke. Emmet wants to curl into a ball and cry. How could this have happened? Emmet swears he is going to find whoever did this and he is going to make them regret it… no. He can’t do that. Being cruel will make him no better. This is fine. He won't allow himself to derail. Emmet can deal with this. He just needs to figure out a way to get Ingo home, even if he has no memories. Everything is fine. Yup.

Ok. Fine.

We can deal with this.

I am E****.

What?

E****

Why isn’t it showing up?

Right. There are some things

we are not allowed to share

with each other. It’s part of 

the rules. That must be one

of the things we can’t share.

I believe it may have 

something to do with the fact 

that I am not allowed to 

inquire about my memories. 

I can’t even tell you my name?

I am afraid you can’t.  I am

sorry. Truly. I’m so sorry. 

   He doesn’t like that Ingo feels guilty about this. How can Ingo believe this is his fault? Apparently the situation is a lot more complicated than Emmet thought it was and this is not either of their faults. Emmet won’t allow his brother to think this way.

No. None of that.

This isn’t your fault.

We’ll get through this, Ingo.

We are a two-car train.

Nothing will stop us from

finding a way to relink

our cars together.

I see.

Something tells me you are 

right. Somehow, we will find

each other again. I promise

I will traverse these tracks 

ahead as quickly as possible.

The journey may be perilous, 

but we will prevail. I believe 

in us.

Thank you for this. I find

myself feeling far more 

hopeful than I did moments

ago. I hope to see you again

soon. Until then, I must depart.

Farewell.

Bye, Ingo .

   It feels wrong to have said so little to his brother, but Emmet knows Ingo would not be cutting their conversation short unless it was necessary. He stares at the messages his brother sent, feeling oddly drained as he reads back over them. Ingo does not remember who he is… he doesn’t remember anything. That must be frightening. Emmet can’t even imagine how he is feeling. He couldn’t make much sense of the ‘task’ Ingo had told him about, but it sounds like Ingo is in the same boat in that regard. He’ll just have to figure it out as Ingo does. And when Ingo messages him again, Emmet will be there for his brother.

   He’s spent these past couple days wondering what Ingo would be doing and whether or not he’s a good brother… Emmet will prove to himself that he can be. He isn’t able to reach Ingo, but he will be there for him where he can. That is a promise Emmet can make.

   A long stretch of quiet passes before Emmet looks down at Reshiram. The dragon is still looking up at him, quietly observing. Emmet wasn’t sure what to make of them at first, but he finds himself quite grateful to them for cutting through his bullshit and helping him reach his brother. And not only that, but helping him stay calm as well. Emmet owes them bigtime. He’s not sure if he’s ever going to be able to make it up to them. So, he will just have to make his gratitude known. “Thank you… I’m sorry for giving you trouble earlier. I’m so grateful.” 

   Reshiram makes a grumbling sound, then lifts their head out of his lap. 

   I am glad I could help. You have a long journey ahead of you as well, Emmet. I only wish for you to be prepared… and if you ever should need me, just call and I will be with you. For now, I must go. Farewell and rest easy while you can, human.  

   Emmet doesn’t know what Reshiram is referring to, but he decides not to ask about it right now. Both of them are tired and Emmet needs to go lay back down. He gets the sense that Reshiram is itching for their own rest as well. It’s best to part ways for now. So, he nods and rises from the ground. “I am Emmet. Ok. Goodnight then, Reshiram.”

   Good night. 

   With that, he throws a wave over his shoulder and starts back towards the house.

Shift: Lavender’s Perspective

Time: 1:36 am

   Lavender lost sight of Emmet. She was just resting her eyes for a moment and somehow four hours have passed by and Emmet is not in bed anymore. It seems she was more tired than she thought. Objectively, Lavender knows she shouldn’t be panicking. Emmet is in his family home. He should be fine… but she also thought Ingo would be fine at the station before he disappeared. And when she looked away, Ingo vanished. Lavender does not want to make the same mistake twice. Lavender loves both of the twins dearly and would not be able to handle losing Emmet too. Plus, she’d rather not let Captain lose his partner like she did. On the topic of Captain; he’s still fast asleep in Emmet’s bed. So, she floats down to him and shrieks. That has the Eelektross up fast. He sputters and electricity erupts from him. 

   Captain groggily lifts his head, squinting at Lavender. “Wha..? What’s goin’ on?”

   “I lost Emmet. He’s gone.”

   Any sleepiness in Captain is gone in an instant. He frantically shoots up out of the bed, hovering next to Lavender. His eyes are wide and panicked.

   “What?! I thought you were supposed to watch him!”

   “I know, I know… I fell asleep! I was just more tired than I thought and I shut my eyes for one second and then-... I’m sorry!”

   Captain shakes his head. “No… I know we’re both tired, Lavs. I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll show up any second.”

   Before Lavender can reply, the bedroom door is pushed open a little further and Emmet walks into the room. He turns and closes it while both Pokémon breathe sighs of relief. Emmet is here and alive and not missing. Ok. Captain sinks back into the bed while Lavender’s flames calm back down. She’s so glad he’s back. Lavender floats down onto the mattress next to Captain, leaning against her friend as Emmet finally turns around. The calm smile on his face fades to a light frown when he sees them. Their expressions must give away the panic they just experienced. Emmet looks concerned… Lavender should be the one concerned! She thought she lost him too.

   “Sorry. I thought I wouldn’t be gone long. I didn’t mean to worry you two… but I have good news!” Emmet says, a broader smile flashing across his face. Both Lavender and Captain perk up. They haven’t seen Emmet look this ok since Ingo went missing. Emmet turns his wrist and swipes around on his XTrans for a moment, then holds it up for them to see. On the screen, there are messages displayed. Messages from Ingo! Lavender trills, her flames lighting up. Her partner is ok! Where is he then? Is he coming home soon?

   To her left, Captain coos. This is great news! Emmet clears his throat, smile faltering a little. “Unfortunately, Ingo believes he won’t be able to come back to us anytime soon. Which means we’ll be alone on the tracks for a while. But we’ll be ok now. Ingo is going to come home, no matter how long it takes for him to reach the station.”

   Lavender can feel herself deflating a little bit. Ingo isn’t coming home soon. She’s going to have to wait longer for her trainer to return… but at least he plans to come home. She can allow herself to be ok with that. Ingo wants to come home and he didn’t abandon them. Everything is going to be ok… Lavender can let herself believe that now. 

   So until Ingo gets back, she’ll take care of his brother for him. She glances down at Emmet’s partner as the human slips his XTrans off and climbs into bed. Lavender already knows Captain will have her back. Together, they can keep everything from falling apart… and finally, Lavender can rest a little easier.

Chapter Text

Time: The Next Morning

   The distant sound of Pidoves chirping draws Emmet out of his dreams. He can feel the warmth of the sunlight that filters in through the open window, casting a golden glow over his room. The curtains flutter in the early morning breeze, carrying with it the soft floral aroma of spring. It’s warm and peaceful in a way Emmet hasn’t felt in days. He sighs, turning away from the light beaming in his face. He’s not ready to be awake yet. Feeling around blindly, Emmet grabs the first thing he can reach. His fingers clench around the cool pillowcase of the pillow next to him before he brings it up to cover his face. Just a few more minutes and then he can get up… wait… Emmet doesn’t remember opening the window. He’d gone to bed almost as soon as he walked into the room last night, so he wouldn’t have opened it himself. Plus, Emmet is certain the window was closed before he fell asleep.

   So who opened it? He didn’t hear anyone open his door, but someone must have come in to get to his window. Unless Reshiram opened it… though now that he’s thinking about it, that doesn’t make sense. If they wanted something, they would have just popped into his head like they did last night. Plus, he doubts a dragon as big as Reshiram would even be able to fit in here.

   Did something else come into his room?

   Reshiram mentioned that Emmet needed to be ‘prepared’ for something, didn’t they? He didn’t question it yesterday, but now it’s weighing on him. What did they mean? Is something else going to come for him? Does it have to do with the strange things that have been happening to him? Is he in danger?

   Emmet sits up with a start, nearly launching himself out of bed. The pillow he’d been holding over his face falls back down onto the bed, landing on top of Captain. It disturbs his partner, who startles awake and almost immediately tries to get up. And that doesn’t go well for either of them. Captain’s squirming kicks up the blankets, which Emmet gets a face full of, and ends with his partner slipping over the side of the bed. He yelps as he flops onto the floor, landing with a thump. Emmet winces as he finally untangles his sheets and leans over the side to see Captain sprawled out across the ground.

   Captain pouts at him, clearly not happy about the rude awakening. Emmet has to cover a laugh with a cough, as the pouting face of his overgrown eel is too silly to withstand. He gives Captain an apologetic look, reaching down to try to lift the Eelektross back onto the bed. “I’m verrry sorry Captain! Didn’t mean to make you jump the tracks,” Emmet says. There’s a beat of quiet where he just glares at Emmet, then Captain coos softly and his expression settles again. It’s a sound Emmet recognizes as one of forgiveness. Emmet smiles at his partner and leans down to scoop him into his arms. Thankfully Captain doesn’t fight him and that makes the process much smoother. 

   The Eelektross drapes himself over Emmet’s shoulders as soon as he’s up from the floor. His weight is one Emmet is used to, but it’s still heavy enough for Emmet to struggle a bit. Even so, it’s grounding.

   With that settled, he returns his attention to the problem at hand.

   Emmet’s gaze flicks towards the window, noting the absence of Lavender. That’s where she was last night. So where is she now? Maybe she’s just somewhere else in the house. Yeah, that must be it. Wait! He’s getting distracted again. He can find her later. For now: window. It’s open, as expected, but nothing seems out of place. He watches the thin grey curtains flutter in the breeze, the childish cartoon trains on the bottom coming alive with the movement. Ingo always loved those curtains when they were little. He’d begged their parents for them when they were buying decorations for this room. That was such a long time ago… and Ingo doesn’t even remember that anymore. Oh, that’s right! He’d been talking to Ingo last night. Emmet pauses his examination of the open window, instead swiping his XTrans off of the nightstand nearby. 

   Wasting no time, Emmet types in his password and swipes around his home screen to find the app from last night. It’s still there. He clicks it and it opens to the same screen as it did before. Ingo’s messages are still there. There’s nothing new, but Emmet is happy with that for now. He wasn’t dreaming last night. Ingo really did answer him and he really did see Reshiram out in the woods surrounding his childhood home. Which means what the legendary dragon said is serious.

   Emmet can’t tell anyone about this. That sucks… but Emmet isn’t willing to risk his only mode of communication with his brother. Selfish as it is. 

   Something flutters by the window and once more, he is reminded of what he’s supposed to be doing. Emmet nearly jumps out of his skin, whipping his head towards the source of the noise. There’s a flurry of gray, then a Pidove lands on the windowsill outside. Emmet stares at the bird Pokémon and it stares right back at him for a moment. Then it blinks and tilts his head at him before abruptly flying off once more.

   “Wow. You’re jumpy today,” comes a voice from the other side of the room. Again, Emmet jolts at the suddenness of the voice. He glances across the room to find Iris sitting on what used to be Emmet’s bed when he was young. She’s still wearing her purple dragon themed pajamas and her hair is in a messy braid. Did she just wake up? No, that can’t be. She seems pretty awake right now, much more so than she would be if she’d just gotten out of bed… Her Hydregion, Flower, is sitting on her lap and there’s a brush in her hand. It looks like she’s grooming Flower. Emmet blinks at his cousin. When did she get in here? He looks over towards the door and it’s cracked open. Oooh. Iris must have been the one who opened his window. A wave of relief washes over Emmet. How did she not wake him up when she came in? Iris does not have a quiet bone in her body. “Are you scared of a little Pidove? It’s not going to eat you!” 

   Her tease snaps Emmet out of his thoughts and a grin spreads across his face despite himself. Electing to ignore her comment about the Pidove, Emmet crosses his arms at her. “Oh? It seems we’ve got a trespasser. Tell me, what are you doing in here Miss? This area is for employees only!” Emmet says, using his ‘conductor voice’ as Iris likes to call it. It only gets laughter out of her.

   Said trespasser tosses the brush she’d been using down on the mattress beside her before crossing her arms at him. “Don’t be such a kid! No place is off limits for the Champion of Unova. I have special privileges, you know. Plus, you can make exceptions for your favorite cousin!”

   Emmet fights a fond eye roll, instead clearing his throat and trying to look stern. “You’re my only cousin, Iris.”

   “Exxxactly! Which means I’m number one.” Iris puffs up her chest and pretends to flex her muscles. In her lap, Flower makes a chirping sound and spreads her wings, seemingly trying to back up her trainer. Emmet laughs a little. 

   “Ok, ok. I suppose I can make an exception for you,” he says, then after a pause, he motions to the window. “Did you open that?”

   Iris looks over at the window as she lets her arms drop, puffing her cheeks out. “Mmm.. maybe? It’s such a nice day and I wanted to smell the flowers outside.”

   “I am Emmet. You couldn’t have done that in your own room?”

   With a scoff, Iris crosses her arms again and looks away from Emmet. “Nuh uh! Dad was still sleeping. I didn’t want to wake him up… plus, I was worried about you.” There’s a moment of pause. She was worried about him? Emmet had no idea… when he doesn’t say anything in response, Iris continues. “Seriously, are you ok? You came in last night all frazzled. Uncle Craig said you’d be fine and that you just needed space, but I still wanted to check on you. Are you feeling better now?”

   Emmet is surprised. The taunting grin on his face falters for a moment as he regards his cousin. He didn’t think Iris would go out of her way to make sure he’s alright. Yet here she is, sitting in his old bed after waiting for him to wake up. She’d even opened his window for him, likely thinking the pleasant smell would help him feel better. Emmet is… touched. He didn’t think he was as close to Iris as Ingo was. But maybe Emmet just didn’t realize Iris cared about him too. 

   “I am Emmet. I am… feeling better than I was. Thank you for checking in on me, Iris. I apologize for worrying you.”

   His response seems to soothe something within his cousin. He can see her shoulders relax, the tension in her posture bleeding away. “Don’t thank me. You’re my cousin and I love you! Of course I’d worry. That’s what family does.”

   “I suppose you’re right.” The two of them fall quiet. Iris smooths down Flower’s wings and Emmet reaches up to pet Captain. Then, Emmet gets an idea. He fights the scheming smile he knows will spread across his face, attempting to look neutral. “As for your excuse for being in my room… you totally could have opened the guest room window. Uncle Drayden sleeps like a rock when he’s out. I doubt a bit of wind would wake him,” he says, rising from the bed. 

   Iris’s expression shifts into a frown. “It woke you,” she deadpans. Well… she’s not wrong about that. Emmet shrugs, jostling Captain a little. 

   “I’m a light sleeper, yup!”

   “But-” she tries to argue as Emmet approaches the bed. Iris seems to realize he’s plotting something and she attempts to scramble out of the way. Unfortunately for her, with Flower in her lap and Emmet’s longer arms, there’s no escape. Emmet shoos Flower away from his cousin and then grabs her legs to drag her off of the bed. Iris screams as he hoists her up, flailing and kicking, into his arms. Her Hydregion chatters at Emmet, but he just grabs the Pokémon out of Iris’ pocket and recalls her. 

   “Nope! There will be no complaints today. We thank you for your understanding.” Emmet turns on his heel, now facing the door. It’s a bit hard to hold onto Iris with how much she’s squirming, so Emmet calls upon his partner for help. “Captain, some assistance in securing our passenger please?”

   “Eel! Eelektross!” He chirps, then he wraps his tail around one of Iris’ legs, stopping her from kicking as much.

   “Thank you verrry much, my friend,” he murmurs to the Pokémon before addressing his cousin. “Welcome aboard the Emmet express. You’ve reached the last stop on the bedroom line. It’s time to switch tracks, yup! Why not stop at breakfast town? I hear it’s verrry lovely this time of day.” With that, Emmet strides towards the open doorway. He’s grateful it’s open already. Emmet is not sure he would have been able to get it open with his hands full. Or he would have struggled at the very least. He supposes he has Iris to thank for that. 

   In his hold, Iris tries to push him away. “Emmmeeeettt!” 

   “Iriiissss!” He fires back, walking out into the hall and towards the stairs. He doubts anyone is still sleeping right now, though if they were, they aren’t now! Iris’ shouting is loud enough to be heard throughout the whole house. That’s fine. Emmet doesn’t really care anyway.

   Eventually, Emmet is out of the hallway and approaching the top of the stairs. This is going to be difficult. With the combined weight of Iris and Captain, it will be tough to make sure he’s following safety checks. Still, he’s not one to back down from a challenge. Emmet just braces himself and starts down the steps. “Captain! Be my eyes, if you will. We’re comin’ through! Whoo whoo!”

   Despite herself, Iris laughs. She decides to stop squirming on their way down the stairs, not wanting to make Emmet fall. If he falls, she’ll fall too and Iris does not want either of them to get hurt… and maybe she’s happy to see Emmet acting silly. It means he really is feeling better and he wasn’t just saying things before. Iris will play along if it takes Emmet’s mind off of everything else that has happened. Besides, it’s been a while since she last saw her cousin. Even in these circumstances, Iris is happy to be spending time with him again. 

   Before she knows it, Emmet is stepping down into the landing. And now that they’re out of immediate danger, Iris starts flailing again. She waves her arms and tries to kick her legs, but only manages to succeed in doing so with the one Captain isn’t holding. 

   Emmet grunts when she starts up again, but he remains undeterred. He turns right into the short hallway that leads into the living room and the kitchen by extension, as this area of the house has an open floor plan. His dad is sitting on the leather couch by the fireplace with a cup of tea and a newspaper in his hands; his favorite spot to lounge. And his mom is doing something in the kitchen. He can’t really see what that something is due to how far he is from her. 

   Emmet makes a beeline for the couch, having to step over his mom’s Cascoon by the coffee table, who is seemingly always underfoot. Then finally, Emmet plops Iris down on the living room couch. “Alright folks! We’ve reached the living room station. This is our last stop, unfortunately. You’ll have to catch another connecting line to the kitchen or make your way there by foot. Thank you for riding with us.” 

   Iris laughs as she’s dropped onto the couch, immediately sliding off and bouncing on her heels. “Again! Carry me again!”

   As much as he’d love to, Emmet is already tired. His endurance has never been very good. So, he shakes his head as he leans down and plops Captain onto the cushions too. His partner squirms a little before coiling up onto a nearby throw pillow. Captain looks comfortable enough there. “Nope! I am Emmet. That was our only ride of the day.”

   With a defeated huff, Iris flops back down onto the cushions. “Aww, ok.” To their left, Emmet’s dad laughs a little at their antics before turning back to his newspaper. 

   “Sorry, Iris. Maybe another time,” he calls over his shoulder as he steps away from the couch. Stepping back over Maybell, Emmet heads towards the kitchen to see what his mother is doing. She doesn’t pay him much mind as he sits down on one of the bar stools on the other side of the counter. Though, Emmet doesn’t blame her for that. It looks like she’s in the middle of making something. There are cut up berries on the counter and sizzling skillets on the stove top. He’s sure the last thing she needs right now is to be bothered. So, he settles for a simple greeting. “Mornin’ Ma. Anything I can do to help?” 

   She spares Emmet a glance as she drains something in the sink, then motions to the stove. “Can you watch that?”

   “Sure.”

   With that, Emmet rises from his seat and takes over the stove-top.

   Breakfast was a relatively quiet ordeal. His dad had taken his plate off to his office, as he apparently had a virtual meeting he needed to be in. Iris took her plate and one for Uncle Drayden back up to the guest room because he was in deep with paper work. Apparently even calling off work doesn’t free him of his Mayor duties. Which left Emmet alone with his mom and the Pokémon.

   He’d helped her dish out Pokémon food before sitting down with his plate. There are four bowls on the floor and three on the other side of the counter. Most of Emmet’s team is on the floor. Attitude and Archie are sharing a food bowl. Well… more like arguing over a food bowl. Though Emmet can see they’re both eating, so he doesn’t step in just yet. Mudball is sharing with his mom’s Crobat, Tremulous, and Bluebird, his dad’s Cleffa. The three of them get along quite well, oddly enough. Mudball is usually more protective of his food. Finally, his dad’s Stoutland, Petite, is sharing with Cavern.

   On the counter, Jingles and Captain are hovering over a bowl. Though his mom’s Klefki seems like she’s doing more talking than eating, while Captain is just listening to her. Next to them is Lavender, who had apparently come down when Iris came into his room earlier. She must have already gotten food, as she seems content to just hover and occasionally add to whatever Jingles is talking about. Which leaves Shift with their own food dish. That tends to be the trend with them, as none of the other Pokémon want to get caught by the Klink’s gears while they eat.

   Emmet is more focused on them than the food on his plate. He’d eaten a couple of the berries his mom had cut up, but he’s not really feeling super hungry. If anything, Emmet is just existing with his family right now. He’s more than happy to do that. 

   There’s movement on his right. Emmet looks up, watching his mom hold out half of a cherri berry at his shoulder. He’s confused for only a moment before he feels Conductor skitter down from his hair to get the berry. Oh! Emmet leans a little closer to his mom so Conductor can grab it. The little Joltik is quick to snatch it from his mom, then he sits back up. He can hear Conductor’s happy buzzing while he eats. “Those are his favorite, you know?”

   His mom smiles a little. “Is that so? I’ll have to remember that.”

   The two of them fall back into a comfortable silence for a while. Emmet continues to pick as his plate and his mom turns to her phone. She’d just recently gotten that, if he remembers correctly. Apparently she needed the upgrade for her work. Technically, she’s supposed to be retired. His mom was the Station Master for Gear Station until Emmet and Ingo took over and implemented the Battle Subway. But his mom couldn’t sit still in retirement. So, she opened a small flower shop in town. She’d told Emmet once that she gets a lot of orders for arrangements, so she needed the phone to keep up. Emmet was just glad she found something to do. 

   As if sensing he was thinking about her, his mom breaks her silence. “Sorry about Iris this morning. Your father and I tried to tell her that you would wake up soon, but she just couldn’t wait.”

   Emmet waves her off. “I am Emmet. It’s fine. I didn’t mind and… it was nice of her.”

   His mom hums her acknowledgement, then finally looks up from her phone. Emmet watches her shut it off and place it down on the counter in front of her. “How are you feeling today?”

   That was a rather abrupt change in subject. And there’s a look on her face that Emmet knows well. Her lips are pulled into a line and her yellow eyes are full of worry. She has something to tell him and he’s not going to like it. So, Emmet braces himself and forces a strained smile onto his face. “I am better… why?”

   A pause, then his mom sighs. “I got a call from the police station last night… and they informed me that they have no leads. They said that with no new leads, they are going to have to put a pause on their investigation and go over what they know,” she tells him. She looks close to tears now, like just saying those words is difficult. Emmet understands what she isn’t saying. Putting Ingo’s case on pause like this… it’s bad news. It means they are going to stop sending officers out to look for him.

   Emmet wishes he could tell his mom the truth; that he has contact with Ingo… but he can’t. Reshiram mentioned that he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone else about this and that includes his mother. Emmet knows Ingo will be coming home. So, he will just have to comfort his family the best he can until that happens. Emmet opens his arms and pulls his mother into a hug. “I am Emmet… it’s going to be ok. Somehow…” 

   He doesn’t know what else to say, so he doesn’t say anything at all. He just lets his mom cry. Emmet hopes keeping his secret won’t cause more pain than good in the long run. 

Chapter Text

Time: 10:28 am 

   Droplets splash up and over the edge of the sink, flying down to spill onto the mat beneath Emmet’s feet. His hands are drenched and coated with dish soap, the white bubbles slipping down his skin and into the sink drain. There wasn’t much of a mess after breakfast, just a couple pans, some silverware, and a few plates. His mom was still distressed after their conversation, so he told her to go take a nap while he cleaned the kitchen. Emmet didn’t mind taking over for her, after all; nothing he couldn’t handle.

   Still, the two of them argued over it for a little while. His mom didn’t want to leave him with all the work because she felt he was already overworking. Emmet didn’t really understand that. He has barely done anything for days. How could he be overworking? Emmet didn’t say that to her. Instead, he told her he could handle it and promised he would take it easy if she did too. With that, he managed to convince her to go lie down. She’s been in her room since then and he’s been alone in the kitchen. Emmet thought about going back to his room too once he finished, but he decided against doing so. He doesn’t want to waste his day lying in bed.

   Emmet already spent enough time doing that while he was still in Nimbasa and it only made him feel worse… he’d never felt quite as bad as he had in his entire life. And today, he’s finally feeling better than he was before. Bringing himself down again is only going to ruin that and Emmet isn’t keen on feeling like garbage again. So, going to rot in his bed isn’t an option any more. He has to get some movement in.

   A walk might be nice. Being outside isn’t always Emmet’s favorite thing, but maybe some sunshine would do him some good. Being trapped within the walls of his parent’s house will only drive him crazy. Arceus knows he needs sun in his life. Spending most of his time underground working on the subway system has left Emmet paler than a piece of paper! He can’t count how many times Elesa’s jokingly made fun of his paleness. Perhaps she’s right for once.

   He looks up at the window in front of the sink, now rinsing the plate he’d just washed. It’s a lovely day out. The sky is clear and blue and it’s supposed to be fairly warm. Well, as warm as spring can get that is. Plus, the breeze he’d felt this morning from his window was nice.

   Yes, a walk would do him some good. Emmet will go as soon as he finishes cleaning the kitchen, which shouldn’t take him too much longer. There’s only one more plate left to clean before he can be done. So, he sets the freshly rinsed plate on the towel on the counter next to him and picks up the last plate to get to work.

   He pours dish soap over the smooth glass surface, planning out his walking route in his head. The neighborhood his parents live in is very nice. It’s essentially a large circle with some walkways leading out of the circuit. If he walks down the block, there’s a nice park he can walk through. Or he could even find a bench to relax on. Last he checked, it’s Pokémon friendly too. He’ll have to ask his team if any of them want to join him. They might like a little fresh air. Most of them have been cooped up in their Pokéballs for a while. Being stuck in a small space can’t be good for them either… he hadn’t meant to leave them for so long. His mind just wasn’t in the right place. Emmet will have to make it up to them. Oh, and he should check in on the Pokémon still at home. Hopefully Burgh isn’t having too much trouble… while he’s contacting people, Emmet should also probably check in on Gear Station. He’s not sure who really got put in charge after he left, so it would be a good idea to double check. 

   That’s so much to do… it seems he’s got his work cut out for him big time. Ugh.

   A minute later, the plate is clean. Emmet sets it down on the towel to dry, then shuts off the water.

   He hadn’t been thinking about what he’d left behind as much as he should have been. How irresponsible. Emmet is supposed to be in charge of the things in his life! He’s a Subway Boss for crying out loud! He’s not supposed to be so scatterbrained and lose track of things like this. It’s unbecoming. Emmet lives on schedules and yet he hasn’t been following a good one since Ingo disappeared… How can he possibly call himself a good boss — a good leader — if he can’t do something as simple as making sure everything is still in working order at the station? Emmet turns and snatches the red hand towel that was hanging from the oven handle, drying his hands. When did he allow himself to lose control of his life like this? What would Ingo think?

   What would Ingo think? His brother doesn’t remember what he’s supposed to be like… 

   He wouldn’t know how wrong all of this is. Perhaps he wouldn’t even care that Emmet just can’t seem to get back on his feet. No… Ingo would at least be concerned even if he didn’t understand what the problem was. His twin isn’t the kind of person to just brush off someone’s troubles, no matter what. 

   But what does any of that matter? His brother has other things to deal with and so does Emmet according to Reshiram. Should he really be wasting his time thinking about this? Emmet could have already been contacting people by now and then he would just have it done.

   Emmet is unsure of how long he stands there, clenching the hand towel, before someone clears their throat. He jolts, head snapping up as he turns to face whoever just entered the kitchen.

   Standing in the doorway with a concerned expression on his face is Uncle Drayden. His arms are crossed and his eyebrows are drawn in. It’s a little hard to tell what he’s thinking, given how stony his expression typically is, but Emmet knows his uncle well enough to know that he’s worried. Maybe Emmet had been standing there for too long. He must appear distressed enough to cause that reaction… maybe he is. Emmet doesn’t want his uncle to worry regardless. So, he forces a smile to spread across his face. 

   “Good morning, Uncle…” Emmet says. He can’t think of anything else to add that wouldn’t just concern him more, so he settles with that simple greeting.

   Uncle Drayden stares at Emmet for a moment longer before stepping further into the kitchen. He walks around the island, leaning back against the counter next to the stove. “Morning.” A pause, then he sighs. His uncle fixes Emmet with a stern stare. “What’s on your mind, boy? You’ve just been standing there glaring at the floor.”

   For a moment, Emmet debates his answer. On one hand, he doesn’t want to concern his uncle with his problems. He’s sure Uncle Drayden is stressed enough as it is without the added weight of Emmet’s troubles.. On the other, bottling up his feelings is bad, isn’t it? The last thing he wants to do is spiral because he didn’t tell anyone that he was struggling… maybe settling somewhere in the middle won’t be that bad. Emmet can confide a little of what’s bugging him with his uncle and then maybe he’ll feel a bit better. That should be fine, right?

   Emmet sighs as he sets the towel on the counter behind him, smile faltering. “I am Emmet… just thinking about everything. There’s so much I should be doing… so much I have to do. I just feel like I’m not doing enough. I wish I could do more.”

   A silence settles over the two of them, only broken by the soft ticking of the old clock on the counter near the fridge. It’s been there for as long as he can remember; a small standing clock with chipped brown wood for a stand and lithe black hands to count every second that passes. Emmet glances over at it. The white face makes the black hands and numbers pop. It’s always been four minutes too fast. Four steps ahead. It should be better to be ahead, and yet the clock is still wrong; no better than being behind or frozen on a single time. Useless despite its efforts. His dad has tried to reset it multiple times, but every time he does it just goes right back to being four minutes too early. It refuses to change, even if that change is better for it. It will just keep being inaccurate no matter what anyone does to fix it. 

   Why keep something if it can never be fixed? Wouldn’t it just be better to throw it away?

   All clocks should be accurate. They should be able to adapt to being changed to reflect the right time. Not ahead or behind or trapped in the same spot forever. They should follow the rules and the expectations set into them, not waste time trying to avoid it or pretend like what they’re doing isn’t wrong. It should be easy… why isn’t it easy?

   “Emmet?” Uncle Drayden says finally. The sound of his voice draws Emmet out of his head. He tears his eyes away from the horrible ticking failure to stare at his uncle.

   “I am… I am Emmet.” There’s another pause, invaded by the ticking; every miscounted second passing by. All Emmet can think about is how wrong it all is. Emmet covers his ears. “... every time I think I’m past this…” he whispers. Every time, Emmet just ends up upset all over again. Didn’t Reshiram say he was supposed to be helped? He was supposed to be better. He was supposed to be reset. Emmet isn’t. He can’t be. “I just- they-... no matter where I go, what I do, or how positive I try to be… I’m still wrong. I’ll always be wrong without him, Uncle… I just wish something would be right again.”

   Emmet is not a mindless clock. He’s just going to keep crawling back to four minutes too early; it's less scary.

   There are hands wrapping around his wrists. It’s a gentle hold. His uncle’s hands are warm. Emmet can feel it through the fabric of his sweatshirt; the soft purple one he’d stolen from his twin so many years ago… with a little faded Litwick on the front. 

   Uncle Drayden pulls Emmet’s hands away from his ears. “You’re not... wrong to your family. We’re here for you, boy.”

   Something warm slides down Emmet’s cheek as he drags in a trembling breath. His uncle just wipes the tear away before letting go of Emmet’s arms. There’s a pause, then Emmet throws himself at the taller man. His skin itches a little, but Emmet ignores it. He needs the hug. Uncle Drayden wastes no time in wrapping his arms around Emmet, quietly letting him gather himself.

   “I don’t… feel like crying again… I was gonna go for a walk. It’s a verrry nice day.” Emmet murmurs, fighting the tremble in his voice. “Do you wanna go down to the park with me?”

   His uncle pats his back. “Do you want me to?”

   “Yeah…”

   “Then let me go put my shoes on.”

Time: 11:57 am

Location: Public Park in Anville Town 

   The walk to the park was nice. With the sun shining and the calm breeze, the trip felt very peaceful. There weren’t a whole lot of people out and about too, which Emmet was grateful for. His face was still a bit red when he left his parent’s house. No doubt someone would have asked about it, since Emmet has known most of the folks in the neighborhood since he was little. The last thing he wanted to do after his conversation with his uncle was explain to someone else why he was upset. In truth, Emmet isn’t entirely sure how he would go about doing that. It’s a lot to explain. 

   By now though, Emmet’s face is no longer flushed and he’s not as choked up as he was. He’s sitting on a bench under the shade of a flowering tree while Uncle Drayden is talking to an old friend a couple paces away. The man lives down the street from his parents. He used to bring them baked goods and stuff, if Emmet remembers correctly. He said hello, but Emmet hadn’t cared to join their conversation. Instead, Emmet let his team out to play. As it turns out, all of his Pokémon wanted to go with them. Emmet wasn’t all that surprised. If he was any one of them, he’d take any chance to go outside.

   It’s actually been quite a while since any of them had time to do something like this. Emmet and his team are usually either too busy or too tired to go do something outside of their job on the subway… maybe they should be taking more breaks. Elesa has been trying to convince them to do that for months now. Perhaps she’s right about that. Geez, she’s right about quite a few things isn’t she? Well, Emmet will never admit that to her face. That would be admitting defeat. Emmet likes winning more than anything else.

   A loud squawk draws Emmet out of his thoughts. He looks up at the tree above him. Nestled within the vibrant pink blooms in the familiar face of his Archeops. Archie squawks again, flapping his wings at Emmet when he notices his trainer looking. He seems oddly proud of himself. Emmet squints at his overgrown fossil Pokémon. “Greetings. How did you get up there?”

   There’s a moment of quiet, then Lavender floats down through the blossoms. She looks a little bashful. “Chan…” Lavender coos. 

   “Ah, I see. Well, be careful coming back down please.” Both Lavender and Archie perk up at his words, returning to climbing around in the branches.

   Emmet looks out over the field in front of him. Mudball and Attitude are engaging in a play battle, which Emmet will likely have to clean up the aftermath of… great. A little further is Cavern, who appears to just be digging a random hole. Again, Emmet is probably going to have to go cover that before they leave. On his shoulder, Conductor buzzes at him. Emmet looks down at the Joltik. “Hmm?” 

   “Tik! Tik, tik!” He chirps, then climbs down his arm into his lap. Emmet just watches the little bug Pokémon as he crawls over to one of Emmet’s pockets, poking at it. Ah, the treat pocket. He grins at Conductor. 

   “Treat?” The word has Captain’s head popping up from where he’d been curled up next to Emmet on the bench. He glances between the two electric Pokémon, then back at the rest of his team. “I am Emmet… fine, but don’t tell the others.” With that, he slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out two pieces of Pokéfood. As discreetly as possible, he puts one piece on his thigh for Conductor and holds the other one out for Captain. Both Pokémon happily take their treats and manage to successfully keep it hidden from their teammates. 

   Emmet. 

   Emmet nearly jumps out of his skin as the sudden mental connection blazes to life. Conductor and Captain both look up at Emmet, concern evident in their features. It takes a moment for Emmet to compose himself. He clears his throat, a shaky smile rising on his face. “Uh, apologies… I am fine. Continue on your tracks, passengers.” Neither of them look very convinced, but they both drop it anyway. Emmet lets out a breath, then tries to focus on the warmth of Reshiram in his mind. 

   ‘Uh, hello? A little bit of warning might have been nice. Is something wrong?’ 

   Apologies. Messages. Check your messages. 

   His messages? Why would… Ingo! 

   Emmet yanks his sleeve up, flipping his wrist to turn on his XTrans. There are several pop-ups on the lock screen, all from about ten minutes ago. Crap! He should have left his ringer on. Emmet types in his password and clicks on the triangle app. 

Hey.

I need to talk. 

Please answer.

I’m sorry.

I’m so sorry.

Please. 

   Oh dragons, that looks bad. Ingo sounds panicked… what happened? 

Ingo?

I’m here, I’m here.

What’s wrong?

What happened?

Are you okay?

This place is awful. I hate

it so much. Everyone is so

distant and I’ve almost been

killed by Pokémon twice. 

I don’t know what I’m doing!

I can’t survive here! 

And it’s so fucking cold! 

I hate being cold! 

There’s so much blood and

it’s everywhere but apparently

I won’t die because I heal 

myself? That doesn’t even 

make any damn sense! 

And I just yelled at Ar**** 

and told them to shut up. 

I can’t take it!

I want to go home. 

I want to go home so 

bad and I don’t even 

fucking remember it!

I’m so sick of this!

   Emmet stares at his screen for a moment, jaw dropped. Never in all his life has he seen his brother swear like that. Ingo would always scold Emmet for foul language and right now Ingo is swearing like a sailor. Geez… he must be really upset. Emmet can’t say that he blames his twin. If he were in Ingo’s situation, he’s certain he would be taking this much harder. Emmet doesn’t have his older brother’s patience. 

   Enough of that, Emmet should be more concerned about the fact that Ingo said he’s injured! What does he mean he’s injured?! Healing himself? Emmet can’t make sense of that. 

You’re hurt?

What happened?!

An aggressive Pokémon.

It tricked me and tried to

eat me.

I’m sorry.

I’ve just realized what

I said is a tad excessive.

I am not dying. Please do

not worry over that.

Apparently I have been

‘blessed’ by some divine

being. My injuries

seem to magically heal 

themselves. So, I will be

fine.

   A Pokémon tried to eat him? What kind of ‘aggressive Pokémon’ would do that?! No, what kind of Pokémon period would attempt to eat a human!? Emmet is mortified. How is he supposed to not be concerned about that? His brother is being attacked by crazed Pokémon that want to eat him! Just where in the distortion realm is Ingo? Emmet has never heard of such a dangerous place… and his brother is stuck there and Emmet can’t do anything about it! 

What the fuck!

Language. 

Me language? 

   Despite himself, Emmet smiles a bit. What Ingo just told him is terrible. Awful… but maybe Ingo doesn’t want to focus on the bad right now. That would likely just make his twin feel much worse. Ingo does tend to get stuck in his head sometimes. It might be more helpful to distract Ingo. Emmet can humor his brother for a moment. 

Go re-read your messages!

Didn’t know you 

were that foul mouthed. 

Talk about a hypocrite 🤗

Touché… 

Wait, how did you 

do that?

The yellow thing. 

   He doesn’t remember emojis? Oh, Ingo is going to love this. 

An emoji?

Yes! Emoji! 

How? 

There should be a

button with a face.

That’s emojis.

Oh!

I found it. 

🥰🤯🥲

I like these ones.  

   Of course he does. Those are a few a Ingo’s favorites. He sends them all the time when they’re texting each other. In fact, Ingo uses emojis far more often than Emmet does. It’s kind of funny to watch Ingo rediscover them… Emmet is glad that his twin is happy, but he can’t ignore what Ingo told him. Maybe Ingo will feel a bit better now and be more willing to address it. Emmet can only hope that’s the case. 

Congrats! But we

should get back to

the matter at hand.

About your other

Messages.

I’m sorry I can’t help

you. I really wish I

could. 

You said you’re hurt.

Are you sure you’ll be

alright? I’m worried.

I will not lie.

I am still feeling

A little uncomfortable,

but it is not as bad.

Talking to you has helped.

I feel much calmer than 

I did before, so thank you!

🙁

That one is like me.

   Emmet’s smile widens. While he’s not happy Ingo is struggling, he’s glad he was able to help his twin calm down a little. 

It is.

🙂

That one is like me.

YES! 

Sorry. 

I just recall something

about a smiling face. It

feels correct. I like it.

I am verrry glad!

Verrry? 

I think I like that too.

Ah, I have to go.

Someone is calling 

for me. I should 

apologize for running

off… 

Goodbye! 

Please be careful, Ingo.

Bye.

I love you 🙂

   There’s a brief pause, then Ingo is typing again.

Yes.

I love you too.

I will endeavor 

to keep myself 

as safe as possible.

For your peace of

mind, if nothing else.

🖤

🤍

   With that, Emmet closes his app and shuts his XTrans off. Dragons above, that conversation was a rollercoaster… Emmet is not entirely sure how to process that. 

   Are you okay? 

   Emmet jolts, then is immediately flooded with a feeling of remorse. That’s not his emotion, is it? It doesn’t feel like it.

   ‘It’s fine, Reshiram. No need to be so sad. I am Emmet and I am well… thank you for informing me of my brother’s messages. Though, in the future, please don’t just pop in like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack!’ 

   I understand. I’m glad I was able to help… your uncle is heading towards you. I’ll leave you be for now. 

   Looking up, Emmet sees Uncle Drayden waving at the man he’d been talking to before heading in his direction. It might be time to get going. Maybe he should start gathering his Pokémon. He looks over to where Mudball and Attitude were playing, only to find them both at his feet. They look concerned. “Oh! Hello. Apologies, I didn’t notice you all had switched tracks.”

   The two bug types glance at each other before looking back at Emmet. He smiles and that seems to calm them a little. 

   “Emmet?” Uncle Drayden calls. Emmet looks up to see him waving. “Are you feeling any better, boy?”

   “I am Emmet… yeah. I think I am.”

   His uncle nods. “Good. We should probably be heading back to the house then. I promised your mother and Iris that I would help with the garden.” 

   “Ah, then we should be going. They’ll hunt us down if we’re not careful.”

   With that, Emmet rises from the bench and gets to work recalling his Pokémon.

Chapter Text

Location: A Sidewalk (Heading Towards Emmet’s Parent’s House) 

Shift: Truth’s Perspective (Spectating) 

   Reshiram has not left Emmet’s side since their conversation in the woods. They had been meaning to originally, as Reshiram wanted to go seek out their twin to discuss what will happen if they have to leave the region with Emmet, but they just couldn’t bring themself to leave him. They decided to wait until Emmet is sleeping again to go find Zekrom. Their twin can be patient. 

   So, they ended up watching him through the spirit plane. They couldn’t follow Emmet around in the physical realm without drawing attention to themself, which makes this plane the better option. It’s a little strange to hover over a human like a ghost type would, though Reshiram finds they’ve quickly gotten the hang of it… they can’t say they’ve gotten used to their companion though. 

   Giratina has been following them around since this morning. Albeit their presence is very muted; nothing more than a shadow. They are the reason Reshiram can utilize the spirit plane like this. As grateful as they are, Reshiram still isn’t sure what to make of Giratina. They seem genuinely interested in Emmet and have been as polite as the Renegade Pokémon can be. Reshiram just can’t shake the chills they get wherever Giratina is around.

   For now, they are leaving it alone. It’s not Giratina’s fault that Reshiram feels uncomfortable in their presence. They really have done nothing wrong. There is no justifiable reason for Reshiram to be so standoffish. It’s just that Giratina’s reputation is not all that great and their behavior around other legends is… odd. Reshiram feels like they act rather human, strangely enough. They regard everything with curiosity and appear to rely on emotions to make their decisions, which makes them more rash than other legends. It’s also what led to the whole issue with the past Giratina. Since then, they’ve gotten a better hold on themself. That trait of theirs is one the dragon of truth has only ever seen in mortals. 

   But Reshiram has spent a lot of time around humans. Much more than most legends would care to. Behaving humanly isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just odd. Odd does not always mean bad. 

   So, they will say nothing. Giratina is not their problem. Their focus should be more on Emmet anyway. 

   Emmet has been doing better. He’s out of his room and talking to the humans around him, which is good. Humans need other humans to function correctly. This is better than it was for sure. Of course, they’re still concerned about him, even with the gift stuff. As their twin might say, Reshiram is being a ‘helicopter parent’. In truth, they do not see where Zekrom is coming from. Reshiram is just trying to make sure everything is going smoothly… 

   For the most part, the human appears to be doing better. Emmet still has his ups and downs, but they are less steep then they had been thanks to their Creator’s gift and Reshiram’s ‘hovering’. Which means their Ideal is working. Take that Zekrom! They feel a little giddy. 

   YOU SEEM… HAPPY, TRUTH. 

   Reshiram jolts, turning to face the splotch of darkness on their left. Giratina’s red eyes are staring at them through their hole, a white glowing smile beaming at them… this is the form they take in their Creator’s hall, isn’t it? Reshiram thought Giratina would be able to be in a more comfortable form in the spirit realm. They don’t know very much about them though, so maybe they were wrong.

   Yes. I am pleased… I was worried the gift wouldn’t be as helpful as I thought. I am glad to be proven wrong… and you, uh… you do not have to call me ‘Truth’ outside of our Creator’s hall. You may call me Reshiram. 

   Giratina squints at them. 

   BUT YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ME.   

   Oh. Reshiram had hoped they weren’t being obvious about it. Though, in truth, they should have expected Giratina to notice. They look back towards the projection of Emmet walking along the sidewalk in an effort to avoid Giratina’s gaze. Reshiram feels bad. Truly, they have been very rude to Giratina thus far. They haven’t done anything to deserve such treatment.

   Didn’t they already earn their Creator’s favor? Didn’t they already spend centuries trying to make up for their mistakes? Aren’t they deserving of a little more compassion?

   Perhaps Reshiram has been too cold. 

   I am sorry. You’re right. I am uncomfortable… but I believe that is simply because I do not know you well. I do not see other legends outside of my twin very often and your reputation is… less than favorable. But I do not want to be unjustly cold. If we are going to be together during this journey, I would prefer to be friendly with you. So yes. You may call me Reshiram and you may present yourself in whatever form you are most comfortable in. It is only fair. 

   For a moment, Giratina says nothing. Their eyes retreat into the shadows and the smile fades with them. 

   It’s silent for a moment, then something starts to spill out of the hole. Reshiram watches as Giratina’s head, laden with golden horns, pokes out of the shadows. It’s followed by a long gray body and six legs, then finally their wings and tail. Once Giratina is fully out, the shadows disappear, leaving behind only Giratina’s more solid form.

   THANK YOU, RESHIRAM… I… EVEN MY SIBLINGS ARE AFRAID OF ME STILL. IT IS…. IT IS NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE ‘FRIENDLY’. 

   Reshiram nods a little. Perhaps this won’t be so bad.

   With Giratina at their side, they turn back to watching Emmet.

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective 

   Bird Pokémon chirp above them while Emmet and his uncle walk. The sun is shining and the sky is clear and… Emmet’s eyes are glued to his XTrans. He would prefer to be taking in the scenery on his way back to his parent’s house, but he decided he should knock out some of the stuff he has to do on his way out of the park. It will be less stressful to do it in little chunks, starting with contacting Burgh to check on the apartment. He sent Burgh a message asking about how things are going a couple minutes ago and he’s yet to reply. Emmet feels a bit anxious as he stares at his notification-less screen.

   What if something went horribly wrong? What if his apartment has been burnt to the ground and Burgh is ignoring him because he doesn’t want to take responsibility? What if all the Pokémon he’d left in the apartment ran away?! There are so many bad things that could have happened in Emmet’s absence. So many horrible possibilities that are plaguing Emmet’s mind.

   This is terrible! He never should have left Nimbasa. Emmet should have stayed to keep an eye on everything… though maybe he is doing better because he left. He’s eating more and getting out of bed and he even met Reshiram for crying out loud! Ah, but that’s not important right now. Emmet needs Burgh to answer him. Though he doesn’t want to be annoying and spam text the man. They’re not close enough for Emmet to comfortably do that. Ugh! People are so frustrating. Emmet wishes they were as easy to deal with as Pokémon are. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel like such a social disgrace. 

   Uncle Drayden would probably be on his case if he said that out loud… Emmet glances over at his uncle, who hasn’t really looked up from the sidewalk this whole time. There must be something on his mind. Though it doesn’t look like he wants to talk about it. Emmet decides he won’t pry and looks back down at his XTrans.

   Still nothing.

   This is so annoying! Emmet is going to pull his hair out! 

   “Emmet?” Oh, so now his uncle has something to say. Emmet looks back up and Uncle Drayden is looking at him with concern. “Are you alright? You’ve got that look in your eyes.”

   What look? Emmet does not have a ‘look’. He scoffs. “I am Emmet. I do not have a look. I am waiting for Burgh to answer my text. I want to know if my apartment is still in one piece, yup!” His uncle’s eyebrows raise and he nods in a pacifying way. Emmet doesn’t like that. It’s not like he’s some moody teenager who needs to be regarded with caution. Emmet is a grown man! “What? What’s with that face? Don’t make that face! I’m not a toddler. Stop that!” 

   “Right. Not a toddler,” Uncle Drayden says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I just don’t think you should be glued to your screen like that. Burgh will text you when he texts you. Have some patience, boy.” He reaches down to pat Emmet’s shoulder. Emmet is going to lose it. He pushes his uncle’s hand away.

   “I am being patient! I am so verrry patient, uncle! I-” Emmet’s rant is cut off by the sound of a ding and all his attention is redirected to his XTrans. He can hear Uncle Drayden sigh as his gaze snaps to the notification. Finally, Burgh respond-... that’s not from Burgh. Emmet clicks the notification tab and types in his password to unlock his XTrans. When it opens, it reveals someone else’s contact.

   It’s from Cilan. 

   Oh dragons. Emmet totally forgot he told Cilan he could come visit! Fuuuuck. How could he have forgotten that?! Oh, Emmet is screwed. So beyond screwed. 

   No, no. Focus on being so totally fucked later. Emmet should actually read the message. 

Hello Mr. Emmet!

I hope you’re doing

well. I’m not sure if you 

remember, but you said

I could come visit you 

when I have the time. 

The gym is closed for 

a couple days, so I

was wondering if my

brothers and I could come

see you today? 

   Oh no. Okay. This is fine. Emmet can fix this. He can totally convince Cilan that he didn’t forget. Yeah, for sure! Emmet won’t back down. He’s been working in customer service for many years. So many years that he can fake a pleasant attitude in his sleep. Emmet is great at convincing people. He can do this!

Hi Cilan!

I didn’t forget.

Today is great.

You and your brothers

can even come stay with

us for the night if you’d like.

   Noooo!! Terrible customer service. Bad. Verrry bad. Emmet made it worse! Damn it. Why did he say that!? That was stupid. That was so stupid! He should just dig a hole right now and never come out of it ever again. Why did he do that?!

Really? We wouldn’t

want to impose. 

   Emmet could take it back right now. He could change his mind and make up some excuse that would force them to ‘reschedule’... oh, but Cilan must be excited and he did promise that he could visit. Emmet couldn’t bring himself to crush Cilan’s excitement or go back on his word. Fuck. He’s just going to have to submit himself to this, isn’t he? Uuugggghhhh. 

Nope!

It’s totally fine.

Great! We’ll stop 

by later today then.

I’ll see you soon!

Yup.

Bye. 

   Emmet’s mom is going to have his head on a silver platter. Cilan is a good kid. Really, he is. But Emmet shouldn’t have invited him to stay the night! There aren’t any more guest rooms in the house and he didn’t even ask his parents before telling Cilan that he could come. Oh, Emmet is in for an earful. 

   He clears his throat, trying to find the courage to look at his uncle. Emmet can’t. Staring at the ground it is. “Uncle…?”

   Uncle Drayden turns to Emmet. Emmet refuses to look up from the pavement, but he can see his uncle staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He can also feel his concerned gaze burning into him. “What’s wrong?”

   “I, uh… I may have accidentally invited Cilan over… to stay the night… maybe?” Wow. That wasn’t pitiful at all. Totally not. Emmet should find the shovel in the garage and bury himself in the backyard.

   Silence. Then, Uncle Drayden sighs. “Cilan. Iris’s friend Cilan? You-... boy. How do you accidentally invite someone over?” 

   Emmet throws his hands up. “I don’t know! I wasn’t thinking. It just- it just happened, okay? Now he’s coming over later today.”

   He’s done for.

   Another ding catches Emmet’s attention. He looks down to see a message from Burgh. Oh great. Look who finally decided to respond. It reads ‘No problems here’. Wonderful, but now Emmet has bigger Magikarp to fry.

   “Right… well, we should get back to the house and inform your mother then,” Uncle Drayden says, pulling Emmet back out of his thoughts.

   Inform his mother. Emmet’s mom is a very reasonable woman… but this situation is not going to end well. She’s one of those people who just can’t have guests over without losing her mind first. Emmet is certain she’s going to stress over getting the house ready for company and with such a short amount of time to prepare, they’re all going to be working their asses off to get as much of the house clean as they can. Emmet is well and truly fucked. “Do you think she’ll kill me when we get there?”

   There’s no doubt in Emmet’s mind that she will. Or maybe his dad will scold him for not properly planning. Either way, Emmet isn’t looking forward to it. 

   His uncle shakes his head a bit. “I’m sure Enia will be forgiving… but we are all going to be working the second we get back.”

   Yeah, that sounds about right. Emmet nods solemnly. This is a problem of his own making. He has nobody to blame but himself.

   Still, every step he takes towards his parents’ house feels like a death march.

   Rest in peace to Emmet’s hands and arms. They’re going to ache by the time he’s done scrubbing everything down.

Location: Emmet’s Parent’s House 

Time: 4:17 pm 

   Emmet is exhausted. He’d spent the past couple of hours mopping floors and wiping down countertops because for some reason they were ‘just too dirty’. His mother wouldn’t hear it when he said Cilan and his brothers probably wouldn’t be inspecting the floor for crumbs. So, Emmet did what she asked. His dad had been tasked with cleaning up trash lying around the house and grooming their Pokémon. Again, Emmet didn’t see the point in that. His parents’ Pokémon are old. It’s understandable that they might not be show material. Uncle Drayden and Iris did minimal work because ‘they’re also guests’. Like Emmet isn’t also technically a guest. Well, there’s no reasoning with his mom when she’s like that. 

   At least he’s finally done. Kind of. Emmet is hiding from his mother. He can still hear her barking orders from somewhere on the second floor. Emmet is sitting at the bottom of the stairs, safely away from his mom’s sight. If she can’t see him, she can’t give him another task to complete. Which means if he doesn’t call attention to himself, then Emmet can take a break for a bit. 

   So, he’s being as quiet as he possibly can be to avoid being noticed. Not that he’s really worried. His mom is too busy upstairs to come looking for him and if she actually needs him, she’ll just yell for him. She has no problem doing that.

   Until then, Emmet is free.

   The landing is blissfully quiet. It usually is, given that hardly anyone is in here unless they’re walking through the door… 

   Emmet used to spend a lot of time in here with Ingo when they were little. He remembers playing with the shoes against his mother’s wishes and hiding behind the coat rack during hide and seek. Sometimes one of his parents Pokémon would come in and sit with them. Usually Petite. The old Stoutland would sit on the steps and watch them play… Emmet’s favorite memories though are the ones where he’d sit with Ingo on the shoe bench in the corner and whisper about things. Those conversations were always random; about this or that. Whatever was on their minds at the time, really. It felt special. 

   And now it’s quiet. No more whispers or giggles from hidden corners. 

   Emmet finds he doesn’t really mind the silence here. It’s always been quiet. 

   A soft tinkling sound rings out above him. Emmet looks up in time to see his mom’s Klefki floating down the stairs towards him. Jingles rattles her worn keys in greeting as she drifts down to be at eye level with Emmet. “Hello Jingles. Trying to escape marching order too?” She chimes and then sinks down towards his hands. Oh. Emmet knows what she wants. He props his legs up on the step below him and holds out his arms, palms facing the ceiling. Jingles flutters down and lands in his waiting palms. 

   His hands are bigger now. Emmet can hold her whole body effortlessly. Her cool metal is smooth to the touch as she nuzzles into his skin. Jingles has always been fond of Emmet. The key Pokémon used to follow him everywhere he went. From his bedroom to the kitchen to the living room and even to sit on the deck while Ingo played outside, she’d be hovering over his shoulder. None of them knew why she adored him so much, but Emmet never complained. He was just glad she loved him.

   Jingles was devastated when he moved away… so much so that his dad said she cried for days afterwards. Emmet was sad too and made an effort to video chat with his parents once every week so he could check in on everyone. It’s been a while since he last did that. Work has just been so stressful. He didn’t even realize how much he missed her. 

   He brushes his thumb against his thin metal loop, earning a pleasent tinkling sound from her. “Kii. Klef-kiii.” Her black eyes close as a content expression spreads across her tiny face. 

   “I love you too, Jingles.” With all his heart. 

   The two of them are quiet after that. Emmet continues to pet her and Jingles starts to nod off in his hold. 

   It isn’t until there’s a soft knock on the door that the moment is interrupted. Emmet looks up and Jingles blinks her eyes open. It seems the triplets are here. Jingles reluctantly floats out of his hands, then Emmet rises. He turns and calls up to his mom. “Ma! They’re here!” Emmet doesn’t hear what she says in response before he turns and walks to the door, Jingles hovering over his shoulder.

   He drags in a deep breath. It’s just a couple of teenagers. Emmet can handle that, right?

   Emmet pulls the door open. Three boys  stand on the other side with their bags. Cilan beams at Emmet while his brothers linger a little ways behind him. The blue haired boy, Cress if Emmet’s not mistaken, gives a polite nod. The red haired boy just keeps his gaze shyly averted. Emmet doesn’t see much of Cilan’s brothers at the station, but it was nice of them to show up anyway. “Hi, Mr. Emmet! You look well,” Cilan says after a moment, rocking a little in place. 

   “Hello! Thank you, Cilan. I feel better than I did. It’s nice to see you three. Come in.” He steps aside to open the door for the boys.

   All three of them hesitate for a moment before Cress ushers his brothers inside. “Thank you for inviting us over, Mr. Emmet. We appreciate your hospitality.” 

   Well, they’re certainly very polite. If not a little awkwardly so. Though Emmet can’t say he blames them. He’d probably feel awkward too if he were in their situation. Emmet will just have to find a way to make them feel a little more comfortable. He can do that. Emmet is great with kids. Mostly… he’s made one or two cry on accident, but he’s been getting better! 

   “Sure, sure. Why don’t you all get settled and put your stuff down? There isn’t a whole lot of space here right now because my uncle and my cousin Iris are also staying with us, so you’re going to be in my old room.” Wait, shouldn’t he ask if that’s okay? Emmet doesn’t want to force it. “... if that’s alright with you, of course.” 

   Cilan nods. “That’s fine. Whatever works, Mr. Emmet.” 

   Okay… maybe this is going to be harder than Emmet thought. Cool. That’s fine. Push through it. Just push through it and everything will be fine. “Okay! Follow me then!” Emmet turns and points up the stairs. “All aboard. Full steam ahead!”

   With that, Emmet starts up the stairs. It’s going to be a long rest of the day…

Chapter Text

   Jagged rocks tumble out of the sky, kicking up dirt and tearing up patches of grass as they land. The move hits its mark, drawing a cry from Iris’ Lapras. His cousin huffs, but she doesn’t let the debris from the move deter her. Instead, she points towards her opponent and calls another move. “Waves! Use Ice Beam!”

   Swirling blue energy gathers around Waves’ mouth before a beam is shot at Cilan’s Simisage. “Sage! Dodge it!” Cilan commands. His partner doesn’t need to be told twice, jumping to the side before the Ice Beam can hit. The move misses and creates a spike of ice jutting out of his parents’ backyard. Cilan is quick to call another move. “Now, Energy Ball!”

   Sage gathers solar energy, a glowing yellow orb appearing between his raised hands.

   The two of them have been at this for hours and the backyard is destroyed. There’s rock all over the place and seared grass and now ice pieces lying around. It’s a mess, though Emmet is sure he’ll be able to clean it up with his team once they’re done battling. For now, Emmet will let them have their fun.

   Almost as soon as the triplets got their stuff situated, they were being dragged out to the backyard by his cousin. She was super happy to see them. Not that her excitement was unexpected. It’s been a long time since they were together, after all. Iris has been busy with all her champion stuff and hasn’t had time to see anyone really. Of course, the situation they’re in right now has allowed for a little leeway. At least there’s something good that came out of Emmet’s unfortunate planning of Cilan, Cress, and Chili’s visit.

   Emmet is happy that the boys have settled in. He was worried that the atmosphere between all of them would be awkward for a while, but the tension seems to have melted away. So much so that Chili and Cress have effectively boxed Emmet in on the deck. They’re sitting on either side of him on the steps. Which is a bit odd in Emmet’s opinion. He didn’t think they’d warm up so fast, but apparently Emmet is better with kids than he thought.

   At first they approached him wanting to talk to him about battle strategies, which was easy for Emmet. He walked the boys through a couple different moves and strategies they could use at their gym. In turn, Cress and Chili asked about Emmet’s team and the Battle Subway. Again, that was easy for him to explain to them. Eventually though, they had said all they could about that and the conversation shifted to talking about what they’ve been up to.

   This is the part that is difficult for Emmet. He is no good at small talk. Though, he’s trying his best.

   “-what do you think, Mr. Emmet?” Chili’s voice snaps Emmet out of his thoughts. Oh dragons, were they talking to him? Emmet was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t catch it. He turns to the red haired boy on his right, trying to piece together what he could have been saying… Emmet’s got nothing. Chili seems to realize that, face falling into a pout. “Hey, were you even listening?”

   Before he can answer, Cress leans forward to scold his brother. “Don’t be rude, Chili. How was he supposed to know you were talking to him?”

   Oh good. So, Emmet isn’t at fault then.

   “I am Emmet. My apologies, I was watching the battle. Can you repeat that?”

   Chili rolls his eyes and crosses his arms with a huff. “I was talking about a new menu item for the restaurant portion of the Striation gym, but Cress says it’s too spicy and customers will hate it!” He pauses to stick his tongue out at Cress, who just sighs and shakes his head. “ I think Cress is just too soft. He can’t handle spice and that’s why he hates it.”

   “I never said I hated it. Only that making it too spicy could make people sick, Chili. You have to think of the customers.”

   Chili throws his hands up. “I am thinking about the customers! Our menu hardly has any spice because you guys don’t listen to me. What if people want something spicy? Huh? Then who’s not thinking of the customers?”

   Okay, Emmet is lost. He wouldn’t say he’s bad at cooking. Emmet knows the basics and can put together a decent meal, unlike his brother, though he isn’t even going to try to claim he knows enough to help Chili and Cress out. He’s no chef. Plus, Emmet doesn’t even know what food they’re talking about. How is he supposed to tell if it’s too spicy if he doesn’t even know what it is?

   Cress scoffs. “We do listen! But we also have to think about how the flavor of new dishes will fit into our menu. We have to have balance,” he says, now glaring at Chili.

   “How does having no spice equal balance!?”

    Well now they’re getting heated. He should probably stop them from getting into a full blown argument, right? Emmet holds his hands up in a pacifying gesture. “Woah, woah. Slow down you two. What food are we talking about here? I don’t know much about food, but I would like to help.”

   Both boys pause, turning to look at Emmet. It appears they might’ve forgotten he was here, even though they’re sitting right next to him. Cress clears his throat, looking back out into the yard. “We’re talking about a noodle dish. Chili learned how to make it while we were visiting Hoenn not long ago. Of course, he’s added his own ‘twist’ to it. Which involves spice.”

   “You’re making it sound boring!” Chili groans. He then perks up and grins at Emmet. “It’s got all sorts of good stuff in it. Y’know like vegetables and sauce and spice! And I only added like a few more hot peppers than the recipe calls for, but that’s what makes it special!” Chili’s eyes are alight and the excitement in his tone is clear. Which leads Emmet to believe it won’t be easy to talk him down. It probably also won’t be any easier to convince Cress to change his mind. Crap.

   “Right, well why don’t we let Mr. Emmet decided what’s best then. If we can’t come to an agreement ourselves.”

   “Fine! But I’m sure he’ll agree with me.”

    Cress frowns, though he doesn’t say anything back.

   Both boys fall silent now, looking at Emmet expectantly. How in the world did he get here? Being made to decide what to put on a menu is  the last thing he expected to be doing today. Yet here he is, sitting between two boys who are waiting for Emmet to come to a conclusion about their problem. He wants to come up with something that will make both of them happy, but that’s harder than it seems. Emmet isn’t sure what to do.

   Geez, Emmet is horrible at being the voice of reason.

   “I am Emmet… I am not sure how to solve this issue.” He can see Chili deflate a little while Cress sighs. Damn. Their disappointment is worse than having to make this decision. “Uh… why don’t you guys have someone else taste test it? It might be helpful to have an outside opinion?”

   A beat. Then, Chili and Cress both groan. Did Emmet say the wrong thing?

   “Oh, why didn’t I think of that? That would’ve been so much easier than arguing with Cress!”

   Cress nods, his expression relaxing back into a neutral one. “Agreed. Thank you, Mr. Emmet. We’ll have to do that once we get back home.”

   Crisis averted. Emmet can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not a perfect solution, but at least Emmet won’t have to make the final decision anymore.

  And thinking about getting back home, Emmet should call Gear Station. He meant to earlier before he got Cilan’s message and didn’t have time to do it until now. Emmet will have to excuse himself to go do that.

   “Ugh!! No fair!” Someone shouts. All three of them jump. When Emmet looks back out towards the yard, he sees that Iris has lost the battle. Waves is unconscious on the ground.  Cilan recalls Sage with a triumphant smile.

   Hmm. Maybe Emmet can send Chili and Cress over to them. He turns back to the boys. “It seems Iris lost. Why don’t you two go over and help clean up the yard? I have a call to make.”

   Cress nods, rising from the steps and starting across the yard towards Cilan and Iris. 

   Unfortunately, Chili remains rooted at Emmet’s side. Emmet turns to him. “You too. There will be no stowaways on my route. Off with you.” Chili huffs and stands up, though he doesn’t leave just yet.

   “I’ll only go if you promise to stop by the gym to try my new dish once it’s done.”

   Emmet smiles. “I’ll do my verrry best. I’m sure it will be delicious.”

   Chili smiles and nods a bit, then he’s off.

   Good. Now Emmet can retreat back to his room and make that call. Nothing will block his tracks.

   He pushes himself up off of the step and turns on his heel, crossing the deck. Emmet pulls the door open and steps inside. His dad and his uncle are sitting in the living room together. Which is odd. The two of them don’t always get along. They’re watching some old timey movie that Emmet doesn’t recognize. Emmet offers both of them a smile and a wave as he walks through the living room towards the hallway that leads back to the foyer. Thankfully, they don’t stop him.

   Emmet walks down the short hallway and into the foyer, then turns and to start up the stairs.

   A grumble from the chandelier over the foyer has his foot pausing mid-step. Emmet looks up, finding Tremulous hanging upside down on the golden lighting fixture. His mother’s Crobat has an intimidating appearance, though Emmet knows he’s anything but mean. He’s also not supposed to be up there. If his mother were to see Tremulous, she would scold him. Though Emmet is not his mother and he can keep a secret. Emmet waves to the Pokémon. “Good evening, Tremulous. Would you like to link our cars? If mom catches you up there, you know she’ll be verrry mad.”

   Tremulous considers him for a moment, then lets out another grumble. He lets go of the chandelier and makes a beeline straight for Emmet. Oh no. Emmet didn’t think this through.

   The Crobat slams straight into Emmet, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling to the floor. He lands on the stairs with a grunt. Now he’s definitely going to bruise from that. “Owww… I love you too, buddy, but you’ve gotta stop doing that.” Tremulous growls, a guilty look in his eyes. Well, Emmet can’t stay upset with that face. He reaches up and scratches behind his ear. “Alright, I’m not mad. Just don’t do that again.”

   Tremulous perks up as Emmet pushes himself off of the stairs. He readjusts his hold on the Pokémon, then walks the rest of the way up the stairs. Tremulous purrs in his hold, the rumbling sending vibrations through his chest.

   Once he reaches the top, Emmet turns the corner and then heads towards his bedroom. It’s empty when he steps inside. Which isn’t unexpected, given the triplets are still outside and Captain is resting in his Pokéball. Emmet thinks he saw Lavender with his mom not that long ago too, so she must still be there.

   Emmet sits down on the edge of his bed, turning his wrist and unlocking his XTrans. He has the number for Gear Station saved in his contacts, so he opens the app and clicks the number.

   He listens to it ring. Hopefully someone is there to pick up. It is getting late and the Depot Agents could be busy. If that’s the case, he might just lose his mind. Emmet doesn’t want to stall on checking in any longer than he already has. 

   “Hello? Who is this?” Comes Isadore’s voice. Oh! Emmet didn’t even realize he picked up. He sounds stressed… that can’t be good.

   “I am Emmet. Greetings Agent Isadore. You sound verrry tired. Is something wrong?”

   Isadore makes a choked sound, then clears his throat. “Boss Emmet! No… there’s no problems here. Are you calling to check in?”

   That’s not convincing at all. Usually Isadore has something snarky or underhanded to say to Emmet, but right now it seems he’s got nothing. Very strange. Surely Isadore isn’t trying to hide something from him. Emmet would be very upset if that’s the case. “Yes I am. Did you get put in charge? Is the station still running under your oh so watchful eye?”

   A scoff. “Of course. There’s nothing to worry about, sir. Everything is running smoothly. I have nothing to report.”

   “Right, okay. Please let me know if that changes.”

   “Sure. Goodbye then.”

   Isadore hangs up before Emmet can get another word out.  He stares at the call ended screen on his XTrans. That was out of character. Sure, Isadore and Emmet do not get along often, but Isadore is never so outwardly dismissive and rude. And he’s certainly never hung up on Emmet before.

   Something must be wrong at the station. Emmet will have to cut this trip short, won’t he?

   He’ll give it another day, then Emmet should head back to Nimbasa. Even if there really is nothing wrong. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Shift: Isadore’s Perspective

   Isadore just hung up on his boss.

   He hung up on Boss Emmet. Rudeness aside, Isadore knows that he’s going to be suspicious now. And if he’s suspicious, he’s going to want to investigate. Which will lead to Emmet coming back to Nimbasa and then to the station. That can’t happen!

   Isadore hadn’t been expecting Emmet to call, so he was caught off guard and said the wrong thing. This is bad. Really bad. He should inform Cloud and Ramses. They’ll need to be prepared for Boss Emmet to try to get back into Gear Station. They’ll need to stop him, no matter what.

   The door of the staff room swings open. Isadore jolts, shoving his hand into his pocket to hide his XTrans. He can’t be caught being in contact with Boss Emmet.

   Agent Cloud walks in. Her expression is pinched and her hands are clenched. “Isadore. It’s gettin’ worse. We’re tryin’ to keep the fuzz out of the maintenance tunnels, but they’re gettin’ more pushy. What should we do?”

   Right. That’s what Isadore was supposed to be focusing on before Boss Emmet called. The police have taken over Gear Station. They came in early this morning and forced his hand in shutting down almost all of the subway lines. Only two of the commuter rails are still open and that’s only so the police can keep holding the station without completely shutting it down, which would require them to have a permit. Which they don’t have. And to make matters worse, a strange purple bubble popped up in one of the maintenance tunnels about an hour ago. Nobody knows what it is, but anyone in their right mind would know that it’s dangerous.

   This is bad. Isadore runs a hand through his hair. How is he supposed to fix this?

   “I don’t know. I just got a call from the Boss. I said the wrong thing and now he’s suspicious.”

   Cloud sighs as she sinks into a nearby chair. “Fuuuck. We can’t just let him come back here! They’ll arrest him as soon as they see him. This ain’t fair.”

   She’s right. This situation is impossible. The police won’t leave. Even when asked, they refused. Isadore doubts they’re going anywhere until Boss Emmet is in cuffs and being brought into custody for the murder of Boss Ingo. They don’t even have a permit to be here! They’re not following the rules.

   The thing is, they don’t care about the rules and won’t listen to anybody. For some reason, they’re convinced Boss Emmet is behind his brother’s disappearance. Which just isn’t true. Not at all. And Isadore’s seen the footage that came from the Singles Line the night Boss Ingo disappeared.

   He doesn’t care what the police say. Emmet did not murder his brother.

   As much as Isadore dislikes the man, there are a few things he knows for certain. One is that Boss Emmet will never pass up an opportunity to be annoying. The other is that he loves his brother more than anything. It’s ludicrous to even suggest he’d do anything to harm Boss Ingo. Isadore has no doubt about that. And so, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep Emmet from being arrested. It just wouldn’t be fair.

   To do that, he needs a solution. “Look, it’s up to us to keep Gear Station running. Send a few more agents down to the maintenance tunnels to keep the police from entering. The rest can be sent to man the open lines. As for us, we focus on keeping Boss Emmet out.”

   Agent Cloud looks up at him. She seems to think over his plan for a moment, then nods. “Fine. I don’t like you, Isadore, but I ain’t got anythin’ better. How hard can it be?”

   How rude. Isadore will never understand people who have no filter. But now isn’t the time to get into that argument again. He’ll have to work with Cloud if they’re going to pull this off. “Thanks… we should get back to work then. There’s no time for slacking off. Full steam ahead.”

   Hopefully his plan doesn’t blow up in his face.

Shift: ??? Perspective

   The distortion has finally formed. Which means they are out of time to wait for Truth’s plan to work. They do not want to overstep. Really, they don’t… but time is precious and they have already wasted far too much of it.

   Tonight is the night they must reach Emmet. If they cannot, then all will be lost.

   Emmet will not evade them, no matter what. If they must use force, then so be it.

   They will not allow the world to fall into ruin.

Chapter Text

Location: Emmet’s Old Bedroom (Spectating)

   Night has fallen and the humans within this home have put themselves down to rest. Eight sleeping presences scattered around the space. It took some time for all of them to fall into the realm of dreams — the blond man even stayed up past the peak of night — but at last they all have. Which means they will be able to reach Emmet without any human resistance.

   They have been hovering over the home since that distortion formed, waiting for the right moment to strike and now is the time. Every second of wasted time casts this reality further down the path of ruin. They cannot let it be so.

   Truth left at sunset, which was unexpected. They thought they were going to have to deal with Truth before attempting to enter Emmet’s mind, but they have removed themself of their own accord. Where the dragon went is beyond them, though they aren’t complaining. Without Truth’s interference, there is nothing to stand in their way.

   FATHER. I BELIEVE NOW IS THE TIME.

   Their inverse’s voice snaps them out of their thoughts and they look up. Giratina is hovering over the human’s bed, serpentine form nearly taking up the entire room. They were waiting for their child to determine whether or not Emmet’s mind could handle their presence without causing lasting damage. Humans are very fragile. In their sleeping states especially, there is so much that could go wrong if not approached with caution.

   One wrong move and his mind could be completely unraveled. They do not have the time to piece him back together if that happens.

   Ah, but Emmet has been deemed ready. Which means they have nothing to worry about right now. It would be best not to waste any more time. They nod at their child, approaching the side of the human’s bed, mindful of the young ones around. There are two on the bed across from Emmet’s and another on a smaller gray rectangle on the floor. They must be cautious of those young humans too.

   Touching any of them could inadvertently cause damage while they are in this state.

   When they reach Emmet’s side, they look up at their inverse.

   I thank thee, Giratina. Thou may return to thy realm if thou so chooses. Or thou may remain in the spirit plane. Do whatever most pleases thee.

   Giratina’s form slinks away from Emmet and towards the younger humans.

   THANK YOU, FATHER. I WILL REMAIN HERE AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE YOUNG ONES.

   Very well. I shalt see thee soon then.

   With that, they bow their head, resting it against the human’s forehead. They shrink their presence and allow their essence to enter his mind space. Hopefully they will be able to convince him to listen.

   If they cannot, this world may be doomed.

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective

Location: ???

   Emmet is falling.

   He can feel himself sinking lower and lower into the gaping darkness, wind wailing in his ears and clawing at his clothes. It’s so loud Emmet can’t even hear himself think over the screeching. Colors flash around the space, loud cracks of thunder following. His head is pounding.

   Emmet grabs at the air around him, unable to reach anything or feel anything other than bitter cold. It’s like he’s stuck in a hurricane and drowning in an ocean of darkness all at once. He can’t breathe .

   A weight presses into his chest and Emmet swears he can feel his ribs rattling under it, a moment away from shattering entirely.

   Where is he?

   What kind of place is this? Is it a dream? Or maybe a nightmare? No, Emmet feels very much awake. He can taste the metallic musk hanging over him. His eyes are open and he can feel the sharp gusts of wind thrashing against his skin. The noise echoes in his very bones and his heart pounds against his chest so harshly that Emmet feels it’s about to burst. He can taste his pulse.

   How could any dream feel so real?

   It’s not possible, is it? Then what happened? Where was he before this?

   What if he isn’t dreaming at all? Is he… is he dead? Is he dying?

   The last thing he remembers is falling asleep. Surely he couldn’t have like died in his sleep, right? Emmet was healthy! He couldn’t have had some random medical emergency. It doesn’t make sense…

   Something wraps around his leg, snapping him out of his thoughts. It digs into his flesh, the bones beneath his skin shifting. Pain shoots up his leg like a bullet and Emmet screams. The sound is drowned out by the noise around him, lost to the chaos.

   He scrambles to try to find what has him, but he can’t see anything over the flashes of light and he can hardly move. It digs into him as it yanks him down faster.

   Down,

   down,

   down.

   Emmet is never going to get back up again. He’s going to be sick. Any attempt to fight back is useless. Emmet can only accept his descent, as all his screams will go unheard… maybe it’s what he deserves anyway. He’s nothing more than a failure, isn’t he? He failed Ingo. He failed his family. He even failed himself. Emmet is nothing.

   He deserves to fall.

   His body goes limp, letting himself be dragged. This is his fate.

   An eternity passes before Emmet feels himself start to slow. Whatever had his ankle releases him and he drifts down like a leaf on a breeze. Spiraling, falling, floating.

   Hmm… death is almost peaceful once it’s been accepted.

   He doesn’t know how much longer he’s drifting before the air pauses around him.

   Emmet stops, his body hovering in the darkness. All the noise fades away into silence, the lights returning to nothingness. It’s dark.

   He’s alone… then there’s a flicker of light just beyond his line of sight. A presence looming over his shoulder. It fills his mind with a strange fuzzy feeling, buzzing at the edges of his subconscious. It feels almost familiar in a way, though Emmet can’t place why. What is that?

   A beat, then something is speaking to him.

   There thou are, mortal. Thee hast been most difficult to reach… Tis impressive. Thy determination to evade mine call is most admirable. It took me many attempts to reach thee… and I had to go against Truth’s wishes to call thee here. But at last thou art before me. I hath much to discuss with thou. I believe thee to be mine best option.

   The voice seems to echo around the dark space. It’s warm and yet cold at the same time. Like a blanket in the snow or a melting popsicle on a sidewalk in the sweltering sun. Emmet doesn’t trust it. This place is awful and surely anything that lives here must be awful too. Nothing natural can be a polar opposite of itself at the same time. Still, he is kind of at their mercy right now. Maybe it’s not a good idea to sass the disembodied light.

   Though Emmet is curious. Maybe a few questions wouldn’t hurt?

   ‘ I am Emmet. Who are you? Where am I?’

   The voice makes a strange huffing sound. Is it laughing at him? It certainly sounds like some form of a laugh, even if it’s not quite right. Rude.

   I already know thy name. Welcome to my domain, Emmet. It lies beyond both space and time. I am that which humans call Arceus. And I am in need of thy assistance. There is little time to waste. This world hath been made unstable. In a long time past, a human damaged the fabric of reality with mine inverse. Some of the effects have appeared in this time. I required the assistance of thy other half for one piece of the issue, but I require thy help for the other.

   Arceus… like the creator of the fucking universe Arceus? There’s no way. Emmet doesn’t believe it. Why in the name of the dragons would Arceus need his help with something? Aren’t they supposed to be all powerful? If there’s a problem, they should be able to fix it themself! Emmet thought that begging a mortal of all things for help would be kind of beneath them, but here he stands —well, floats really — corrected… unless maybe this is just a really weird dream. It certainly doesn’t feel like it, but some dreams can seem super realistic, right? Maybe Emmet is imagining that he’s talking to the god of all living things. That must be it.

   Its words don’t make sense! That has to be a telltale sign of this being a dream. Like what does it even mean by ‘his other half’ anyway? Last he checked, he’s in one piece. Emmet doesn’t have an-

   Ingo.

   Ingo is his twin. His literal other half.

   This fucking thing took Ingo from him.

   Which means this must be the being Ingo mentioned in their messages before. Arceus dropped his twin gods know where and gave him a task to complete for it? His brother doesn’t seem to be having much luck. In fact, Ingo has been nothing but distressed and he’s even been attacked! No. No way. No fucking way. Emmet won’t stand for this. What does Arceus need with his twin? They aren’t allowed to have Ingo!

   He thrashes in his forced hovering position, trying to get his body to move. Letting Arceus hover over his shoulder is too patronizing. Emmet is going to give that damn glowing asshole a piece of his mind if it’s the last thing he does!

   It takes a second, but eventually he manages to maneuver himself to being upright.

   Emmet whips around, facing the divine being of light in front of him. Arceus is so bright that it hurts his eyes to look, but Emmet really doesn’t care. He’ll happily go blind if it means he’ll get to say what he needs to say! Blasphemy be damned! This fucker stole Ingo and Emmet will never forgive them for that! He points a trembling finger at them, teeth clenched so hard it hurts.

   ‘ You. YOU stole my brother?! Where did you take him!? You bring him back right now!’

   Emmet-

   ‘ No! Give me my twin back! I won’t help you until Ingo is safe and home where he belongs!’

   I cannot bring thy brother home if thou dost not help me! I require thine assistance to set thy reality right once more. There are pockets of disturbed space and time that thou must fix while thy brother handles the disruptions in the distant past. Only once both are handled can thee be reunited with thy brother. Doth thou not understand this?!

   This little- they’re guilt tripping him right now! That’s… that should be beneath a god to do! Emmet is going to pull his damn hair out. He can feel himself shaking he’s so angry.

   ‘ You- you bastard! How dare you?! You’re telling me that I can’t get my fucking brother back unless I go with your damn plan? How is-… that’s not fair! You can’t do this! I never agreed to this shit! And I know for damn sure Ingo wouldn’t have either! Did you even ask him before you stole him?!’

   There’s a shift around him. Arceus’ light gets brighter and the air becomes thick. Emmet gasps, having trouble breathing. Unfair… but Emmet will not back down. He drags in as deep a breath as he can, trying to keep himself stable. Emmet likes winning more than anything else. He won’t let Arceus force him to back down. Never!

   It would do thee well not to disrespect me, Emmet.

   Emmet chokes a laugh out.

   ‘ Would it? You’re the one who needs my help. You can’t get rid of me.’

   I-

   Something is wrong. The pressure around him drops and Emmet gasps as air fills his lungs. What’s going on?

   Emmet can feel himself being shaken. Not by some invisible force or by the winds from before, but by what feels like hands. He looks down at himself. There’s nothing there. The shaking slowly becomes more and more frantic. Panicked. And then Emmet is moving again like he’s being yanked on a string. It almost knocks the wind out of him, but he manages to stabilize himself. The pulling doesn’t stop, but this time he’s going up.

   Where art thou going? No! Stop that! Come back this instant! It’s dangerous! Thou wilt hurt thyself!

   Oh. Arceus has no control over what’s happening right now. Oh great. Isn’t that just lovely. This totally won’t go wrong at all… unfortunately, Emmet doesn’t have any control over it either.

   ‘ I’m not doing this! I can’t stop!’

   This is going to be bad, isn’t it?

   The staticky feeling in his head increases the higher he gets until a bolt of pain shoots straight through him. Emmet’s body tenses involuntarily. It’s like a rail spike is being hammered into his brain; skull-splitting pain that makes Emmet’s body thrash. He’s never felt pain quite like this one; as searing as hot oil on his skin. It continues to grow, spread, fester. Emmet can’t make it stop.

   And then everything falls away.

Location: Emmet’s Old Bedroom

   Emmet gasps for air. Every breath is bliss; like he’s been suffocating for ages. He didn’t even realize how breathless he was while in Arceus’ domain. Maybe he shouldn’t have been testing their patience… talking smack to the creator of the universe was probably a poor choice, but Emmet feels like it was deserved. And maybe with Ingo gone, his impulse control is at an all time low…

   He tries to move, to sit up, only to promptly stop short. The pounding in his head comes back with a force that almost makes Emmet gag. He can’t open his eyes. He can’t move a muscle. It hurts. It hurts. His body is tense and weak at the same time. Emmet is going to throw up.

   There are jumbled voices around him. It takes him longer than it should to process what they’re saying over the blinding pain.

   “Mr. Emmet?! Mr. Emmet, are you alright!?” Someone shrieks beside him. Emmet winces at the volume. Too loud. Too much. “Cress! Should we call an ambulance or something? He wasn’t breathing! That’s bad enough to need one, right?!”

   “Stop shouting Chili! He’s breathing now. See if he’s conscious. I’m going to go get his parents.” There’s footsteps, then the sound of a door opening.

   A hand comes down to rest on his forehead. “I think he might be waking up. Chili, go get me a wet wash cloth. Make it cold.”

   “Why cold, Cilan? Won’t that just make it worse?”

   Who Emmet assumes is Cilan sighs. “Now is not the time to argue. It would be helpful if you just go get it.”

   Chili doesn’t need to be told twice, it seems. He can hear what must be Chili’s footsteps rushing out of the room and down the hall… a cold compress sounds wonderful right about now, actually. “Mr. Emmet? Can you hear me?” Cilan says, shaking his shoulder a bit. “Mr. Emmet?”

   He’s not sure if he’s going to be able to get words out, though Emmet doesn’t want to worry Cilan. It already sounds like he’s worried enough. So, Emmet tries his best to nod. He only manages a slight tilt of his head and a groan before the searing agony of moving forces him to stop. Oh Emmet really is going to throw up…

   “Okay. Cress is going to go get someone to help you. I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

   Emmet really appreciates Cilan’s composure. He wouldn’t know what to do in this situation while in this state. As a matter of fact, Emmet probably would have panicked. Pain is not his favorite thing to deal with and Emmet isn’t all that good at helping others through it either.

   The room falls into silence now. Which Emmet is grateful for. Silence is good to help lower the pain.

   He’s not sure how long the two of them sit in silence before there’s footsteps coming towards them again. “I got it!” Chili announces. His voice makes Emmet groan, another spike of pain hitting him square in the temple. “Oops. Sorry. Quiet voice, I know.” He can hear Chili walk over to the edge of the bed, then something wet and cold is placed over his eyes. It helps ease some of the ache.

   Thank the dragons. Even the tiniest amount of relief is greatly appreciated.

   “There. All better.”

   There’s a huff, then the edge of his bed dips. “Not quite, Chili. But I’m sure it helps a little.”

   Emmet attempts to hum his agreement, but it comes out as more of a puff of air. He thinks they understand what he means anyway and he’s too tired to try again if they don’t.

   A knock rings out through the quiet, followed by more footsteps.

   “What’s goin’ on in here?” His dad’s voice says from the doorway. Emmet could almost cry from relief. His dad will know what to do for sure. He strides into the room, then yet another hand is on Emmet’s head. “You’ve got a fever. Does your head hurt, boy?” His dad moves the towel over Emmet’s eyes up a bit. “Let me see your eyes. Could be a migraine. I know you used to get a lot of those when you were little.”

   He was quite prone to migraines when he was young, but it’s been quite a few years since his last and… this doesn’t feel like a typical migraine. Emmet feels like his head got run over! Maybe that’s what Arceus had been warning him about? They did say that it was ‘dangerous’. What if he experienced serious brain damage during his ascent? It could be possible, right?

   Emmet is afraid to get the answer to those questions. Still, he does his best to peel his eyes open. He can only get them about halfway open before the pain forces him to stop. His dad is leaning over his bed and the lights in the room are low. There’s a stern from on his dad’s face that Emmet recognizes as his worried look. “Hmm… your pupils are different sizes. Definitely a migraine.” He pauses and turns to face the rest of the room, likely to address the triplets if Emmet had to guess. “Why don’t you boys go downstairs and wait in the living room. Ask Enia to make you something to eat and I’ll be down in a little while.”

   There are a couple responses, but Emmet can’t really make out what they are. His head is spinning. A moment passes, then his dad is looking at him again. He gives Emmet a sympathetic wince. “Let me go get you some pain killers and a glass of water. Try to rest a bit in the meantime and don’t try to get up, okay?”

   Emmet hums, which gets a sigh from his dad and a light ruffling of his hair. Then, the cloth is placed back over his eyes and his dad’s footsteps ring out as he leaves the room.

   Hopefully the medicine helps and what happened didn’t cause lasting damage…

Chapter Text

   The medicine didn’t help much. Though at least Emmet can move a little bit now. He even managed to sit up… with Lavender’s help of course. She’d come barreling into the room almost as soon as his dad left a little while ago and has refused to leave his side since. Her warmth pressed against his side feels nice and Emmet didn’t have the heart to banish her, so he let her stay. He didn’t really want to be alone after what happened anyway.

   Emmet never wants to see Arceus or somehow end up in their domain ever again. Every second of that experience was terrible. He felt like he was dying for crying out loud! Even thinking about it gives him goosebumps. At least it’s over now.

   He is safe… unlike his brother. Emmet still can’t believe that Arceus of all things took Ingo. How in the world is he supposed to get his brother back now?

   No. Giving up is not Emmet’s style. He likes winning more than anything and he will not lose this battle. Even if he has to fist fight Arceus themself, he will get Ingo back if it’s the last thing he ever does… but for now he will focus on trying to recover.

   His dad had brought him a bucket in case he threw up — thankfully he hasn’t yet — and a glass of water that’s now sitting on his nightstand, which Emmet has been taking small sips of. It’s hard to force himself to drink, but he’d prefer not to be dehydrated either. So small increments it is. Throwing up from drinking too fast is not on Emmet’s schedule.

   This sucks. Really, it does. Emmet is prone to complaining about minor inconveniences sure, but there’s nothing minor about this one! He’d just smack talked the creator of the universe and his brain ended up damaged because of it. Well, sort of. Emmet doesn’t think Arceus themself was trying to hurt him. They wouldn’t have warned him about it the danger if that were the case. Still, he did end up getting hurt.

   He assumes. Emmet isn’t one hundred percent certain his brain is injured, but that’s the only way to explain just how badly his head hurts. Normal headaches and even migraines don’t cause this. His head feels like it’s been crushed and his neck is stiff! Both signs of a serious problem. Emmet would probably be better off going to the hospital and getting his head looked at professionally. Unfortunately he’s been left alone in his room and getting up will only end verrry badly. Which means he’s stuck until someone comes to check on him.

   He can only hope that whatever damage has been done won’t kill him before he can ask to be brought to the hospital. Brain injuries are extremely dangerous if they go unchecked. Even wasting a small amount of time can be lethal. Emmet would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried.

   His train of thought is derailed by a soft ding from his XTrans. Emmet glances over to where it’s sitting on the nightstand. Right next to his water. Looking at a screen right now is probably a bad idea… but what if it’s Ingo? Emmet doesn’t want to ignore his brother. Pain be damned, nothing will stop him from talking to his brother.

   So against his better judgement, Emmet reaches over and grabs it off his nightstand. He clicks the power button on the side and it lights up. It burns his eyes and he flinches back, his head throbbing. Yup. Verrry bad idea. Emmet squints through the pain to see what notification he’d gotten.

   It is a message, but it’s from an unknown number. Not Ingo. Well, that’s really disappointing. He was hoping to get some comfort from his twin, but nooo. The universe really is against him, isn’t? Literally. He rolls his eyes as he unlocks his XTrans and opens the message anyway. Might as well go ahead and get rid of the notification.

   He was expecting it to be spam; a random message about overdue parking tickets or maybe someone trying to sell him junk. Those are common, after all. It isn’t spam. There are a couple text bubbles on the screen. His face pales as he reads them.

‘Emmet. I wish to apologize to thou. I hath caused thee harm inadvertently. ‘Twas shameful.’

‘Thy brother would be most unhappy with mine treatment of thee. Forgive mine mistake. I still wish to speak to thee, but thy mind is damaged at the present moment. Thus, I will not enter thy mind again. I do not wish to cause more harm. Please, let us converse. Thou can simply think thy responses and I shall answer thee here.’

‘I beg of thee to listen. I require thine assistance immediately.’

   This day can’t get any worse. Emmet will refrain from getting angry, if only because that is just going to make him feel worse.

   You. You’ve got some nerve, don’t you? I already told you that I won’t help you unless you give my brother back. That’s not going to change!

   He can feel himself starting to get heated. Fuck. Emmet was trying so hard to be levelheaded. Oh but who was he kidding? Emmet can never keep a level-head if it involves his twin.

   How dare they steal his brother and then have the nerve to mess with him while he’s sleeping! Oh and to add insult to injury, they then try to contact him after hurting him! Emmet is going to rip them a new one. How is this fair at all?!

   He watches the blinking dots while they enter their response, teeth clenched. The pressure combined with the brightness of his screen are not helping the pain, but he shoves that down. This is too important to be deterred!

‘I am sorry, but the only way to get him back is to help me. I required a champion to stop the destruction of this world. Ingo was mine best choice. Mine champion is working to fix this issue in a time long past. But I require another to keep this time stable. I need thee to work together. I request thine assistance in this task.’

   His brother was the best option? Emmet does not doubt Ingo’s capabilities — he is one of the strongest people Emmet knows! But Ingo being the only option to save the world just can’t be true. There are so many people on this earth. So many strong trainers and even people who befriend legendary Pokémon. Shit it was a teenager who broke up the whole Plasma scheme a couple years ago. Not that Emmet would ever condone sending a child to deal with something like this. It just proves that it could have been anyone but Ingo.

   Surely Arceus could have found someone like that to go do their task. They did not have to take his brother away, especially not without warning as they did. Did they even give Ingo a choice?

   What if they did… and what if Ingo chose to go? What if Ingo chose to leave him without warning? That can’t be true, can’t it? No. Ingo’s messages implied that Ingo didn’t have a choice. Or maybe he just doesn’t remember… either way, Emmet is angry on his brother’s behalf.

   Not possible. Nope! There are many trainers in this world. You didn’t have to take Ingo. You took him because it was convenient right? Because he just happened to be at the right place at the right time? No. No, no, no! You had no right to take him! Did you even consider how Ingo would feel? If he would be able to complete this stupid task you’ve given him? Did he get a choice?

‘Mine champion is a capable champion. He hast proven his worth… but thou art correct. I did choose Ingo because he was within mine reach… I only did that because I could not reach thou first. It could have been thou instead, but thou ran away from mine token. I had to erase thy memory of the event… I moved on then and I took thy brother instead. He shall see mine task through to the end.’

   They… wait. As if something has clicked back into place in his head, Emmet remembers. That glowing ring he saw on his way home from the station… that was the night Ingo disappeared. That was… Emmet glares at his screen, angry tears building in his eyes.

   Unforgivable. What they have done is unforgivable. But what can he do? Arceus is the creator of the universe. Emmet will never get Ingo back if he doesn’t listen… but Emmet wants to be angry. He wants to scream so loud that his voice is heard on every corner of this Arceus forsaken world.

   He’s not your anything! Ingo is my brother. Mine! He doesn’t belong to you! So bring him back! You-… you’re terrible! How dare you do this! Give me my brother back! I- I’m so alone without him…

   There’s an odd feeling in Emmet’s chest now; a tightness that doesn’t quite feel like his own. Is that… guilt?

‘Human connections truly are beyond mine comprehension.’

‘I am sorry, Emmet.’

‘But I did what must be done for the greater good of thy world. I will return thy brother. I will give him his memories back and protect him during his time in Hisui. I will make sure thy other half never finds himself alone ever again. This, I vow to thee.’

‘Just assist me in saving this world. I beg thee.’

   Emmet’s throat is thick and his eyes burn. He does not want to give in. He does not want to give Arceus what they want but… what good is it to refuse to help? Emmet can’t just keep arguing in circles about this. Maybe the only way to save Ingo is to listen.

  He has never considered himself much a team player. Truthfully, Emmet has trouble working with anyone that isn’t Ingo. Though as it stands now, Emmet has a choice to make. He can either save this world and get his brother back or he can sit on his ass and cry about it for the rest of his life.

   From where he stands, there’s only one real choice to make. Emmet will not lose.

   Fine. I’ll help you. I will hold you to your word. If I don’t get Ingo back, nothing will stop me from finding you. I will fight you and I will win. I am Emmet and I promise you that… now how will you conduct me to victory in your task?

‘I will guide thee as I am guiding thy brother. Thou wilt never need for anything. I shall assist thee as best I can. I shall show thee where these disturbed pockets are and together we shall vanquish them.’

   This is a terrible idea, but he doesn’t really have any other options does he? He looks away from the screen, eyes landing on Lavender. She’s fast asleep at his side, her flames faded. Emmet will have to resolve himself to seeing this through. He has a destination now. That’s better than aimlessly wasting time like he has been since Ingo left.

   A soft ding pulls Emmet out of his thoughts and he looks back at his XTrans.

‘I apologize, but I require thy action immediately. A distortion hath formed within thy station earlier today. Thy human workers art struggling to keep it stable. It needs to be closed before it causes more destruction.’

   There’s a disturbance in Gear Station?! Why didn’t they lead with that!? Even if Emmet didn’t want to help this being, he definitely needs to clear up whatever problem there is. It’s his responsibility! Oh he knew Isadore was hiding something from him when he called! Emmet just didn’t expect it to be this bad! But Emmet is getting derailed now. Reroute.

   Great. Cool. Love that… one problem. I still have that migraine you gave me. Can’t leave. Even looking at this screen hurts.

   The feeling in Emmet’s chest shifts now to something more thoughtful. He rolls his shoulders. Feeling emotions that aren’t his own is verrry uncomfortable.

‘Of course. A moment, please.’

   Wait what? Emmet has a feeling he isn’t going to like whatever Arceus’s solution to his problem is.

   It’s quiet. Emmet holds his breath.

   A moment passes. Two. Three.

   The window slams open, curtains whipping around against the gust of wind that forces its way in. Lavender shrieks and shoots up from the bed while Emmet jumps, head snapping in that direction. Which was a mistake. His head throbs at the sudden movement and Emmet has to bow his head forward to try to ease the pain. Owww!

   It takes a second for the pain to clear up before Emmet can lift his head. When he does, he sees Lavender hovering above him, her eyes darting around the room.

   Emmet glances at the window. There’s nothing there… is this a joke? Is Arceus trying to tell him that fresh air is going to help the pain? That’s ridiculous.

   Something purple lands on the windowsill and once again, he jumps. That’s a Pokémon… a Pokémon Emmet has never seen before in his life.

   It’s small and covered with fluffy purple feathers, has a pointed pink face, and bright yellow eyes with thick eyelashes. Emmet blinks. What is that? It can’t be native to Unova. Emmet knows the Unovan Pokédex by heart and this thing is not on it! And if it’s not from Unova, then where did it come from?

   Emmet stares at the Pokémon and it stares right back at him for a while. Above him, Lavender wails and moves to hover protectively in front of him. He reaches out and puts a hand on her glass to soothe her, which prompts her to glance back at him. Reluctantly, Lavender settles back onto the bed. She keeps her eye on the strange Pokémon though, ready to battle if she needs to.

   What is that?

‘Spritzee. The perfume Pokémon.’

   That’s a Spritzee? No way. It looks weird… have Spritzees always been purple? Emmet thought they were a different color, though maybe he was wrong. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. It’s not like he’s an expert on foreign Pokémon.

   Okay. Right. That’s uh… why is Spritzee here? It is not native to Unova. Did you steal it? You seem to like doing that.

‘Thou art most rude. I am trying to help thee! And no, I did not ‘steal’ her. I sent out a request for a healer who would not mind having a human. She answered mine call. This Pokémon hails from another one of thy human regions. The name evades me. I believe it is home of the aura legends.’

   The aura legends? Which region was that again? Emmet did a lot of research about the legendaries of different regions, but he can’t remember which one this is off the top of his head… should he go get his computer? Wait! Emmet knows.

   Kalos?! You brought Spritzee here from Kalos? Not only that, but you said I could be her human? I already have a team. Technically two teams including Ingo’s. Plus all my Joltiks… why would you tell her that?!

‘Doth thou not like this Pokémon? I can call upon another if thee finds her so undesirable. I just thought she would be able to help with thy damaged mind.’

   Well that would just be mean. She must have been looking forward to getting a trainer as Arceus had apparently promised her. So to send Spritzee back now would be cruel. Emmet does not want to be cruel. He’s so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice she’s moved until the little purple Pokémon is right in front of his face. Emmet freezes.

  She flutters around him for a moment before moving over to his shoulder, then settling down in the space between his shoulder and neck. Her feathers are so soft. Emmet can feel her nuzzling into the side of his face, her little body rumbling with what sounds like a purr… Emmet stares down at his screen, refusing to move. Spritzee doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, she appears to be rather comfortable.

   Okay… previous apprehension be damned. This Spritzee is precious and she is not leaving now. Nope! His Pokémon are just going to have to get used to having a new member of the team. He should figure out a name for her. And it’s got to be something perfect. Oh, but he’s getting distracted. Emmet is still having a conversation with Arceus.

   He ignores Lavender moving closer to get a better look at Spritzee. Emmet can tell that she’s just curious, after all. Instead, he refocused on the task at hand.

   Fine. You win. She’s too cute to make her leave. But how is she supposed to fix a migraine?

‘Heal Pulse.’

   Emmet’s eyebrows furrow. “Heal Pulse…? Can a Spritzee use that?” He murmurs to himself. Or at least he thought it was to himself. Spritzee seems to interpret that as a command. Emmet can hear the move powering up beside him before he can stop her, then a warm pink light envelopes him. And the effects are almost immediate. Emmet can feel the throbbing in his head start to dissipate until it’s nothing more than a dull ache, which is so much more manageable.

   The sheer relief brings him to tears as the light fades away. He just reaches up and brushes them out of his eyes. Emmet should catch her and register her as soon as possible. He doubts she’d be a good fit for his team on the subway, but she’d make a good pet and oh will she live a good life with him. Emmet will make sure of it.

   He reaches up to pet her, his fingers carding through her downy feathers. Spritzee’s purring gets a little louder. “Thank you. I am verrry grateful.” The Spritzee coos a little, then flutters up from his shoulder. She flops down into his lap now and peers up at him. Emmet needs a good name for her. He runs a hand over her body as he glances at Lavender, who is still hovering over them. “What do you think Lavs?”

   Lavender chimes, her flames brightening before she drifts off into the room. He watches her float over to his nightstand, using physic to open one of the drawers. She then lifts a small Pokéball out of it. It’s old. From before Emmet even went on his Pokémon journey as a teen. But it’ll do the trick anyway. Lavender brings it over and plops it down into his waiting hand. Emmet turns it around, examining it to make sure it’s still safe to use. It looks good.

   Emmet looks down at the Pokémon in his lap. “Hmm… what do you think of the name ‘Flutter’?” Maybe it’s not his best work, but it feels fitting. She blinks at Emmet for a moment, then lets out a happy coo. Acceptance. He lets a smile spread across his face as he holds the Pokéball out towards her. “I am Emmet. Would you like to link our cars, Flutter?”

   Flutter doesn’t waste a moment, leaning forward to bonk her head against the button. She disappears in a flash and the ball shakes a couple times before sparks shoot out. A successful capture. He sets the ball in his lap and turns back to his messages with Arceus.

   Thank you. I feel much better now. As for our mission. I need to say goodbye to my family and our guests before I can go back, which may take a little while. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to Nimbasa until sometime tomorrow. Do you think you can somehow keep that disturbed pocket stable until then?

‘Thou art most welcome. I shall try mine best, but I make no promises. Do try to make haste, Emmet. I must leave thee now. I will contact thee again once thou hath reached thy home. Until then, be well.’

   Right. See you.

   Emmet swipes out of his messages, then shuts off his XTrans. It’s going to be a long day, but with a destination to head towards, Emmet feels he will make it through. He has to. He will not lose!

Chapter Text

Shift: Truth’s Perspective

Time: About an Hour Before Emmet’s Conversation with Arceus

   Leaving Emmet was more difficult than Reshiram thought it would be. They didn’t want to leave him alone, but they made a promise to themself that they would go find their twin as soon as night fell. Reshiram is not in the business of breaking promises, even ones not spoken aloud. Plus, Giratina said they would keep an eye on him in their absence. Reshiram is still a little weary of Giratina, but they decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. And so they left Emmet’s side after the sun sunk below the horizon. They’ve been searching for Zekrom ever since.

   The darkened skies of Unova are alight while Reshiram flies over Nimbasa City. They dodge past towering skyscrapers and thick clouds, watching the world below them. The city lights blink and flash while people bustle around the ever-lively urban landscape. Cars flash by on streets and wild bird Pokémon chirp from their nests perched on high window frames. Reshiram can feel the buzzing of thousands of Truths in their very soul.

   Nimbasa is one of Reshiram’s favorite places to visit in Unova. They enjoy watching humans and Pokémon alike go about their daily lives here, creating their own unique Truths and life paths and stories. And the way the city sparkles at night fills they with joy. So colorful and free. There are so many wonderful things about the city.

   Their twin often finds Nimbasa a bit overwhelming though. Reshiram has spent many a night perched on high rooftops watching the world below, Zekrom nestled at their side complaining about how loud all the Ideals they receive are. They’re not wrong about that. With so many living creatures in one place, all those individual Truths and Ideals are bound to be overwhelming. That easily makes for quite a headache.

   Oh, but Zekrom never leaves their side in those moments. No matter how loud it gets.

   It wasn’t always like that though. Their relationship has only very recently improved after centuries of turmoil and fighting. It wasn’t until after Team Plasma attacked them that they both realized their differences did not need to cause them strife. They could work together. And so they started getting closer.

   Reshiram often thinks back to all that time lost to fighting… so many years they could have spent sitting together and watching the world pass them by.

   They’re lucky, really. That they can say they love each other again. Reshiram never wants to fight with their twin ever again. It only caused both of them pain.

   There’s a tug on Reshiram’s energy that pulls them out of their thoughts. It causes them to pause, hovering in the air over a random empty street. The lights are dim here. It must be a less populated area. Or perhaps is a neighborhood whose residents are sleeping still. Reshiram’s gaze follows the direction of the tug. It seems to be coming from a rooftop about a block away.

   Reshiram turns and starts off in that direction, flying higher into the sky to avoid being spotted. The last thing they want is to be stopped by a human wanting to battle. Reshiram is too busy for that.

   They fly over the street, turning the corner and heading towards the rooftop of a very familiar apartment building. Reshiram can see a black figure sitting on the far side of the rooftop, hidden away from human view. They’re hunkered down in the shadows, staring off over the cityscape. There’s a sort of energy emitting from them that makes Reshiram feel sad.

   It doesn’t take long for them to reach the rooftop, landing silently. Reshiram lowers their wings, but does not move any more than that. They can feel that something is wrong with their twin and they do not want to upset Zekrom more.

   The silence stretches for a while, only broken by the quiet wailing of the wind around them and the rustling of an old tarp covering the door to the inside of the apartment on their left. Reshiram doesn’t know what has upset their twin so much that they found themself sitting atop Ingo and Emmet’s apartment building, but it must be important to Zekrom. They do not often venture to Nimbasa City on their own.

   “ Reshiram? ” Zekrom rumbles after a moment, turning ever so slightly to look at them. There’s a sadness in their twin’s red eyes that Reshiram can’t stand and their wings are all droopy. “ What brings you here? ”

   Reshiram lowers their head, walking a little closer to their twin. They do not want to upset Zekrom any more than they already are, so they will wait to see if their twin moves away. A step. Two. Zekrom only whines, opening one of their wings for them. The invitation is all Reshiram needs before they close the distance and nestle into their twin’s side. They wrap one of their wings around Zekrom. “ I could ask you the same question. I came looking for you. Are you well?”

   Another whine escapes their twin and Zekrom looks down towards the dark street below them, putting more of their weight on Reshiram. It’s not an answer, but Reshiram feels like they may know what’s bothering them anyway. They miss Ingo. Why else would they have gone out of their way to come to his apartment? Zekrom must feel awful now that their favorite human is missing because unlike Reshiram, they could not fight to keep Ingo in Unova.

   Zekrom must feel like a failure. They’d told Arceus before that they allowed their Creator to take Ingo, but… Reshiram knows that isn’t the Truth. There was just no other option.

   In an attempt to provide some comfort, they rub their cheek against Zekrom’s. Their twin purrs, rubbing back. Reshiram can feel them start to relax against. Like a weight has been lifted from their shoulders. If only Reshiram could just fix the problem altogether. They really do hate seeing their twin so upset.

   “ I miss my human ,” Zekrom murmurs. Their head dropping down against Reshiram, wing tightening around them. “ I wish I could have done more to protect him… I want him back. ”

   And there it is. Zekrom’s Truth. They miss Ingo and want him back. Of course they do. Ingo is one of Zekrom’s Things. And Zekrom is very protective of their Things. Even if the human himself has never spoken a word to Zekrom before.

   Reshiram understands where they’re coming from. They did fight to keep Emmet from being taken, after all. It’s not fair that Ingo had to go in his brother’s place… but who are they to challenge their Creator? Especially over a couple humans they’d never interacted with beyond just watching them go about their daily lives. Arceus would not have understood that. Not many legends would. There really was very little either of them could do. That doesn’t make it any less upsetting though.

   “ I know you do… I am sorry, Zekrom. It is not fair that he was taken.” It’s not fair to any party involved. Beyond Zekrom and Reshiram, his family is torn up about what happened too. They’d seen just how badly it affected Emmet and can only imagine how much worse it would have been had Emmet’s family not acted fast enough to distract him from going off the deep end. But thinking negatively isn’t going to help them. There is already a plan in place to get Ingo back where he belongs. Reshiram is supposed to be helping with that plan.

   They want to get Ingo back soon. For the sake of both Emmet and their twin. And so they will. They’ll do anything they can to make the plan run smoothly and as fast as possible. That is Reshiram’s Ideal.

   Zekrom shifts a bit, pulling them out of their thoughts. “ I wish I could be more helpful. But I am useless. I feel like I can’t do anything. ”

   “ You are not useless. Your job is to guard Unova in my absence and that is an incredibly important task. You are the sole defender of our domain while I am to accompany a single human. In no reality is that ‘useless’. I am your elder. So you will have to listen to my Truth.” Reshiram will not allow Zekrom to think otherwise. It simply is not Truth.

   Their twin snorts, rolling their eyes. “ You are only elder by a couple moments. ”

   “ So?”

   Zekrom groans, hitting them lightly with their wing. “ Insignificant age gap. You can’t claim superiority over that. ”

   There’s that rudeness in their twin’s tone. Reshiram had been worried they wouldn’t be able to cheer Zekrom up. It seems playing into those human jokes about twins and age is working to some extent. They nuzzle their twin, licking their cheek. “That is your Ideal. But it does not make my elder status any less Truth.”

   An annoyed huff escapes their twin and Zekrom reaches up to shove their face away. “ Cease. You are a very annoying elder. ”

   Reshiram licks them once more, then relents. The two of them fall into another stretch of silence, staring out over the city.

   The sun is starting to peek over the horizon, the sky brightening. Morning is approaching. Which means Reshiram should be getting back to Emmet soon. They can’t leave him unsupervised, or rather alone in Giratina’s care, for too long. “ Zekrom? I promise I will try my best to bring your human home as fast as possible. I know you miss him and my human misses him too. In the meantime, I will keep you updated on how progress is going.”

   Zekrom is quiet for a beat, then their eyes soften with a smile. “ Thank you. I would appreciate that. ”

   They go to respond to their twin, only to fall silent. There’s another shift in Reshiram’s energy. Panic. Pain. Fear. Something is wrong with Emmet. Very wrong.

   Reshiram shouldn’t have left their human alone. Now they can feel that he’s in pain. Their Creator made a move. There’s no way they didn’t. Reshiram can feel anger building within them. They need to get back to Emmet as soon as possible.

   “ Reshiram? ”

   They look back to their twin. Reshiram wanted to spend more time with Zekrom, but it looks like their time has been cut short. They bow their head. “ Something is wrong with Emmet. I have to go.”

   Zekrom withdraws their wing, turning back to the rising sun. “ I understand. Go then. I’ll see you next time. Goodbye Reshiram.”

   With an apologetic glance, they pull themself up to their feet and open their wings. “ Good bye. Take care of yourself.”

   Reshiram flaps their wings and jumps off of the building, taking off into the sky.

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective

Time: Noon

   Getting out of his parents’ house is going to be difficult. Because of what went down in Nimbasa with the police and the migraine he just magically recovered from, they’re going to tell him that it’s better to stay in Anville Town. They’ll assume he’s just lying about feeling better because he wants to leave. Which is fair, given he can’t tell them anything about Arceus. Still, he can’t let that stop him.

   Emmet really doesn’t want to have to sneak out. He will if he has to, but that is his last resort. For now he will try his best to convince his family to let him go. Emmet can be plenty persuasive!

   Well… it would probably be more effective to tell them that there’s an issue in Gear Station that he needs to take care of. But that would just make them worry, which leads to more questions that Emmet can’t answer. Ugh. All of this is so complicated! He pulls his bedroom door open, stepping out into the hallway with Lavender hovering after him. Emmet will just have to figure out how to get around it. He can do that, right?

   There are voices coming from the living room. Emmet can hear them getting louder as he strides down the hallway and reaches the top of the stairs. He can’t really make out the words they’re saying, but it doesn’t sound heated or worried. It must just be idle chatter then. Emmet reaches out for the railing as he walks down the stairs. He feels a little wobbly, but not enough to affect him too badly.

   Lavender chimes at him and he glances over his shoulder at her. Her eyes are focused on the hold he’s got on the railing as he descends. Emmet smiles. “I am Emmet. My cab is fully operational. Just a bit shaky, but other than that my engine is running fine.” He suspects that shakiness can be remedied by food. Since he was sick, he didn’t get breakfast. Now it’s lunchtime and he’s hungry, which sometimes leads to Emmet feeling weaker than normal.

   She hisses at him, flames flaring. Clearly his brother’s starter doesn’t believe him. Emmet knows he lies about his well-being sometimes, but geez she has such little faith in him. He reaches the bottom of the stairs and steps down into the landing with a huff. “Whatever have I done to deserve such mistrust? C’mon Lavs, I assure you I am following all safety precautions.”

   “Are you?” Comes a voice in front of him. Emmet nearly jumps out of his skin, head snapping in the direction of the voice. He finds his mother leaning in the hallway that leads to the living room. She raises an eyebrow at him. “I hope you’re telling the truth. Otherwise I’m sending you right back up those stairs.”

   Emmet laughs a little, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I am Emmet and I am not a liar, ma. I promise I’m feeling better now… mostly. I am verrry hungry actually.”

   His mother eyes him for a moment and Emmet stands frozen at the bottom of the stairs. He knows he’s not lying, but something about his mother’s scrutiny makes him feel like he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A long moment passes before she sighs and looks away. “Alright. I’ll believe you. Why don’t you come sit in the kitchen? Lunch is almost ready,” she says, pushing off the wall and heading back towards the living room.

   Emmet lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, casting a glance back at Lavender before following after his mom. He walks down the hall and into the living room. It falls silent as soon as he steps past the threshold and all eyes are on him.

   The triplets are sitting on the couch with what looks like a board came spread across the coffee table. His dad is on his chair, scrolling through channels on the tv. Uncle Drayden is in the kitchen with his mom and Iris is sitting on the floor by the coffee table, seemingly watching the gameplay. Emmet stares at them for a moment. They’re looking at him like he just came back to life! It was just a headache! Well… kind of.

   Emmet opens his mouth to attempt to diffuse the tension in the room. He can’t get a single word out before something blue and yellow is barreling at him like a fright train. Captain slams straight into his stomach, sending both of the sprawling to the ground. A pained grunt escapes him, followed by a thud as they hit the floor. “Oww. Captain! What have I told you about doing that?” Emmet groans, pushing himself up to sit on the floor. His partner coils around his torso, whining. “Okay, okay. I’m alright, buddy.”

   The sound of footsteps has Emmet looking up. His dad is standing in front of him, holding out his hand to help Emmet up. “Feelin’ better, boy?”

   “I was until Captain tried to kill me.” Emmet takes his dad’s hand, allowing him to pull him up. Captain coos, a guilty expression on his face. Emmet just hooks his arms under his partner to keep him secure. “It’s okay. I am Emmet and I am only joking.” Captains head perks up and he smacks Emmet with his tail.

   His dad laughs a little. “Good. Welcome back to the land of the livin’ then.” With that, his dad ruffles his hair, then turns back to go sit in his chair again.

   “Emmet! Come play with us!” Iris calls from her seat on the floor, patting the spot beside her.

   Emmet glances at the spot she’s offering him. As much as he would love to sit down and spend time with his family, he knows he needs to address what he came down to address. Emmet needs to go back home and fix the distortion in Gear Station. “I would love to Iris, but I actually have something I need to say.” Emmet clears his throat. “I need to go back to Nimbasa. I’ve taken enough time to myself and need to get back into the swing of things. I am Emmet and my engine can’t remain stalled any longer.”

   Silence. It’s so quiet that he could hear a pen drop. Emmet wants to sink back under the weight of all the eyes on him, but he refuses to back down. He needs to get back to Nimbasa City. No more wasting time or wallowing or aimlessly searching. Emmet has a mission and he wants to start as soon as possible. He needs to get Ingo back and he needs to protect Gear Station. That is his duty! Plus, Arceus made it seem like they do not have a lot of time to waste before something bad happens.

   Emmet will not be deterred.

   “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Mr. Emmet? I hear Nimbasa is a little… tense right now,” Cilan speaks up, rising from the couch. His brothers nod a little in agreement. While Emmet appreciates their concern, he can’t let that stop him. He is going to have to face it at some point anyway, so he might as well just do it now.

   Before he can answer, his mother is speaking. “Emmet… I know you feel like you have to immediately jump back into work, but… maybe more time away would be good for you.”

   Emmet shakes his head. If he spends even one more day doing nothing, he’s going to lose his mind. As much as he loves his family, he just can’t stay here! “Nope! I am Emmet and I need to do this. I will not be stopped. Tomorrow morning, I will leave for Nimbasa City.”

   There’s another stretch of silence. He can see the turmoil and worry in his family’s expressions. It looks like he isn’t doing a great job at convincing them. Emmet really doesn’t want to argue about this. He doesn’t want to have to lie. It would be so much easier if they just let him go.

   Maybe Emmet should just bring up the issue in Gear Station? He doesn’t want to worry them more, but it’s a valid reason to leave. Surely they won’t be able to stop him from going if he had a valid reason, right?

   Iris shoots up from her spot on the floor, pointing at Emmet. All eyes are on her now. “Fine! If you wanna go, you can go… but only if you beat me in a Pokémon battle!”

   A Pokémon battle? He glances down at Captain, whose expression shifts into one of determination. Together they’ll win no matter what. Emmet will be going home tomorrow morning if it’s the last thing he does!

   He looks back up at his cousin, a smile spreading across his face. “I am Emmet and you’re on!”

Location: Emmet’s Parents’ Backyard

   “Thunder wave!” Emmet calls.

    Captain gathers electricity, then sends sparks across the yard towards his cousin’s Haxorus. The move hits and electricity buzzes on Berry’s body with the effects of paralysis. Berry grumbles a bit, now stuck in place thanks to the Thunder Wave.

   Across the yard, Iris groans. Paralysis on the first turn is always a drag. Oh, but it’s not Emmet losing a turn. Her Pokémon should have tried to dodge it. Maybe it’s a bit harsh to do this, but Emmet needs to knock out Berry as fast as possible. Knowing Iris, she’s going to charge Berry with Dragon Dance and knock out Captain with a Super Effective Earthquake. Which means trying to render Berry immobile is his best shot at winning.

   “C’mon Iris! Don’t let him win!” Chili shouts from his place on the deck. Emmet throws a glance at him. Since the backyard isn’t all that big, his family has resorted to staying on the deck to watch the battle. Emmet is sure most of them are rooting for Iris to win, as none of them seem to want to let him go home. Geez they could at least try to be more subtle about it.

   He sees Cilan and Cress scold their brother before turning back to the battle at hand. Iris grits her teeth, hands clenched. His cousin is a mean battler when she wants to be. It’s not like she’s the Champion of Unova for nothing, after all. She’s serious and serious battles are always fun. Iris points at him. “Let’s go Berry! Snap out of it!”

   Berry tries to move to no avail. Emmet’s turn.

   Captain glances back at him, waiting for the next order. He doesn’t have any Super Effective moves against a Haxorus, which means Emmet will just have to chip away at Berry’s heath. Not a great way to battle, but it will do the trick. Might as well go for a high damage move then. “Thunderbolt! Full steam ahead!”

   His partner jumps into action, once again charging electricity. Iris shifts across the yard. “Berry dodge it!” It’s a futile command, given that Berry still can’t move. He commends her effort though.

   Captain launches the Thunderbolt and it strikes Berry square in the chest. He cries, getting pushed back a little. More electricity flashes across Berry’s skin, but he manages to shake off the paralysis. Damn it. Emmet was hoping it would last for more than just one move. Alas, Berry is strong and just as determined as Iris is. His cousin grins. “Good job Berry! Now Dragon Dance!”

   Fuuuck. He watches Berry stomp around, purple energy forming around him. A moment later the move settles and the Haxorus’s stance is stronger. Emmet can feel his smile grow strained. No. It’s fine. He won’t lose. All he has to do is keep a level head and he can win this battle. Emmet clears his throat, pointing across the yard. “Captain! Thunderbolt again!” He watches his partner charge the move. Hopefully it hits. Hopefully it does some damage.

   “Dodge it!” Iris commands.

   Berry jumps out of the way of the strike just before it can hit him. The move hits the ground uselessly. A miss. Arceus damn it!

   “Berry, use Earthquake!”

   Just as he thought. His cousin is trying to finish this quickly too. Berry begins to stomp on the ground. Since he has the Mold Breaker ability, Captain has been forced to the ground. Which means if Captain can’t dodge it, they’re in trouble. Emmet reaches up to grip the brim of his ball cap. He won’t freak out. Not yet. “Captain! Don’t let it hit you!”

   The ground under their feet rumbles with the force of the Earthquake Berry is charging. Once it’s fully charged, the earth splits and rocks jut up out of the ground. Captain tries to jump out of the way, but only manages to avoid the brunt of the hit. Earthquake still strikes him, though less severely than it would have had he not moved. Captain cries out as the damage is done. Damn it all!

   “Shit! It’s okay… keep going! Discharge!”

   Captain shakes himself off, charging up again. He’s putting his all into this battle it seems. Emmet can do his best to keep pushing too.

   EMMET!

   Emmet jolts as the connection blazes to life in his head, panicking shooting through his system. He braces himself for pain. It doesn’t come. Right… that’s Reshiram, not Arceus. He’s okay. But now is not a good time. He can feel a boiling sort of heat following Reshiram’s presence. It’s uncomfortable. Verrry uncomfortable and unfamiliar too. Their presence is usually sort of warm, but he feels like he’s standing in a pool of lava! Too hot!

   ‘Not a good time! Later please!’

   Captain cries out, which draws Emmet’s attention back to the battle. The ground isn’t any more torn up than it had been moments ago. So he didn’t get hit by an Earthquake. Still, Emmet should have been paying attention. “Uh.. I-…” Distracted. He’s too distracted. Reroute! “T-Thunderbolt!” His partner shoots him a concerned look before launching into the attack.

   Are you alright!? I felt you were in pain earlier. Did Arceus find you?

   His temple throbs. Emmet reaches up to try and rub away the pain as the Thunderbolt strikes Berry. He can’t focus. How much damage did that do? How much more can Berry take before he’s knocked out? Emmet isn’t sure.

   ‘I am Emmet. Yes, I spoke to Arceus. I am fine. Please. I need to focus!’

   I told them not to talk to you yet! But they didn’t listen! They could have seriously hurt you! Are you sure you are alright?

   He watches his cousin call a move. Emmet can’t hear what she said through the sudden buzzing in his ears. “Dodge!” Captain manages to jump out of the way of what looks like a X-Scissor. “Now Discharge again!”

   ‘ Reshiram! Please. I am fine. I am in the middle of a battle. I need to win so I can go back to Nimbasa. Just give me a minute!’

   Oh. I see that now. Right, you do appear to be well. Sorry. Here, let me help you.

   What? No, he doesn’t need help! Emmet is doing fine. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. Focus. Reroute. Emmet needs to pay attention! The Discharge hit and now Berry is paralyzed on the other end of the yard. He appears to be running out of steam and Iris’s expression is one of annoyance and determination. Right. Emmet is in a good spot. “Captain, use Thunderbolt!”

   He watches his partner charge up electricity. It appears to be normal for a second, then there’s a flash of orange. Captain launches the Thunderbolt and it hits Berry like a speeding bullet train. His cousin’s Haxorus screeches, the move tanking the rest of his energy. A moment later, he collapses onto the ground; unconscious.

   The yard falls silent. That… woah.

   Another moment passes, then someone clears their throat. “Uh… Berry is unable to battle. Captain wins!” Cilan announces from the deck.

   Emmet glances at his family and all of their expressions hold varying degrees of shock. Not that he blames them. That move was verrry irregular. Captain floats back over to Emmet and he holds his arms open for his partner, who happily wraps himself around his torso. Emmet reaches down to pet his partner. “Good job, buddy. You did verrry well. I am so proud!”

   The Eelektross wiggles in his arms, cooing gleefully. Well, at least someone is excited.

   And now Emmet will be able to go home tomorrow. He’s not sure what he’s supposed to do once he gets back to Gear Station, but that’s a problem for future him. One problem at a time.

   Emmet?

   Right. Reshiram is still in his head. He reaches for their presence.

   ‘I am Emmet.’

   Indeed you are. I will see you once you return to Nimbasa.

   ‘Cool. Great… uh, see you then?’

   With that, Reshiram’s presence bleeds away. So many things he has to look forward to doing… ugh.

Chapter Text

Time: 5:13 am

   Emmet is alone in his old bedroom. The triplets had woken up with the alarm he’d set and went off to pack their own things. He figures they must be heading out too now that he’s leaving. They only came to visit him, after all. Thus, he’s been left on his own. Not that he minds. It just gives Emmet more space to get himself together.

   The sun has not yet risen, leaving the room rather dark. Though Emmet is able to go about his business anyway. He’s grown used to getting around in total darkness due to his many years of working at Gear Station. As much as he hates night shifts, they do come in handy sometimes. And Lavender’s glow is helpful too. She’s currently twirling around in the air above him while he packs up what little he’d brought in his suitcase, humming some sweet wordless tune.

   Flutter is flapping around with his brother’s starter, trying to keep up with Lavender’s pace. She seems to be struggling to stay afloat. Lavender is trying to help her, using physic to keep Flutter in the air, but it doesn’t help all that much. Flutter is a rather clumsy flyer. When Lavender isn’t helping her, she’ll flop back down onto the bed to catch her breath before taking off again. She seems to still be getting used to the act of flying, which leads Emmet to believe that Flutter is still a juvenile.

   Juvenile Pokémon tend to struggle sometimes when it comes to flying. Skyla had told him that some time ago and Emmet has no other point of reference, given how little he knows about flying Pokémon, so he’s inclined to believe her.  Flutter is also quite small and has a lot of energy. Sure some Pokémon are excitable by nature, but Emmet is familiar with the particular brand of energy that young Pokémon have. He’s raised too many Joltiks not to be.

   He’ll have to do some research on proper care for a Spritzee when he gets home. Right now he’s not entirely sure if her struggling to fly is an issue or not. If it is, she’ll need to be brought to a Pokécenter as soon as possible to get looked at. Well, she’s going to need a check up anyway as a newly caught Pokémon. For now though, he’ll let her be. Emmet turns his attention back to packing.

   Since he didn’t plan to stay long, and because Emmet was is a poor mental state when he packed his suitcase, he only has a couple pairs of clothes. Thankfully that makes it easy to pack back up. Emmet already grabbed the clothes he’d washed from the dryer, as he’d done a load last night to prepare for his departure. So once he’s all packed, he’ll be ready to leave.

   Emmet is so ingrained in packing that he doesn’t notice Lavender inching closer until she’s right in front of his face. He jolts, looking up at her. “Lure?” Comes her ghostly chime.

   He reaches up and pats her glass body as something fluffy lands on his shoulder. Emmet ignores Flutter for a moment to focus on Lavender. “What is it Lavs? Something wrong?”

   Lavender’s flames glow brighter for a moment, then she waves her metal arms. “Lure! Chan- chan!” She points towards the door. Emmet glances in that direction, trying to figure out what it is she wants.

   “Oh!” She wants to go say goodbye. Of course! “I am Emmet. Yes, we can say goodbye to everyone before we set off on our tracks. I doubt they’d let me go without a goodbye anyway.” His words soothe the ghost type and her flames die back down to their normal level. “If you want, you can go start your farewells now? I assure you that I won’t leave this station without you.”

   Lavender rolls her eyes at him, then looks away in thought. Emmet goes back to folding clothes while he waits for her answer. She seems to be in a mood… he’s not entirely sure why that is though. Lavender was fine just a moment ago, so what changed? He’s drawn out of his thoughts when she floats over the bed and motions down at Captain. He’s sprawled out over Emmet’s pillow, snoring like a broken train horn. “Don’t worry about him. I can start his engine on my own. Yup!”

   She doesn’t look very convinced, glowing eyes narrowing into something like a glare. He holds up his hands at her. Now what in the world has he done to make her so upset? Emmet was just trying to help. Wait… oooh. He knows why she’s being salty. Like his brother, Lavender is also not much of an early riser. She’d been fine a moment ago because she was in her own little world, but now she has to do things. Lavender must be feeling grumpy. “Now what’s that look for? Hmm? Is someone grumpy this morning?”

   Lavender screeches at him, waving her arms around. “Ccchann! Chande!” Her flames burst, crackling and popping like wood on a campfire.

   “Okay, okay. Not grumpy.” Emmet folds up a pair of sweatpants, putting them down in the suitcase. “Why don’t you go wake up my parents? If you’re not grumpy, that is.”

   There’s a moment of pause. Lavender seems to be considering it. While he waits, Emmet reaches up to pet Flutter. She coos at him, nuzzling into his fingers. Oh he’s so glad he decided to keep her. Flutter is ridiculously soft and so damn cute! Emmet is a sucker for cute Pokémon.

   Lavender smacks his shoulder, snapping Emmet out of his thoughts. “Ouch. Not nice Lavender!” He reaches up to rub at the spot she smacked. It stings a bit. Lavender wails at him, then takes off towards the doorway. She phases through the door and out into the hallway to go terrorize his parents. He feels a little bad for sicking a grumpy ghost-type on them, but she’ll wake them up for sure!

   With that taken care of, Emmet digs the Pokéball in his pocket out and recalls Flutter. He could feel her starting to nod off on his shoulder. Yet another sign pointing to her being young; napping a lot. Maybe Emmet should start a list of traits and present that to the nurse when he takes her to be looked at. Not that he feels he’ll need to explain himself too much. It just might be helpful. He drops her Pokéball back into his pocket and goes to keep packing.

   A hand taps his shoulder and Emmet nearly jumps out of his skin.

   He whips around, finding Cress standing behind him. Not a moment too soon in putting Flutter away it seems. Yikes! It could have been hard to explain if Cress had seen her. And Emmet does not feel like trying to come up with some sorry excuse on the spot.

   No that’s what Emmet needs to be doing! He needs to come up with a story for how he got a Spritzee in the first place. It’s not like he can just say that Arceus themself brought it to him to heal brain damage that they caused. Nobody would believe him.

   “Mr. Emmet? Are you listening?”

   Right! He’s having a conversation now. No time for thinking. “I am Emmet. Yup! You have my attention. What do you need?”

   Cress looks down at his hands, picking at his nails. There’s a frown on his face and a crease in his brow. “I um… we were wondering…” Cress glances towards the doorway and Emmet looks over just in time to see a blur of green and red disappearing behind the door. Oh. Looks like Cress has been nominated as a spokesperson. Poor thing. The sound of Cress clearing his throat draws Emmet’s attention back to him. “We were wondering if we could come to Nimbasa with you.”

  His eyebrows furrow. The triplets want to come with him? He assumes Cress is also including his brothers in asking to join him with the ‘we’. But why do they want to come with him? “Uh… come with me?”Emmet isn’t sure how to respond to that. Not that he’s against taking them to Nimbasa, of course! It’s just that Emmet doesn’t know why they want to go. Emmet’s tone must be too harsh, as Cress sinks in on himself a moment later. His shoulders tense and he kicks at the floor in an attempt to avoid looking at Emmet. “Not that I mind taking you! Nimbasa is on the way to Striation, I know. If you three want to come with me, we can do that.”

   “Really?!” Comes a shout from the doorway. Both Emmet and Cress look back towards it. Chili is now hanging on the doorway with Cilan standing upright at his side, pinching the bridge of his nose.

   “Chili, please don’t shout,” Cilan says with a sigh. He rubs his eyes before letting his hand drop.

   “Oops! Sorry. But you said we could go with you? Awwwsome!” Chili darts into the room, looping his arms with one of Cress’. There’s a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes that almost makes Emmet laugh. He manages to cover it with a cough. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”

   Cress opens his mouth to say something, only to be cut off when Chili starts to drag him away. “C’mon! Let’s go finish packing!”

   All Emmet can do is watch as he drags Cress out into the hallway and out of sight. He glances at Cilan, who throws him an apologetic look before following after his brothers.

   Huh. Never a dull moment with those boys, is there?

   Emmet shakes his head, a smile threatening to spread across his face. He turns back to his bed. Maybe it’s not a good idea to bring the triplets to his apartment if he plans to get back to Gear Station as soon as possible. He’s not sure what will happen when he does, after all. Oh, but it’s too late now. One more day with them should be fine, right?

Shift: Lavender’s Perspective

   Grumpy. Emmet called her grumpy! How could he? Lavender is not grumpy. She’d been made to wake up far earlier than she is used to and has not yet thrown a fit. If anything, she’s doing well under such conditions! Plus, she’d been helping Emmet’s new Pokémon practice flying. Flutter told her that she struggles to stay in the air sometimes. And being a good elder Pokémon, Lavender helped. 

   She was also trying to get Emmet to slow down. He’s packing like the world is going to burst into flames if he relaxes for even a second! Lavender isn’t sure what has gotten into him or why they’re suddenly going home, but she has a feeling it’s something important. She doesn’t like that she doesn’t know, but she also can’t force Emmet to tell her either. Well, he wouldn’t understand her if she tried to ask anyway.

   So, she’s just going to have to wait and see. Which is annoying. Lavender doesn’t like being left out of the loop, but she has little other choice.

   No. She shouldn’t be dwelling on it now. Emmet had given her a task and she needs to complete it as soon as possible. Maybe his parents will be able to make him take a break. 

   Lavender floats down the hall to Emmet’s parent’s room. It’s dark. There are no windows in the hallway, leaving her purple flames the only source of light. She can hear the flickering of souls as she goes. So many lives under one roof. It would be distracting if Lavender wasn’t used to living around a large number of souls.

   She reaches the end of the short hall, turning the corner towards Emmet’s parents’ room. Lavender drifts past the other guest room that Drayden and Iris are staying in on the way. She can feel that one of them is awake. Lavender isn’t really sure which, but it doesn’t matter much. They’re all going to have to be awake sooner or later.

   The rest of the hallway is empty until she reaches the door at the very end of it. Lavender can feel all the sleeping souls inside. Usually the door is shut and locked, but that’s no deterrent to Lavender. She just warps through the door and into the dark bedroom.

   As expected, most of the room’s occupants are fast asleep. Enia and Craig are in their bed with Petite and Maybell while the rest of their Pokémon are scattered about the Pokébeds on the floor. Loathe as she is to wake them, Lavender knows they’ll have to get up soon anyway if they want to say goodbye to Emmet. He’s moving faster than a speeding train! He’d told her that he intends to say goodbye, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Emmet left without one if they don’t wake up soon. The human does not like to be off schedule.

   “You’re up early. Is Emmet already packing up?” Says a voice from somewhere in the room.

   Lavender jumps, whipping around to face the source of the voice. Jingles is hanging on a little hook above Enia’s nightstand, clearly having just woken up. Most of the keys she usually holds are piled on the nightstand, leaving only the fairy-type’s three favorites; a house key, an old diary key, and a plastic blue key with a cartoony train on it. Jingles never puts those down. The fairy-type blinks the sleep out of her eyes as she unhooks herself and drifts up to join Lavender. “He is. I figured I would come wake everyone up so he doesn’t just rush out of here without saying goodbye. You know how he is.”

Jingles lets out a ringing laugh. “Good call. Let me help. Mama should be easy to wake, but Papa is the deepest sleeper I’ve ever met! You’ll need noise.”

   Well, Lavender won’t complain about some assistance. It’ll make waking Emmet’s parents up far faster. Which means they’d be able to solve her little problem with Emmet faster too. Lavender and Jingles both nod to each other. Maybe it’s rude, but this is the best way to go about waking them.

   As a unified front, Lavender brightens her flames with a shriek to illuminate the whole room and Jingles rattles her keys as loud as she possibly can.

   The results are almost immediate. Enia jolts, nearly launching herself out of bed with how fast she sits up. The movement wakes both Petite and Maybell, who had been lying on her legs. Enia looks around the room, reaching over to smack Craig in an effort to wake him. Beside the bed, Shift whirs to life, the sound also adding to the chaos. BlueBird jumps with a start and tumbles out of her Pokébed, disturbing Tremulous as well.

   What a way to wake a room… maybe Lavender will do something similar if she has to wake up her own household.

   Enia manages to wake Craig, who grumbles a little and throws an arm over his eyes. “Wha…?”

   “Oh wake up Craig.” She glances around the room, eyes landing on Lavender. Enia sighs. “Get up. Your son’s Pokémon is in here. No doubt she’s waking us because he’s hit the ground running.” She swings her legs over the side of her bed, rising with a stretch of her arms and a yawn. Jingles floats over to her and Enia opens her palms for her.

   Craig lets his arm fall away, looking towards the door at Lavender. “ My son, is he? He takes after you more than me, love.”

   Lavender listens to the humans playfully bicker for a moment before floating down to say her goodbyes to their Pokémon.

Shift: Emmet’s Perspective

   There’s a racket coming from down the hall. Emmet jumps a little when the noise starts up, glancing towards his doorway for a moment. Is that Lavender’s doing? Well… that’s one way to wake them up. Emmet shakes his head, going back to zipping up his suitcase. He’d finished packing up. Now he should probably try to wake Captain… he’d told Lavender that he would be able to do it on his own, but Emmet has his doubts. Captain sleeps like a rock!

   Maybe he could try shaking his partner? Though that might be a one way ticket to getting smacked in the face. Captain tends to thrash when he’s startled. He could recall Captain, but that might disorient him and Emmet doesn’t want to make him sick.

   Arms wrap around his middle, a face burying itself into his shirt. Emmet jumps as if he’d been shocked, gaze snapping down to see what’s got him.

  His cousin is standing there, a frown on her face and a worried look in her eyes. Ah… Emmet lets his shoulders relax, pushing Iris back a little so he can sink down to his knees and wrap her up in a hug. Iris throws her arms over his shoulder and squeezes him like her life depends on it. “Do you really have to go…?” Iris says, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

   Emmet frowns. Yesterday, Iris had been a little salty about losing, but she handled it well. She congratulated him and said she wished him luck back in Nimbasa. Emmet assumed that was the end of it. Though now he can see he was wrong to do that. Iris’ worries cannot be quelled by a simple battle. He pats her back, trying to figure out how to comfort her. Emmet has never been good with his words.

   “I am Emmet. I’m afraid so. I’ve been away from home for too long now. Gear Station needs me. And so does Elesa and my Pokémon that are still in the apartment.” He pauses to nudge her away just far enough so he can meet her eyes. Emmet smiles at her. “It would be verrry inconsiderate to ignore my responsibilities. Yup.”

   Iris nods. He knows she understands where he’s coming from. As a Champion, Iris has her own responsibilities too. Though Iris seems to have something else to say. She stares down at the floor, the frown on her face getting deeper. “Iris? What is it?” She glances at him, then looks away again.

   “What if… what if you disappear too?”

   His heart leaps into his throat. Oh. Emmet hadn’t even thought to consider the possibility of going missing himself. He didn’t think whatever happened to Ingo could happen again to him. But after what Arceus told him… it could have been possible, right? Emmet could have been the one who went missing if he didn’t manage to get away.

   But Emmet did get away. He doesn’t need to worry about disappearing because Arceus had also said they need him here. He needs to fix things here, so he’s not going to be taken away. Of course, he can’t tell Iris that though. He’ll just have to reassure her another way. “I… I can’t promise I will not disappear. Some things are beyond our control. But I am Emmet and this is my home station. Even if there are delays, a train always returns to its station.” Emmet says. He’s not sure if he’s reassuring himself or his cousin… maybe it’s a bit of both. “If I do end up… disappearing, I won’t let anything derail me on my tracks back home. That, I can promise.”

   There’s a moment of pause, then Iris drags in a deep breath and nods. “Fine… but if you do disappear, I’ll never forgive you!”

   “Ha! I am Emmet and I suppose I will accept these terms.” He gives her one last squeeze before releasing her and straightening up again. Emmet has no intention of disappearing. He won’t let Arceus or anyone take him away! “Well then. I’m sure everyone else is awake thanks to that racket a moment ago. Do you want to go see?”

   Iris shrugs. She goes to say something, only to be cut off by someone clearing their throat. Both of them look towards the source of the noise. Uncle Drayden is standing in the doorway now, arms crossed with his typical stern expression on his face. Though his eyes betray something of a smile. “There you are, Iris. I was wondering where you were off to. Good morning to you both.”

   “Morning, Uncle Drayden.” Emmet reaches up to tip his hat, only to grasp air. Right. He’s not wearing his hat yet. In an effort to save himself the embarrassment, he drags his hand through his hair instead. “Ah… I was just saying goodbye to Iris. My things are packed. I am ready to depart from this station.”

   Uncle Drayden hums his acknowledgment as he walks into the room, stopping next to Iris. “I see that. You weren’t trying to slip away with a goodbye now, were you?”

   Slip away? Emmet would never leave without a goodbye! Well… maybe he has once or twice, but this is hardly a situation for leaving without one. Emmet isn’t that impatient! Besides, now he has to wait for the triplets to finish packing all of their things. He wouldn’t leave without them after promising they could come to Nimbasa with him. Emmet doesn’t get a chance to defend himself though.

   Iris gasps, rounding on him. She points an accusative finger at him. “I didn’t even think of that! Emmet were you going to just leave?”

   “I am Emmet. Of course not! Even if I was, Lavender would have stopped me. Plus, I promised Chili, Cilan, and Cress they could come to Nimbasa with me. I have to wait for them to be ready too.” Emmet says, putting his hands up in mock surrender.

   Uncle Drayden’s eyebrows furrow. “Is that so? Well, it’s good to know someone will still be keeping an eye on you.”

   Emmet glares at his uncle. How dare he? Emmet is a grown man! He doesn’t need to be supervised. He only agreed to let the triplets come with him because he was being nice! His train of thought is derailed when Uncle Drayden practically yanks Emmet into a hug. “I know that look. I was only joking, boy.” Oh. Well now Emmet feels silly. “Anyway. We should go downstairs and see what your parents’ are up to. And I’m sure Iris would like to say goodbye to her friends. She was up late last night complaining about them leaving.”

   Iris’ face turns bright red with embarrassment. “Nuh uh!” She rushes over to push at Uncle Drayden, trying to shove him out the door. “You’re lying! I wasn’t!”

   Uncle Drayden lets go of Emmet to scoop his daughter up instead, earning a shriek from Iris. She kicks around for a moment before going limp. His uncle looks over at him. “You’ll take care of yourself, won’t you boy? Keep in touch with us?”

   Emmet nods without hesitation. “I am Emmet. Yup. I’ll keep in touch.”

   Uncle Drayden seems content with that and nods. “Good. Now you should go say goodbye to your parents. Otherwise Enia will come drag you out of here herself.”

   He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming as soon as I wake Captain up.”

   His uncle nods as he walks out the door with Iris. Emmet turns back to his sleeping partner. He’s got his work cut out for him…

Chapter Text

Location: Parking Lot Outside Emmet’s Apartment Building

Time: Past Noon

   The drive from Anville town to Nimbasa was awful. Not that Emmet expected it wouldn’t be — car trips are always terrible. What was unexpected was the state of the streets when they drove into Nimbasa.

   There were cars everywhere and traffic was the worst he’s ever seen it get. People were shouting and getting out to yell at other drivers and pedestrians had taken to climbing over cars to get through. They could hardly get anywhere in the midst of that chaos — Emmet couldn’t even hear himself think over the near-constant honking. It was unlike anything he has ever seen before; a scene straight from one of those ‘end of the world’ movies.

   Emmet couldn’t shake the unease in his gut the whole trip. He’d ended up picking at his nails to the point it hurt from the stress. That level of disorder on the streets hasn’t been seen since the Plasma incident and all of Unova was in a state of mass panic at the time. It doesn’t make sense for Nimbasa to be that out of sorts on what should be an average Tuesday.

   Something is wrong. It would take a fool not to see that. He just doesn’t know what that something is exactly. He certainly has some guesses though.

   Arceus did mention that there was some sort of ‘distortion’ forming in Gear Station and that it would cause problems soon. The subway is the lifeblood of Unova, which means if it’s not running properly, everything falls into disarray. Emmet can think of no other reason for the streets to be that bad unless something happened to the subway. Which means he really does need to get there as soon as possible before things really get out of hand.

   And so Emmet had practically been vibrating in his seat the whole trip, counting down the seconds until they reached his apartment.

   In the end, it took them nearly seven hours to get to his building. But finally, they’ve reached it. Everyone in the car is exhausted and ready to be done.

   Emmet climbs out of the passenger seat, slamming the door behind himself as he steps out into the parking lot. It’s just as empty as it always is, since most of his neighbors don’t have cars. There’s little use for them when most of the city is walkable. Or should be walkable at least… what happened today was a special circumstance.

   A gust of wind pulls him out of his thoughts. It’s cold against his skin and kicks up the ends of his hoodie, but it feels nice after being cooped up for so long. He takes in a deep breath as he stares out towards the sky.

   By now it’s late afternoon and the sun is starting its descent towards the horizon. There’s still a couple hours left of daylight, but Emmet knows those hours will fly by before he knows it. And when night falls, he will sneak out of his apartment and go to Gear Station.

   He’d been thinking about the best way to go about fixing the problem in Gear Station during the car ride. There were many routes he could take, but Emmet decided he needs to be as discreet as possible. As much as he would love to just head straight there, it would be easier to go under the cover of night. Especially since he has a couple of teenagers to deal with now.

   Emmet doesn’t really want them to be involved with whatever is happening in his station. It just isn’t safe to allow children to be put into potentially dangerous situations. So, he will be responsible and keep them out of it. Knowing the triplets, that means his plan has to remain secret. Otherwise they’d try to worm their way into helping him and that would be no good. So, sneaking out it is!

   Doors slam behind him and he looks over his shoulder to see Cress and Cilan shoving at each other as they get out of the car. There are smiles on their faces, so Emmet decides not to intervene. They must just be playing. On the other side of the car, his dad and Chili are having a conversation as they walk towards the back. He can’t hear what they’re saying, but his dad looks amused.

   For a moment, he stands by the front of the car and watches them. His dad opens the trunk when he reaches it and goes to start unloading their stuff. Emmet should probably help them. It is his stuff, after all.

   He only manages one step before there’s a tingle in his head and a warmth throughout his body. Emmet pauses. That’s Reshiram, isn’t it? Maybe they have an important message for him. It would be bad to ignore that, right? He takes a step back and reaches for the connection.

   ‘Hello?’

   Greetings. How are you feeling today, Emmet?

   Emmet squints at the ground in front of him. That’s not what he was expecting. He thought for sure Reshiram was going to tell him about what’s happening at Gear Station or the reason behind the chaos in the streets if it isn’t what he thinks. Though when does Emmet ever accurately guess what Reshiram is going to say? They’re very unpredictable.

  ‘Uh, hey… I am fine. Is there a reason you’re reaching out to me right now?’

   I told you I would contact you when you got back to Nimbasa. You are back, so I am contacting you. I wanted to make sure you are okay and that your trip was safe.

   There’s a tingle of something that Emmet can’t quite place, but it makes him feel a little embarrassed. He rolls his shoulders, trying to shake off the sensation.

   ‘I guess you did say that, didn’t you? Well, I am Emmet and I am fine. Thank you for asking… I have a question for you.’

   A beat of quiet passes, then the warmth within Emmet gets a touch hotter.

   I see! Ask away. I will answer any question with only the truth!

   Emmet tries to ignore how excited they sound, but can’t fight off the smile that spreads across his face.

   ‘Do you know why Nimbasa is in chaos right now? On the road here, it was like some disaster had blown through the city! Is something wrong with the subway system?’

   Oh yes… the people have no other options. Last I saw, the subway system has been mostly shut down. I have not visited your station since you were last there, but I have heard the whispers of Truth. I do not know why it is closed, only that it is closed. That is why humans have taken to the streets.

   His heart drops into his stomach. That’s worse than Emmet thought it was going to be. How can the station be closed? Why wasn’t Emmet notified of that?! Sure he’d put his Depot Agents in charge in his absence, but he’s still the Station Master! He should have been the first to know that Gear Station is down!

   ‘What?! Is it because of that distortion Arceus was telling me about?’

   Reshiram grumbles a bit at the mention of Arceus’s name. It seems they’re still salty about the fact that Arceus didn’t listen to them. Emmet still isn’t entirely sure what that whole thing was about, but he figures it’s going to be a point of tension for a little while.

   I do not think so. I can sense the rift and it has not grown enough to cause widespread issues yet. I believe the Creator is still holding it off while they wait for you. There is something else causing this. I am sorry, but I do not know what that something is.

   Emmet fights off a sigh. Maybe he can ask Arceus later and see if they know anything else before he heads to Gear Station tonight.

   ‘Okay… thank you, Reshiram.’

   Of course.

   The sound of something slamming catches his attention and he looks up to see that all of their bags have been taken out of his dad’s car. His dad helps the boys bring their stuff up onto the sidewalk nearby, then looks up and waves Emmet over.

   Emmet waves back and starts walking.

   ‘I have to go.’

   I see that. I will return to you when you reach the station. Good bye for now.

   ‘Bye.’

   With that, the tingling and the warmth start fade away as Emmet reaches the back of the car and then completely disappear when he steps up onto the sidewalk. His dad rolls his suitcase towards him and Emmet takes the handle with a smile. “Thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t help unload. I was a bit distracted.”

   His dad waves him off. “No harm done. I had the boys to help me anyway,” he says with a glance towards where the triplets are walking together down the sidewalk. His dad then looks back at him and holds his arms open.  “Take care of yourself now, will ya? Don’t make your folks worry too much.”

   Emmet can feel his eyebrows furrowing, but he steps into his dad’s hug despite his confusion. “Are you leaving?”

   He pats Emmet’s back. “I have to. I promised your mother I’d come right back as soon as I dropped you boys off.”

   Right, that makes sense. His dad doesn’t like being away from his mom for too long. They hardly go anywhere without each other these days. Still, Emmet is a bit worried about him going back while the roads are still so hectic. “I am Emmet and I understand… but are you sure you want to brave the roads? You could always stay the night and go back tomorrow?”

   “Ha! I’ve been drivin’ since before you were born, boy. I can handle a little traffic.” He gives Emmet one last pat before stepping back and reaching up to ruffle his hair. Emmet swats at his hand. “You keep in touch with us, okay? We’re only a call away.”

   Emmet rolls his eyes. “I know, I know. Have a safe trip.”

   His dad gives him a mock salute as he steps away from him and turns towards his car. Emmet watches him climb in and start pulling out of the parking spot before he turns back to the triplets.

Location: Emmet’s Apartment

   Laughter echoes around the hallway as Emmet and the triplets step out of the elevator. He’s got Chili at his side with an arm looped around his while Cilan and Cress are walking a couple steps behind them. Emmet is sure that he’s going to be getting noise complaints tonight. Not that he really cares too much about that. As long as the three of them are having fun, Emmet will deal with the consequences.

   And he may or may not be invested in Cress’ story of a battle he’d been in recently. Apparently the trainer he was up against was very clearly not ready to take on a gym and the battle had gone poorly for her.

   “-and then she sent out a Tepig and tried to take out River with an Ember!” Cress says, trying to hold off his laughter. “She’d been so sure of herself that she called me a disgrace to the Unovan Gym Circuit. You should have seen her face when it barely touched River!”

   Chili blanches beside him, turning around to face Cress. “But River is a water type Pokémon! Everyone knows fire is weak to water!” He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I’ve lost enough times in our battles against each other to know that!”

   “I know ! I was as shocked as you are.” Cress puts a dramatic hand over his forehead, sighing like a scorned woman in an old movie. “And when she lost, she cursed my name all the way out the door. Why I’d almost shed a tear for the poor soul,” he says with a fake sob.

   Chili throws his head back with laugher while Cilan tries to cover his with a hand. Emmet finds himself struggling to hold back his own too, but he thinks he’s better at hiding it. Cilan wipes at his eyes and shakes his head. “Must have made for a very bland battle. I hope she learned her lesson and if she comes back, I hope her battle technique has improved at least.”His words get a couple hums of agreement. Emmet finds himself nodding along too. Maybe it’s rude to critique a trainer like that, but that doesn’t make it any less truthful.

   Emmet clears his throat as the door to his apartment approaches. All eyes are on him now. “I am Emmet and we have arrived at the proper station.” He stops in front of his door and unhooks his arm from Chili’s so he can dig around in his pocket. It takes him a second, but eventually he manages to find his key. He slips it out and unlocks his door before swinging it open and motioning inside.

   The apartment is dark, as he expected it to be, and appears to still be clean. So Burgh didn’t burn down his apartment in his absence. That’s good! Emmet would have been mad if that happened. He glances around for a moment.  It doesn’t seem like any Pokémon are out right now. Well, save for the hoard of Joltiks that come scampering for the door a moment later.

   There’s a few screams as soon as they appear, but Emmet doesn’t look up to see who they came from.

   He crouches down for the buzzing yellow mass to climb up onto him. “Hello my friends! Yes, I am home now. I missed you too.” Emmet can feel electricity buzzing across his skin as he’s swarmed, but he pays it no mind. He’d be happy to be paralyzed by his precious babies.

   There’s a somewhat awkward laugh to his left, then Chili crouches down beside him. “Wow! You have so many Joltiks! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many in one place before.” There’s a sparkle in his eyes as he scoots a little closer. “Can I hold one?”

   “Of course!” Emmet plucks one off of his hoodie and plops it down in Chili’s awaiting hand. He squeals a bit, but doesn’t drop it. A smile spreads across his face as he watches it skitter around on his hands.

   Emmet eyes him for a second before deciding that he’s not going to hurt his Joltik, then turns towards the other two. Cress looks a little wary, but hasn’t backed away. Instead, he seems to be protecting something behind him. Emmet leans back a bit to try to see what that something is. He finds Cilan hiding behind his brother with a look of terror on his face. Cilan’s eyes are locked on the Joltiks.

   The confusion must show in his expression, as Cress answers his unspoken question. “Cilan has a phobia of bug types. He has a hard time being around them-“

   “I’m not scared!” Cilan shrieks. He pauses to clear his throat before continuing in a more even tone. “I am not afraid. Bug types are perfectly flavorful Pokémon who are great and interesting. I just-“ One of Emmet’s Joltiks jumps off of his shoulder and scampers closer to Cress. Another scream is wrenched out of Cilan as he buries his face in his brother’s shoulder. “I just don’t want them on me!”

   Stifling a very undignified snort at his expense, Emmet scoops his Joltik back up and rises from the floor. “I am Emmet and I understand, Cilan. Not everyone is a fan of bug types like I am. I will try my best to keep them away from you.”

   Cilan’s shoulders relax and he takes a step away from Cress. “Okay… I appreciate that, Mr. Emmet.”

   He gives him a nod before turning towards his apartment. The door is still sitting wide open. “Alright! Everyone inside. We’ve been standing out here for too long now!” With that, he ushers the three boys into his apartment and shuts the door behind himself. Finally, he can relax for a bit.

   When he turns back around, the three of them are exploring the main space. His apartment isn’t all that big. The main space consists of his living room with windows in the back and a door that leads out to the fire escape, plus a small kitchen. Then there’s a hallway that leads to all the other rooms on the left side. Emmet claps his hands together. 

   “Welcome to my apartment. It’s a little small for so many people, but we will have to make it work! I do not have a guest room, but I have a couple air mattress that we can put in the living room. How does that sound?” Emmet looks around at them, getting a couple nods and a thumbs up from Chili. “Great! The air mattresses are in the laundry room down the hall. Second door on the left. If you all could go set that up, I’ll order a pizza for us.”

   “Sounds good!” Chili says, then rushes towards the hallway. “I’ll race ya! Last one there is a rotten egg!” His words immediately promptly Cress and Cilan to start running too.

   “No fair! You got a head start!” Cilan calls as he disappears down the hallway.

   Well, at least they’re eager to help. Now that they’re busy, he can focus on ordering them food. It’s going to be an early dinner, but Emmet feels they deserve it after a long day in the car.

   He walks into the kitchen, rounding the island to sit on one of the bar stools. Emmet turns his wrist and unlocked his XTrans. There’s a pizza place nearby that Emmet likes, so he’ll order from there.

   There’s a notification on the triangle app. Fuck!

   Emmet abandons his quest for pizza, instead opening Ingo’s messages. There’s just one waiting for him.

Are you still there?

   Oh. Well that doesn’t sound good. Looks like Ingo could use a mood booster. Emmet leans down to rest his elbows on the island as he types his response.

Ingo!

Yes, I’m here. 😁

It’s been a while. I’m happy

To hear from you!

I was starting to wonder

if you would ever reach out

again.

How have you been?

Better.

I had a decent day today.

I met a few people and that

was nice. It’s been a while since

I last talked about something that

wasn’t serious.

I’m sorry I didn’t reach out sooner.

It’s been rough recently, but I

am doing better now.

I even made a new friend. He’s a

Gligar. His name is Passenger.

   As he reads over Ingo’s messages, a smile spreads across his face. A new Pokémon! Emmet can’t wait to meet him. It’s a relief that Ingo isn’t on his own anymore and a Gligar is an interesting choice! Plus, Passenger is a cute name.

   He’s also relieved that Ingo has been feeling better, but also guilty that he hasn’t been checking in more often. Emmet has just been waiting for Ingo to reach out first, but maybe he should be reaching out too… or would that annoy him? Emmet isn’t really sure.

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been

struggling.

You don’t have to keep that

to yourself, you know?

I’d like to hear from you more.

Even if you think I won’t want to

hear it. I’ll listen, I promise.

   Ingo doesn’t respond to that. He waits for a minute or two before realizing that Ingo isn’t going to comment on that. Did he say the wrong thing? Maybe Ingo doesn’t want to be thinking about that… crap! He should try to distract Ingo then. That must be what his brother wants.

You got a Gligar?

Verrry interesting.

That will be fun to strategize with!

And Passenger is a cute name.

I can’t wait to meet him!

   There’s another pause, then the typing bubble pops back up.

I would like you to meet

him too.

He’s playful and hyper, but

I like that about him.

Thank you.

I believe I am having trouble

talking to anyone about

how I feel. Perhaps I will

take you up on your offer.

Only if you promise to

reach out to me more.

I want to hear from you too.

I miss you, even if I do not

remember. I miss you so much.

   The breath he didn’t realize he was holding slips out. He hadn’t made Ingo mad. Good. Emmet would have beat himself up about it if that were the case.

   And Ingo said he would try to open up to him. He bets it must be difficult for him to trust someone who is mostly a stranger to him with his personal problems, but Emmet hopes Ingo can push through that. He wants to help…

   So maybe he should address what’s bothering Ingo. It’s been obvious since the first message that there’s something on his mind. Maybe if Emmet asks, Ingo will tell him. There’s only one way to find out.

Of course!

Sorry to pry, but is something

bothering you right now?

You seem distant.

I can’t sleep. I keep having

strange nightmares. I’ve had

two that I can remember in the

past couple of days. I don’t remember

anything about what happens in the

dreams. Only that there’s someone

screaming at me to save

them.

I don’t know who it is, or what

they need to be saved from.

It makes me feel uneasy.

   Nightmares? Emmet has never known his twin to be particularly prone to nightmares, but maybe his derailment has caused them. Surely his anxiety is through the roof right now. Stress can cause stuff like that, right? That has to be what it is.

Nightmares are strange.

I’m sure it’s just your subconscious

trying to process what’s happening.

I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

If it helps, try drinking tea before bed

or maybe taking a walk. That

usually helps me.

I thought so too. Thank you

for your suggestions. I will give

them a try.

And thank you for talking me

through my worries. I feel

better after telling you.

   “Mr. Emmet? Can we get olives on the pizza?” Comes a voice on his right. Emmet jolts, nearly falling off of the stool. His gaze snaps up to find Cress standing in front of him. All he can do is stare at him. Cress’s eyebrows furrow. “Mr. Emmet? Are you okay?”

   He blinks for a second before finally finding his words. “Yup! I am Emmet and I am fine. What was that again?”

   Cress squints at him for a moment, eventually deciding not to press the subject. He motions behind himself to nothing in particular. “Olives. Cilan wants to know if we can get olives on the pizza.”

   Pizza? What pizza- ooh! Emmet was supposed to be ordering pizza! He’d almost forgotten about that. Emmet smiles at Cress in an attempt to appear normal. He doubts he’s doing a good job. “Olives? Sure, we can get olives. I’ll put that on the order.”

   “Thank you!” Cress then takes off back towards the hallway. “He said yes!” He shouts to his brothers. Or thats what Emmet thinks he’s doing anyway. He stares at the empty doorway for a second before turning back to his screen.

   Emmet should probably wrap this conversation up and get that pizza ordered. Otherwise he might just have a pack of rabid teenagers on his hands.

You’re verrry welcome, Ingo!

Now why don’t you go try

one of those methods and

then go to sleep? I’m sure you

need your rest.

I think I will.

Thank you again. And goodnight.

🙁

Of course!

Good night! Sweet dreams!

🙂

   With that, Emmet swipes out of the triangle app and goes straight to his search box. He needs to get that pizza ordered fast!

Time: Evening

   Thankfully the pizza came quickly and he wasn’t mauled by the triplets. Dinner had been a relatively quick ordeal for them and after, Emmet was able to greet the Pokémon he’d left behind in the apartment and get them their dinner too. Once all of that was done, he shot messages to both Elesa and Burgh to tell them that he is back in Nimbasa. Elesa gave him a thumbs up emoji, which was typical of her. Burgh gave him a small paragraph detailing what happened in his absence, which was all mundane things, and a ‘welcome back’.

  Then finally, Emmet helped the triplets set up air mattresses and retired to his room for the night. Or he’s pretending to be asleep at least. Actually falling asleep would be detrimental to his task. Emmet knows he would not be waking up until morning if he let himself rest.

   So, he’d taken to organizing a team instead. He’s not sure if he is going to need Pokémon, but it would be best to be prepared for whatever happens. Being caught off guard is not an option!

   The lamp on his nightstand is the only light in room, illuminating his bed and the Pokéballs lined up on it. Emmet is standing over them, trying to organize which he’ll be taking and which will be staying home. So far he only has Lavender and Captain on his team. He never goes anywhere without at least one of them, so naturally they are coming.

   Should he go for a more stealthy approach or assemble a team of his heaviest hitters? It could be better to use stealth is he needs to sneak into Gear Station. That way he would fly under the radar a little better if he gets cornered into a battle. But then again, if he’s cornered, he might want a hard hitter to end the battle faster. Emmet isn’t sure which he should plan for.

   Maybe he could try both? Take a couple stealthy Pokémon and a few hard hitters and then he’ll have a more balanced team! Perfect!

   Emmet adds Thunderfangs and Darling to his team. They’ll be good for both categories. He debates taking a Klinklang. They’re a bit loud with their whirring, but they might be helpful in the station… he sets Engine’s Pokéball with the rest. Now there’s on more spot on his team. Who should fill it? Emmet stares at the remaining Pokéballs before taking Whisle’s from the group. She should be helpful in battle.

   Then it’s decided! Emmet rounds up the remaining Pokéballs and puts them back into the holder on his nightstand so they can rest. He turns back towards the bed and moves to grab the Pokéballs there.

   Take thy Spritzee.

   A spike of pain hits Emmet straight in the temple as a connection snaps into place in his head. He groans, rubbing his temple. “Owww…”

   A wave of sympathy hits Emmet like a speeding train and he shudders. Still a verrry uncomfortable feeling. The pressure in his head lightens up after that, the throbbing in his head going down with it. Emmet can feel his body relax.

   Mine apologies. Thy brother also said that coming in unannounced is painful. I should have assumed that would be the same for thou. I shall warn thee before I enter thy mind next time.

   Emmet isn’t sure why it sounds like they’re whispering right now, but it hurts less than their volume before. He also chooses to ignore the part about Ingo. Emmet does not want to get angry right now. He still doesn’t like Arceus… but he won’t complain.

   ‘Right… thanks? And what was that you said?’

   I said take thy Spritzee.

   His gaze flicks back to where her Pokéball is resting in the holder. Why should he take her? Flutter clearly isn’t a combat Pokémon. He doesn’t want her to get hurt if something bad happens at Gear Station. Though there must be a reason to have her if Arceus is telling him to take her.

   ‘Flutter? Why?’

   Flutter? Oh! Thou hath named her! How sweet… ahem, yes. Thou wilt need her for thy mission. Thou doth not need to put her in thy team. Just carry her with thee on thy journey. Thou wilt see why in due time.

   ‘Ookay?’

   Well, there’s no use in arguing with Arceus. Emmet leans down and grabs his team’s Pokéballs off the bed, strapping them to his belt. Once they’re secure, he turns and grabs Flutter’s ball from the holder and sticks it into his pocket. With that, he should have everything!

   He looks down at himself.

   Emmet is wearing bright white pants, a band t-shirt, and a red hoodie… not exactly a good outfit for trying to be stealthy. He’d stick out like a sore thumb in the darkness. Maybe he should change into something darker to blend in? Oh, but he doesn’t really have dark clothing.

   Ingo does. Hmm. Maybe it would be wrong to steal clothes from his brother when he isn’t even here to stop him. Maybe Ingo would skin him alive if he accidentally ruined an article of his clothing… but what he doesn’t know won’t kill him. Emmet will just have to wash it once he gets back. His brother will never know!

   Turning on his heel, Emmet strides to his door and pulls it open. He sticks his head out into the hallway and turns to see if the triplets are still awake. There’s no movement or sound coming from that direction, but he continues to stare for a second longer just to be sure. Still nothing.

   So, he steps out into the hallway and walks the short distance between his room and Ingo’s. He pulls the handle and quietly opens the door. Emmet freezes in the doorway.

   Ingo’s room is dark and silent. He hasn’t been in here since his brother went missing. His hand clenching around the door handle.

   No. He will not falter. Emmet needs to do this for his sake and for Ingo’s. Without another thought, he walks into Ingo’s room and makes a beeline for his dresser. Emmet pulls open the first drawer and snatches his brother’s black hoodie and a pair of black slacks before sliding it closed. He doesn’t feel the need to change his shirt. It’s gray and therefore is dark enough for him to keep on.

   Emmet makes quick work of changing his clothes, then grabs the dirty bundle off of the ground and hightails it out of Ingo’s room. It feels wrong to linger in there without his brother present.

   He makes a quick stop to toss the clothes into his own room before slipping the door shut.

   Everything is ready.

   Art thou ready to start thy mission?

   Emmet jolts. Right. Arceus is still in his head. He rubs his eyes and sucks in a deep breath.

   ‘Yup. I am Emmet and I am ready to depart! All aboard.’

   Very well. Then let us ‘depart’.

Chapter Text

Location: Central Nimbasa (A Sidewalk on the Way to Gear Station)

Time: Past Midnight

   Keep thy head low.

   A shoulder rams into Emmet's side, another brushing past his bicep without so much as an 'excuse me'. The air is thick and smells of greasy street food that never fails to make Emmet sick whenever he eats it, so pungent he can almost taste the fake-ness of it as he strides past a small pretzel stand. There are voices all around him, muffled and loud at the same time. Like he's listening to them through cotton-stuffed ears. He pushes his way through groups of people, fighting against the sea of bodies filling the sidewalk like a sailor on the raging waves. Emmet has an arm wrapped tight around his middle, his other hand clenched in the fabric of his brother's hoodie, keeping the hood pulled over his eyes.

   The streets of Nimbasa are always crowded, but Emmet feels as if the crowd is personally deterring him tonight. Every obstacle in his way is just making his journey to Gear Station needlessly longer. Emmet is practically vibrating, every minute that ticks by grating on his patience. He should be in Gear Station by now, solving the problem that plagues his precious subway system. But he is not. He's still two blocks away, fighting through a crowd. His heart is pounding in his chest, hands trembling where they're clenched around himself. Emmet's head is spinning. He can feel a headache brewing behind his eyes as he turns the corner onto the next street.

   Thunder rumbles through the sky, storm clouds looming over the towering skyscrapers over his head. They block out the light of the moon, casting nothing but darkness over the sparkling buildings of the city. No doubt a storm will be hitting within the hour. The state of the sky is undeniable. Even so, none of the people on the street wrap up their business to beat the rain or attempt to find shelter. Nobody who's lived in Nimbasa for any amount of time is bothered by it. Zekrom's storms are nothing to bat an eye at — merely a feature of the grand city.

   Emmet wouldn't be bothered by it either if he didn't have places to be and things to do. Alas, he does have duties to fulfill tonight and now will probably be walking home in the middle of a storm. One glance at the sky tells him it's going to be a big storm too. Verrry annoying. He hadn't even thought to bring an umbrella before he left his apartment! Though everyone knows how unpredictable the weather is in Nimbasa. By Zekrom's will, any meteorologist quits within a couple weeks of working in this city. Honestly, there's nothing quite as Unovan as braving a storm with no protection for that reason alone.

   He's just really not looking forward to getting Ingo's clothes wet. His brother is going to kill him when he gets home. Ingo somehow always knows when Emmet has touched his stuff. It's like he's got eyes in the back of his head!

   Stop!

   Emmet freezes in his tracks. He's standing right next to a street crossing sign, the screen on the other side of the crosswalk switching back to the red hand. His heart races in his chest as cars start to move across the street. Emmet had been so lost in his head that he'd almost walked straight into incoming traffic! Geez, how did he let himself become so distracted?

   He clears his throat, leaning over to press the silver button on the crossing sign. The little red light starts flashing once he presses it. Now he waits for the crossing sign to turn on again. In the meantime, he reaches for Arceus' presence.

   'Thanks…'

   Thou art most welcome. Thou should pay more attention next time, Emmet. Thy brother would cast me from mine hall if he found out I let harm befall thee.

   'Really?'

   Emmet doesn't doubt his brother's strength, but would Ingo really go so far as to fight the creator of the universe for his sake? He's not so sure about that. No matter how much Ingo may love him, he just doesn't think his brother would justify potentially letting the world fall out of balance for him. Ingo is too good a person to do that. He's not anything like Emmet is.

   Indeed. I do not lie. Thy brother's will is most impressive. Tis no wonder why mine champion is favored by Ideals. I was surprised by it at first. Thy brother will stop at nothing to return to thee. He made me promise that I would bring him home as soon as thy task is complete.

   'Oh.'

   The traffic lights above him turn red, then a white stick figure appears on the other side of the street. Emmet waits a beat for the cars to pause before starting down the crosswalk. His cheeks hurt a little, the smile on his face wider than it had been a moment ago.

   Ingo is working hard to build his tracks back to their home station. Emmet should do his best to meet him halfway.

   Gear Station is two minutes away now. Just one more block and then he'll reach his destination. He has no idea what's going to happen when he gets there, but Emmet's confidence has been boosted. If his brother can go toe to toe with Arceus and survive, he can handle this issue in their station with ease. He'll do it for Ingo's sake.

   Something bumps into one of his legs, knocking Emmet out of his thoughts. "Sorry!" Calls a young girl as she bolts past him. Her long blond hair flutters in the wind behind her, the blue bow tied around the small ponytail she's sporting dangerously close to falling off. She looks… strangely familiar. Has he seen that girl before? He watches her run all the way down the sidewalk and then turn onto the next street. That's probably not good… but he doesn't have time go after a running child. Not when he has his own job to do. Maybe he should just keep an eye out for the kid's supervisor? Of if someone asks, he can just point them in the right direction. Loathe as he is to ignore a potentially unsafe passenger, Emmet can't be derailed.

   "Hey!" Oh great. Another interruption. He braces himself as yet another person bumps into his shoulder. "Sorry!" The man who'd run into him barely throws a glance in his direction, sprinting down the street and turning the same corner that the girl just took. Ah. Looks like that's handled. Though he does wonder what that was all about. Well, it's not like he'll ever find out.

   Emmet turns on his heel and continues down the sidewalk. Another rumble of thunder rings out, the storm only minutes away now. He really needs to get to Gear Station before it hits. Emmet would prefer to be wet for the least amount of time as possible. So, he tugs his hood down a little lower and picks up his speed. He dodges past other pedestrians and their Pokémon and trash on the ground as he goes.

   The parking garage on the left side of Gear Station is just up ahead. This isn't the way he usually goes to get inside the main concourse, but it's closer to where Emmet wants to be. The maintenance tunnel entrance is near the parking garage, so he'll be right where he wants to be. Emmet doesn't know where exactly the problem is, but the maintenance tunnels connect to every part of the station. He'd have better luck just starting there and working his way through if Arceus can't point him in the right direction.

   Emmet reaches the end of the street with four seconds on the walk sign timer to get to the other side. He doesn't let that stop him. Instead, he speeds up even more and races across the crosswalk. He reaches the other side just as the sign turns red again and the cars behind him shoot out into the street. His heart is pounding against his ribcage as he pauses to lean on the entrance of the parking garage. Emmet nearly doubles over, panting. The stone wall is cold under his palm. Cold is nice. It's better than sweating like he is under Ingo's hoodie.

   Running is not his strong suit. Emmet really hopes he doesn't have to do a lot of physical labor on this mission. He'd sooner pass out before he'd be able to work up his endurance. He already feels verrry close to eating shit on the pavement right about now. The wall is the only thing keeping him from looking like he'd had one too many drinks at a local bar. If Ingo was here, he'd be laughing his ass off at how weak he is. Honestly, Emmet wouldn't even blame him for that. He feels laughably weak at the moment.

   At least he made it to the station. Well… almost. He's got to get through the parking garage and then down into the tunnels and then he'll be able to say he'd made it. Oh that's too much damn walking! Emmet's going to be out like a light as soon as he gets home. He already knows. Skipping out on sleep is not good for his health. Maybe he really is getting old if he's having difficulty after running such a short distance.

   A warmth blooms in his chest, then there's a tingle in his head. He almost doesn't want to answer that, but he feels he'll be made to if he ignores it for too long. So, Emmet reaches for the presence and winces when the connection snaps into place. Having Arceus in his head is bad enough, but adding Reshiram's heat to the mix isn't helping his growing headache. By the dragons, please don't let him get another migraine. Emmet would prefer to just curl up and die where he stands than experience that kind of pain tonight.

   That is a bit dramatic, Emmet.

   Right. Reshiram can hear his thoughts for some reason.

   Any legend can. Most just choose to ignore human thoughts.

   'Oh. Great… well, sorry. Anyway, is there something you need Reshiram?'

   You should not linger here for very long. I am sitting atop your station right now and I see the building is full of police officers. I suspect there is a bounty on your head. You should stay out of sight.

   Emmet's heart drops into his stomach. Why are the police in Gear Station? Is that the reason Gear Station has been shut down in his absence? And what of his employees? If the police have caused issues for his staff, he's going to be verrry upset. How dare they take over his station and cause trouble for his hardworking employees! Is this because of what Officer Jenkins had said when he went into the police station to get his computer from them? Are they blaming him for what happened to Ingo?

   If they are…

   This is all his fault. He should have stayed in Nimbasa instead of going to his parents' house. He should have been present to deal with the aftermath of Ingo's derailment instead of dumping it into the hands of everyone he'd left behind. He should have just taken the fall and saved the people around him from the harassment they must have faced in his absence. But he didn't. He ran away like a coward. His employees, his friends, his family have all put themselves on the chopping block because he couldn't face the world Ingo left him in.

   Because deep down, Emmet knew this was going to happen and he was terrified of it.

   The police were always going to blame him. No matter what they found the night of Ingo's disappearance. No matter who vouched for him. No matter if he dropped to his knees and begged the police to see reason. They wouldn't have cared even if Arceus themself came down to confess to stealing Ingo. Because Emmet is the 'mean' brother. The cruel, obnoxious, annoying brother. The one who murdered his own twin because he was jealous that he was so much more beloved than he was. His smile is off putting and his words are always condescending and the way he carries himself is creepy and everyone fucking hates him! Emmet is nothing more than a vicious and evil asshole who would do anything to be better than Ingo.

   Emmet always has been. Even when he was little. He sat alone at recess because he was 'weird' and nobody wanted to talk to him. He got detention often because he was violent and always the one to hit people first, never because he was defending himself. He carried home mountains of school books and extra problem sheets every day because he was stupider than Ingo and needed help solving even the most basic math problems. Emmet always came second in everything. Nobody would ever like him as much as they like Ingo because Ingo is better and why couldn't he just be like his brother?

   Why couldn't he be better? Why does everyone hate him? What is he doing wrong?

   Why is Ingo loved while Emmet is not?

   A crack of thunder rings out, droplets of rain starting to spill from the heavy clouds in the sky. Emmet can see them splash against the ground, staining the pavement a darker color. He stares at the stains. If he stays outside for too long, he's going to get wet too. Or maybe he already is… Emmet reaches up to swipe the warm raindrop that was rolling down his cheek away.

   Emmet-

   He ignores Arceus, pushing himself off of the wall and stepping up to the entrance of the parking garage. Emmet glances both ways to make sure nobody is around. There isn't a soul on the sidewalk on either side of him. So, he jumps over the yellow bar and strides into the darkness.

   Emmet. Please do not ignore us.

   His footsteps echo around the silent garage. Since Gear Station is closed, the parking lot is empty. Desolate. Hollow. The overhead lights are shut off, casting the whole floor into darkness. Only little slivers of light come in through the gaps in the stone walls of the garage, not enough to be helpful unless he was standing right in the path of the light. Emmet doesn't need it to see where he's going. He does just fine in darkness. He always has.

   Please. Thou art upset. Tis not a good idea to undertake this task while thou art unwell!

   There's an elevator to his right, built into the wall with a staircase right next to it. He walks right past the elevator door and steps up onto the little ledge that leads to the staircase door. Emmet grabs the handle and yanks it open. As expected, the staircase is just as dark as the rest of the garage. He stares up at it. His heart is pounding in his chest and his face still feels wet. Maybe he'd gotten more wet than he thought. Emmet swipes another droplet off of his face.

   His hand clenches around the handle, trembling a little. He can see his knuckles turning white under the pressure. Emmet can't force himself to step through the doorway. He's wasting time standing here. He has a goal to complete to bring his brother home so people can be happy again. Everything will be fine once Ingo is back. Then they won't be disappointed with only having Emmet. 

   "Boss Emmet?"

   He doesn't want to listen to Reshiram or Arceus. He doesn't want to think about this anymore. He doesn't want to talk!

   "WHAT?!" Emmet's voice echoes around the otherwise silent space, almost as loud as Ingo would have been. His chest heaves and the trembling of his hands gets worse. Emmet just wants to be left alone so he can do this!

   … that wasn't either of us, Emmet.

   'What…?'

   Emmet whips around. Sure enough, there's another person standing there. He blinks. Once. Twice. He's not hallucinating. Shame washes over him in waves, nearly bringing Emmet to his knees. He'd just proved all those awful, horrible voices in his head right. Emmet is terrible. He just yelled at someone for no reason! He's awful. Terrible. Horrible! "I-… Iiii'm sss… ooorry… I-… srrryyy." Emmet can't get his mouth to work right. His stuttering nearly renders his words unintelligible. His chest aches, unable to get enough oxygen.

   His legs give out and he collapses on the ground. He's getting Ingo's pants dirty, but he doesn't have the strength to pick himself up anymore.

   "B-Boss!" The person darts down with him, hands held out towards Emmet. He shies away from them, pressing his back against the filthy wall. Emmet can't breathe. "Sir… how can I help you?" The voice sounds stiff and unsure, but no less sincere. It almost makes Emmet sob. He's not sure how to help himself. Emmet hasn't had an episode like this in many years. He tries to speak, but can't get anything else out. The person in front of him seems to realize that. He sees them reach into their pocket. "Princess go!" There's a flash of light and a couple more whispered words, then something soft is hugging him. Emmet finds himself hugging back almost immediately. "Do you want one of your Pokémon, Boss?"

   "Wwaant… Cap-… taaain." Emmet hopes his words are understandable enough.

   "Captain? Your Eelektross?" The only response Emmet can manage is a nod. "Where is his ball?"

   "Ffff…" He can't get the words out, so he holds up one finger and then makes a 'L' shape. That seems to do the trick. He can feel a hand reach down to his left hip and pluck the first Pokéball strapped to his belt off. It's tossed up in the air with a flash of light. Then he can hear Captain gurgling a little. He must be confused. Emmet peers over the shoulder of what appears to be a Raichu up towards his partner, locking eyes with Captain. As soon as Captain sees the problem, he shoots down and nudges him off the wall so he can press himself against Emmet's back. The pressure forces Emmet to take a deep breath.

   Between the softness of the Raichu and his partner's weight against him, Emmet can feel himself starting to calm down a little. He sucks in another deep breath, letting the ache in his chest start to dissipate. His head is pounding and his limbs feel stiff, but at least he isn't hyperventilating anymore. That's a good thing, right?

   The person in front of him settles back on their heels, seemingly content to just sit with him until he fully calms down. Emmet doesn't understand why. They've done enough as it is. They could just leave him here to relax with Captain and be on their way. Why waste time on him? Unless… this has to be someone he knows. It's a little hard to remember, but he thinks they said his name a few minutes ago. Didn't they also call him 'Boss'? Does that mean this is one of his Depot Agents? Well… this might just be really embarrassing when he comes to his senses.

   He squints at them past the Raichu. It's hard to make out their face through the darkness. So he'll probably have no luck in trying to guess right now. Wait… did he call the Raichu 'Princess'?

   Oh no…

   Emmet is going to drop dead right now. He's going to dig a hole straight into the ground and die there. He'll never see the light of day again. Who needs light anyway? Emmet should just never show his face ever. Not in Gear Station or anywhere in Nimbasa City. Fuck maybe not even in Unova at all! He needs to drop off the face of the earth.

   Of all people who could have found him… why… why in the dragon's name was it Isadore? Of all people! Isadore!

   Isadore does not like Emmet. He never has! To be fair, he doesn't like Ingo either. Which was shocking when they were interviewing the man. They still hired him anyway because he was a hell of a battler and loved being a conductor almost as much as him and his twin did, but by Arceus did he make that everyone's problem! Isadore always has something snarky to say to him and almost never wants to be around him. So… why is he here? Why is he helping Emmet? What does he get out of this?

   Perhaps he just wants to help?

   Emmet blinks. Why would anyone help him just because they want to? That doesn't make sense. There has to be another reason.

   Ah yes. This one hath been watching thy station most diligently. I saw that he hath even been defending thy name from those… what art those humans called? The…

   Police, Mighty Creator?

   Yes! I thank thee, Truth. That human hath been protecting thee from the police. He hath worked hard to stop other humans from reaching the distortion in the tunnels too. I should thank that human. He hath been most helpful while I was holding the disturbance closed.

   'Really…?'

   He almost doesn't believe that. Isadore defending him? Unheard of!

   Tis true! Thou hath an army of most loyal workers, Emmet. Thee should be proud.

   That's… maybe Emmet was being too harsh earlier. Maybe he isn't completely alone in this world without his brother. He has the triplets waiting for him back at his apartment and two legendary Pokémon talking his ears off and apparently Isadore, who he was certain hated his guts, protecting him from the police. There are allies in his corner. It would be rude to continue denying them their existence in his life, wouldn't it?

   Emmet lifts his head, meeting Isadore's eyes even through the darkness. He lets himself smile. It's smaller than normal, shaky and unsure, but it's there. It's always there. "Thank you, Isadore." He swallows the lump in his throat. "Thank you for-… for everything."

   There's a beat of quiet, then Isadore clears his throat. "There is no need to thank me, sir. It would have been unsafe to leave you here. Gear Station employees must follow all the safety guidelines while on the premises. You must know this, Boss Emmet." He crosses his arms and Emmet just knows he must be glaring at him right now. That's the face Isadore always makes when he is getting snarky; furrowed brows and a tight frown. It's a funny expression and Emmet has almost laughed right in his face more time than he can count. "If you are not aware of the rules, then maybe you should have your license revoked. A good Subway Boss stays updated about all the guidelines."

   Emmet can’t stop himself from huffing a short laugh. "You sound like my brother…"

   Silence. Then, Isadore sighs. "Boss…"

   "I know." He knows that the police are looking for him. He knows Isadore is going to give him his condolences. He knows he shouldn't be here. He knows… but that isn't going to stop him. Emmet has a mission and he needs to finish it. For everyone's sake. "I need to get down to the disturbance in the tunnels and open the station back to the public. I am Emmet and I won't let anyone derail me. Not even you, Agent Isadore." Emmet will save his brother if it's the last thing he ever does and that is final!

   Isadore sighs again, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I should have known you would be stubborn…" He rises from his crouch, dusting off his pants as he goes. "And how will you open the station? It's under police custody while they wait for you."

   Tricky indeed… Emmet won't be able to open Gear Station while he's still in charge. The police are just going to keep shutting it down until they catch him. But what if Emmet wasn't in charge? They can't hold Gear Station hostage if he doesn't come back to it. "Agent Isadore?"

   "Yes?"

   Maybe this is stupid. Maybe it won't work and they'll only get themselves in trouble. But maybe it could work. Emmet is going to have to be gone for a while until Ingo gets back anyway, so he needs someone to take over the station in his absence. Once Ingo is back and his name is cleared, everything will be fine. So… "I am Emmet and I have a plan." He reaches up to tap Captain and his partner rises up into the air so Emmet can stand. Isadore recalls his Raichu as he does. "They can't hold Gear Station if I am not in charge. And I am going to be gone for an undermined amount of time anyway. So… I am putting you in charge in my stead."

   "What?!" Isadore's voice echoes around the garage. It's so loud Emmet almost has to cover his ears.

   "See! You've already got a good voice for a temporary Subway Master! It'll only last until I can find a way to get Ingo home. And-…" Emmet is a little unsure of himself, but he needs to say this anyway. "And I trust you, Isadore. We may not get along all that well, but I know you will take care of the station in my absence. So, I am trusting you to do just that." Personal differences don't matter when it comes to the safety of Gear Station and its passengers. And realistically, Isadore is one of the best workers he's got. It's only logical to put Isadore in charge.

   "… get Boss Ingo home, sir?"

   Fuck. He slipped up. Emmet doesn't know how he's supposed to explain his way out of this one. His luck has been too good as of recent. Of course something like this would happen to ruin it all. Isadore isn't going to believe one word he says about Arceus taking Ingo. Who would!? Emmet himself didn't want to believe it when he first learned. He's just incriminated himself and Isadore is going to turn on him and then he's going to get arrested and-

   "I had a feeling there was something else going on. Leave it to you two to have some sort of plan up your sleeves… well, whatever you are doing, I hope it goes well. I'll take care of Gear Station in your absence and I'll help you get into the tunnels tonight." Isadore salutes him. "Leave it to me, Boss."

   This… this is too good to be true. Really, it is. But Emmet knows better than to look a gift Keldeo in the mouth. "I know you will. Now! We've been stalled for too long." He turns and points towards the staircase door. "Onward we roll."

Location: Gear Station (Main Concourse)

   Climbing the stairs in darkness proved to be unsafe quickly, so Emmet ended up letting Lavender out. She'd circled him with a worried chime for a moment before deciding he was okay enough and then they were off. It didn't take long for them to reach the top and then they paused. Reshiram had told him there were police patrolling the station, so he'd sent Isadore out to deal with them so he can book it to the maintenance tunnel entrance.

   He can hear voices outside the door still. So, he's stuck waiting with Lavender at the top of the stairs. Annoying, but it gives him time to plan what to do once he actually finds the distortion.

   'Arceus?'

   Yes?

   'So like… what am I supposed to do once I find the distortion? I know I have to close it somehow, but… well, you never told me how.'

   He can feel a wave of consideration wash over him. Did Arceus not think about this before?! Just how under-prepared can the literal creation god of the fricken universe be?! Emmet has made impulsive decisions more planned out than this! By the dragons… if anyone told him Arceus would behave like this, he would have laughed in their face. Emmet's not even from Sinnoh, but this feels blasphemous.

   Tis very blasphemous to think such thoughts about thy creator indeed… but I shalt let it slide because thou art right. I hath an idea that requires Flutter. She shall close the distortion. I will gift her some of mine power now. Give me a moment.

   With that, Emmet can feel the ball in his pocket start to rattle a bit. That's not going to hurt her is it? Emmet will never forgive Arceus if they harm his precious fluff ball. He'd promised he would give her a good life after all, not make her a slave to Arceus's whims.

   'That's not going to hurt her, is it?'

   Arceus huffs.

   Thou art such a worrywart! Mine goodness… ye of little faith. I shalt not hurt thy Spritzee. Now shush. I must focus for this to work.

   'Okay fine! Geez…'

    In an effort to distract himself from whatever Arceus is doing to his Pokémon, he turns towards Lavender. She's taken to floating around in circles to pass the time. Like some poor Pokémon in captivity. Wow. Emmet is failing right now, isn't he? He reaches up towards Lavender and she looks down at him. She tilts at him before she realizes what he's offering her.

   Lavender swoops down and lets him hug her to his chest, her flames lighting up as her metal arms wrap around his torso. If she could, he knows she would be whistling happily. Of course, neither of them want to get caught, so silence it is! Still, Emmet can tell that she's happy. He'd be a good for nothing trainer if he couldn't recognize her emotions after all these years of living with her.

   The two of them stand there like that for a minute or two before Emmet gets bored. He ends up dancing around the little area they're stuck in, cradling Lavender in his arms. Emmet can feel her nuzzling against his chest as he does another turn.

   Emmet. As much as I hate to interrupt your dancing, the police have moved. Your chance is now.

   Right. He still has a mission to complete! Emmet stops in his tracks and turns towards the door. "We have our opening, Lavender. Lets go." He loosens his hold and she floats up out of his arms with a soft chime. Now the real work begins.

   He reaches out and pushes the door open, poking his head out and doing a quick scan of the concourse. There's nobody around and the door to the maintenance tunnels is right across from the staircase. If he runs, he should be able to make it without being spotted. Oh but if the cameras are still up and running, they'd be triggered by his motion. Well, they'd be triggered if he was just walking too.

   'Is there any way to turn off the cameras? The motion trigger will turn on if I go out there and no doubt the police are on the cameras.'

   There's a moment of pause. He knows Arceus is distracted by something else, but Emmet can feel Reshiram's consideration. It lasts for only a second, then he's hit with a wave of excitement and joy. The sensation almost knocks Emmet off his feet. Where did that come from?! His mouth starts to taste metallic.

   I've got it.

   Emmet jolts. That's a voice he's not heard before!

   'Who is that?!'

   My twin!

   He doesn't get a moment to process that before a bright flash lights up the whole concourse, followed by the loudest boom he's ever heard in his life. It's so loud it shakes the floor beneath his feet and rattles his bones under his skin. Emmet feels dizzy. All of the lights in the station shut off with a whirring sound, casting everything into darkness. Thank goodness he still has Lavender out. Her purple light is the only thing illuminating Gear Station.

   Emmet stares out at the darkness.

   'Zekrom…?'

   That's me.

   'Did you just hit my station with lightning?!'

   Uh… noo. You're going crazy. No lightning here. Anyway! You should got find that distortion now. Bye!

   The metallic taste fades away and Emmet is left with just Arceus and Reshiram and the broken lights. That's going to cost a fortune to fix…

   Nope. That's a problem for future Emmet. Right now Emmet needs to find the distortion and transfer control of Gear Station to Isadore and then hightail it out of here. Then he'll go the fuck to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. He might even sleep the whole day away. No, he can't do that! He still has the triplets over- no! Emmet is getting off track. Reroute!

   He steps out into the concourse before he can second guess himself, Lavender trailing after him.

   There are voices coming from somewhere upstairs.

   Nope! Gotta go! Emmet bolts across the space between the stairs and the tunnels, throwing the door open as soon as he reaches it and disappearing inside. He just barely holds it open long enough for Lavender to slip through. Okay! Step one down. Now to find the damn thing he's supposed to close! That… might take forever. Gear Station is massive and so are the maintenance tunnels. Emmet could be here for hours just trying to find it. He doesn't have hours to spare!

   It's just up ahead. Go down the first tunnel, take a left, then a right and behind the door at the end of that path is the distortion. There is a woman in green standing in front of it. She's got dark skin and curly hair pulled back in a bun. Do you know her?

   'Yup! That's Cloud. She'll let me through.'

   Alright.

   Emmet takes off down the tunnel. Running in maintenance tunnels isn't following safety protocols, but he's on a time crunch and ready to be done with this whole mission. If Reshiram is right, then it shouldn't take him more than a couple minutes to reach the distortion. Yay! Emmet can go home to his bed sooner!

   Clearing the first tunnel is easy, then he turns left as Reshiram said. This is less of a tunnel and more of a pathway to the entrance of another tunnel, so it's narrow and a bit of a tight squeeze. He turns sideways so that both he and Lavender can fit at once. She chimes a complaint at him and Emmet nods a little. Tight squeezes are never any fun, but the end of this path is coming up soon enough. There's a small gap in the wall that leads to the right. That must be where Reshiram was directing him.

   A couple more steps lands him in front of the opening and he spills out of it into another tunnel. Lavender whistles a bit behind him, stretching out her arms as she floats around him so she can be in front. Emmet feels a little bad for making her come out here with him, but he appreciates her anyway. She'll be getting a berry when they get home.

   "I know Lavs. Almost there. And once this is done, I'll give you a treat," he says, striding forward. She shrieks, twirling in the air as her flames light up. He rolls his eyes with an amused huff. "I am Emmet and you are horribly food motivated. Verrry glutinous. Your greed sickens me. Yup!"

   His words get an indignant shriek and a smack from one of her arms. Lavender swings again and Emmet has to duck out of her way so she can't hit him. Unfortunately, she isn't one to let up if she feels she's been wronged. Lavender just swoops down to try and hit him again, so Emmet charges forward. He bolts down the tunnel, an angry ghost hot on his heels.

   "Hitting me won't make you any less greedy!" He shouts over his shoulder, drawing yet another screech from his brother's partner. If Ingo were here, he'd absol-utly be scolding him… oh he'd just unironically thought of one of Elesa's puns. Oh no, he's a goner. She's been rubbing off on him! Nooo! Emmet won't allow himself to be overrun by terrible jokes!

   "Boss Emmet?! That you?" Comes a shout from just around the bend. Emmet skids to a stop and Lavender pauses in the air over his head. Right… Agent Cloud is here. He’d almost forgotten. Should he answer? He told Reshiram she would let him through but… well, he’s not super certain of what he said. Knowing Cloud, she'll likely force him to either go home or explain everything to her before even letting him get near the issue. And he does not have time to spare to explain himself.

   Oh, but she already knows he's here. It's not like he can just pretend he isn’t and try to sneak by her. So, he squares his shoulders and walks around the bend. Agent Cloud is standing in front of the door that leads to the next tunnel, just as Reshiram said she would be. He waves at her. "I am Emmet and yes, I am here." His stomach is in knots as he approaches Cloud, her glare sending a chill down his spine. 

   Cloud narrows her eyes at him. "You ain't supposed to be here." Her tone is firm. No room for negotiation. 

   Emmet sighs. "Yeah, I know, I know. I already had that talk with Agent Isadore.” He pauses, trying to figure out how to explain himself. Telling her about Arceus won’t go over very well, so he can’t say that unless he wants to get thrown into an emergency psyche evaluation. Maybe he can just stick to a more vague explanation? That might prompt her to question him more, but it’s worth a shot. Emmet clears his throat. “Look, I know there’s a problem through that door. I also know how to fix it. It would be verrrry bad if it isn’t fixed soon. I am Emmet and I promise I will not linger after that."

   She purses her lips at him. "You're leavin' as soon as that's done? No funny business?"

   He salutes her. "Yes ma'am. I am Emmet and I am going straight home and to bed as soon as I'm done with this."

   A beat of quiet falls over them as Cloud considers his words. Emmet finds himself tapping his foot against the ground as he waits for her response. He could battle her to get through, but that would cause an unnecessary ruckus and Emmet really does want to get his ass home as soon as possible.

   "Fine," Cloud finally says. Her expression is still twisted in a skeptical frown, but she steps away from the door anyway. "I better see you runnin' back the way you came before the fuzz finds you."

   He just nods, closing the distance between himself and the door. Emmet has no idea what lies on the other end…

   Emmet!

   He jolts. Arceus' voice is loud in his head.

   Oh. Oops. Mine fault… anyway! I hath finished blessing Flutter. Thou art ready to close this disturbance.

   Great. He's all set. Emmet drags in a deep breath, reaching out for the handle. It's now or never…

   Emmet yanks the door open.

Chapter Text

Location: ???

   Flames dance in front of him, bright auburn and rusty oranges illuminating the dark night. Smoke rises from the bundle of sticks, stirred by the breeze around him as it coils up into the sky. Everything smells of fire. He can taste the ash on his tongue and feel the heat radiating off of it. Crackles ring out through the silence, popping and sizzling under the blaze. He can't move a muscle, staring into the fire like a moth drawn to its deadly light.

   His palms and knees are pressed into the dirt, trembling as he tries to keep himself up against the weight in the air. Dirt is caked on his skin. He can see the puff of his breath in the darkness — gasping, gulping, heaving. There isn't enough air around him to breathe. He tries to move, to speak, to scream, but the pressure around him holds him down; forces his head to bow and his hands to dig so deep into the ground that it's under his fingernails.

   He gasps for air, dragging in a lungful of sulfur and soot. He coughs, forcing the poisonous fumes back out. His body is wracked with it, shaking and jerking until the ground in front of him is splattered with red and stained with his filth. Every breath he drags in is wet and sticky.

   He stares at the red splotches, watching them seep into the dirt and disappear as if it were never there. As if he never existed in the first place.

   What is this place? Why is he here?

   Click

   A sound echoes around him and everything falls silent. The crackling and sizzling and popping fades into nothingness, leaving behind only the gasp of his breath and slow footsteps approaching him from his right. He can't move his head to see who is coming his way, but he can feel goosebumps raise across his skin and the weight pressing against him increase. Dread settles over him like fog. His head is forced to the ground, forehead against the wet dirt. The musk of earth invades his senses.

   He can do little but wait for the footsteps to reach their destination.

   Tap.

   Tap.

   Tap.

   There's a crunch, then a shadow is looming over him. A humanoid shadow. He can almost make out the shape out of the corner of his eye, but he can't move his head to get the full picture. He doesn't want to either. The air is electric. He's burning under his skin, the pressure making his stomach roll. Whoever is standing above him does not have his best interest in mind. He does not want to take his chances.

   The only sound is his shuddering breath. Then…

   "Emmet?"

   No. No that can't be! His heart leaps into his throat, lungs seizing. Acid burns his tongue as his stomach flips once more. He doesn't move — can't move. He has to be hearing things! There's no way this is…

   "Emmy? Brother?"

   That's his brother's voice. It has to be! After all the years they've spent together, he would recognize it anywhere. But at the same time, he knows it can't be him. His brother's timbre is lacking in this voice. It's slower and less expressive and the voice is dragging the 'E' sound out longer than it should. It's robotic; sounds more like him than it does his brother. This isn't his brother. He doesn't know what else it could be. He's not sure he wants to either.

   Something scratches against the ground — it sounds like a foot, but he can't tell. Then the figure shuffles and the scent of decay hits him like a fright train. He chokes on it, holding his breath to avoid the stench. Even that can't save him the agony of breathing it in. The looming figure crouches down, hand outstretched towards him. Shivers race up his spine. He can see it bend and bend until its face is right above his head, just out of sight. He doesn't dare look up. All he can make out is darkness.

   Silence.

   An ice cold hand lands on his shoulder.

   "Find me."

   Air forces itself into his lungs and he gasps.

(****)

   The world is flooded with white light so bright his eyes burn. He squeezes them shut, fighting against the overwhelming brightness. His body is light and his head is spinning as the ground beneath him starts to rumble. The tremors race up his arms and rattle his ribcage, bones knocking against his organs. He can't breathe. The heat of the fire expands until it's all around him. Surrounding him. Engulfing him. He can feel his skin rippling under the heat, melting against his bones and dripping onto the ground. Pain explodes in every inch of his body, but he can't escape it — can't even scream. His lungs are full of ash and his tongue is heavy. All he can taste is smoke. The cold hand never leaves his shoulder, squeezing hard enough he's afraid it's going to fall off.

   "Through the fire. Find me. Save me."

   What?

   The burning stops and the light dies. He can breathe.

   The hand grips his hair, yanking his head up and forcing him to face the world around him. He's sitting in a ring of fire now. It surrounds him on all sides, flickering and burning brighter than the sun. There's no way to get out of it without crawling straight through the flames. He shudders. The voice is telling him to go through the fire. To find them…

   He doesn't want to burn, but… maybe this figure knows where his real brother is. If it does, then he should listen to it, right? It will have to tell him where his brother is then. What is a little bit a fire compared to his brother's life? For his brother, he would surrender to the kiss of death.

   His gaze focuses on the wall of fire in front of him. It's just a few paces away. The flames rise into the sky, towering over him. They're so close he can already feel them licking at his skin. His heart is in his throat and he's shaking, but he will not allow himself to be deterred. He will crawl through the flames and he will find his brother if it's the last damn thing he does. This is his Truth and his Ideal. Nothing will get in his way because the only thing he likes more than winning in his twin brother.

   The hand in his hair releases him. Then there's a whooshing sound and the stench of death is gone. He looks over his shoulder and finds nothing but empty space. A shudder rolls over him.

   Best not to dwell on that.

   He turns back to the fire and drags in as deep a breath as he can. It stings, but his lungs expand regardless. He releases the breath into the smoky air. He will not back down, even if he is afraid. Fear is nothing more than a roadblock in the route to victory. And no good conductor would be deterred by a couple bumps. He plants his hands against the ground, fighting against the pressure trying to keep him pinned. It squeezes against him as he gets his feet planted and almost crushes him as he straightens up. Even with the pressure, he stands and stares into the flames. His hands are balled at his sides and his gaze is hard. He will not falter.

   He takes a step. Another. Then he steps into the fire. His body is ablaze. Agony digs its claws into him, searing his skin as it melts against the bone. He can feel himself burning — dying — a scream tearing out of his throat. His vocal cords are shredded, stained in char. Nothing escapes the pure agony coursing through his system as he steps deeper into the fire. Every step he takes leaves ash in his wake, but he does not stop. Does not falter. Does not look back. Even as his flesh melts and his blood boils and his bones are reduced to cinders.

(****)

   One foot after another.

   Every passing second is worse than the last. He can't feel his body anymore, left only with his desire for the other side of the flames. And so he presses on.

Step.

   Step.

      Step.

         Crunch.

   His vision blacks out as he stumbles face first out of the fire and onto something cold and hard. The smoke in his lungs slowly drains away and the heat in his skin is replaced with a chill. His body aches, but it's no longer melting. No longer hot. Instead, he is cold. Shivering. Everything is ice cold. He's not wearing thick enough clothes for this kind of temperature. It takes more effort than it should to bring his arms around himself. His joints feel stiff.

   He blinks against the fuzzy dots in his vision, forcing his eyes to focus again. For a moment, he sees nothing but the dots, then they fizzle away to reveal a world of white. It takes him a second to realize he's lying in snow. Snow… it's cold, but soft. It would be easy to fall asleep here, in the embrace of the cold. Even with the jagged edges of ice hidden beneath the frosty blanket stabbing into him and the chattering of his teeth as he trembles, he could close his eyes and rest at last.

   No. He will not stop now. He has something to find.

   Blinking away the deadly exhaustion threatening to pull him under, he pushes himself up onto his elbows. The ice digs into his skin through the thin fabric of his hoodie. He can feel pinpricks of blood being drawn and see the tears forming in his sleeves. He pays it no mind, forcing himself to look out over the land instead. There's nothing around but snow and hills and the cliffs surrounding the area. He looks up. The sky is gray, clouds looming over his head. That doesn't look promising, but that is not his priority right now.

   He pushes himself up more until he's sitting on his knees. The world doesn't look much better sitting up. This place is desolate of life, which means he will die out here if he cannot find shelter or some other way to keep himself warm. Dying before he finds the strange figure that spoke to him would be bad. He can't save his brother if he dies.

   *SCREEEEE!!!*

   His heart leaps into his throat as his whips around towards the scream. He's never heard something that loud before! His ears hurt. Was that a Pokémon? It sounded somewhat familiar. Though it’s not a species he knows a lot about, but maybe… maybe he would recognize what it is if he saw it? He glances around the snowy hills. It sounded like it came from somewhere behind him, but he doesn't see anything. Just more snow. But he's certain he heard something! Should he go look?

   Find me.

   Yes. He should go look. Just to be sure.

   He pushes himself up to his feet, stumbling a little in the thick snow. It's deeper than any snow he's been in before, attempting to drag him down under. And it's cold. It engulfs him with all the fury of a blizzard wind against a fragile candle flame. He does not like snow. Getting through it is the worst and it's too damn cold! He tugs the edges of his hoodie tighter around himself. It doesn't do much to combat the chill, but it's better than letting it flap around in the wind. He doesn't remember why, but the hoodie is verrry important to him. He would be sad if he lost it. Wait, no! He's getting derailed. Reroute!

   Find the source of the screaming. He needs to find the source of the screaming, then he can find the voice that spoke to him before and then it will take him to his brother. Schedule set!

   He points towards the direction of the scream.

   "All aboard!"

   All aboard!

   He ignores the strange echo to his words, striding forward through the snow. His feet sink into it and it seeps into his pants, getting them all wet. That's probably bad. Being wet and super cold is verrry unsafe. It could lead to hypothermia! He doesn't want to get hypothermia, so he will have to make this quick so he can find shelter sooner and warm up. He takes another step.

   Snow is the worst. He really hates snow.

   He shakes that thought away, refocusing on the task at hand. There's a large hill a couple paces away from him. From where he is, he can't see what's over it, but that's where the scream came from. He's certain of it. Once he gets over the hill, he'll be able to see what's happening on the other side and he can assess the situation from there. The first step is getting up. Should be easy, right? Well…

   A couple more steps lands in in front of the hill. He's not sure he'll be able to make it while standing upright, but going on all fours would be childish… maybe he can walk up and use his hands if he falls.

   He drags in a deep breath, wincing as the cold air stings his lungs, before starting up the hill. The snow makes it slippery, but he is able to walk well enough. He keeps himself in a crouch so he doesn't slip and fall, hands held out to catch himself if he needs to. He gets halfway up the hill before he slips and face plants into the snow, unable to move his hands fast enough to keep himself up. A grunt escapes him as he hits the ground, embarrassment flooding over him. He pushes himself up faster than he should have and slips again, then he manages to crawl the rest of the way up.

   He's covered in snow and all of his clothes are wet now. The shivering is getting worse. He doesn't pay it any mind. Ignoring his embarrassment, he looks out over the land. The area over the hill looks the same as the one he came from. Just a bunch of hills and snow. He doesn't see what was screaming and-

   Found me.

   Horror slams into him, his heart squeezing and the breath rushing out of his lungs. He shoves himself out of the snow, rushing to get down the hill. This can't be true! This can't be happening! Tears burn at his eyes as he slips and falls the rest of the way down the hill. He doesn't care. Even as the pain from hitting the ground shoots across his body. Even as he's covered in more snow. Even as he stumbles again trying to get up. Nothing matters beyond the unmoving, bloody form of his older brother in the snow nearby.

   There's so much blood. It's everywhere. His brother's stomach is torn open and there's blood on his face and his shoulder is way too low — probably broken. His eyes are closed and his expression is contorted into one of agony.

   He stumbles through the snow, eventually reaching his brother's body. When he does, he collapses to his knees at his side. His hands hover over his brother. "In-…" He can't even get the words out. "I-Ingo…?"

   Silence.

   "Ingo?" No response. "Ingo!" He knows his brother won't answer, but he can't stop. He reaches out and scoops his body into his arms. "Ingo! Ingo please! Please no, please no!" Sobs burst out of his mouth as he hugs his brother to his chest, cradling the back of his head. He's limp. And cold. Ice cold. "No… nonono… no, please. Ingo!" He rocks his brother's body.

   Ingo is…

   He's dead. His big brother is dead. And not only that… he died in pain. His death hurt. He suffered. His precious brother not only reached his end terminal far too soon, but didn't even get to die peacefully at home where he should be. Instead he's lying dead in the snow, covered in blood and completely alone.

   He can't breathe. His brother can't be dead! He can't! He can't! He was supposed to save him. He was supposed to… he buries his face into his brother's shoulder, sobbing into the stillness. He doesn't care that he's getting covered in his brother's blood. He doesn't care that he's going to freeze out here if he doesn't find shelter. He doesn't care if whatever took his brother from him comes back to finish him off too. He doesn't want to move again. Doesn't want to breathe again.

   He wants to go with Ingo.

   Nothing matters anymore.

   "Snease?"

   His head snaps up. There's something standing in front of them now… is that a Pokémon? He's never seen one like this before. It's tall with light blue fur and purple claws and a long purple feather coming out of its ear. Is this what murdered his brother? Does it want to kill him too? He stares at it as it tilts its head at him. No… it doesn't look malicious. It looks sad. Worried. Its pink eyes are full of sympathy. He watches the Pokémon come closer. It crouches beside him and leans closer to his brother. He tenses.

   A beat. It looks back at him, then points at his brother. "Snee-snaw?"

   Somehow, he knows what it's trying to tell him. It's going to save his brother. He doesn't want to let go of Ingo but… he wants his brother to be alive. He sucks in a breath. His brother will die if he doesn't let him go. It's selfish to keep holding on to him. He needs to let go.

   As carefully as he can, he lowers Ingo back down to the ground. Back to the snow. His heart squeezes in his chest as he stares down at his unmoving form in the cold. It kills him to do it, but he knows he can't save his brother. He can't.

   The Pokémon reaches over him, scooping Ingo into its arms. It rises back to its full height once his brother is secure. Then it glances at him… and takes off running into the snow.

   "INGOOO!"

Location: Gear Station (Parking Garage)

   There are hands gripping his shoulders and voices all around him. He can't make out what any of them are saying. His head is spinning and his body feels heavy, like he just ran a marathon and then some. There's something wet on his face and he's sitting back against something soft. It feels nice. He could fall asleep against it if he weren't so frazzled at the moment. Emmet groans. He feels terrible.

   Everything falls silent in response to his groan. That's probably not good… Emmet doesn't want to try to peel his eyes open to see what's happening. If he tries to, he might just give himself an awful headache. He's already exhausted and a headache would just make it so much worse.

   There's shuffling in front of him, then something taps against his cheek. Emmet groans again. He really doesn't want to open his eyes, but he'll probably have to… or maybe he can pretend he's still sleeping and get out of it for a little while longer. Maybe it's rude to do that, but Emmet really doesn't care right now.

   "Boss Emmet? Are you awake?" Agent Cloud says. Ah, so he must be in Gear Station. Wait… oh! That's right! He was supposed to be closing a distortion! Emmet remembers finding Cloud in the maintenance tunnel and Lavender was there too and he found the door and then… what happened after that? He doesn't remember. A hand finds his shoulder. "Hello? Boss Emmet?" Oh. Right, he should answer her. As much as he doesn't want to, she's starting to sound panicked. Emmet wouldn't want to stress anyone out.

   He hums a little, then turns his attention to trying to open his eyes. As he expected, it takes some effort to get them to move. Emmet's eyes flutter for a moment, then slowly slide open. A wave of pain washes over him, followed by nausea. His vision starts to focus a moment later. He can see Agent Cloud crouched in front of him and Agent Isadore standing behind her with an ill-hidden look of concern on his face. To the left of them is Agent Ramses, who appears to be on the phone with someone, but is still looking at him. Emmet glances between the three of them and tries to force himself to smile. He's not sure how successful he is. Maybe words would help? He clears his throat. "Hi… I am Emmet. I am up."

   All three of the agents visibly relax at that. Cloud rises back to her feet and Isadore steps away from her. Ramses sighs, putting his phone back into his pocket. Geez, he must have been out for a long time if all of them were that afraid. He should probably apologize for that. He could get them flowers or a day off? Or maybe a raise would be good? Arceus knows they put up with a lot and they do great work for the subway, after all. He'll have to ask Ingo-

   Oh.

   Emmet doesn't want to think about the contents of his… dream. He blinks that thought away, focusing on their location instead. It doesn't look like they're in the tunnels anymore. There's a breeze and it smells like rain. Are they outside? Emmet glances around and he finds himself sitting on the top of the parking garage. There are no cars around, likely because it's late, and the only people here are the Depot Agents and himself. Oh good. So nobody else witnessed him in this state. Emmet would be embarrassed if more people saw.

   A warm breeze ruffles his hair, pulling him out of his thoughts. It smells… smoky? Wait a minute.

   You have been unconscious for an hour, Emmet. Your workers brought you out of the tunnels because the police heard screaming. They thought it best to hide you. And you should not be embarrassed for falling unconscious. Such things are uncontrollable.

   Emmet blinks. He tilts his head up, coming face to face with a long white face and glowing blue eyes. Oh. Talking to Reshiram in his head is one thing, but actually seeing the dragon of truth in person is another. Maybe Emmet was secretly still convinced that the voices in his head were only hallucinations and he was losing his mind, but now he's been proven wrong for good. It's difficult to argue with the truth when he's literally looking it in the eyes.

   Reshiram huffs and he can feel a flood of amusement hit him. They lean down, nosing against his hair.

   You are very funny, Emmet.

   "Thanks?" His words prompt Cloud, Isadore, and Ramses to stare at him. Emmet stares back for a moment, then he points at Reshiram. "They were speaking to me."

   A beat, then Cloud nods a little. "Right… well, how're you feelin' right now? You've been out for a while."

   Dread washes over him at her words and he can feel his face fall. He doesn't want to tell her how he's feeling. He doesn't even want to process that himself! Telling someone else is… not an option. Emmet doesn't want to think about it Ingo or bad dreams or distortions or anything! He wants to go back home and lie down and ignore the whole world for a while. But he can't. Emmet knows he has duties to uphold and a task to complete. He still has to fix the distortion doesn't he?

   Emmet shakes his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

   Ramses steps forward. "Sir-"

   "No!" The words comes out sharper than he intended and Ramses winces, stepping back away. He claps a hand over his mouth. He didn't mean to shout. Really, he didn't! Emmet stares down at the ground. He wants to go home. He wants to go home so badly. "Sorry," he murmurs, voice muffled in his hand. "I just don't want to talk about it. I have to fix the disturbance-"

   Isadore holds his hand up to interrupt him. "There's no need, sir. It was already closed. Your uh… your Spritzee fixed it. I-"

   "Oh yeah! The shiny one!" Cloud jumps in, "It popped outta your Pokéball and did some move to close it. I wasn't payin' too much attention 'cause I was more focused on you, but the disturbance is dealt with." She seems almost fascinated, eyes sparkling. Isadore shakes his head at her, clearly unamused. Emmet glances between the two of them. He's glad the distortion is closed but…

   "She's shiny?"

   There's a moment of quiet. Then Ramses sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes sir… how did you not know she was shiny, sir? Most folks don't catch shiny Pokémon accidentally." His hand slides down his face and he levels Emmet with a deadpan look. Emmet blinks at him, then shrugs.

   "Long story." He gets a couple hums and a nod from Ramses, then everyone falls quiet again. Emmet stares at the three of them.

   He's so tired. Tonight has been a long night. Which means he should probably be getting home sooner rather than later. Emmet might as well ask his few questions and then give Isadore temporary control of Gear Station and call it a night. He clears his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "Okay. I am Emmet and I have questions. First, may I ask why we are in the parking garage?"

   Cloud looks back at Isadore at the same time as Ramses. Isadore glances between the two of them before rolling his eyes, then he looks down at Emmet. "We couldn't leave you in the tunnel. It was unsafe to do so. And the police are still in the station looking for you. I thought it was easier to bring you somewhere secluded."

   Cloud huffs. "And the parkin' lot was his first choice. Ha!"

   Isadore shoots are a glare. "You didn't have any better ideas."

   Emmet clears his throat before that conversation can go any further. "Alright. I am Emmet and the parking garage is fine. I…" He could ask more about what happened while he was out, but Emmet has a feeling he will be here for a while if he keeps questioning them. Later. He will deal with that later. "One problem; I need the papers to transfer control of Gear Station to Agent Isadore from my office." He moves to stand up, only for Reshiram to put their wing over him to keep him down. Emmet's head snaps up to stare at them. They just huff at him and nod back at the agents. He narrows his eyes, but looks back down anyway.

   Isadore unloops his bag from his shoulder and digs around in it for a moment before pulling out a stack of papers. He leans down and hands it to Emmet. Lo and behold, it's the contract document. He's not going to ask why Isadore just has a copy of it on hand… nope. Not a question for tonight. "Ah. Lovely." Emmet looks back up. "A pen?"

   Ramses dips his hand into his pocket and then holds out a pen for Emmet to take it. He does. Emmet doesn't bother reading through the document — he already knows what's in it. He flips all the way to the back and signs his name on the line. Then he holds it out for Isadore. He takes it and does the same thing. Great. Control transferred.

   "I am Emmet and I am tired. I am going home." He tries to get up, but Reshiram won't move their wing. Emmet huffs and looks up at them. Their expression remains impassive, which is not entirely unexpected from them. He stares at them. They stare back. "Reshiram. I would like to leave, yup!"

   Okay. Then we will leave.

   Reshiram lifts their wing. Emmet goes to stand, only to be stopped by Reshiram grabbing the back of his shirt in their mouth and throwing him over their back. A couple gasps and a panicked 'boss!' ring out as Emmet scrambles for purchase on Reshiram's back. "No! Nonono! I am Emmet and I do not like-" Reshiram opens their wings and takes off into the air, "flyyyiiiinnng!"

   He grips Reshiram's feathers in an ironclad hold, knuckles white as he screams into the night sky.

Location: Emmet's Apartment Building (Rooftop)

   His nerves are shot. Flying is one of Emmet's least favorite things in the whole world. Everyone who knows him know this. Except Reshiram apparently. Or maybe they just did it to fuck with him. Either way, Emmet is not having a good time. The flight from Gear Station back to his apartment wasn't actually all that long. It felt like they were only in the air for a couple seconds. Oh, but those seconds were more than enough for him.

   The moment they landed, Emmet hopped off Reshiram's back and he's been lying face down on the ground of the roof of his building since. He's got his arms under his head to rest his face without touching the floor, which is more comfortable than he thought. Emmet could almost fall asleep here. Almost. He knows the ground is filthy and he does not want to be filthy, so he will not sleep here. Buuut, his head is spinning right now and being upright will only make him sicker, so ground it is for a little while longer. Though as soon as he gets up, he is going to have to shower when he gets back to his apartment. Otherwise he'll drive himself crazy.

   Reshiram is sitting next to him, their warmth fighting against the chill of the air. Emmet is grateful for that at least. Even if he is a little annoyed they yanked him into the sky like they did.

   I apologize…

   Emmet turns his head, peeking at them over his shoulder. "Hmm?"

   Reshiram looks down at him, eyes full of sorrow. They look like a kicked Lilipup.

   I apologize for frightening you. Now you are upset with me.

   He blinks. Once. Twice. Then he bursts into laughter. He sees Reshiram flinch a little at his laughter, but they lean closer a moment later with a curious tilt of their head. Emmet feels a little hysterical — he probably is at this point — but he needed a laugh. Tonight has been terrible! "I-I'm sorry! I'm not laughing at you, it's just that tonight has been awful and I'm so tired and that nightmare was bad. And I think everything is just catching up to me now." Emmet manages to get out through his laughter.

   Nightmare? Do you mean the dream the distortion gave you?

   Emmet's laughter dies, leaving behind a sour taste in his mouth. He rolls onto his back, now facing Reshiram more fully. The dragon looks a bit silly from this angle, but Emmet is not in the mood to laugh anymore. "The distortion did that?"

   Reshiram looks away.

   I am unsure how it works, but that is what the Creator said. They told me they failed to prepare you for what the distortion might do to you. Apparently it threw you into a blend of a dream and a memory. I am afraid that is all I know.

   "Oh." Emmet would have liked to know that beforehand. Yet another thing to add to the list of things Arceus has done to fuck him over. He's getting tired of them not following the proper safety protocols. This isn't safe driving at all! He huffs. "Where is Arceus? They couldn't own up to it themself?" A wave of disappointment washes over him and Emmet's mouth clicks shut. Reshiram sighs and looks back at him.

   They said they had other issues to attend to. So, they told me to bring you home. I found the other humans bringing you out of the building after you fell unconscious, so I followed them to the uh… parking garage, was it? Yes that. They were afraid of me, but I refused to leave your side.

   He sits up. Emmet isn't surprised Arceus left, but he is surprised Reshiram stayed. They mentioned before that they liked him, but Emmet never got a chance to really process that. In truth, he thought Reshiram was lying to him. Well… that seems silly now that he thinks about it. The dragon of truth lying? Blasphemous. Emmet just didn't want to believe them. Yet here he is, sitting on a roof with a legendary Pokémon who cared enough to bring him home and to stay with him to make sure he is okay.

   Emmet was upset before but… he will forgive them this time. They have been nothing but kind to him since they met in the forest behind his parents’ house. Emmet owes them quite a lot. He reaches up towards them. They tilt their head at him.

   What are you doing?

   "Bring your head down." He waits. Reshiram looks skeptical, but eventually lowers their snout enough for Emmet to reach out and pat it. Their feathers are soft and warm. He can feel his smile widening. Emmet has never felt particularly close to Unova's dragons, but he likes Reshiram. Really, he does. "I am Emmet and I forgive you." Warmth floods through Emmet. It feels like laughing with loved ones and eating surgery treats in the middle of the night and holding someone in his arms; a soft kind of glow.

   Thank you… now you should get to bed, Emmet. I will speak to you soon. Farewell.

   Emmet nods, pulling his hand away and rising to his feet. His head is still spinning, but he manages to remain upright. He salutes the dragon. "I understand. Goodnight Reshiram!" He drops his hand into a wave, then turns on his heel and starts for the door that leads down into the building. Thankfully it's close by. Emmet grabs the handle when he reaches it and pulls it open. The lights inside light up with the motion.

   Goodnight.

   He steps into the staircase and lets the door close behind himself. It shuts with a click and then Emmet is alone.

   All alone.

   He doesn't want to be alone. Being alone means he has to think about what happened and he doesn't want to think. He doesn't want to remember what he saw and what Reshiram said. But how can he not?

   They said it was a mix of a dream and a memory. A memory. Certainly not one of Emmet's but could it have been one of Ingo's? Does that mean what he saw really happened? Does that mean Ingo was attacked? It looked really bad. He was dead! And that Pokémon he saw. Who was that? Is Ingo really safe? Emmet remembers he mentioned being attacked and being injured and coming back to life and… oh dragons. Oh dragons! His brother died and came back to life! He was dead!

   Emmet can't breathe.

   His feet move with a mind of their own, tearing down the stairs. The world around him is a blur as he goes down flight after flight after flight. His heart is pounding in his chest and his eyes burn with tears. Emmet doesn't want to think about that. Doesn't want to imagine that. Doesn't want to accept that what he saw could have been real. His shoes squeak against the floor, footsteps echoing around the space. Emmet doesn't care that he's making so much noise. Doesn't care if he trips. He just wants to get away.

   He's not sure how long he runs before he stops on one of the levels, shoving the door open and spilling out into the hallway. He only pauses for a second before striding down the hall. Emmet is panting, chest heaving and face wet. The lights are bright and his head is spinning and he can barely feel his own body. He just wants all of it to stop. To leave him alone. Emmet can't take it.

   His feet pause before a door and he grabs the handle, swinging it open. The lights are off. He walks inside. Emmet isn't sure if he managed to get back to his own apartment or if his neighbors just don't lock their doors, but he doesn't care. He slams it behind himself, leaning back against it and pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. It doesn't help. Nothing helps.

   Emmet wants to scream. He wants to shout at Arceus and curse their name for stealing his brother from him. For letting Ingo fucking die in their care. It's not fair. None of this is fair!

   He sobs into the space between his hands, tears spilling down his cheeks to the floor. His chest hurts and his throat feels raw. How many times is he going to cry like this, sob his heart out like a child? Emmet hates this.

   Something pinches the fabric of his sleeve, tugging on it a little. Emmet freezes. Fuck. He forgot he wasn't paying attention. He can't imagine how terrified whoever is in front of him is. He should have just waited to break down until he was certain he was in his own apartment. Now he has to explain himself. The person tugs again and Emmet lets his hands lower away from his face.

   To his surprise, the person before him is someone he recognizes. He's still in his pajamas; a pair of sweatpants and a red t-shirt. His phone is clenched in his hand, the other still pinching the sleeve of his hoodie. There's worry written across his expression mixed with panic. He looks tired. Like he's been awake for hours when he should have been sleeping. Maybe he has. Maybe he's been waiting for Emmet to come home. Guilt hits Emmet square in the gut as he stares down at Chili.

   "Chili?" His voice is ruined. The one word comes out as more of a whisper, raspy and broken. Emmet swallows, trying to compose himself a little more. He doesn't want to cry in front of a child. It's not Chili's job to comfort him. It's not anybody's job to do that!

   A beat. Chili steps closer to him. He doesn't speak. Doesn't ask questions. Doesn't even make a sound. Chili just wraps his arms around Emmet's middle and hugs him. It's light — easily breakable if he wanted to get away — but the pressure is there. The presence is there. He's not alone. Emmet fights off another sob, trembling hands coming down to rest over Chili's shoulders.

   The two of them stand in silence for a moment, then Chili sniffles. "Please don't leave us like that again." His voice is near silent — a whisper in the wind of what his usual loud tone is. Emmet has never heard him sound so terrified. He blinks back his tears as Chili squeezes him tighter. "P-… please don't leave us."

   Emmet doesn't know what to say to that. He opens his mouth to attempt to string words together, only to be cut off by the sound of shuffling. His gaze snaps towards the living room. There are two more bodies in the doorway. Cilan has his arms crossed with a frown on his face. Cress is leaning on the wall, eyes downcast. Emmet can see the tears in both of their eyes. He shakes his head. "I won't."

   A beat.

   "Do you promise?" Cilan says. His voice is steady, but Emmet knows under the surface he is not nearly as calm as he appears.

   "I promise."

   Those words break them. Cress pushes off the wall and runs to his brother's side, attaching himself to Emmet's left. Chili easily accepts him and soon he's got two crying teenagers clinging to him. Emmet slides his arm around Cress' shoulders, then glances at Cilan. He stares back. Blinks. Then he bursts into tears too. Cilan walks across the room and collapses on Emmet's right. He hooks his other arm around him.

   The silence in the apartment is only broken by their collective sobs.