Chapter Text
Five years.
Today marked the fifth anniversary of the day he lost the most important person in his life.
Sometimes Emmet feels guilty about the fact that life gets easier. He has to remind himself that Ingo would not have wanted him to wallow in his grief.
Sometimes Emmet feels guilty about the ache in his heart that he doesn’t think will ever go away. He has to remind himself that the ache just means he hasn’t forgotten his brother.
It’s been five long years.
And Emmet thinks it’s time to let go.
He thinks…
He thinks he is ready to let everyone finally grieve for Ingo.
(He feels guilty about making everyone else wait so long.)
So he looks at himself in the mirror.
(He’s so grateful that everyone has been so understanding.)
For the first time in ages, he speaks.
“I am Emmet. And Ingo is dead.”
…
It hurts.
The words hurt. But he knows they need to be said.
It has been five years. Long past the point when his brother should’ve been announced dead. All because he hadn’t been ready. Well, he was ready now.
He gives himself one last weak smile before he exits the bathroom and into the apartment. The apartment he would be leaving soon. He glances at all the boxes, each labeled neatly. Labeled with what they contained and whether or not they would be going to his new apartment or a storage unit. As much as he wants to take it all with him, his new place was just too small.
It feels so cold and empty like this. Completely clean. Everything packed, all his (and his brother’s) Pokemon recalled into their pokeballs. He would miss this place. But he could not dwell. He could not stall at this station. Even if Ingo was gone, Emmet needed to make sure the subway kept on schedule, kept moving forward.
Emmet checks his Xtransceiver. It was just a little past noon. He was right on schedule. He quickly marches to the front door. He stalls as he looks at his work uniform.
…
He was finally letting go so surely he deserves a little bit of comfort? He finds himself slipping on his coat before he even answers himself. Once his hat was on his head, Emmet bolts out the door. (He quickly sprints back to lock it of course!) He was meeting Skyla and Elesa at a cafe in Anville Town. He had plenty of time to make the train there.
As he marches towards Gear Station, he rehearses what he’s gonna say to them. He had spent so long figuring out what to say. He didn’t want to mess it up.
I am Emmet.
I am ready for Ingo to be dead-
No
No that wasn’t right.
I am Emmet.
I am ready for Ingo’s funeral.
Hm.
Closer but still not right.
I am Emmet.
I am ready to let him go.
…
To let Ingo go.
Yes. That- that would do.
One of the depot workers waves at him as he enters the station. He waves back with a smile. His eyes are locked on the train he would be taking today. He was just in time.
He easily wades through the crowd. He’s about halfway there when he hears someone shout “Wait!”
He doesn’t think anything of it and promptly forgets it. (He hears them start shouting wait louder, hears desperate feet willing themselves to run faster - but his brain doesn’t process any of it. It’s obviously not meant for him.)
He makes it, he gets to the door. And right as he goes to enter the train car, he registers the voice again. How could he not when they shout,
“Wait, Ingo!”
Emmet freezes. He can’t move. Can’t step forward, can’t turn around to look for who was yelling. And the doors in front of him close. He did not make it. His whole schedule has derailed.
He only regains control over his body when small hands try to grab at his coat sleeve. He can’t help but jerk away, whirling around to see who has derailed him so thoroughly. It was a teen. One with long dark hair. He doesn’t recognize her.
Until he does.
The girl, who had grabbed at him, was none other than the recently found Sinnoh Champion. Dawn, the Champion of Sinnoh, was standing in front of him. And calling him Ingo.
She tilts her head in concern, looking him over. Realization dawns (Ha, Elesa would have liked that one.) on her face. “Oh, sorry- I thought you were someone else.” Emmet can’t breathe. The implications give his poor heart a terribly hopeful squeeze. His voice is, unfortunately, failing him right now.
She seems to have realized something else. “Wait! You must be the man who looks like him!” Her face turns up into an excited grin. Emmet can feel himself mirroring her grin, his eyebrows scrunching uncertainly. “So that means, you must know where he is right?”
Aaaaaand there goes his smile. And his heart. Wow, he’s so tired suddenly. Wonder fucking why. Her expression falls as she takes in his frown and sudden slump. Before she can say another word, Emmet forces out (It hurts to talk now.) a clipped, “Gone. Been gone for five years.”
She freezes. Then her face scrunches up in confusion.
“No- No that can’t be- He has to be here, he has to be home!” She says, steadily rising in volume. Wow, she was getting really distressed. He should really be the more distressed one of the two. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) he feels too numb to be distressed.
She looks around, then down at her phone. Her face pinches. She… Looks like she was gonna cry. Like angry cry. Okay, Emmet is a little concerned now.
“H-he has-s to be ho-home now! W-we had a de-eal!” She is full-on cry-shouting now.
Oh dear.
“We were b-both suppo-ose to go home!” She continues with little care for all the staring passersby. Emmet absolutely could not understand what she was talking about. Maybe if his brain didn’t feel so sluggish and clogged he would, but right now? Not a single clue.
All he could do was give a tense smile and offer the girl his hand. She takes his hand and yanks on it. She uses the force of it to propel herself forward into him, wrapping her arms around his body and wailing.
Oh.
Okay.
This was fine. This was absolutely fine. He looks around helplessly. Not a single adult in sight was stepping forward to claim her. Although, admittedly Emmet would probably recognize the champion’s mom.
“I-is he really not home? Did Ingo not get to go home like me?” Comes a wobbly and muffled voice from his torso. Emmet stares down at the girl, really trying to process her words. He could feel his stomach churn as the pieces fall into place. He does his best to gently pull Dawn away and kneels in front of her. He looks her in the eyes and says,
“Tell me everything.”
He’s sure his face conveys how desperate he is. It must have because Dawn steels her face into a determined expression and leads him away. Eventually, he has to take lead as the teen was not as familiar with the routes. She seems really determined to find somewhere private. Luckily his work keys are in his coat pocket so they can just go to his office. (He does make her promise to inform her guardian of where and who she’s with. And also remind her to not go to secluded areas with unfamiliar adults. She waves off his nagging. Little brat.)
Once in his office, she starts talking.
And Emmet kinda wishes she hadn’t.
Apparently, Ingo has been in ancient Sinnoh for the last five years. Which doesn’t really make sense. Emmet feels like time travel should be a bit more complicated and confusing. He supposes it doesn’t matter right now. Dawn had apparently also been in ancient Sinnoh during her disappearance. She and Ingo had bonded as outsiders who clearly did not belong.
Ingo has amnesia. Emmet feels just a little ill at this. She reassures him that Ingo did remember him to some degree. Verrrrry reassuring. She also explained that she had made a deal with literal God, Arceus, to send both her and Ingo back home if she beat them fair and square in a fight. That really doesn’t sound safe. Why would God agree to fight a little girl??? Regardless, she did, in fact, beat up Arceus fair and square.
So, by the end of it, the two of them have established a few things.
One, Dawn was basically his kid. (She calls Ingo her uncle so that would make Emmet her dad right? He supposes that Skyla and Elesa could be her moms- Nope, Emmet was too attached now. Whoops. Is he even old enough to be her dad? Does he have to marry her mom???)
Two, Arceus did wrong by his newfound kid. Stole her from her home and dumped her in an unforgiving place where she got banished for their action in dumping her there. Made her accomplish a feat that most adult trainers haven’t even done just to get to talk to them. And finally, making her risk her life and fight them to get back home.
Three, Arceus is either a liar or just really bad at their job because Ingo is definitely not home.
Emmet knew what he had to do.
The two of them reunite with Dawn’s mother, who thanks him profusely for finding her daughter and keeping her safe. Eventually, Emmet gets them to agree to come with him to Anville Town. Elesa and Skyla were still waiting for him and he needed to introduce them to his new daughter, also he knows they’ll help him fight God.
Dawn is a verrrrry smart kid. She got her mother to leave for long enough for them to all discuss fighting god.
Regardless Emmet still refuses to let her fight Arceus again.