Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Their name was Rei.

They came from somewhere called Unova.

They did not know where or what Unova was.

They had to catch all Pokémon.

When they first opened their eyes, those were the only four facts they knew. Spitting out sand and fumbling with weak legs, that's all they knew.

There was Lavington, asking them if they were alright as they tried to remember what limbs were what. They fumbled their way through confirming they were ok, staring at three excitable Pokémon jittering around them.

They didn't recognize two of them, as the three suddenly darted off; but they knew one, remembered the name and could recall its voice. It felt odd, watching the otter run off, as familiar as it was.

Their name was Rei.

They came from somewhere called Unova.

They did not know where or what Unova was.

They knew Oshawott was from Unova.

They had to catch all Pokémon.

Five facts, so easily gained like they were nothing. Missing holes filled with very little prompting. The Pokeballs they were given felt too heavy, yet they knew how to throw them like it was old hat— a well practiced welcoming movement they had done thousands of times before.

Memory failed them, but they knew six things then, as they handed Lavington the Pokémon.

Their name was Rei.

They came from somewhere called Unova.

They did not know where or what Unova was.

They knew Oshawott was from Unova.

They were well versed in how to catch Pokémon.

They had to catch all Pokémon.

Simple things, easy things, yet somehow things they had not known. 

This continued.

Memories and facts only needed the slightest nudge to fall into place; picking a Pokémon was tradition— catching Pokémon was something everyone knew— six Pokémon on a person at a time, anymore wasn't allowed— Shinx were playful, Starling where easy to startle, Bidoof where as harmless as harmless came.

They were called impressive.

They didn't feel impressive.

Ten year olds could do what they were instructed to do, why were they praised?

People here were scared of Pokémon.

They were not.

They didn't understand.

They didn't need to, they supposed.

They helped people— that was familiar. They knew requests and catching specific Pokémon, they knew running until they could no longer run.

They went to bed in peace.

Peace did not last.

They didn't understand arguments between clans; Sinnoh was a place, they knew that— they didn't know much about it, just like Unova, but they knew it was a place, not a god.

The god they were talking about was two, maybe three. They didn't know the names, but they knew they were different things.

They held their Oshawatt closer, the only thing familiar in this chaos.

“Rei wrestles Luxray and Onix, if anyone here could handle investigating a frenzied lord it would be him!”

They frown but don't speak up— they don’t know what a lord is, but if it’s just another Pokémon they had to be exaggerating. If you got actually injured all you had to do was drop to the floor and not move and Pokémon would leave you be. Might lose a few things from your bag when you had to crawl away, but that wasn't a big deal.

And really, Luxray tended to just be hungry, Onix more territorial.

The leaders turn to them in sync, and they find themself trying to almost hide behind his Pokémon. 

Rei did not speak unless spoken too, this was also a fact. Even when they were addressed, however, their answers were short and clipped.

“Rei, would you be willing to help here?” the commander asks, but it is not a question, it is a command. Rei has no choice, Rei has never really had choices— this is another fact.

They nod, forcing their back straight as they place their Oshawott on the ground.

…Maybe they should name it Unova, like where they both came from.

They listen to the instructions given, nodding along to what they’re told. They nod to Irida and they tell Adaman they will quell the Lord.

They do not know what a Lord is.

They eat potato mochi with Akari and Lavington, their Oshawott eating off their plate.

“You and Oshawatt are awfully close,” Akari mutters.

“Unova,” they tell her, “his name is Unova.”

The two seem startled that they spoke.

Rei doesn't know why.

Their name is Rei.

They are from Unova.

They are in Hisui.

They have an Oshawott named Unova.

They do not speak unless spoken to.

They never have a choice.

They must catch all Pokémon.

They are alone.

“You wish to calm Lord Kleavor?” a child asks them.

They do.

So they will.

It hurts— they keep getting cut and the balms don't always land and they only have so much stamina before they start to slow down.

The Lord seems to be able to go on forever.

But so can Rei; even as their body screams and wails, they will go forever.

They win.

They always do.

“Always the quiet type, that Rei,” the people whisper. “Rowdy with Pokémon though.”

Six to a team, any more isn't allowed. 

Unova stays; it’s the only link they have to wherever they both come from.

…They can't bring themself to ask Lavington where they got him.

They help, because it’s easy to help. Helping is simple, it’s repetitive, it’s familiar. They have helped before and they will help again.

The odd Rapidash is called a shiny variant.

That is a fact.

They quell more Lords; they hurt for it.

They witness a Lord come into itself and feel awe.

They did not know of lord before coming here, that is a fact.

They witness things they hadn't seen before, they evolve their team, they move and keep moving.

Their name is Rei.

They must catch all Pokémon.

“Lord Electrode is next,” they are told, “you will need help getting to him.”

They listen, and they nod.

…And they know this person.

It comes to them all at once, a rush of simply knowing . They know who this is— everyone knows who this is! And everyone knows this person is not meant to stand alone, hunched over and tired.

“This is Lady Sneasle’s warden, Ingo; he’s a lot like you, actually.”

They know him— they know him— not well maybe, not personally even, but they know him; everyone knows him.

What was his title? Not warden but something else, something important.

They travel, and Rei sticks close to his side.

“I know you,” they tell him, the words whispered to the air. “I have to know you.”

“Do you?” he asks, and they nod.

They always nod.

He shares memories, and they ring true to Rei as well. They know not the names either, but they know who he speaks of.

“You’re not meant to be alone,” they tell him. “That’s not right.”

He agrees.

And time goes on.

The battle does nothing for either of their memories.

They had not met before, Rei knows this.

And time goes on.

Rei nods, and Rei helps, and Rei hurts.

And Rei finally has someone who they are willing to speak to.

They battle, and they keep battling; they ask Ingo if he can use his ace team.

“I can use my Alphas? I have no ace team.”

This was incorrect, yet… also, correct.

Ingo was meant to have an ace team, but did not have it with him.

They battled, and Rei would leave, and Rei would return, and they would battle.

…And then it was the final Lord.

“I’m scared,” they whisper.

“How rare,” Ingo murmurs to them. “I thought you feared nothing, especially the Lords?”

“I’m not scared of the Lords,” they tell him, turning Unova’s Pokeball over in their hands. “It’s more like… dread of what’s to come.”

“Whatever it is,” Ingo tells them, “I will be here; outsiders must stay together, correct?”

Their name was Rei.

They were from Unova.

They had to catch all Pokémon.

They were alone.

They were alone when they were cast out.

“You are the cause,” people said.

Rei did not answer.

“You must leave,” the commander stated.

Rei did not answer.

Their name was Rei.

They were from Unova.

This was not their first time being evicted.

These were facts.

They glanced back at the town that threw them out. Everyone watched them.

Rei did not speak.

No, instead tears welled up in their eyes, frustration and fear amongst a plethora of other unnamed things bubbled to the surface.

Rei did not stop walking at the gate, scrubbing at the salt marring their face.

Word would spread; they had to fix this before eyes turned to Ingo.

Because everyone knew Ingo.

And now everyone knew Rei.

They did not go to the Pearl Clan, or the Diamond Clan. They were an outsider, and for all they had done, none of it meant anything. They had tried so hard, they had been good — and it had done nothing.

They needed a plan.

“Nowhere to go, huh?” a voice said.

And Volo was there.

And so Rei worked, and fought, and ran, and went on.

Time went on.

They knew the spirits, they knew them, because they were mythic, everyone knew myths like everyone knew Ingo.

And everyone knew Rei.

Because Rei was Rei.

Rei wrestled with Luxray and Onix, Rei tamed Alpha Rapidash, Rei named their Pokémon.

And Rei helped.

“I must stop you here,” Benni said.

But Rei was Rei.

And Rei did not speak unless spoken to, so you could never tell what their Pokémon were going to do. 

Because Rei did not call out moves, because Rei was Rei.

And Rei was known for refusing to stop.

Even beaten and bloody and limping, Rei did not stop.

“My name is Rei,” they told the commander when they demanded to know who they were. “I am from Unova.”

They said nothing more.

There was nothing more to be said

“My name is Rei,” they whispered to Dialga. “I am from Unova.”

And they caught them. Of course they did, because they were Rei, and everyone knew that Rei did anything and everything.

No one worried for Rei.

Except…

“You’re ok,” Ingo stated, “everything is intact?”

Rei offered a smile, even as their face was turned side to side by a worried warden.

“When I heard what they did to you…” Ingo trailed off and met Rei’s gaze.

“I’m fine Ingo,” they told him. “I will heal.”

Yet there was no time.

How ironic.

“My name is Rei,” they repeated to themselves as it felt like they were pulled between homes. “I am from Unova.” Images of smiling faces and shouting voices. “I am helping Hisui.” Potato mochi and the dust of the training grounds.

They won.

Because they were Rei, and Rei always won.

And no one worried.

Except…

“Lady Akari and Professor Lavington are going to help me keep you in your station,” Ingo instructed them, hands on their shoulders to guide them back inside. “You are due for repairs and we cannot reschedule, damaged cars are not permitted on the rails.”

They did a good job of keeping them down until every cut was healed.

“I still don't know how you’re not scared of them,” Akari told them, watching as Rei let their Luxray hold their arm between his jaws. They only lightly tugged the Pokémon about, a soft smile on their face as they pulled him back and forth.

“I trust them,” Rei answered in a whisper, tilting their head with their Luxray as he dropped their arm. That was normal, trusting Pokémon. Fear was strange, fear was rare, fear was irrational.

“They seem to almost be fond of you, beyond even enjoying the hand that feeds them,” Lavington noted, watching as the Alpha Growlite lathered Rei’s hair in saliva, while Rei attempted to grab their hat back from their playful Zorua.

“I just play with them,” was Rei’s clipped response, yelping as the Zorua used their face as a springboard to run around the home once more.

“They are quite sweet, hm?” Ingo murmured, batting lightly at the young Starling attempting to steal his hat. Rei nodded, standing and picking up the Starling, holding its wings to its body like some food that escaped Rei’s memory.

Ingo never made Rei speak.

“It remind me of someone, your short answers.” 

Rei was inclined to agree, even as the man prattled on about something he had discovered in slowly increasing volume. Rei liked the noise, it felt familiar in the oddest of ways.

Like how they knew of Ingo but hadn't known Ingo.

Not before at least.

Ingo was one of the few they wanted to speak to.

“And I told her ‘he will be fine, Rei is a relentless train on sturdy tracks’, I believe she understood—”

“They.”

“Hm? Clarification is required Rei, it seems there was interference in your message.”

“My name is Rei,” they confirmed, holding the Starling to their chest, “and I am a they, not a him. Don't tell anyone.”

“Understood.”

And that was that.

Ingo was the only one they told.

They wondered if they regretted that, standing where they are now, staring down something they knew the name of.

“Arceus,” they hissed. “My name is Rei; you will return the displaced to their home.”

Their name was Rei.

They were from Unova.

They did not know where or what that was.

They had completed their mission.

And they were not going home alone.

Chapter Text

“Rei?”

That was how it started; with him calling out the name of the child he found himself in charge of.

He had come to check on them, had opened the door to their home and found it empty— no resident pokemon, no mess— it was clean and composed.

“He went out to do field work I think,” Lavington told him when he asked. “Took his main team with him if that tells you anything?”

It did not.

It also didn't help that Akari gave him the same answer.

Now, Rei was their own person— for all people whispered they acted like a shy toddler lacking any self preservation, Rei was strong, intelligent and generally knew what they were doing. So it wasn't as if Ingo had to keep an eye on the teen around the clock. But normally they would at least tell Ingo where they were going, and if not that then they would leave a note so he wouldn't worry, maybe leave a pokemon in their house to show at the very least they planned on coming back.

Yet clearly they hadn't left in a hurry, their spare clothes were missing and anything personal seemed to have vanished, like…

“Cyllene,” he finds himself greeting as he enters the main building, the women looking up from the papers scattered across her desk at him.

“Ah, Warden Ingo, how can I help you?” She's flat and straight forward, not unkind.

“You wouldn't happen to have sent Rei out would you?” he asks, skin already itching with the reminder of adrenaline shot through his system when he learned of the child's exile.

They cleaned out their home as if they didn't plan on returning, took everything important with them, and left without a word.

“Hm? No actually, you're looking for him then?” She turns, pointing in the direction of the mountain. “He actually came to inform me he wouldn't be able to take a mission, said he had something he needed to get done on the mountain. Surprised he didn't tell you.”

“As am I; I must depart then, thank you for this information.” He was gone before she could reply.

Rei had gone up the mountain with their favored pokemon after clearing up their home, only telling Cyllene where they were going and not why.

They had completely changed tracks from their normal schedule.

If they planned on leaving why would they not say goodbye? Did they simply plan to spend some time there studying as Professor Lavington implied? But then again, why not tell Ingo when they knew he would worry and go after them? None of it worked together, like a pebble thrown in a delicate engine.

He called Lady Sneasler.

They could not have made it up the mountain without the Lady’s help, so he would request her to take him to them and hope the child remained.

And of course no one else noted how odd this was, it wasn't as if any one here but Lavington took guardianship of the child; and it wasn't like Ingo would trust him after Rei’s exile…

Rei was waiting for him in the temple.

A swirling mass sat behind them, like the time-space rips from before but more stable; they lifted their head as they heard him approaching, a faint smile crossing their face.

They looked like they’d been run over at a crossroads. Their clothes were ripped and torn, sluggishly bleeding wounds staining old bandaids as Unova rested his head in their lap, their body resting against the beast's own.

“Rei?” he asks, approaching the child carefully, Rei’s eyes prying open and meeting his own.

They did not speak, instead attempting to pull themselves to their feet; Ingo found himself with the child's arm around his shoulder in support. Unova raised as well, the pokemon’s own wounds raw and clearly painful.

What had happened ? The only time Rei had looked this damaged was when they fought Lords…

Rei raised a hand, pointing at the portal with a smile, seeming proud of themselves for whatever they did.

“Did you cause that rift?” he asks them, frown deepening at their ecstatic nod; they looked up at him with such excitement as if he should know what this meant.

He found himself at a loss.

He could interpret most of Rei’s motions, knew what flapping hands meant versus stomping feet, but he was not a mind reader, and this really needed an explanation.

“Home,” Rei croaked with an impossible grin, “we can go home now.”

Home?

Home, somewhere he couldn't remember and neither could Rei, but somewhere they both wanted to go back to so desperately it hurt. Of course Rei would find a way to go back, and of course they would get hurt in the process.

Lady Sneasler was offering Unova berries, gazing at the rift with interest.

“Can only take one ‘mon,” Rei mumbles, wiggling their way under Ingo’s coat and clinging to his tunic, almost hiding under the tattered fabric. “Was the deal…” 

Deal? The more the child speaks the more concerned he grows. They are injured as if they just quelled a Lord, they found a way home, and somehow there was a deal within this that meant they could only take one of their partners back with them.

Lady Sneasler meets his gaze and he knows she's going with him, whether he wants her to or not.

“Alright Rei,” he states, standing straight as he pulls out his pokeballs, “we’ll go home.”

Because even if he didn't want to, he knew Rei would go; even if he’d rather stay, Rei would go. And he had promised himself he’d care for Rei, they were outsiders together. It helped that he did want to go, for all he had here something fierce ached in his chest, an empty expanding void at his side.

He says goodbye to his partners, watching them vanish off into the mountain range almost gleefully.

“Are you fit to travel, Rei?” he asks. The wounds are less than ideal if they don't know where they'll end up, and with how limp the child is it seems as though they’re about to collapse. Two years here and they were finally going home, but he could wait a few days more if it meant Rei would be alright.

“No time,” Rei answers in that almost tinny tone of theirs, pointing at Unova who seems fully healed now. It takes only moments to get Rei’s battered body situated on the pokemon’s back, Lady Sneasler on the flank opposite to Ingo.

“Safety checks complete,” he hums almost to himself, finding his volume raising as he stares down the portal. “All aboard!”

Chapter Text

Emmet by nature was an expressive person, energetic even, with his wild movements and gestures.

This had not changed, despite everything else falling to a different fate.

“It’s been ruled down to some sort of pokemon, that much had been clear for a while; what we've found is that it doesn't seem to be any common methods of kidnapping. We've made some progress finding the exact type of method used, but everything else is confidential, I'm sorry.”

“Thank you for updating me,” Emmet hummed, gazing up at Chandelure who seemed to be imitating their namesake. “His ghost type is still here, so at least you know you’re not looking for a body.”

It had been a month since Ingo’s vanishing act.

Emmet knew he should be worried, there were almost no leads after all.

But Chandelure remained chipper, and it wasn't as if they hadn't planned in case something like this happened.

Well, that was if one of them had to go to another region and the other would have to stay behind to run the subway, but it worked when one went missing. 

He hung up the call, running a hand through his hair before shaking his head and slamming a foot down on the floor.

Emmet knew he should be more distraught than he was, but he wasn't.

Not in any normal way at least, Elesa had made a point of mentioning how his stims had shifted from content to violently angry only a week after his brother vanished.

Emmet really couldn't tell what he was feeling beyond a hazy nothing.

Ingo had been missing for one month, the multi and single trains had been without a boss for a month, one of the managers had been filling in for Ingo’s side of paper work for a month.

Emmet’s only sign his brother was alive had been Chandelure for a month.

He cracks his back, then his knuckles, then rolls his neck, finally stilled to stare up at Chandelure again.

Ghost types moved on with their trainer, so Ingo was alive.

He needed to document the day's events, so Ingo would know what had happened during his absence.

Because it was just an absence, because Ingo was alive, and if Ingo was alive he would come home.

He had to.

—

They emerged on a mountain. 

Rei wasn't sure if they expected anything different.

Everything still hurt, and they buried themselves into Unova’s mane as the chill nipped at their open wounds.

“I see lights,” Ingo told them, “it won’t take us long, we will get you better repaired.”

They didn't respond, clinging to Unova as they started to move.

They were tired and cold and sore, but they were home.

Almost.

This is Sinnoh; they don’t know how they know that, but they know this is Sinnoh.

They can hear Lady Sneaseler forging ahead of them, can hear Ingo’s soft voice reassuring them it was alright.

They wished there had been time to heal.

They hadn’t known how long the portal would last, they hadn't even known if the demand would work .

“What the-- oh my Arceus, what happened to you two!” a strange voice shouted, snow crunching as footsteps approached.

“Rei was attacked,” Ingo states, “we need somewhere to rest.” 

His voice is so straightforward, commanding even.

“Of course of course, come on, the ranger station is a few minutes out, we can get you both patched up there,” the person states, Rei hearing Lady Sneasler and Unova growl as something warm is placed over them.

They start to squirm as they’re picked up before they’re placed on something much warmer than Unova.

“Arcanine can keep them warm until we get to the station,” the person states, and the world starts to bounce again. “With all those open cuts they’re more susceptible to frostbite, so we have to hurry!”

They'll be ok, they know that.

Their name is Rei.

They are from Unova.

They are traveling with Ingo.

They know those things, and they cling to them as it seems as if the world is slipping from their grasp.

They want to pry an eye open, just to make sure everyone is still there.

It’s warm, but it’s not warm enough, but it’s too warm.

And then it’s even warmer.

“Look alive people, we got injured!”

They’re being moved again, and they have to squirm; it’s not Ingo, they know Ingo.

They do not know this unknown.

They whine, and it’s pitiful; they are strong, they can protect themselves.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” they hear Ingo say, “they are helping, remain idle during repairs.”

They flare out a hand, struggling to keep their eyes open.

They need something familiar, they don’t know what’s going on.

And they're so very tired…

“Hey, hey, Rei was it? Your old man’s not going anywhere, we just need to stitch you up ok?” It’s the stranger again, their voice is calm, they are not familiar.

“Just keep um calm, we just need to see the damage and get some first aid in, soon as the upcoming blizzard clears we can get them better care.”

A calloused hand is holding theirs.

“You are in much worse condition than you let on, Rei,” they hear Ingo hiss.

They feel warmth all around them.

Had Arceus really hurt them so horribly?

They thought they could go on, they had wrapped everything properly right?

“Electrical burns, check the heartbeat; several lacerations on their arms and legs; bruised rib, from the looks of it possibly cracked.”

They manage to crack one eye open.

Ingo looks pale.

Paler than normal, worry tugging at the shape of his frown.

“I’ll heal,” they whisper; lead dragged at their throat, but they have to tell him that they will be ok, they always are.

“I should have made you stay down,” Ingo tells them, “you’re more damaged than I thought”

They hum, closing the eye.

They are very tired.

“Heartbeat’s fine, no swelling of the tongue or muscle spasms.”

“Minor then, head damage?”

They hear Ingo this time, as he squeezes their hand.

“Rei is responding to questions and is coherent.” His voice is stiff again, commanding. “All motor control errors are closer to lethargy than head trauma.”

They are very tired.

“Alright, let them rest then-”

That's all the confirmation they need to let the world go dark.

—

“We've done all we can, as soon as the storm passes we’ll get you two to a proper center,” the person states calmly. 

Rei’s breath was deep, their body lax; it seemed like as soon as they got the ok they shut down. They were so much more hurt than Ingo had thought-- nothing critical apparently, but bad all the same. Seeing them wrapped up in bandages now, he wished he had seen how injured they were and not allowed them to move.

“Are you injured at all?” the medic asks, turning her gaze to him now that Rei was handled.

“Nothing recent, Rei was the only one attacked,” he confirms; he can feel Lady Sneasler’s and Unova’s gaze locked on the two of them, the pair of pokemon agitated but politely staying out of the way.

“You did good, it would have been much worse if you had stayed where you were,” the medic comforts him with a gentle smile.

“What attacked Rei?” the one who found them asks, frowning as they pull out a pad of paper.

“I do not know, Rei had gone alone and this is the state Rei was in when I caught up,” he states, gesturing the two pokemon over; Lady Sneasler settles behind him while Unova shoos away the nurse and settles around his trainer. “Unova was in a similar state until Lady Sneasler fed him some berries.”

The person hummed, writing on the pad.

“Any reason you and your kid were on the mountain when a storm warning was up?”

“We did not know where we were.” He does not bother to correct that Rei wasn’t his child, he was in charge of them so technically they were, in a way.

“We still do not know where we are,” he then admits, taking off his hat and placing it on Lady Snealser’s own head; she's startled by it, enough where she stops growling.

“Mount Coronet,” the savior offers helpfully. “So that’s Rei, and you are?”

“Ingo.”

“Last name?”

“We do not remember either of our last names,” he hums. “Rei is from Unova, however, if that helps at all.”

“Unova?” the savior questions, raising an eyebrow.

“We believe I am as well, but I do not remember.”

“Memory issues, huh?” the savior muses. “And from Unova of all places too… alright, I’m going to send out a request to the main station to see if they've got anything on you two, missing persons maybe, we’ll figure it out from there alright?”

“Affirmative,” Ingo answers, watching as the two scurry out of the room they were placed in. 

It reminds him of the medical home within the Pearl Clan, only cleaner and more advanced.

“Well Rei,” he whispers to the sleeping child, “we’re closer to our destination than ever…”

Chapter Text

Emmet woke up to his xtransceiver ringing.

It was midnight.

With a sigh he heaved himself up, answering it as he rubbed his eyes free of crust.

“I am Emmet,” he greeted.

“Hello Emmet Brookes, current Subway Master of Gear Station?” The voice was formal— in the way of someone who had done this thousands of times but was still nervous.

“That Emmet,” he confirms, opening his eyes to stare at the screen.

“We have reason to believe your brother has been found.”

That woke him up.

“What? Where? Is he ok?” He’s pacing now, a hand rustling his hair almost frantically.

“Rangers stationed on Mount Coronet in Sinnoh came across your brother, as well as an unidentified teen going by the name of Rei, just before a blizzard. Rei was severely injured but your brother was mostly uninjured; the two are currently resting at the hospital in Jubilife city.”

He couldn't speak, the hand not holding his xtransceiver flapping wildly. His brother, they had found him! He was ok!

“Your brother seems to have some form of non-physical amnesia, it’s currently unknown if it’s caused by a pokemon or just stress— but it will likely be a few weeks before your brother can come home, so I would encourage you to go to him.”

Emmet finds himself nodding as he kicks his old suitcase out from under his bed, tossing the xtransceiver away when the person hangs up the call.

They had found Ingo!!

—

“You can't eat if you’re hiding.”

Rei frowned, curling up into a tighter ball.

They were under Ingo’s coat, resting on his chest.

Everything was foggy and hazy and it scared them to have so many people around, so the second they could they had taken Ingo’s coat and used it as a blanket, hiding from the wretched things that were humans .

Ingo wasn't too warm or too cold, and the people had allowed him to sit with Rei as they poked them with things.

“You do have to eat Rei, and I can’t eat until you do.”

That convinced them to poke their head out of their haven, staring at the grey eyes of their mattress.

“They act like a weary Starling,” the person with their food laughed.

They weren't a Starling though, they were Rei.

They keep the coat wrapped around their shoulders as they settle on the edge of the bed and grab an apple from the plate of food, curling around it and beginning to pick at it before staring at Ingo expectantly.

He follows their lead.

That's good, Ingo’s frail and that isn't good.

They nibbled at the apple in their hands; they weren't hungry, not with so many strangers and people around.

Not like the village where there’d been so few people, and Rei knew what those people were like.

They didn't know what was going on here.

They never saw the same person twice.

Unova was in his Pokeball, and Lady Sneasler was resting at the foot of the bed, glaring at the door with a protective rage.

The food person had left; Ingo had them tucked into his side under his coat.

The coat was nice.

It was heavy and dark, a good hiding place when there were untrustworthy and unknown people about.

They much preferred Pokémon to people.

The door opened.

It was the person who helped them— he smiled at them, his name was Lee.

“Good news! Ingo we managed to get in contact with your family; he’ll be on his way and will likely show up sometime soon. The police are taking over the case though, so I have to head back to the station. Came to say bye and to wish you two luck!”

Lee was a Ranger— Rei knew of Rangers but couldn't remember what they did.

“Thank you sir Lee, your help has been much appreciated,” Ingo spoke, bowing his head; Rei found themselves mimicking him.

“Hey it’s no issue, we’re going to try and find that Pokémon that attacked lil’ Rei here so that's going to be fun, don't get lost before a blizzard again ok?” Lee smiles and waves as he leaves.

Lee was ok, Rei decided, trustworthy but someone they wouldn't cry over leaving.

“Alright, done with your apple? Looks like they got us sandwiches for our main meal.”

Rei handed over the apple core, accepting the food with a soft hum.

It was still too bright, but Ingo was here, Unova was here, Lady Snealser was here.

They were protected.

They start to eat.

—

There's a line of butterfly bandages running over Rei’s face. It goes from their temple to their eyebrow on their right flank. They’re eating slowly, pressed into Ingo’s left side, eyes flitting to the door with familiar anxiety.

There's stitches littering their arms and bandages holding burn cream to their skin that wrap lightly around their chest. With the grime washed away he can see how their knuckles are rubbed raw, how bruising spreads across their collarbone.

They look odd, sitting in the white hospital gown instead of wrapped up in the layers of their uniform— bigger almost, now that they aren't dwarfed by the cloth, but still too small, the bones of their wrist are sharp and they've pulled his coat over their head to form a kind of cave.

He offers Lady Sneasler the berries that came with their meal; they’re squishy in a way that Ingo knows would cause both him and Rei to lose any appetite they had, and it was already enough of a struggle to convince the child to eat anything other than potato mochi.

He was honestly a bit surprised they didn't turn up their nose at the meal before them.

With Rei and Lady Sneasler eating he turned his thoughts onto a different track, the fact he apparently had family. It made sense, they were home now supposedly, the family was likely the person who looked like him. What was interesting was that they contacted his family, but not Rei’s.

He wouldn't go anywhere until Rei had either been returned to their family or was going with him. Rei was his responsibility until their parents or other guardians arrived, he would follow through with that.

Maybe his family would bring a spare coat. 

While he had done his best to keep his in good condition— keeping it as clean as he could and stitching it together when that was an option— even he would admit that it was held together with a prayer at this point. Rei seemed to find it as comforting as he had, maybe now that they were home he could make one for Rei with the pleasant fabric. Maybe even add a hood, so Rei wouldn’t have to pull the neck up.

Or he could just give Rei one of his spares, he had to have those right? 

He was honestly surprised he and Rei were in the same room, what with how many tubes where running from Rei’s arm. They had attempted to seperate them, saying that they had to make sure Ingo wasn't hurt. 

Rei had started wailing at the mere mention of it. Ingo had a feeling the mix of strangers, new smells, and odd stimuli had already put Rei on the edge of tears— the added idea of being alone had more than likely nudged them on the side of almost-meltdown.

He glanced back down at Rei with that thought, reaching over and tugging gently on their arm so they would remove their wrist from their mouth.

At least it wasn't a sleeve or scarf this time.

Chapter Text

Stepping off the plane felt like victory.

Emmet could feel jet lag pulling at him already— the time difference between Unova and Sinnoh was something fierce— but he was here! And so was Ingo!

Now all he had to do was drop his things off at the hotel room he had rented, text Elease to tell her he had made it fine, report to the Sinnoh police who he was and how he was involved in the case, see Ingo again, and maybe take a nap.

Not in that order.

Elease tells him to keep her updated, the hotel staff are very pleasant as they direct him to his room.

Two down.

He takes Ingo’s trainer bag with him as he heads to the police station; it has everything Ingo would need now that he was back— some assorted fidgets Emmet didn't know they still owned, casual clothes, his preferred spare jacket, his xtrans, and, most importantly, his team.

Emmet himself isn't in uniform; as comfortable as their uniform is, he’s trying not to bring attention to himself. Ingo will likely need recovery time, and that means avoiding the media asking why Subway Boss Emmet is in Sinnoh for some reason.

He's twirling a tangle around his fingers when he enters the station, the grin on his face genuine instead of a mask for the first time in a month.

He confirms his identity, then tells the officers running the case in Sinnoh everything he knows.

Ingo had been investigating odd lights in a closed section of the railway while Emmet led him via camera; Ingo had told Emmet he heard something before he vanished abruptly— no sound made, and not even static on the cameras. His team and flashlight had been left behind, but everything else had vanished with him. 

He didn't know anyone named Rei, teen or otherwise.

They thanked him, then told him that Ingo would likely have to stay in Jubilife for at least a few more days before Emmet would be cleared to take him home.

And then he was on his way to the hospital.

Hospitals always bothered him.

The smell was grating and it was far too bright. The person at the desk was nice at least, even as the squeak of shoes on the floor caused his head to jerk to his shoulder in agitation.

Walking down the hall to Ingo’s room had him playing with the tangle again in one hand, the other flexing around the strap of Ingo’s trainer bag.

He took in a breath at the door.

Ingo had amnesia, they weren't sure if it was from stress or a Pokémon yet, but they knew it wasn't permanent at least; this did not change the fact that Ingo might not recognize him.

He had to steel himself for non-recognition.

He wasn't good with change, Ingo handled change best— it was only because of plans Ingo made that Emmet had taken Ingo’s disappearance in a somewhat shaky stride.

He knocked on the door.

—

The knock scared them.

Rei froze for only a moment, grabbing Unova’s Pokeball and carefully sliding off both Ingo and the bed to the side where all the tubes led, crouching so they were hidden and holding Ingo’s coat close.

Lady Sneasler’s ears were perked, staring down the door with bared teeth and a low growl.

Ingo sighed, peering over the bed at Rei.

“It’s likely just a nurse Rei, you have nothing to fear.”

Rei frowned at him, flipping the latch on Unova’s Pokeball threateningly.

Lady Sneasler was allowed out because she refused to go into her Pokeball (not that she had one) or be separate from her Warden; Unova was even more aggressive than her when Rei was being threatened.

Rei would use Unova if they had to.

“Would you like me to check?” he asks them calmly.

This had happened everyday during lunch the past two days— Rei would hide and Ingo would check.

Rei nods, peering around the foot of the bed and over Lady Sneasler at the door again.

Ingo hums, standing and opening the door.

Ingo stood behind the door…

…But it wasn't Ingo.

“You’re not a nurse…?” Ingo said, Lady Sneasler letting out a confused sound as Rei stood.

“I am not a nurse,” the other Ingo said, “I am Emmet.”

Their voice is quieter than Ingo’s, stilted and clipped.

Emmet.

They knew emmet.

Because everyone knew Emmet and Ingo.

Because they were Emmet and Ingo.

Emmet isn't dressed like Ingo.

Emmet has a nice-fabric-looking white hoodie on instead of the coat, a bag over his shoulder, and something colorful in one hand.

Rei knows Emmet.

Emmet and Ingo.

Their name is Rei.

And Emmet and Ingo are a pair.

These are facts.

They flick Unova's latch back into place.

—

The click of a Pokeball latch draws Ingo’s attention away from Emmet and the headache he brings. He turns his head, frowning at seeing Rei chewing on the part of their hand below the thumb, Unova’s Pokeball in hand but latched now.

“Come in then,” he hums, hurrying over to the child and pulling their hand out of their mouth. It’s not the worst of their habits and can usually be solved by giving them his hat, where they'll fiddle with the pin on it instead of biting things— but he’s fairly sure his coat has lost more of its collar because of Rei’s biting than anything else.

And that cannot be good for Rei’s mouth, or throat for that matter.

They're already picking at the buttons on Ingo’s coat when Ingo stops the chewing, thankfully— he still hadn’t found something they could safely chew, so this would have to do. With Rei handled he turned back to Emmet.

Just thinking the name makes it feel like a Steelix sent an iron tail through his skull.

“You’re the one who looks like me?” he asks, looking Emmet up and down. It definitely seemed like it at least…

Emmet nods as he steps inside, closing the door behind him and taking off the bag.

“This is yours,” Emmet tells him, “it has your things.” 

He accepts the bag, herding Rei back onto the bed and sitting on the edge as the child nestles into his side. He opens the bag, eyes zeroing in on a mass of black fabric immediately. Pulling it out, it’s exactly what he hoped it would be— his coat. One not ripped by Pokémon, not chewed on by Rei or, on the rare occasion that he's out of it enough, himself.

Rei is staring at it like it’s alien.

In a way it is— the fabric isn’t tattered, the colors aren’t faded. He’s never seen his coat in such a good state of existence. The sight scratches at his mind, memories he should have aching and crying and hurting. 

He puts on the coat and it settles far more comfortably than his old one, tattered as it is.

“You can keep that one for now,” he tells Rei, whose eyes gleam. “We need to get you one that isn't falling apart at the seams, though.”

He goes back to digging in his bag. There's some soft clothes he’ll probably change into the next time Rei manages to sleep, a device he knows but can't name, some Pokeballs he recognizes but doesn’t, and…

Ah, just what he was thinking of when he noticed Rei’s chewing habit.

It’s just a stick on a cord— he can't remember what material it is, but he knows it won't hurt Rei’s teeth. He had a couple of these, didn’t he? He thinks he should clean it first; he likely cleaned it before, but he can't quite remember.

He tugs at the collar of his old coat when he sees Rei chewing on it out of the corner of his eye.

Emmet is awfully quiet.

Ingo looks up, holding out the chewing thing.

“Wash this please.”

Emmet’s moving before he’s even finished the sentence.

He pulls out the Pokeballs next, turning them over in his hand. He knows them, more than he ever did his other team— he knows every nick and indicator of who's in who— he knows who he's calling out as he selects one in particular.

He knows the cry of the Pokémon he releases.

Chapter Text

Emmet isn’t sure what he's feeling.

He never does really— except when he's having fun, he knows that feeling.

This is not fun.

Ingo called him “the one that looked like him”…

Not his twin, not even his brother.

Add onto that he seems more focused on the kid than himself or Emmet, and it’s something he can't name.

He’s following the direction Ingo gave him before his twin even finishes his sentence.

He sits by as Ingo interacts with Chandelure, the child latched onto his side watching the Pokémon with a starstruck gaze.

They don't know what happened to Ingo— they have no idea who this kid is other than Ingo didn’t refute when the Rangers and hospital staff called him their father.

And isn't that worrying.

Ingo had been gone a month, no more— yet somehow he's got a fifteen year old kid, an unknown weird looking Sneasel who's still watching Emmet, and on top of it all has some form of amnesia.

…But he's home.

He's alive.

That's all that matters.

Any other emotions are unnecessary, Emmet is happy because he's seeing Ingo again.

That's it, nothing else.

Absolutely nothing else.

—

Rei knew Chandelure.

They knew it was Ingo’s partner, and seeing the two next to each other felt right.

They know a lot of things.

They know Ingo looks better in the non-ruined coat.

They know Emmet is important to Ingo, that Emmet was who Ingo was missing.

It was good Emmet was here, amazing even, because it was Emmet and Ingo, not or .

Lady Sneasler and Chandelure were interacting, they almost looked like they were talking.

Emmet was giving them the stick thing.

They took it, biting down.

It didn't hurt their teeth too badly.

They kept chewing as Ingo let out the rest of his team.

They really want to let Unova out now, just so the Pokémon could meet.

Ingo’s team was swarming him, Lady Sneasler trying to bat them away so they wouldn't suffocate him.

They turned Unova’s Pokeball over in their hands.

Unova could wait until there was room.

—

His head hurts as if it’d been run over a few dozen times. It’s the same feeling he gets whenever he starts to remember— the memories will gradually fill in the pain until his head no longer hurts. The same had happened when he recalled in the past and he knew it would happen now.

That didn't stop him from clenching his teeth as pain filled his skull, Pokémon he knew and loved but couldn't remember the names of swarming around him. Rei pressed into his side is a good grounding point, as was Lady Sneasler trying to give him space.

He had raised Chandelure from an egg, hadn't he? He could feel some pain ebbing away already, washed away by the memory of finding some random egg in the forest. Emmet had helped him identify its typing hadn't he? It was their first ever Pokémon, and the very next night Emmet had woken Ingo up hadn't he? He had been sopping wet, holding an egg of his own.

He had never figured out if Emmet had really found it or if he flat out stole it.

And following that train of logic, he and Emmet had done everything together hadn't they? Right, they had— no one else was like them, so they had stuck together. What had Rei told him about their memories? That he wasn't meant to be alone? That was because of the one who looked like him—- that was Emmet, wasn’t it?

“Emmet, come here,” he stated, patting the bed to his right.

Rei always stood on his left; a look of distress would always cross their face if they stood to his right. Maybe that's because it was…

It was Emmet’s spot, he realized the second Emmet settled at his right. That was where Emmet always was.

He reached out with an arm, pulling Emmet into a side hug from his shoulders.

“Twins, right? That's what we are, right? And we raised Chandelure and Eelektross together, right?”

Oh shit Emmet was crying—

Chapter Text

All it took was seeing them again and Ingo remembered.

The hug did help with the roiling mass of unknown he was keeping trapped under his gut, the kind of hug Ingo did when he wanted contact but knew Emmet hated it.

He hadn't realized how much he missed hugging his brother.

Ingo had panicked when he started crying, froze up like he wasn't sure what to do.

It took a few minutes before Emmet could answer his question.

How could he not cry— seconds earlier Ingo didn't recognize him, yet just moments with reminders and he recalled something vital to how their relationship grew as kids!

Maybe just talking about it would help, even!

…He couldn't stay in the hospital forever, when the kid started to headbutt Ingo’s arm he was shooed out, which again brought up the emotions Emmet wasn't able to name.

He was happy though, Ingo was back and recovering quickly.

Ingo’s Pokémon and bag stayed behind.

He finds himself sprawled across his hotel bed when he calls Elease, one leg kicking out at air every once in a while, ruining the bed spread.

“Hey Emmet!” Elease’s voice filled his attention. “What happened, come on tell me, is he ok?”

“Mhm, memories recovering fast too,” he confirms, “kid’s in the same room as him though.”

“Aww they’re roommates? That’s so sweet.” There’s a false tinge to Elease’s words, an undertone that bothers him.

“More like bed mates, kid was wearing his coat too,” he hummed, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. “Like when you go in cus of an ear infection and are scared, so you lay on your parent.”

“Not all of us have had double ear infections Emmet.”

“Really.” His face scrunches up at that as he twists the tangle in his hands. “Me and Ingo did though…”

“I think that means it’s genetic.”

“Is it?”

“Wait let me look it up, I’m fairly sure it is?”

“We’re going off topic,” Emmet hummed, tracing the patterns in the ceiling.

“Oh wait, right, sorry— so Ingo’s taking care of the kid?”

“Mhm.”

“That's sweet, also kind of sad.”

“Hm?”

“Like, they showed up together right? So clearly wherever Ingo went the kid was there too, so whatever they went through they went through it together. Kid was probably terrified, and knowing Ingo…”

“He was the only thing stable,” Emmet muttered, something else ringing through him now, like a loose train car on unstable tracks.

“Or familiar even, the kid was the one who knew they were from Unova, right? Ingo might have been the only thing they recognized if they've been in Sinnoh this whole time.”

“Mh.”

That was…

Something.

Maybe that was why Ingo was so focused on the kid.

Watching over a passenger would have been familiar, even with his memories gone; they had spent years taking care of trains and the people who rode them. 

Lost children, teens with nowhere to go, people who rode the tracks because what else did they have?

“I hope they find the kid’s family soon,” Elease hums, “I bet they want to go home really bad.”

“Yeah,” Emmet finds himself agreeing, joy roaring through him, “I hope so too.”

—

“And you’re absolutely sure your name is Rei? Rei isn't a nickname of some kind?”

Rei thinks these people ask too many questions.

They have hats like Ingo but they’re so stiff, and the symbol on them is different.

And they make them talk .

They hate talking.

They nod.

Talking is like eating something other than beni’s potato mochi, or when they have to scrub off all the dirt on them.

It’s not pleasant, and they would rather not.

“Rei has only ever answered to that name,” Ingo hums, running a brush through Rei’s hair again, careful of the snarls that formed in their sleep. “Rei shared with me that the only thing that was remembered that may help is how Rei recognized Oshawott.”

“An Oshawatt?” the person hummed, Rei watching with delight as Lady Sneasler carefully began cutting their shoelaces without them noticing.

“Yes, is there anything else you'd like to know.” Ingo’s tone sounded like he was about to snap, and the fingers carefully detangling their hair were stiff.

“We’d like to hear it from the child themself actually,” one said, “so we have it on record.”

Lady Sneasler was done with one shoe, moving onto the other.

They where trying to help, Rei knew.

But Rei also knew they wouldnt find anything.

“My name is Rei,” they mumbled. “I’m from Unova. I recognized Oshawatt.”

Rei did not exist.

They weren't sure how they knew, but they knew they didn't exist.

They did technically, but no one was looking for them.

Rei knew that.

Besides, they really don't want to separate from Ingo and Emmet.

Rei knew they existed, but that didn't mean anyone else did.

Or ever would.

—

Rei was shaking.

That’s what had Ingo so agitated. It was subtle, and he was only really able to tell because of how it made Rei’s hair shiver in his fingers, but Rei was shaking. Rei was a brave kid with most things— they were the only one who ever fought against the wild Alphas Ingo had, they had faced down frenzied Lords, and had even gone back to the place that exiled them with little more than a sorry.

But Ingo knew more than anyone that people scared Rei.

Not all people of course— Akari and Lavington never had that effect, and the only reason they had asked for Emmet to be removed was because they were exhausted, not afraid— but these people, their questions and prodding, scared Rei. They were already under duress; maybe if they had Unova out they could weather it, or if there wasn't a new nurse every day, or if it was Ingo asking them instead of strangers, or if the lights would stop buzzing and if the tubes were removed, maybe if Lady Sneasler was calm— maybe maybe maybe all sorts of things, Rei would be able to stand it.

But the point stood that Rei was shaking and these people kept pushing. And Ingo had a feeling they wouldn't stop pushing. If there was family in Rei’s life, surely by now they would have remembered something? It took very little for Emmet to reenter Ingo’s consciousness, yet Rei never claimed anything of the sort, the opposite even— the few moments they felt talkative after waking up that morning they had mumbled about how they wondered “what our home is like”.

Our home, plural; not Rei’s, his and Emmets and now Rei’s.

If no one came forward to claim Rei with Rei’s name then maybe there was no one for them to go to. And if so, Ingo would take over. He had promised to take care of them, and he would follow through with that.

“I’ll have to request you leave,” he finds himself stating, tone cold. “We’ve told you everything we know, and until Rei’s family is found they will be in my care.”

“With all du—”

“ Rei is under my care .” He looks up from where he’s brushing the child's hair, staring down the officer with the coldest warning look he can manage; he can hear Lady Sneasler start to growl in agitation, likely sensing her Warden’s upset. “Is there a problem with that?”

“N- no sir,” one officer said as they fled the room.

“We really need to get out of here,” he huffs, “if not for our sake then Lady Sneasler’s, I think she’s going stir crazy.”

Lady Sneasler huffs in response— it’s a displeased one, but in a way that tells him she doesn't mind too fiercely. He still feels awful though, there was nothing his Lady hated more than to be contained, and they’d been here for four days already; they truly did need to depart from this infurationing station, and soon .

He sighs, reaching over to the remote and pressing the call button. He would just have to ask the staff how exactly they would grow to be allowed to depart.

Chapter Text

“You'll be cleared for release in an hour or so,” Emmet hummed, watching how his brother twitched in agitation.

Neither of them really liked hospitals, likely never would.

“And after that?” Ingo huffed, his own gaze on the kid, who sat on the floor with the weird Sneasel licking their hair.

“Bout a five hour flight back to Unova.” The kid’s head perks up at that, like a Lilpup recognizing their nickname. “Then it’s just a matter of getting you resettled.”

Ingo hummed at that, fingers drumming on the bedside.

“We have a spare room, right? I can't quite recall…”

“Mhm.” He was remembering things remarkably fast— Ingo’s doctor had informed Emmet they were fairly sure the amnesia was a traumatic response, disso something— his recovery wouldn't be linear and it was Emmet’s job to remind him of anything he might forget.

And also to get him therapy, but that was a given.

“Good, that's good, Rei will want their own space.”

Something reared up then, like a manic Rapidash within Emmet’s gut.

There was never any talk of the kid coming with.

The kid was going to their own family.

They had to be.

“Hm?” was what came out instead.

“Rei will want their own space,” Ingo repeated, said child having a small smile grace their face, “and they would feel guilty taking my room, so it’s good we have a spare.”

The kid was going home with them.

And again, Ingo is thinking of Rei before himself.

Apparently, Ingo hadn’t let himself be examined until Rei had fallen asleep, and even then had allegedly been anxious until he was returned to the same room as Rei.

The examiners had found a gruesome treasure trove of wounds.

Poorly healed fractures, kyphosis caused by spinal injury, malnourishment, dehydration, lightning scars, burns.

Injuries— dangerous ones— that had been cared for, if poorly.

And neither would speak of where they had been, even growing agitated if pressed.

Only those two and whatever took them knew what happened.

And that…

That was a very, verrrry bad thing.

—

Rei trusted Emmet.

That they were sure of.

Emmet was Ingo’s other half; that fact helped a lot.

But what really sold them, was how he talked.

He talked like Rei talked— as in he didn't, not really.

He moved.

And Rei knew what he was thinking because of how they moved.

They knew he didn't like them very much, which was fair, Rei wouldn’t like a stranger forcing themselves into their life either.

They knew he was worried for Ingo, which they understood, Ingo looked like an Alpha Arcananine’s chew toy most of the time.

They knew he was happy Ingo was back, yet frustrated things weren’t back to normal yet.

Rei knew he hated this place, too.

Rei wondered if he could tell what they were saying.

They do try to tell him— that they’re sorry to intrude, that they understand.

He doesn't seem to be listening.

He grows even more upset when Ingo informs him Rei will be going home with them.

Rei understands.

Everyone was expecting Rei to have a family to go home to.

Yet Rei did not.

So Rei would go home with Ingo.

Lady Sneasler rumbled, she understood.

Pokémon were easier to understand than most humans.

They talked too, they didn't hide.

Hopefully Emmet would start listening…

Rei would hate to keep being hated.

—

How big was their apartment again? Did they still live in the apartment even? Hadn’t they been looking for houses, so they had more room for their teams? Had they already moved and Ingo had forgotten? They should have room for Rei either way, but what about Lady Sneasler and Unova? Lady Sneasler would require them to be on the edge of the city after all. What about the subway? Was that still in good shape? He had been gone for two years, had Emmet been able to handle it? 

What about Rei? Schooling? What grade was Rei even in, would they need personal tutoring? Would they start remembering when they reached Unova? How old was Rei? They seemed fifteen but they didn't remember their actual age when asked. Legally Rei didn't exist apparently, at least not under the name Rei, would they need to go through a legal process for that? He couldn't remember what ‘legally exists’ even truly meant.

His own memories were an issue as well, but they could wait— he knew who Emmet was, and that was all that was vital.

And, of course, there was the issue of traveling with Lady Sneasler.

As uncomfortable as it made him, to fly all Pokémon needed to be balled, and that meant Lady Sneasler would need to be captured.

“You’re telling me a wild Pokémon has been in your hospital room this entire time and no one noticed?” Emmet had asked after Ingo explained the situation.

“She is not mine to own,” he admits, “I plan to release her as soon as we are home.”

The Lady is oddly agreeable to the situation, her trust in Ingo heart wrenching.

Which makes the next issue all the more difficult.

There's a person in a lab coat at the airport who approaches them rather rushedly. They are huffing and wheezing as they stop the three of them. Emmet seems confused as Rei tucks themself further into Ingo’s side.

They can't hide in his coat at the moment, both of the coats were tucked away in his bag as to not draw attention… Which makes this person’s approach all the odder. They catch their breath, straightening up and composing themself.

“Im Jarad from the Pokémon Preservation Society, you’re the one with the Sneasler, correct?” At Ingo’s confused confirmation they nod. “I’ll have to request you relinquish ownership of it.”

Rei snarls. It’s not a quiet growl like they might do to someone getting too close, or a soft whimper like when there’s too much going on, it’s an aggressive, guttural snarl, more similar to how they acted around the bandits than anything else.

Emmet butts in then, putting on a wide smile as he stands between Ingo and the person.

“I’m afraid anything to do with my brother at the moment must stay with my brother. The fact you even know of his Pokémon is highly suspicious. I suggest you move along.”

The person seems to bristle at that, puffing up their chest and hardening their stare.

“That variant you have is thought to have gone extinct, it is my employers job to preserve such Pokémon, if you have any mo—”

“Oh would you look at that, our plane’s been called. Come on you two, we should go.” Emmet’s smile is vicious now, and if Ingo were to glance down he's sure Rei would be baring their teeth in the exact same way.

Extinct huh?

That thought sticks with Ingo as they board the plane, guiding Rei through all the procedures he only half remembers and making sure they don't bite the flight attendant greeting them as they enter. It was a very real possibility with how jumpy the child was, their jaw was clenched so hard he thought he heard something crack.

They claimed the window seat and Emmet took the aisle, leaving Ingo in the middle. Rei seemed to settle the second they got to stare out the window, going lax and relatively still. Emmet still seemed agitated, glancing around as if he expected the lab coat person to pop out of the walls. He finds himself nudging his brother with an elbow, raising an eyebrow when he gets Emmet’s attention.

That seems to settle him.

At some point in the flight Rei falls asleep, curling up in their seat and leaning on him. Emmet seems impatient the entire way home. Ingo is left to marvel over the view; he can see why it lulled Rei to sleep. He can remember the time Lord Bravariary landed in the training ground with a sleeping Rei latched onto his back. This view wasn’t dissimilar to the one back then, with the swirling clouds creating a kind lullaby to the senses.

He wonders what happened, back in Sinnoh after they left. Even he will admit it was rather abrupt, no goodbyes or explanation for what was going on. He wonders what will happen to Lady Sneasler’s children, they were fully grown sure but one would have to take the mantle now with their mother gone. Who would replace him as Warden? Were they cursed when they left, were they grieved?

Rei had said there wasn't time, yet he still wishes there was.

He supposes it doesn't matter now, gazing out over the endless ocean below.

After all… they were home.

Chapter Text

Rei posed a problem.

Now, under normal circumstances they would not— taking in lost children was something he and Ingo had prepared for, emergency and long-term foster licenses had been acquired and maintained for quite some time.

So that wasn't the problem.

The problem came with everything else .

No one had told Emmet that Ingo was intending to keep Rei, which meant in the two hours before Rei and Ingo were released, Emmet had to figure out and fix a couple of things that— had he known from the start— he could have fixed in a non-rushed manner.

The first was figuring out where Rei was meant to go when returned to Unova, which meant calling the police, who rerouted him to a law office, who redirected him to someone else, and the game of hot potato kept going until he finally got to a foster agency in charge of Rei’s case.

Then it was a matter of talking with a caseworker about Rei being under his care, because apparently Ingo’s license was partially invalid due to his state, which meant Emmet would have to be the child's primary legal caretaker.

Then it was discussing how Rei’s legal files were being created, asking for forms to be delivered to the house, setting up appointments with various doctors to determine Rei’s age, heritage, and therapy as required for him to be the primary caregiver, house visits to ensure Rei was being taken care of, confirming dates, and, finally , ending the discussion on Rei’s citizenship.

Which left twenty minutes to talk with Ingo before the two were released and it was time to get on the airplane.

He thought it would be smooth sailing until they got home from there, maybe he could even sneak in an hour or two nap— but of course that wasn't the case.

Oh how he hated thieves dressed as good people.

Rei seemed to agree with him, acting just as agitated as Emmet managed to steer them out of that mess without having to pull out Eelektross.

He found himself unable to relax on the plane either; Ingo seemed unbothered, and the kid had calmed down once they were in the air, but he found himself wound up like a spring.

He had so much to do still— he would have to fill in for Ingo until he was recovered enough to return to work, then he had to jump through the legal hoops that were Rei’s condition…

At least until they managed to track down the kid’s family.

They would do that, right? There had to be records of the kid somewhere, right ?

They’d do DNA testing and all that— the kid had to have been born to someone after all, it wasn't like human children could just…

Show up.

Someone was looking for Rei, right? Family, friends? 

…Anyone?

—

No one was looking for Rei.

They weren’t sure how they knew, but that was the truth.

They had been abandoned before— exiled before— there were only so many people that could have been, even if they didn't remember the faces.

They wondered how long it would take people to realize that, people other than Ingo and Emmet.

They had heard Emmet talking back in the room; they knew he was keeping them.

The flight was nice, the rock and shaking of the plane soothing enough with a nice view where they managed to fall asleep.

Waking up was unpleasant.

There was speech and movement, and as they blinked their eyes open they saw they were on the ground again.

They couldn’t help but feel disappointed at that.

They stood up with Ingo, tugging at their scarf.

Their uniform had been returned to them, along with bad scratchy clothes they had ignored.

Apparently their uniform wasn’t meant to be worn anymore, but the people couldn't force Rei to wear anything else.

Emmet was talking to someone on his phone thing again almost as soon as they were off the plane, giving Ingo a smile while ignoring Rei.

Rei understood, they would ignore them too if they were in Emmet’s situation.

No one likes parasitic strangers.

Emmet grabs the bag he came with, not leaving Ingo’s right as he steers them through the place.

It’s too loud in Rei’s opinion— there’s so many people all in a rush.

They recognize the person waiting outside.

Anyone would recognize Elease after all.

—

He’s starting to get used to the ever-present headache now.

There’d been a headache itching at his skull ever since the plane passed over the coastline— everything was familiar and he knows this is Unova, the region not the Pokémon, yet he isn't remembering. It bothers him more than he cares to know. Rei seems to be having no such issue, clinging tight to his left hand and seeming content to hide away from the world— but then again, that might just be the noise level. Emmet seems just as wound up as Rei, hands flexing and head tilting to his shoulder.

It probably is because of the noise, actually— now that he thinks about it, there's a lot of squeaking noises, and if he recalls correctly that noise always burned away at what patience Emmet did have. Maybe the two shared a hatred of the noise? It would make sense, while the two were incredibly different, there were some similarities to be seen.

There was someone waiting for them when they finally exited the building.

She was… familiar. Rei seemed to recognize her, if how they perked up was any indication. He most likely knew her as well then; he couldn't help but wonder how all the same. Emmet waved to her, seeming to relax as the three of them approached her.

“So he is alive!” She laughed, holding out a hand to Ingo. “I’m Elesa, we’re friends.”

Elesa, Elesa, yes, there was a headache with that name— not quite as great as it was with Emmet, but still stung enough to warrant her importance in his life. They had been friends, hm? Was it after or before the subway's creation? After, he thinks, he's fairly sure it was before— yes Elesa, Elesa, she was a gym leader, he knew that.

He still wasn't sure how they were friends.

“I’m sure I’ll remember you soon then,” he offers her, unsure of what else to say. He knew vaguely of her, but it took a few minutes for him to even start remembering Emmet and he would hate to give her false hope of a quick remembrance.

She was apparently here to give them a ride back into the main city; their house was allegedly close to the outskirts, but not far enough where it wasn't easy to walk to the station. He’d forgotten that they’d bought a house then. They had wanted more room for their teams and a space to battle outside of the subway if he recalls…

Good, he had a feeling Rei would like the seclusion away from the bustle of the city.

Elesa was pleasant the whole way home, light chatter that Ingo found himself responding to easily. A few of her jokes even managed to make Rei giggle in spite of how tense they were. He can see why he made friends with her— her speaking pace had slowly increased until it seemed she didn't even breathe between sentences.

Slowly his headache calmed— off-handed comments she made filled in painful gaps, and Emmet’s presence helped him recall events he had lost, piecing it all together in his mind to form a complete picture.

This was all negated when they finally arrived home.

It was surrounded by wood, the driveway curving in such a way that it hid the main building until they were right in front of it. The house itself was modest— two stories from the looks of it— with the evident bareness that came with just recently moving in. If he recalled, the entire establishment was only a short walk from the city itself.

He feels his eye twitch as waves of pain wash over his skull.

They wave Elesa off after thanking her for the help, Emmet turning and giving him a smile as he settles at Ingo’s right.

“Well, full steam ahead brother dearest?”

Was there ever another option?

Chapter Text

“Unova?” Emmet found himself asking as he watched Rei play with a samurott; it looked odd, with dark plating and a crooked horn, a regional variant most likely, and made him wonder yet again what had happened ?

“So they could remember where we came from,” Ingo hummed, turning over the Pokeball in his hand; he had used it to catch the weird Sneasel and when he had attempted to release it it hadn't let him destroy the device.

“They don’t remember either?” he questions; he remembers faintly being told and relaying that to Elesa, but it had been unimportant compared to Ingo being back.

“No, they don’t, are you sure we can't just homeschool them? You can learn enough on the subway can’t you?”

Right, they had been trying to find a school program that would work for Rei.

The house vist had been the day before, the two had been home for three days, Rei’s first therapy appointment was two days from now and they had to get Rei’s schooling figured out or at least start to pick out options.

Ingo wasn’t happy with any of them.

“You’re not considered eligible until your memory stabilizes and I have to run the subway, so it’s outsider or nothing and nothing isn't a viable option.”

Ingo just hummed in displeasure.

Emmet didn’t understand the problem with any of them, but Ingo was in everything but name Rei’s actual parental figure, so Emmet wouldn’t argue.

So far the problems had included everything from the reasonable ‘not enough support options’ to the ludicrous ‘too much communication’.

Rei themself seemed to have completely tuned the two on the couch out, playing with Galvantula and ‘Unova’ the Samurott with very little care.

“Ok, consider this one? Most communication is through emails, lesson plans centered around self teaching, classes can be added and discarded as necessary?”

He watched Ingo look the laptop screen over, eyes squinted judgingly.

Something hit the ground in Rei’s direction.

That grabbed both his and Ingo’s attention, turning to look at where Rei was; the child's hand raised from the floor to point at the electronic in Emmet’s lap.

“Of course you can look,” Ingo hummed, gesturing for Rei to join them.

“What was with the noise?” he finds himself hissing to his brother, who shrugs in response.

“They wanted to get our attention.”

“And they couldn’t say that?”

“Rei doesn't like to talk,” Ingo hums like it’s the easiest thing to understand, pointing at the screen when Rei peers over his shoulder.

Rei didn’t like to talk?

That was new information.

Sure Rei hadn’t said a word while they were here, but Emmet had been sure they were just shy, their hiding and clinging to Ingo had certainly added to that idea.

Didn’t like to talk, or found it difficult maybe, trauma can do all kinds of things…

Something for the therapist, not Emmet.

For now, finding a school program Ingo approved of.

—

Emmet still didn’t like Rei.

It was warranted, so it wasn’t like it hurt— it was simply a fact of Rei’s current existence.

Their name was Rei

They lived in Unova with Ingo and Emmet.

Emmet didn’t like them.

This fact became more and more apparent the longer Rei was around Emmet.

They tried to stay out of the way— they didn’t want Emmet to think they were doing this on purpose, they weren’t trying to agitate him.

They don’t think it worked.

They clung closer to Ingo as they entered the building; the soft smell of pond water and the harsh snapping smell of some kind of smoke flooded their nose.

They could hear a fake stream, probably the source of the water smell.

They wondered if it had Magicarp— maybe it had a Mudkip even!

Ingo gently urged them to keep walking, a hand lightly pushing on their mid back.

They peered out of their hiding place, catching a glimpse of the fountain disguised as a stream.

It had Feebas .

They heard Ingo chuckle as they strayed a bit away from him to look at the Feebas, watching a trio of them swim around in their pool.

They heard people talking quietly behind them, the soft rumble of Ingo and the mimicked growl of Emmet’s voices— this was apparently where Rei would have therapy.

They didn’t really remember what therapy was, but if the Feebas were any indication it couldn't be that bad.

Feebas were exceptionally picky after all, and with how happy these ones were, the people here had to take outstandingly good care of them.

“Rei?” Ingo called, causing Rei’s head to snap away from the Feebas and to the other.

Oh, there was a stranger there.

His smile was fake and Rei could tell he was looking them over.

They noted how he paused, seeming confused.

They were only partially in their uniform— the jacket, scarf, and hat had stayed, while the pants and shirt had been replaced by some softer, cleaner clothes the day after they’d arrived at the house.

They wished they could wear the entire thing, but it was in the wash apparently.

The person was lying.

His smile was too tight, his knees were slightly locked, everything he was saying was a lie.

Rei hated liars.

They hid behind Ingo, glaring at the person.

“Hello Rei, I’m Mr. Duran, I’ll be helping you feel better,” the liar lied.

They were only a bit taller than Rei, nowhere near as towering as Ingo and Emmet.

They tugged on Ingo’s sweater.

They didn’t want to go anywhere near the liar.

The liar was leading them down a hallway, Ingo gently urging Rei along.

Ingo and Emmet didn’t know they were a liar. 

They whined, gently hitting Ingo’s arm with their forehead.

What did he mean they had to talk with the liar?

—

Rei ended up biting him.

Honestly it was just a matter of time until they felt cornered enough to lash out, and Ingo had been the one whose arm had been clamped onto. Normally Rei would run or pull out Unova, but it was Ingo they were upset with, and apparently that complicated things. The bite hadn't actually hurt, just Rei communicating how much this upset and angered them. He had seen them do the same thing with Lady Akari and Professor Lavington every once in a while— being next to an angry and cornered Rei meant getting bit, that's all.

It was brief as well, Rei letting go and burying their face in his side with a shiver running through them. He let them, holding up a hand to ask for a few moments to calm the child down, ignoring the intrigued look on Mr. Duran’s face.

He could partially understand why Rei was so tense— new environment, new person, the idea of having to talk, a powder keg of stressors that he's just glad didn't end in tears. Biting was brief and calmed down quickly, but tears would mean Rei’s mental state would be shaky for hours. 

“Is this kind of meltdown frequent?” Mr. Duran asked in a hushed tone; there was no malice in it, just curiosity.

“Not particularly,” he hums back, scratching the back of Rei’s head as the child slowly stops shaking. “Give them a few seconds, then I’ll tell you what I know in the office, yes?”

It did only take a few more seconds before Rei pulled away slightly, now glaring at the therapist but at least willing to move and not fight at Ingo’s nudge. The malice made him wonder what had sparked it, perhaps it was how stiff the other was? Was that reminding them of people who had hurt them back during the exile?

That would be just their luck, wouldn’t it? As much as he would prefer to pick Rei up and head home, this was apparently a requirement. Emmet had used a fair few words that gave him headaches and flew right past his understanding, but the general consensus he received was this would both help Rei feel better and was required to keep Rei under his care.

The office seemed to change Rei’s mind, if only a little.

The therapist’s partner Pokémon was a calm Delkitty who rested on a couch inside the office; Rei, upon seeing the Pokémon, seemed to completely forget about the “danger” and rushed over to it, a soft and extremely quite coo rising from their throat as they kneeled in front of the Pokémon.

The room was a kind soft orange color, lit by a salt lamp sitting on the desk and what light trickled through the window covers. It smelled soft and earthy, likely due to the plants hanging from the window, a bowl of fidgets sat on a coffee table, and Ingo could see a chest full of soft toys tucked next to the couch— no buzzing lights or overpowering smells.

Aka it was sensory perfection for Rei’s hypersensitive senses.

He was starting to understand why exactly Emmet had been so insistent on this place in particular.

“I see you’ve met Tama,” Mr. Duran spoke, settling into the chair in front of the desk, Emmet choosing the armchair across from the couch as Ingo preferred to stand. “So, you two are Rei’s acting guardians, huh? Can you fill me in on what it’s like at home for you three?”

His voice is sweet, kind and patient in a practiced way, Ingo can see Rei tensing up the more he speaks, even as they pet the Delkitty. That Pokémon would likely be keeping Rei calm throughout this— it’s a shame the room was too small for Unova, Rei was fearless with their partner at their side.

“Rei is not fond of speech, preferring body language, hence the bite earlier,” he starts; he was the one who knew Rei after all, and if this was to help, it would be best to comply, correct? “They much prefer Pokémon and the wilds to anything man made, they expressly do not like new man made things.”

“Hm, typical chancy case then,” the therapist hums, turning to look at Rei, who meets his gaze. Ingo notes how as soon as he shared Rei’s reliance on body language he relaxed, dropping any facade he carried. And it seemed to work— Rei calmed after looking him over with an appraising eye, then went back to playing with the Delkitty.

“Chancy case?” he finds himself asking; it’s faintly familiar, but…

“It’s when a child is lost in some way and ends up being cared for by wild Pokémon— normally chancys or blisseys— before being found again. It’s a fairly rare occurrence for a child to not be found until their teens, but not unheard of,” Mr. Duran explains. “Selective mutism, preference to Pokémon over humans, reliance on body language to communicate; add onto that how I was told Rei had no record previously and it’s a classic chancy case. I suppose the only problem is with Rei’s reported memory we don't know what actually raised them.”

“That’s important I’m assuming?” Ingo asks, raising an eyebrow seeing Rei sitting on the couch, Delkitty in lap, listening intently to what's being said.

“It helps explain social mannerisms and how their logic might work so yes, is Rei capable of speech? What about reading and writing?”

“They actually have quite the vocabulary once they feel like talking, they were… somewhat recently taught how to read and write but don't seem to be behind,” Ingo muses; he remembers being told Rei could only write short basic words at first, Lavington having taken time to get Rei up to speed, by the time they had left Rei had been able to read and write complex survey reports and research documents with words longer than Ingo knew was possible. Rei had only been there for about a year and a year was recently with reading and writing, right?

“Recently?” the therapist pushed.

“Within the last year,” he clarifies, moving to elaborate before a weak voice cut him off.

“The professor taught me so I could file reports and record research,” Rei’s tinny voice spoke, eyes alight with a challenge. Ingo knew this game, and he knew it well— it was kind of like Rei’s trust test. He's fairly sure it was only used on people they would have to interact with regularly. They would show they could in fact speak and could speak well, using the longest words appropriate for the situation, then would see if the tested would force them to speak more despite knowing Rei preferred not to. A simple test with an easy trap to both fall into and avoid.

“A professor taught you hm? I’d still suggest a test be done to gauge schooling level just in case.”

“Already done,” Emmet spoke up for the first time, seeming a little startled, likely by Rei’s speech. “They’re actually about early highschool with all their topics beside Pokémon biology, they’re college level with that one.”

“If you spent a year around a professor that makes sense,” Duran laughs lightly. “So do either of you know how long Rei’s been in contact with humans?”

No prying, not asking Rei for the answers, so far Duran seemed to be passing with flying colors— Rei’s own alert calm seemed to add to that idea. Good, it would be no fun for anyone if this thing Rei needed was highly unpleasant.

“They lived with a village for about a year,” he supplied, “but that was sparse, they tended to run off into the wilds whenever they could. They were also apparently highly adept at catching Pokémon as soon as they arrived and knew a few basic phrases in writing, so they likely lived with people before but can’t remember.” 

Rei helpfully nods as Ingo talks, gaze locked onto Emmet now for some reason. His brother seemed slightly agitated but no more than normal. Perhaps he was upset they hadn't told him where the two of them had been over the two years? They where intent on keeping the details to themselves; as possible as time travel was, it wasn’t something that would be intelligent to share so openly. Surely he would understand?

“I’d suggest just socializing them then,” Duran hums, “that’s going to be your biggest hurdle, do you know anything that might encourage them to interact with other people?”

“Battling.” The words are out of his mouth before he even thinks. “Rei, even when out of energy, would stick around people longer if it meant watching a battle or battling themselves.”

“And how simple a solution for ones like you two.” 

Oh how Ingo wished it was simple.

Chapter Text

Emmet wanted to scream.

He wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to scream, but he wanted to scream.

Rei and Ingo were fast asleep in their rooms, leaving Emmet to deal most of his frustrations out on some unassuming onions.

Ingo could never figure out how to cook, that was always Emmet’s strong suit.

Cooking was always the same— the same time, the same ingredients, the same motions of the knife, the same everything.

That was comforting when he was dealing with things he didn’t know how to handle.

Like the few things he learned earlier that day.

A few things made more sense now; Rei had been wherever Ingo had disappeared to for far longer than Ingo.

Wherever they had been, the two hadn't been alone.

It wasn’t much— there was a professor there, they had been given shelter and Rei had been given an education of some kind, seeming to have been the assistant of said professor.

That would explain how they know so much about Pokémon at least.

Add onto that the idea that they might have been raised by Pokémon… it’s a wild idea at first thought, but it wasn't all that unusual. Blissey, Chancy, and even Happi were used in childcare and healthcare and there were dozens of other Pokémon with the critical thinking required to keep a young human alive…

Where had the two been?

Where had Ingo vanished for a month? A village? The two seemed so set on not sharing anything—

“Emmet? I think the onions are cut well enough.”

Ingo’s voice was enough to make him jump, hissing as he nicked his finger.

“Ah, apologies, I did not mean to startle you.” 

He shook his head, holding his hand closer to his chest as he dug around for the bandages they kept in the kitchen for just this reason.

“I thought you were asleep,” he states as a way of explanation, covering the cut before turning to face his brother.

Ingo’s arms are crossed, staring at the onions Emmet had been cutting.

“I found myself… unable to, and then I heard you moving and thought to join you. It is rare to get a moment alone with you, what with how Rei clings.”

And there’s Rei again, how disappointing they didn't have a family waiting for them.

“Mhm,” is all he says, moving to go back to cooking. He wanted to make a curry of some kind; curry was easy to make, simple and consistent no matter what kind he decided on.

“And I suppose I have a question, pertaining to my memory,” Ingo continues, and Emmet can feel eyes on his back.

“Ask away.” He won’t hide things from Ingo, even if Ingo and the child will hide things from him. Maybe it was just too painful to think of unless necessary after all.

“I… I don't remember our parents, are they still… I mean to ask, do they know…”

Ah, that was a sensitive question indeed. He listens to Ingo trail off, starting to dice the bell peppers as he ponders how to phrase this.

Their parents, what a question indeed. 

They were no longer in contact with them— not that they would want to remain in contact with Emmet , the smiling banette in perfect Ingo’s shadow.

After all, there always had to be an evil twin, and surely it was the quiet, smiling, obviously plotting one— which meant Ingo , who was so well spoken and well mannered, was the good twin.

Emmet never knew how to feel about it. Ingo always did.

It was good he had forgotten the resentment he had carried for so long, wasn’t it?

“We had cut all contact with them before you went missing,” he decides on saying.

Ingo could remember the dichotomy of their childhood if he wished to, but Emmet wished he himself could forget it.

Good and bad twins, perfect Ingo and plotting Emmet.

Always pitted against each other and compared; look at how well Ingo did Emmet, do better— see how quiet Emmet is Ingo, do better— backhanded compliments and whispers of fairy tales…

It was lucky they did not resent one other, being the only children back home like each other.

Them against a world set to tear them apart.

“We did?”

“Mhm.”

“We did..” A statement that time, bell tone in nature, understanding yet mildly unsure.

It’s Ingo, that’s for sure; the inflictions of his voice are the same, tones and shifting qualities that show his every emotion like a painting.

But there was a shift.

There’s a permanent distance— a fog that used to come and go now constantly swirled beneath every word.

A silence hangs then, not uncomfortable but overwhelmingly familiar, Ingo thinking while Emmet focused on the task at hand.

There’s something under his skin now, bubbling in a way he can’t pin.

He wants to hide, he knows that, to tuck himself under a desk with Ingo and act as if it’s just them in a box, no one and nothing else.

He always felt like this, whenever he thought about their parents.

They had done their best, he knows that. They were difficult kids— well, Emmet had been a difficult kid.

Ingo had always been perfect, except when he defended Emmet.

How do you deal with a child who won’t listen? How do you deal with twins when you only expected one?

They fell short, but it wasn’t their fault.

Besides, it didn’t matter anymore…

Maybe he should tell them Ingo was back, they’d want to know.

Can he even remember what their phone numbers are?

He should start on the garlic…

Ingo had settled out of the way, watching him as he worked. It was calming to have him in the room, his presence was always good.

“Haxorus was a gift right?” Ingo asks. “From…”

“Our uncle,” Emmet tells him, “we didn’t get to see him much, but he gave us Haxorus as an Axu.”

Drayden was the only one of their family they still kept somewhat regular contact with.

He had cut off the rest of the family just like them.

“Because… he liked battling right? And they…” he can hear the ache in Ingo’s voice, even as his face shows no signs of any pain.

Always a good hider, that’s why they thought he was perfect.

“He was strange,” Emmet tells him, “like us. He knew everything about dragon types and even—”

“—Learned the rules to double and multi battles so he could teach us,” Ingo finishes, clarity reaching his voice. “But he only saw us during the new year because, because, because…” Ingo’s snapping his fingers now, like he’s searching for a word and the crisp sound will tug it to the surface.

“Our parents thought—”

“He was the reason! Right, that’s why! But they felt obligated to and I, it was me or you that always asked when uncle would be back, right?” He’s raising in volume, excited at what he’s remembering.

Emmet’s struck by how little it takes to remind him.

“Right,” he answers his brother, lowering the heat on the pot of curry sauce; it was doing quite well.

“Has he been informed? That I’m back?” Ingo asks, honey dipped concern now, saccharine and sincere.

“I attempted to tell him,” Emmet admits, thinking of the daily call he had tried to patch through. “It’s the time of year that challengers are swarming his gym, so he has likely not had the time to check his messages. The people that reach him are verrrry strong.”

“Verrry,” he hears Ingo echo— it’s a playful sound, indicative of attention fully captivated.

“Verrry strong,” he echos back, he had missed echoing each other in moments like this.

“Challengers, we were those once right?”

He didn’t mind talking about this part of their childhood. Their uncle had helped so often after they fled their parents, had been their backing force as they finally started to think about what they wanted in the after.

“Yes. We went through the gym challenge. We could not beat the champion. We were the farthest of our group.”

“Oh yeah… and our uncle, he was the one who, supplied us right?”

“He was very proud.”

“After that, was that when we wanted to head the battle subway?” the ache’s still there, but it’s clearing up the longer they talk; the clarity, however, fades with the last question.

It’s funny really, Ingo not knowing their greatest pride yet.

“Actually, we founded the battle part of the subway,” he informs his twin. He’s gleeful now— the subway was their pride and joy. “Before that Unova had no place other than the gyms for battle study, and the gyms were a long and arduous study. You offered the battle subway as a concept to study short term fights, engineering that could withstand battles, and a way to travel long distances without flying or biking. For accessibility’s sake you said. And then—”

“—It made it all the way to the university of battle sciences,” Ingo cuts him off, awe suddenly filling his tone. “You condensed my offer and added your own points, we didn't expect it to make it that far. And then it was passed, and we… we were there as the entire thing was planned and built…”

“And has been running smoothly ever since,” Emmet hums proudly, “providing battle footage of not just the planned Unovan Pokémon, but also—”

“—Unique styles normally only seen in informal matches, bringing new information and thought to how Pokémon fight in non-standard situations,” Ingo finishes.

Pride ; it flows off his tone in waves, the ache swept away in its wash.

“Your pride and joy,” Emmet confirms with a hum.

“Ours,” Ingo corrects. Why did he correct that? All the calculations and personal points were Ingo’s work, Emmet had simply followed in his step, like he always did.

“Hm?” is what he says.

“You know type combinations better than me,” Ingo elaborates, “it’s why you always specialized in doubles, you know what works and flows together better; it’s because of your knowledge of typings that we had a case at all. How typings act in confined spaces was one of the major turning points remember? And you, you were the one who added that to the proposal.”

“Hm,” he says, “I suppose I did.”

What a concept.

—

Rei liked their room.

It wasn’t big, but it was empty enough that once they shoved the bed to the corner of the room they could call out Unova and still be able to move around comfortably.

They can hear the sounds of Ingo and Emmet talking in quiet tones, not enough to mak anything out.

They can’t see the stars.

There’s too much light from the city close by drowning out the stars and planets.

They can see the moon though.

They wonder how long this will last.

Not long they don’t think; peace doesn't last long around them as far as they’re aware.

They don’t know how they know that.

They don’t know a lot of things, they realize.

With a sigh they turn away from the window, curling into Unova’s side and hugging themselves against a sudden chill wracking through their body.

What do they do?

They don’t know how long they’ll be here— they don’t want to leave yet, but…

Rei never had a choice.

This was a fact.

A hard truth that Rei was only now starting to realize the meaning of.

Rei didn’t get a choice— Rei forgot, Rei traveled, and Rei helped.

Rei always helped.

Because Rei, was Rei.

—

He can’t remember their uncle’s name and it’s bothering him. Watching Emmet move around the kitchen while telling him things from the past had helped raise some memories, fuzzy recollections of battles long past and even fuzzier memories of ignored phone calls…

…But he can’t remember what their uncle was like . He knew the man had been important to him, to them really, he could somewhat remember receiving Haxourus, the delight and awe, a Pokémon for him and Emmet to share. He knew his parents weren't fond of.. was it his father’s brother or his mother’s? Did it matter? They weren't fond of him all the same. 

The way the subway came to be had been so much easier to recall. He can remember faint stories, superstitions hidden behind fogged glass to the point of not quite knowing what they are, simply knowing that they are. Everything is scattered and incomplete, messy and awful to attempt to process.

“Twins,” he finds himself humming aloud, trying to pull more from the statement he doesn’t know why he shared. “It’s— there’s something important about twins, in Unova specifically isn’t there? A— a superstition? Tradition? Some, something like that, isn’t there?”

Emmet hums, and Ingo can see him pause. There’s thought in his movements, carefully picked words he’s trying to concoct; his head tilts up ever so slightly, his shoulders ease back, his left foot taps from side to side. 

“I’m… not good at telling that story,” his brother decides on, nodding to himself then. “It’s a verrry long story. Our uncle told it to us, our parents did not believe in it. He can tell you again. Hes verrry good at story telling.”

A story, huh?

So what he was forgetting was likely Unovan folklore— he was always fond of those kinds of stories back in Hisui, as was Rei. The child would listen to him recount any stories he could recall as they crafted Pokeballs. The tales of how great Sinnoh blessed the people of the Pearl Clan because of a brave hero was the favored out of the bunch…

It would be nice to have a new story to tell them.

Chapter Text

If Emmet ever went into another clinic it would be too soon.

Fifteen, Rei was fifteen— fully vaccinated now, DNA testing being done to find any potential genetic indicators for diseases; they couldn't track their family history because, again, Rei didn't seem to have one, so this was the next best thing to prepare for.

Blood work again showed long term malnourishment and dehydration, the largest red flags being extremely low calcium and protein deficiency. The first was apparently the main concern, since Rei was at risk of all kinds of heart issues due to the electric burns; the calcium difference would only compound on that, so it needed to be corrected immediately.

Ingo better know how to make the kid take vitamins.

The protein was also an issue— from what they could see, the kid had apparently been doing a lot of running around without enough to put into muscle growth. Signs of muscle strain mixed with pretty bad anemia meant rest and another supplement until Rei was given the all clear.

He was also now informed that the calcium deficiencies had likely made the fractured and broken bones Rei’d once had heal weak or improperly.

Currently Emmet found himself sitting at the dining room table, keeping an eye on Rei as he went over his cookbook.

Rei was thankfully pretty mesmerized by a Pokémon documentary on the TV, laying down on the couch while eating at an apple Emmet had given them.

Small, light meals with snacks in between— that’s what Emmet was told before he brought Ingo and Rei home way back in Sinnoh.

Ingo was at therapy— Elesa had taken him while Emmet took Rei to the clinic— leaving Emmet in charge of the child with separation anxiety and a track record for biting things.

Could Rei consume dairy?

He should probably avoid that just in case, he and Ingo could only eat it when it was cooked or processed in some way anyway. 

That eliminated most Galarian stews then, they always needed so much butter and cheese…

“Hm?”

He looked up at the tinny noise— Rei was standing across the table from him, looking at his cookbook with interest.

“You’re supposed to stay off your feet as much as possible Rei,” he tells them. If he’s in charge of the kid until Ingo gets back, he’s going to try his best to follow the doctor’s orders.

Rei simply pointed at the cookbook, tilting their head in question.

“What?” he was never good at silent communication, not with how Ingo always said what he meant.

“Hm?” Rei hummed again.

“I’m making a cooking list.” Maybe Rei wanted to know what he was doing?

Rei came around the table then, leaning over to look at the book. Pushing Emmet’s hands off the book they quickly flipped to the P section, pointing rather aggressively at one recipe.

“Rei, I hate to tell you this, but potato mochi lacks everything the doctor said you need a lot of.”

Rei huffed at that, pouting.

“Go lay down, then you can help me pick some things out?” He stated— was that a good compromise? It should have been, food was always a hot topic when it came to foster kids; at least, it was when they were getting their licenses.

It did seem to please Rei though, who gladly went back to the couch and let Unova’s head back into their lap.

He sat down next to them, keeping the potato mochi page open.

“Ok, you really like potato mochi right?”

A nod.

“Do you like the texture?”

Another nod

“Ok, do you not like the texture of anything?”

He handed the book over to Rei, who quickly flipped through the pages with a focused look on their face. Finally they reached a page, showing it to him with a face scrunched up in disgust.

“Nothing squishy then? Alright, so crispy it is.” There went all the mushroom recipes he was fond of. Honestly though, Ingo wouldn’t eat them either, so it was fine.

It helped narrow it down enough— out went anything squishy, and he marked off the crisper recipes to look through next.

Turned out Rei didn’t like eating Pokémon; who could have guessed.

They hadn’t seem disgusted by the idea, but had frowned enough where he marked those off as not preferred. They seemed to have no such qualms about Pokemon byproduct, however.

“Any that look good for tonight?” he asked when they had a sizeable chunk of recipes that Rei agreed to test.

Rei nodded, flipping around before pointing at one recipe.

“Smokey kale and chickpea bowl? Not my first choice but fair enough, I should still have chickpeas,” he finds himself muttering, Rei bobbing their head from shoulder to shoulder in a pleased manner.

Even if he didn’t, he could ask Ingo to pick some up on the way home.

—

Emmet didn’t like them still.

It was written over everything about him.

…But he was kind in spite of that.

He felt responsible for them, even if he didn’t like them, so he was being kind.

Rei would listen to him as a thanks.

Even if they really want to know where Ingo was.

They watched as he moved around the kitchen, pulling things out and lining them up; he checked the book every third item.

They wanted to help, but Emmet had told them they needed to rest, so they would— at least while he was around.

The documentary was interesting too, it was a study of how different kinds of shiny occurred, apparently shiny Ponyta burned a different fuel for their mane than normal Ponyta. 

Unova was calm too, resting his head on their lap as a means of keeping them still like Emmet had requested.

…They missed Ingo.

This place, as much as they knew it was home, was all still so new.

They wanted their steadys.

Unova, Ingo, their uniform.

Those helped.

They wonder where Lady Sneasler had gone; she had left the same day they got here…

She would come back, after all Ingo was her warden, but Rei still wondered.

Rei wondered a lot of things.

They wanted a hug…

They really, really wanted a hug all of a sudden.

They wanted one of the big, lung-crushing hugs from Lavington— those were nice.

They missed him too, but they knew they always missed people.

They didn’t want to ask Emmet for one, he didn’t like them and was busy,  but they didn’t know when Ingo was coming home either…

They leaned down and hugged Unova’s neck, the Samurott churring in response.

They wonder how long this will last.

…

They still want Lavington’s hugs.

—

“So they’ve just been wearing your guys’ old stuff?”

“They’re very picky about what they wear.”

Elesa hummed, tapping her finger to her chin in mock thought. She knew exactly what Ingo was asking and they both knew that, but this was an old game they had played since high school. Ingo doesn’t say anything else as she acts, turning over the books in his hands.

The therapist had suggested keeping a daily journal in case of relapses, so when he couldn’t remember he would have a record of everything he had forgotten. He and Elesa had picked one up on their walk home, and Ingo had insisted he get one for Rei as well. After all, the child had the same issues as him in memory, so surely it would be helpful. Somehow that train of conversation had made its way to Ingo telling Elesa about Rei’s clothing situation.

“I can certainly help with that if you’re asking.” She grins at him.

He’s glad he’s remembered some things about her on this small trip of theirs. They had known each other since his and Emmet’s second year of highschool, Elesa having been a year above the two of them. She had helped design their coats back when the subway was a pipedream, and had been there when they celebrated said pipe dream becoming a reality.

“It is what I’m asking,” he tells her, “thank you.”

“Aw it’s nothing, if I’m going to be the rich auntie the least I could do is spoil the kid!” 

He thinks she’s trying to rib him, make a joke about how close Rei was to him, but… it’s true in a way. Rei is his kid for all that matters, has been for quite some time. Three, four odd months now if he recalls? More if he were to count before Rei’s exile.

“Ingo you still there? You’ve got the dead Magikarp stare again.” Elesa’s voice breaks through his thoughts rather abruptly.

“Hm? Oh yes, I’m here, were you speaking?” he did not mean to ignore her if so.

“Naw, you just got dead eyed after I talked; how much kid stuff do you have at the moment anyway? Like, bedding and stuff.”

“They keep stealing mine,” he admits. Before Hisui he had slept with a mass of blankets and pillows Emmet jokingly dubbed his nest… over half of it had now made its way to Rei’s room; none of it was on the bed.

“Haven’t had a chance for a shopping trip then, huh?” Elesa laughs. Her body language is relaxed, comfortable.

“It’s been a week and half and most of that time’s been spent with legal stuff,” he shrugs. They should get things for Rei. Maybe he can ask Emmet tomorrow?

“How is Emmet, by the way? Y’know, on his first vacation ever.” 

“Same as always.” Had they ever taken a vacation before? He can't recall and there's no pain so he'd assume so, but… they should take vacations more, when he’s eventually allowed back at work. 

“That’s good, he was pulling his hair out stressed when you were gone.”

That didn’t sound healthy either, two years of extreme stress could not be good for anyone. Maybe he should help with that in some way, how did Emmet de-stress again? Cooking and cleaning was definitely the ones he saw the most, but weren’t there others? 

“We should have a movie night,” he finds himself suggesting. He can faintly recall what those were like— a horrendously bad movie they would make fun of and throw popcorn at while drinking an unhealthy amount of soda… How long had it been a tradition again? The year before Elesa graduated highschool, right? That's when it started?

“Oh we should! Oh Rei should get a onesie too! What’s their favorite Pokémon?” Oh yeah, the onesies, he had forgotten about that part. 

“I don’t think they have one.” They’re entering the route their house is situated on now, trees growing denser as they walk.

“I thought they adored Pokémon?”

“Yes, so they can’t pick a favorite.” That made sense, the only Pokémon Rei had seemed to favor would be Unova but that could be pinned on the fact that Unova was familiar.

Elesa huffs, pouting as she kicks a rock away before a thoughtful look comes across her face.

“We should watch a classic, like the Percy Jackson movies, or Twilight!”

“Their first movie is not going to be a book to movie adaptation. Save those for when they’ve read the books.”

“But it would be funny! And they’re classics, Ingo! Classics !”

Chapter Text

It was dawn when Emmet got the call.

He had let it ring out, finishing the veggy omelets he was making before answering when the second round of ringing started.

“Hello, I am Emmet.”

“Ah there you are, how have you been, why the influx of calls? You never bother me this time of year.” It was a chuff-like tone, hearty and kind, if a bit rough around the edges.

“Hello uncle,” Emmet answered, turning just in time to see Ingo shuffle into the kitchen, bleary eyed as he grabs the plates Emmet had filled with food and sets them at the table. “Did you not listen to the voicemails?”

“Ah… no.” There’s an awkward, embarrassed cough at that. “There were so many I figured I’d go straight to the source.”

“Mmm,” he hums. Rei is awake now too, trailing over to the table with dazedly wide eyes that had clearly just woken up. “Do you want the great news first or the strange news first?”

“Strange.” The words are certain and set, a hint of intrigue lingering just behind his teeth.

“You have a great nibling,” he hums, raising an eyebrow as he watches Rei slather ranch of all things onto their omelet, Ingo staring in similar bewilderment. 

Rei, who doesn’t seem to see anything odd about their actions, starts to eat.

“You had a kid?” His uncle’s tone is stunned, baffled even. “When— how— who— why ?”

“No I did not have a child, that’s actually part of the great news— Ingo’s home and he found a stray.”

He can hear their uncle wheeze on the other end of the line as Ingo cuts off a part of his own omelet and experiments with Rei’s approach to eating breakfast.

“Ingo’s home? And he had a kid? I have to visit! Is he ok? When is a good time? What’s the child’s name? Where was Ingo? Can I speak to him?” he’s energetic, a rare thing for their normally stiff-backed uncle.

“He has memory issues, didn’t recognize me at first, barely remembers you,” he warns, peering at the calendar and running over the challenge season. “He wants you to tell him the stories again, can you get here by this weekend?”

“Of course I can! How upsetting for Ingo’s memory, I’ll tell him everything I can recall. Not to mention I have a new audience member!” The chuckle in his uncle’s voice at the last statement irks him— has he been the only one not ecstatic about Rei? It doesn’t matter, Ingo’s home after all.

“Of course, would you like to talk to him now?” he asks.

“Put me on speaker, I want to talk to my family.” Their uncle’s laugh is hearty, a soft boom that had guided them through life.

He followed his uncle’s instruction.

“You’re on,” he tells him, Ingo glancing over briefly before going back to trying to wipe Rei’s face clean of food bits.

“Ingo, how are you my boy!” His voice is so pleased, an overwhelming pride within its volume.

He startles Ingo and Rei both with it.

“Ah, hello uncle, I’m doing far better than before, it is good to hear your voice again.” Faint recognition, hazy and confused.

“As is yours, gave us quite the scare with your vanishing act.” Relief now, hearing Ingo’s voice confirming Emmet‘s words.

“Ah, I apologize for that, it was not intended, I could not even remember where I was meant to be I’m afraid.” He’s absentminded, words twisting in the way they did when he tried to recall things.

“Oh? Where were you when you were gone, then?” 

Emmet wonders if their uncle could get the information no one else could.

It would make sense— their uncle was always good at getting them to spill their guts without realizing it.

“Hisui; Rei was the one who remembered we were from Unova.”

Hisui?

That was new.

Verrry new.

“Rei? Who would that be?” Warmth, a guess, gratitude.

“They would be your great… I forgot the word”

“Great nibling,” their uncle chuckles, “and their name is Rei was it?”

—

Ingo and Emmet’s uncle is warm in the same way a Flareon is warm— even when they can only hear his voice, he has the same tones that Lavington had, that Ingo has, that Emmet lacks.

They don’t trust him yet; Volo had that tone too.

They trust Emmet more, they've heard Emmet, they know Emmet didn’t like them.

They weren’t sure about his uncle.

They watch Emmet put the dishes in the wash, Ingo talking with the uncle at the table.

The uncle has a chuff where Emmet has a growl and Ingo has a gravel.

They feel… a lot of things.

Safe, they think that’s a rare feeling, protected and safe and loved.

They feel aimless too.

Their name is Rei.

They are Unovian.

And they must… what?

What must they do?

They don’t want to go, they don’t want to forget.

But…

What is their purpose, with no one to help?

Nothing to save.

Nowhere to travel.

Their name is Rei.

Ingo’s voice is a drone, the clink of plates are sharp tones in a static-filled nothing.

What came next?

It was peaceful.

They felt at peace.

But peace didn’t last.

It wouldn’t matter would it?

They always forgot, always always.

How many others had they left behind, how many people had they cared for that they would never see again?

How long until they had to go?

They didn’t know how they knew, they couldn't remember.

They never remembered.

Another week of rest?

A month maybe?

They didn’t want to forget again, but…

They felt at peace.

And peace didn’t last.

—

“We will see you this weekend then uncle, it was good to talk to you again,” Ingo hummed— Drayden, their uncle’s name was Drayden, of course it was. He could recall more now: learning multi and doubles from the man, listening to his folk tales, even if he couldn't remember the actual content of them.

Rei seemed to have set up a vigil on the counter, watching Emmet with a focused gaze. It was sweet, he could remember them doing the same thing with Akari when she was crafting, or Lavington when he was writing. He couldn’t tell if they were trying to learn or if it was just another habit they had. Kind of like when they followed someone around like a Ducklett with no purpose other than wanting to.

Would Rei like the gym challenge? They technically qualified in everything Ingo could remember— be of age, have a starter of some kind… there was one other one though, wasn't there? Maybe not, he can't quite recall. He knows he and Emmet didn't start their journey until after highschool like a vast majority of their peers, sure you could start at ten but only if you had an aptitude for it. 

He, Emmet, and Elesa had been a traveling group, hadn’t they? Then Elesa had gotten unlucky on the last of the elite four— a flinch and critical did her in after running out of revives. They had joked she had worn them down enough for Emmet and Ingo to get to the champion. Pretty good for a group of teens with only one member that remembered every type advantage and ones whose entire strategy was ‘earthquake until it faints’.

It was still his favorite strategy to be fair, even if Emmet despised it being utilized in multi battles.

Glancing outside he finds himself wondering where Lady Sneasler went; she had darted off to stretch her legs as soon as Ingo had let her out, he still couldn't understand why she wouldn't let him release her fully… she was likely exploring the mountains of Unova, she could travel quite fast and quite far when she wanted to. She would stop by soon, he has a feeling, likely bringing some foraged berries and herbs in her basket, maybe an injured Pokémon if she had been unlucky.

He should make her snacks, she would like that. Did he have the ingredients? What could he substitute actually, it seemed unlikely he would be so lucky as to have everything required. He should go shopping, bring Rei along so they can poke and prod at whatever new fascination catches their eye.

Actually, when was Emmet going back to the subway? It had been a week already, how much time off was he taking? Ingo knew he himself didn’t require direct supervision, neither did Rei… maybe he was worried about him vanishing again? Which was fair, Ingo would be just as worried if Emmet or Rei vanished for two years like that.

Maybe he should figure out how to send a letter to Irida, he hadn’t had a chance to wish everyone safe travels…

Wait— they didn’t have a guest room anymore.

So where would uncle Drayden be sleeping?

Chapter Text

“Back to work then?”

Emmet would admit he jumped when he heard his brother’s voice.

It was early in the morning, the sun only just starting to bleed the sky red as Emmet pulled on his boots to head off.

“Mhm,” he answered. There was something odd in Ingo’s voice— maybe confusion, or something bitter in the right light.

“I was unaware you would not be home today, forewarning to change in routine are our normal aren't they?” Definitely faintly bitter, though not intentional, just upset from unwarned change.

Except Emmet could definitely remember telling his brother yesterday he was going back to work; he’d even asked if he wanted to come with in case Gear Station would jog his memory. Ingo had declined, citing how he wanted a few more days to settle in a calm space before facing the rush that was work.

“I told you,” he hums, lacing his boots with practiced ease. “After dinner, six twenty seven pm, I asked if you wanted to come with.” 

Right, the amnesia— he wouldn't just remember, he would forget things too, like a conversation he and Emmet had the night before.

“Ah..” Embarrassment, shame, guilt, a ting of frustration. “I’m sorry, it must have skipped my mind.”

“You’re forgiven.” They should get something for scheduling, it wasn't like before where Emmet and Ingo knew their schedules by heart. Ingo would forget talking about changes, and Rei would disturb it with a third in their home. “I’ll get a whiteboard calendar.”

“What?” Bafflement, slight whiplash, gratitude and faint understanding. A desire for clarification and confirmation, not a request to repeat.

“So we can write down changes in advance,” he explains as he stands, grabbing his coat from its hook and putting it on, “and as a reminder.”

“Right, that— that makes sense.” A stutter? Not new exactly, but fairly rare between the two of them. Must be from the missing memory chunk, trying to reorient himself. “Have a good day.”

“I will.” He takes a small step over to his brother, lightly tapping his forehead to his brother’s own. “Bonk a bonk.”

And then he’s out the door, a genuine smile on his face.

Today will be a good day.

—

They liked puzzles.

They did, they really did.

That's why they wouldn’t call math a puzzle.

They don't like math.

They knew the basics, what was required to measure how fast a Rapidash could run or how far Ambipom could launch themselves.

They knew how to calculate for arcs and calculate the mean median mode of any number of data, they had to help get information for the Pokédex.

They had never once heard of calculus.

They were figuring it out quick enough, granted, but no matter how they looked at it, it didn't have any use.

That bothered them.

They sigh, standing and ripping a piece of their new notebook out, writing a scribbled message telling Ingo they had gone for a walk and tossing it on the keyboard.

They’re out the back door in seconds, wrapping their uniform scarf around their neck as their jacket settles around their shoulders.

They let Unova out as they walk past the yard, stepping over the painted white lines on the lawn that marked the arena.

They dive into the untamed wilds and feel themselves breathe again.

—

“Ah,” Ingo finds himself remarking, staring down at Rei’s drifting scrawl, “that explains it then.”

It hardly counted as handwriting really, they only bothered to write legibly with the Pokédex research; otherwise it was the kind of writing where they never picked up the pencil and the letters where practically sideways with how far right they leaned. Ingo could read it at least— a learned skill really, reading Rei’s natural handwriting.

Hopefully ‘be right back’ meant before Emmet got home and not within three to four business weeks. 

He doesn’t think the disappearance would fare well with whatever legal schmuck had to deal with Rei’s case.

Should he go after them? Call them home? Should he establish a temporary curfew? He couldn’t stop Rei from vanishing into the wilderness for forever, it was an aspect of Rei that not even gods could stop. They needed an xtrans at least, so he could tell them to get home.

He glanced out the back windows, scanning the treeline for any sign of which direction Rei chose to wander in. He’s not surprised when he doesn’t find so much as a trace of the child— they had to be good at stealth to pull off some of the catches they had. Even if he went looking he wouldn’t find them, and they deserved some space to breathe anyway, he’s fairly sure the brick and mortar and tiles of the house were slowly suffocating them.

Well, there went his plans for a quick battle. New plan then— he didn't have anything to write down in his memory journal, Elesa and Emmet were at work, and Rei was taking a nature walk. He could look around to try and get some memories back, but that sounded exhausting.

They still had that documentary about the development of trains, right? They should, he and Emmet had loved that thing as kids, right? He feels an ache forming as he scans over the bookshelf full of old movies, some with sharpied-on names or water stained cases. It was an old one, but well loved— had it been a disc, or was it so old it was vhs? They had gotten it as a gift from uncle Drayden hadn't they? And that was, what, their sixth birthday? Vhs most likely then, and those were kept on the bottom, so it should be…

There it was.

It was a battered thing, the image so sun bleached and cracked he couldn't tell what it was meant to be; the corners gone, rubbed away into paper dust. The actual vhs was in much better shape then the old case, lovingly kept intact and carefully handled. Not mint condition by any means, it had been played so many times he’s fairly sure he can recall the exact moments the video tape had worn away and caused static to cover the screen. 

Trains had been one of the few things they could agree on as kids, hadn’t they? They had stuck together out of obligation of being the strange kids before they found out what trains were, then it was hatching Eelektross and Chandelure together, battling and growing and being twins. Some memories are still foggy, hidden behind layers of smoke, but a few— the most important ones— those ring clear as a bell.

Except for their uncle’s stories, those remain frustratingly distant despite him knowing those had somehow formed the idea of a bridge in the first place.

He sighs, gazing down at the old vhs before standing, groaning as his knees crackle like static.

It was just a matter of beating the vhs player into behaving then.

…

They still had a vhs player, right?

Chapter Text

It wouldn’t be that hard to guess, would it?

He found himself going through the day in a honey-tinted almost daze, fighting trainers and directing trains like always.

How long until Ingo would be back to work as well? He would have to be tested to make sure he could keep his certifications, but Emmet had a feeling it would be more muscle memory than actual memory at that point.

He stops by an office supply store on his way home, humming to himself as he finds the whiteboard he told Ingo he would get, grabbing some magnets as well just in case.

The house is quiet when he opens the door, only the faint sound of the tv running and what he recognizes as Haxorus sharpening its tusks greeting him.

He doesn't say anything as he hangs up his coat, letting out a pleased sigh at the sight of Ingo’s coat hanging beside it. He keeps listening to the quiet noise as he takes his time unlacing his boots, and his smile brightens a bit at the familiar slight whistle that Ingo does when he's asleep.

He leaves what he bought at the door and peers into the living room.

Their documentary is on the tv, faint static occasionally breaking up the drone of the galarian narrator. Ingo is asleep on the couch with Haxorus laying at the foot of it, rubbing his tusks against his toy.

Rei is tucked into Ingo’s chest, eyes wide and… he wants to say startled, but he's not sure. They droop when they see him, slowly blinking in a groggy fashion that makes him think of a content purrloin.

Both are home— Ingo is safe and peaceful, and their newly acquired freeloader hasn't vanished into the night.

He turns to go start on dinner.

—

The wilds here are familiar.

They know these places, from a different perspective maybe, when they aren’t quite as tall as they are now.

They abandon stealth at some point, letting Unova wander while walking along a river they found as their partner chases Magikarp through the shallows.

It’s nice, they find themselves thinking— hopping from rock to rock, picking up the occasional seed or useful plant, watching startled deerling run from Unova as he splashes through the river.

They should head back soon, they know, Emmet wouldn’t be used to their disappearing spells after all, and they don't want to give him another reason to dislike them.

It’s a reluctant trudge, finding themselves settling on Unova's back halfway through, running a hand through their partner's mane.

Ingo’s there when they return, glancing up and opening his arms in offering to join him on the couch.

They take it, settling against his warm side and letting out a sigh as they turn their attention to whatever held their elder’s.

It’s not like Lavington’s hugs, all-encompassing and safe.

But it’s enough

They drift off at some point, only to be jerked awake by the sound of the door opening, grabbing hold of Unova’s ball and watching the doorway with held breath.

Emmet’s head peeks through, and Rei finds themself relaxing.

They watch him look them over, seeming satisfied before disappearing, leaving Rei to settle back into Ingo’s loose, sleepy hold and try to breathe.

The warmth of being held and Emmet moving around in the kitchen have them asleep in seconds.

—

Rei comes home two hours before Emmet was scheduled to. The only sound that informed Ingo of their arrival was the sliding door's normal racket.

When he’d looked over at them he had known something was wrong. Their stance was flighty, more so then normal, arms held close to their chest, a glint in their eyes that, while rare, Ingo had seen enough of to know the solution. He opens his arms, silently offering them a hug or just contact.

He lets out a hum when they sink into him, soaking up the touch like they needed it to live. He had avoided it at first, Rei seeking out touch— the action still caused bugs to prickle under his skin— but after a while he had simply let them. Maybe because it reminded him of Emmet, constantly seeking touch like they did.

He finds himself growing drowsy quickly enough, the memories of falling asleep like this in the past dancing around the outermost edges of his mind. Emmet pressed up against him as he mumbled along to the voiceover before they both slipped into unconsciousness.

He awakes to the smell of food. He blinks a few times, glancing around as he takes in his surroundings. Rei’s asleep against his chest and the tv is nothing but static; he can hear the faint sounds of Emmet humming in the kitchen— bean goulash if he remembers the smell correctly, very syrupy in texture and mostly uniform in taste.

He glances at the doorway when Emmet’s footsteps reach it, giving his brother a slight wave with the hand not trapped by Rei.

“Food’s done,” Emmet hums, his voice quiet, soft. He’s relaxed, stance loose and calm.

“Bean goulash, right?” He feels pleased with himself when Emmet lights up.

It takes a few moments to shake Rei awake, but when he does they startle and almost fling themself off the couch. They sit there for a few moments as Ingo stands, cracking his back as they copy the action, sniffing the air in interest.

Emmet always made it the same way uncle did, he can’t help himself from thinking, watching in amusement as Rei holds their bowl out to ask for a second serving, joy plastered on every inch of their being as they devour the meal nearly as fast as Ingo had seen them eat mochi.

It was nice, nostalgic even.

Good, he settled on— it was good .

Chapter Text

Uncle Drayden was a larger than life man.

It was something Emmet found himself reminded of every time he came to visit; even now as he found himself smothered in his uncle’s hug.

“Oh how I’ve missed you my boy, have you grown? I feel like you’ve grown.”

He lets out a wheeze as he’s put down, making some noise he hoped his uncle would understand. He felt better now, always did after a hug. 

“Of course of course, now, why don’t we make our way home so I can see my nephew and great nibling!” His voice almost seems to echo, despite the flying Pokémon landing spot being out in the open.

“Mhm,” he answers, stumbling a little as he orients himself, gesturing for his uncle to follow as he starts down the path.

His uncle is bursting with energy as they walk— his bag could be classified as a weapon with how much he moved around— and he excitedly tells Emmet about what had happened in his city since the last time the two had spoken.

Ingo and Rei are outside when they get home, Rei taking one look at their uncle and ducking behind Ingo’s body. Even Ingo seems startled, offering a weak wave as Drayden practically stomps his way over to the two and without thought scoops them both into a bone crushing hug.

“Ingo! Rei! Oh how good it is to see you both!”

Emmet can’t help but wonder who will pass out first.

—

Rei adores Drayden.

They figure that out the second he hugs them. It’s warm and safe and says so much. 

They thought they would be scared of him, seeing him and the silhouette he filled in their memory.

But he cares, he hasn’t even met them yet and there’s so much care and love in his hug.

They find themselves reaching back, trying to return the hug as best they can, squished against Ingo as they are.

They’re let down and they find themselves whining, ducking out from behind Ingo to hold their arms up and demand another hug.

Drayden laughs that deep booming laugh again, and their feet have once more left the ground.

Drayden swings them a little this time, back and forth as he tells them how much he cares already with such a simple touch.

It had been a while since someone had been this clear in how they spoke and had liked Rei.

They giggle a little, can’t help the sound from slipping out.

Drayden’s beard is ticklish, and his joy infectious.

He really hadn’t been able to wait to see them, he really did like them.

They stumble a little as they’re put down, grinning up at the figure that is Drayden.

“Oh how sweet you are,” Drayden says, and it’s kind, everything about him reminds them of Lavington.

He is honest and clear and loving and strong and safe.

They hold their hands out for another hug.

He laughs again, and this time he swings them around so they rest on his shoulders; they can’t help but squeal at the motion, kicking their feet in delight at how open this man is.

He’s so easy to hear, so full of warmth and care that they had not needed to earn or fight for.

They adore Drayden, and it’s one of the easiest decisions they've ever made.

—

Ingo can’t help but be baffled as he watches his uncle and child interact. Rei was a shy child, quiet and reserved and not one to ask for many things, yet here they were, squealing and laughing as they kept asking their great uncle to hug them.

It’s good, seeing stars light up in their eyes as they sit on Drayden’s shoulders, the old man laughing in turn at his great niblings noise. Ingo doesn’t think he’s ever seen Rei so… child-like, even when they played with their Pokémon. Yet here they are, head upside down as they stare at Drayden’s face, grin wide and delighted.

“Bigger than I was expecting you to be!” his uncle cheers, shifting his shoulders so Rei bounces, drawing another delighted squeal from them. “I’ll have to get an axew egg in time for my next visit then! I did the same for your father and uncle you know?”

The memory slips in with ease, receiving the axew egg from their uncle and raising it with his brother into the haxorus it was now. It would be good to expand Rei’s team, come to think of it, but that was for later— for now was just to corral his family to at least sit down so they could talk.

“Good to see you too uncle,” he finds himself greeting, “good to know Rei has taken a shine to you.”

His uncle turns to him then, smiling wide and bright, and it was hard to imagine this was the same gym leader and mayor so many thought of when hearing his name. Off work their uncle truly was a giddy man, the best uncle they could have asked for.

“Ingo! You look quite well my boy!” his uncle hums. “I’d hug you again but it seems your little one demands both hands!”

“Seems so,” he can’t help but laugh, watching as Rei hangs upside down then, only kept up by Drayden’s hands on their ankles, “and as much as I hate to break up fun, I know something they’d want more than a living jungle gym.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Drayden asks as Rei pulls themselves up, Emmet walking past with their uncle’s dropped bag to bring it inside.

“Folk tales,” he hums, and just as he finishes the words Rei is scrambling to get down, nearly falling off Drayden to bounce on the ground with pleading eyes.

“Oh ho ho! It’s been a while since I’ve had someone this excited to hear my stories!” he laughs, ruffling Rei’s hair as he leans down, picking up Rei’s uniform hat from where it had fallen to place back on the child's head. “Why, I can think of a few, perhaps you boys’ favorite will be a good start!”

Ingo hums falling into step with Drayden as he follows Emmet inside, Rei practically racing inside and skidding on the floors in their rush. He can already see them grabbing for Unova’s pokeball, and when they finally reach the living room Rei is cuddled up against their partner in the same way they used to when Ingo would tell them stories.

“Now, where to begin…”

Chapter Text

Uncle Drayden settles onto the couch with a huff, stroking his beard in thought. It’s a familiar look, one he always gets when he ponders folktales and stories passed down in the family that their mother had never bothered to remember to tell them.

“I think this old tale starts with two brothers and a dragon,” their uncle hums, leaning forward and towards Rei, who responds in turn, eyes wide and mystified. “For you see little one, there is only one tale of how Unova came to be.”

“It’s said that the two brothers, twins like your father and uncle, used their dragon to create the land of Unova— but something was amiss… each brother sought something in life that the other found trivial. The elder twin sought truth, as he believed only by knowing the truth of reality could one truly live life; the younger disagreed, for he thought ideals were vital— after all, to go through life without ideals is to wander aimlessly.”

It was a story Emmet knew well, he could almost recite it alongside his uncle with how often he heard it as a child. The stories were the first time he and Ingo ever actually started to contemplate getting along.

“And in this battle little Rei, the dragon became torn, splitting in two— a white dragon by the name of Reshiram joining the elder twin’s side, and a black dragon by the name of Zekrom joined the younger. The two dragons were matched in strength, causing every battle to result in a draw between the two twins; the brothers decided to eventually put the fight to rest, finding each other more valuable than the spat, but their sons refused to bury the bad blood. In the resulting battle of the twins’ sons, it’s said the two dragons nearly destroyed the land they created. In fear of their own rage, the dragons fled, missing to this day.”

Rei seemed to frown then, turning around and looking at Emmet, then to Ingo, before pointing rather aggressively at Emmet and looking at their uncle.

“Yes I know, as shocking as it is Emmet is the elder twin,” uncle hummed with a teasing smile, ignoring Emmet’s insulted puff. “And yes, that story is why the two of them are color coded, you should have seen the rainbow of color they wore before they heard it!”

—

The only thing voices were good for, was stories.

That was something Rei stood fast on.

As their great uncle spoke, faint memories drifted through their mind— giant dragons and soft rumbling voices, weightlessness, the ever faint sting of betrayal.

The reason for Emmet hating them becomes even more clear.

Older siblings were always more protective, they think, a responsibility on their shoulders to protect their younger sibling.

And here Rei was yet again, messing things up.

It’s a miracle Emmet still put up with them.

Their great uncle is still talking; he tells them about how Ingo and Emmet used to fight, before he started telling them stories. 

He’s a good storyteller, he nearly causes them not to notice as Emmet drifts off, or how Ingo settles across from them to listen as well.

Unova even seems invested, as Rei struggles to not glance behind them, to turn in the direction of Emmet’s noise.

Ingo asks a question.

“Isn’t there a third dragon?” he asks.

And their great uncle smiles.

“Ah yes, Kyurem, that one came later than the other two, a bit like you little Rei.”

They feel their eyes widen, leaning forward to listen better; if these stories stopped Emmet and Ingo’s fighting because they were like the twins in the story, then maybe Emmet would come to like Rei because they were like this third dragon, introduced late.

“Kyurem is a mystery in a way, it wasn’t from the original dragon like Zekrom and Reshiram— instead it was an outsider, crashing to earth in a meteor. It’s said that Kyurem acts almost like a bridge between the two dragons in their warring state, able to use both their lightning and fire to its will.”

They would rember that, they decided.

They liked the idea of being seen as part of a trio, despite being an outsider.

Yes, Rei decided, they liked the idea of being Kyurem.

—

Ingo knew that story, it came to mind as his uncle spoke. He knew Rei would like it, he watches with a smile as their shoulders drop back, as a thought crosses their mind and they latch onto it. 

He figured they would need it.

Because Ingo has come home— he's remembering things as time goes on, settling into a space that was already open to him. But Rei? Rei was having to carve out a place, refind home yet again. If a story about a third, an outsider, becoming accepted as part of a trio helped, well, Ingo was going to prompt it.

He stands and steps back as uncle Drayden starts to whisper the story of how Kyurem was found, Rei’s eyes wide and captivated as he slips out of the room and joins his brother in the kitchen.

“Everything alright? You left the storytime rather quickly,” Ingo asks, his brother turning to meet his eyes with an almost false smile on his face. Ingo knows his brother, and it doesn't take much now as he's remembering to realize that Rei makes him… tense. Upset, even. His brother has never dealt well with change, so of course an entire new person in the home would cause some distress.

“Ah, I’m fine, the storytime was for you two after all,” is what Emmet says, and dozens of freshly remembered memories ping the same words. I’m upset , his tense shoulders say— I’m drawing away from you , his quickly turned head says— I’m hiding from myself , his just too quick breaths say.

Something’s very wrong, he says in a way Ingo is only now starting to remember.

“You talk like Rei…” Ingo hums to himself in realization, something clicking as he understands now why he had grown so attached to the child so quickly. Louder now, so Emmet can hear him, he states, “I think after uncle's visit I should go back to the station.”

“That’s good,” Emmet replies. I’m relieved , his rolling of the shoulders says; I’m nervous , his shifting feet say; what’s next , his tilting head says.

“And as I thought that I also remembered what Rei’s therapist suggested,” he mentions. Stop talking , Emmet communicates in how his hands stall in what they were making. “And because you were always the better team builder, maybe you could help Rei plan theirs as me and uncle catch up tomorrow? A bonding experience I suppose, seeing as the two of you don't quite get along?”

“Rei and I get along well enough,” Emmet says— hate hate hate hate , everything about him screams. A bitter taste is in Ingo’s mouth now, he had missed something so obvious and it was coming back to bite him now. “But that is a good idea, I don’t see why not, help them settle and all.”

“Right.. can I help you cook for now? It’s been a while since I got to do anything like that with you,” he offers.

“Ah, yes; here go start peeling those apples, I’m making some fruit parfays as snacks,” Emmet says. I've missed you, I’ve missed this , his softened eyes say.

“I’ve missed this,” he replies, and now Emmet’s smile is genuine.

Now to fix his folly…

Chapter Text

Emmet isn’t good with people. He knows that. He’s especially not good with brand new people.

Rei wasn’t going to be an exception, he knew that. But he didn’t think him and the child didn’t get along— at least not in the way Ingo’s tone implied it. Emmet was the child’s legal guardian, it was his job now to make sure they were healthy and happy, as well as to help make sure they grew up stable and able to cope with whatever traumas they had accrued. While Ingo had an easier time with that, Emmet wasn’t going to mess up this job.

Rei is the first one awake after Emmet this morning, sitting at the table and waiting quietly as Emmet places breakfast before them. They eat without complaint.

“Rei,” Emmet speaks up, causing the child to pause and turn to him. “You enjoy battling, correct?”

The child nods; he can see them playing with the odd pokeball they keep Unova in.

“Would you like to have a complete team?” he asks, almost startled by how quickly Rei’s head perks up, eyes noticeably wider as they eagerly nod. “Would you like to plan out what Pokémon will be in it with me today?”

Again, a wild nod, an excited grin spreading across their face as they start to fidget in their seat.

“How about this— you finish eating, and when you’re done you and I can battle, so I’ll learn how you fight.” Before he can even finish the sentence, Rei turns and starts devouring their food; it’s then that Ingo wanders into the room, staring confusedly at the ferocity in which the child is eating.

It isn’t long before he stands opposite Rei on the painted battlefield on their lawn, Rei tossing Unova’s pokeball between their hands as they watch him.

“Do your best, okay? The point of this is not to win but to figure out your style,” he states, detaching a pokeball from his belt, “and I can only do that if you take this seriously.”

He lets out Archeops when Rei nods, watching Rei do the same, dropping into a defensive looking crouch with Unova mirroring the stance.

Already off to an interesting start. It wasn't rare for trainers and their starters to be in sync— in fact, very few trainers who made it to him on the train weren’t in sync— but what he finds strange is how Unova hadn't even glanced back at Rei, just instinctively copied his trainer. Rei’s own stance is interesting as well, as if to move around the field or duck out of the way of something, incoming attacks perhaps? It reminds him faintly of shiny hunters, the few he knew had a similar enough stance; a result of battling mostly wild Pokémon whose attacks were known to go wide.

Rei gets the first move, surprisingly. 

He watches as they take a step to the left, on the balls of their feet, and Unova’s stance changes, the faint glow of sword’s stance radiating around them.

Now that, is even more interesting. A silent command would give an outrageous upperhand in a battle, leaving the opponent unsure what the move was until it was already completed and thus not able to direct their own Pokémon accordingly, keeping the exact moves hidden behind another layer of secrecy. If Emmet was any less experienced he wouldn't have recognized the fact that Rei just made a move. Meanwhile, Rei would know every move Emmet makes as a result of his own inability to give silent commands.

Truly fascinating.

He can’t help but smile wider as he calls out his own attack, watching as Rei snaps their fingers, drawing their hand backwards, and Unova steps back in time and avoids the rockslide with practiced grace; the movement leads into Rei dragging their foot forward against the dirt, Unova darting forward and landing what appeared to be a poison jab on Archeops before Emmet can think.

Seems like Rei’s reluctance to speak has resulted in quite the unique style.

Oh, he can hardly wait to put a team together for them.

—

Emmet… likes them?

Emmet had started talking differently when the battle began— as Rei had made their first move, the hate Emmet let off had shifted into curiosity.

Which was strange.

Most people found it unpleasant to fight them. They didn’t need to speak to their partners to translate what needed to be done; they were unpredictable, they were unknown, they were therefore hard to counter.

Yet the more they fought, the more Emmet’s hatred changed to excitement, curiosity, moving from utter loathing to simple displeasure and dislike.

Perhaps this was how he heard?

Did he learn of a person’s intentions through battles like how Rei heard through how others moved?

Was this how they told him they meant no harm?

He clapped when his Pokémon fainted, his smile seeming more genuine now as he placed his Pokeball back on his belt and drew out a second one.

“I think I’ve got a good idea so far, but just to make sure, ready for round two?”

They nod, taking in a deep breath and preparing— Unova wasn’t doing quite so good, but he seemed just as set as Rei as he settled back into a fighting stance.

If this was what it took for Emmet to not hate them, they’d fight until they had nothing left in them.

Emmet let out their next opponent, and Rei found themself distracted.

It was just so fuzzy, they wanted to reach out and pet it—

“Oh you haven’t seen Galvantula yet, have you?” Emmet says across from them. He’s amused, he’s pleased, he likes that they like the fluffy creature. “Gal isn’t a fan of leaving her web, and I suppose you haven't seen the Joltik in the station yet either, have you?”

They shake their head, feeling a smile on their face when one of the mandibles on the Galvantula wave at them.

“You can play with her after this, how about that?” Emmet has a laugh in his stance, he seems pleased with them.

They nod.

The second fight starts.

—

Ingo can’t help the pleased sigh he lets out when he glances out the sliding door and sees Rei and Emmet battling, both with relaxed and content stances removed of the tenseness both usually had when interacting.

“Looks like little Rei is giving Emmet quite the run for his money, eh?” Drayden says beside him, an amused note to his words.

“Even with just one Pokémon Rei is quite the force to be reckoned with,” Ingo agrees with a sigh, “even once you get used to the silent commands.”

“Silent commands?” his uncle asks.

Ingo turns to look back at him, explaining with a proud tone, “Rei doesn’t like speech, so instead of teaching their Pokémon to respond to verbal commands they were taught to respond to physical ones. Makes it hard to know what they’re doing until it’s already been done.”

“How clever,” Drayden chuckles. “Thinking of Pokémon, I just remembered I had an Axew egg in my PC, I had planned on giving it to a challenger who impressed me but it just didn’t happen, don’t suppose I can give it to Rei do you?”

“Oh I’m sure they’d love it sooner rather than later,” Ingo informs his uncle, turning back to the window and watching as Rei gets another surprise attack on Emmet. “It takes a bit longer for their Pokémon to learn attacks, for obvious reasons, so I’m sure they’d want to start as soon as possible.”

“I suppose I’ll pick it up when we take these two to the Pokecenter then,” his uncle chuckles, and they both watch as Rei gets Galvantula down, Unova not appearing much better but still standing regardless.

“I suppose so,” Ingo hums, and Emmet’s smile grows further— if Ingo remembered right, nothing got him more excited for a battle than a challenger being able to overcome a type disadvantage.

“I suppose so.”

Chapter Text

Rei was impressive.

Emmet wasn’t going to deny the kid that; they were good. He didn't doubt they would wipe the floor with any of the gym challengers, or gym leaders for that matter. Managing to chew through two of his team with only one of their own while overcoming a typing disadvantage? It was clear Unova was an ace if he ever saw one.

But that ended here.

He was truly looking forward to facing Rei when they were at full strength, a double battle would be incredibly interesting, how would Rei’s silent commands translate to having more than one Pokémon on the field?

He watches with disappointment as Unova collapses, moving to congratulate his nibling for a battle well fought.

Is Unova eating something?

He watches with stunned amazement as whatever Unova had eaten restored his strength to some degree, the regional samurott rising to his feet.

The kid obviously didn't give him anything, it was definitely a held item, but that isn't how revives work? How in the world…

“Alright, let’s call the battle here,” he hums, calling a slightly battered Haxorus back into his ball, crossing the field as Rei does the same. “Now when in the world did you get your hands on an oran berry?”

Rei blinks at him before shaking their head, reaching into the pocket of their jacket and pulling out a couple of…

Seeds?

“Small revival seeds,” Rei whispers, “I didn’t think they’d be on the surface.”

“Where are they usually?” he asks, turning to the house; he can drop off the unused members before getting Rei and himself to a PokéCenter.

Rei makes a sound, shaking their head almost frantically, putting the seeds back in their pocket.

Odd.

The back door rattles as he opens it, and Rei rushes over to Ingo and uncle Drayden who were apparently watching. He turns away from the sight, letting the remaining team out to roam.

“Emmet my boy, do you mind if me and your brother come along to the PokéCenter?” his uncle’s booming voice causes him to jump a bit, turning to the man as his words register.

“I don’t see why not,” he laughs.

“Perfect— Ingo, Rei, why don’t you two go ahead, I want to show Emmet something before the two of us head off.” 

He watches with an only slightly elevated heart rate as Ingo and Rei wave goodbye, Rei clinging to his brother's arm as they vanish outside.

“Are you alright nephew?” uncle Drayden is asking, holding his shoulders and keeping him still.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he answers.

His uncle looks him over; there’s something there that Emmet can’t read before he’s drawn into his uncle’s embrace.

“I’m proud of you,” he’s told, causing him to blink in confusion. “I know this must be incredibly difficult, but know I’m proud of you.”

What?

—-

The lady takes Unova’s pokeball from them.

Ingo is holding their shoulders so they can’t bite her for this act, but they can’t keep the high pitched whine from their throat.

They know this, yes, it itches at their brain as if they've done it thousands of times before, but some part of them protests at being separated from Unova for even a second.

“It’s okay, I’m just getting your Pokémon better,” the lady tells them, frowning at the pokeball containing Rei’s best friend before placing it in the cradle-table-looking-thingy.

They know it heals Pokémon, but they don’t care— they can heal Unova all on their own, they want him back, they want to hug him again, feel his mane in their fingers, or at the very least have his pokeball’s familiar weight resting in their hands.

They can’t help but cry out in joy when the wooden ball is placed back into their hands, cradling the pokeball with a relieved sigh.

Emmet is up next, passing his pokeballs to the lady.

“Thank you Mr. Brooks.”

Rei turns away from that, turning instead to look at great uncle Drayden, who’s waiting by a box thing. They know its a PC, they know what it does, it’s as familiar as everything else here.

He steps back from it, an egg showing up in the delivery system beside it.

Rei finds themself drawn to it, staring at the screen.

They reach over and press the keys, and the screen lights up.

“ Enter trainer ID .”

Their fingers feel like they’re being tugged in multiple directions, dozens of numbers and letter combinations trying to push through their mind yet blocked by some sort of barrier.

They had caught Pokémon before, they knew that, was there an old team waiting in the box, forever stuck because Rei couldn't remember who they used to be?

What would happen to them, if there was any?

If they had caught Pokémon before, how many teams did they leave behind?

If throwing a pokeball was so familiar, how often had past-Rei thrown them?

The screen goes dark, and their reflection greets them.

They don’t recognize who they see.

How long did they have? How long would they be able to stay? How long until they had to leave Unova behind?

What’s their name? It’s Rei, their name has always been Rei.

Was there someone else they were meant to be?

Rei didn’t have a family; no one was looking for them.

Were they looking for someone else?

Who was Rei?

Their own face is all that greets them.

They reach up, tilting their head as they grab a strand of hair.

It’s grown much longer now, they should get it cut.

Who was Rei?

They turn, watching as great uncle Drayden talks with the lady and a few gathered people, watches as Ingo and Emmet seem to be fending off people…

Ingo has that not-smile on his face as he inches closer to Emmet.

They don't know who Rei was meant to be, but Drayden calls them his great nibling, so Rei is that.

They don’t know who Rei is, but Ingo calls them little one.

What does that make them?

If they were family, that meant Rei had their name, right?

Who were they?

Their name was Rei.

They did not know who they were.

They did not know why they were here.

They did not know how long they had here.

These were facts.

But they had another name now, didn’t they?

Their name was Rei Brooks.

They liked that.

Rei Brooks.

Just like Ingo and Emmet.

Rei was a Brooks.

—

It took way too long to escape the sudden crowd.

They were en route home now, and Rei has the faintest signs of a smile on their face. He finds himself curious as to why— they hadn't liked it when nurse Joy had taken Unova's pokeball from them. Something must have happened when he wasn’t looking.

“Alright, let’s stop here for a second,” uncle Drayden calls, turning to Rei and kneeling, Ingo unable to help the amused huff that escapes him. Their uncle pulls the bag off his back, holding it out in front of him.

“Rei, do you know what this is?”

Rei in response scrunches up their eyebrows and shakes their head slowly.

“It’s an egg bag, and inside is an Axew egg, to hatch it you have to walk around with the bag,” uncle explains, offering it gently. “Do you want to hatch this one and make it a part of your team?”

Rei reaches out, taking the egg bag from uncle, tilting their head as they stare at it.

“Kyrume,” Rei whispers softly, then promptly straps the bag to their back.

“What?” uncle asks, baffled.

“Kyrume,” Rei repeats, pointing at the egg.

“Its name is going to be Kyrume?” he asks for his uncle, chuckling at the nod he receives. “Can we ask why little one?”

“So I remember,” Rei tells them with such finality, turning away and marching down the path with  their head held high.

“They like it,” he tells uncle with a soft laugh, trailing after Rei.

His child was going to march trenches into the yard trying to get the egg to hatch.

Oh well.

Chapter Text

He’s not sure what it is, but something…

…clicks , watching Rei run circles around the kitchen table, egg bag on their back as they whistle to themself.

He’s watching them out of the corner of his eye. Ingo’s talking with uncle just out in the living room, the sound just drifting in as Emmet clicks away at the laptop, pulling up the team creator he and Ingo always preferred.

He’s never been good at feelings, but…

The window’s open, and pidove sing in the trees; their chitters and chatters intermix with the sounds of Rei’s little footsteps, their whistle almost seeming to echo the Pokémon outside.

He can practically feel each footstep arc into his lungs, and it…

It clicks .

He has no clue what “it” is as he turns away from the laptop, fully following the kid with his eyes now.

He has no clue what “it” is as his arms lash out and grab the kid by the waist, pulling a startled but now giggling pile of teenager into his lap, the delighted squeal echoing of…

Something.

He has no clue what “it” is, what “something” is, as Rei’s dark eyes look up at him, wide and filled with a type of wonder he doesn’t see much of.

Rei’s eyes are a dark shade of silver. Not gray, no, silver — like his own, like Ingo’s, like uncle’s, just… darker. Much much darker, almost platinum.

Rei seems to know something Emmet doesn’t, with their wide grin as they curl around that egg bag, giggling to a joke Emmet doesn’t know.

“Ok Pikipek,” he says, and he doesn't know why that one in particular— he probably never will— but it fits for some reason, and Rei seems to pay more attention to him, tilting their head in question. “You know about other battle styles? Not just standard four move one on one?”

Rei nods, because of course they would know. The kid’s battle savvy in a way Emmet hasn’t seen in years.

“Alright, see this here?” He turns Rei’s attention to the screen, clicking a few times to pull up the battle type drop-down. “Pick your favorite.”

Rei’s swaying from side to side as they scroll, and Emmet can’t help but join the motion, exaggerating it until Rei’s giggling again.

Maybe it was the battle, or the walk back, or something he doesn’t know— emotions don’t come easy to him, but…

Click , it’s unmistakably a click . He doesn’t know what’s clicking, but he hears Haxorus grumbling as Excadrill tries to play, hears the not so faint sound of Ingo and uncle bursting into laughter over some story Ingo had shared, hears Rei’s giggles interrupting attempted whistles—

Oh .

It’s Pikipek whistles.

That’s why he thought of it— those aren’t just random whistles, those are Pikipek whistles!

He huffs to himself, returning his attention to the screen to inspect Rei’s choice.

“Rotation battles really?” he muses. Now that was a rare one… it fit, though, Rei’s battle style was very…

Flighty? Move-y? Shifty?

Something like that; the constant fancy footwork and silent cues made a backwards sort of sense for something as wild and chaotic as rotation battling.

“Well let’s see what we can do then, huh Pikipek?” He looks down at his nibling, who seems to catch on to the joking nickname and whistles a Pikipek whistle back at him.

“Let’s start with figuring out a good third to Unova and Kyrume, hm? Two tanks and I’d say a healer of some kind, maybe a sap sipper sawsbuck? There's an infestation of deerling on route nine anyway— remember Piki, catch responsibly!”

“It”, “something”, whatever.

It clicked .

It clicked with big dark silver eyes staring up at him, with Pikipek whistles and loud laughter and Pokémon calls and an open window and…

He wasn’t good with emotions, but…

He’d say he thinks, if home was an emotion, it would be this

—

Their heart ached.

But, it was a good ache.

Emmet switched fast, they were learning.

He…

He didn’t love them like uncle Drayden.

He didn’t love them like Ingo

But… he loved them in a way that felt full .

That hatred was gone.

The interest was gone.

Acceptance, welcoming, an open arm.

That’s what it felt like now.

They don’t know why, or what they did, or how they did it.

Or if they even did anything at all.

Emmet’s swaying with them, arms caging them in, like how….

They curl around Kyrume’s egg tighter.

They— they don’t know who he’s like.

It’s on the tip of their tongue, but, but it’s not there, it’s not from Hisui, it’s from before , but…

Emmet’s humming.

It’s soft and calm as he types at the keyboard, punctuated with mutters of things like items and move and such.

They add to the noise with a Pikipek whistle because he seemed to find it funny for some reason, his eyes all soft and smile all warm.

They suppose before doesn’t matter now , does it?

They’d like to know but, they’re Rei Brooks now, not whoever they used to be.

No matter how many “whoevers” there are.

Rei “Piki” Brooks apparently, if the nickname stuck.

Piki.

They like that.

They really do.

—

“Ingo, do we still have that spare silk scarf?” His brother called from the dining room.

Emmet may not be very adaptable , he thought, answering the question with an amused shrug and a slightly teasing, “can’t recall I’m afraid.”

But when he accepts something, he does accept it fast.

It’s a sweet sight, almost tooth-rottingly so— Rei curled up in Emmet’s lap, Emmet himself shrimp backed, tongue out, meticulously putting together a team.

There’s something heartachingly familiar about the agitated huff Emmet lets out, one Ingo’s heard thousands upon thousands of times.

There’s something soft about the little whistles and giggles that come from Rei to accent the sound, something brand new to remember.

“Not surprising, is it?” Uncle stage-whispers to him with a smile on his own face. “Get the battle nuts to duke it out and suddenly they’ve taken a shine to each other.”

“Should have thought of it earlier,” he answers back with a chuckle, “house was starting to feel stale.”

Though, he supposed now …

Now, it felt a bit less like a house, and a lot more like a home , didn’t it?

Chapter Text

“Ok, the schedule for today.” Ingo called as the family gathered around the table for breakfast, hands clapping together adding to the demand for attention. “Me and uncle are going to head into the city to pick up some things and get the supplies for Rei’s science project. Emmet and Rei are going deerling hunting on route seven, and when that's done, you’re going to the challenger's cave for that Riolu. When those tasks have been completed, uncle will depart and it will be the normal scheduled time for bad movie night. Do any adjustments need to be made before departure?”

The only response he received was Rei holding up their plate for more, to which Emmet couldn't help but comply.

After breakfast, It’s Emmets job to get Rei set up for the day out, the teen insistent on wearing the jacket they appeared in after being told they could not, in fact, wear Ingos torn up uniform. They're quite literally running circles around him as he packs the old trainer bag they would be using with the necessary items: a mix of ultra balls, potions, a revive or three just in case. The normal when one wants to go hunting wilds instead of getting from your local shiny fanatic.

The egg had started to shake every time Rei whistled, so clearly the rambunctious running was doing as intended. The fact the child hasn't started sweating yet was worrying of course, and he's pretty sure this was against doctors orders, but Rei had proven to barely listen to Ingo. Emmet lecturing them wouldn't do anything.

“All luggage on board?” he asks as he hands the bag over. Rei stops harshly, clicking their heels together to stand straight as they take it with a nod. “Safety checks complete, all aboard!”

As Rei very clearly mimics Ingo’s pose, turning and marching out the door all stiff like a toy soldier, he can’t help but softly laugh. Ingo and uncle had already left, so he locks the door on their way out and jogs a little to catch up with his nibling, not bothering to point out they likely had no idea which way it was to route six.

Thankfully, for both Rei’s physical and his own mental health, Unova decided he didn't like his trainor walking and came out to act as a ride. It wasn't something Emmet would admit having seen before. Ride pokemon normally had to be trained for just that purpose, tms having made it easier but still unsafe if done incorrectly. For an ace to just offer its trainer a ride when its species wasn't made to be a ride pokemon was entertaining, to say the least. On top of that, Unova seemed to understand following Emmet was the better call instead of blindly charging into the unknown like Rei seemed keen on doing.

The walk is quiet beyond some whistles and humming, at least between them. People around were keen to wave and greet Emmet as they passed, the occasional Stoutland or Eevee sniffing at Rei who was happy to give back a pat.

Before the ferry, they get some ice cream, which seems to settle Rei enough to not be too agitated by the density of people going home after the gym challenge season has ended. Even kicking their feet as they watch the wake of the boat and the various water types that played in it.

The simplicity of route six is familiar, not having changed much from when he, Ingo and Elise had attempted the challenge together. Same stream, same tall grass, and same endless forest challengers weren't allowed to go into for safety reasons without being disqualified. Older now he could of course go wherever he wanted bearing private land, but seeing as he had a teen with him, it would be best to stick to the long grasses and where the hell was Rei going?

Unova seemed to share his confusion, both of them watching Rei slip past the grass line and into the woods. Sharing a look, Unova stands from where it sat and started after his trainer as if this was a smart and normal decision for someone not of legal adult status and without supervision to do.

So, like the responsible adult he actually was, he darts after his nibling, feeling baffled at how quiet and easily Rei makes their way forward, only glancing back to seemingly make sure Emmet is with them after a solid few minutes of traipsing into the woods. 

If he was honest, and he was, Emmet couldn't help but be impressed by the stealth Rei revealed. Not a single sound was coming from the teen and every once in a while, Emmet would actually lose sight of them before Rei stopped, gesturing him over again. He can definitely see why they would be a good wild research assistant if they weren't so young. A good battler, a good hider, and a fast one at that.

At some point, Rei finally stops, seeing a rather large herd of Deerling and Sawsbuck making home only a few meters ahead of them. Now, if Emmet thought he had any control over his nibling, he would have turned them around and went back to the path, safe from any particularly strong or wild pokemon the starting trainers couldn’t handle.

But therein lies the joke, seeing as Emmet was fairly sure control was left in the past some odd thirty years ago in that nexus point between not born yet and too young to realize he was a living thing.

And with all this in mind, one can’t blame him for only sighing and prepping bandages and potions when his nibling approaches the herd hidden in the tall grass.

Besides, not like him and Ingo ever got partners in the traditional fashion, either.

—-

Catching a pokemon is simple: sneak, throw, catch, repeat.

Catching a teammate, however, is not.

When completing a dex, all one has to do is catch.

There is no companionship there, only a vague understanding of care.

One might grow close to the catcher, but that was not the base.

A catch has no foundation.

A teammate, however, must.

There has to be a foundation of trust, care, understanding, and shared goals.

Rei needed that foundation just as much as their future partner.

And with an alpha being the target, there's only so many ways a trainer might lure out their future teammates' attention, and of course goals.

This herd had one alpha matriarch, who in turn had three daughters, each clearly carrying the heft and strength a future alpha needed to lead.

To show challenge but no threat is a tricky thing, and lacking tools they had grown maybe a bit too attached to, they picked the second smallest alpha Deerling, and with a quick gesture to Unova, the fight begins with a weak jet of water.

A challenge, a duel, a call to compare.

The herd scatters away from the attack, the matriarch turns to them.

They stand, they do not crouch, or prepare to run, instead they simply stare down the mother, shoulders cowed to show they don't mean to take, land or life, only to challenge, test.

The mother brays. The other Sawsbuck, the males, retreat from where they had begun to prepare an attack. The daughters huff, stomping their hooves and sharing looks before the challenged sibling steps forward.

It's a proud thing, with just budding horns on the verge of evolving; there is kindness in its eyes, but also boredom. Not the herd inheritor of the eldest nor the guarantee of going off to start her own of the youngest. She’s the spare, the extra.

And there is also fire in those eyes that any good trainer can recognize from miles. The desire, the want, the need to fight.

They can feel their uncle tense behind them, and there was some bubbling thing in their chest both gleeful at his concern and delighted by his trust. Just two days prior and they have no doubt he would have stopped the process before it had the chance to start.

The daughter makes the first move, pawing the ground before flinging herself forward in a tackle, one Unova takes with a command like nothing. 

For all her fire, she's young. Unova, while he might not be any older, was trained for battle from hatching. Thicker skin from days and days of fighting, never sheltered like the young alpha.

She would earn her battle scars just the same as any other, should she choose to accept them or not, but until then, Unova had the higher faint count.

The tackle brings her close, and a poison jab knocks her away. Unova begins to circle her in a manner Rei knew meant confidence when not prompted, a death spiral for a foe, a method of preventing escape for a capture, and a taunt for their new teammate.

The Deerling is back on her hooves, a speedy thing who knows how to use her bulk, and Rei gives a signal for Unova to begin the set up; a swords dance joining the death circle.

And the Deerling, clever as she is, seems to see a weakness. Instead of going for Unova, she goes straight to them.

They brace to dodge, ready just in case this happened, but there was no impact. Blinking in surprise, Rei finds that the daughter’s tackle meets not a tree behind them, or their flesh, but the body of their uncle’s Eelektross instead.

They glance back, and watch as their uncle, tense as a violin string, lets out a sigh, giving them a smile.

“Watch your step,” he tells them, almost scolding, mostly reminding.

Returning the smile with a grin, they focus back on the Deerling, who seems confused about Eelektross’ sudden appearance. What startles her even more is when Rei raises a booted foot, shoving her back into the fight with Unova.

You will fight with honor or not at all, they tell her, with a tilted head and a gruff breath.

Again! Says the herd with their stomping hooves and judgmental eyes, prove yourself an alpha!

The fire in her eyes blazes, and she turns to Unova, spitting out a leech seed that Unova quickly blocks with a night slash, her dodging out of the way from the shock that follows the action.

She does not back away from the fight. She could, of course, turn tail and go to her mother or larger sibling. They would join the fight in her stead, to which Rei would leave.

But she does not.

No, she attempts to tackle Unova again and is met with a poisonous horn to her flank. Tossing her away, the poison jab does its duty and casts a sickened sheen to her muzzle.

The circle continues.

Uncle stands a bit further back, and Rei can feel the tension in his and Eelektross’ spines as the two watch the dance all good trainers know well. Either the daughter will see worth in Rei and bow her head, bested and wanting to train, or she will run, not seeing Rei as what she desires.

She does neither yet, as roots dig into Unova's flank, blood oozing out and driving to the ground, her own bruises healing even as she stumbles from the venom coursing through her veins.

She goes to kick at Unova, crying out again when a night slash blocks her, blood oozing quickly healed by her own leech seed. Rei gestures for another swords dance, then gives the signal for a finishing blow.

Unova wraps himself in a torrent of water, and slams fullbody into the daughter, who falls to the side heaving for breath.

The mother approaches, soft pride and kind concern radiate from her. The herd brays as the siblings huff in joy, a well fought battle for an alpha so young, so green. A soft light emanates from the mother, the daughters wounds healing just as uncle helps Rei apply the potions needed for the leech seed to wilt and fall away.

The air holds still.

The daughter rises on shaky hooves, but does not retreat to her mother. Instead, she wobbles forward as if just born and falls to her knees in front of Rei, eyes closed and not resigned but… something else.

Because there is still that fire in the young alpha’s gaze, a fire that burns brighter as Rei gently taps the PokeBall to her forehead, smiling down at it, and the new teammate it contained.

"You nicknaming again?" Uncle asks as the herd turns and makes its way into the brush, one alpha less.

"Hunter," Rei decidedly rasps, turning and grinning at him, this moment forever locked tight in the name of a teammate.

—----

“Picking up some things” had, for the longest time, been code for a solo talk with uncle if someone else was listening in. Being who they were, it was never just some things if it was an actual trip, and the listening ears, well, Rei was still a child despite everything. They need not be privy to their caretakers struggles.

“How much longer are you going to hold yourself back from work, then?” Uncle asked with a teasing smile.

“As soon as my license is renewed, the schedule is currently set for this wednesday,” he answers easily enough, raising an eyebrow as he looks over the list Rei had handed him that morning. What in the world would his child need iodized salts for?

“Ah, that's good, I was wondering how much longer the deputies could hold down the fort. The plan for Rei, then?” It's a simple enough question, small talk if they were the kind of family to indulge in such things.

“They will be coming in with us, to socialize hopefully. Their therapist suggests against school for the time being.” schedules, plans, routines, oh how he missed them back in Hisui where each day was lived and planned as it went. Only his lady had any kind of schedule and knowing her, she'd be back sometime next week.

“Will it be you or some of your staff watching them?”

“I'll be watching them. Emmet suggests I ‘take it slow,’ so he's going to be dosing paper work on me until he can’t get away with it any longer. I might, however, have the deputies show them around so they interact with someone other than me.” Honestly, paperwork sounded heavenly after so long wondering if he was going to be suddenly eaten in the middle of the night, so he'd take it.

“Ah, yes, the deputies. Last I heard, you were unsure of them, has that changed?” Uncle is leading the way through the store, Ingo can't quite remember where everything would be so this was simply easier.

“Emmet says they did well in my absence,” he comments, thinking of the two. The deputies, or the ‘little guy trainers’ as they called themselves, worked mostly with paperwork, scheduling, and were hired to pick up the slack that he and Emmet had noticed themselves leaving.

Lychee, the one who actually applied for the job, was a dark type specialist and had a keen eye for detail, and Ingo mostly remembered them for their battling ability. Quick, decisive, and clever.

Chaos, the one who ‘got dragged into the job’ by Lychee, was a dragon type specialist who was the reason the Unova subway system boasted never being more than three minutes behind, and Ingo remembered them for their… extravagant attire. They stood out quite sharply compared to their companions' more neutral tones and he can faintly remember them swapping bleaching advice with Emmet for the two to remain in all white on a subway.

When the two weren’t working on paper pushing, they handled the trains he and Emmet were not running, normally taking over the multi train.

“I'm hoping that their… exuberance will help Rei adjust to the idea of others. They have friendly enough teams, and Lychee is always eager to battle,” he explains carefully, frowning in thought, “it's the best plan I have so far… and your plans, uncle?”

“I'm going to have to track down Iris.” his uncle sighs a long, tired, but amused sigh, shaking his head as he says the name that's unfamiliar to Ingo. “Last I heard from her, she was attempting a journey. She’ll want to know you’re back, however”

“Iris, she is…” he searches through his memory best he can, trying to find a crack in the wall that's keeping however much away from him. A feeling trickles out, affection, exasperation, amusement, but not much else

“My eldest,” uncle supplies after a moment, “you’re oldest cousin.” 

“Ah yes, Iris.” The image springs to mind at last. He saw the girl so rarely he isn't surprised it took him a few moments. Wild hair, temperamental Axew, and a menace at the best of times. “Any plans for that?”

“She should be stopping by her home village soon if hers is going like normal, I'll talk with her then.” It's said with a deep set sigh of fondness and exasperation.

“Yes… I am not quite sure what I am meant to do, going down these tracks,” he admits, taking in a breath and continuing at his uncle's raised eyebrow. “This ride feels too smooth. I’m wondering if perhaps it is because the brakes have snapped.”

“Hm, I suppose that would make sense,” his uncle muses after a few moments, frown hardset into a face that to any not in the know would mistake as disappointed. “I am ill equipped for such an issue other than confirming you will not crash. Have you asked your therapist?”

“Not yet, no, it is a rather recent development,” he admits, going over the list again and noting they were nearly done. “I was hoping, perhaps, for help in forming my repair request.”

“I see. Well, is the fear just of the state of your car, or is it also about where the ride is going?” uncle asks, clearly trying to understand Ingo’s plight.

“Isn't it always?” he can't help but mutter. Uncle goes quiet in thought as they buy the supplies and head out with their bags.

“I’d recall you used to be quite assured about your route,” his uncle tells him, looking over at him with careful eyes. “Any looming dread about that would be new”

“I see…” he says.

They don't talk for the rest of the walk home.