Chapter Text
“Thank you for riding the Battle Subway; do come again!”
Ingo deflated tiredly once the trainers were out of sight, Emmet seeing them off. The last battle of the day, finally. Ingo and Emmet directed the train back to the proper station for the night and entered the main control room where they removed their belts containing their Pokeballs and placed them on a counter. They both sighed as they heavily sat down on chairs.
“Long day…” Emmet remarked.
“Long day,” Ingo agreed. “I can’t remember the last time we’ve had so many trainers.”
“Me neither,” Emmet nodded. “I blame you.”
Ingo blinked, “Me?”
“Everyone wants to try battling against those new styles you brought back from Hisui,” Emmet said. “That, and you have all those new Pokemon; trainers love a challenge.”
“Even after six months?“ Ingo asked.
“Well no one has beaten us yet,” Emmet said smugly. “At least, not until Lizzie or her sister come along.”
“Bethany has yet to ride our Battle Subway,” Ingo remarked. “Knowing Elizabeth, I would have thought she would have dragged her here by now.”
“I know!” Emmet groaned. “It’s been six months, I want to know how Beth battles! She’s Lizzie’s sister, she’s got to be as good as her!”
“Why Emmet, are you getting bored?” Ingo asked in slight shock. “You never get bored with battles!”
“Well, that was before you showed me those different battle styles!” Emmet protested. “Using Agile and Strong style just makes regular battles feel…static!”
Ingo couldn’t help but chuckle, “You would have loved battles in Hisui; I…actually conducted a few myself.”
“Really?” Emmet asked, sitting up straighter.
“There was a dojo in the village where I spent most of my time,” Ingo said. “I would arrange and schedule battles for survey corp members and guards who wanted to train.”
“So like the Battle Subway, but without the subway,” Emmet nodded. “That sounds like it would be very fun.”
“Well, I don’t know about you; battling was very new in Hisui. Unleashing you upon them would just be unfair.”
“Hey, I can hold back!” Emmet exclaimed. “I mean…I won’t like it, but I could do it!”
“Double battles weren’t invented yet, Emmet, you’d have to adapt to just singles,” Ingo remarked.
Emmet looked like he was going to have a stroke, “NO DOU-” He shook his head, “How can that even be possible?!”
“The people of Hisui barely ever battle, battling with two Pokemon at once was certainly the last thing on their minds,” Ingo said. “We did give it a try once, though.”
Emmet perked up, “You did?”
“Yes, me and-” Ingo cut himself off as he almost said her name. “...Me and…a very good friend…”
“You’re making the face again,” Emmet commented. “The sad, misty face.” Ingo looked away and said nothing. “...You know, this is the first time I’ve ever really heard you talk about Hisui,” Emmet went on. “Why won’t you talk about it, Ingo?”
“I don’t know,” Ingo murmured, getting up. “We should start closing up here…”
“You know, I was the same way when you were there,” Emmet said, making Ingo stop. “I never wanted to talk about you at all…because it hurt too much; you really miss someone, don’t you?”
“...I shouldn’t,” Ingo said. “It's been half a year, I shouldn’t be-”
“If they were very special to you, then you would still miss them,” Emmet said, moving closer to him and squeezing his shoulder. “You were gone for two years and I missed you every day; surely it’s the same with you.”
“...Maybe,” Ingo admitted.
“Well…when you’re ready, tell me about them,” Emmet said, his smile returning. Ingo smiled and nodded, and Emmet moved to the main control screen to make sure everything was in order. Ingo could help but sigh again.
Six months…six months, and his heart still ached to know how Kuri was doing. Was she doing well? Was she taking care of herself? Was she still in Hisui? And his poor Lady Sneasler…Ingo felt awful that he wasn’t able to give her a proper goodbye. Whoever her new Warden was, he hoped they were taking very good care of her. Or rather, took good care of her before…
Every so often, Ingo’s brain would remind him that, technically, Hisui, and everyone in it, was gone. The Pokemon, the Galaxy Team, both clans, everyone was no more. Even though he had only seen them half a year ago… Ingo could never bring himself to look up any records of Hisui. He couldn't bear to see the solid reminder that Lady Irida, Lord Adaman, Rei, Professor Laventon, and everyone he knew was nothing more than history. Maybe one day, but…not now.
The only one who he tried looking for was Kuri. What she had told him, about her and him being from different points in time, gave him hope that perhaps he could find her. But that didn’t last long. He had done some research on his own time, looking around for some kind of record of a young girl named Kuri, but his results were ultimately fruitless. Which meant Kuri was either long gone, or not even a twinkle in someone’s eye yet. So the chance of seeing her again…
Ingo shook his head; this was no time to be agonizing over Hisui again; they still had to give the usual final check. Ingo picked up his lantern and lit it, “You finish up here; I’m going to start inspecting the north tunnel,” He announced, despite knowing what was coming as his brother suddenly straightened.
“I’ll come with you,” Emmet grabbed his lantern. Like clockwork.
“Emmet, we’re going to be here all night if we search every tunnel together,” Ingo said while getting his Pokeballs, despite knowing it wasn’t going to change anything.
“It’s not safe to wander these tunnels alone,” Emmet said, keeping a neutral tone.
Ingo sighed; this was getting ridiculous, “Emmet, I know what you’re doing; you don’t have to worry.”
“I’m not worried, who’s worried, I just think it would be better if we checked the tunnels together.”
“I can handle one tunnel by myself,” Ingo said sternly. “For goodness sake, I’m not going to disappear again-“
“YOU DON’T KNOW THAT!” Emmet exploded, turning on him. Ingo flinched and Emmet shrank back, realizing what he had just done. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean- I just…I…”
Ingo’s face softened as his brother floundered for words, and he gently squeezed his shoulder, “Emmet…”
“...I can’t lose you again…” It was so soft, Ingo almost didn’t catch it. “I can’t…I won’t…” Ingo felt that guilt squeeze him yet again. Ever since he had returned from Hisui, Emmet had been glued to his side almost constantly. Sure, they were almost always together before Ingo vanished, but now it was much more intense, and for all the wrong reasons.
Ingo had always been the most observant of little gestures. He saw how Emmet would tense up if Ingo so much as left the room; how Emmet seemed to always glance at him every few seconds to make absolutely sure he was still there; how he always seemed to have a mini-stroke whenever Ingo said he was going out somewhere.
Six months may have passed, but Emmet had become all but consumed by anxiety. Heck, Ingo still woke up to Emmet screaming from a nightmare involving him disappearing again, even after they temporarily moved their beds into the same room. And all because Ingo had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He hated it. He hated seeing his brother like this. Emmet wasn’t anxious, Emmet was Emmet! Sweet, happy, energetic, slightly reckless Emmet! And no matter how many times Ingo reassured him, no matter how many “I’m here”s or “I’m not going anywhere”s were promised, it was never long before this new scared, paranoid, anxious Emmet returned.
Ingo put his lantern aside and did the same with Emmet’s before he pulled him into a hug. It was always the easiest way to comfort his brother, even before he disappeared. Emmet gripped him tightly and pressed his face into his shoulder.
They stood there for a few moments, before Ingo patted him, “Alright, let’s go,” He headed towards the door. “But if we fall behind schedule, it’s on you.” Emmet followed like a lost Lillipup and they ventured into the tunnels, neither of them realizing that Emmet had left his Pokemon behind.
They made their way through the tunnels, making slow but decent progress. As usual, nothing was out of order, just like it had been for the past half-year. Emmet remained almost flush to his side, matching Ingo’s pace so as to not fall behind.
Soon, they reached the tunnel that led to the very center of the subway. Ingo opened his hand and Emmet grabbed it, as he always did. This was the tunnel where Emmet had found Ingo’s Pokemon…the tunnel where he disappeared. Emmet slightly picked up the pace, forcing Ingo to do the same. Emmet’s gaze was straight ahead, leaving Ingo to move the lantern around to do their usual checks.
They reached the middle of the tunnel…when they heard it. They both stopped and moved their lanterns, looking around, Emmet much more frantically. Ingo winced as Emmet’s grip on his hand tightened like steel and the sound happened again. Ingo sucked in a breath; it sounded eerily familiar…like the noises he heard all around when Kuri was battling Palkia in the Temple of Sinnoh…
“Emmet,” Ingo squeezed Emmet’s hand back. “We should move.” Emmet didn’t need to be told twice. But the moment they took a step, the very world around them seemed to shift.
“Ingo?!” Emmet exclaimed.
“I-I don’t know!” Ingo responded, staying as close to Emmet as possible. The world wavered and was slowly replaced with an eerie mix of red, green, and pink. Both Subway Bosses dropped their lanterns to grip each other with both hands.
“What’s happen-ING?!” Emmet shrieked as the floor vanished beneath them, making him cling to Ingo even more.
“Don’t let go of me!” Ingo commanded though it was clear that Emmet wasn’t going to anytime soon. They both looked around frantically as they floated through the void, unsure if they were upside-down or right-side-up.
“Did this happen to you last time?” Emmet asked shakily.
“I’m starting to wish I remembered!” Ingo responded, just as scared as his brother. They floated for a bit longer when the air in front of them started to warp again. They began to pick up speed, faster and faster, until they were thrust forward, ripping them from each other.
“NO!” Emmet screamed.
“EMMET!” Ingo tried to reach for him as they were thrown into a white void.
Then they were falling through the air, the ground rushing up to meet them.
Ingo hit the ground with a thump, stars exploding in his vision as the air was sucker-punched out of him. He wasn’t sure how long he laid there, but he was eventually roused by a group of Pichu crawling all over him, pawing at his face. It was then that he realized it was raining quite hard; he was soaked to the skin. Ingo flinched as he snapped back to reality, making the Pichu scatter.
“Emmet…?” Ingo lifted his head; he clearly remembered his brother falling with him. On the bright side, he seemed to remember everything this time… It didn’t take him long to spot the lump of white near him. Ingo groaned as he rolled his aching body over and crawled over to Emmet. “Emmet…!” He shook his shoulder. “Emmet, are you alright?”
Emmet sucked in a breath, his eyes shooting open, and Ingo suddenly found arms wrapped around his neck. “Ingo!”
Ingo choked as he was pulled to the ground by his brother. “Emmet-!”
“You’re still here…!” Emmet whispered, hugging him close on the muddy ground. “You weren’t taken…!”
“I know, Emmet, but I do need to breathe…!” Ingo grunted.
“Oh,” Emmet blinked and released him, letting his brother gasp for breath, but Ingo gripped his brother’s shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
“A bit winded, but I’m fine,” Emmet replied. They helped each other sit up and Emmet finally realized that they were soaked. And that they were outside. “Where…are we?”
Ingo blinked, wiping the rain out of his eyes; it looked like they were in a large grassy field, near an entrance of trees. The more Ingo looked around, the more familiar it felt. “Wait…could this be…?” Ingo murmured.
“What is it?” Emmet asked.
“Emmet…I think we’re-” Ingo was cut off as the bushes around the trees rustled. He could hear something running towards them. Ingo reached for a Pokeball and tried to get up, but it was too late.
“INGO!” Emmet screamed as a dark blur emerged and tackled Ingo back onto the muddy ground. Ingo gasped for breath as a heavy shape pinned him down, growling slightly. “Hey!” Emmet scrambled for a Pokeball himself, but his waist was empty…his belt…!
Ingo stared at the Pokemon; a Typhlosion? Ingo took in the tired eyes and the purple hue on its fur…a Hisuian Typhlosion! Then, he was right…they were back…!
“Stop!” Emmet tried to get to his feet, “Get off my-”
“Emmet, it’s alright!” Ingo said suddenly, realizing that this Typhlosion seemed very familiar. He lay still and waited with bated breath, hoping he was right. The Typhlosion sniffed him…and then perked up, happily licking Ingo’s face.
“Uh…” Emmet was dumbfounded.
Ingo laughed and pushed the large Pokemon back so he could sit up, “Alright alright!” He exclaimed before readjusting his cap and getting a good look at the Typhlosion. “I thought you looked familiar…you’re Charcoal, aren’t you?” The Typhlosion nodded with a happy growl before nuzzling his face. Ingo gave him a pat before getting up and helping Emmet up. The Typhlosion, Charcoal (apparently), blinked and looked in confusion between the two of them.
“Ingo, that looks like no Typhlosion I’ve ever seen,” Emmet said softly.
“I’ll explain later,” Ingo replied before addressing Charcoal. “It’s alright, he’s just my twin brother,” Charcoal blinked and moved forward. Emmet stood very still as Charcoal sniffed him a bit before seeming to nod in approval. A thought then struck Ingo, “Wait…if you’re here, then that must mean…”
The bushes nearby began to rustle again, “Charcoal, did you find those Pichu?” Ingo felt his heart rise with hope. A young girl, equally as drenched, stepped out into the open, wearing a strange outfit and a white bandana over her dark hair.
“Crystal…?” Emmet murmured in confusion.
Charcoal cried out happily towards her and she looked at them, her eyes immediately honing in on Ingo, who smiled, his eyes bright. “Hello again, Kuri.” His voice was thick with emotion.
The girl’s face brightened immensely and she all but leaped at him, throwing her arms around his middle. “INGO!!”
Ingo chuckled as he gladly accepted the hug, holding her tightly. “Oh Kuri, It’s so good to see you!”
“I missed you!” Kuri said, her voice muffled from her face buried in his chest.
“I missed you too.” Ingo sighed, putting a hand on the back of her head. Emmet stared at the sight; Ingo was never this openly affectionate with anyone other than him or their Pokémon.
“Wait…” Kuri blinked and pulled away. “Why are you here? How are you here?!” Her face slowly grew more panicked. “Is there another space-time rift?! Do you remember everything?!”
Ingo smiled fondly, “Kuri, calm down,” He said. “I’m not sure how we got here, but my memories are perfectly intact.”
Kuri deflated, “Oh, good…” She started. “Wait, ‘we’?” Kuri peeked behind Ingo to see Emmet awkwardly standing there and she gasped. “Is that…?!”
Ingo chuckled, “Kuri, this is my twin brother, Emmet,” He introduced. “Emmet, this is Kuri, my fellow time traveler.”
“You’re the twin!” Kuri hurried over to him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I didn’t think I’d actually get to meet you! Hi!”
“Hello,” Emmet greeted, feeling his own smile return from seeing hers. “I’m Emmet.”
“I’m Kuri,” She returned, still beaming and practically bouncing. “I’m so glad you’re here! Well, I’m not glad that you apparently got pulled here against your will, but I’m glad you’re here together! I have so much I want to tell you! Both of you! So much as happened and-” Kuri blinked as she noticed the rain dripping off Emmet’s hat. She glanced at Ingo, who was equally soaked and starting to shiver, unlike her, who was dressed for the weather. “...and we should probably get you guys out of the rain first…” She finished sheepishly.
“That would be wise,” Ingo agreed. “I assume this is the Obsidian Fieldlands?”
Kuri nodded, “Yep! So we’ll head back to Jubilife Village!”
“I hope it’s not far,” Emmet commented, starting to hug himself from the cold.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there in no time,” Kuri pulled out her flute and played a tune. A few moments later, Emmet jumped as Wyrdeer emerged from the trees. “Hey buddy,” Kuri patted his neck. “We have a few more passengers today; think you can get us back to Jubilife?” Wyrdeer snorted and nodded.
Kuri grinned and turned to the twins, “All aboard!” Emmet started as she mimicked their signature pose. Ingo, however, didn’t seem surprised, and just smiled. Kuri giggled and went back over to them, “C’mon, let’s hurry! Everyone’s gonna be so happy to see you!” Ingo just kept smiling as Kuri pulled him along, hugging his arm.
Emmet couldn’t help but stare as he followed them towards Wyrdeer; he had never seen Ingo act this way with a child. Granted, he and Ingo interacted with children all the time with the trainers on the Battle Subway, but that was in a professional manner. This, whatever he was seeing with Ingo and this Kuri, was very much personal. It was really reminding him of his relationship with Ingo; close, informal, heavy on physical contact. And then there was her imitating them… Emmet had always thought that he would be the only one who would have that kind of bond with his brother, but now…
Just who was this child that had apparently wormed her way into Ingo’s heart?