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Chapter Text

It was not a question of what happened, Emmet remembers it clearly as he does with all things. 

He was with his brother walking down the halls of the subway. It was early morning so there were only very early regular commuters and employees. 

They walked in step, heels clicking together in perfect tempo as they both stride eagerly to their battle trains to start the day. Strategies and idle chatter filled the air as Ingo put in his two cents whenever he deemed necessary. They were cheerful and excited to see what new challengers would arise today. 

Emmet remembers being excited to meet them. 

Emmet also remembers the sound. A low deep buzzing that seemed to pierce through skin and bone and made his soul tremble with a sort of unnatural fear. 

He remembers the lights, blinding and almost perfect white. It felt like it was swallowing them both whole. 

And he felt, he felt, his brother grabbing his wrist as they both began to lose any sense of gravity. He tried to hold on just as tight, tried to reach out and pull Ingo Back. He tried to dig his heels in but- 

But. 

Emmet remembers collapsing to his knees as the sound faded, yet continued to tremor up his spine. He remembers his eyesight barely returning to him. He remembers crying. 

Because Ingo was no longer there. 

Ingo was nowhere at all. 

Emmet was. Emmet Was Alone. 

Emmet is alone. 

Then the yelling started, the commuters having seen and caused an uproar. Someone had pulled Emmet up by his arm and half dragged him into the office. Perhaps a fellow coworker? Emmet is....grateful. 

After the people it was the news, and Emmet usually handled the press. Being able to take their loud noises and bright lights and give answers. But today was not that day. He stayed inside the office avoiding them. 

Then came the police ushering away the interrogators and demanding that they leave the crime scene. Crime scene. It was a crime scene now. 

They asked all kinds of questions to Emmet, being as gentle as possible. Emmet would've been upset if he did not feel like he would break into tiny pieces at any moment.They referred him to Experts, experts of dimensional travel. 

Fallers. 

Emmet couldn't....couldn't wrap his head around anything currently. It was too much information and it was too sudden. He doesn't know how he ended up back in his apartment. But he did. 

He released all their joint pokemon and laid down in Ingo's bed, trying to stave off the loneliness. 

It was a couple of days before the "Experts" came and in that time Emmet had been dodging well wishes and News outlets. The battle trains were temporarily put on hold and Emmet was. Fine. Emmet is Fine. 

Emmet had decided to take residency in the office, who knew that it had so many papers to look over and sign! What good work to be done and far away from prying eyes. Sitting for hours a day just filling out forms, reading documents, going over old files, waiting out the clock so he could find a way to sneak out of the train station and back home heart heavy and desperately tired. 

Good Honest Work that Emmet Enjoyed. 

On one of those very tiresome work days he was informed about guests. Emmet's lips quirked slightly downward before rising back up. "I am Emmet and I am Verrrry Busy, Verrrry Busy indeed. The visitors can view and ride the trains but unfortunately the battle lane is closed." 

The poor worker that had been sent in fidgeted in front of his desk uncomfortably as his eyes pierced through them. They seemed to regain their courage and reiterated, "No sir....these are the Experts that we were waiting for." 

There was silence and then Emmet's strained smile widened to a more natural shape. "Then yes! Let them in!" 

He was growing louder in the...absence. There was no loud voice next to him to echo off walls and comfort him. He must make his own. 

When he was introduced to the UB Task Force he was simultaneously over and under whelmed by them. Their information was vast and nigh incomprehensible, but the people themselves were so. Ordinary. 

They spoke at length, assured him they would be on the case, told him information and then they. 

They left. 

Said they would keep in touch and answer questions when able to and that was it. 

And Emmet was expected to absorb all of this information and just wait. Just wait . 

He would not. 

He would not at All. 

Emmet is one of the Subway Masters. One of. He is not whole without his brother. And now that he Knows what Could Be, he needs to stop wallowing in depression and self pity and Do Something. 

So he made a decision that he thought was best. 

"I am Emmet, and I will be taking Leave of Office. If anything becomes pressing, call my Transceiver Number. Remember to always follow the rules. Follow the schedule. Check safety and Aim for Victory. My train is departing, All Aboard!!" 

He received many tearful goodbyes but he reassured his coworkers, his and Ingo's friends, that he would come back. He would come back with Ingo. 

"We may have become decoupled but soon the tracks will align and we will be riding down the same route once more!" 

He hoped.

Chapter Text

When one has to cover such ground as dimensional travel and special rends and temporal time paradoxes. You'd think there would be more theoretical work than there'd be tangible proof. 

But the world was strange and vast in all the new and incredible things it held. And where that used to make Emmet and Ingo excited for the possibilities, all Emmet could think about was how tedious and frightening it was to realize how many things could've happened to Ingo! 

From the reading he had done, these sort of things happened at random and apparently both of the two agents sent had been victims of a...UB pokemon? But when questioned Anabel had only shook her head. 

"I do not remember what had occurred, in fact the most I remember was I simply. Woke Up." Her serious face sat unmoving as she grew pensive. "Looker will not answer if pressed but something that seems to be a  common denominator is that the Faller never recalls their previous life once Fallen Status has been achieved." 

She took notice of how Emmet clenched his fist. He thinks his hands shook under the strain. 

Anabel tried to look consoling but gave up, her lilac bangs shadowing her face. "Its just a working theory. The sample size is so small that it could be different for others?" 

Emmet nodded his head smiling, she sighed in relief. 

He did not feel better. 

Without Ingo much was the same but....not.

Emmet awoke. 

Emmet researched. 

Emmet went home. 

Emmet went to bed. 

Emmet awoke- 

Day in and day out and day in and day out and day in- 

He had read somewhere that total mundanity could drive people mad. He wasn't mad, he was simply Numb. 

Numb and tired and barely aware of what was going on. The only bright spots were talking to the Agents but even that was becoming less helpful and more of a formality. 

It had been six weeks since the incident. 

Emmet struggled on anyways. 

His brother had to return to something, his brother had to come back home. Had to come back. 

Ingo had to come back. 

Emmet needed him to come back.

"There was no pokemon?" 

Looker tapped his fingers on Emmet's desk, the sound of it echoing incessantly through the room. Emmet grit his teeth and remained still. 

"No. There was no pokemon."

Looker nodded, his leg bouncing under the desk, the rhythm off to Emmet's own. He wouldn't begrudge the other man, but he's used to this being....more uniform. 

"And the color of the rift? It wasnt blue, no spirals, not indigo or magenta?" 

Emmet hummed under his breath and again shook his head. 

"No. No, there was no color. It was completely white." 

Looker hummed back, they sat together quietly working on their own stacks of papers and reading through articles. The sounds were discordant but it comforted Emmet to at least hear something other than himself. 

It was not until Anabel had come in to yell at them both that they realized they had sat together in silence for eight consecutive hours. 

Looker jumped up immediately after being told. Hustling his items into his bag. "I have been such a bad host! You Must let me treat you to dinner Monsieur!" 

Anabel laughed behind her hand while shaking her head in mirth. "You always get so hung up on tasks." Her eyebrow quirked at Emmet, "But it would do good for you Both to get out of here. Is it alright if we treat you to dinner Mr. Emmet?" 

His stomach cramps at the mention of food, the entire day of nothing making itself known to him. 

So strange, Emmet never forgot his time tables. So why is he now? 

"I am Emmet and I Must Decline." He takes his stack of papers and slams them onto his desk. The loud noise caused Looker to wince. "Much too busy, yes verrry busy indeed. But maybe next time!" 

There was a strange look passing between the two agents before Anabel nodded, Looker glancing away as he clicked his briefcase shut. 

"Yes. Maybe next time."

Emmet will admit, the resources now available to him were illuminating. How many different pokemon affected reality, how many pokemon could see beyond their current one. How many can affect things in multiple dimensions. 

How some can travel through them. 

Emmet didn't want to say it out loud, for fear of being rebuked or watched even closer than before. But if they were to research rifts and wormholes and different dimensions. Then why not study the Master of those concepts? Palkia was of space, but that might just mean only this world's space, not any other. And time is not a different dimension. 

The only other option was either waiting for a UB to pop up, which only happened in Alola and they Never made a return trip or..... 

Or take a holiday. 

He was already not working, maybe he could say he wished to have a break? Emmet and Ingo never previously went on holiday before. Why would they need a break other than for the off sick day when they enjoy what they do? 

Emmet did not enjoy much anymore. It's the perfect time for a holiday. A perfect time to follow that lead. 

Emmet is not a devout man. He knows very few people that are, Drayden did not count because he was just Old. But Emmet remembers very Verrrry long ago when his parents were invited to a wedding. 

He and Ingo were dressed in smart little marching suits and marched down to a big Cathedral where there was light and sermon. 

It Was Boring. 

It was so boring he had somehow convinced Ingo to come and run off to a make-believe little adventure. They had run about and somehow found themselves beneath the structure. 

Emmet remembers the large painting covering the walls. 

The Sinnoh Creation Myth. 

The big strange white blob in the sky creating the blue and pink stars, and then the little black star falling down below the others. 

It entranced Emmet unlike Ingo who seemed unnerved by the painting, in the end Ingo had convinced Emmet to go back. But his thoughts lingered. 

When asking his parents about it on the way back home he was told it was a pokemon. A pokemon beyond them all. Locked out of their reality. 

Maybe it could help? 

Maybe Emmet just had to find it. 

But how do you find a God? 

Well , Emmet thought, if his ancestors had managed it before then he can as well. 

The ticket for the plane in hand he grinned to himself, he just needed to get to the right place. 

Sinnoh was not different from Unova, but maybe Emmet did not notice how different it was. His head down and following the only barest traces of a lead. 

The church had not changed, and with the owner's blessing Emmet descended once more down into the basement. It was different then he remembered, more eerie. 

Maybe he felt braver when paired. 

Emmet felt tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes. It wasn't fair. Emmet had not cried since the first day. Emmet needed to see this through. Emmet needed to be strong for the both of them. Emmet had to find Ingo, he couldn't let himself be derailed. Emmet needed.

Emmet needed Ingo. 

He covered his face as his entire frame became wracked with deep sobs. Emmet was unable to stop as the months of worry and despair came tumbling onto him like a sudden visceral weight. 

He hadn't noticed that the basement became darker. He hadn't noticed that any sounds made were muffled and turned far away. He hadn't noticed that the exit was gone. 

Emmet did notice when something gently wrapped around his frame in comfort. 

His teary silver eyes looked up to see the deep crimson of two red orbs obscured in total darkness.

Chapter Text

In the Distortion World very little was concrete. 

Well, no, there was concrete, and refuse, and rocks and sometimes even entire streets. 

Once, even, a house had been found by Emmet's long wanderings around the derelict realm. 

Yes, there were things there. Not breathing or living things, but sturdy things that Emmet explored and looked through with wide piercing eyes. But the problem was that the Distortion realm was just that, a distortion. 

Such as where he was now, standing on the top of a large statue flipped upside down and letting the blood rush to his head. 

Emmet giggled helplessly as he watched his hat float a few inches away from his head, his hair standing on end as the whole world teetered over the abyss. A sudden dark expanse that stretched out for miles like the open ocean. 

It was the total absence of everything other than the sound of his own breathing. 

And then a loud unnatural cry pierced the entire plane and vibrated Emmet's bones, his grin grew wider in response. 

Well, he amended, not completely alone. 

The large head of his Companion peaked over the horizon like a ship rising from water, its serpentine body seemingly materializing from the other. Sharp golden horns twisted into the air as crimson eyes pinned Emmet with its glare. 

Emmet waved at it completely nonplussed, "Helllllooo!!! How is the loveliest locomotive doing today?" 

The answering screech made his teeth rattle in his jaw. He clapped his hands together in exuberance. "Splendid! Then we are ready for departure?" 

Giritana's red and black striped body encircled Emmet, its large head gently tapping gently against his hat. Emmet grinned back resting his body on top of his friend before scrambling up onto its back. 

"All passengers seated properly and safety checks forgotten! Has the conductor chosen a path?" 

It answered with its jaw unhinging as a sparking ball of red black energy began to form. Emmet gleefully watched as Giratina reared back and shot it into the atmosphere, tearing open the fabric of reality in front of them. 

The discomfort of seeing reality blurring around the edges and collapse in on itself had long faded. All that Emmet could focus on was the anticipation in his stomach that made him feel jittery and unfettered. He gripped Giratina's horns to ground himself in a place so unreal, his smile on the side of mania as his eyes dimmed further. 

"Wonderful! I wonder what our next stop will be, I hope it's interesting don't you Conductor?" 

Giratina beamed back, it's jaw in a cute little position as Emmet heaped his praise on it. Emmet's smile grew bigger and more determined as he pointed forward. 

"Everythings ready! Let's aim for victory, All Aboooard!!!" 

Giratina rushed forward and everything became a hazy collage of speed, black, red, and white noise. His head staticky and sickly as the rush jostles his hair. He felt too much, like an overload in all his systems. Everything is too bright, too sudden, too much. 

It felt good in a bad way, filled up all the dark empty pieces and burned away all the rest. It Made Emmet Feel, it Made Emmet Feel, It Made Emmet Feel.

The breath he didn't know he was holding in bursted out of his chest as the lights turned muted, the colors stopped blurring. It was normal and solid and real. 

Emmet did not know why it made him feel sad. More often than not, nowadays, Emmet thinks he wants to stay in the in between longer and longer... 

But he has to Focus now, has to Search, has to Explore. He is looking for something. Has been for a very VERRY long time. And Giratina will want to play and Emmet would like to Battle. And they would like to see things and experience things and have fun. 

Yes, Emmet thinks, it is so nice to be with Giratina. I wonder what we will find today!

The sun was bright and the sands were hot, where Giratina landed them this time was a lovely beach of some kind.  He blinks his eyes, the haze of red settling until normal real colors sunk in. He looked at clear blue water and saw Giratina look back in his reflection. 

"Alright then Conductor, would you like a treat or to sightsee as I go looking?" 

It trilled and his eyes stung, his vision swimming with red red red as a small headache formed behind his eyes. 

Emmet's smile grew wider. 

"Sight seeing it is!" 

The new location was Beautiful. Scenic beaches, lovely views and a perfect setting sun that Emmet, and by extension Giratina, greedily drank in. It seemed like there were few people and Many pokemon, verrry interesting but ultimately disheartening. 

The thing he was looking for was person shaped after all, he was pretty sure. It had been a while since he'd been able to continue his search, Giratina expended a lot of energy just to get them places let alone helping along in his search. 

A nudge dug at his head making his headache go from distraction to uncomfortable. Emmet saluted to the empty air, "Yes! Back on task!" 

They marched forward again, looking for the Person shaped, red-black like Giratina, thing. They'd find it, eventually. How many different places were there anyway? Emmet and Giratina have all the not-time in the world. 

He searches the entire beachfront, then into the small village where he carefully made himself known, through the thick jungle and now sitting back at his starting point watching the sun begin to set. 

"No luck yet again my friend." Emmet sighed at his reflection, he felt the tight squeeze and release of comfort and low strill of sympathy echo back. The sun made the water shimmer as the beautiful purple, orange, pink hues of the sky rocketed across view as the dying rays said their final farewell before dipping below the skyline. Emmet felt his lip twitch, as he pulled his brim lower down his face. Giratina cooed in comfort as he struggled to keep his eyes dry. 

"I am Emmet and I am Fine. I am Emmet and I am Fine. I am Emmet and I am fine, I am Emmet." 

He is Emmet and he is looking for- 

For- 

For. 

He Doesn't Know. 

The sudden dread and anxiety crushing him with its intensity as he digs his hands into his hair. His scream echoing Giratina's low wail as Emmet felt his body begin to fall fall fall- 

The rush of red-black was a relief as he felt the tangible body of his companion squeeze him tight. 

Times up.

Emmet awoke to a giant tongue licking the side of his face. He gagged and pushed Girstina's giant head away from him as he groaned good naturedly. His friend gently nipped at his fingers as Emmet laughed and wiped his face. 

"You are Not a Purrloin! Nor a meowstic, or a persian! Cease and desist licking my face!" 

Giratina let out a satisfied rumble and craned its neck closer. Emmet screeched in delight as he jumped from their coils to get away from another pass. Giratina playfully chirped at him and began to chase. Both thoroughly distracted. 

Emmet was once again standing on the upside down statue waiting for his friend to breach the dark void below. His head emptier and emotions cleared from the last derailment. 

He yawned and cracked his jaw as muddy red eyes scanned the horizon, rubbing his shoulders. For some unknown reason he'd been feeling a sort of strange static cling all day. He kept muddy red eyes cautiously looking out to the horizon. The last time this had happened the blue man had come, stark raving mad, but he thought they had gotten rid of him? 

Emmet got to the point where he began to go through his daily circuit around the area. Being extra careful to note every detail once more against his imperfect memory. Nothing living, nothing changed, nothing different other than new debris and trinkets they've accumulated. 

He taps his fingers against the inside of his wrists, his smile frayed. Nothing different and yet, and yet Emmet was still on edge. 

And then the world began to shake. 

There was no accompanying cry, there was no warning, the ground began to shake. The barely held together rubble began to have and crumble under his own feet as Emmet tried to sprint to sturdier ground. He desperately looked around only to see a Bright White Light rip taking over the entire sky, searing his vision and making it hard to adjust.

Emmet kept running and climbing as his eyes watered and he stumbled onto the floor, feeling the tremors grow stronger. 

He looked back up to see his friend begin to be pulled from the slowly dissipating dark. The rift pulling its struggling form closer and closer, and Emmet. 

Emmet sprinted forward reaching out desperately towards them a loud scream swallowed up in the cacophony of madness surrounding them. 

He reached and reached but it was taking them away, taking them away from Emmet. Taking him away, don't take him away again- 

He jumped and barely grabbed a hold of their tail as they were both suddenly swallowed whole.

Chapter Text

White so blinding he felt his eyes fill with firey tears. 

Screaming so raw his throat hurt, yet no sound escaped his lips. 

It was not the inbetween it was not right not right Not Right- 

Emmet held so tight, Emmet held so tight to the last thing he had in his life. 

You can't take them, you can't take, them I WON'T LET YOU- 

Emmet let out a lurching wet sound as a sickening crunch echoed in his ears, his body alight in sudden agonizing pain. The horrible white turned comforting black as he fell unconscious. 

Hisui had maintained a couple months of uneasy peace after the Day of the Red Sky. People had begun to journey farther, the village growing larger and villagers began to relax their hunted attitudes. 

Which is why when the sky darkened once more, there was notable and visceral panic.

It went beyond the red miasma of the first change, all of Hisui suddenly blanketed by an abyssal dark that spread like grasping tentacles threatening to consume the entire sky. 

Commander Kamado barking out orders as Service Corps members began to run around and calm the town down from its frenzy. Professor Laventon and Cyllene, looking at each other in worry as their secondary assistant ran out of the gates to the Coronet Highlands. 

Team Galaxy knew that their resident savior had gone back to the mountain. Back to the temple. Back to where the gods pierced the veil. But they hadn't returned in days. 

They had begun to pray for a miracle once more.

Instead, they saw it. 

Large and serpentine covering the entire top half of the mountain with its immense unnerving body. Pulsating a strange red after effect that burned to look at for more than a moment. It seemed to be larger than comprehension as it twisted and crawled up the towards where the peak kissed the sky. 

It was frightening enough on its own, and then it opened its mouth. 

The entirety of Hisui quaked under the ear piercing shriek it let loose. Laying low even the strongest of Nobles as the cries echoed throughout the land. Pain and agony seemingly forced unto every living creature within radius. 

However, just as quickly as it had appeared it just as suddenly vanished. 

Not because it had left to whatever hellish place it belonged to or flew into the blackened sky ready to destroy all they held dear, it simply ceased to exist. All back to normal, as if nothing had plagued their eyes and minds.

But how was it back to normal when every creature, Human and Pokemon, realized there were things beyond mortal knowledge. Just on the precipice of their sight, beyond their own understanding.

One can perhaps still see the tendrils reaching for the sun.

Emmet awoke. 

Emmet awoke to screaming, the screaming that results in pain and fear and confusion. Screaming that seemed too familiar to ignore.

But that can't be right, his friend shouldn't be in pain.

He clenched his fists, his body aching as he lay flat on cold marble floor. 

Emmet had promised, Emmet had promised that Giratina would never be in pain again. 

He  somehow found the strength to raise his aching body up, his arms straining from the effort. Emmet didn't like how heavy his body was, or how one of his legs felt twisted and wrong. But he had to move, he had to fight, his friend was hurt! His friend was alone! 

He gasped in pain as he crawled forward. Blonde white in the way, loud and angry. He shoved it aside. Something small grasping at him, little hands perhaps? They helped haul him upright, keeping him standing and helping him forward. Emmet had a destination to get to and it was ever so kind of them to take his weight. 

He trudged ahead unaware of the incessant pulling at his side, white seeped red red red, nor the worried and anxious words that accompanied them.

Emmet only had eyes for his friend. His poor friend, who was crying out in pain. They were hurt, they're hurting can't you see it?  Their large beak lunged out at him, the person at their side sucking in a fearful breath, red glowing eyes wild with fear and distrust. 

Emmet did not turn away, he walked forward with a pained smile on his face.

" 'M Emmet, I'm Emmet. I am Emmet and you are Giratina. And we are Friends." 

Its shrieking quieted as he finally reached them, the little hands supporting him now gone as he slumped over their long body. He looked up at Giratina with tired red eyes. 

He stroked their scales and smiled gently, trying to soothe them as they had Emmet multiple times throughout their partnership.

"I am Emmet and You are Giratina and we are friends. We are a team, we promised, we promised not to leave...." 

His eyes filled with tears, black like tar running down pale skin, as his breath hitched with suppressed sobs. Emmet's hands gripping them as if he could keep them here with just his meager strength alone. 

"Y-you promised Emmet you would not leave. Please don't leave Giratina, we are a team." 

For a moment all that was heard on the mountain were the soft hitched breathes of Emmet's sorrow and then Emmet felt the weight of Giratina's mandibles nuzzle his hat as it crooned apologetically. Emmet laughed as he hugged it back fiercely. Glad to have reached them from the dark place that they both struggled with.

Unaware that it curled up around him, covering him entirely. Not noticing that it had begun to teleport away, a dark swirling void appearing underneath him as the two observers cried out in shock.

All Emmet heard was the blonde one screaming in anger and betrayal, and all Emmet saw was the soft indigo of a fearful child's eyes looking into his own. 

Until everything faded to sweet calming black once more.