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Chapter Text

She first met him after a mission briefing with Cyllene and had been instructed to go to the training grounds. Akari recognised Irida in an instant, but the man standing next to her was new. 

Or, well... new-ish. 

She'd seen him briefly when she awoke that day, walking out of her quarters when the man announced that Kamado (that bastard) wanted her in his office post-haste. She's still certain that he's the reason the village was so much more productive than usual that morning; it'd be difficult for someone to sleep in with this random Pearl Clan member half-yelling train metaphors at someone mere feet away from them. How the hell did he know about trains anyway? Akari wasn't entirely sure she knew what they were either, but she had a gut feeling that they were real and back in her time. 

...Her time? Was this man possibly from the future too? 

Her suspicions were confirmed as Irida introduced the man as being similar to Akari herself, appearing suddenly with no real explanation. As selfish as it may sound, she found comfort in the fact that someone was just as confused as she was. Possibly more. 

----- 

The walk through Wayward Cave was interesting. Ingo spoke of fleeting flashes of memory, such as a man that looked like him but wasn't him, a quote from someone else, and a Pokémon partner that utilised fire. Perhaps it was being in the presence of a child who spoke of things reminiscent his own time that shook a couple of memories from their hiding places, but they were still too vague to say anything with certainty. 

They both also found a shared dislike towards one Diamond Clan warden in particular. Even though Ingo lightly scolded her every time she masterfully executed these rude (but arguably accurate) impressions of Melli, Akari still noticed him trying to hide a laugh behind his words. She had to give him credit where it's due; he did a fantastic job and didn't laugh at all when she did one of her imitations behind Melli's back in Ingo's line of sight as the former kept ranting at the Pearl Clan warden as to why he was 'so incredibly right' to rid the cave of anything and everything that would make it safe for humans, though she did begin to seriously question Adaman's warden requirements when Melli still thought it was 'just a small cough' when Ingo had to mask his snorts of laughter every twenty seconds. 

Visits between the two eventually became frequent and a joy to the pair. The knowledge that there was someone in this hostile world that at least somewhat knew what it was like to be this far away from home was a comfort to them both, albeit a bittersweet one. Hours together were either spent trying to recover each other's memories, reminiscing about the things they did remember, or battling. The battles themselves shook a lot of memories out of wherever they were hiding within their minds, so this was typically what they did most, even if the memories were very minor and rather vague at times. Akari won most days, though Ingo had a tendency to win at least one in five battles, which delighted Akari to no end. 

"Sinnoh, you have no idea how much it means to me when you kick my ass," Akari sighed as she reclined against a nearby rock, Lady Sneasler looking down at her. 

"I beg your pardon, Miss Akari?" Ingo blinked at her, both trying to pry for more information and subtly reprimand her for her language. 

"It means I can still improve!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air before lowering them again. "I hate not having something exciting to work at, y'know? Taking it easy... Not really my style. It's not so bad when there's a Noble to quell or Melli to antagonise, but when it's just me going around catching Pokémon for the sake of raising my rank, or throwing a couple of berries for the sake of research? Not so much..." She huffed as she fiddled with an empty pokéball, flipping the latch up and down. The Samurott that lay next to her placed his head on her leg, prompting her to pet him fondly. 

"I see..." Ingo muttered, appearing to be in thought. "Yes, I suppose you would only be able to experience challenging trainer battles in our own time, wouldn't you? I did not recall any such thing in much detail myself when I arrived here - all I knew is that it felt natural, so I suppose the lack of battling did seem ever-so-slightly odd. Did you battle much prior to your derailment?" 

"I think I did... I think I battled a lot. Sometimes I get these dreams where I stand in front of a Pokémon and battle with it. Sometimes I recognise it 'cause I've seen it here before. Sometimes I don't, but they still feel familiar, like I should know them..." She paused. "...Sometimes, I also see a person." 

"A person?" 

"Yeah. They aren't always the same though. They all look so different, but they give off similar vibes, like they're all part of one big group. They're always blurry or seem distant, so I can never remember specifics, but they still seem... friendly? I think?" 

"Do not fret, Miss Akari. I believe I know precisely what track you are on." 

"You do?" She gazes up at him for a moment, before her eyes light up. "Oh! You're talking about the man in white that looks like you and smiles all the time, right?" 

"Yes. The only difference between our journeys seem to be that I fight alongside this man, not against." 

The rest of that particular afternoon was spent discussing memories hidden by dreams, and ended on a promise to regain their missing memories together. 

----- 

When Ingo received word of Akari's exile, to say he was furious was an understatement, his face beginning to turn as red as the bleeding sky above him in the Coronet Highlands. 

"Ingo, please, I must ask you to calm down-" 

"Akari is a child, Miss Irida! Kamado has derailed a child and set her onto a track that will only lead to peril, and you are instructing me to calm down!?" 

Irida winced, not used to seeing the man so frustrated. She could tell Lady Sneasler was also getting anxious, her usual relaxed posture replaced by a tense one, as if she were getting ready to be summoned at any given moment by the aforementioned child. 

"Ingo, I am so, so sorry. I tried to plead her case, as did Adaman, but Kamado... He was having none of it!" 

Ingo said nothing, but began to walk off. 

"Ingo? Where are you going?" 

"Jubilife Village." 

"What? Why!?" 

"Kamado needs some sense beaten into him, apparently." 

Irida's face paled as she leapt forwards, clinging to his arm. "NO! INGO, YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT!" 

"Well someone has to! That someone WILL be me if I have anything to say about it!" 

"No, Ingo, you don't understand! You're like Akari, aren't you? You came to us from afar just as she did, correct? The moment you present yourself as a threat to Kamado, there's no telling what he may do! He already exiled his best Survey Corps member on account of her coming from the rift and that's only because she couldn't do anything to fix it if she were imprisoned! What good are you to her if you're locked up or worse, Ingo!?" 

That tugged on Ingo's emergency brake. He stopped walking, looking down at Irida. "...He wanted to imprison her? He wanted... to imprison a child who has done nothing but follow his own orders?" He spoke slowly, as if trying to comprehend his own words. 

Irida nodded her head. "I honestly think he wished to do more than just imprison, but couldn't due to Akari's relationships with both the Pearl Clan and the Diamond Clan, plus I'm almost certain he'd lose the Professor and Rei if he did anything brutish... Perhaps even Captain Cyllene and the other Corps captains too given how much she's helped them. I think he knew that physically harming her would start a conflict he had no hope of winning." 

"So you believe he wished to cause her physical harm to boot?" 

"I'm afraid it's more like 'know' rather than 'believe', Ingo..." Irida admitted, head hung low. "I'm afraid that we may not be able to take her into our care either, else Kamado may do something rash-" 

"Allow me to depart to her then! If I cannot make my way to Kamado's station, then I can protect her and make sure she isn't derailed more than she already has been, at the very least." 

Irida shook her head. "I cannot allow that. I'm sorry Ingo, if there was anyone other than myself in the Pearl Clan that I would be willing to send to her aid, it would be you, but given your... circumstances, if he catches wind of it, Kamado may get it into his head that you and her are plotting against Hisui together. You'd only be putting her in more danger." 

Ingo clenched his fist and looked away. She was right. Of course she was right. She was the leader of the Pearl Clan for a reason, after all. The paw placed on his shoulder by Lady Sneasler did little to ease his nerves as his train of thought quickly went through all potential worst-case scenarios. He truly was useless right now, wasn't he? Akari, a child, had once again been displaced against her own will, and there he was, unable to do anything about it. 

"Listen... I'm going to find her. With Adaman. We may not agree on much, but we at least agree that this is unfair, cruel, and that Akari is innocent. One of us shall remain with her while the other keeps surveillance over Kamado. I promise you, we shall do whatever it takes to keep her safe." 

"...Fine." Ingo reluctantly agreed through gritted teeth. "My cab shall remain with Lady Sneasler for now, in that case, so you always know where I am should you need assistance." 

Irida smiled hesitantly before turning to leave. "Thank you, Ingo. I'm sure Akari has a plan by now... This should all be over soon." 

The last thing Ingo remembered from that day was the feeling of a bottomless pit in his stomach formed from worry for Akari as Sneasler kept an eye on him, making sure he didn't do anything rash. He didn't eat that night. 

----- 

For a few months following the battle against a frenzied Dialga, Akari refused to go back to living in Jubilife Village out of fear. It was understandable, all things considered. It's not every week you get screamed at by a martial artist about twice your size, banished from where you considered to be your home by said martial artist, and then encounter and do battle against two ancient deities that control time and space respectively. 

Although, having said that, Dialga and Palkia really weren't the ones she was afraid of. 

Kamado had sent Beni after her before she could even say a word to him on Mount Coronet, and she could only assume the worst of that. She was thankful that Beni, as big of a dickhead that man could be sometimes, wasn't entirely unreasonable, and allowed her to live after defeating him in battle. Even though she may have survived the ordeal, it really shouldn't have happened to begin with. 

So where did she go if not back to the village? 

"Akari, we have returned after completing today's journey!" 

"Welcome back, Uncle Ingo!" Akari called from inside her tent. Ingo had quite happily allowed his new niece-figure to stay in his camp near Sneasler's cave after she had asked him, and was secretly quite glad she was in no rush to get back to living in Jubilife Village. Call him overprotective if you must, but he wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of her staying in the same place as the man that exiled his niece and tried to have her killed for crimes she never committed. She would visit the settlement from time-to-time to sneak in a quick report on her progress to Captain Cyllene and Professor Laventon, or to check in on Rei and her Pokémon in the pastures, but would flee like a startled Starly if she ever saw any glimpse of either Kamado or Beni. 

Dressed in more casual attire rather than her Galaxy Team uniform, she stepped out of her tent to greet the returning pair, waving as her Samurott stood next to her, standing guard. The Pearl Clan, upon hearing of where Akari was now staying, had been more than willing to help set up a new tent in a similar style to their own. Ingo guessed that they probably felt indebted to her after everything that had transpired. 

"How was your trip to Jubilife?" Ingo asked. He'd been gone for a couple of days, so he figured he could safely assume she made one of her visits. 

"It was good! I didn't see Kamado, and Captain Cyllene and the Professor are doing well, and Rei's finally getting the hang of battling too!" 

"Marvelous! I suspect I may have a new challenger at some point then!" Ingo laughed, excited at the idea of a new person competent in battle. 

Akari grinned. "Yeah! Although, let it be known that I got first dibs on a battle when he's ready!" 

The two continued to talk well into the evening with Akari teaching Ingo how to make twice-spiced radishes with the supplies he had collected from the Pearl Clan settlement. 

"See, when you pickle them, they last way longer than if you just stuck the radish in a fridge, plus it makes them way tastier." 

"I do not believe we have fully-functional refrigerators in this time period, Akari, and before you say anything, the one in your Jubilife carriage does not count as fully-functional." 

"Irrelevant, Uncle! My point still stands!" 

"That may be so, but still-" Ingo was cut off as low growls emanated from the back of both Samurott and Sneasler's throats, their eyes fixated on an approaching individual. Both trainers quickly got to their feet to analyse the threat. 

"Woah, now! Steady on, steady on! I'm not going to do anything bad, I promise!" Volo backed up slightly, not liking how sharp Samurott's horn and Sneasler's claws were. Akari whistled, and her Samurott looked at her. 

"Tsunami, calm down. It's just Volo; I don't think he's much of a threat, buddy. What's he going to do? Salesman me to death?" 

That got Tsunami to back off a little bit, though he did stay even closer to his trainer than usual, though Akari put that down to everything that's happened recently. Lady Sneasler stepped back a little too, but kept a sharp gaze on Volo. 

"Phew... Those two really do love you both down to the bones, don't they?" 

"Well... Yeah?" Akari raised an eyebrow, as if this should be obvious to the merchant. "Tsunami's one of my best friends, and Lady Sneasler's been with Ingo ever since he got here too, as far as I know. Why wouldn't we be close to them?" 

"Ah, it's nothing. It's just most people are still terrified of Pokémon here in Hisui, so it's strange seeing ones so comfortable with Pokémon by their sides." 

"Volo, don't you have Togepi?" 

"Hm? Oh, yes, I do! I care for Togepi a lot! It's only that not many others care for Pokémon like us, you see?" 

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense... Anyway, why are you here, Volo?" 

"Right!" Volo clapped his hands, his smile growing larger by the second. "You'll never guess what your old friend Volo found! I feel like this is something you'll quite like! I could go into detail about how I found it if you wish-" 

"Spit it out, Volo." 

Volo stops, and somehow grins even more, expertly hiding all malice from his captive audience. 

"I do believe I've found you both a way home!" 

----- 

Ingo held Akari's shaking, shuddering frame as she gripped his coat, sobs wracking her body. He did his best to soothe her. It wasn't enough. A battle against a third deity by the name of Giratina was on neither of their schedules, and it seems to have proven to be Akari's engine's breaking point. As soon as he spotted the gargantuan mass of shadow above Mount Coronet's peak, he raced to the top of the mountain only to see the shadows had disappeared and a fleeing Volo sporting some rather... unorthodox clothing. When he tried to ask what happened, Ingo was just ignored and shoved aside. 

Not exactly comforting. 

When Ingo finally reached the top, he broke into a sprint despite his exhaustion as he saw his injured niece on her knees, staring up at the sky with reddened eyes, tears silently cascading down her face while a beat-up Samurott does his best to steady her, whining softly. 

The next half an hour is a blur, much like the view from the window of a bullet train. Ingo somehow convinced Tsunami to return to his pokèball while he escorted Akari down the mountain and back to the camp, and then he somehow managed to get Lady Sneasler to stop herself from going out and hunting Volo for sport. He wanted the privilege of that himself. But not now. His niece was his priority here. His only priority.

Now here they were, with Akari explaining through ragged breathing and hiccups how Volo admitted to being the one to tear open the rift, endangering the world, and how he wanted to erase it to make a new, 'better' one with no suffering. He must have not quite got the irony of the situation. Ingo listened, quietly seething to himself as she went into detail about how Volo then forced her and her unprepared team to fight him so he could rip the plates she had worked tirelessly to obtain from her, proudly announcing how he wasn't above using violence, and summoned Giratina in order to end her when she beat his own team. He'd somehow messed it up again. He'd left her by herself, and she was once again faced with unimaginable suffering at the hands of someone who only wanted to take advantage of her and her kindness. What sort of uncle was he? A pathetic one, if his track record was anything worth referencing... 

He quickly shook those thoughts out of his head. No. Not now. He could reprimand himself for all of time later, but right now, this child needed his undivided attention. First, the cuts. A mix of mashed oran berries, medicinal leeks, and pep-up plants should at least soothe any cuts and prevent infections, and as for any possible breaks or fractures, he could probably fashion a make-shift splint or two from wood if desperately needed. He wasn't entirely sure that she would be comfortable going to Jubilife for medical care due to the extremely high chance of running into Kamado, but he supposed he could always contact the Pearl settlement if he was truly in a bind. She seemed stable in a physical sense at least, so he was comfortable in letting her decide what to do when she was able to think more clearly. 

"Come along, Akari. You need to rest your engine; you will not be able to run at full capacity if you do not recover and refuel." 

"I-I can't... Not now. Not yet." 

"Why ever not? You are not in proper functioning order, so you must rest!" 

"I-I still have so m-much to do!" Akari cried, doing her best to control the tremble in her voice as her uncle listened. "There's m-my mission, Professor L-Laventon's Pokèdex, all the villagers th-that n-need my help-" 

"They can all wait. I highly doubt they'd prefer you becoming even more injured and immediately see to their requests, plus you've only just experienced a further event that your mind must at least comprehend before you can move forward," Ingo insisted, aware that it would most likely take years at the very least before she'll truly be over the events at the temple. "If you're concerned about what the villagers may think if you don't leave your station to help immediately, I could send word to Captain Cyllene about this unexpected delay?" 

Akari furiously shook her head, desperately trying to ignore the burning, searing, scorching pain that shot through her brain as she did so. "N-No! She... They... Everyone will try to m-make me stay there again... I don't w-want that! Not while h-he's there!" 

"Alright, alright," he reassured. "That is one track decommissioned. What I will do, however, is inform Miss Irida and Master Adaman of your condition; they would loathe to find out we did not tell them of an event of such importance. We can also inform them of Volo's betrayal so we can avoid future incidents." 

Akari pondered for a brief moment, before giving a little nod. "Y-Yeah, that's okay. You can do that..." 

Ingo wasted no time. He quickly made sure Akari was settled in her own tent and sound asleep with her team surrounding her before leaving to write a notice to his Clan leader, tearing a clean page from his notebook. 

Meanwhile, Akari heard an all-too familiar chime from her phone, and as she checked it, and all-too familiar message appeared. 

'Seek out all Pokémon.' 

----- 

Why did all of his niece's tracks lead back to this same place? She fell from the rift above this place, nearly met her demise twice in this place, and now here she is again, confronting Sinnoh-knows-what up those stairs of light. It was bad enough that these two deities were standing guard in front of those steps, preventing Ingo from checking on Akari at all. Why her? Why did she have to go through such torment? Why did she have to face such harsh battles alone? 

...No. Not alone. Her partners are with her. 

He supposed if anyone could protect her, it was her team. They'd helped her stay alive for this long, hadn't they? He could trust them to look after up there. He should trust them. They've done more for her protection than he. 

However, this did not prevent his futile attempts to barge past the lords of time and space. 

Ingo glared at Dialga and Palkia as they lifted him up and placed him a few feet away from the stairs yet again after another one of his countless efforts to reach his unofficial niece. Nevertheless, he tried once more, yet again to no avail. And again. 

And again. 

And again. 

He couldn't tell if they found this funny or just pathetic, but he certainly began picking up on subtle sounds coming from both Pokémon as he continued his efforts. Either way, it didn't matter to him. He would not change course, and he would not be derailed! 

That is, until the two deities in front of him got a little fed up with his antics and left him suspended in the air with what Ingo could only presume to be some sort of telekinetic power. 

"...I suppose you two believe this to be clever?" 

More noises came from Dialga and Palkia. Now Ingo KNEW they were laughing. At least they seemed more tame and agreeable now in comparison to before they were caught by Akari, and weren't attacking him; just restraining. Lady Sneasler sat below him, filing her claws on a piece of flint she had picked up nearby, making absolutely no effort to save him. Why was she so calm? He knew she cared for the child almost as much as he did at this point, so why show so little concern? Had Dialga and Palkia told her something he could not understand? 

Fortunately for Ingo, he was not left waiting long as he heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Lively footsteps. Footsteps unhindered by pain. As soon as his body was lowered to the ground, he was tackled as Akari hugged him tightly, slightly battered but overall unharmed, grinning from ear-to-ear. He hugged back, holding her as if to shield her from the world. 

"Akari! What on earth made you change lines to this destination? And where did THAT track lead you?" Ingo pointed to the stairs of light that were rapidly disappearing into thin air. 

"I did it... I did it!" Akari was laughing, celebrating, rejoicing, tears spilling from her eyes as for the first time in what seemed like years she wept in pure relief and happiness. 

"Did what!?" 

Akari just beamed, and held up her phone to show him the latest message from Arceus, who now resided in a ball in her satchel. 

'Thou hast done well to seek out all Pokémon, including myself. As soon as thou is ready and the Pokédex compiled, I shall send thee and the one thou calls 'Uncle' home.' 

----- 

A send-off party at the ruins of Sinnoh Temple was decided, with the deities' permission of course. Both clan leaders and every warden were in attendance, as well as Professor Laventon, all of the Galaxy Team captains other than Kamado himself, a few residents of Jubilife Village, and the Nobles who were capable of attending. 

"Are you certain it's okay for the Nobles to be here? Don't they need to protect their parts of Hisui?" Akari asked, petting Arcanine affectionately despite her concerns much to the chagrin of Tsunami who watched on in jealousy. 

"Oh, don't you worry; Arcanine and the other Nobles here have left a capable team of their choosing to defend the land in their absences," Palina explained, Iscan behind her nodding in confirmation. "Besides, this little get-together will only last a few hours, won't it?" 

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Well, as long as everything is okay with everyone!" 

"Of course they are, you little twerp! Do you TRULY think that the great Melli would do something that would place people in dang- MMPH!" Melli was cut off as Adaman's hand was slapped over his mouth. 

"Ignore him." Adaman cast a side glance over to Melli, who squinted back. "This is coming from the idiot who tried to let Lord Electrode continue their frenzy." 

Melli pried the clan leader's hand off his mouth, whining, "But Adamaaaaaaaan, I- ACK!" 

Lord Electrode looked proud of themself as Melli recovered from the Agile Style thundershock they sent his way, almost laughing as Melli panicked over the state of his now static-filled hair. They gently rolled into Lady Sneasler's awaiting fist, performing what Akari could only assume was their version of a fist bump. Adaman grinned as Melli flailed about while Akari crumpled to the floor in fits of cackling laughter. 

"Akari, please, be polite..." Ingo scolded, trying to hide his own slight smirk and failing miserably. 

"Hypocrite! I see you smiling!" 

"Do as I say, not as I do." 

The party continued well into the evening with Melli's every attempt to steal the spotlight thwarted, and everyone else at the party laughing at it in good jest, promising Melli that nothing of what happened at the party would reach anyone outside of the gathering. 

Ingo perched himself on a nearby rock, looking out at the scene in front of him, Lady Sneasler's eldest kit in his lap. He didn't know why she thought to bring the future Lady, but he was at least grateful that she had a milder nature in comparison to her siblings as it meant less chance of getting poisoned and delaying departure. Ingo absentmindedly pet the Sneasel's head, the pokémon purring in his lap, quite content. All of the Lady's offspring were independent creatures for the most part, all of them now living in their own spots after gaining control over their abilities, the young heir being the only exception given that Lady Sneasler needed to teach her the skills needed to be a Noble. 

"Taking a break?" 

Ingo nodded, already recognising the voice as Irida's. His soon-to-be-former clan leader took a seat next to him, offering the Sneasel a pat on the head to which she happily accepted. 

"You know, I think the entire clan is going to miss you... some of the Diamond Clan too, I reckon. Melli, mainly. I'm pretty sure you're the only person who would listen to his ramblings and come out of the experience with your sanity intact," she joked. Ingo smiled back. 

"I suppose so. Perhaps I was just used to people making themselves sound greater than what they were? Maybe I dealt with the cocky sort of passenger back home... I'll soon find out, either way." 

"...You never used to smile so much." 

"Huh?" Ingo turned to her, taken aback. 

"When you first came to us, you never smiled. It was like your face was permanently stuck in a frown, as if the Alabaster Icelands had frozen your face in place... But you smile so much now. You smiled before Akari arrived, of course, but it was rare. Now? You smile almost every day. Yes, your default expression still looks miserable beyond belief and you are entirely unapproachable if someone isn't familiar with your mannerisms-" 

"That's just impolite-" 

"-but you smile so much with Akari now. You really do see her as family, don't you?" 

"Indeed I do, Miss Irida. I believe you've heard her name for me?" 

"Yeah, I have," Irida laughed lightly. "'Uncle Ingo', right?" 

"That's the one, and it's a title I am most proud and honoured to have." 

"Yeah, you two did seem like a proper family after a while... it's funny really, when you think about it. Circumstance and chance just sort of threw you both together, but it turned into something great for both of you, if you ignore... uh, everything else." 

"Everything else..." 

Ingo fell silent, his mind falling back to everything he couldn't protect Akari from. A child thrown from her home on the whims of a god, cast out into a world she had no way of knowing, forced to fight for her life on several occasions... it doesn't bare thinking about. Certainly not good for his blood pressure, anyway. 

"...Hey, it's okay now. Almighty Si- I mean, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and even Arceus listen to her at this point. Even if they cannot stay with her in your time, something tells me that they will still continue to watch over her, just as you intend to." 

"Yes, but they cannot erase her memories of each tragedy. She may change course, forge new tracks, and keep on moving... But those memories won't leave her for years, if at all," Ingo cast his gaze down, staring at the floor, "and I was utterly powerless to prevent it." 

"...At least she has some really good memories with you," Irida offered with a sympathetic smile. "She probably would have been even worse had you not been there for her. It may not have been all good, Ingo, but if you asked Akari, I don't think she'd say it was all bad either." 

Ingo was about to say something further until a roar from Tsunami broke through the noise of the crowd, a sharp cry from Lady Sneasler swiftly following. He looked up, and immediately saw both Pokémon confront a trespasser. 

To be more specific, a trespasser that everyone knew as Kamado, who raised his hands defensively but didn't back away. 

Ingo rushed to his feet, placing the Sneasel kit down before dashing over to Akari with Irida at his heel. How dare he... The absolute audacity of this man! He forced a damaging departure upon that child, and now tries to enforce his presence? Had he not been a rational man, Ingo probably would have shoved Kamado down the mountain down the mountain right there and then. 

"Sir, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I told you that under no circumstances you were to come here today," Cyllene glared as she stepped in-between Kamado and Akari, making her allegiance known. 

"I am aware, Captain Cyllene. However, I thought I would-" 

"You'd what? Take this last chance to exile my friend again? Send Beni after her to finish the job? What is it this time, coward?" Rei snapped. You could practically cut the tension with a knife for a moment as every Galaxy Team member present stared down their leader. They understood his original intentions with the decision to exile the girl, they truly did, but they couldn't see how it was justified when said girl had so many people supporting her and when she had helped so many others prior to the sky turning red.

"Hmph. I see you've grown bolder." 

"More like grown tired of your bullsh-" 

"AHEM!" Cyllene coughed harshly, interrupting any possibility of profanity with Professor Laventon calming down a fuming Rei in the background. "State your purpose here, Kamado, else I'm certain the Nobles will be more than happy to escort you off the mountain," she asserted, the menacing aura of all the Nobles in the background affirming her claim. Lady Sneasler in particular looked just about ready to throw him off the edge of the cliff herself. 

"I am here to apologise to young Akari." 

The crowd grew silent. 

"...What?" Ingo stood there, dumbfounded. For such an eloquent man, he found himself at a loss for words. An apology? Is that it? Kamado dragged himself up this mountain for the sake of an apology? Of all times he could have chosen to make the journey up here, he chooses the moment before Akari is due to be sent home? Ingo would have laughed had this not been the most pathetic sight he'd ever beholded. This was just a man who wanted to be rid of his guilty conscious. 

"I'll hear him out." 

Ingo swivelled around to look at Akari, trying desperately to tell if she was joking. She wasn't. 

"Are you certain? He has no right to ask you to listen after what he did to you." 

"I'm sure," Akari says, stepping forward calm as can be. Ingo stepped aside, but remained close behind her, though he wasn't quite sure himself if it was for her peace of mind or his. 

"Young Akari, I recognise that my actions were... rash," he begins as he kneels down. "I had people in my ear the entire time telling me that you were innocent, that I was making a mistake, and yet I elected to ignore them in favour of my own fear. While the circumstances and my own emotions clouded my judgment back then, I realise now that this was no excuse, and you have every right to despise me." 

"...You're right. I do despise you..." 

Kamado lowered his head, presumably in shame. 

"...But I also understand why you did it." 

He gazed ever-so-slightly back up. 

"You were scared. I had no explanation for anything. You had a village to protect. I was an outsider with very few memories but an affinity with Pokémon," Akari continues, her hand settled on Tsunami's head. "It's true that I hate your guts after that stunt; there's no point in sugar-coating the obvious. You exiled me when all I ever tried to do was help, and I don't think I can forgive you yet, and I don't think you're entitled to my forgiveness either... But I won't hold this over your head, so you'd best move on too, Kamado. Now please go. I've heard your apology. I don't want to hear you again." 

Kamado opened his mouth to say something, before closing it again, deciding against doing something that may earn him a hydro pump to the stomach from a snarling Samurott. Instead, he turned and walked away, people that used to respect him immensely now staring daggers into his back. As soon as he was out of sight, Akari let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding as her hand found it's way to Ingo's tattered coat. 

"Bravo, Akari. Bravo." 

"...Let's go home, Ingo." 

Neither of them saw the towering poison-type Pokémon slip her heir a certain claw-shaped item before grabbing her basket. 

----- 

Akari knew where she was. She faintly recalled visiting this place before crash-landing to Hisui. She also recognised the man floating next to her in this seemingly endless abyss too - a comforting presence. She also knew the names of the four Pokèmon stood in front of her. Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and, of course, Arceus stared down at the pair of time travellers, eyes drilling into their very souls. Another thing she knew is that this was the day she was finally going home. Goodbyes had been said, tears had been shed, and her main team collected from the pastures; a Dusknoir, Gardevoir, Froslass, Purugly, Rapidash, and of course, a Samurott. Three of her party were alphas, so she was already trying to plan how to explain her partners' ridiculous sizes to her mother, but she supposed that didn't matter right now, nor would it immediately matter when she got back. She was going home. That's what mattered right now. 

Ingo glanced over at his unofficially adopted niece in mild worry before his gaze was gently pulled away by a clawed paw lightly gripping his arm, causing him to glance up at Lady Sneasler, who had decided to accompany the pair as an extra passenger to the future. He was surprised when she was so insistent on joining him and Miss Akari back to their own time, but he couldn't say he was shocked to see her so calm in front of those she had been supposedly serving ever since she had taken the title of 'Lady'. It was just who she was. He only wished he could be just as calm. Akari looked to be fine, but the tight grip on his hand said otherwise. It was only natural that she was nervous; she knew very little more about her home than he did his. 

A low grumble came from the throat of Arceus, attracting both Akari and Ingo's attention. 

"First and foremost," they began, "I must thank thee, Akari of Sinnoh. Hadst thou not prevented Volo from tearing the world asunder and compiled the first complete Pokédex, thine world would be far more disastrous than one couldst imagine." Arceus concluded before turning to Ingo. "Thou hast my sincerest gratitude too, Ingo of Unova, for protecting the one chosen, and thou also hast mine deepest apologies that I were unable to prevent thee's displacement." 

"...Uh..." Ingo looked up, baffed, until Akari floated upwards a few inches and whispered in his ear. 

"I think they mean they're grateful that you helped me out and that they're sorry you got yeeted to the past in the first place." 

"Yeeted?" 

"Forcibly thrown. I think." 

"Ah." Ingo nodded, before turning back to the horse-shaped god. 

"It is all well! My cab is being directed back onto my old track now, correct? If so, then all is forgiven!" 

"..." Arceus looked towards Akari. 

"He says it's fine as long as you're sending him back now!" 

Arceus sharply turned their head back towards Ingo and solemnly nodded, giving Ingo more than enough confirmation to satisfy him. Ingo tipped his cap, before turning to Lady Sneasler. 

"Are you certain you wish to board this line, Lady Sneasler? While I certainly will not object to your departure of Hisui, will you not miss your homeland? I will not by any means be able to guarantee a return ticket, so this will most certainly be a one-way trip." 

Sneasler said nothing, but the refusal to let go of her warden's coat spoke volumes. She had rejected potential warden after potential warden before Ingo's arrival, and she sure as hell wasn't letting this one leave without her. No other warden knew how to fight quite like he did which certainly helped her with her training, and he did not revere her like the vast majority of the pearl clan. Instead, he treated her like a friend, almost family. She appreciated that immensely - it was a welcome change from the countless embarrassing ceremonies other Pearl Clan members put both her and themselves through. There was no way she was leading a life without that friendship again, despite Irida's shouts as she took off after the outsiders just before the rift sealed shut. She had left an heir, hadn't she? As far as Lady Sneasler was concerned, her time as a Noble was over, and quite frankly? Thank Arceus for that. 

Taking note of Sneasler's lack of objection, he turns to Akari. "It appears that all passengers are ready for departure, Miss Akari!" 

"Alright!" Akari beamed and turned to Arceus. "We're set, Arceus." 

"Very well." 

Arceus turned to their three offspring and barked out a command that neither the humans nor Sneasler could understand before fading into the void, leaving the trio in the care of the other deities. Dialga and Palkia let out two roars that forced even Ingo to cover his ears momentarily before rising upwards, Giratina staying in place. A great surge of power began stirring beneath Ingo and Akari's feet, both of them immediately looking down to see two small rifts in space-time beginning to open up beneath them. 

"...Hey, Uncle Ingo? Remember anything else about where you might be heading?" 

"No, just the fact that there is a man that looks like me and trains... Whatever those are." 

"Better than no clue at all, I guess. I'll do some research when I get back and see if I can find you again. It'll probably be easier for me to look for a place with trains than you look for a small town with trees." 

"That is an entirely fair and correct assumption." 

The rifts crack, opening wider, pulling them in faster. 

"I guess this is it." 

"It would seem so." 

"...I'll see you soon, hopefully, Uncle Ingo." 

"I'm sure you will, dear niece." 

The rifts split open, and then they were gone, the haunting cry of Giratina echoing in their ears as they disappeared. 

----- 

Akari saw a blur of light and grey box-like objects before she hit the ground with a thud, forcing her to slam her eyes shut. Frigid, bumpy metal lay beneath her hands as her eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the new environment. It was quiet. It would have been too quiet if not for the beeping of machinery in the background and the sound of the rift closing behind her. She rolled over and sat up. The room was surprisingly dark considering the lit screens covering one of the walls, but it would seem that all other lights were off and there were no windows. As she shakily stood to her feet, Tsunami left his ball, immediately offering to help her stabilise herself. 

"Thanks, buddy... I don't think we're home though. None of this looks familiar..." 

"Excuse me." 

Akari stopped, and slowly turned. In front of a closed (and probably locked) door stood a man who looked eerily similar to Ingo. He appeared to have a set of keys in his hand, and two Pokémon were at his side; an eel-like one, and one that had purple flames, but it wasn't a Typhlosion. 

... 

Wait. 

A man that looked like Ingo? 

... 

Oh no. Something had gone wrong. 

"I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. You came from a large hole in mid-air that appeared from nothing. Who the fuck are you?" 

Something had gone very wrong indeed.

Chapter Text

The first thing Ingo registered as he dropped from his rift was the evening sun in his eyes as he landed on his back, Lady Sneasler landing with him whilst she clutched her basket. The second thing was the grass and dirt beneath him as he shifted himself into an upright position. As he looked around, there were several things that he noticed clashed with whatever vague memories he had. 

Discrepancy one: He was not in a city, and he vaguely remembered a large, hustling, bustling city as his home destination, filled to the brim with coffee shops, restaurants, and attractions. This was a small town surrounded by trees and not much else. 

Discrepancy two: It was quiet. Far too quiet. It was almost deafening. Suffocating. Disturbing. He remembered loud noises; the constant high-pitched shrill of a whistle or the last-minute calls of a line of metal boxes called a 'train' about to depart. There was none of that here. 

Discrepancy three: None of the people who were staring at him were recognisable in the slightest. Not even his dreams had shown him a glimpse of anyone that looked remotely like these people. 

Ingo stood to his feet, careful not to make any sudden moves; he figured that seeing a man in his late twenties fall from a rift into their town would be jarring enough as it was - it was bad enough when he was brought to the Pearl Clan settlement AFTER he arrived in Hisui. To say that the atmosphere was awkward would be the understatement of not just the century, but the millenia. No one he looked at could maintain eye contact with him, and he couldn't blame them, but it would be helpful to at least know his whereabouts.

"Hey!" 

A shout from the crowd caught his attention as a blond-haired boy barged his way past everyone, blurting out a rushed 'sorry' or 'excuse me' every time he bumped into someone until he was standing right in front of Ingo, pointing a finger at the time-traveller. 

"You!" 

Ingo blinked. "I apologise, but... do I know you?" 

"Nope! Never seen you before in my life, but I HAVE seen a air-hole-thingamajig like that before! It took my friend away from me! So where is she, old man? Where the heck is my friend!?" 

"Your... friend?" 

"Akari!" The boy screams, frustrated beyond belief. "Where the heck is Akari!? A hole-thingy just like the one your butt fell out of appeared out of nowhere while we were hanging out and now she's gone! She's been missing for ages!" 

"...Oh. Oh dear." 

The boy watched Ingo's face pale and the tall Pokémon freeze up. "Wh-what is it? Do you know where she is!? Tell me right now or I swear you're in for the fine of your life, bucko!" 

"She isn't here? Akari isn't here, and this is where she was supposed to be scheduled to arrive at? Are you ABSOLUTELY certain that she isn't here!?" 

The boy leapt forward and gripped Ingo's shoulders, vigorously shaking him in a way that made Ingo consider the possibility of his head flying off. 

"SO YOU DO KNOW HER! WHAT HAPPENED!? WHERE IS SHE!? WHO ARE Y-" 

Ingo was saved by the grace of a navy-blue haired woman placing her own hands on this boy's shoulders, gently pulling him away. Ingo staggered backwards as he was let go. Had it not been for Lady Sneasler's swift reflexes, he would have found himself on the floor once more. 

"Excuse me..." 

Without looking up, he could tell that it was the woman speaking to him now, though what was strange about her though is that she sounded... Upset? Had he done something to displease her already? 

He glanced up. "Yes, Ma'am, how can I be of assistance... today..." Ingo trailed off, taking in the features of this stranger as he finally got a proper look at her face. It seemed similar to Akari's. Very similar. "You... Are you-" 

"Please, sir, whoever you are..." her voice wavered, as if on the verge of tears. "If what Barry says is true, then... Where is my daughter?" 

----- 

"I... What? I don't... Where am I? What is this place? And where's..." 

Bewildered was probably the best way to describe Akari right now. As far as she knew, she was supposed to be in a small town surrounded by trees, not in some weird kind of... whatever the hell this room was supposed to be. She looked around, frantically trying to find her uncle, but he was no where to be seen - only the man that looked like him. His smile unsettled her. It felt forced. Fake. Like it was hiding something. It wasn't a dissimilar feeling to when a Zoroark had attempted to fool her by transforming into Ingo himself, but this felt more real. Much more real. 

"I shall repeat myself; who are you?" He asked once more, removing the foul language this time, the smile never leaving him. It probably wouldn't have been so unsettling had the room been decently lit, but as it was, Akari felt like running- no, actually, that wasn't quite accurate. Akari felt like sprinting away. The eerie purple glow of the chandelier-like Pokémon near his face did little to help as it bobbed from left to right, forcing their flames to dance almost hypnotically. 

"A-Akari... I'm sorry, I'm really not supposed to be here-" 

"I am aware. Where are you supposed to be? What station did you depart from? 

"I... don't know, and, uh, Hisui?" 

Emmet raised an eyebrow, still not losing that smile. "You do not know your desired destination?" 

"I... It's..." She fumbled with her words, trying to get a coherent sentence to leave her lips. What was she supposed to say? Time travel? It's not like he didn't witness something that would back up that claim, but it still sounded like more trouble than it's worth to explain. "...Complicated. I don't r-remember much from my old life in this time. I know I have friends. I know I have family. I don't know where they are, though... Uh, a-anyway! I'm very sorry for taking up your time, but I-I need to find my way home... Wherever that is." 

"Your old life in this time?" 

"Uh..." 

Shit. 

"Time travel, almighty Si- uh, Arceus, it's a long story, so I won't bore you with the details, so if you could point me in the direction of the exit..." Akari began to move forward to slip behind the man and leave. 

"I apologise," the man - Emmet, according to him - swiftly stuck his arm out, preventing her from approaching the door, "but I do not think leaving you alone is a good idea at this moment, Miss Akari," Emmet stepped towards her slowly, cautiously with the eel-like Pokémon and the (assumed) fire-type staying back a bit, all three trying not to frighten her further. "This appears to be an unfamiliar stop for you. It would be dangerous to be left alone in your condition, I believe. Verrrry dangerous. I am not comfortable with allowing a child unfamiliar with her surroundings to be left alone without a trustworthy guardian around. You have come to board my station, so I will assist you." 

Akari retreated backwards, fully aware of Tsunami's protective stance but completely oblivious to the pokéball in her satchel beginning to sway. She didn't like his smile. It set her on edge. As he drew nearer, she could tell why she found it unnerving; his smile was hiding something. You don't spend countless hours with Volo and Zoroark and not learn to tell the difference between a genuine smile and an illusion. She just couldn't work out what emotion that was lurking behind that upward-curved mouth, and based on previous experience, she didn't really want to find out. 

Stop freaking out, dumbass. This guy looks like Ingo, so he has to be the man from Ingo's memories, right? Grow up, damn it! Stop being pathetic! This isn't a damn Zoroark! It can't be a damn Zoroark! 

No amount of forced self-assurance slowed her racing heart as it hammered away in her chest, the shaking of the ball in her bag speeding up with every beat. 

"I do apologise; this all must seem incredibly scary, but I must insist you come with me for now. I know this city's strongest trainer and leader verrrry well, and I am certain she can, and will, assist you somehow. She is a very kind woman, and she has many connections. Now then, please step this way." 

Emmet extended a hand. 

Akari's breath hitched. 

The pokéball swung open. 

The entire room filled with a bright, pale blue shimmering light for but a brief moment. When it cleared, it was Emmet's turn to step back as he titled his head up to look an eight-foot-tall Gardevoir in the face. 

"Ah... That is... Hmm..." Emmet muttered to himself, trying to comprehend the sheer size of this Gardevoir who stood protectively in front of their trainer, eyes practically glowing a brilliant crimson. The Gardevoir kept towering over Emmet, asserting her presence, daring him to make a move. The two Pokémon accompanying him immediately rushed forward to his defence. 

"A-Athena!" 

The Gardevoir, apparently nicknamed Athena, looked upon the train conductor for a moment longer, her gaze lingering, before diverting her attention to the locked door. She thrust her arm out, using Psychic to tear the door off the hinges, sending it hurtling into the control panel to the side of the room. Sparks flew. Explosions sounded from within the metal grey casing. Glass cracked, splintered, and shattered as the door smashed into the screens. Emmet ducked for cover as the chaos unfolded, slamming his arms over his head as he dived to the floor whilst the Pokémon used their moves to deflect the oncoming shards, though it did mean even more damage was done. Athena hastily scooped up Akari in her arms and made a mad - yet elegant - dash for the exit, Tsunami speeding off after them. 

Emmet removed his arms and regained his vision just in time to spot Tsunami's leg disappear into the hallway. It was becoming increasingly difficult to uphold that smile plastered on his face - even more so than usual these days. Whoever that girl was, she needed to be calmed before her Pokémon sensed further distress and did more damage, otherwise Ingo would not be best pleased when he made his eventual return! Relocating his wrist to just in front of his face, he dialed an all-too familiar number on his watch-like contraption. 

Beep... Beep... Beep.... Be- Click! 

"Emmet?" 

"I am Emmet. Good evening, Elesa." 

"Okay, you NEVER call on days when I go to your apartment, did something happen or-" 

"I am in dire need of assistance at Gear Station. A young girl dropped through a hole-portal-whatsit that appeared in midair, claimed to have come from a place named Hisui, also claimed to have time travelled, and she seems to be verrrry scared. Her alarmingly tall Gardevoir has destroyed the control room panel and the monitors. She is now somewhere in Gear Station accompanied by said Gardevoir and an odd-looking Samurott, and I have no way of checking the security camera footage." 

"EMMET, WHAT THE FU-" 

"Please arrive promptly and exercise caution - safety first! Use the back entrance to avoid her escaping through the main entrance. However, do not alert authories; I do not wish to scare her further." 

----- 

Ingo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It had been years since his impromptu trip to Hisui, meaning years since sitting on anything quite as plush as this. It also didn't help that this boy - apparently named Barry, according to Akari's mother - didn't take his eyes off him for a single second, as if I go may disappear if he were to look away. 

"Here we are..." 

Ingo could have sighed in relief if it weren't for the stagnant tension in the air, refusing to budge. Akari's mother set his cup of tea down and sat across from him in the living room, her fingers wrapped around her own mug. 

"Thank you, Ma'am." 

"Just call me Johanna." 

Ingo nodded, and carefully brought his cup to his lips, trying to ignore the boy leaning across the table. He set his drink down, and took a deep breath. 

In. 

... 

Out. 

... 

"As you both can presume from previous conversations, yes. I do know Akari." 

"I KNEW IT!" Barry screeched, leaping forward from his seat as he slammed his hands down on the table. "SO WHERE IS SHE!?" 

"Barry dear, please calm down and let the man speak." 

"...Fine. Sorry." Barry reclined back, still never taking his eyes off Ingo. 

"It's quite alright; it is only natural to be concerned for a friend after an unexpected derailment. But yes, as I was saying, I do know Akari. Quite well, in fact. As does Lady Sneasler." He gestured to the Pokémon beside him, still clutching her basket protectively. "While I am not native to the region, we both came from a place known as Hisui." 

"Hisui- wait, you mean Ancient Sinnoh!?" Barry was once again out of his seat. "We learned about that in school before our journeys! You mean to say that Akari got yeeted to the past!?" 

"Yes," Ingo confirmed, recalling Akari's definition of 'yeeted'. "Both myself and Akari were taken to the past, though by different tracks; I fell victim to what I can only assume to be a space-time rift caused by a man hellbent on rewriting the world, while Akari was purposefully summoned by Arceus." 

Johanna's eyes showed him nothing but concern. "So this means that..." 

"I'm afraid so. Just like Akari, I was ripped away from my friends and family I had here in this time, if I had any." 

"Wait wait wait... IF you had any? Don't you know? That's gotta be something that you'd know, right?" 

Ingo paused. He cast his gaze down, trying to avoid eye contact. That's right. They wouldn't know. Of course they don't know. They'd have no way of knowing. 

"I... am afraid that my memory was lost to me upon my arrival in Hisui. I could only recall my name, vague feelings, and familiar mannerisms. It has improved somewhat, mostly in part to Akari herself, but I still cannot recall much." 

The tension in the room somehow grew tenfold. Then again, what else did Ingo expect to happen? What could you say to an amnesiac to alleviate his misery in not knowing his own life? Not much. At least, nothing came to mind. 

"...Wow, that sucks major ass!" 

"Barry!" Johanna hissed. 

Well, that is certainly one thing to say, Ingo supposed, trying to ignore Lady Sneasler's barely-supressed laughter next to him. 

"It's quite alright, I assure you. He is, of course, correct. It does 'suck major'... Anyway," Ingo cut himself off, not wanting to say anything that could be considered uncouth. "Akari and I happened to grow quite close during our time together in Hisui; not unlike family, I suppose you could say. After a while, she did me the honour of granting me the title of 'Uncle', which I take as much pride in as I do the title of Warden." 

"I'm sorry... a Warden?" Johanna looked at him, both confused and intrigued. 

"You see Ma'am, a Warden is - or, in this case, was - effectively the caretaker to a high-standing Pokémon known as a Noble, a Pokémon blessed by Almighty Sinnoh, whom is the same being as Arceus but no one knew this information at the time, and it is - or was - considered a great honour for a Noble to accept you as a Warden. The Pokémon next to me is Lady Sneasler, one of the Pearl Clan's Nobles. Though I may have been an outsider to Hisui, Lady Sneasler decided to appoint me as her Warden regardless." 

Lady Sneasler looked over as her name was mentioned before chirping in greeting, a claw raised in a casual salute. Barry saluted back while Johanna fixed her gaze on Ingo. 

"Was my daughter a Warden too?" 

Ingo shook his head. "No, though had she fallen to a different place, I imagine she could have been. Akari was not a part of the Pearl Clan or the Diamond Clan; rather, she was found at a station named Prelude Beach near Jubilife Village by a Pokémon Researcher by the name of Professor Laventon. It was he who witnessed her fall from a large space-time rift above Mount Coronet's peak." 

"Mount Coronet... Wait a moment," Johanna stopped Ingo from continuing, her mind immediately picking up something odd about this conversation. "You said that she was seen falling from a 'rift' above Mount Coronet, correct?" 

"That is what I was told, yes." 

"But she was found on a beach?" 

"Yes, and she appeared to be unharmed. Unconscious, according to Laventon, but unharmed." 

"If she fell from the mountains and landed on the beach... Oh good lord Arceus, how far did she fall!?" Johanna's face grew more frightened by the second despite these events having already happened many, many years ago. 

"Not to worry," Ingo reassured her. "Like I said, Akari was found unharmed, if just a bit disoriented. Besides, Arceus placed her there intentionally; I'm sure they had the foresight to make her departure and journey peril-free. I highly doubt luck was at play for her survival during the fall." 

"Right, right, of course... Of course," Johanna tried to reassure herself as she sat back down in her seat, wondering when she had moved to get up. "So she was a part of this village, I assume, while you were a part of this Pearl Clan... How did you end up meeting?" 

"We met when she was sent to quell Lord Electrode's frenzy," he explained, hoping the word 'frenzy' would explain itself. "Before her departure to the Highlands, where both Lady Sneasler and Lord Electrode are normally stationed, Miss Irida - the Pearl Clan's leader - introduced us to each other. Originally, I was only to guide her to Lady Sneasler so that Akari may gain her assistance, but we found we found common ground, so we ended up spending quite a bit of time together, battling, training, trying to regain our memories- 

"I'm sorry to stop you again, Ingo, but..." 

Ingo looked Johanna square in the face, mildly surprised to see fear written all over it. 

"Did you say... 'our' memories? As in, both yours, AND Akari's?" 

Oh. Right. Another thing she didn't know. 

Ingo sighed to himself as he looked at both of them now as Barry and Johanna stared at him in anticipation. 

"...Yes. I'm afraid your daughter suffered the same fate as I, and could hardly remember a thing upon her arrival in Hisui. If she is in a similar situation to me at this exact moment, then I believe she still remembers next to nothing about her life before she fell." 

----- 

"Excuse me? Miss Akari? I would like to request that you stop hiding. It is verrrry difficult to help you if you are hiding." 

Emmet shone his torch around as he traversed the circular room, making sure to quickly check for signs that the girl had darted into any of the platforms as he walked. It was late Autumn, and the unheated, subterranean chamber was quickly gaining a slight chill with the warning signs of an oncoming winter. It was usually warmer given the daily hustle and bustle of commuters and trainers inhabiting the halls, but without any body heat, the area very quickly lost any and all warmth. Emmet did not like the idea of this frightened child hiding out in such a cold place. He may not know her, but if she was here alone and had been gone for some time now, if that 'time travel' bit was to be believed, then there must've someone out there who would be missing her a great deal. 

He didn't want someone else to feel that heartbreaking ache of missing someone. 

"Emmet!" 

Heeled footsteps echoed as Elesa ran up to him, her giant yellow coat completely engulfing her torso. 

"You found the kid yet?" 

"No, not yet. I am having trouble locating her, which is verrrry odd considering her Gardevoir was as tall as a Mamoswine." 

"...You're joking, right? You gotta be!" Elesa cackled as she lightly slapped Emmet's back. "An eight-foot-tall Gardevoir! Pffft, as if!" 

"I am not joking." 

"...Eh?" The laughter immediately stopped. "You're being serious? For real? No joke?" 

"I am not joking," he repeated. 

"...Oh," Elesa squeaked out. "I thought when you mentioned a large Gardevoir, you just meant slightly taller than av- oh, that might be a problem if we upset her then." 

"I can attest to that!" 

Elesa yanked her phone out of her pocket and turned on the 'torch' function; nowhere near as effective as Emmet's industry-standard one, but a torch nonetheless and the only one she owned. "Right then, we'd better find this girl, hadn't we? Ready to go?" 

"I am ready for departure." 

"Good. Right, I WAS gonna say that we should split and cover more ground... but if this girl has a protective Gardevoir the size of Nimbasa's Ferris Wheel, then maybe that isn't such a great plan." 

"I agree. Let us depart and find the girl then." 

Out-of-sync footsteps rang out in the empty hallways as the two hurried towards their first stop, the Single Battle line. 

Akari, from wherever it was she was hiding, was acutely aware of another voice joining Emmet's, though she couldn't understand a word of what they were saying. Athena's arms were wrapped around her head, attempting to settle the girl's nerves while Tsunami lay his head on her lap, whining softly to let her know he was there. After a few minutes of Athena and Tsunami calming her down, Akari sat up, her breathing slowed from her previous erratic pace. 

"Okay, okay, I think I'm okay now... Thanks guys," Akari thanked her Pokémon, giving Athena a grateful smile and Tsunami an affectionate pat on the head. She stood up, looking around. This was one of the most bizarre places she had ever seen, yet it still felt familiar as she glanced at the different oddities in the room, a dull ache at the back of her head as if a memory were threatening to break free from the constraints of amnesia. Smooth brick walls and concrete floors decorated with a a single yellow line made the room with a track leading out of it, a machine made of painted metal boxes sitting on top. 

Trains, Akari thought. Yes, that sounded correct. It definitely matched Ingo's description from what he recalled briefly from his dreams. At least this confirmed that she was definitely where Ingo was supposed to be if his mirror image clad in white wasn't an obvious giveaway, but where was the man himself? If he was here, she would have heard him by now. Did this mean that he was at her home? Had there been a mix-up? HOW had there been a mix-up!? Akari began to think that perhaps Pokémon with god-like abilities weren't all they were cracked up to be. 

She walked further into the room, taking note of the different posters and signs plastered on the walls; one had a large wheel with pods that somewhat reminded her of Lady Sneasler's basket, another had the words 'Multi Train' in bold font with not much else, while a third had a very familiar logo along with a woman in yellow, blue, and red clothing with the caption "Come face Gym Leader Elesa for a fabulously fashionable fight!'. That one struck a chord with Akari. 

"Gym Leader..." 

...Oh. 

Her face went blank as searing pain shot through her head. It was excruciating. It burned. She couldn't move. The growls and grunts of a concerned water type were drowned out by the flood of memories rushing forward. 

That's right. I took the Sinnoh gym challenge. I collected all the badges. I went to the league. I beat... someone important. I... turned down the offer of being Champion... But why? And the journey... I started at the same time as someone. I took it with... With... 

The pain began to die down. 

No... NO! Don't fade away yet! I can take it! I want to remember! I want to remember him! I want to remember who I beat at the league! Stop! Wait! Come back! 

Unfortunately, pain is not often forgiving nor compliant. 

The agony disappeared as if it never existed, and Akari was left to realise she had crumpled to the floor, her cheeks stained with tears. Tsunami had slid himself beneath her stomach to prop her up while Athena had grasped at her shoulders to keep her steady. 

"I- Sorry," she whispered, "I just... Remembered something. Something big. I guess it kinda... overloaded my brain? Does that make sense?" 

Tsunami huffed in response as he helped her up, taking care to avoid accidentally injuring her with his edges. Athena checked her over before giving a satisfied nod, happy to report that there was no damage. 

"Maybe she's down here?" 

"I... suppose it cannot hurt to check. Let us move, Elesa." 

Shit, they're coming! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fu- DESK! 

Akari sprinted towards a counter in the corner of the room and hid behind it, doing her best to quieten her breathing. Tsunami dived down with her while Akari returned Athena to her pokéball, the Alpha's stature too large to conceal outside of it. Just as they finished adjusting themselves to make sure they couldn't be spotted, they heard footsteps. 

"Come on, the kid HAS to be around here somewhere! You said she has a great big hulking Gardevoir with her, right? Damn, you'd think that be hard to miss, huh?" 

"Miss Akari may have returned them to their ball at this stage." 

"Ugh, that makes things so much more difficult though..." 

Akari shivered behind the counter as she listened to them talk. Perhaps it was because of the adrenaline pumping through her earlier, but she had only just noticed how cold it was in there. It wasn't quite Alabaster Icelands cold, but it was certainly colder than Jubilife. It was also oddly dusty behind this counter too, as if no one had been behind there in quite some time. 

"She does not appear to be here, Elesa. I think we should move to a different line." 

"Wait, Emmet, we haven't checked around here properly yet! I... I know you don't like coming down here anymore since..." 

Hesitance. 

"...but this is serious! There's a terrified kid around here somewhere, so we gotta search everywhere!" 

"...You are correct. In that case, I shall depart to check other areas. I shall meet with you shortly." 

"Emmet, wait! You can't keep running from this, d'you hear me? EMMET!" 

Akari heard steady footsteps increase in tempo as who she assumed was Emmet began to run as he got further away, followed by distressed groans by the women she believed Emmet called Elesa. 

The gym leader. 

Akari braved a peak over the top of the counter, spotting the woman from the poster trying to look into the windows of the train. She was worried, but why? She didn't know Akari, did she? No, Akari was pretty sure at this point that if she did know her, the poster would have brought back memories of her and not just the gym challenge. But then, why was she looking for her so desperately? It didn't add up! There was practically no one who'd be willing to look for her back in Hisui, one of the very, very few exceptions being Ingo himself. Why did she care? Her frustration seemed so genuine from a glance, too... Maybe it was safe to speak to her? 

As if on cue, Elesa turned her head, and Akari immediately ducked back down. She wanted to at least consider her options before revealing her hiding place! Maybe she hadn't seen her yet... Maybe- 

"Hey! Kid, was that you? Are you here?" 

Akari held her breath. 

"I'm not gonna hurt you kid, I promise!" 

Her nose began to itch as Elesa's footsteps grew closer. She hadn't meant to stir the dust up in her hurry. 

"I get that it's scary, but I promise you that you're not in trouble, so come on out now, yeah?" 

Akari stayed put. 

"...Shit. Maybe it was just a Litwick or a Woobat or something...?" 

Elesa began to walk out. Thank goodness. A little more time for Akari to consider her options- 

"ACHOO!" 

Akari cursed the dust that no one had been bothered to clean and the lack of heating. She froze, hoping by some miracle that maybe Elesa hadn't heard that. 

Her hopes were immediately dashed as a shadow loomed over her. Akari looked up to see a model leaning over the counter staring right back at her, eyes filled with relief. 

"Oh. There you are, kid."

Chapter Text

Johanna stared blankly at the empty space in front of her, trying to comprehend Ingo's words. Her daughter didn't remember her. She didn't even remember Barry. As if that wasn't horrific enough, she could be in the middle of some other far-flung region with no clue as to what the hell was going on for all Johanna knew! Barry had his hand laid on her back, trying to comfort her without breaking down himself, though she wasn't completely aware of it at that moment. 

"I... Apologise." Ingo lowered his head. "We both tried to help the other recover as much memory as possible, but without much to go on, it proved difficult." 

Plus the entire ordeal of several near-death experiences she went through definitely would not have helped matters. 

"It's not your fault, man. It... It completely blows, but I get it," Barry assured him, Johanna too shocked to say anything. 

"I have an idea of where she might be though; before dropping me into this time, Arceus called me 'Ingo of Unova', so if I am where she was supposed to be taken to, she may have taken my place instead." 

"Unova?" Barry asked, taking over the conversation while Johanna was still out of it. "That doesn't seem so bad. Could be worse. Could've been Alola. Nothing against Alola though. There's just a lot of ocean around. Might've been dangerous to just crash into the water with no warning, y'know? That would have been super bad." 

Ingo nodded in understanding. "I don't believe you have anything in that aspect to worry about. Of course, I cannot quite recall, but I feel like the majority of the region is a single, solid landmass. Besides, if she had fallen into some sort of body of water, her most trusted partner in Hisui was a Samurott; a very dependable and loyal water-type. He remains with her now, I believe. Even if she faces some sort of danger, I am confident that he will protect her as well as he can." 

He's certainly protected her more than me, anyway. 

"Ah! So a good boy!" 

"A very good boy." 

That seemed to cheer Barry up as he smiled slightly, knowing that his friend had reliable company. "That's good! I just hope he knows that if Akari gets hurt on his watch, I'm fining him!" 

"I'm not sure you can fine a Pokémon-" 

"Fining him!" 

Ingo sighed in exasperated fondness. He had decided he liked Barry. A little too rash for his own good, but quite loyal. Akari certainly had a knack for attracting large personalities, it seemed... Then again, it's not like he could complain even if he wanted to. After all, she had found him as well, hadn't she? Johanna seemed to have calmed down ever-so-slightly too, probably due to having heard Akari should be relatively safe and with good company. 

"...So my daughter caught herself a new team in Hisui?" 

"Not just her team," Ingo began. "She completed the first Hisuian Pokédex, including documentation of several legendary Pokémon, though she either found different trainers for the other Pokémon or released them before departure, so she does now only have a team of six." 

"Still doing Pokédex research in the ancient past... That sounds like my daughter alright." 

"Did she help to maintain the Pokédex in this time as well?" 

"Yes, she and Barry both." 

Ingo nodded. That would begin to explain why Arceus had selected her to 'seek out all Pokémon' - she already had experience from this time, albeit less dangerous, and was an experienced Trainer to boot. He debated telling Johanna about the battles with legendary Pokémon her daughter faced, but decided against it. 

I feel I've already given her enough information to digest for today; we shall delay this journey until later, he thought. Besides, I feel should not say a lot about such a topic without her permission. 

"You mentioned Akari also did a bunch of research on legendary Pokémon, yeah? Which ones?" Barry asked, his eyes practically shining. 

"Well, let me think... The first she caught was Palkia, and then came Dialga, Giratina, the forces of nature from Unova, Darkrai, Shaymin, Manaphy, Cresselia, Regigigas, and then of course there was Arceus-" 

"How in the world did she manage all of that!?" Johanna looked at Ingo in disbelief, searching his face for an answer. 

Ingo felt himself begin to sweat. There was absolutely no chance Johanna would take the news of her daughter bring exiled and cast out before almost being murdered well, and he did not want to stress her out even more than she already was. 

"It is... Not my place to say, I'm afraid. There were many events that I think would be more appropriate coming from her rather than from me, and that's only if she's happy to speak on the matter. Now that the danger has passed, it is up to her and her alone to decide if she wants you to know. Besides," he looked away, hesitant to speak, before continuing, "you appear to be stressed enough; I do not want you to become more overwhelmed." 

"Ingo, please, what did my daughter go through?" 

He looked away. "I'm sorry. I do not know if she would want me to say." 

"Ingo, please, I am her mother! I need to know!" 

"..." Ingo looked up at her, guilt and regret evident in his eyes. She was right, in a sense; she really should know what happened to Akari, but he still felt horrible about talking about this without her here. "...It was horrific. It was something that no child nor adult should ever have to experience. People tried to have her killed, either by their own hands or someone else's, with some efforts closer to success than others. She was lied to, manipulated, and hurt, and she will need time to heal," he explained, hoping the somewhat vague answer would be enough. 

"K-Killed? Someone... Someone wanted my daughter killed!? Wh-who would want to kill... WHY would someone want to..." Johanna stammered and stuttered, tears threatening to spill over. 

"I truly do apologise, but I do not feel entitled to divulge that information," he stated. "She may feel comfortable enough to tell you herself when she's ready. I am only telling you what you ought to know as her mother. No more, no less." Ingo turned his head to the side, not wanting to meet Johanna's gaze. "I tried to protect her and care for her as much as I could, but nothing could have possibly prepared us for what laid on the track..." 

Johanna froze for a moment, before slumping back in her seat. She was stunned speechless. Her daughter had endured such turmoil and hardship, and she could do nothing about it. She wanted to know more - she felt like she HAD to know more - but she could tell that Ingo wasn't going to say anything further. His reasons made sense too, which was infuriating. She downright despised it, of course, but what he was saying was correct. If these events were true, then her daughter most likely wouldn't want to start talking about it when she eventually made it back home, again least not right away, lest the memories rear their ugly heads. While she may worry and stress, her daughter's well-being, happiness, and safety would always come first, and if that meant being left in the dark about events past, then so be it. Akari could talk to her when she was ready. 

Johanna just hoped that she would be ready soon. 

Barry went uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments. He gripped his knees until his knuckles turned white, shaking with what Ingo could only assume was rage. 

"...Bastards." 

The former warden remained still, watching the boy as drops of water fell into his lap. Barry never needed to say anything, as Ingo knew the feeling well. 

----- 

Akari backed herself up against the wall, Tsunami pinning her in place has he stood in front of her protectively, mist spilling from his mouth as he prepared to fire off an Ice Beam should this stranger try anything unwanted. 

Elesa immediately raised her hands. "Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy tough guy, yeah? I'm not gonna hurt you OR the kid, okay? I just wanna help. So, do me a favour and maybe... chill out?" She grinned sheepishly, trying not to let the fear show. 

Akari said nothing and just kept waiting for the model to make a move. 

Elesa's grin fell. "...Yeah, I guess this isn't really the time for puns, is it?" 

Akari remained silent, her arms clinging onto Tsunami tightly. 

"Okay... So how about I back up a little? Give you some space. Would that help? I promise you kid, right now, I just wanna talk." 

Akari darted her eyes about for a second. Then she nodded. Elesa breathed a sigh of relief and took a couple steps back, watching the billowing mist from the water-type's mouth slowly thin before ceasing completely. Tsunami stepped away from Akari, allowing her to stand and walk out from behind the counter. Elesa stayed still, very wary of Akari's overprotective bodyguard who had returned himself to her side as soon as she was still. Akari wobbled a bit on her feet, but Elesa just chalked that up to her having been sat down for so long. 

"Hey, kid. Nice to meet you. Emmet didn't tell me your name, so I'll tell you mine if-" 

"You're Elesa." 

Elesa looked taken aback. How the hell did she already know that? Emmet couldn't have told this girl about her already, could he? 

Noticing Elesa's confusion, Akari pointed over to the other side of the room, prompting Elesa to turn around and spot the various decorations on the wall. 

Oh right. The posters. Those stupid bits of paper with my face on everywhere. Duh. 

"I'm Akari. That Emmet guy already knows it, so you might as well know too." 

"Okay great! I can stop calling you 'kid' now. That makes things easier for both of us, doesn't it?" 

Akari nodded. She was clearly still tense, but didn't seem like she was about to book it at a drop of a hat, which was a major improvement if what Emmet told Elesa beforehand was true. 

"So, uh... Got here by portal, did you?" 

"Space-time rift." 

"Same thing as far as I know. Either way, most people walk into the building. I'm guessing you like flashier entrances?" Elesa offered another smile and, although it was a tired one, got a small smile back this time. 

Okay, good! That's progress! 

"I'm really sorry about all this," Akari apologised, still unsteady on her feet. She started to lean on Tsunami for support. "I never meant to come here... I think there's been a mistake," she spoke slowly, as if trying to force her words. 

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? I don't think you control the portals, do you?" 

"N-No, I don't," she said. "You're, uh... Taking this really well," Akari noticed, slight suspicion and apprehension in her voice. 

"To be honest, I'm kinda freaking out," Elesa admitted, "but panicking won't get us anywhere, will it?" 

"I guess not..." Akari began to relax again, her posture losing tension. 

She doesn't have that fake smile, Akari thought to herself. She might be safe. I guess there's no harm in asking... 

"Uh... Is he hiding something?" 

Elesa blinked. Did this kid mean Emmet? "What do you mean?" 

"His smile... felt forced. The last person I met who forced a smile wanted me... hurt," Akari explained quickly. 

Elesa could tell she didn't want to say anything else on that topic, so she didn't push it and instead let her continue. 

"Is he hiding something? O-Or am I just being paranoid?" 

The model was, once again, surprised. Not many people were able to tell Emmet's fake smile from his real one after all; no one other than Ingo, herself, and all their Pokémon were close enough to tell. Then again, it sounded like Akari had practice. Elesa's heart broke as she heard the girl's hesitant tone. No kid should ever be afraid of asking a question; especially if that kid was asking because of their own safety. 

"...Yeah, yeah he is, but it's nothing malicious. It's more..." Elesa paused, trying to figure out the right word. "...Sad, I guess. He's trying to pretend he's happy when he's not because... we lost someone a while back. Someone we're still looking for, but I don't think you have to worry about it." 

Elesa took a tentative step forward, though her demeanour relaxed once she found that it didn't scare Akari. 

"Is that why you freaked out at him earlier? You could tell it was fake?" 

Akari wordlessly nodded after a couple of moments, looking down at the floor. "...'m sorry. I shouldn't have ran, now it's caused a load of trouble. I... I'm sorry, so sorry, I-" 

"Hey, hey, it's alright, it's alright!" Elesa swiftly closed the space between them, thankful that the girl didn't try to run this time as she shook, gripping her kimono. "No one here blames you for anything, yeah? Emmet'll understand, I'm sure. He's kinda blunt, but he's a super sweet guy, I promise!" 

Tsunami seemed a lot more comfortable with her presence too. He never growled at her after that point, nor threatened to freeze her, only watching Elesa gently taking Akari's arms and kneeling down so she could look at her better. 

Now that Elesa could take a better look at her, she was quite surprised by what she saw. Akari was so young, but she looked exhausted. Dark circles around her eyes told stories of more than a few sleepless nights, and she didn't even know what to think of the light scars that peppered her face. Had someone hurt her? They looked like claw marks. The most notable one was the scar that travelled from just above her right eyebrow to a couple of centimetres below her eye on the same side - by far the largest one she had. Elesa also couldn't help but notice Akari's mode of dress; it seemed casual to a certain degree, but was incredibly old-fashioned. It was odd to see someone as young as her wearing clothing like this. Her attire also seemed to match her partner, but seeing as she had outfits styled to match her own Pokémon too, she couldn't really judge Akari there. 

As Elesa held onto Akari, she noticed the swaying was getting worse. She started to become concerned (at least, even more so than she already was). This kid - Akari - had been standing for a little while now, but was still swaying from side-to-side as if she were about to topple over at the next slight breeze. Tsunami noticed this too, making whining noises and short, soft barks at his Trainer. 

"I-I'm fine, buddy... Just kinda tired..." 

"Well, an abandoned platform is probably not a great place to fall asleep at, y'know?" 

Akari shrugged her shoulders, indifferent. "I've slept in worse places at this point. You learn to..." 

The young girl yawned, her swaying worsening by the second. 

"...To sleep when you can," she finished her sentence before yawning once more. 

"...Sweetie, what happened to you?" Elesa's concern grew further as she asked, utilising all the restraint she had to not take this child and forcibly march her to a proper bed like she had done with Emmet previously. "You look exhausted, you're covered in scars, and you're swaying like you're about to-" 

"I-I'll be okay, I'll be okay," Akari repeated, though Elesa got the feeling it was more to herself rather than the model. "I just need to go home... Then I can find..." Akari trailed off, looking around the room again. 

"What is it?" Elesa scanned the room too, not picking up on anything else out of the ordinary. 

"Am... Am I the only one that, uh, fell here?" 

"Yeah, as far as I can tell," Elesa answered. "Emmet and I scanned pretty much the entire building looking for you, and he woulda called me or something if he found anyone else, I think. Why? Someone else supposed to come with you?" 

Akari shook her head, her swaying getting worse. "N-Not really... I mean, yes, but we were supposed to go to d-different places... I was supposed to g-go back to my home, Uncle Ingo was s-supposed to go back to his, and... and..." She trailed off again, losing any and all steam she had for good this time.

"What did you just say?" 

Akari looked at Elesa, her eyes beginning to go blurry and begging to close. Had she been any further away, Akari probably wouldn't have been able to read her expression. The gym leader had turned as white as the freshly-fallen snow in Alabaster Icelands, as if she had just seen an actual ghost rather than a ghost-type. Elesa was saying something at this point, but it all just began to sound muffled after a couple of words, as if talking through a pillow. 

I think... I think a pillow would be nice right about now... 

... 

The world went dark for Akari. 

Elesa sat on the floor of the platform with Akari's head in her lap, tears silently streaming down her cheeks as she shakily pulled up her Xtransceiver and chose a contact, Tsunami anxiously pacing back and forth. 

Beep... Beep... Beep.... Be- Click! 

"I am Emmet." 

"I f-found Akari. Turns out sh-she was in the multi train area." 

"I see... I shall be there momentari-" 

"Sh-she..." 

"Elesa, you sound like you are crying. Are you alright?" 

"She knows Ingo." 

"..." 

"E-Emmet?" 

'Your call has been disconnected.' 

----- 

The next couple of hours were spent recounting more lighthearted events in order to alleviate everyone of their guilt, Barry telling tales of Akari's constant victories over him, Johanna reminiscing over childhood stories of finding her daughter covered in berry juice after trying to make poffins for the wild Pokémon, and Ingo fondly recalling every new catch she made and showed to him with a cheeky, childish, toothy grin. It was a pleasant change of pace for everyone involved. It almost felt normal, as if a man didn't just travel through time, and it was just a casual get-together. It would have been perfect if not for the girl unaccounted for. 

"Snea!" 

Ingo looked over to Lady Sneasler, who in turn was gazing out of the window, looking out at the setting sun in the distance. It was odd, seeing the sun set from such a low point, but there was an odd, refreshing feel about it too. It was different, yet familiar. Strange, yet completely normal. 

"Oh, I hadn't realised it had begun to become dark," Johanna remarked. "Barry, you'd best head back to your own mother." 

"What- Oh, shoot! I'm so totally gonna be grounded if I don't get home now!" Barry leapt from the sofa and grabbed his bag before yanking his shoes onto his feet. "Later!" 

Ingo watched in amusement as the boy stumbled a bit as he dashed out the door before standing up himself. "I'd best go myself; I've taken up enough of your time as it is, and I'm assuming you have a schedule to maintain." 

Johanna looked confused. "You aren't staying? Then you've already figured out where you're going to spend the night?" 

"No, but I spotted a woods nearby, and I've become quite accustomed to staying out in the wilderness for my duties as Warden, so I believe I'll most likely stay out-" 

"Absolutely not." 

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" 

"Johanna. And no, I'm not allowing you to go out roughing it. You're staying here," Johanna asserted, beginning to move around. "There should be a clean towel already in the bathroom, and I'll lend you some clothes; there should be something my ex left laying around somewhere around here." 

"Thank you, Ma'am-" 

"Johanna." 

"-Johanna, but you needn't trouble yourself-" 

"Nonsense," Johanna interjected again. "If you think I'd allow the man that did his best to protect my daughter to continue to sleep in poor conditions, then quite frankly I don't believe you're thinking at all." 

"Snea?" 

"Yes, of course you're quite welcome here too, Lady Sneasler, was it? After all, you helped my daughter too, didn't you? We can figure out how to get her back home tomorrow, but for now you both must be exhausted; I imagine travelling through time and space takes quite a toll." 

"Ah, well... I suppose it was rather tiresome," Ingo looked away in thought. Perhaps he should take her up on her offer. He didn't want to intrude, but he couldn't deny that the offer sounded generous. 

"That settles that then," Johanna declared, making the decision for him. "The bathroom is upstairs and to the right; take as long as you need, I'll find those clothes in the meantime. You can leave your old clothes in the laundry room once you've finished. Now, off you go!" 

She ushered him upstairs and towards the bathroom, leaving him to his own devices. As soon as she heard water running, she nodded and headed back towards Lady Sneasler in the living room. She was peering inside her basket, not touching anything but was clearly inspecting something. 

"Lady Sneasler?" 

The poison-type turned around, closing the lid of the basket. She gave a cry of recognition, and walked up to Johanna calmly. 

"Ah, don't worry," Johanna waved her hands dismissively. "I just wanted to check in on you; you're quite far from home, so I want to make sure you're at least comfortable." 

Lady Sneasler nodded. Sure, it wasn't quite her cave, but she at least recognised the care this human put into her den, making it comfortable and clean. She supposed this was quite a nice place to live by human standards; a lot more amenities available too. She didn't understand most of it. As the humans were talking earlier, she had noticed many different items that definitely weren't in Hisui, including a thin, light block with many buttons that didn't appear to do much. Still, it would make a fairly decent throwing weapon in a pinch. 

Johanna smiled. "Good, good. Please, feel free to make yourself at home for now. Ingo's just gone to wash up, and I'll be preparing dinner soon." 

She was about to walk away, but then stopped. 

"Oh, right, if you don't mind me asking, Lady Sneasler, what is in your basket?" 

Lady Sneasler paused for a moment, considering her options. She could tell her. Lady Sneasler had no reason to believe this woman would behave irrationally, but...

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me. I was only curious, so if you'd rather keep it private, then that's perfectly fine." 

Lady Sneasler thought for a moment longer, before shaking her head. She'd keep this secret just a little longer. Johanna just nodded respectfully. 

"Very well, I'll leave it be. I need to go find those clothes for Ingo before he gets out the shower, so I'll leave you to it." 

With that, Johanna turned and left, leaving Lady Sneasler to her basket. As she watched Johanna leave, Lady Sneasler returned to where she was, once again flipping the lid of the basket, and once again making sure the clutch of eggs she smuggled out of Hisui was secure. 

----- 

By the time they had found Akari, it was pitch black outside, so they had a fairly easy time getting to Emmet's apartment without getting spotted with Akari being carried by the Subway Boss, his coat wrapped around her small frame. Even during the journey as the group ran through the streets of Nimbasa City, she demonstrated no signs of stirring. Now back home, both adults decided it would be best to leave her in Ingo's room to rest for now with her partner by her side - not that Tsunami would have it any other way. As soon as Akari was carefully placed on the bed, Tsunami hopped up and curled up next to his Trainer, seeming to inspect her. Elesa and Emmet left door open behind them before tip-toeing to the living room, both of them mentally preparing themselves for the conversation they were about to have. 

Emmet sat down first, his heart feeling like it was about to burst from his chest. Elesa parked herself across from him, waiting for him to speak first. 

"What did she call him again?" 

"She called him 'Uncle Ingo', so I'm guessing they're pretty close," Elesa told him once more. She had explained it briefly beforehand moments before the rush to the apartment, but she couldn't blame Emmet for wanting to be sure. It had been so, so long since the last lead to Ingo, let alone a reliable one, and then this teenager just happens to fall into Gear Station and claims to know him. 

"Are you certain it is not a different Ingo? It is possible that someone else has the name." 

"Well... Not entirely, but she can confirm anything we need confirming when she's rested up, and either way, it would kinda be a dick move to NOT help her regardless." 

Emmet shifted in his seat, clearly impatient. "I want her to wake up soon." 

"I know, Emmet," Elesa said sympathetically. "But that kid just collapsed from exhaustion. Or shock. Or stress. Or some ungodly mix of the three. My money's on that last option. She needs to rest as long as possible; adrenaline and panic can only carry you so far. You of all people should know that." 

Emmet glanced down at his lap, still smiling, but the mask was certainly beginning to crack. He was tired. So tired. Emmet knew precisely what it was like to collapse from exhaustion; he spent several months after Ingo's disappearance fighting off sleep in order to keep searching, blatantly ignoring Elesa's protests, and often found himself waking up on his apartment floor surrounded in papers with Chandelure, Eelektross, and the rest of the Pokémon in the apartment hovering above him, distraught. 

A quiet bark caught both of their attentions as Tsunami's head poked around the door. The water-type bent down to pick something up before trotting in, placing something on the coffee table and opening it. 

"Is that her bag?" Elesa inquired. 

"Yes," Emmet confirmed, "that is definitely her bag. Her Gardevoir came out of a Poké Ball from there." 

"...Heeeey, Samurott?" Elesa got his attention with a nervous voice. "Don't bring out anyone too tall please, we aren't outside right now, I am begging you," she pleaded, horrible visions of Gardevoir's head going through the ceiling upon release dancing in her mind. 

Tsunami huffed in what Elesa assumed was agreement, and instead of reaching for a Poké Ball, he pulled out a piece of paper and placed it on the floor before examining it. He looked up and down, back and forth between the paper and Emmet. He did this a few times before giving a satisfied bark and picking up the paper again, this time holding it in front of Emmet. 

"For me?" 

The Samurott nudged the paper into his hand. Emmet took it and examined it for himself. Then Emmet's face finally fell, and the tears finally made their grand entrance. 

"Emmet?" Elesa leaned forward, trying to take a look at the photo herself. She then felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes herself. It was a photo, but not just any photo; it was a photo of Akari and Ingo, posing together for the camera. THEIR Ingo. She really did know him, and she definitely knew him well from the looks of things. "Holy shit..." Elesa shot up from her seat. "HOLY SHIT!" 

Tsunami growled in warning. 

"Right, right, sorry..." Elesa immediately quietened down, a little bit more mindful of their sudden guest. "But, Emmet... It's him. It's really him!" 

"It's him," he choked out. "That is Ingo, my brother. He looks different, and verrrry scruffy, but that is my brother... Elesa, that is my brother," Emmet repeated to himself again as if he couldn't quite understand or believe it. The proof was right in front of him, but he just couldn't fathom how this was possible. Just hours ago, this is was a normal day; another day of missing Ingo, another day of covering the Singles line for him, another day dealing with commuters and Trainers alike... and suddenly, here they all were. Elesa, himself, and a time-travelling teenager. Emmet wanted to wake up now. He wanted to face reality - get it over and done with. This was some sort of dream formed from his own desperation for answers. It had to be. There couldn't be any other explanation. It was far too good to be true.

"Elesa, please hit me as hard as you can." 

Elesa looked at the man in surprise. "Emmet, what-" 

"Or have one of your Emolgas shock me." 

"Emmet, why-" 

"Because Eelektross is a superior and therefore will hurt more." 

"Rude! But we're still not gonna electrocute you! And that is not what I meant by 'why' and you know it!" 

"Elesa, I am dreaming, and I need to wake up now." 

"Emmet, if this is a dream, then we've suddenly developed some sort of psychic power that allows us to share dreams via some sort of weird hivemind shit. I'm an electric-type user, Emmet. I don't think I can develop that sort of skill, Emmet," Elesa snarked, gradually becoming more sassy with every mention of his name. 

"I think this is the most accurate dream-you my brain has ever made." 

"What in the ever-loving fuck do you mean by-" 

"You have the perfect high-level of bitchy-ness the real Elesa has. Verrrry impressive." 

"..." 

"...What? Am I wrong?" 

Tsunami stepped back. 

"...Volt Switch." Elesa tossed a Poké Ball up in the air, the small flying Pokémon surrounded by electricity immediately barrelling into Emmet's stomach only to immediately retreat back into the device. Emmet's screams were cut short as he flew backwards off the sofa, slamming into the wall with an almighty crash, absolutely frazzled. 

"Wow, this 'dream' has pretty realistic results of Pokémon moves as well," the gym leader remarked.

"I... ugh... Am Emmet. I... guh... No longer believe this to be a dream." 

"What a shocker." 

Elesa looked down smugly at Emmet as both of them wiped away the remnants of their tears, laughing, though Emmet's laughter sounded a little pained. Not fake laughter either. A real, genuine laughter. Neither of them had done that for months. Finally. Real hope. Real hope they could see in front of them. This kid knew Ingo, AND confirmed that he was still alive! It sounded too good to be true at this point, but here they were, with this girl in Ingo and Emmet's apartment, standing in the doorway, and- 

Both adults stopped laughing, and slowly turned around. 

Yep. Akari was standing in the doorway, staring at the electrified train conductor on the floor with eyes the size of dinner plates, her line of sight shifting from Emmet to the giant hole in the wall, Elesa, and back again. 

"Uh..."

Crap.

"Sorry, did we wake you, Akari?" Elesa smiled nervously, trying to make it seem like she didn't just have her Pokémon slam her brother-figure into a solid wall. 

Akari looked back and forth for another moment, before slowly turning rewards Elesa as she did to her just moments before. She breathed in, and spoke. 

"What the fuck?"

Chapter Text

Blizzards were something Ingo had long become accustomed too. There were the occasional blizzards atop Mount Coronet, and there were the blizzards of the Alabaster Icelands, the latter being much larger and more consistent of the two. He had been found in a blizzard as well; a particularly frightful one at that. Ingo hadn't realised it at the time, but he had avoided an almost-certain death that day. According to Miss Irida, practically no one ever survived a Zoroark attack, and then to be found in one of the worst blizzards Hisui had ever witnessed? The Pearl Clan had two rumours spreading about Ingo during his first month in Hisui; either he was blessed by Almighty Sinnoh and given their protection, or Almighty Sinnoh kept trying to kill him but he was simply too stubborn to die. This, of course, sparked much debate amongst the clan. 

"He cannot be trusted! Almighty Sinnoh wants that man dead, so we must give Almighty Sinnoh what they want and dispose of him!" 

"What are you saying!? This man has survived because of Almighty Sinnoh! If Almighty Sinnoh wishes him dead, do you not think a being as powerful as they are would have done so by now!?" 

"It is a bad omen, I tell you... A bad omen! Soon, we shall all see it! Only pain and misery awaits us if us if that man is left to live!" 

"Why would a being as benevolent as Almighty Sinnoh deem him to be worthy of such a fate when he has done nothing to us? Are you telling us that you believe Almighty Sinnoh to be cruel!?" 

The clan screamed at each other loud enough to pierce the heavens when he was not in view, but their debates dissolved into hushed whispers whenever he was around again. Even so, he knew what they were saying. He could see it in their eyes. The sympathy. The fear. The intrigue. The hatred. It's not like he blamed them - he'd probably be a little skeptical of someone who came from nowhere too, especially under the circumstances. After all, it wasn't often a hole was torn into the sky. 

"I do not think they understand you as well as I do," a voice behind Ingo claimed as a gloved hand was laid on his shoulder, only to slide off and retreat. Ingo turned around, and there stood a man in white, his face obscured by falling snow. 

"Then again, it is only natural. We have been together for a verrrry long time." 

The man in white extended a hand. 

Ingo reached for him. 

A white and red clawed paw swiped at his stomach. 

Ingo's eyes flew open, a sharp intake of breath smothering any screams he had at the back of his throat. Slamming his hand to his stomach, he waited for the dread to hit once he felt the disgusting feel of partially-dried blood. 

Thankfully, that dread never came. 

Instead, the feelings he got were one of mildly anxious confusion before one of calm as he looked around the room, recalling that he had spent to the night on one of Johanna's sofas, Lady Sneasler occupying the other on the opposite side of the room. Blinking, he allowed his eyes to adjust and sat up, noticing that it was still quite dark outside as very little light shone through the closed curtains. He considered getting up, but thought better of it. He wouldn't be much of a good guest if he disturbed his host, would he? Ingo laid down again and shifted himself onto his side so he was looking out at the rest of the room and Lady Sneasler, who had fallen asleep whilst clutching her basket. It was odd, in his opinion; he'd only ever seen her so protective of that basket once before, and that was because Akari was inside it with a twisted ankle after attempting to flee from a pride of wild Luxio. He would ask her about it later. 

Sleep didn't come to Ingo easily at the best of times, unless he was particularly exhausted. He fell asleep on the sofa reasonably quickly earlier, but as Johanna pointed out before he showered, travelling through time would most likely be something that would exhaust most people. Right now, on the other hand? The sofa was far too squishy. The blanket was too warm, yet too light at the same time. It was too cold without the blanket and he found himself immediately missing the pressure. The pillow now felt like a rock. He missed his hat and coat (though he thought it was silly to complain about that; they were hung up somewhere, drying after they had been washed and stitched). One could easily understand how somebody would sleep better when extremely tired, but this was just ridiculous. He turned over again, but nothing changed - he was still just as uncomfortable as before. 

Signing, he finally decided to get up. Thankfully, the lower rooms of the house weren't as difficult to navigate in the dark as a cave. He made his way to the kitchen without turning on the lights in fear of waking his companion, took a glass from the cupboard he saw Johanna open the day before, and quietly turned on the tap to get himself a drink. Ingo hadn't realised he'd missed the convenience of readily available water from a tap, but he damn well knew he wouldn't take it for granted anymore. 

"Sneas?" 

Ingo turned around, spotting Lady Sneasler standing in the doorway. 

"Ah, Lady Sneasler. I was just getting myself a drink," Ingo explained upon noticing her confused expression. He did his best to keep his voice down as he spoke; after all, he didn't know what the time was and certainly didn't want Johanna to wake before she was supposed to. "I apologise if I woke you up." 

Lady Sneasler waved her paw dismissively before moving to stand beside him, fully awake. 

Perhaps she too cannot sleep? I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask... 

"Lady Sneasler, may I inquire about something?" 

She looked down at him, waiting for him to speak. 

"You've been unusually diligent over your basket. Is there a reason for this?" 

Lady Sneasler's smile changed for a moment, becoming more mischievous in nature, before she shifted her gaze away. 

"Lady Sneasler? Is there something you ought to tell-" 

Crack! 

Ingo's head immediately swivelled towards the sound so fast that Lady Sneasler was concerned the next cracking noise might have been his neck. Before she could do anything, Ingo has flipped on the light switch in the living room and was rushing towards her basket. Was she going to stop him? No. Was she now regretting her decision to bring her eggs and not leave them with Irida? Again, no. She had to stop herself from laughing at Ingo's face as he frantically gestured to the hatching eggs and herself, trying not to scream in a mix of pure joy, fear, and shock in fear of waking Johanna up. 

"My Lady, why in Almighty Sinnoh's name did you do this!?" Ingo eventually managed to whisper out, although it was still quite loud for a whisper. "Don't misunderstand me, I am elated for you and your new kits, but why did you bring them through time and space!?" 

Lady Sneasler shrugged. Sure, she COULD have left them back in Hisui and been completely assured that they'd be fine... But where was the fun in that? She held back a snicker as she watched Ingo begin pulling newly-hatched Sneaslets from the basket, all of them mewling and already beginning to try to climb up him as he tried to hush them. They hadn't yet opened their eyes and had very little control over the poison in their claws, but at this stage, Ingo had dealt with enough of Lady Sneasler's offspring to become immune to the effects. Even so, Ingo looked over to her for assistance, who obliged and began removing some of the kits from Ingo's clothes. Ingo counted them, and noted that while there were currently five kits hatched and seemingly healthy, he also noticed that an egg had yet to hatch as it remained stationary in the basket. 

----- 

Akari sat across from Emmet and next to Elesa, Emmet's coat still draped over her shoulders, Tsunami stood just in front of her seat, and a cup of something that Elesa called 'hot chocolate' in her hands. It was sweet - far sweeter than most things she ate in Hisui - and it burnt her tongue as she drank, but the pain was tolerable in comparison to fighting gods and Alphas, plus the taste was worth it in her opinion. It also felt familiar, in a comforting way. She couldn't pinpoint how, of course, but it did. 

"You enjoying that, kid?" Elesa asked, a soft smile tugging at her lips that only grew larger as Akari nodded slowly, clearly a lot calmer than she was before. Elesa was mainly thankful that Akari hadn't taken off after witnessing her Emolga reorganise Emmet's insides from the outside, though she guessed she had Tsunami's quiet grunts to thank for that, somehow. 

Emmet shifted in his seat, averting his eyes downwards in an attempt not to stare. He had so many questions, but no clue as to how to word them. He wanted to know everything, but feared the answers. Would it be rude to start asking questions now? Akari seemed to be relatively settled, but she didn't sleep for long before being woken up. 

"Mister Emmet?" 

"I am Emmet!" He responded sharply, the sudden voice addressing him bringing him back to reality. 

"I'm sorry that Athena kinda... uh... y'know. Wrecked those grey boxes and stuff. She just felt me panic and dealt with it the way we're used to." 

Emmet shrugged. "It is fine. This is not the first time our security cameras have been inaccessible; we have security measures in place. I shall brief the staff tomorrow morning so they are aware of extra duties until further notice," Emmet waved his hands as if dismissing the issue. Besides, passenger safety was one of the most important things, and he had quite an important one in his living room. Computers could wait. "How are you feeling now? Better?" 

"Better, now that I know I'm safe-ish. I still need to go home, but I'm closer than what I was, and no one's trying to kill me!" Akari said cheerfully, much to the concern of the adults around her. She takes another sip before speaking again. "So... What was that place? With the grey boxes and the... trains, was it?" 

"That was Gear Station, Unova's leading battle facility," Elesa explained. "It also doubles as a regular train station, so you get a load of people just trying to get to places while some two or more dipshits are having a practise battle before they ride one of the battle lines." 

"They just battle with loads of others around?" Akari squinted. "Isn't that kinda risky?" 

"That is what I tell them! They do not listen nor care!" Emmet exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration, his voice raising in volume slightly. "We have entire trains dedicated to battling with proper safety protocols in place. They end up exhausting themselves inconveniencing others before they can use them!" 

"You battle in the trains!?" Akari leant forward in her seat, wanting to hear more. "I thought that maybe they just took you to places to battle!" 

Emmet nodded, pleased to see she had an interest in battling. "I specialise in double battles. I like combinations of two Pokémon." 

"You fight with two Pokémon at a time? That sounds... familiar. Sort of. And fun!" 

"Familiar?" 

Akari shrugged her shoulders. "I lost my memory in Hisui, so I can't really be sure of it, but I think I've fought with two Pokémon before-" 

"Wait wait wait wait, hold on a sec there, kid," Elesa cut Akari off, more concerned than ever. "You lost your memory?" 

"Oh, yeah I guess I haven't gone into detail about that yet..." 

"How much?" 

"Uh..." Akari paused for a moment. "...Yes?" 

"What the hell do you mean, 'yes'!?" 

"It's weird, okay!?" Akari cried out, mimicking Emmet's previous hand motions, startling Tsunami. "I can't remember anything, pretty much; not my family, not my friends, nothing about life before Hisui, but I get these really odd feelings of familiarity? Uncle Ingo and I talked about stuff a lot, and sometimes we'd get the feeling that we were on the brink of remembering something, and we battled a lot and it just felt natural but neither of us could remember battling before, and-" 

"Did you say 'we'?" 

Akari stopped her rambling at the sound of Emmet's voice despite it being a lot more subdued than what she assumed was normal. It took her a moment, but she realised where his obvious fear stemmed from. Akari turned her head slightly, not wanting to look Emmet in the eyes, before looking back. He was trembling. 

"...I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I tried to help him get his memories back, but it was pretty much impossible when everything was so weird and fucked," Akari began, tears threatening to once again rain down from her eyes again. "We remembered minor things, like he remembered he had a fire-type as a partner, and I remembered my town was surrounded by trees and stuff, but... Nothing we did made us fully remember stuff." 

Emmet just stared at her blankly as if he didn't even register that she was there, trying to process what she just said. Akari became aware of the suppressed sniffling coming from the woman next to her, and immediately felt the weight of guilt settle in her stomach. She had failed. Had the task really been hers to begin with? No, and yet she had still failed. She couldn't get Ingo's memories back, she wound up in Ingo's home rather than her own - something else she blamed herself for - and now people were upset. 

C'mon dumbass, think! There has to be something good you can say... 

... 

...Well, there is that... 

"He remembered you most, Mister Emmet." 

That caught Emmet's attention. He was now alert and looking Akari in the eyes, as if willing her to go on. 

"Uncle Ingo said that his dreams showed him a man in white that looks like him, and that he felt familiar, like he should know him. That man... It has to be you!" Akari did her best to stay positive, and judging by Emmet's face, it seemed to be helping. 

"I am Emmet. I am Ingo's twin, and I wear white. I do not see how it could be anyone else." 

"Back in, uh... Gear Station?" 

Both Emmet and Elesa nodded. 

"Yeah, back in Gear Station, I saw a poster with the gym challenge logo on it," Akari began to explain. "When I saw the logo, a whole load of memories came back! Not just feelings! Real, proper, ACTUAL memories!" Akari almost yelled, getting increasingly elated with every word as if she was only realising all of this herself at that moment, which to be fair, she was. "If I could get some of my memories back from just looking at something familiar, then all we gotta do is make sure you both meet up again so you can reintroduce yourself!" 

Emmet slowly nodded. "I see, I see. So I have to remind Ingo of who I am and then his memories will return to their stations?" 

"In theory, yeah! I mean, that's what happened to me and the gym challenge logo. It made me remember that I took the Sinnoh challenge before Hisui. I don't remember absolutely everything, but it's still waaaay more than what I could have remembered before." 

"Sinnoh? Holy hot damn, you're far from home kid, this isn't even the right region," Elesa mumbled before pulling out her phone, tapping away furiously. 

Emmet stood up and walked over to look over her shoulder curiously. "What are you searching for?" 

"Missing person cases in Sinnoh with Akari's name. Hey kid, what's your surname?" 

She shrugged. "Hell if I know." 

"Figures," the model grumbles as she put her phone away. "Nothing. Probably because you're not a celebrity, or because your parents didn't want the media swarming all over your disappearance like a plague of Kricketot. Which, y'know, is fair, but sucks for us information-wise." 

"At least we are aware that Akari's destination is in Sinnoh, as far as we know," Emmet looked over at Akari, who gave a thumbs-up in response. 

"That probably means that Uncle Ingo landed in my hometown, so if we go to Sinnoh and go find all the towns with loads of trees, then we're bound to find him eventually and in-turn find where the fuck I'm supposed to be, right?" 

"That seems logical," Emmet beamed, showing off the first genuine smile Akari had seen grace the man's face. She decided she liked that smile; it was a hell of a lot more comforting than the forced one. Hell, she even felt herself begin to smile with him. 

"Okay, and how many places are like that in Sinnoh? Because I am seeing a fuckload of them on this map," Elesa piped up from her seat, getting the others' attention. Akari's face immediately fell as she wracked her brain trying to think of how to possibly simplify this problem. 

"I mean, I guess I could go to the top of Mount Coronet and fist-fight Arceus again until they fix this instead? That might be easier than searching a whole bunch of towns." 

Emmet and Elesa paused, glancing at each other before turning to Akari. They then spoke in perfect synchronisation, as if they both knew precisely what the other was thinking. 

"...What?" 

----- 

Upon waking up that morning, Johanna was very aware that Ingo was downstairs, and was fully expecting to see man once she walked down the stairs. She vividly recalled yesterday's events with a strange combination of joy, heartache, and relief. It was bound to be an evening that she would not soon forget. 

What she was not expecting, however, was to walk downstairs to the scene of Ingo desperately trying to juggle five small Pokémon while Lady Sneasler held onto an egg next to an open basket. 

Oh. So that's what she was keeping hidden. 

"Well... This is quite the surprise." 

"Johanna, I do beg your pardon, I had no idea Lady Sneasler brought her eggs with her!" 

Johanna just chuckled. "Oh dear me, it's no issue, Ingo. I've lost count of the number of times Akari's partners have accidentally broken something in the house," she recalled fondly. "A few little ones shouldn't be much more trouble!" Johanna smiled warmly as she moved to take a couple off of him, keeping an eye on Lady Sneasler to make sure she was okay with this. Lady Sneasler made no attempt to prevent her from picking up her kits, so she safely assumed she was alright to handle them. 

"A-Ah!" Ingo looked on in mild horror as Johanna gently scooped up two of the Sneaslets from his arms. "Ma'am, please complete your safety checks before picking them up! They are poison types, and they do not yet have control over their-" 

A Sneaslet dug their claw into Johanna's arm in an attempt to clamber up her, forcing her to hiss in pain under her breath as she winced. Ingo immediately started panicking. He frantically looked around for a safe place he could put the Sneaslets he was still holding. 

"H-Hold still, Ma'am! I'll see if I have any berries left, just try not to move and-" 

"Oh don't worry, Ingo. It was just a pinprick. I'll just get some Pecha Cream from the first aid box," she casually stated, as if she hasn't just been poisoned by an ancient form of Sneasel. 

Still carrying the Sneaslets, Johanna waltzed over to the kitchen, the Sneaslets comfortably settled in her non-punctured arm. Ingo anxiously followed her step, having witnessed and felt first-hand just what a Pokémon's poison could do. He watched as Johanna calmly picked up a small tube from a red box after playing the Sneaslets down, unscrew the cap with one hand, and apply the odd pale pink paste to the small cut. Immediately, the angry red flesh around the wound seemed to calm down, and Johanna sighed in relief. 

"That's better, although, that certainly did feel like a third degree burn, I'll admit. Who would have thought that such small sweethearts could have such potent poison?" She said to herself cheerfully as she gently pet the Snealets' heads and picked them back up, more mindful of their claws this time. 

Ingo stood in the doorway, lost for words. Had medicine truly come so far? Not even twenty-four hours ago, at least from his point-of-view, he was in a land where even a slight poison could be life-changing in some of the most horrific ways possible, and now there was some sort of miracle cream that cured all Pokémon-caused poisonings? Amazing! Astonishing! Astounding! To think that he originally came from such a world with inventions such as this... It really did put how far back he actually travelled into perspective. 

"Uh... Ingo?" 

"Hm? Oh! My apologies, my mind must have gone off-track momentarily." 

Johanna was now shaking slightly, gripping the tube of cream tighter as she trembled. "Do... Do you need me to apply this to you, or...?" 

"What do you mean by- oh," Ingo's face twisted from one of confusion to one of realisation as he noticed the numerous tiny cuts and scrapes near his neck made by the three Sneaslets still cradled in his arms. "No need to worry, Ma'am; I am immune to such poisons at this point. I have travelled this line more times than I could possibly hope to recount." 

"Are... Are you certain?" 

"I am quite sure. I am very used to handling Lady Sneasler's kits and the consequences that come with it; it was one of my most important and honoured roles as Warden." 

"So, what? You're just immune to poison now?" 

Ingo shook his head. "Unfortunately, not all poisons. I'm immune to that of the Sneasel line, but poison differs depending on the Pokémon. It may be possible that I handle poisons better than most, but I would most certainly not be immune." 

"I see... Well, in that case, I won't pester you about using the cream," Johanna said as she placed the tube back into the red box. "Still, if it DOES start to burn at some stage, please let me know." 

"Noted, Ma'am. Thank you for the concer-" 

Bang! 

"INGO, HOLY FUCK- OH SHIT, BABY SNEASELS!?" 

Barry charged in, his focus immediately switching to the Sneaslets and broken egg shell shards after kicking in the door with a crash loud enough to rival Ingo's voice, leaving Johanna and Ingo little time to react beyond yelping along with the newly hatched kits. 

"Barry, language! There are other people living in this town, young man!" Johanna reprimanded. "It's only just gone seven in the morning, why in Arceus' name are you screaming at this time of day!?" 

"Yeah yeah yeah, sorry," Barry unapologetically blurted out before continuing, mind back on track. "But look!" Barry darted forward, forcibly shoving his phone into both of the adults' faces. On the screen was an article from more-or-less three years ago. It told a tale of a beloved Subway Boss from Unova mysteriously vanishing one night, leaving no trace of his disappearance other than his Poké Balls left on the abandoned tracks, and leaving his twin brother in a frantic state. Ingo's eyes scanned the words as Barry scrolled. 

Then his eyes scanned the photo of a man in white. His face wasn't obscured. He was smiling. His name was underneath the photo. 

"Emmet..." 

A dull ache throbbed at the back of his head, but soon grew into something far more sharp. Ingo felt the air shift around him as he began to fall, but could barely register the panicked cries of his current companions, and he hardly felt the Sneaslets in his arms be lifted from him as a pair of larger claws wrapped around his waist to keep him steady. 

Emmet. That is his name. Yes, I'm certain now. But... 

The pain only seemed to grow in intensity as Ingo's mind tried to force itself to remember. It was one vague concept or fuzzy recollection after another. He knew the term 'Subway Boss' was important, and he now knew that the man in white - Emmet - was in fact his twin brother. But there was more. So much more. He felt an indescribable feeling at the back of his head, on the precipice and waiting to fall and crash over him... But it stayed put, each moment with this gut-wrenching ache only making Ingo wish he remembered more. The wave of memories began to recede, much to Ingo's annoyance. He was so close... so close to remembering who that man was entirely! He now knew his name was Emmet, he was his twin, and was a Subway Boss (whatever that meant) like him. 

Letting go his his head that he hadn't even realised he was clutching, he slowly tilted his head up as the pain subsided. When was he moved to the sofa? He didn't recall ever switching tracks to sit here. 

"Snea!" 

Ingo looked over to his left to find Lady Sneasler's face inches from his, inspecting him thoroughly, her features scrunched up in worry. 

"I think I am fine, my Lady. I was simply remembering something... Or trying to, at least."
As Ingo regained some semblance of awareness of the room, he noticed Johanna frantically applying that pink paste from before to Barry's person as he hopped from one foot to the other as if to shake off the painful sensation, the three Sneaslets that Ingo was holding onto before clinging on him for dear life. 

"OW! SHIT! FUCK! WHY DOES IT BURN!? THESE AREN'T FIRE-TYPES! FUCK!" 

"Barry, please try to hold still! You're only making this worse-!" 

"Hold very still, young man!" Ingo rushed forward, the last dregs of agony at the back of his brain being washed away by the need for passenger safety. 

Whether it was because of the command itself or the sheer volume of Ingo's voice was debatable, but Barry froze in place as Ingo gathered up all of the hatchlings and took them back into his care. Johanna finally finished applying the last of the Pecha Cream, and sighed in relief as the inflammation went down. Barry was pretty relieved himself. The burning was gone, and he no longer had claws digging into him. Always an improvement in his book. 

"Yeesh..." Barry breathed. "Thanks for tha-" 

"Barry please, I think we need an explanation," Johanna pleaded, exasperated. 

"Oh, yeah! Right, right!" Barry held up his phone again and pointed at it, looking directly at Ingo has he spoke. "I spoke to my mum earlier about this whole thing, and she suggested looking you up online! So I did! And BAM! This guy in the photo looks like you, and the missing guy from Nimbasa has your name! So am I right? Is it you?" 

"Yes, that... That is certainly me." 

"I knew it!" Barry cheered. "Dude, you're a super strong Trainer! Like, a Battle Facility head! They're super-duper tough!" 

"A Battle Facility head...?" Ingo asked himself, hand on his chin in thought as a Sneaslet dangled from his arm. "Yes, that sounds correct." 

"Never mind all that right now," Johanna insisted. "Ingo, you just collapsed, but seemed awake the entire time... Do you need to be taken to a hospital?" 

"No, Ma'am - it was simply a few memories attempting to return to the station. It seems as they return, I may require a few minutes for maintenance each time, but nothing to warrant a trip to any healer." 

"I see... Are you certain?" 

"Positive, Ma'am," Ingo reassured her before turning to Lady Sneasler. "Any news on our late passenger?" 

Lady Sneasler fished the egg out of her basket after she left it there to help steady her warden. She looked it over before shaking her head, slightly crestfallen. Ingo held out his hands and she hesitantly passed her egg to him. Ingo held up the egg to his ear as Sneasler watched on in anxious anticipation; even Barry and Johanna found themselves watching silently with bated breath. 

After a few painstaking moments that felt like they took an eternity to pass, Ingo lowered the egg. 

"There are noises from within the egg. It will hatch eventually. They are just a little behind schedule." 

A collective sigh of relief sounded out through the house as everyone let out a breath they hadn't even realised they were holding. Lady Sneasler gratefully took her egg back and placed it into the warmth of the basket. 

"Dear me, that's a relief," Johanna found herself saying as she readjusted the kits in her arms. "Perhaps we should take the egg to Professor Rowan? He may know what to do to help it hatch." 

Barry's eyes lit up. "Yeah! The Professor might even have one of those portable incubator thingies!" 

"Portable incubator?" Ingo asked, intrigued. 

"Yep! They've got a glass casing so you can check on the egg without taking it out, and it's got a small heater so it stays warm!" 

"Fascinating... What about you, my Lady? Would you like to meet with this man?" 

Sneaster lifted a claw in contemplation before chirping in agreement. If it meant her baby would hatch healthily, then it couldn't hurt, could it? 

"Excellent! Then as soon as everyone is ready, should we depart?" 

Barry cheered and immediately sprinted out the door, screaming about something to do with the route up ahead and fines if Ingo was late. Ingo just chuckled to himself. Barry was certainly an interesting character, and he meant well. It made his heart swell with joy that Akari had a friend such as him here. Ingo moved to get ready, Lady Sneasler gathering all of her kits so that Johanna may begin her day as well, most likely by apologising to all her neighbours for Barry's colourful language. 

Hopefully, this Professor Rowan will be agreeable enough. 

----- 

"I'm sorry, you had to fist-fight a god?" Elesa asked in disbelief. She couldn't have heard that right. No way. There was no way that this child had to fight Arceus of all beings. She looked over at Emmet, who had his hands clasped together with both index fingers on his lips. He was still smiling, but that look in his eyes told her that he was definitely as concerned as she was. 

No, no. It's fine. Totally fine! We just misheard her, that's all. That has to be it. There is no way that- 

"Yeah, I... Did not have fun with it, I'll be honest, but I needed to do it, and-" 

"You absolutely shouldn't have had to do it!" 

Akari stopped and stared at the two adults in front of her, speechless. Elesa looked pissed, but for some reason, she didn't feel afraid, as if she wasn't angry at her. Emmet looked the same, but he was a lot more quiet in his rage. 

"Who the hell told you that you had to fist-fight a god to get to go home!?" Elesa gripped Akari's shoulders, bringing the girl closer to her. "I'll fist-fight them!" 

"Arceus," Akari answered, hoping the name would be some sort of deterrent. "Well, sort of. It was never really said? They just kinda started fighting me as soon as I got there." 

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Elesa screeched. This most likely wouldn't have prompted almost anyone else in the world to cover their ears, but luckily for Elesa, the two people and the Pokémon in the room with her were used to loud noises, one way or another. "Why the hell would Arceus fight a kid!?" 

Akari just looked away, shrugging her shoulders again. "I don't know. Maybe as a judge of character to see if I was a good person? They did use Judgement a lot... I didn't really understand a lot about what was going on. I just did what I was told. I just followed orders so I'd have somewhere to live up until Uncle Ingo took me in... But they sent me and Ingo home afterwards! Well, more-or-less, but they were still pretty nice, and-" 

"Kid, you don't need to make excuses for Arceus. What they did was shitty," Elesa cut in, her hands coming up to grip Akari's shoulders. "I don't care why they did it, Arceus shouldn't have fought a child. I mean, seriously? You're taken there by force by whatever the hell, and then-" 

"Arceus was the one that took me there, too." 

"...What?" 

"They put me in Hisui," Akari admitted. "I don't think they took Uncle Ingo, but they put me in Hisui. Lots of bad things were happening, and they needed someone to fix it. So they chose me. I don't know why. They just did." 

Elesa was stunned speechless. Arceus, an entire god, couldn't fix a problem so they sent a child to do it for them. She had no idea if this was laziness on Arceus' part or just plain cruel. 

Why? Why couldn't that fancy fence-wearing Mudbray do their own damn dirty work? 

"I think they needed someone to show them not to fear Pokémon," Akari went on to say, as if she read Elesa's mind. "As well as all the other stuff. Maybe it was a 'two Starly with one tumblestone' deal? Someone deals with others' fear and the bad stuff at the same time. Either way, it's in the past now. Literally. So, it really doesn't matter now, it's fine! I'll get over it all, no need to worry about-" 

"I am Emmet. I do not think this is fine." 

Akari's eyes darted to Emmet. He'd been so quiet that she had completely forgotten he was there for a moment. 

"This has quite clearly caused you distress. Earlier you admitted you were glad that no one was attempting to kill you. That is not good. In fact, that is verrrry concerning." 

Akari opened her mouth to say something, but found no words came out. She had nothing to say to that. He was right. And she knew it. She just didn't want to admit it yet. She wanted to forget. Move on. Go back to her life. Not recognise the pain. 

She did, however, recognise that she was really hungry. 

Her stomach didn't just grumble or growl; it roared. Akari's face flushed red as the noise continued on for a good few seconds, not daring to face Elesa and Emmet. As she was mentally screaming at her stomach to shut up, Elesa just brought her phone back up, tapping away. 

"Pizza?" Elesa asked. 

"Pizza," Emmet confirmed. 

Akari stopped for a moment, and her face contorted into one of thought. That one sounded familiar... 

"What's pizza again? I've kind of forgotten." 

"...Elesa, we may require a lot of pizza." 

"Agreed." 

Akari looked at both of them in confusion, the energy in the room immediately transforming into something a lot more lighthearted than before. She didn't know what was about to happen, but she couldn't help but feel thankful for the change in atmosphere. 

Plus, she was a little excited to relearn what pizza was. 

Hours pass, and soon enough, Akari was tucked back into bed, full of pizza (she discovered that pepperoni was her favourite by-far), Tsunami curled up around her rather than just next to her this time. As Emmet walked out the door, he shot her once last glance to make sure she was okay before leaving, once again making sure to leave the door slightly open. 

"Poor kid," Elesa commented from down the hall as she leant on the doorframe. "Guess it was good that Ingo was there to help her, but still-" 

"Elesa, I am Emmet. I want to fist-fight a god." 

"Emmet-" 

"Correction; I WILL fist-fight a god." 

"Emmet, please can we just focus on getting her home?" 

"..." 

Elesa placed a hand on his shoulder. "We can fist-fight a god together as soon as she's safe at home, okay?" 

"I find this satisfactory."

Chapter Text

It was truly incredible, in Ingo's opinion, that Barry could have so much energy after being poisoned by multiple Sneasels. Once he had reclaimed his beloved coat and hat (that Johanna had very generously done her best to repair), he walked out of the house intending to meet with Barry as previously promised, only to have the boy barrel into his stomach sending him tumbling down into Sneasler's arms. Ingo staggered back to his feet and looked down at the teen, now on the floor and nursing where he hit his head. 

"Agh..." 

"Are you fully operational, Barry? All systems in working order?" 

"...Eh?" 

"Are you alright?" 

"Yep!" Barry jumped to his feet, proving his point. "The REAL question is why the hell are you taking so long!?" 

"Not everyone can have more energy than a Pachirisu on a sugar rush in the morning, Barry," Johanna called from the living room, making Ingo snort as he tried (and failed) to suppress his laughter. Barry pouted before turning one-hundred-and-eighty degrees on his heel, marching off. Ingo tipped his cap to Johanna, thanking her for watching over the hatchlings, before walking off to join Barry, followed by Lady Sneasler with the unhatched egg nestled in her arms. Barry swung his arms as he walked, the motion familiar to Ingo for unknown reasons, but the familiar feeling was a welcome one regardless. 

"The Professor's kinda stern, and he kinda seems like he has the personality of an out-of-date lemon if you've never met him before," Barry began, a beaming smile never leaving his face as he spoke, "but trust me, he's totally chill! He even gave me and Akari our first partners 'cus of a whole thing with wild Starly a few years back, and we weren't even due to get them that day!" 

Ingo nodded sagely. "Yes, Professors giving young Trainers their partners does sound correct..." 

"Wanna meet him? I got his Poké Ball right here!" Barry's grin grew even wider as he produced a familiar-looking red-and-white ball, though it looked a lot sleeker in comparison to the ones crafted in Hisui. As soon as Ingo gave the all-clear, Barry tossed the ball up into the air, releasing a large water-and-steel type. Ingo immediately recognised it as an Empoleon, recalling the time Akari had gleefully managed to snag herself an Alpha one, though he insisted she rest for at least two days afterwards given the state of her ankles after trying to run in the sand and tripping on a hidden rock. This one was far smaller, but still seemed incredibly proud of his power. 

"Ingo, meet Emperor! Empy, this is Ingo! He's a friend, and he's been helping out Akari, so play nice, you got that?" 

Emperor perked up at the mention of Akari's name, and stepped up to Ingo. He towered over the train conductor, but didn't seem to be trying to threaten him. Instead, he just looked him up-and-down, judging him, before stepping away, satisfied. 

"Your partner seems to be quite self-assured." 

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," Barry rubbed the back of his head. "He used to be WAY worse though! He used to be REALLY arrogant and proud - in a bad way. Took Akari and her team serving us several huge slices of humble pie for him to- MMPH!" Barry's protests were muffled as Emperor kept his wing over Barry's mouth in an attempt to stop the embarrassing stories from spilling out any further. 

Ingo chuckled. "I take it you battled each other often then?' 

"Mm-hm!" Barry nodded enthusiastically, somehow managing to pry Emperor off him. "I challenged her pretty much every chance I got! She handed my ass to me every time without fail though. But it's totally cool though, because we are absolutely gonna kick her ass one day!" 

"I wish you luck on that endeavour, Barry; you shall need any bit of it you can get." 

"Pffft, nah, I don't need luck," Barry waved his hand, smirking. "I've got my team! Sure, we took a break to look for Akari for a few months when she, well, y'know, but now we know she's back somewhere, so once she's back, we're gonna train super hard and finally beat her! I've been studying her team super hard! Type match-ups, strategies, moves-" 

"I see that you've done quite a lot of preparation, though you are aware that you will likely now have to adapt your plans for her new team, correct?" 

"Huh- Oh shoot!" Barry slapped himself in the forehead, groaning. "That's right... How many Pokémon? Three? Four?" 

"A full cab of six." 

"Six!?" Barry repeated, gobsmacked. 

"Yes, all very willing to allow her to drive them to future." 

"Argh, that means I gotta come up with more strategies!" Barry hopped in front of Ingo, gazing up at him with pleading eyes. "Pleeeeeease tell me what team she has so I can get a headstart. I know she has a Samurott now, but what else?' 

"You have admitted to wanting to 'absolutely kick her ass one day', and she has expressed a very large amount of trust in me, so I do not believe I shall betray her now," Ingo deadpanned with Sneasler copying her warden. 

"Oh come on!" Barry stomped his feet while Emperor deadpanned along with train conductor and the poison-type Pokémon next to him. Ingo and Sneasler just kept walking while Emperor picked Barry up and slung him over his shoulder, ignoring any and all protests coming from the teenager. 

"What of her other team?" Ingo tried to redirect the subject slightly to avoid further upset from Barry. "It sounds to me like it may be just as strong as the team with her now." 

"Oh yeah, her team is mega tough!" Barry laughed, taking a break from trying to wriggle free of his partner's grip. "There's Rocket the Infernape, Voltage the Luxray, Jet the Honchkrow, Belladonna the Roserade, Mochi the Mamoswine, and Puff the Altaria!" The teen went on the explain, counting the party members on his fingers as he went. "That's the main team she uses, and she beat Cynthia with them! They're actually with the Professor while she's gone." 

"Cynthia?" 

"Ooooh, right! You wouldn't know, would you? She's Sinnoh's Champion, and is totally unbeatable! Or, well, at least she WAS until Akari beat her," Barry explained. 

"Champion..." Ingo parroted slowly, letting the word roll off his tongue. "That title sounds familiar." 

"It should! Almost every region has one, and they're the toughest Trainers around!" Barry exclaimed. "Usually, when someone beats a Champion, they become the new champ!" 

"I see... Yes, that definitely feels right..." Ingo paused briefly, something clicking in his brain. "Would that mean that Akari is-" 

"Nah, she didn't want the title for some weird reason," Barry cut in, stopping Ingo's train of thought. "I mean, I guess she's the Champion in a technical sense?" He seemed to almost ask that part, as if unsure of it himself. "But she never officially took the job." 

"Why not? It seems to be a brilliant thing to become." 

Barry shrugged. "Dunno. Something about it not feeling right, I think she said. Something about it being too restricting. Honestly, I don't really get it, but whatever makes her happy." 

Ingo hummed in thought. Perhaps he would ask her about it when they eventually found each other again, provided her memories had returned. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before Barry perked up, still being carried by his ace. 

"Oh hey! We're almost there!" He pointed ahead. "Just turn at that corner and we'll be in Sandgem Town!" 

Ingo nodded, noticing the buildings beginning to poke through the trees. He glanced over at Sneasler, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the past half hour, though it was understandable given the attention she had devoted to her egg. Barry was unceremoniously dropped to the floor and he was off like a shot, immediately returning Emperor to his ball and stampeding towards the town with Ingo and Sneasler on his tail. 

As Ingo turned the corner, he saw the boy dart into quite a large building; possibly the largest one in town save for the one with the red roof. Alongside Lady Sneasler, he stepped into the building himself. It was certainly different to Professor Laventon's laboratory in Jubilife Village, but he couldn't deny that the setting also seemed at least vaguely familiar to somewhere else, not that he was able to remember where that place may be of course. 

"Huh. Seems like he isn't here right now," Barrt commented from the other side of what Ingo could only assume to be the main room. 

"That is quite alright, I do not mind a small delay." 

"But I do!" Barry whined. "I'm gonna go find him! You stay here! If you leave, I swear I'll fine you!" He shouted one last time before running out the door, leaving Ingo to his own devices. Not wanting to simply stare at the door until Barry returned either alone or with another, Ingo began to wander, Lady Sneasler never straying too far from his side. Desks were littered with papers and various different Poké Balls, and the shelves were packed to breaking point with numerous scientific hardbacks. As Ingo perused the lab, he noticed a slightly open door that seemed to lead into something resembling a garden. 

Well, if it's open with no one around, it couldn't possibly hurt to venture in, could it? 

So venture in he did. 

A short corridor lead him to a vast space hidden by trees, separating it from the rest of the quaint town. One thing both he and Lady Sneasler immediately noticed was the abundance of Pokémon roaming the field, though none of them seemed aggressive nor fearful. The Starly didn't fly off at the sound of his footsteps, the few Geodude and Gravelers that sat around didn't so much as bat an eye at his approach, and not even the Shinx that surrounded the Luxray that lounged in the sun seemed to be fazed by his appearance. 

The Luxray itself, however, did notice. It opened one eye as Ingo moved closer, causing him to immediately freeze and back up, incredibly aware of the fragile passenger being held by Lady Sneasler, who tightened her grip on her egg out of instinct, letting out a low, short growl. He felt his stomach drop and quickly stepped in front to Sneasler as it slowly stood up, it's eyes locking onto his own. Ingo fought and choked down the urge to run. His heart hammered in his chest, and his hand hovered over Engine's - his Gliscor's - Poké Ball. The Luxray approached slowly as it casually padded its way up to the man, showing no signs of aggravation. No growling. No bared fangs. No sparks. After a few moments that seemed to drag on for hours, the Luxray's face stopped mere inches from Ingo's body, giving the man a curious sniff as he remained perfectly still. 

"Fer! Ferna, fernape!" 

The Luxray stepped back, turning around to the figure that let out a barking cry that Ingo hadn't noticed previously. 

An Infernape... An Infernape and a Luxray... I wonder... 

Ingo relaxed a bit, and took his hand away from the Poké Ball. Sneasler began to protest, but he put his hand up to stop her. He then stepped forward, Sneasler's gaze following him. 

"Excuse me?" 

Both the fire-type and the electric-type looked at him. 

"You are... Rocket and Voltage, correct? Akari's partner Pokémon? Barry told me about you two. I have some information about her-" 

Ingo couldn't say another word after that as both Pokémon rushed towards him with pleading eyes. 

----- 

A pair of grey eyes slowly fluttered open and blinked a few times as Akari awoke from her sleep, her head aching slightly from the vague pizza-related memories that tried to invade her mind from the night before. It hadn't been as agonising as what happened back in Gear Station, but she still needed to mask the pain behind the excuse of the pizza being too hot. She turned her head to see Tsunami's striking red eyes staring at her. Most people would have been surprised or even terrified to have that be one of the first things they saw in the morning, but Akari found it to be a comfort. Some said that this particular species of Pokémon were to be feared, that they were cold and heartless, but Akari knew that this couldn't be further from the truth; not when her own had done nothing but show her compassion and concern. She lifted her hand and pet Tsunami's muzzle, who in turn made a sound similar to purring. 

Akari eventually sat up and looked around the room. 

Ingo's room. 

Other than the thick dust lining some of the surfaces, it was immaculate. Then again, she supposed that made sense. Lady Sneasler's den was always tidy whenever he left it, and his tent out in the Highlands was the most organised area she had ever seen, even when she compared it to Cyllene's workspace. The design of the room itself also seemed to be the epitome of organisation; the walls had untarnished black wallpaper, and the room was decorated with dark grey furniture with red accents and steel frames. Akari swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, quietly walking out of the room with Tsunami in tow. 

"Mister Emmet? Miss Elesa?" 

No response. The apartment was silent as Akari continued to trek down the hall, rubbing at her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure if she liked how quiet it was, especially after how busy it had felt the night before. Regardless, she walked on, moments later coming to the living room. To her surprise, on the oak coffee table laid a note in messy, but legible, handwriting. 

- Dear Miss Akari, 

I am Emmet. I have gone to work early this morning to hold a meeting regarding near-future plans and temporary safety procedures. Elesa left last night after you fell asleep to sleep herself and get you more modern clothes. She will be here later. I will try to return early later so that we may make plans to depart to Sinnoh. There is food in the fridge that you may help yourself to for you and your Pokémon. Please feel free to use the shower too. I have left a spare bathrobe and clean towel in the bathroom. 

I will see you later. 

Signed,
Emmet -

Akari felt her shoulders relax. Okay. Good. She knew what was going on. Tsunami let out a quiet bark, curious. 

"Don't worry buddy, Mister Emmet just left a note explaining some stuff. He's left everyone food in the fridge, too. I just hope everyone can fit in here..." 

Tsunami huffed, satisfied, and went to fetch her satchel. Upon returning with the bag, she gathered up her Poké Balls and released her Pokémon one-by-one. She started with Athena, who immediately enveloped the girl in a massive hug, mindful of her own strength. Akari hugged back before patting Athena's back, letting her know that she wanted to let go now. Athena did so, sensing no distress. 

Akari then moved on to release her Froslass, Demeter. Like Athena, she towered over most other Pokémon, but they both managed to fit in the apartment all the same, if only just. Demeter let out a deep, spine-chilling cry as she laid eyes on her Trainer, moving forward to gently cup her cheek. Akari never could understand Professor Laventon's fear of Demeter; the thing he would had to have been most fearful of is getting a lecture if he got hurt out in the field. Athena was caring, yes, but Demeter would be best described as motherly. 

Once she quelled the ice-type's concern, she moved to bring out her next Pokémon. Thankfully, the apartment was large enough to house her two tallest partners, so she didn't feel as worried bringing out her third and final Alpha. She held out the Poké Ball, and a large, pink Purugly aptly named 'Lady' popped out. She slowly looked around, judging her new environment, before moving to the sofa and promptly flopping down to sleep with crossed paws, not really showing any concern beyond the friendly meow in greeting. Akari rolled her eyes in amusement. Classic Lady. 

Next was her Dusknoir, simply named Noir. She tried to give him other names, but this one was the only one he ever responded to, so she respected that. She remembers when she caught him fondly; a Dusclops at the time, and Iscan was positively terrified of him. It had meant to be a temporary thing - a meeting born of necessity, and when the job was over-and-done, she had intended to set him free. However, what Akari hadn't anticipated was the possibility of Noir wanting to stay. She'd heard tale of the Duskull line leading people to the afterlife in various ways, and feared that's what he was trying to accomplish, but he ended up never intending to do that to her. Instead, he found himself enjoying being a helping hand around wherever she settled, offering to help with menial tasks as well as battles. He quickly became popular amongst the members of the Galaxy Team before they left the settlement, though he never looked back once they departed. 

Finally, there was Comet, a hot-headed Rapidash with lilac flames she caught as a Ponyta for a request. His flames intrigued her and Ingo both, but for different reasons. She just thought the fire to be an unusual but beautiful colour, but the fire sparked something in Ingo's mind, but couldn't quite burn a path to the memories. He'd mentioned previously that his partner in this time dealt with fire, so they both supposed that the fire belonging to them was a similar colour to Comet's as no other fire had brought about such feelings. Her suspicions were confirmed upon seeing the fire-type with Emmet, and it was because of that fire-type that she knew she was safe to release Comet into the apartment. He whined into her hair upon released, demanding attention that she happily gave, lightly scratching him under the chin before Demeter cried out what Akari assumed to be a request to give the girl some space, to which he begrudgingly obliged. Type advantages be damned, he wasn't about to cross the mother of the party. 

Akari let her Pokémon get settled as she left them in the living room after telling them she'd get them breakfast, leaving Tsunami to update them all on the situation. No sooner than when she got to the kitchen, she heard Noir announce his presence behind her, making her laugh lightly. She should have known that he'd follow her; food was his thing after all. 

"Alright, alright, but just remember this isn't our camp, alright? This is someone else's home, so it's probably best not to let off any Dark Pulses in here." 

Noir bowed respectfully, reminding Akari of a butler. She opened the fridge to find another note taped to a large brown bag next to a plate of cold pizza. 

- Dear Miss Akari, 

I am Emmet. After writing the previous note, I realised I did not know all of your Pokemon's types or preferences. I have left behind berry-infused standard Pokémon food for your party as a result. There are multiple flavours and textures, so they should be able to find something they enjoy. I really must go now. I must stay on schedule. 

Signed,
Emmet -

Akari took the Pokémon food from the fridge and began pouring it out into bowls. There looked to be plenty, but this was still Emmet's; she felt a little guilty about taking so much, but Alphas tended to have voracious appetites. As she went to place the bag back, leaving Noir to apply any finishing touches he deemed necessary, she couldn't help but notice numerous smaller paper bags at the back, each with Emmet's name on them. She was curious, but she didn't think it would be polite to start snooping around. Akari made a mental note to ask Elesa about it once she arrived if Emmet wasn't to return until much later. 

Akari walked back to the living room with her own plate of pizza while Noir kindly took the Pokémon food through, distributing it to his teammates. The teen perched herself on the sofa in-between Lady and Tsunami, amazed that the sofa could take the strain of all three of them. Then again, furniture must be quite sturdy these days, else larger Pokémon would destroy them quite easily, even if it were accidental. 

Twenty minutes pass, and Akari finishes washing the last of the dishes; if she's going to use Ingo and Emmet's things, she could at least wash them too. It was a relief to see that washing up crockery hadn't changed too much; put soap in hot water and wash. Simple, yet effective. 

The same, however, could not be said for the shower. What the hell were all those buttons for? Did this thing have different modes? Why would you need different modes if the purpose of this was just to clean you? She tried pressing a green button first, and suddenly it was raining. The sudden hit of cold water on her arm made her jump back, yelping in surprise. 

Too cold, too cold! Waaaaay too cold! That's, like, Alabaster Icelands levels of frigid! 

She looked the device over again, trying to figure out how to warm the water up. Eventually she got the water to an appropriate temperature, and sighed. 

Finally... 

Akari had been in the bathroom for about ten minutes when the door unlocked, and in stepped the electric-type user with a bag in her hand, who immediately had six Pokémon staring at her. 

"...Akari?" Elesa called out, not taking her eyes off Akari's team, keeping a particularly close watch on the three abnormally-sized ones. 

"Just a minute!" A voice called out from down the hall, and the sound of falling water stopped. As promised, a minute later Akari was out of the bathroom, hair dripping all over the floor and wearing a bathrobe that was far too big for her. "Hi Miss Elesa. Mister Emmet said you were gonna come visit. At least, he wrote it. In a note." 

"Uh-huh... So, that's your team, kid?" 

"Yep!" 

"Wow... Some of them are..." 

"Alphas. That's why they're a little larger than normal." 

"A little!?" Elesa spluttered. "They're massive!" 

Akari just snickered, finding Elesa's shock entertaining. 

"Geez, kid. Don't you find it daunting? At all?" 

"I did at first, sure, but they warm up to you like any other Pokémon after a while! Even Uncle Ingo dealt with Alpha Pokémon sometimes." 

"I'll take your word for it," Elesa concedes, noticing the Pokémon staring at her less upon seeing their Trainer talk comfortably around her. "Anyway!" Elesa thrust the bag she was holding into Akari's arms. "Dry that hair of yours and change outta that oversized piece of fluffy cloth and into these!" 

Akari peered inside the bag, noticing quite a bit of blue and red, not too dissimilar a colour scheme to her kimono made to match Tsunami. "What is it, exactly?" 

"Oh you know, shirt, jacket, jeans, shoes... Just go try 'em on, see what you think!" Elesa ushered Akari back into the bathroom and closed the door, practically trembling with excitement to see what she'd think. 

After another ten minutes, Akari walks out of the bathroom and back into the living room where she met Elesa's expectant gaze. There she stood in wide-legged navy blue jeans, dusty-red hi-tops, a simple black v-neck shirt, and a dark cerulean button-up jacket with red stripes and silver highlights, in a vaguely similar style to Ingo and Emmet's coats, if just a bit shorter and without the high collar. 

"Well... How do I look?" Akari smiled sheepishly, trying to gauge everyone's reactions. Thankfully, Elesa wasn't too difficult to read as she enthusiastically clapped her hands, her feet excitedly hitting the floor. 

"You look fucking amazing, sweetie! Damn, I've outdone myself this time!" Elesa got to her feet, checking Akari over to make sure everything fit perfectly. "Nothing pinching anywhere? Nothing too tight? Comfortable?" 

Akari shook her head. "Nope, everything is super comfortable! Thanks a lot, Miss Elesa!" 

"Good, good! I'm so glad!" Elesa clapped her hands again, admiring her handiwork. 

Samurott trotted up, inspecting the outfit for himself before giving an approving bark. Sure, his friend looked a little odd in this not-kimono, but she still looks like his friend, and she looks happy, and that's all that really matters. The rest of the team seemed to agree (other than Lady, but she was never too interested to begin with) and all made supportive noises and gestures. 

As Elesa went over a few final adjustments to her new outfit, Akari remembered that she had wanted to ask a question. 

"Hey, what's with all the paper bags with Emmet's name on them?" 

"Huh?" Elesa looked at her, puzzled. 

"In the fridge. There's, like, a bazillion bags in there with his name on them." 

Elesa immediately made a beeline for the kitchen, swung open the fridge, shifted the rest of the Pokémon food bag over, and Akari could have sworn she heard Elesa growl. 

"That idiot... He hasn't been taking his damn lunches!" Elesa reached into the fridge and pulled out one of the bags, looking at its contents. "This is the one I gave him last night before I left, that dumbass!" 

"He left his lunch behind?" Akari asked from the doorway, her entourage of Pokémon peeking out from behind her. 

"Yep. Every. Single. One," Elesa told her through gritted teeth, gripping the bag tightly. "I'm going to go and shove this lunch down his throat later." 

"Can I come?" 

"You sure, kid? Last time you were down in Gear Station, it wasn't exactly fun." 

Akari nodded. "I'm sure. I should be alright this time; I won't have only just fallen out of a space-time rift. That'll probably help." 

"Well, okay then. But, uh... Might wanna keep your team in their Poké Balls. Most people aren't really used to seeing Pokémon the size of skyscrapers, or Samurotts looking like they're ready to go to a heavy metal concert. And stick close. Last thing we need is for you to board the wrong train." 

----- 

Ingo soon found himself surrounded by a group of six Pokémon listening intently as he regaled them with stories of Hisui, Lady Sneasler providing confirmation. He'd learned quite a bit about Akari's team already; Rocket was their stand-in leader while Akari was missing with Voltage as second-in-command, both with personalities akin to Tsunami's, if he had to make a comparison, though he'd probably describe Rocket as just a tad more rambunctious. 

Then there were the ones that Voltage had dashed off to retrieve before Ingo started talking. 

First there was Jet. Quite an imposing fellow. Ingo could see why someone may be afraid of this large flying-type to begin with, but any and all fear subsided as he saw the smallest of the group huddle up to him, clearly comfortable. The more he saw from them, the more it became clear that Jet was more like this father-like figure to the group rather than just another ally. 

Puff came flying up next not long after Jet. Ingo had initially thought that Akari had somehow caught a sentient cloud before the blue came more into focus. It's not like anyone could blame him for that being his first thought; she had caught gods before, after all. As Puff descended, her upbeat personality became clear. She sung in greeting, and chirped as she settled down, ready to learn about her missing Trainer. 

Then up stomped Mochi, slow and steady, and as sweet as the name suggested. If Alphas weren't a thing, Ingo would have been taken aback by her sheer size, but thinking back to the Alpha Mamoswine he once had the misfortune of running into, he was infinitely glad that this particular Mamoswine seemed friendly, normal-sized, and quite placid. He swore he saw several Pokémon jump up and down on her back before arriving and yet she never once batted an eye. 

Finally, there was Belladonna. Belladonna was quite the character, and had full, perfect roses that spoke of good health and proper training, though they were odd colours for a Roserade. She was definitely the most serious of the lot, displaying a poised and calm temperment while maintaining this air of unforced superiority. She never once announced her presence, nor did she care to flaunt, boast, or brag about her beautiful blooms, choosing to stay silent and calm. Even so, he got a feeling that perhaps he should stay on her good side. 

Ingo had just finished up the story of how Akari came running down the stairs of light before Lady Sneasler jumped to her feet, shoving the egg into her warden's arms. Ingo was about to ask if something was bothering her, but was promptly shut up by almost feral growling, poison dripping from her claws and landing next to him, instantly killing the grass below her. 

"Lady Sneasler!? Whatever is the matter!?" Ingo was panicked; she was only ever like this if she perceived something to be a true threat. Had something come up behind them? He quickly stood to his feet, turning around to see who it was that had snuck up on them. There stood Barry, clearly ready to run at a moment's notice, and a man that made Ingo's blood run cold. He'd recognise that stern expression and moustache anywhere. 

"Kamado." 

The man raised an eyebrow, watching the the former warden get into a defensive position alongside this new Pokémon he'd never seen in-person before. Actually, now that he thought about it, would it be more appropriate to call this an old Pokémon rather than a new one? He'd seen the history books. This Pokémon had supposedly begun to mysteriously disappear one day with no explanation, alongside many other Sinnoh- no, Hisuian variants and native Pokémon. This must mean that Barry was telling him the truth when he called this man a time-traveller-

No, wait, not the time for this, Rowan.

"I am not whoever this 'Kamado' fellow is. My name is Professor Rowan, and I'm the leading Pokémon Researcher in Sinnoh." 

This didn't seem to calm the Pokémon next to him, but Ingo looked a little less likely to immediately punch him upon approach. Barry came bounding up, trying to prevent Lady Sneasler from lurching forward with outstretched arms. 

"No, no no no! No burning poison today, please! He's old! His old bones won't be able to take it! I promise you he isn't this 'Kamado' guy!" 

Rowan didn't know if he should thank the boy or feel offended. However, despite any conflicted feelings, he was relieved when the Pokémon began to stand down, obviously not willing to go through the child. 

"May I approach?" Rowan called over, and made sure to walk slowly with his hands clearly visible when Ingo gave a small nod. "Now then, Barry did tell me that you have a late-hatcher with you. Do I have permission to perform an examination? I promise you may stay by the egg during the entire procedure." 

Ingo looked at him hesitantly, before looking over to Barry. 

"You trust this man? He's never tried to hurt you?" 

"What the- Of course he hasn't! Why the hell would he hurt anyone!?" 

"I apologise, truly I do, he just..." Ingo paused. "...Do you recall how I mentioned that some people wished harm upon Akari?" 

"Yeah, but what's that gotta do with..." Barry began, before his face changed into one of realisation. "...Does he look like one of people who hurt..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence with her name, but Ingo understood nonetheless and bowed his head. 

"He does, yes." 

"Oh. Well, I guess this makes sense in that case," Barry admitted sadly, gesturing to the scowling Sneasler. 

Rowan became more concerned with every work spoken. This man had obviously been to the past... Was he talking about an ancestor, perhaps? And this ancestor... Tried to hurt Akari? That doesn't make sense. She was - and still is, as far as he knew - a child. What threat could a child possibly present? He'd got a basic rundown of events from Barry; Akari had been sent to the past and met someone else who went missing a while back, and now he was here and she was somewhere else, but nothing much else before the boy was dragging him back to the lab from the lake. The knowledge that people wanted to hurt the child was a new revelation, and not a very welcome one. 

"But... Very well. I know you would never want Akari to get hurt, Barry, so if you trust him, then I shall too. Lady Sneasler?" Ingo turned to the tall Pokémon, who let out one last low growl before taking her egg back and handing it over to the Professor, giving him a warning glare. He bowed respectfully and invited everyone to follow him back to the lab. Sneasler picked up her basket that she put down for comfort's sake earlier, not noticing a little extra weight, and both her and Ingo waved goodbye to Akari's team. However, Ingo couldn't help but notice that the Roserade was gone. 

She must've had something to do, Ingo thought to himself as he walked on with the group. 

Everyone soon found themselves back inside the lab with the unhatched egg hooked up to an odd machine. Lady Sneasler insisted on overseeing the entire operation, taking it as far as collecting anything sharp from the area and dumping it on the other side of the room. The machine displayed different lines and numbers at which Rowan nodded occasionally. Eventually, he takes the egg away from the machine places it into a glass case, closes the lid, and holds it out for Lady Sneasler to take back. 

"It's perfectly healthy, so you've no cause for concern. This incubator will help it along a little bit and give it a bit of extra protection until it hatches, but there's no need to panic." 

Lady Sneasler had to fight down the urge to swipe at this Kamado lookalike as she took back the egg and held the case close to her chest, her eyes never leaving Rowan. Thankfully, Ingo was a lot more polite. 

"Thank you... Professor Rowan, was it? I apologise for the earlier displays of... irritation." 

"It's fine. It sounds like you have your reasons. Somehow, I doubt I'd like this Kamado person myself," he grimaced. "What are your plans now?" 

"We're gonna go to Unova and bring Akari home!" Barry piped up, startling both of the adults. 

"Hold on a moment there! Did you say 'we'?" Ingo asked incredulously. 

"Well... Duh?" Barry said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If you think I'm not gonna go and pick up my best friend after she got fucking stolen from me by Arceus himself, then you are very, very, VERY much mistaken!" 

"Language, Barry," Rowan scolded, causing Ingo to wonder just how many adults had to tell him off for his colourful vocabulary. Barry just laughed it off, and ran out the door as he screamed something about fining Ingo if he was late back to Twinleaf Town. 

"The Diamond Clan would have loved this boy..." 

-----

Gear Station was a lot busier than Akari had anticipated. Elesa said it was something called 'rush hour', and that meant there were a lot of people around. Akari tried to stay close with the model, and the model did her best to keep an eye on the girl. 

"Emmet's on the Double Train today, so all we have to do is find a depot agent and get them to call him over when he gets his break, and then we get the fuck outta this crowd. Seriously, that whole 'win twenty times and then meet me' thing still applies if you're besties, and that's just fucking rude... You still holding onto his lunch, Akari?" 

"Yep, got it right in here!" Akari gestured to her new bag. Elesa had been kind enough to include a new, more modern dark grey satchel that went over her shoulder rather than around her waist to keep her belongings in. It was a lot bigger too, and if she kept in mind what Bagin taught her back at Jubilife, she was pretty confident she could fit an entire shop's worth of items in there as well as her team. 

"Alright, cool! Jackie should be around here somewhere, so let's see if we can find them. I swear, they almost stay here more than Emmet these days...' 

As Elesa scoured the room for a depot agent, Akari began to notice the room getting even more crowded as more trains began to come in, bringing more people to the station. The more crowded it became, the louder it got. With the room being composed of nothing but brick and concrete, all the noise just bounced off the walls, which certainly didn't help matters. Akari didn't have a problem with noise itself most of the time; certain sounds terrified her, yes, but noise itself she could handle under most circumstances as long as she had her Pokémon with her. 

A situation where her guide couldn't hear nor see her when she began to get swept away with the crowd and where her Pokémon needed to be in their Poké Balls was most certainly not one of those times. 

Akari hadn't even noticed she was slipping away herself to begin with; one moment Elesa was there, and the next she wasn't. Had she zoned out? Had she been distracted by something? She couldn't remember. All she knew is that this crowd was dragging her all over the place, and that she needed to get out of it. Now. 

Weaving in and out of the crowd, she rushed over to the nearest platform; one with significantly less people than the main hall. She immediately raced to a corner of the room and took a deep breath, starting to feel the sway of Athena's ball in her bag. Slowly, the sway begin to fade with every deep breath she took. 

In. 

... 

Out. 

... 

In. 

... 

Out. 

... 

Akari sighed as she finally felt the ball stop rocking entirely. Okay. This was better. There weren't too many people here. It was actually pretty calm all things considered. There was a map here, too. She could find out where she was, plus this room looked similar to the one Elesa found her in, which helped a little. This was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. Maintaining her breathing, she checked the signs and map on the platform wall. 

Double Line. 

Oh, okay! This was good! Super good! This was where Emmet was working today! She could just find him and then he could both get in touch with Elesa AND get his lunch in one fell swoop! Perfect! 

Underneath the sign that read 'Double Line', there were a set of rules; she needed to check these carefully if she needed to battle to get to Emmet like Elesa said. 

Up to four Pokémon, no duplicate items, no duplicate Pokémon, no Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, no using the moves Earthquake, Magnitude, or Bulldoze... Looks like I'm in the clear! 

"Excuse me, Miss?" 

Akari looked away from the rules board to see someone - a depot agent, if her logic was correct - standing behind her. 

"Oh sorry, am I in your way? Here, lemme just-" 

"Oh no, no it's nothing like that! It's just the train is about to depart, and I'd hate for any passenger's challenge to be delayed. That is what you're here to do, correct?" 

Akari nodded. "Yeah, I am! Sorry for taking so long; I've just never battled here before." 

"Ah, a first-time passenger! Well then, you'd best hop on board then, Miss. I take it your team is rule-compliant?" 

"Yeah, I think so... I can still keep the Pokémon I don't use on my person, right?" 

"As long as you don't use more than allowed, that it perfectly fine, Miss. Now then, please step this way. All aboard!" 

Akari follows the agent's directions, and quickly boards the train, completely oblivious to the frantic woman calling her name out in the main room. 

The first battle was easy enough. As was the second. And the third. And fourth. It was all a little odd, really. This was a battle facility, a place for dedicated battlers... So why was no one else using Agile or Strong Style moves? That would definitely help them quite a bit! She was having fun, there was no denying that, but she was expecting a bit more of a challenge. The rules said nothing about these techniques, so it's not like they weren't allowed. Had they just not mastered their moves yet? And... Why did everyone look shocked when they battled her? Was it her Pokémon? No, they always stared at her, not her partners, despite their looks (although she did always get a brief look of surprise from her opponents whenever an Alpha was brought out, but that wasn't often). Did she have something on her face? No matter how much she wiped at her face, nothing ever came off. Maybe it was customary for the opponents to stare each other down? She'd have to ask Emmet when she eventually got to him. 

As she walked down each train carriage, she did so with ease. You learn to keep your balance when walking in an area where space is being shifted all around you, so a moving solid entity was really no issue. 

The battles continued. Five. Six. Seven. A few more oddly shocked faces. A platform. The depot agent she had spoken to before gave her an odd card and stated that they had put 'BP' on it for her, whatever that meant. She was congratulated. Why? This was easier than the one-on-threes she often found herself in when she visited space-time distortions. Then again, she supposed that others hadn't experienced space-time distortions like she had. She decided to check up on Tsunami. He'd never enjoyed being in his Poké Ball for too long, and she perfectly understood why. He'd assured her that it was comfortable enough, but there wasn't much to do in there. She tossed his ball up, released the water-type who immediately barked affectionately. She pet his muzzle, making him purr again. 

"Hey buddy, sorry you had to stay in that ball for so long, but I've seen quite a few people with their Pokémon outside with them, so I think you'll be alright to stay out for now!" 

A roar of celebration. 

"So, what do you think so far? I'm having fun with it myself." 

A huff of agreement. 

"I definitely think I've done double battles before now... It feels so natural, you know?" 

Tsunami made a noise of acknowledgement. He may not understand himself, but he knew she was right. She normally was. Well, other than that one time she thought a blue pebble was an oran berry and tried to eat it of course, but he'd been sworn to secrecy with that one. 

They both carried on the challenge after sitting for a few minutes. Neither of them ever did like to sit still and do nothing. 

Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Rest. 

Another clean sweep. The depot agent once again congratulated her, adding more 'BP' to the strange piece of plastic. 

"Tell you what, Miss, if you keep this up, you'll be facing Boss Emmet in no time! Which is good, really. He won't be around for a little while after today. Something to do with our other boss-" 

"Ingo." 

The depot agent looked surprised. That seemed to be a theme today. However, unlike her opponents, their shock subsided. 

"Yes, that's right, Miss." 

They handed the card back to her. 

"Well, I'll allow you to rest for a little while. Talk to me once you're ready to continue!" 

Akari thanked them before sitting down. There were even less people now. The difficulty was increasing, but still, no one used Agile or Strong Style. However, she did notice that the strategies were improving. The Trainers in the second leg knew their Pokémon better than Trainers before. Good. This felt right. This felt so much better than the rampant fear in Jubilife Village. 

Fifteen. Sixteen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. The shock never left.

The next battle was with Emmet. 

Akari breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, she knew her team wasn't in any real danger, but those last couple of battles had left her a little concerned, but it ended up being nothing her and the team couldn't steam through. Tsunami still stood by her, quite clearly pleased with his winning streak. He'd rarely ever had proper battles like this where he didn't have to fear for his friend's safety, so this was definitely a great change of pace. They entered the last carriage, spotting Emmet. 

"Hi, Mister Emmet!" 

"I am Emmet," the Subway Boss responded, his usual smile on his face a little wider than usual, most likely from mild surprise. "Hello, Miss Akari. I was not expecting to see you until later. You are wearing a new outfit. It looks good on you." 

"You forgot your lunch," Akari stated, opening her satchel and bringing out the paper bag with Emmet's name on it, tossing it to him. He caught it, and looked at Akari as if she'd just handed him the most random object you could possibly think of. 

"You defeated everyone on this line to give me a forgotten lunch?" 

"That... maaaaaybe perhaps wasn't the original plan, but yeah. Elesa found out you have a bunch of lunches in the fridge and she was adamant that you were gonna get yours today. Something about shoving it down your throat." 

"I see," Emmet replied, making a mental note to hide from the gym leader later. "What was your original plan?" 

"Find a depot agent and get them to contact you." 

"Was there not a depot agent that guided you into the train?" 

"Yeah, but... Battles," she shrugged.

"I am Emmet, and I understand that fully." 

"This place is fun!" Akari beamed. "So, I think it's you I battle next, right?" 

Emmet nodded. "If that is what you want. I will not force you." 

Tsunami immediately stood to attention, baring his fangs in a determined, grumbling growl as Akari produced a Poké Ball from her bag and pointed towards Emmet, grinning widely herself, positively bursting with confidence. "Whenever you're ready, Mister Emmet!" 

Emmet's smile widened even further, and he produced two Poké Balls of his own, one in each hand. While neither of them moved too much, anyone could tell the energy of the carriage had changed drastically. 

"I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. I like Double Battles. I like combinations of two Pokémon. And I like winning more than anything else. So let's start a great battle in which every Pokémon uses various moves." 

Emmet had a feeling he was going to enjoy this battle immensely. 

What he didn't notice, however, was the abundance of text messages he was missing from a certain gym leader.

Chapter Text

Barry sprinted down the route he knew oh-so well, catapulting himself over a ledge to take a shortcut home. He couldn't just sit around and wait, he had to start packing right away! Unova wasn't exactly just the next town over, so this needed thorough preparation! Spare shirts, spare pants, spare scarves, wash kit... Oh, and Akari's clothes too! She'd probably like that! He'd have to ask Johanna to pack those though. His mind buzzed with excitement. This was it! He was bringing Akari home! His best friend and rival back where she belonged! He zipped down the path, the earth beneath his feet becoming a blur. However, as he turned the corner to reach of road leading to him home town... 

Crash! 

Argh... Great. Second time today, Barry. Who did you smack into this time? 

"Are you alright there, my young friend?" 

"Eh?" Barry looked up from the floor, noticing a hand being extended from a man with blonde hair that covered one of his silver eyes, tied up in a messy bun at the back. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" Barry accepted the help and jumped to his feet to dust himself off. The stranger smiled. 

"That's good to hear! Now, if you don't mind me being a little nosy, what's got you in such a rush?" 

"Best friend in different region. Time-space travel. Train man with extinct Pokémon. Portals." Barry quickly listed off, eager to get going, his feet already directing him away. 

"...Is that so...?" The stanger spoke hesitantly, his smile faltering so briefly that it was almost unnoticeable to even the most keen-eyed of the world, but it returned just as fast. "Well, I'm off to-" 

"Okay cool thanks sorry for crashing into you bye!" Barry hastily yelled out as he ran, already halfway down the road, leaving the stranger in the road staring after him. 

The man stared blankly at Barry's retreating form before shrugging and chuckling to himself, adjusting his blue-and-yellow cap, and he turned towards the lake whilst glancing up at Mount Coronet in the distance, humming an old tune to himself. 

He was a few minutes gone by the time Ingo came walking up the path, stepping over the marks in the dirt where Barry had fallen with Lady Sneasler next to him as per usual, holding her egg in it's new case while her basket hangs from her back. For a path with few flowers, he was pleasantly surprised by how sweet the air smelled around here. Had it always been this floral? He couldn't quite recall. Perhaps he was too busy conversing with Barry the first time down this track to notice? Yes, that was probably it. Lady Sneasler sniffed at the air too, noticing the change herself. Maybe she was also distracted by the boy before? Or perhaps it was her attention on the egg that caused the scent to allude her? It made sense, given the circumstances. 

Oh well. He supposed it didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was making sure Johanna hadn't been overwhelmed by the Lady's offspring. Ingo still felt incredibly guilty about leaving Johanna to take care of them when she had already been so hospitable, even though she did offer her aid willingly. He thought he should endeavour to get her a thank-you gift at some stage once everything had settled down. 

Ingo placed his hand on the doorknob, not entirely knowing what to expect. Yes, she had the Pecha Cream, but he had left her with several hatchlings with very little control over their toxic claws, so he couldn't help but feel concern bubble up in his throat. 

"Johanna, we have returned!" Ingo called out as he stepped into the house, scanning the room for Johanna and the young horde of Pokémon. The woman waved from the sofa, a Glameow casually dangling her tail from the arm, swinging it side-to-side as two kits tried to swipe at it while Johanna entertained the other three kits with an old Poké Doll. Sneasel kits opened their eyes quicker than most Pokémon species; a necessity when it came down to survival in the Highlands - a place where vision was everything. With high mountains, there was nowhere to hide from eyes that peered from above, and unless your skin was rock-solid, if you couldn't see your opponent, they'd make quick work of you. 

"I see you've managed to entertain them without having them use you for climbing practice! Bravo!" 

Johanna laughed, and tossed the kits the ragged doll. "Oh believe me, they did try! They're quite energetic little sweethearts, aren't they?" 

"Indeed they are, but you'll often find that at least a couple of them will mellow out with time." 

"And the rest of them?" 

"Absolute troublemakers." 

Johanna laughed again as she stood up, the Glameow noticing her movement before bringing her own focus back onto the Sneasels. As Johanna got to her feet, she sniffed the air. 

"...Did you happen to walk through a field of flowers, somehow?" 

Ingo breathed in too, and his face scrunched up in confusion. "No Ma'am, we didn't, but we did smell this before as we were walking up here." 

As they spoke, Sneasler shrugged off her basket and tossed it to the side after placing her egg down. 

"Ro!" 

The cry was muffled, but audible. Everyone's heads turned to basket, including the Sneaslets'. The basket lay on the floor, motionless. Then it shifted, startling everyone in the room. 

"Ingo, what on earth is in there?" 

"I regret to inform you that I do not know." 

The basket moved again before the lid popped open, eliciting a yelp from the humans in the room. A dark grey rose popped out first, and a purple one followed. And then the rest of Belladonna made her entrance, staggering slightly before composing herself. She didn't bat an eye as she waltzed over to the sofa with her head held high, ignoring the group's stares, and casually hopped up to sit where Johanna once sat. Belladonna eyed her audience, as if waiting for them to continue. Ingo and Johanna stared back in disbelief. No one knew what to say. Ingo had thought it strange before that Belladonna had abruptly left before, but he hadn't even considered that this would be why. Did the rest of Akari's original team know about this? He'd hate for them to worry over her, especially with their Trainer already missing. 

"Hey, has anyone seen a weird-looking Roserade!? Got a frantic text from the Professor and he said that Belladonna went missi- Oh hey, there she is!" Barry barged in, crashing the door into the wall, making everyone but the Pokémon in question jump for what felt like the billionth time that day.

"Barry, PLEASE, just knock next time!" Johanna pleaded.

Ignoring Johanna's request, the boy lurched forward and grabbed the Roserade. She struggled a little, and made an attempt to free herself from his grasp, but Barry didn't relent, much to her displeasure. 

"Nuh-uh, you gotta go back to the lab!" 

"Does she?" Ingo questioned. "If she felt the need to ride with us, then surely there must be a reason?" 

Belladonna immediately extended an arm out to Ingo and made noises that sounded like agreement. 

"But she has to stay at the lab! Professor's orders!" Barry pushed, moving to take Belladonna out of the door. Belladonna, however, did not like that. In fact, she hated that with a passion. She pushed her roses down hard onto Barry's arms until her thorns pricked his skin. He squeaked as he dropped her. 

"OW! What the hell, Bella!?" Barry's mouth gaped open as he pushed down on where Belladonna's thorns had been. Thankfully, her thorns hadn't drawn blood. If she wanted him poisoned, she would have done so. Her nonchalant attitude made it clear that she never intented to hurt him further than this, but it still wasn't pleasant.

"To be fair to her dear, you did just decide to pick her up without her consent. Honestly, you're lucky she didn't break out the Toxic-Venoshock combo," Johanna pointed out, Ingo nodding in agreement. While he had never witnessed this particular technique himself, it definitely sounded rather nasty. Barry grumbled to himself as he scowled at the grass-type, who scowled back. 

"Why did Belladonna even leave the lab anyway? When Rowan called, he said the rest of her team were in a massive panic over it!" 

Johanna placed her hand on her cheek in thought. "I'm not sure. She isn't really the wandering type, is she?" 

Barry shook his head. "Nah, she's probably the most serious of the group. This is, like, super weird for her." 

"Perhaps... She wishes to meet Akari with us?" Ingo suggested, to which he received more affirmative noises from Belladonna. It made sense; Akari had been gone for so long, and Belladonna was small enough to sneak out in the basket in order to see her Trainer before anyone else. Something about the entire situation tugged at Ingo's heart, and he found himself lamenting at how bittersweet the entire ordeal was. 

"What!? But- Ugh..." Barry groaned. "That means we're gonna have to go through the paperwork to get her on the boat 'cus she isn't registered with us, and that's so totally gonna hold us up at the dock..." Barry turned to the Pokémon, almost hopeful. "...You sure you don't wanna just stay here?" 

A stern look and thorns beginning to glisten with a purple sheen quickly gave him his answer. 

----- 

"Comet, Flame Wheel that Durant! Tsunami, Agile-Style Aqua Jet on Crustle followed by Ceaseless Edge!" 

Emmet would have wanted to pause to ask this girl so many questions had this not been the most exhilarating battle he'd had since Ingo left. Questions such as 'what are Strong-Style and Agile-Style moves? What is Ceaseless Edge? How did you learn to battle like this?' may have came to mind under any other circumstance. However, those questions would come to him much later, for at that moment, Emmet was having fun for the first time in years. 

If he had to compare her battling style to anyone, then he'd be screwed. This was unlike anything he'd ever witnessed. No matter. He was Emmet. He liked winning more than anything else. Guest or not, he had a duty to battle to the best of his ability, and to win. 

"Crustle, Stone Edge, defend yourself! Durant, Rock Slide!" 

"Tsunami, Strong Aqua Tail!" Akari bellowed over the noise. "Obliterate those rocks to hell and back!" 

Tsunami's roar shook the carriage as rock shards splintered and flew across the battlefield from the impact. Emmet shielded his face with his coat while Akari expertly rolled to the side, her eyes never leaving her opponents. Comet shot into Durant in a blazing ball of flames, and as the fire subsided, Tsunami shot forward himself and hit Crustle head-on, immediately drawing out his gleaming blades as soon as the water was gone, each hit leaving a glowing mark on the bug's body. 

Akari was ecstatic. This was fun... So much fun! Only Ingo had given her battles this challenging in Hisui without attempting to harm her, so to battle someone else this good with no real risk was incredible! Using two Pokémon at once was definitely interesting too. If she wasn't certain Emmet was his brother before this - which for the record, she was - she'd certainly be convinced now. Emmet didn't use Agile or Strong-Style moves either, but that was alright; he was still super fun to battle! 

Waaaaay more fun than the Trainers before him. 

Did she still think her team was going to win? Oh, there was no question about that. Was this still one of the best battles she'd had in a while? Again, no question! 

Crustle barely had time to react before the marks left by Tsunami flared up with a harsh, crimson glow, sending them crashing down to the ground and down for the count. Durant wasn't looking great either, and succumbed to their burn moment after Crustle fell. Tsunami and Comet were still on their feet, a little battered but otherwise fine. Emmet returned his Pokémon to his Poké Balls with a grin. This battle was becoming much quicker than he anticipated, and not in the way he was used to. Akari's eyes matched his own, with nothing but unadulterated energy burning behind them. She was enjoying this too. He wasn't about to let this end so soon. As soon as he pocketed Crustle and Durant's Poké Balls, he immediately brought out his other two Pokémon with him; Garbodor and Klinklang. 

"Both of you, use Toxic!" 

Garbodor belched out a foul-smelling mist across the field while Klinklang's gears spun to life, spraying an equally putrid liquid towards Akari's team. Akari gritted her teeth as she covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, not seeing a way out of this one. 

"Tsunami, two Agile Aqua Jets on Garbodor! Comet, Flame Wheel on Klinklang!" 

"Bat Tsunami back with Venoshock! Klinklang, use Protect!" 

Comet was deflected, much to his annoyance, and Tsunami rammed into Garbodor, knocking it off balance slightly. However, he wasn't so lucky a second time. Garbodor doused their arm in poison and flailed wildly, managing to land a direct hit onto Tsunami's side. Tsunami roared out once more as he rolled across the battlefield, stopping at Akari's feet. He struggled to get up, only to fail at the last moment, the battle against the previous opponents and a poison-boosted Venoshock getting to him at last. He collapsed, breathing heavy, and defeated. Akari knelt down, and pet his muzzle. 

"Don't worry about it, buddy... You just rest up behind me for now. You did so well, and I am so proud," she reassured him kindly, helping him shakily walk behind her spot on the field, leaving him with a pecha berry and a couple of sitrus berries. She turned to face Emmet. 

"Impressive. You're the first one to take him out today." 

"I can believe it. This has been no easy victory." 

Akari smirked. "Waaaay too early to be calling this your victory, isn't it?" 

"I do not believe so." 

"Funny. 'Cus I know it is." 

Emmet grinned back. "I am Emmet, and I told you I like winning more than anything else. I will win with my team." 

"And I'm gonna kick your ass with mine!" Akari proclaimed, bringing out a Poké Ball and throwing it upwards. As the glowing light dimmed, Athena stood in the train, eyes locked onto Garbodor; she felt Akari's need to take it out and avenge her partner.

From behind the door leading to the battlefield, two depot agents stared through the glass. 

"Who - or what - the fuck is this kid?" 

"Cloud, please, watch your language." 

"Oh please, the kid just said 'ass', I'm pretty sure she's gonna know the word 'fuck', Cameron." 

"Why are we even watching them? We can't interfere or anything like that." 

"Yeah but have you SEEN this girl's face?" 

"Yes, Cloud. I have given her BP a couple times today." 

"Not like that, idiot! Look at her face right now!" 

"Alright, alright, if it'll get you to calm do- OH GOOD DRAGONS!" Cameron recoiled in fear. The look on Akari's face was just as intense as Emmet's. Her eyes were wider than he thought possible, unblinking and almost wild. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either. It was unnerving and unreadable. She looked equally as intense as Emmet, too. 

"You see!? We've never had a challenger like this before!" 

Cameron was about to respond until his work phone buzzed. He peered down, noticing it was a text. 

"What is it?" 

"It's Jackie. Hold on a second..." Cameron placed a finger up as he checked the text. 

Jackie: Yo have you seen a kid with red and blue clothes? Possibly with a funky-looking Samurott or some sort of gargantuan Gardevoir, apparently? Elesa's looking for her and is freaking out. Apparently she lost her during the rush hour. Also tell boss that she's been trying to get in contact.

"Ah." 

"The fuck do you mean, 'ah'?" 

"Cloud, language." 

"Bite me." 

Cameron sighed, before holding up his phone. "Looks like the gym leader's looking for the girl." 

"Really? Damn. Should we stop the battle?" 

"I'm not sure... Maybe we should-" Cameron was cut off as his head turned, distracted by the battle once more.

"Athena, Agile Calm Mind into a Psychic! Comet, another Flame Wheel!" 

"Klinklang, disrupt Athena with Flash Cannon! Garbodor, Venoshock on Comet before they can hit!" 

The Flash Cannon barely hit before Athena could pull off her attack, but it barely grazed her as she leapt to the side. Comet, however, wasn't so lucky, and met the same fate as Tsunami before him. As before, Akari assured him that he fought well, and she returned Comet to his ball before bringing out her fourth and final Pokémon for this battle, Demeter. Akari wasted no time in calling out her next commands. 

"Demeter, Icicle Crash on Garbodor! Athena, Aura Sphere on Klinklang!" 

"Klinklang, Protect! Garbodor, use Psychic to push the ice away!" 

Protect's shield did the job properly, but there was too much ice for Garbodor to handle. All it took was for one stray icicle to hit their head and their concentration was gone, resulting in a bombardment of ice landing on them. Garbodor breathed heavily, shivering. 

"Athena, Psychic! Demeter, Agile Blizzard! Obscure Athena from view!" 

Before Emmet could yell out orders for a counterattack, a small blizzard swept through the carriage, and once Emmet could see again, he saw Garbodor down, defeated. He returned them to their ball, muttering a 'thank you'. 

"I am Emmet, and you think you have me cornered." 

"It's more like I know we have you cornered." 

"You are wrong. Verrrry wrong." 

Klinklang whirred in agreement ferociously. He never lost his smile as he held onto his cap and pointed at the battlefield. 

"Klinklang, Flash Cannon! Take your pick!" 

Akari didn't flinch. Wild Pokémon never called out. They targeted with their eyes first, and she doubted it was any different here. 

"Athena, get ready and use-" 

"Switch tracks and aim for the other!" 

No one had any time to react; Flash Cannon had already charged up and Klinkland fired away at Demeter, hitting her dead-on; a critical hit. Demeter flew past Akari, and into the wall, and slowly descended. Akari growled under her breath, cursing at her own lack of insight. She returned Demeter to her ball, heart filled with guilt as she apologised to her. 

"It seems we are evenly matched once more." 

"Heh... We'll see about that! Athena, Aura Sphere!" 

Emmet barely had time to yell out a command to use Protect again before the blast hit, though he could see the cracks in the shield. He marvelled at the strength on display. He'd only ever seen strength like this with other Battle Facility Heads and Champions. Never with challengers. He wasn't supposed to be battling to the best of his ability right now. He was supposed to be going relatively easy on the normal Double Line. He didn't like to disrespect Trainers this way, but it was simply the policy the League put in place and an understandable one seeing how many younger battlers came to the facility. However, he highly doubted Akari would complain about a challenge. She was also a challenge to him. 

"Aura Sphere again!" 

"Thunderbolt!" 

The two attacks collided and a minor explosion rang out, the sheer power of each attack cancelling the other out. 

"Flash Cannon!" 

"Strong Mystical Fire!" 

The fire alnost seemed to melt away the attack, parts of it dropping to the floor like molten silver with the odd flickers of flame managing to reach Klinklang. As the flames died down, so did the beam of light, Klinklang becoming noticeably more tired, their gears slowing. Emmet tried not to show his concern. He knew Mystical Fire had the ability to lower special attack, but it was still irritating. However, it looked as if the Gardevoir was also beginning to tire. Emmet steeled himself, readying himself for the outcome, no matter what it was. He looked at Akari. She was doing the same. 

"Flash Cannon!" 

"Aura Sphere!" 

Klinklang fired off their final Flash Cannon, and Athena leapt forwards, directly into the attack. As both Trainers watched the event unfold, Emmet felt himself tense up with excitement. This was it. Athena had been engulfed by the Flash Cannon. He had won.

Then Athena broke through the Flash Cannon. 

Everything after that felt like it was happening in slow-motion. Athena jumped up, barely holding on, her Aura Sphere still growing, her eyes focused. She raised her arm, the steel-type before her still blasting her with light. Then she threw the ball, slamming it directly onto Klinklang, a massive explosion hitting the floor, sending wind whipping around both trainers as they shielded themselves. Akari and Emmet looked at the cloud of dust, willing it to settle faster. Eventually, it thinned enough to see the results of the battle. 

Athena stood there, battered, but victorious. In front of her, a collapsed Klinklang. Silence emanated around the room. 

"We... Won?" Akari seemed to ask herself, not quite believing what had just happened. 

Emmet blinked. Then he began to applaud. "I am Emmet. I lost against you. Because you are the strongest Trainer I've fought lately. You're a verrrrry strong Trainer! Yup! It was fun!" 

"So... We actually won?" 

"You have won!" 

"We... We won!" Akari dashed towards Athena. The Gardevoir happily picked her up and swung Akari around a bit as the girl laughed, sharing her glee. Tsunami, who had since recovered a bit, joined them and let out a few joyous barks. Emmet continued clapping. 

"I have not faced such an opponent since my brother! It was a welcome experience!" 

Akari nodded excitedly. "Yep, and I haven't battled anyone as good as you since Uncle Ingo either! You were waaaay tougher than I expected! Does everyone have to defeat you like this?" 

"Not everyone. Truth be told, you are the first person on the Double Line I've battled as if this were the Super Double Line! Yup! Not many people defeat me on that line either. We shall have to battle again, next time with my regular Super Double Line team." 

"They just as tough as these guys?" 

"Yup!" 

"Fuck yeah!" Akari cheered, thrilled at the prospect of future challenges. 

"Um... Excuse me? Boss Emmet?" 

"I am Emmet," Emmet said, turning around to face whoever it was who was coming in. "Cloud and Cameron. Is there an issue?" 

"Well, you see-" 

"Her," Cloud stated, pointing a finger at Akari. "Elesa's been looking all over the damn place for her, and she is frantic according to Jackie." 

"Oh, right..." Akari looked up to Emmet, who was staring back at her, puzzled. "I might have forgotten to mention that I accidentally got separated from her during something called 'rush hour', whatever that is, and couldn't find her again, but I did find the line she said you were on. Which is, you know, how I ended up here..." 

"...I see." 

"Jackie also says that Elesa's been texting you nonstop, Boss," Cloud added. 

Emmet immediately brought his wrist to his face, and Akari could see that smile of his morph from concerned to completely terrified. 

"...How many texts did Miss Elesa send you?" 

"Fifty-two." 

"...Are you in trouble?" 

Emmet paused, typed something into the watch-like device on his wrist, and waited. Seconds later, it began making a rapid dinging noise. Cloud burst out laughing while Cameron looked sympathetic. 

"...To answer your question, Miss Akari, I certainly am!" 

----- 

Ingo looked at the navy-blue backpack Johanna had kindly provided him with, now packed with a spare change of clothes and a wash kit. She said the bag was her own from when she travelled for contests, whatever they were, but she had no use for it now besides the occasional holiday abroad which had all but ceased ever since Akari's disappearance. He'd tried to promise her that he'd repay her one day, but she just brushed it off. 

"You've already done more than enough, Ingo. You did your best to keep my daughter safe. This is the least I can do." 

That's what she had told him, at least. Though, that did make him wonder; how was Akari doing? Was she safe? He had a feeling she was being treated well enough, for some reason he couldn't quite place, but he still couldn't help but fret. Akari was as strong as they come, yes, but she was still a child. His child, despite not sharing blood. 

So here he was, making sure everything had been packed away neatly to go and get her. Then again, it didn't really matter; it was only for the ferry trip, and Barry said that he doubted it would take more than an afternoon to reach Nimbasa from Castelia if they took a taxi, whatever that meant, and then he could recover his own clothes from his home station. Barry had mentioned payment for the taxi and that he'd cover it, so Ingo made a mental note to keep tabs on how much Barry will have spent on travel and to pay him back later. 

"The Professor says it's all good now that he knows!" Barry popped his head around the door with a thumbs-up, his phone firmly in his grip. "We can get going whenever you're ready; Canalave's gonna take at least two hours by car, so we gotta move!" 

"Two hours does not seem that long a time." 

"Maybe to an ancient guy, but I've got places to be!" 

"I am not that old, Barry." 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Gramps!" Barry disappeared as quick as he left. Ingo sighed and picked up his bag, making sure everything was closed and secured; safety checks are important, after all. 

He slung the bag over his shoulder and stepped outside where the group waited for him next to what his brain told him was a car, Johanna securing Lady Sneasler's seat belt for her as her claws couldn't quite grasp the metal buckle properly. 

"Are the kits situated?" 

"Yes, they're quite safe," Johanna confirmed, turning her head slightly to speak over her shoulder. "We may have turned Akari's room into a miniature cave for the moment, but I'm sure she won't mind. Barry's mother is watching over them while I drive you both," she stated, gesturing over to a lady Ingo had yet to meet. She politely waved, and Ingo tipped his cap politely. 

"Akari adored the hatchlings whenever they arrived, so no, I doubt she'd mind in the slightest. At least, not in the short-term." 

Johanna chuckled as she stood up, leaving Sneasler to adjust the belt so it was more comfortable. "Yep, that sounds like my daughter alright. Barry has told you where you're sailing from, right?" 

"Canalave Port is our first station, correct?" 

She nodded. "That's right. We'll probably get there a couple of hours before the ship is due to depart, but you'll want to get that paperwork for Belladonna sorted before you board." 

"Now, I am no expert in nautical travel, but surely we would have to let the port know ahead of time that we would be travelling?" 

"Professor Rowan said he'd call up the port ahead of time, so they should already have the papers ready for us when we get there, including for Sneasler!" Barry chimed in from the other side of the car before giving Belladonna a brief agitated look, who returned it in full while sat on the roof, photosynthesising. 

"Bravo! That will certainly help us stay on schedule!" 

"So are we ready to go? Please say we're ready to go!" Barry pleaded, ignoring the daggers being glared at him by the Roserade. 

"Yes, Barry! As long as Johanna permits it, we are prepared for this journey!" Ingo exclaimed loudly; he couldn't help but feel excited himself, after all. He didn't care if he might feel nothing but nerves and anxiety later, but right now, he was excited. He was going to go and conduct his niece back home and find out about his all in one fell swoop, and he couldn't think of anything that might stop him. "ALL ABOARD!" 

Barry grinned and roughly grabbed Belladonna, yanking her into the car. She didn't enjoy that much, obviously, but only grumbled; the trip would only be delayed if the boy had to be cured of poisoning or patched up. Ingo sat down himself, placing his bag at his feet as he strapped himself in next to Johanna. 

"Comfortable, Lady Sneasler?" 

Sneasler nodded, lifting Belladonna onto her lap so her petals weren't crushed in-between herself and Barry, shifting the egg over slightly. 

"C'mon c'mon c'mon, let's go already! Akari's waiting for us!" 

As soon as all doors were shut and all safety checks complete, Johanna started the car up, and immediately sped away, watching Barry's mother waving them all off from the wing mirrors. What the mirrors didn't catch, however, was a pair of silver eyes staring at them from the trees as they drove off, before turning to watch the house and the small, curious poison types that had to be ushered back in by someone he didn't recognise. 

----- 

Cloud rolled in the floor in hysterics and Cameron looked on in worry. Akari watched Emmet pace, guilt pooling in the pit of her stomach. If she hadn't got caught up in her stupid battles, or had just dropped off the lunch to the depot agent, Elesa wouldn't be upset. 

Great job, Akari. You already fucked it up big time. It's been a day and you've already ruined everything. Why didn't you just leave this morning when no one was around? Why didn't you just go? Then you wouldn't be such a bother. Then you wouldn't upset anyone. 

The teen did her best to blink back tears. "Sorry, Mister Emmet." 

Emmet paused his pacing to face the girl. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, it's my damn fault you got into trouble with Miss Elesa, isn't it? I forgot to mention that we got separated, so it's my fault that-" 

"I do not blame you. Neither does Elesa." 

"Huh?" Akari looked at him, surprised. That's weird. Normally, adults took every chance they could to give her the blame or responsibility. So why didn't he? She was giving him reasons to pin the blame on her. Why wasn't he taking it? The only adult not to do that to her memory was Ingo, but he wasn't here. 

"I am Emmet, and I do not blame you for this. You forgot to tell me something. You cannot control what you forget, especially when verrrry distracted like you were. Elesa agrees with me," Emmet stated before showing Akari the device on his wrist. Sure enough, there were messages saying that she didn't blame Akari but would be kicking Emmet's ass into next week for not telling her where she was. 

"But...But I-" 

"I will not be hearing any different! Nope! You are not to blame! The only thing you are guilty of is giving me a verrrry memorable battle. Now, I believe we must return you back to Elesa so I can go back to work." 

"Uh, hey, boss Emmet?" Cameron tentatively spoke up. "Maybe you should take the rest of the day off as well?" 

"Why?" 

"You said you were going to Sinnoh, right?" Cameron asked, getting a nod in response. "Then, shouldn't you, y'know... sleep? To get ready?" 

"No need. I have coffee!" 

"Coffee is, uh..." 

"It isn't a replacement for sleep, dipshit!" Cloud finished, ignoring Cameron's distraught face next to them. "Besides," he smirked, "what sort of example you setting for the kid?" 

Emmet looked like he wanted to argue back desperately, but the sudden awareness that his words could affect the child next to him immediately made him begrudgingly reconsider. 

"...Very well. Cameron, please escort Miss Akari out of the train and put thirty BP on her card. We will be arriving shortly. Stay with her at the platform until I arrive. I will stay here and finish up quickly." 

"Yes, Sir! This way, Miss!" Cameron saluted before leading Akari and Tsunami away, leaving Cloud and Emmet alone. Emmet waited until they were both out of earshot. 

"...Cloud." 

"Yeah Boss?" 

"Fuck you." 

"You're welcome."

"OH THANK THE FUCKING DRAGONS!" Elesa sped forward, heels clacking on the tiled floor. She grabbed Akari by the shoulders, ignoring the piercing glare coming from Tsunami. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? No one tried to hurt you, right? I swear to Zekrom and Reshiram, if anyone tried ANYTHING, I'm gonna-" 

"I'm okay Miss Elesa, I promise! Could you stop squishing my shoulders please? Your nails are really sharp." 

"Shit- Sorry!" Elesa's hands immediately flew up and away from Akari, making the girl snicker. 

"It's okay, I've had worse!" 

Elesa sighed. This kid was going to make her worry to no end. "Anyways," she started, trying to brush away her concern, "Emmet - that clown - texted me just saying you both battled, right? How'd that go?" 

Akari's face lit up and she bounced on the balls of her feet. "It was so much fun! I haven't had such a damn good battle since Uncle Ingo battled me last! Emmet was waaaay tougher than everyone else on the train!" 

"Miss Akari was by far one of the toughest challengers I have ever seen! Yup! I had to battle her as if it were the Super Double Line. She was still victorious." 

"Hi, Mister Emmet." 

"DUMBASS!" Elesa yelled out, pointing an accusatory finger at Emmet as he approached. "Why didn't you call me!?" 

"I was busy. Verrrry busy." 

"With what!?" 

"Battling." 

"Emmet, I swear-" 

"Miss Akari was perfectly safe with me. There was no danger." 

"I know that NOW, but I didn't when I was searching for her!" Elesa cried, exasperated. This man was going to give her a migraine. 

"I apologise, but everything is now okay as long as Miss Akari is unharmed, yes?" 

Elesa scowled and folded her arms, but she conceded. "Alright, yeah, it's fine now, but please for the love of the dragons, keep me posted next time!" 

"I will do my best." 

"Good. If you forget again, I swear I will- wait did you say that Akari beat you?" 

"You are only registering that now?" 

"Shut the fuck up," she snapped. "Did she beat you or not?" 

"Yup!" 

Elesa squinted. "At... Super Double Line level?" 

"Yup! She is a verrrry strong Trainer." 

Elesa turned at looked at Akari, who smiled at her innocently. "...Holy shit." 

"Battling wasn't common in Hisui, so to get to battle properly again after so long was waaaay more fun than you could ever imagine!" 

"Well damn!" Elesa ruffled Akari's hair. "I knew your team packed a punch, but I didn't realise you were a professional!" 

Akari smiled sheepishly at the praise. "I wouldn't go that far, Miss Elesa-" 

"I am Emmet, and I would," the Subway Boss interrupted. 

"Ha! Two against one, kid. You got a gym leader and a facility head calling you a professional, so just accept it!" 

"Okay, okay! Stop messing with my hair! Geez!" Akari batted Elesa's hands away and frantically tried to smooth her hair down as the gym leader cackled. 

"Alright kid, I think that's enough adventure for one day," Elesa grinned. "Let's get you back before Thundurus somehow gets in here and starts a storm." 

The way this day's going, I wouldn't be surprised. 

"You mean Thundurus isn't in Hi- I mean, Sinnoh anymore?" 

"Aaaand we're leaving!" Elesa began to usher Akari out the door with Emmet marching behind them as they headed back to the apartment.

"So who was that girl?" Cameron asked as Cloud, Jackie, and himself all watched the trio leave. 

Jackie shrugged. "Not a dang clue." 

"Beats me," Cloud agreed, "maybe a cousin or something? She gets the same manic look in her eyes while battling anyway... but she's already improved the boss tenfold. He didn't even argue back too much today. He hasn't taken time off in, what? Two years? Three?" 

"Maybe she's the reason he's going to Sinnoh?" 

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "I thought that was because he got a lead on Boss Ingo?" 

"What if she IS the lead?" 

"Pffft, get fucking real, Cameron," Cloud waved off the theory and began to walk away. "I mean, a kid suddenly turning up with answers out of the blue? Yeah, right, and I'm the Champion of Kanto. I will literally eat my spare cap if she SOMEHOW manages to bring Boss Ingo home." 

Jackie perked up at this and smirked. "Promise?" 

"Promise!" Cloud called over their shoulder confidently before sauntering off back to the platform, leaving Jackie chuckling to themself. 

"Hey, Cammy?" 

"Yes?" 

"D'you think conductor caps taste better with ketchup or barbecue sauce?"

Chapter Text

The journey to Canalave City was strange. The car looked like it should be loud with it being made of metal, but it was rather quiet all things considered. However, the same could not be for his fellow passengers. They, unlike the car, were noisy. 

Very noisy. 

Ingo would have been lying if he said he hated it. 

"Johanna, how much longer?" Barry whined. 

"Barry, I've only been driving for fifteen minutes. It takes at least two hours to get there, traffic permitting." 

"Then hit the gas!" 

"Barry, if I drove any faster, I'd be breaking the law. Getting pulled over for speeding would only slow us down." 

"Not if the cops don't catch us!" 

"Barry, no." 

"Barry, yes!" 

Ingo had to stop himself from laughing, noticing Johanna's increasingly irate expression. Barry was incredibly lucky that he wasn't sticking around after this and that this was for Akari, else Johanna probably would have pulled over and given him an earful. He could hear Belladonna quietly grumble to herself too, most likely complaining to Lady Sneasler, whose tapping he could occasionally hear as her claws lay restless on the incubator. She was oddly quiet, other than that. 

It would be rather daunting to be in such a strange device after landing in a different land, no matter who you were, the former Warden supposed. I'm not entirely comfortable here myself... 

Ingo reached up and adjusted his seat belt, loathing the feeling of the tightly-woven fabric digging into him. It felt wrong. It felt far too constricting. But it was necessary. He'd spent the past few months constantly repeating how safety checks were vitally important to Akari, so he was not about to become a hypocrite and forgo his own. Besides, he felt like there was someone else that would be bitterly disappointed in him if he sacrificed temporary comfort for safety. 

Barry, ever since realising that Johanna would not drive like a hooligan to get to Canalave City faster, had slumped back in his seat, utterly defeated. He pouted, clearly unhappy with the outcome. 

"Why couldn't have just, like, caught an Abra and have it use Teleport to get us to Canalave?" 

"If you want to get out this car and go hunting for hours for a rare psychic-type Pokémon that hardly stays around long enough for even the most experienced Trainers to throw a single Quick Ball, then be my guest," Johanna said calmly, her disposition cooler than ice. 

Barry let out an exaggerated groan, slumping down even further. "I'm gonna die of old age before we get there..." 

"Alright drama queen, save your acting for your Pokéstar Studios career," Johanna joked, checking on Barry through the mirror above her head. "And sit up properly, Barry. You'll give yourself back pain if you're not careful." 

The boy in question let out another melodramatic groan as he pushed himself back up. Belladonna gave him a side-eyed glare before she stared ahead in an attempt to block the teen from her mind. Lady Sneasler snickered a bit at the grass-type perched on her leg. 

"So, what else is there in Canalave City?" Ingo changed the topic to save Johanna from further complaints. "I do not believe I have visited the station before." 

"Hm, lemme think... Oh!" Barry leaned forward excitedly. "There's this MASSIVE library with loads of old books and records. If she isn't exploring ruins or chasing old legends, Cynthia will be in there!" 

"That's a very confident declaration," Ingo mused. "Cynthia is this region's Champion, is she not?" 

"That's right," Johanna confirmed. "I take it Barry has told you about how Akari defeated her then?" 

"Yes, and that she decided not to take the title." 

"It was COMPLETELY unheard of at the time!" Barry almost yelled from the back, eliciting a few more complaints from a disgruntled Roserade. "EVERY Trainer wants to be Champion! Hell, I thought Akari did too! But she just... Didn't take it!" 

"It was fairly odd," Johanna murmured. "She did want to be Champion at some point. She never really went into detail as to why she didn't take the job. Only that it didn't feel right, and that it felt too restrictive." 

"She told me the exact same thing!" Barry cried. 

"I don't mean to interrupt," Ingo interrupted, "but we may be getting a little off track!" 

"Huh? Oh, shoot, yeah the library!" Barry quickly got back to the conversation's original topic. "It's mainly history shit in there, which is why Cynthia loves the place. I think it also has a copy of the old Sinnohian- er, Hisuian Pokédex, although, no one is allowed to touch it 'cus it's so old. At least, that's what Cynthia told me." 

"I see. It must be Professor Laventon's copy then, seeing as I believe Akari took hers before we departed Hisui." 

Barry guffawed. "Oh man, she is gonna have a hard time getting it back if Cynthia ever hears about that!" 

The rest of the car journey passed in relative peace, with Barry telling tales of his countless battles with Cynthia, though the end result never changed. Ingo also learned that Akari's victory over her had not been without struggle. Apparently, Cynthia had quite the Garchomp at her disposal, and it did away with half of Akari's team by itself before finally falling. 

"It's always the Garchomp, man. Always the Garchomp! No matter what strategy you have, the Garchomp will find a way to wreck it!" 

Ingo listened intently to every word that was spoken, the conversation forcing his awareness of time to take a backseat. At this point, he was certain he could begin developing strategies against this Cynthia person himself despite the lack of proper experience going against her. Something about it felt right. It felt natural. It felt as if he'd had these types of talks before, where nothing but strategies and battles were mentioned. Perhaps with Emmet? 

Then the pain returned. 

It wasn't a sharp pain this time. It was more of a dull throb at the back of his brain, as if something were trying to slowly push through a viscous, almost elastic barrier. Even so, it was enough for Ingo to bring his hand up to his head.

The sensation quickly began to subside, leaving Ingo with an ache in his heart rather than his head. He knew Emmet was his brother at this point, and that they ran a battle facility together...

But that was it.

He knew he was his brother. He didn't know how close they were. He knew that he battled; he didn't know how he battled. He knew they grew up together, but he only knew this logically. He couldn't recall any of it. 

It hurt. 

It hurt more than regaining his memories.

"Hey!" 

Snap, snap! 

"Sinnoh to Ingo!" 

Ingo snapped back to attention, eyes focusing on a pair of fingers clicking in his face. "Ah, my apologies! Did I cease responding?" 

"Yeah, you were, like, super zoned out, old man!" 

"Again, my apologies; something attempted to dislodge itself in my mind... And failed," Ingo added, disappointment lining his voice. 

"Damn, really? Shit man, that sucks," Barry commented, sympathetic. 

"Barry, I know you're trying to be nice, but please, mind your language," Johanna sighed, her eyes never leaving the road. 

Ingo chuckled as Barry huffed. At this point, he'd accepted that with Barry came less than gentlemanly vocabulary, though that wouldn't stop him from trying to reign the boy in when he could outside of the car. 

"Yeah, yeah... Anyways, are we nearly there yet?" 

"As a matter of fact, yes we are. About ten minutes away, in fact." 

"Oh, hell yea- ACK!" Barry leapt from his seat, only for the belt to jam and send him crashing backwards. 

"Please remain seated until the vehicle comes to a complete stop!" Ingo called out, the words flowing naturally from his lips as if he'd spoken them countless times before (which to be fair, he had, he just couldn't recall). Barry groaned as he massaged where the belt dug into him, missing the smirk coming from the grass-type sat on Sneasler's lap. 

True to her word, the car drove into the city after only a few minutes, and it only took a couple more to arrive at the port. Johanna looked at the clock before the turned the car's engine off, happy with what she saw. 

"Yep, two hours before you're due to set sail," Johanna thought aloud as she took the key out of the ignition. "If I were you, I'd go sort out that paperwork right away so you don't have a mad rush minutes before you leave." 

"I agree, that would certainly be the best course of action!" 

"You go on ahead; I'm gonna make a quick stop at the library and see if I can find Cynthia! She'll wanna know that Akari's coming home!" Barry declared before darting out of the car, not waiting for a response. 

"Honestly, that boy..." Johanna shook her head, though an affectionate smile played at her lips. "I'll take you to the port's reception. They should have the paperwork ready for you to sign, and then we can go grab Barry and send you both on your way." 

"That would be very much appreciated, Ma'am."

Barry sped-walked through the library, earning a few disappointed looks from the librarian, but she also jerked her head towards the stairs. She knew why he was here. He was never here to read. He was only ever here to talk to her. Barry mouthed a quick 'thank you' before his speed-walk turned into a light jog as he made his way upstairs, instantly spotting who he was looking for. 

"Cynthia!" Barry called out, his voice halfway between a whisper and a yell. The blonde woman looked up, and waved him over. Barry immediately took a seat, almost buzzing with excitement. 

"It's quite a surprise to see you here, Barry. If you're looking for a battle then you should really wait at the League for me- you look like you're about to scream. Did something happe-" 

"We're going to Unova to collect Akari!" 

If she had been drinking anything at the time, it would have been spat out across the table. Cynthia slammed down the book she was reading and stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over. Had anyone else been in the upper floor of the library at that time, she probably would have earned herself some hisses of 'silence!'.

"Akari!? Unova!?" 

Cynthia almost thought Barry's head would have flown off with how hard his head was was nodding. 

"Yep! Do you know about that facility head that went missing a few years ago? The train guy? Seems like something you'd know about." 

The champion grimaced. Of course she knew. His sister had contacted almost every other region's champion, begging them to keep an eye out because she couldn't find her big brother anywhere, and her other brother was in no fit state to console her. She may be the Unovan champion herself, but she was still a child. It was agonising to hear her sobs as she asked... But what did he have to do with this? 

"Yes... Yes, I do." 

"Well he fell outta this weird portal thingy into Twinleaf Town with an extinct Pokémon and a bunch of eggs - though he didn't know about the eggs yet, Sneasler kept that secret - and we think that his and Akari's portal thingies might have been mixed up 'cus it turns out they were in the same place so we're going to Unova to find her and we're gonna bring her home and-" 

"Barry, please, slow down!" Cynthia grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "You can't just walk in and drop this on me out of the blue! You found the battle facility head that's been missing for years? Akari's in Unova? Weird portal thingy!?" 

Barry wrenched Cynthia's hands off his shoulders, shaking his head to try to dispel the dizziness, before answering as he staggered slightly. "Yep! We think so! And yep!" 

"I... I have so many questions." Cynthia collapsed onto an upright chair, not bothering to pick her original one up. She felt her forehead. It didn't feel like she had a temperature and was hallucinating. She pinched herself. Nope, not a dream either. "We searched for months... Was she really in Unova this entire time?" 

"No no no, she wasn't!" Barry put his hands up, waving them a bit for emphasis. "She was still in Sinnoh, but in the past! She got fucking yeeted to Hisui, same as Ingo!" 

"Hisui!? How the hell did she travel back in ti-" 

"Be quiet!" 

Barry and Cynthia flinched as they slowly turned around to see the source of the icy hiss. The librarian held a finger up to her lips as she shot a death glare at the duo. 

"If you cannot be silent, then get out." 

Sweating bullets, they wordlessly agreed to continue the conversation outside. 

----- 

"EMMET, WHY ARE YOUR CLOTHES ALL OVER THE FUCKING SOFA!?" 

"I was packing." 

"PACKING INVOLVES PUTTING CLOTHES INTO A BAG, NOT ON A PIECE OF FURNITURE!" 

"Please do not scream. It is seven o'clock in the morning. People are asleep." 

Akari and Tsunami watched Elesa and Emmet rush back and forth, forcefully cramming everything into backpacks that were clearly made for style over functionality. The girl had the common sense and forethought to pack her bag the night before, once again mentally thanking Bagin for teaching her how to make the most of her space, even if it did come with a hefty price tag. Her Pokémon were once again dining on the finest standard Pokémon food Emmet's fridge had to offer, this time joined by Emmet, Ingo, and Elesa's teams, while she munched on something Elesa had called 'pancakes'. 

She cut off another piece of food and speared it with her fork before turning to the Pokémon with purple flames - Violet the Chandelure, if she remembered what Emmet told her correctly - and asking her a question. 

"Are they always like this?" 

Violet chimed softly as she bobbed up and down, her flames softly glowing before dimming. 

"I'll take that as a yes," the teen giggled as she went to bite down on her pancake. However, rather than pancake, all her teeth met was lukewarm steel, her teeth complaining as an unpleasant feeling shot through them. Pulling the fork away from her mouth, her eyes immediately looked to the floor and the sofa cushions near her, trying to locate where she could have possibly dropped that small part of her breakfast. 

Coming from somewhere next to her, she heard chewing. 

Slowly she raised her head to look at Tsunami, who had suspiciously - and uncharacteristically - turned to face the other way. 

"...Tsunami?" 

The chewing stopped. He turned around, putting on his best innocent Lillipup eyes. 

"I see the syrup on your moustache." 

The Samurott raised his arm up to cover up the mess, never dropping his expression once. 

"I still saw the syrup, Tsunami." 

Tsunami froze for a moment. 

Then he darted for the plate. 

Akari hissed and brought her leg up and pressed her foot against Tsunami's torso, trying to shove him away as she shovelled the rest of her pancakes into her mouth. 

Violet watched the scuffle as Demeter floated over, observing the pair with parental judgement. 

"Are they always like this?" Violet asked through a series of chimes and trills. 

"Yes, yes they are," Demeter answered with a low-pitched sigh, moving to separate them both in order to save Akari's stomach from indigestion and her food from being snatched away from her. 

Meanwhile, Emmet and Elesa were still running around like headless chickens. 

"Have you contacted Skyla yet?" 

"I was going to after we packed!" 

"That does not seem like an intelligent idea." 

"Just shut up and get ready!" Elesa screeched as she tossed a balled-up pair of socks to Emmet, who fumbled to catch them. 

"I have no room for these." 

"Make room!" 

"It is physically impossible to create more space further than what is already available." 

"Take something out then!" 

"Everything I have in here is a necessity." 

Elesa groaned, stomped over to Emmet, yanked his bag off him, and began to look through the contents. 

"Emmet, you have three of your coats in here." 

"Exactly. Necessities." 

"Emmet, you are wearing a coat right now. You don't need three more. One is fine. These aren't a single-wear-then-wash type thing." 

Elesa flung the spare coats out of the bag, one of which landed squarely on Athena's head. Akari looked on, now with an empty plate in one hand. Maybe it was the fact that she had spent an awful lot of time in the wild over the past few months, but she couldn't imagine packing more than one extra set of clothes if any at all, and that was only if she was venturing out into the Crimson Mirelands or certain areas of the Coronet Highlands; poison types tended to either stain or be more acidic than most. 

Akari's gaze stayed on the bag as Elesa unceremoniously dumped it on the coffee table. 

"It's official! You are THE worst person at packing luggage. Ever." Elesa stated, putting extra strain on the 'ever'. "Who the hell packs a billion max potions? We aren't going to Sinnoh just to battle, you muppet!" 

"I am Emmet. I am very aware of why we are going to Sinnoh." 

"Then why the potions?" 

"Because." 

"Because what!?" 

Akari began gathering up the stray coats, examining the bag before looking at the rest of the clothes strewn across the apartment. 

"Emmet, you're going to have to completely repack now." 

"We do not have time." 

"Tough shit! We can't go if all you have in there is three coats and potions! Now quit whining; if we start now, we might be able to get your shit ready properly before ten o'clo- okay, where did the bag go?" Elsa asked as she glanced down, noting that the bag had mysteriously vanished. 

"Here you go." Akari handed Emmet a bag that looked a lot more full than it was before. The man in question did a double-take before zipping the bag open. Inside was not only his clothes, but his three coats and the majority of the potions too. Elesa peered inside too before ripping the bag away, almost shoving her head inside it. 

"What... But... Huh?" Elesa found herself at a loss for words. 

How? How did she do that? That bag should not be able to hold that much. How the hell did she make all of that fit? What the fuck? Should I be afraid? What else can she fit into a bag? An entire Snorlax? A Wailord, maybe? Does she have any more of those giant Pokémon in that satchel of hers? Does she just create pocket dimensions? 

Ignoring Elesa's stunned silence, Akari returned all of her Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls bar Tsunami, who finished cleaning the syrup off their moustache before marching towards the door. 

"Are we ready to go now?" 

"Yup! Furze will be here to watch the apartment soon, so we can leave whenever we are prepared," Emmet explained as if Akari would know who that was, also choosing to ignore Elesa's mild state of shock. He brought out Violet and Eelektross' Poké Balls and returned them, offering a quick salute to the other Pokémon before stepping out the door. Akari followed, forcing Elesa out of her stupor. 

"Wh- Hey! Wait for me! Emmet, you better not even try to drive, I do NOT want you crashing my damn car!" She called out, clumsily pulling her heels on with two Emolgas and a Zebstrika racing out the door before her. "WAIT!" 

When Elesa finally made it outside to her car, Emmet was (thankfully) sat in the passenger seat with Akari and Tsunami in the back. The Pokémon was just a tad bit squashed, but looked content enough sat next to his Trainer. 

"Elesa, please hurry up. You are delaying our departure!" 

"Yeah, c'mon, Miss Elesa!" Akari added, the smallest smirk present on her face. "We're wasting daylight!" 

"You are a terrible influence," the model scowled, earning herself a raspberry from the man clad in white. She climbed in the car and strapped herself in after returning her own Pokémon to their Poké Balls. No sooner had she turned the key to start the engine, she immediately raced off as quickly as the safety laws would allow. 

----- 

Cynthia massaged her temples, feeling a stress headache rearing it's ugly head. This was almost impossible. Had the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh not been the creators of time and space, she would never have believed any of this. But here Barry was, telling her stories of a man plummeting down from a portal that appeared from nowhere with no memories who is apparently the battle facility head that disappeared from Unova years ago, leaving the entire region in a frantic state for months until the case was declared cold. It all sounded preposterous - a complete and utter fabrication that someone cruel might make up to inspire hope only to steal it away at the last moment! 

But Barry wasn't a liar, nor was he unkind. It's why she believed him when no one else would when he claimed a portal took Akari away. 

"Just so we're clear... Ingo, the Unovan Subway Boss that disappeared suddenly arrived in Twinleaf Town via a portal with an extinct Pokémon in tow, claims to know Akari, has next to none of his memories from before vanishing, and you are now going to go with him to Unova to return him home and find Akari who may or may not have been sent to where Ingo was supposed to be sent?" 

"Yep!" 

"...Barry, you do realise how ridiculous this sounds, right?" 

"Oh, c'mon!" Barry whined. "Cynthia please, you gotta believe me-" 

"I do! No, no, Barry I do believe you! But... Not many others will." 

"I know! That's why I didn't call the police!" 

Ah. The stress migrain seems to be growing in strength and doubling in intensity. How wonderful. 

"What do you mean you didn't call the police?" 

"You just said that no one would believe me!" 

"Barry, this is basically a celebrity that has been missing for years, even if they hadn't believed you they still would have investigated him and got him home themselves." 

"Yeah, after a bunch of questioning I'd bet! Plus if we told someone, the media would be scrambling to get their claws into this! I don't think that's what an amnesiac train man really needs! Besides, when have the police around here ACTUALLY been of any help?" 

Cynthia bit her lip. He had a point. They did leave most of the crime-fighting to ten-year-olds starting their journeys, so she couldn't exactly label them as dependable. Plus, tabloid journalists tended to stick around police stations far too much for comfort. If they caught on, Ingo would probably have to go into hiding for a few months before being able to travel freely, not to mention the potential danger the extinct Pokémon would be in should poachers or collectors catch wind of it. 

An extinct Hisuian Pokémon... 

The historian within her began to twitch. This was an extraordinarily rare chance to encounter such a Pokémon herself. She'd been trying to convince the librarian to loan her the old Hisuian Pokédex for years, but all her attempts had been thwarted by the argument of the pages being 'too delicate to handle'. But now? This was a prime opportunity to learn of the past first-hand! Of course, she wouldn't overstep and she certainly wouldn't lose sight of what was important here, which was getting Akari back and Ingo home, but did she honestly have the restraint needed to not ask a few questions just yet? 

No. No she did not. 

"Alright, I can see where you're coming from," she conceded, "though I do have a request, that is if you don't mind." 

"What is it?" 

"Could I speak with Ingo and meet this extinct Pokémon? A Sneasler, was it?" 

"I mean, maybe? I don't see why not! He's real friendly for a guy that hardly smiles." 

"Excellent. It would be nice to know the people you're supposed to be travelling with." 

An almost pitiful example of an excuse, but an excuse nonetheless. 

"Oh!" Barry chirped, looking past Cynthia. "I think that's them and Johanna! Hey! Ingo! Johanna! Over here!"

"Well that was painless," Johanna beamed as she accompanied Ingo to Canalave Library, though she was answered with a few grumbles from the Pokémon that walked with them. With the paperwork completed and tickets collected, all they had to do now was locate Barry and wait to board the ship.

However, what hadn't been mentioned beforehand was that both Belladonna and Sneasler would have to get jabbed in the arm with something called a 'vaccination' seeing as they didn't have their own official Trainer accompanying them, which did in fact sting a little. The staff also mentioned that Ingo's current team would have to be vaccinated too, but for now could just stay inside their Poké Balls. Part of Ingo was thankful for that; it was difficult enough convincing Lady Sneasler to sit still, so if he had to subdue an easily aggravated Gliscor on top of that, there may have been more than a few scrapes involved. 

Canalave Library was in sight, the tall building seeming to loom over almost every other thing in the area. Ingo felt himself being struck with an odd feeling of déjà vu, his memory flickering back to seeing the laboratory back in Sandgem. Did all towns and cities have massive structures now? Were they standard? It was almost baffling. Then again, it also made sense, somehow. He had a sneaking suspicion that Castelia City would hold even greater towers, though that was only another thing his brain refused to let him remember fully. 

"I do have to wonder if he found Cynthia," the former contest star wondered, dragging Ingo from his thoughts. 

"I imagine he has. I doubt he'd hesitate to rush back to the port if the case was anything different." 

"I suppose so- Ah!" Johanna stopped mid-sentence as she spotted something in the distance. Two figures turned around, the shorter one waving at them. The woman waved back and picked up the pace, nearly jogging towards them with Belladonna right behind her. 

Ingo, however, kept his eyes locked onto the stranger. She seemed... familiar, from a distance. The flowing yellow hair certainly struck a chord at least. Lady Sneasler noticed too, and he could see her tense up. They kept walking, but kept a fair bit of distance between themselves and the rest of the group. 

As they got closer, they noticed more things. 

The hair. 

The face. 

The stance. 

It clicked. 

Ingo stopped in place, his hand immediately reaching for his Poké Balls as this stranger approached, steadily closing the few feet between them. He knew it wasn't him. He knew it couldn't be him. It had been hundreds of years. Irida was dead. Adaman was dead. Melli was dead. He, too, should be dead if logic was anything to trust. 

Yet his head still screamed at him to find Akari and run, even if she wasn't there. 

He heard snarling to his right, the hiss of acid hitting the floor informing him that Sneasler was getting all sorts of worked-up too, preparing to pounce at any sudden movement. 

"Ingo, correct? I'm Cynthia." The stranger - Cynthia - spoke, introducing themself. It wasn't his voice. It was still alarming. Ingo knew that this was probably another Kamado-Rowan situation, but he still couldn't shake this feeling of pure dread and distrust. The resemblance was uncanny. 

"Ingo? You good? You look like you're about to throw hands," Barry observed, popping up in Ingo's peripheral vision.

The man in question wordlessly nodded, forcing his hand to move away from his partners. The movement was sluggish and hesitant at best and begrudgingly done so at worst, but he somehow managed to redirect his arm to his side. Lady Sneasler eased up somewhat, but still kept her claws coated in what she considered to be a healthy coating of poison, which meant it would be fatal for anyone that tried anything unwarranted. 

Strangely enough, Cynthia didn't seem to be the slightest bit perturbed or discouraged. If anything, she seemed to relish the experience. 

"You're on edge. That's understandable. It must have been a rough couple days, right? And this must be Sneasler, correct?" 

Lady Sneasler let out a low hiss, trying to appear threatening. If it worked, Cynthia hid it well. 

"Amazing," she muttered to herself, gazing at the claws in awe. 

No wonder these Pokémon were such good climbers... The poison is acidic enough to burn through the rock and create indents to grip, if the pavement is anything to go by, and even if there were no poison, they look strong enough to pierce the rock itself, though that would probably be detrimental to the claws. And this sheen.. This is some of the glossiest poison I've seen from a Pokémon! Perhaps an indication of health? I wonder if she'd allow me a sample- 

"Snree..." 

Cynthia looked up, finding that she'd somehow got a little closer than intented, her face centimetres away from Lady Sneasler's weapons of choice. The Noble growled. Cynthia got the message, deciding a swipe to the face wasn't the greatest way to get her sample, and backed up a little as she stood up straight. 

"Ahem... I understand from what Barry told me that you took care of Akari? I cannot thank you enough; she is quite a dear friend." 

"Is that so?" Ingo asked incredulously. He knew it wasn't him. It couldn't be. He kept telling himself that. But still, he couldn't bring himself to place any trust in her. 

"You seem to doubt me." 

"I apologise, but it's difficult to believe that someone with his face would mean her no harm." 

"His face?" Cynthia asked, a tinge of bewilderment present in her voice; subtle, but there all the same. When Ingo said nothing, it was Johanna that pieced it together. 

"Ingo... Was one of the people that, well... Were they an ancestor of Cynthia?" 

Again, Ingo said nothing, but a small nod was all Johanna and Barry needed to know. They winced, only causing Cynthia further confusion that was slowly morphing into fear. 

"What happened? What does this have to do with my ancestor?" 

Everyone shifted around uncomfortably, not wanting to break the news. After a minute of trying to avoid eye contact, Barry's the one that finally speaks up. 

"People tried to hurt Akari in Hisui. Ingo won't tell us the details, but apparently it was really, really bad. And, well..." 

"...One of those people was someone that looked like me," Cynthia finished, her heart breaking slightly as Barry gives a remorseful nod. She turned back to Ingo. He still looked to be on guard, but guilt had begun to seep through the cracks in his image. The champion opened her mouth to speak, only for Ingo to hold his hand up. 

"I will not go into detail; not without Miss Akari's consent at the very least. I have already made this very clear, and you will not be an exception." 

"Is that so..." Cynthia mumbled, clearly not pleased at being left in the dark, but she was not an unreasonable woman and left the topic alone. 

"Now then, Barry," Ingo turned to the teen, catching his attention, "If you are coming with me, we had best get ready to board. This ship will not wait for us, and we don't have long left to wait." 

In truth, they still did have some time, but Ingo would be an outrageous liar if he claimed to not be wary of this woman. Professor Rowan was one thing, but at least he didn't share the face of the man who tried to destroy and reshape the world by manipulating his child and forcibly controlling an eldritch deity. 

"Oh shoot, yeah!" Barry was immediately more alert, already becoming anxious to leave. "We gotta move! Sorry Cynthia, I promise I'll call once we find her!" 

"I'll hold you to that. Now go, before you erode a hole into the concrete." 

Neither Ingo or Barry needed further excuse to leave, with Barry rushing off as per usual while Ingo marched with more haste, leaving Johanna behind with Cynthia and Belladonna. 

"Well they certainly didn't hesitate." 

"Oh, don't take it to heart, Cynthia," Johanna consoled. "Barry's just excited, and Ingo is, well..." 

"Cautious?" 

"That's certainly one way to put it," Johanna laughed dryly. 

"Ro..." 

Cynthia and Johanna looked down to look at Belladonna, who watched as Ingo and Barry left. She sounded so concerned, although any loyal being would be if they heard that someone wanted to hurt their friend, wouldn't they? After all, Akari was so kind, so why would someone want to hurt her? Belladonna couldn't understand it any better than the humans around her. All she could do for now was go with this man that claimed to know her Trainer, and get back to what she did best. 

Protecting her Trainer. 

----- 

Akari watched as the world whizzed by from her open window, twisting her body around so she wasn't constantly straining her neck. The breeze felt great as they left the city and drove down Route 5, reminiscent of the breeze she felt as she travelled on Wyrdeer's back across the fieldlands. She already missed running her fingers through that soft fur. Maybe there was something similar in this time she could have? Then again, it's not like it would've been the same even if there was. 

She didn't even have to turn around to know that Tsunami had his head sticking out of the window, enjoying the wind just as much as she was; Akari knew him that well. 

That, and she heard Elesa constantly tell him to get his head back in the car else she'd stop the car, but she never did. 

Sighing, she continued to watch the scenery pass her by. This felt familiar too. Not familiar enough to gain a headache from it, but familiar enough to get a warm, almost fuzzy feeling. How an emotion could feel fuzzy, she would never know, but that was one of the only ways she could describe this. Had she done this before with someone else? She must have. Rather than try and force herself to remember though, she tried not to dwell on the want for memories for too long, else she risked a headache spoiling the moment. 

"Yeesh, that looks like a nasty storm," Elesa muttered, looking at the sky in the distance. Storm clouds were indeed forming, lighting already visible as it crackled and flashed away above. 

Akari knew those clouds well. She knew them better than most. This also meant that she knew that she didn't have to fear them. The Pokémon that created them wouldn't harm her. Not anymore, at least. She'd taken the time to learn about them and befriend them properly, so as long as they remembered her, she knew they wouldn't attack unprompted. Although, she did have to wonder why they were there. They typically only kicked up a fuss if something was amiss, like the distortions, and as to why they were in Unova in the first place was still a mystery. 

"You think someone pissed Thundurus off?" Akari asked.

"I certainly hope not. That would be a verrrry bad delay in our journey." 

"Eh, it'll probably clear up by the time we're in Mistralton," Elesa shrugged, choosing to try and ignore the foreboding weather. "What I'm concerned about is running into that dipshit biker that sometimes turns up in front of Driftveil Drawbridge." 

Emmet tilted his head. "Charles? I thought everyone loved Charles." 

"Huh? Oh, right, you wouldn't have heard. He moved to Opelucid a few months back," she explained, "he got an offer to teach people about Triple Battles there." 

"I see. Good for him! I do have to wonder how I managed to avoid hearing of this." 

"It's mainly because before this, you holed yourself up in the train cave for weeks at a time until the Depot Agents committed mutiny and forced you home. Many times." 

"I was busy!" 

"You were avoiding your apartment and distracting yourself," Elesa corrected. "Anyway, we're getting off topic. Basically, someone tried taking his place and challenges people to Triple Battles, but apparently he's nowhere near as sweet as Charles - if the rumours are true, he's notorious for bragging and boasting." 

"Does he have the skills to back up his claims?" 

"Not sure to be completely honest," Elesa admitted, her brows furrowing. "Never battled the guy - Kyle, I think - myself; he's never been there when I've passed through the bridge, so I'm hoping that's the case today." 

Akari looked at Elesa, curious. "Doesn't he just let people through anyway?" 

"Nah, apparently you gotta beat him and bruise his ego if you wanna get past him," she grumbled, clearly not a fan of the notion. "If you ask me, he sounds like a right Diglett-head." 

Emmet squinted, displeasure in his eyes. Puns. His natural enemy. "You would not make a good comedian." 

"The kid liked it." 

Akari was, in fact, stifling a giggle from the back of the car while Tsunami looked at her with as much judgement as Emmet. 

"You two have verrrry poor tastes in humour. Bad. Terrible. Horrible." 

Tsunami huffed in agreement, but that only made Akari laugh louder. 

"See? At least Akari knows how to joke around! Maybe you should try being less of a sour-purrloin, Emmet, you- SON OF A BITCH!" 

"That was hardly called for." 

"Not you, Bidoofus! Him!" Elesa pointed in front of her as she stepped on the brake. In front of the bridge was a gaggle of bikers gathered in a circle surrounding a man and someone else no one in the group could quite see, the man proudly parading up and down, his lackeys cheering him on. 

"Is that Kyle?" Akari questioned, leaning forward from the back. 

Elesa nodded, gritting her teeth. "Yup, looks like it. I was hoping I wouldn't have to see his stupid face or deal with his baseless pride today, but here we are." 

"You haven't even met the guy yet." 

Elesa gestured to the crowd. "Do we even have to meet him to know the guy's a dick?" 

Akari thought about it for a moment, before nodding in agreement. "Point taken." 

Stepping out the car, Emmet was the first one to approach the gaggle of miscreants, his arms swinging as he marched over with purpose. 

"Excuse me. Out of my way. Move." Emmet kept shoving past everyone, earning himself hollers and jeers from the disgruntled bikers as he pushed his way to the centre of the circle, ignoring Elesa's shouts telling him to wait. As Emmet approached the man in the middle, Kyle's attention was drawn to him. 

"Eh? Who are you?" 

"I am Emmet. You are in the way of the bridge. Please move. I will not ask nicely again." 

"Ooooh? You lookin' to get your ass beat too?" 

Too? 

Suddenly, Emmet was very aware of quiet sniffling a few feet away from him. He quickly scoured the area and spotted a young Trainer, clearly inexperienced, clutching at three Pokémon he assumes are theirs. They are beaten beyond fainting. It almost looked like their opponents continued attacking even when they had been defeated. 

Emmet's blood began to burn. He didn't know this Trainer. He had never seen them before in his life. However, what he did know is that they clearly didn't want to be there. While he couldn't be certain, he was convinced that this man had forced them into a battle they weren't prepared for. 

"Wow. You are foul. Verrrry loathsome," he spat, venom dripping from his voice.

"What was that!?" 

"Choosing to torment a child is epitome of despicable. You should be ashamed." Emmet's smile widened, though his malice couldn't be disguised. "Verrrry ashamed." 

"Emmet!" 

"Mister Emmet!" 

Earning yet more complaints from the bikers, Elesa, Akari, and Tsunami barged through next, all three immediately taking notice of the unnamed Trainer. 

"What the fuck!?" Elesa exclaimed, a mix of enraged and perplexed. 

"They lost to me, girlie," Kyle sneered. "So the least they can do is stick around and let me gloat a little, yeah?" 

"Bastard!" Elesa screeched. "They're just a kid! What the hell is wrong with you!?" 

"Kid or not, that means shit to Trainers! The strong are strong, and the weak are just there to make the strong stronger!" 

The gym leader just glared at him while Akari scurried over to the Trainer, frantically pulling out revives and potions from her bag. 

"You're no Trainer! You're just a fucking bully! You made your point; you're an asshole that likes tormenting people, so will you just fuck off!?" 

"Why should I? This is my turf! This ain't the city, girlie; you ain't the boss here," Kyle remarked, a snide grin contorting his face into a very punchable one. Oh, how Elesa wished she could punch him without getting the police called on her by one of Kyle's lackeys. However, she didn't have that luxury, so she reluctantly held her fist back and instead continued cursing Kyle's very existence in front of his face. 

As the two had their yelling match, Akari tended to the Trainer while Emmet's glare kept the other bikers at bay. Unsure of how to stop their crying, she instead healed the Pokémon. She hadn't ever seen them before. One was an odd rock with a hole in it, another was one that looked like it could be a cousin of Chimchar, and the last one looked like it could be a Growlithe if it was a normal type. 

As she applied the medicine, Akari become increasingly aware of the number of eyes on her. Strangers' eyes. Judging her. Watching her. Waiting for her to make a mistake. She tried to block it out, tried to focus on the Pokémon in front of her. In doing so, she noticed a different type of audience. The Trainer had stopped crying, and was instead watching her work, slowly and methodically applying the medicine like she had done so many times before. 

After a couple minutes of work, the Pokémon began to stir. They were still shaking, but they were conscious at least. As soon as they opened their eyes (at least, those that had them), a sharp gasp was heard as the Trainer immediately engulfed their Pokémon in a tearful hug that was returned in kind. 

It was heartbreaking. 

Was this what Pokémon battles had become for some people? A way to instill fear? A way to hurt? This was so much different than the Battle Subway. People battled for the sheer joy of it there, to spend time with their partners and deepen their bond. This? This was just someone who wanted people to fear him. This was someone who wanted to be intimidating. 

This was someone trying to be like those two. 

'Trying' being the key word. 

In truth, Akari found him to be more similar to the Fortune Sisters; proud and boastful, but ultimately lacking the strength to back it up. How did she know? 

You don't act big and tough if you aren't trying to compensate for the fact that you aren't. 

Volo always hid his strength, and Kamado only started acting tough when he was afraid and at his weakest. 

Slowly, she stood. Akari didn't bother turning around. All she did was look at Tsunami as they agreed on something. 

"Yeah, he really is kinda pathetic, huh?" 

The arguing behind her immediately came to a halt, and every single one of the eyes she felt on her before drilled into the back of her head even harder. Had she said it that loud? Oh well. It didn't matter. He was hardly worth the effort anyway. 

On the other hand, the Trainer that knelt on the ground and their Pokémon most definitely were. So she continued, pretending that Kyle had since driven off with his crew. 

"Yeah, I'd be willing to bet that he's waaaay weaker than he looks, and he's already made himself look like a complete and utter coward. Honestly, he can't even battle without a horde of people backing him up? Shameful." 

"What are you doing!?" The unknown Trainer quietly hissed, holding their team closer as footsteps began to approach, their eyes full of fear. Akari just smiled and held a finger up to their lips, confident. Somehow, it helped the stranger relax, even if only a little.

She could handle this. She knew she could. 

Emmet looked at her with just as much worried puzzlement as the Trainer on the floor. His eyes kept darting to the encroaching figure and back to the teen.  Meanwhile, Elesa stared slack-jawed at Akari, horrified. Her mind could only go to the fate of the other Trainer, and so she could only envision the same thing happening to Akari. 

"Kid, back to the car, we'll deal with this, okay?" 

"Yeah, he's probably super weak," Akari shrugged, completely ignoring Elesa. "I mean, I've never even had a Triple Battle before in my life, and I'm pretty sure we could beat him, Tsunami!" 

Kyle stopped, and Akari could feel his snarling face gradually change into a cocky grin from behind her. 

"Oh, you do, Shrimp? Think you can take the Grand Master of Triple Battles in a fight?" 

'Grand Master of Triple Battles'? What the fuck sort of name is that!? 

While disgusted at Kyle's obviously self-given title, Akari twirled around to face him, still smiling. 

"Uh-huh! You don't seem THAT tough. I mean, really, people like you are all bark and no bite," she teased, riling him up even more. Her grin only widened as he retrieved three Poké Balls from his jacket. 

"Well kid, get three of your toughest Pokémon out, and I'll make this quick," Kyle growled, a snide smirk present that Akari couldn't wait to wipe away. 

"Akari!" Elesa yelled out over the noise beginning to build up from the surrounding bikers. "Kid, you don't have to do this! Just let me and Emmet-" 

Emmet held up his hand, signalling to Elesa to stop. She held her tongue, but still looked ready to sweep Akari up and get her out of there as soon as possible. 

"Are you certain you want to battle him, Miss Akari? I assure you, it would not be difficult for me to get rid of him," Emmet asked, though if he were to be honest, he would admit that he was itching to fight this man too. "You have never participated in a Triple Battle, correct?" 

"Yeah, but if this idiot can do it, so can I." 

"Quit the shit-talking and send your Pokémon out!" Kyle griped, the cheering front his followers growing tenfold. 

"Wow, even too scared to send his out first?" Akari asked Emmet in mock shock. "Super lame." 

With what almost sounded like a roar, Kyle threw the Poké Balls up into the air, releasing what Emmet and Elesa recognised as a Conkeldurr, Stunfisk, and Ferrothorn. Neither or them found this remotely comforting, but still just watched, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.

However, Akari just looked at these Pokémon she didn't recognise before she took out two Poké Balls herself and gestured to Tsunami to take his place on the field. 

If this battle were under any other circumstance, she'd be hesitant to go all-out. But now? After seeing an inexperienced innocent get relentlessly bullied by someone who prides himself on pure strength alone but still hides behind a gang like a coward? 

She was ready to annihilate any pride he may have for years to come. 

Larger than average muscles, so most likely a fighting-type... Mainly metal, but it also sorta looks like a bunch of spiky seeds... And that's clearly a fish, but the anatomy suggests it prefers to cling to land... In that case, the best other two to bring out would be... 

"Noir, Comet!" 

The two Pokémon materialised either side of Tsunami, with Noir taking a slight bow while Comet impatiently dug his hooves into the ground. 

"Okay, so what you got a couple evolved Pokémon? You're still going to be snivellin' on the ground in front of me, just like that other weak kid!" Kyle proclaimed, pointing a finger at the child that now hid behind Emmet with the Subway Boss standing guard. 

"You know, the more you shit-talk, the better it's gonna be when I kick your ass, so please, keep it up!" 

"You little shit! I'm gonna beat you into the grou-!" 

"Psychic on that large one! A-Jet-Tail combo on the small one! Flame Wheel on the spiky one!" 

All three immediately obliged and wasted no time, easily taking advantage of Kyle's bragging. A cloud of dust erupted from the battle field as a cacophony of Pokémon cries and explosions filled the area, immediately silencing any and all noise from the spectators. 

As the dust settled, all three on Akari's team glowered over Kyle's. Kyle, for once, was silent too. His Pokémon hadn't fainted just yet, but still he made no move. 

"If you're just gonna stand there, I'm gonna just go ahead and ask my friends to attack again." 

Kyle moved his line of sight from his Pokémon to the girl. He took an involuntary step back, sweating bullets. The girl's face was obscured, only her eyes visible; two wide, glaring eyes. Was she smiling? Frowning? He couldn't tell. 

Either way, even if he never said it, he was starting to regret running his mouth.

Chapter Text

'Luxurious' was the only term that popped to mind as Ingo scanned the room both he and Barry were given; it was at least triple the size of the tents at the Pearl Clan settlement, filled with plush furniture, and even had spaces dedicated to Pokémon comfort. 

Not to mention indoor plumbing. He swore the more he used it, the more he realised how terribly he missed it. How there was functional indoor plumbing on a boat he didn't know, but he wasn't going to question it. 

It had been roughly half an hour since leaving the library and a disgruntled Cynthia, although he had been reassured countless times that she understood (although that didn't do much to ease his nerves around her). Half an hour of waiting had passed before the call to board sounded, and had it been a second longer, Ingo thought Barry would have imploded on the spot. 

While Ingo inspected the room, Barry had rushed off to explore the ship, or as the boy had put it, 'get a better sense of the layout'. It wasn't like Ingo could blame him; they had to stay there for the next day or so, so it only seemed logical to get a feel for the place. 

Lady Sneasler had taken to inspecting the new space, sniffing everywhere she could reach to ensure it was of the highest standard possible, before relaxing a bit. Still not her cave from Hisui, but it still looked comfortable by human standards, even if the walls would do nothing to help sharpen her claws if she attempted to scratch at them. 

As he placed his bag on one of the beds, he couldn't help but notice the grass-type stood next to him, barely reaching his hip. Belladonna seemed reluctant to leave his side, he noted. Then again, she didn't appear to be Barry's biggest fan, so he supposed that she must have viewed him as the lesser of the two evils. 

"Ro..." Belladonna chirped, tugging on Ingo's coat, her face never faltering but her voice giving way to a hint of anxiousness. 

"Hm?" Ingo peered down at his smallest passenger, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Are you not a fan of nautical travel?" 

Belladonna shrugged and averted her stare to a corner of the room, leaving Ingo mildly confused. Was that not what she was attempting to convey? He could understand his own Pokémon just fine, but another person's partner was a different story entirely. The man shifted uncomfortably on the spot, not knowing what to do, before an idea struck him. 

His hand dipped into his coat pocket, fishing for a piece of paper that by anyone else's standards would be considered hundreds of years old, but to him, had only existed for a couple of weeks. He pulled out the paper as he knelt down to meet Belladonna at eye level, and he handed it to her. 

She turned and looked at what she was being given, before tenderly taking it between her petals. Belladonna looked at the photograph of this man and her Trainer, scanning every inch of it. Akari was smiling, happy in this man's company, even going so far as to mirror his pose. She wore odd clothes, and the picture was tinted with a light brown hue rather than the colours she was used to, but she could tell that was her Trainer nonetheless. 

Belladonna noticed the strange blue-ish armoured interloper with a moustache and beard that seemed to be participating particularly close to Akari too, but she elected to ignore that for now in favour of paying more attention to seeing her favourite human's face for the first time in months. 

"So that's it," Ingo muttered, his voice softer than normal. "You simply miss your Trainer." 

"Rade," the grass-type huffed, though it sounded more like she was admitting to Ingo's accusation. 

"Fear not!" Ingo declared as he stood back up, still frowning but confident. "Miss Akari is an extraordinarily strong individual! I am certain she is fine at her current station! Still, if it comforts you, please hold onto the photo until we reach her; I trust that you shall take the utmost care with it." 

In truth, he did not want to hand over the photograph, and in an ideal world, he would still have had it in his pocket. That was a photograph of him with his child. It was insurmountably important. However, it had proved his theory that Belladonna only longed for her Trainer's safe return, so he had to admit that this was the best case scenario; he knew where the photo was, and Belladonna gained some sort of comfort from it. For that reason, it was worth it. 

Ingo felt the relief wash over him as Belladonna held the photo close to herself, taking every care to not accidentally stab it with her thorns as she relaxed. Maybe she initially had her doubts about whether he actually knew Akari or had some ulterior motive? He didn't blame her if that was the case; the entire ordeal felt like something out of a work of fiction. At least now she had proof that he wasn't lying. 

"Rose..." Belladonna uttered quietly, offering a hesitant, small smile. Ingo did his best to return it in full. 

It was a start. 

Two thumps were heard behind everyone in the room, and the atmosphere was broken. They all turned around to see that Barry had quite literally kicked his shoes off across the room, and then proceeded to belly-flop onto the bed on the opposite side of the room with a muffled, exaggerated sigh. 

"It's so comfy!" 

Ingo began unpacking the bag he had previously set down while Barry got accustomed to his bed, and made sure to do so quickly. Before boarding, he'd promised Johanna that they'd say a final goodbye before she had to drive back to Twinleaf, and Ingo was nothing if not a man of his word. 

Belladonna stepped behind Ingo, as if to put some sort of wall between herself and the boy, using her petals to hide the photograph from sight, silently thanking Arceus that he was often too preoccupied to notice minor details. 

As Ingo re-folded the last of the spare clothes and gently placed them into a drawer, he heard an announcement blare from the speakers in the corridor outside. 

"We will be setting sail for Castelia City in the Unova region in five minutes. I repeat, this vessel is bound for Castelia City in the Unova region. Both captain and crew thank you for sailing with us today." 

Something about that announcement felt familiar, almost heartbreakingly so. No memories stemmed from it, of course, but Ingo still felt that pang of familiarity he had grown somewhat used to ever since landing in Sinnoh. 

No matter. Not yet, at least. He had a promise to fulfill. 

"Barry! We must depart for the deck! We promised to say our farewells, and I will not let us miss our station!" 

"Huh? Ah, shit you're right!" Barry gasped as he leapt from the bed, dashing to the other side of the room to retrieve his discarded shoes, harshly tugging them onto his feet as he hopped out the door after Ingo, who had already made his way to the door followed by his entourage of Pokémon.

It took a couple of precious minutes to get outside from their room, but as they stepped into the brisk coastal wind, it felt refreshing. For the first time since arriving from Hisui, Ingo found himself able to relax slightly; he was going to meet his brother, ensure Akari safe passage home, and finally move on with his life. As the autumnal breeze blew across the water, it brought a chill with it that promised the approach of winter, and Ingo couldn't help but enjoy it. He hadn't the faintest clue if he had preferred warmer weather before, but he was certainly on the side of colder now. 

As he roamed the deck, he noticed the mother standing below the pair on the boardwalk, waiting for them. 

"Miss Johanna!" Ingo waved, grabbing her attention. 

"There are you are," she breathed. "I was beginning to worry you had forgotten to say goodbye in all the excitement. All set? I heard the five minute warning, so if there's anything you need to do... Well, it's a bit late now," Johanna chuckled, her joke earning a chortle from the former Warden. 

"We are fully prepared for this journey, and we have you to thank for that!" 

"Oh, dear me no," Johanna waved her hands dismissively. "All I did was drive and give you a few shirts!" 

"Still, it was extremely helpful. I shall make sure to return the favour some day." 

"Ingo, please," she fretted, "I've told you before that taking care of my daughter was more than enough! If anything, I'm still in your debt!" 

"Ma'am, please, I insist-" 

"Hey, Johanna! How long did you say this boat stuff was going to last?" Barry interrupted, ending the back-and-forth exchange between the adults before it could escalate further. 

"Barry, do you not check timetables?" 

"Who has time for that!?" 

Johanna could only heave a sigh in despair. "Honestly, Barry... You should be in Castelia by tomorrow morning, around ten o'clock." 

"Mm-hm! Okay!" Barry chimed, his right hand forming a thumbs-up. 

A horn blared, startling the entire group, and the boat began to slowly glide away from the port, miniscule waves that gradually grew in size and frequency beginning to splash against the concrete. Johanna walked alongside the ship as it moved forward, taking every moment with the pair that she could. 

"You boys make sure to call me as soon as you get there!" 

"We will, Ma'am!" 

"Keep me updated the entire time you're there! Do NOT go disappearing on me!" 

"I swear I'll send you every selfie I take!" 

"You better, Barry, or else!" 

She was jogging now, screaming at the ship as it drifted further and further away, ignoring any confused stares or questioning glares she got from anyone else around. 

"Take care of yourselves, you hear me!? Don't just go charging ahead in a rush to get her; remember to sleep and eat too!" 

"No promises, Johanna!" 

"BARRY!" 

The teen's laughter was drowned out by the ship's horn screeching its monotone song once more as the ship sailed too far for Johanna to keep up with, leaving her waving at the end of a pier.

She waved as the ship grew further and further away, eventually becoming a speck on the horizon. Johanna had no doubt that Ingo and Barry had since gone inside the ship, but still, she continued waving until the ache in her arm was borderline unbearable. 

As she let it drop, she clutched it, her knuckles turning white as her hand strained. 

"It's alright," a voice behind her spoke softly. "Barry can't see you right now. He has a new reason to hope." 

Johanna remained still as Cynthia stood beside her. How long had she been there? The mother would never know. It wasn't like it mattered. She knew the Champion would have been around somewhere at some point regardless, albeit out of sight for Ingo's sake. 

"I'm quite alright, Cynthia. I just need-" 

"No. No you're not," the blond-haired woman argued, not letting Johanna finish. "You haven't been fine for a while. You're just good at acting." 

"Ah, you see," Johanna smiled up at her, "I'm an ex-contest star. Acting is how I could afford early retirement." 

Cynthia morosely stared through Johanna's joking façade, her piercing gaze chipping away at the last shred of her will. 

Johanna's hand gripped her arm harder as she trembled. 

Through gritted teeth, she inhaled sharply, a harsh hissing noise escaping her as she did. 

Her legs gave way, and finally, she wept. 

Sobs wracked her body as Cynthia lowered herself down and took the grieving woman in her arms as she wailed, mourning the cruel fate of her only child. All the pent-up turmoil of not knowing what had become of her precious, darling daughter and the agony of maintaining a brave face for her best friend and honorary brother so that he may keep hope came flooding out for the world to see in the form of hiccups, screams, and cries. 

Her daughter had gone through hell while she could have done nothing, and she had to learn it from someone else. 

----- 

"If you're just gonna stand there, I'm gonna just go ahead and ask my friends to attack again." 

"Wh- HELL NO! FERROTHORN, POWER WHIP THAT DAMN SAMUROTT!" 

"Noir, Psychic and throw him up! Comet, another Flame Wheel!" 

As if it were a rehearsed performance, Tsunami wrapped himself in the beginning of an Aqua Jet as Noir used Psychic on the water. It was just enough for the dark-type to be tossed up like a toy into the air, narrowly avoiding the rapidly sprouting vines as the water slowly dispersed while Comet crashed into the Ferrothorn, easily toppling it. 

"Ice Beam the ground near Ferrothorn!" 

It's nice to have a name to go with the Pokémon; it's so much catchier than 'the spiky one'. 

As he began to plummet, Tsunami quickly fired an Ice Beam towards the ground as the Ferrothron fell, sending it sliding into the Conkeldurr to their right, knocking it off balance, while managing to catch the Stunfisk in the attack as got squished between the two giants. 

"Catch him!" 

Noir pulled off another Psychic as Tsunami coated himself again, slowing his descent enough for him to land on his feet while Comet galloped back, all three of them relatively unharmed, with Comet just a little scraped by ramming into Ferrothorn's spikes. 

So physical contact does damage. I'll keep that in mind. 

Kyle just stood there as his brain fumbled and scrambled to come up with a plan beyond 'hit hard'. 

Meanwhile, Akari found herself to be in her element - even more so than she was normally when battling. Something about this felt right. Not familiar, but right. Very right. It was like the battles back in the distortions and Clan Leaders, but fair; three-on-three rather than three-on-one. Were these types of battles common back in Sinnoh too? She hoped so. She hadn't won yet, but she had very quickly found that she enjoyed Triple Battles. 

She enjoyed them immensely. 

"How... How the hell are you...!?" Kyle growled, teeth clenched in an unjust rage. 

His Pokémon, while still standing, were only doing so through sheer force of will. Akari couldn't help but feel guilty as she looked at them, exhausted and battered, though she also couldn't help but admire the tenacity. Still, as much as she hated to see them struggle in vain, if she didn't fight to her fullest, it would be an insult to them; a mockery of their determination. 

Perhaps he'd now be open to some criticism, at least? It seems cruel to let the man leave with only his destroyed pride. 

"You need to focus on more than one Pokémon on the field," Akari called out, nothing but genuine kindness on her mind. She saw Kyle's Pokémon eye her curiously. "If you only focus on one or two of my Pokémon, then your partners will get hurt! Maybe if you-" 

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" he bellowed, forcing Akari to be silent much to her displeasure. "You've never even HAD a Triple Battle before! You're cheating! You're a damn cheating cheater!" 

Murmurs filled the crowd which in-turn bolstered Kyle's confidence, until he deciphered what it was they were mumbling. 

"Is he seriously calling her a cheater?" 

"Like, how do you even cheat in a Triple Battle?" 

"Use more than three 'mons at a time, I guess, but there is CLEARLY only three on her side." 

"Yeesh, is this guy for real?" 

"Maybe he ain't as cool as we thought..." 

The murmuring grew louder and louder until the crowd began to scatter and leave, some of the bikers even leaving a few potions and revives to the Trainer that had battled Kyle and lost, uttering quick apologies before either crossing the bridge or heading to Nimbasa. After a minute of watching his crew abandon him, Kyle was left with only a three or four bikers standing to the side, and even they seemed more focused on the girl rather than him. 

Kyle was not only about to lose his battle, but he had already lost his following. 

"KICK HIS ASS, SWEETIE!" Elesa hollered from the sidelines while Emmet watched intently, making mental notes about her battle style. 

"Tsunami! Agile Aqua Jet and gain some momentum! Noir, Comet, use Dark Pulse and Flamethrower on Tsunami!" 

"What is she doing!?" The nameless Trainer hissed, "Her Pokémon won't do that! Surely they won't!" 

But they did. All three were well aware off the risks, but none of them questioned her. They knew she wouldn't ask this unless confident. 

Akari knew that if this failed, she'd be kicking herself for the rest of eternity, but she gave the orders regardless. She trusted that they could pull this off. 

Tsunami skid across the frozen section of the field, gaining more speed by the millisecond. He circled his opposition, the power from his teammates' attacks merging with the water surrounding him. The Aqua Jet glowed, a purplish flame enveloping his entire form as it created a flickering ring around Kyle's team. 

Kyle had to shield his eyes; the heat and the light were almost unbearable as Tsunami kept up the pace, encircling and trapping his Pokémon. 

In a matter of moments, Tsunami's visible form had become a bright, purple blur. Before Kyle could do anything, Akari called out her next - and final - command. 

"Strong-Style Ceaseless Edge!" 

It was like a dozen Buizel had all used Sonic Boom at the same time. A single red 'X' sliced through the light and into the backs of the Conkeldurr, Stunfisk, and Ferrothorn as the combined efforts of all the attacks hit, whipping up a wind to rival Tornadus themself. A tremendous explosion covered the field; one even larger than the one on the Subway, and all that could be seen amongst the unsettled dust was a single pair of harsh scarlet eyes as the energy of the attack crackled and faded away. 

Tsunami walked out of the cloud, unharmed, not bothering to look back as it cleared and to watch as his foes collapsed to the ground, no longer able to continue fighting. 

There was no cry of victory from Akari; she'd never been too worried about the outcome. 

He was all bark and no bite after all. Just like the Fortune Sisters. He'd probably have got along with them, had he been in Hisui. 

What she did do, however, is gently thank each of her partners gratefully. Easy win or not, they had given their all for her, and that deserved praise. 

The same, however, could not be said for a certain electric-type user. 

"Sweetie, that was incredible!" Elesa celebrated, dashing up to the victor with Emmet close behind with the Trainer from before, eyes wide in amazement. 

"Elesa is correct. That was verrrry impressive! I thought you said you haven't ever had a Triple Battle?" 

"I haven't!" Akari vigorously shook her head in defiance. "At least, I don't think I have. I didn't get any sort of familiar feeling anyway." 

"It would seem you are a natural, which is verrrry strange given that Triple Battles are notoriously complicated; most Trainers typically won't keep up with their practice." 

"I wouldn't say we had no practice," Akari sheepishly admitted, rubbing the back of her head. 

Did she tell them about how some people would use multiple Pokémon against her at any given time? About how Tsunami had to take on several Alphas alone from time-to-time if it was a particularly troublesome breakout? Honestly, now probably wasn't the best time to do that. Perhaps there never would be a good time. That was fine. She was okay with never talking about it. It was preferable, really. 

"What the hell... I lost?" 

The group turned around to see Kyle trudging over to them, body slumped but staring at them directly. All four people could only glare as he dragged his feet past his Pokémon, not even bothering to check on them before pressing onwards. 

"The least you could do is return your Pokémon so they may at least begin to rest," Emmet stated, disdain written across his features. If eyes could literally glare daggers, Kyle would have been sliced to ribbons by Emmet's gaze alone. 

Kyle paid no attention and continued to amble forwards, livid. 

"You cheated... You must have cheated!" 

His lip turned upwards into a snarl, reminding Akari of a particularly territorial Alpha Garchomp in the Icelands. 

"Only a cheater could have beat me! Your first Triple Battle? Bullshit!" 

He made her stomach twist with every step. Her eyes were locked onto his. She wanted to run. She wanted to hide. But why? Hadn't she only just compared them to the sisters she had no real fear of just minutes before? Why did it feel different now? This imposing figure, howling at her for acts she never committed, was steadily approaching, and she had lost her ability to speak, her words lodged in her throat. 

Within her bag, a Poké Ball began to quake violently. 

Kyle's arm shot forward, pointing an accusatory finger at her, his face contorted with a spiteful rage. 

"Just who- no, just what are you really!?"

Barely keeping her footing, Akari stumbled backwards. She couldn't register anyone else there; it was only her and Kamado. There were other voices, but they were dull, muffled, and indecipherable. Kamado continued to screech at her, though she couldn't hear what he was saying anymore. 

Her pulse raced. Sweat coated her palms. Screams bubbled at the back of her throat, but never burst forth. 

Once-solid ground below her shifted a little beneath her feet, like loose dirt or sand. That didn't make sense. The floor of Kamado's office floor was wooden, right? She was standing on wood, wasn't she? If she wasn't standing on wood, then she couldn't be in Kamado's office. But Kamado was here. Kamado almost never left his office. So it had to be his office. 

Where am I? 

The voices started to get louder, and a little clearer, but she still couldn't quite understand. 

Kamado had stopped getting closer now. He still looked outraged, but at least he wasn't getting closer. 

It didn't make her any less petrified. 

Something brushed against her hand. She knew that texture. She adored that texture. Akari had felt it many times. Slowly, she buried her fingers into Tsunami's short, waxy fur, feeling him brush against her legs as he took his usual defensive position in front of her, a low, rumbling, protective emanating from his throat. That made sense. He hated Kamado just as much as she did, if not more. 

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to focus on the feeling of the fur beneath her hands. 

The voices became clearer; a woman and a man were trying to talk to her. 

"...-ri...!" 

"A-ar-...!" 

"Akari!" 

"Uncle Ingo?"

Her eyes snapped open and saw Emmet staring at her at eye-level, leaning over a growling Samurott. The ground beneath her was dirt. There was no wood floor, she wasn't in an office, and most importantly, Kamado wasn't here. 

Emmet, however, was. 

Gloved hands hovered in front of her, hesitant but still wanting to reach out. Emmet looked at her, his face etched with worry on top of evidence of sleepless nights that Akari could now see that she was so close. The faintest smile was there, but she could tell that it was fake, like it always was. That was fine. She'd probably see him smile properly when he was with Uncle Ingo again. 

Uncle Ingo... 

Hadn't he just been there? Where did he go? She had heard him, though his voice was slightly distorted, as if two people were talking. Her head surveyed the area, but couldn't see him. Did she imagine that voice? She couldn't have. It seemed real. Very real. 

"...Mister Emmet, what's going on? I thought I heard..." 

Why was her face wet? 

Tentatively, she brought a hand her to cheek, feeling where a thin layer of water coated her. Akari felt a small drop hit her finger as she stood there. 

Oh. She was crying. When did she start crying? Why couldn't she stop? 

"Akari? Sweetie?" A voice spoke to her right. She slowly turned around to see Elesa in a very similar position to Emmet, with her hands just a little further forward. 

"Miss Elesa?" 

While Akari addressed the woman, she noticed her own voice. It was shaky at best, distraught at worst. She felt herself tremble on the spot as her heartbeat refused to climb back down after reaching staggering heights. 

Two familiar low-pitched cries and an even lower hiss came from behind Emmet. Akari shuffled slightly to the side to get a better look, her jaw dropping as she saw her Alphas aggressively backing Kyle into a corner. 

"B-Back off! Seriously you o-overgrown freaks, I'm w-warning you!" Kyle threatened, though his quivering voice made it quite unconvincing. 

Confusion was the only thing in Akari's mind at that moment. When had Athena broken out? When did she open the others' Poké Balls? 

"What... What happened?" 

"We were hoping you could tell us that, kid," Elesa confessed. "You started freaking out when that asshole started being, well, an asshole, and then you just stopped responding!" 

"I was... But, wait. H-Hold on. That doesn't make sense. I-I was in Hisui!" Akari cried. "Kamado was the one yelling at me, not Kyle!" 

"Kamado?" Emmet asked. 

"How am I still here?" she began to question, ignoring Emmet. "And how did I get back to Hisui? No, no, this doesn't make sense... This doesn't make sense! I was back there! But then, why am I here!?" Akari screamed as she gripped at her head, nails digging into her scalp. She couldn't rationalise it. Nothing made sense at that moment. How could it? Everything defied all logic. How could she be in Hisui and Unova at the same time? It was impossible! 

She barely registered the hands that gently pried her own set away from her head before holding them. 

"Akari, sweetie, you never left. You've been here the entire time. I promise, you didn't go back to Hisui," Elesa assured the girl, hoping she'd be enough to drag her out of whatever spiral she'd caught herself in. "You're safe." 

"I'm... Safe?" 

Tsunami quietly whined next to her, doing his best to soothe her. Slowly, she moved her hand down to his armoured head, mindful of his jagged edges. He brought his head up to meet her palm, like he'd done many times before. While he never knew how or understood why, she always seemed so pleased whenever he did that, or it at least cheered her up somewhat. Thankfully, this time was no exception. Pride bloomed in his chest as he watched Akari relax ever-so-slightly because of him. 

Yes. She was safe for the moment. Akari could gradually accept this. 

----- 

Finally away from the water, Johanna sat in silence with Cynthia next to her, refusing to leave her be after her breakdown. Secretly, she was grateful she had decided to stay with her rather than take off as soon as she got to her car, but she'd never say anything about it. Nothing really needed to be said. Somehow, Cynthia knew regardless of a lack of words spoken; that's just how the Champion worked. Remnants of tears trickled down her cheeks as she rubbed her eyes dry, banishing the last pieces of evidence of her break in demeanour. 

"Dear me,' she sniffed, "I am so, so sorry you saw me like that... I must look a mess-" 

"Don't you dare apologise," Cynthia commanded, her gaze sharp. "You've been strong for how long now? Never once cracking for Barry's sake, right?" 

"That... That's not-" 

"That's not what, Johanna? The truth? Because I guarantee you it is." 

The mother kept her mouth clamped shut as words belonging to futile lies dancing on the tip of her tongue begged to be spoken. She felt tears begin filling her eyes again as that anguish she had kept bottled up for months burned furiously in the pit of her stomach. Of course the Champion knew once more. How wouldn't she know? It must have seemed obvious to her, and here Johanna was trying to convince her otherwise - a fool's errand. 

"...I lost all hope only two months after she vanished," Johanna admitted, fresh tears spilling over as her body shuddered. "Two months. That's it. Wh-what sort of mother gives up on her child after only two months?" 

"...The sort that has her world ripped out from under her feet," Cynthia answered, pulling Johanna in for a side-hug. "A sort of mother whose child is her world, and that had never imagined something this horrific happening to her child because her child is unbelievably strong." 

Johanna allowed her tears to run from her eyes once more, though this time she was as quiet as possible, staring straight ahead as she tried to let Cynthia's words seep into her soul. She knew that the Champion was seldom wrong, but she couldn't believe her this time; not now, at least. All she knew at that moment was that she had failed Akari as a mother. 

Cynthia held Johanna tightly as struggled to accept the truth of the matter, her heart aching as she continued to cry. It hurt, but she knew that there was nothing she could do or say to change Johanna's mind at that moment. Time was supposed to be a great healer, though for Johanna's sake, she prayed to Dialga that time would heal her sooner rather than later. 

Eventually, once Johanna had cried all she could, she sat up properly, her hands reaching to grip the steering wheel. 

"I'd... I'd best get going. I've left Barry's mother in charge of some poison-type babies. I just hope she has enough Pecha Cream," Johanna muttered, worried. She'd given her friend a decent warning before leaving, but those little tykes could be more than a little rambunctious. 

"Why don't I come with you?" Cynthia offered. "I wasn't here for business, and I'm not exactly known for being bad with Pokémon." 

"Oh, it's fine!" Johanna exclaimed. "Really, you don't have to-" 

"Yes, I'm aware, but I would still like to." 

Whether it was because she was too emotionally exhausted to argue or because Johanna was happy to have the company, Cynthia didn't care. She smiled to herself as Johanna didn't say another word and went to start the engine of the car. 

"They'll be fine, you know." 

"...I hope you're right." 

----- 

Time passed as it normally did, and the rhythmic pattern of Tsunami's purrs helped ease Akari's breathing and heartbeat back into a regular pace as she absentmindedly ran her thumb over various small nicks and indents in Tsunami's natural defences from battles past. Finally, Akari inhaled deeply as she found herself able to breathe normally once more. 

Meanwhile, Kyle was trying to ward off three pissed Alphas with a stick he found laying on the ground as he hadn't had the decency to collect and heal his Pokémon before beginning his onslaught of accusations. 

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU DAMN FREAKS!" Kyle screeched, frantically waving the stick about like a makeshift sword, or a wand, depending on how you looked at it; the lack of form made it difficult to tell. 

Akari watched as this man flailed fearfully. She knew they'd never harm him without her command, though she did feel slightly sorry for the poor soul cowering beneath their gazes. She supposed she should at least be happy that it was only three of her Pokémon that had gone to intimidate him rather than her entire party. If Tsunami had gone as well, she wouldn't have been able to guarantee his safety. Fortunately, he was with her at that moment, and Comet and Noir remained with the unknown Trainer. 

"Serves the bastard right," Elesa huffed. "Seriously, bullying a kid? Team Plasma levels of low if you ask me." 

Emmet nodded in agreement whilst Akari watched the scene in front of her, bringing two fingers up to her mouth. A shrill, piercing shriek rang out from where the girl stood, the sudden noise forcing the man to recoil on the ground and the unnamed Trainer to jump. Surprisingly enough to Akari, the pitch of the whistle didn't bother Emmet or Elesa in the slightest; they only turned to her, puzzled. Akari just shrugged.

I can't sit around and let things just happen. There's work to be done. I'll get over it.

Lady, Athena, and Demeter looked up and towards Akari, before retreating to their Trainer, but not before giving Kyle one last death glare each. Akari thanked each one of them profusely before returning her entire team other than Tsunami. Kyle scrambled to his feet, tossed the stick aside, but didn't dare to inch closer. 

"Sorry about that," Akari apologised. "They're just a little protective." 

"You!" Kyle spat. "What kind of monsters are you rai-" 

"I suggest you shut up now," Emmet advised, his smile filled to the brim with fury as he stepped in front of Akari. "You clearly will not listen to Akari despite her resounding victory over you, so perhaps you shall listen to a Battle Facility Head?" 

Kyle didn't respond, which Emmet then took as a sign to continue on. 

"As a Battle Facility Head, I have every legal right to relieve you of your Pokémon if I do not believe you are treating them with the care they need and deserve just like a Gym Leader, Elite Four Member, or Champion, and from what I have witnessed today..." 

Emmet leaned to the left to garner a better view of Kyle's team, still slumped on the floor despite Kyle having a second opportunity to return them. 

"...I do not believe you are! So if you would cooperate with me and present me with their Poké Balls, we can sort this matter without getting police involved." 

"Wh- As if I'm about to give you my team, asshole!" 

"Then you can give them to me," Elesa suggested calmly. "Hi, hello, Gym Leader over here, and in accordance to the official League policies, I have the right to take Pokémon away from detrimental Trainers, such as yourself. So, you know... Hand 'em over." 

"Fuck off! I am NOT giving you my team! They're mine and ONLY mine, damn you! And I'm saying I'm fucking keeping them, you di- AGH!" 

To everyone's surprise, Kyle's body jolted upwards as an electric attack was sent flying his way; weak, but most certainly still unpleasant. As the shock (static or otherwise) subsided, everyone scanned the area for the culprit, only to find an battered, beat, barely-conscious Stunfisk that had somehow managed to get up and stagger in front of his teammates, staring down his Trainer. 

"What the- You can't do that! I own you! I command you! I- GAH!" Kyle yelped as he was shocked again, Stunfisk fuming. 

Maybe this was a long time coming, Akari thought to herself. 

"I think you should leave your Poké Balls on the ground and go," Emmet asserted. "Or perhaps you would prefer to continue to be electrocuted? Stunfisk's strength will only grow from this point now that they are up!" 

Kyle growled again, but slammed his now-former team's Poké Balls down to the ground in a tantrum before storming off towards Nimbasa with Emmet and Elesa repositioning themselves around Akari accordingly. 

As soon as Kyle was gone, everyone left behind wasted no time as they rushed to the Pokémon who were only just beginning to stir. Akari felt guilt wash over her anew as she looked at them, but at the same time, felt a near-overwhelming sense of relief. They weren't under his thumb anymore. That was good. Nobody deserved that. 

Immediately, she got to work, her experience in treating her team's wounds out in the field coming in handy as she expertly applied various potions on different scrapes and bruises, fingers dancing in a rehearsed routine. Slowly but surely, the two remaining Pokémon rose up from the floor, though they didn't seem too concerned about their missing Trainer, thankfully. 

"You certainly seem to know what you're doing, Miss Akari," Emmet commented. "Do you have experience assisting in a Pokémon Center?" 

"Pokémon Center..." Akari parroted. Again, something that sounded familiar but couldn't quite remember in detail. A dull ache throbbed in her head before it left as quickly as it came. "I don't think so. Besides, there were no 'Pokémon Centers' in Hisui, I don't think. Stuff like potions and Poké Balls were new, and people were terrified of Pokémon for the most part." 

"Wait, so you just... Did it yourself?" Elesa asked, slightly amazed. 

"Well, yeah? Hell, give me the right materials and I can make Poké Balls and potions for you right now! I've still got my tools with me." 

"Verrrry impressive," Emmet praised, clapping his hands together. "It certainly seems to have done the trick, too." 

All of Kyle's ex-Pokémon, much to the relief of everyone involved, were now upright and alert, and most importantly, no longer seemed to be in pain. 

"Thank fuck," Akari breathed. "I was starting to worry we went a little overboard back there..." 

A chorus of reassuring cries came from the new trio, lifting a sense of dread from Akari's shoulders that she hadn't even realised she had been carrying. This was only one reason among many why she adored Pokémon; they were so forgiving. She and her team had gone at them with full force, and yet here they were, not a single sign of a grudge to be found. 

"Here we are!" Elesa cheered, parading over with the three Poké Balls that had been abandoned on the ground. Akari hadn't noticed when she had stepped away, but it couldn't have been for long. "Emmet, you mind holding onto these darlings? You've got more space for 'mons than me." 

Emmet wordlessly agreed and took the Poké Balls off Elesa. He's sort them out once he had Ingo back home. Going through the process with the authorities would take too long, so he didn't mind carrying a few extra passengers for now. 

"You can kinda do everything, huh?" 

"Hmm?" Akari hummed, turning to the Trainer. 

"Then again, that's sort of expected for a Battle Facility Head, isn't it?" 

Akari tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean? I'm not a Battle Facility Head." 

That seemed to shock the Trainer to no end. "Wait, really? But you battle so well! And your outfit looks like his," they said, pointing towards Emmet. "I'm new to this whole journey stuff, but even I know about the Subway Boss! I thought you might be a new hire or something." 

Subway Boss. 

Boss. 

Singular. 

That one stung. 

Emmet had become used to the occasional mention of his brother over the years, from the classic 'I hope you find him soon' to the soul-crushing 'I am sorry for your loss'. He could deal with that after a few years. 

Never before had it come to a point where he had been referred to as the only Subway Boss. 

They also insinuated that Akari was a replacement for Ingo. That made his blood boil. 

Despite the sudden turn of events, Emmet smiled as he always did. He smiled, and pretended that it was fine. It would be fine. As soon as Ingo was back and Akari was in Sinnoh, everything would be fine again. Everything would be as it should be. 

"No. She is not a colleague. Miss Akari is an acquaintance we are escorting home. The outfit is a gift from Elsa and was a leftover from a Battle Subway-themed fashion line." 

"I see," the Trainer replied, slightly uncomfortable. "Sorry, got that totally wrong then." 

"It's fine." 

No it isn't. 

"Anyway, I believe you were headed somewhere?" 

Please go away now. 

"Oh, yeah! I can do that now!" they exclaimed, scrambling to their feet. "Uh, thank you for helping me! I hope I see you again soon!" 

With that, the Trainer ran off towards Driftveil, much to the relief of Akari. Had she been headed to Nimbasa, she might have encountered Kyle again, which would have been good for absolutely nobody. 

Emmet felt his shoulders relax a smidge, and he returned the new party members to their balls once Akari had (reluctantly) finished petting them. He pocketed the red-and-white spheres before walking to the car. 

"Come on! We have already experienced a major delay! We must not remain here for any longer than necessary!" 

"Emmet-" Elesa called out, arm outstretched. 

"Let's go! We are losing hours that we could spend getting to Sinnoh!" 

Emmet carried on marching to the car while Elesa stood there, conflicted. She knew he wouldn't budge if she pushed, but something was wrong. She could read Emmet better than most, and she knew something was wrong ever since that Trainer mentioned his job. Sighing, she walked back to the car with Akari and Tsunami behind her. She wanted to say something to her, too. She wasn't exactly sure what just happened, but it clearly wasn't good. Was it alright for Akari to just continue as normal? Perhaps she could have a word with her on the plane. Seemed like a better plan than no plan at all.

Soon enough, they were crossing the drawbridge and driving through Driftveil City, not bothering to make any stops; Mistralton was only a cave away after all, and there had since been a road built for easy travel, which was definitely preferable over stomping through static electricity just before a flight. 

Elesa only hoped Skyla wouldn't be too mad about the impromptu flight request, seeing as she never remembered to call up and ask. 

----- 

Knock knock knock! 

"Hm?" 

Barry's mother got up from the sofa, headed towards the door. She wasn't expecting anyone to visit. Was Johanna back already? She supposed she must've been on her way home by now, but she wouldn't have thought she'd be home THIS early. 

Perhaps the traffic was good? 

Knock knock knock knock! 

"Yes yes, hold on, I'm coming!" 

You'd think this was my son with how impatient this person is being. 

The woman swung open the door, her face meeting a young man's and his Roserade. 

"Yes? Can I help-" 

"Sleep powder." 

The world spun, and her eyelids immediately grew heavy as she felt a soft powder lightly coat her face and a body brush past her. The last thing she heard was a distorted voice. 

"Sorry Ma'am, but the little ones should be with someone that knows how to care for them." 

Then she blacked out.

Chapter Text

The differences between the rides to and from Canalave were nothing if not obvious. While constant chatter and light-hearted banter was abundant with Ingo and Barry, the journey back with Cynthia in the passenger seat was anything but, stark and suffocating silence a new constant companion. Unspoken words hung in the air and threatened to crush them both, but still no one said anything; both knew that talking was the last thing that needed to happen unless they wanted Johanna to crash the car because she couldn't see due to tears blurring her vision.

Rather than stir up Johanna's emotions more than she had already, Cynthia had taken to staring out of the window and reflecting on her own - or more accurately, her own memories of Akari.

Cynthia watched as her final Pokémon fell, the Roserade falling to the ground with a slow fall rather than a resounding thud. Some may have called the challenger's victory a little anticlimactic with that finish, but to Cynthia, it was a perfect end to the battle; she had lost, after all. Her reign had finally come to an end. Once she had returned her fainted Roserade, she raised her hands and clapped them together once. Then twice. Then thrice. Before long, she had been applauding this girl graciously who had bested her with her partners.

"...Just a few minutes ago, you were the most powerful challenger. And just now, you became the most powerful of all the Trainers."

Cynthia stepped forwards as Akari recalled her Infernape, promising a generous helping of Poffins as soon as she got the chance. She walked closer, opening her arms up to the girl, pure happiness radiating from her smile.

"You are now our newest Champ-"

"Would we need to stay here?"

"Hm?" Cynthia stopped in her tracks, looking at the child in curiosity, only to find the child looking more apprehensive than exhilarated. Why didn't she look thrilled with her hard-earned victory? She would have expected her successor to be overjoyed at becoming the new Champion; wasn't that what all young Trainers wanted? To be Champion?

"Not all the time. You'd be free to roam the region whenever you'd like; you'd just need to come back if a Trainer were to challenge the Elite Four, though they'll rarely make it past the first two-"

"And the rest of the world?"

Cynthia paused, her eyes shifting to the corner as Akari stared at her intently.

"Not without official notice, no, and the chances are that you will likely be called back within a day or two... But the battles you have here will be fierce, I can assure you."

"But I'll be limited to who I can battle, won't I?" Akari looked Cynthia in the eyes. "No one else will want to battle me. I don't see many people challenging you when you're out, and official battles against the Champion are rare, right?"

"I suppose that's true," Cynthia murmured. People did tend to avoid battles they would most likely lose out of fear, so it's not like many people faced her outside these revered halls.

"So I'd be stuck in the region and limited on who I could battle."

"Well... Yes. That's how being Champion works, but I assure you, it's an excellent job to have, and leaves you plenty of free time for other pursuits!" Cynthia gushed, doing her best to sell the position. "You don't learn about mythology as much as me without a lot of Dialga-blessed time to spend on it."

Sure, when described as what Akari said, the position of Champion sounded abhorrent, but it wasn't truly that terrible. In fact, Cynthia had found the experience to be quite an exciting time! She had the pleasure of meeting quite a few Trainers, all at the top of their game and filled to the brim with enthusiasm, and all in these very halls. The hours spent devouring every piece of historical knowledge she could find was just an added bonus in her eyes. But she was done now. Cynthia wanted to be done with it now.

"I'm sorry, Cynthia," Akari bowed. "I can't be Champion. Well, I can. But I don't want to."

Well, that's not what the Champion expected.

"Akari-"

"I can refuse, right?" Akari asked as she looked up again, her eyes filled with mild fear. "We're not going to be forced into this just because we beat you?"

"Of course not," she assured, watching Akari's eyes soften back into their neutral stare. "But if I may ask, why? You've come so far, only to give up the title. You can see how that's confusing, right? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Yes! It was! At least, I thought it was anyway. It's just..." Akari trailed off, before heaving a sigh and looking Cynthia in the face again. "I was just thinking that maybe the job is a bit too restrictive for me. The idea of needing permission to leave the region, to experience new things, to battle more people, and the same thing day-in day-out, facing the same challengers... Not to mention the task of pretty much running the entire League. It's really not my thing. Yeah, I wanted to be Champion when I didn't know what I was doing, but now that I do, I know I want something else. Something different."

As Cynthia looked at the child, she saw nothing but an unwavering determination that she had become oh-so familiar with. 

"Is there no way I could convince you otherwise?"

The teen shook her head with conviction.

"...Very well," Cynthia sighed. "At least allow me to record you and your team in the Hall of Fame? I know it's typically a Champion-only area, but I at least want the world to know how brilliant you are."

Akari smiled and nodded, walking past her to stand on the platform before waiting for Cynthia to board it too. Secretly, the Champion didn't know how to feel about this development. She had been watching Akari all this time, waiting for her to come to the League and defeat her to take the title. It had all played out precisely as wanted up until that point. Why? Being Champion was every Trainer's ambition, their motivation, their very reason to continue on their chosen path, all to become so powerful that the world was their Cloyster! So why did Akari think that this was restrictive? It surely had to be less restrictive than any office job or researcher's position.

"So what do you intend on doing now?" Cynthia asked as they were slowly lifted into the air, mechanical clicks the only sort of background noise around.

Akari only shrugged. "I don't know. I'll probably go home first and talk about it with Barry."

Such a nonchalant answer... Does she truly not care?

"What of your Pokémon? How do they feel?"

"Same as I do," she easily responded. "I told them how I was beginning to feel about becoming Champion when we reached the seventh gym. I'd kinda started to ask myself what there was after becoming Champion, and the only answer ever given to me by adults was becoming stronger, which is the same thing we've been doing this entire time already. It's just that if you become stronger while you're the strongest around, what are you actually working towards?"

They both stepped off the raised platform and headed for the Hall of Fame, Cynthia quietly pondering the question whilst only a pace behind Akari.

As the trees flew by past the window, Cynthia noticed that they had since passed Jubilife City, and were only about thirty minutes to Twinleaf.

When did that happen?

"Back in the world of the living?" Johanna joked, catching Cynthia's attention.

"Ah, my apologies," Johanna said as she straightened her posture, taking her arm away from the window. "Had I zoned out for long?"

"Long enough to last the journey from Route 218 to Route 202."

Cynthia laughed lightly. "Yes, I suppose reminiscing will do that."

Johanna hummed. "What were you thinking about?"

"When she beat me," Cynthia stated. "It was one of the most... Unexpected conversations of my life. I hadn't ever even played with the thought that she wouldn't want to take over."

"You're still thinking about that?" Johanna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In my defense, it's pretty memorable. Up until that point, I was convinced that every Trainer wanted to be Champion."

"She did for a time," Johanna offered, "but something changed, although I'm not sure what. She still hadn't figured out what she wanted when she... You know."

Cynthia nodded solemnly. Of course she knew. Everyone close to the girl knew. "It's odd. We keep going over how strange it was for her to refuse the offer of Championship, but is it really our place to judge?"

"No, no it isn't," Johanna concurred. "It's just confusing, isn't it? One moment she wants one thing and the next she doesn't know what she wants."

"I suppose that's just teenagers for you, isn't it?"

Johanna felt her lips turn upwards as the tension in the car finally disappeared. "I suppose it is."

The silence that had once smothered the car had become infinitely more lighthearted and significantly less silent as they drove through Sandgem to Route 201, sharing minor but pleasant memories of various topics, mainly centering around the girl they were looking forward to seeing again.

"Cynthia?"

Said woman turned her head towards the mother.

"Thank you for coming."

The Champion smiled. "Any time."

Finally, they turned the left back into Twinleaf, looking forward to spending some quality time with some poisonous babies.

Instead, they felt their stomachs drop as they saw police cars parked outside the house.

-----

It wasn't long before the group arrived in Mistralton. Elesa had, of course, suggested that a quick stop in Driftveil would be a good idea, but Emmet had quickly shut that down.

"Those clouds over there don't look any less angry. Maybe we should take a break to wait and see if they-"

"Nope! We do not need to stop in Driftveil. Mistralton is only a further hour's drive away, and if we stop now, it will only take longer to get to Ingo."

"Emmet-"

"Please continue driving, Elesa. I do not want to be delayed further."

And so, although it was begrudgingly done, Elesa had sped through Driftveil and down the new road that Clay had so kindly commissioned after receiving countless complaints about tourists getting the odd zap after messing around with Pokémon from a place literally called Chargestone Cave. Honestly, what else did they expect from somewhere with 'charge' in the name? It wasn't the Pokémon's fault people didn't think.

By the time they'd all arrived, the city was being blasted by torrential rains and winds that tried to steal everything that wasn't tied down, forcing everyone to make a mad dash for the Pokémon Center, the doors already open for them as a nurse ushered them inside.

"Quickly now, in you go!" Nurse Joy squeaked, hastily giving Audino the signal to lock the door from the reception as a sodden Tsunami ambled in, infinitely less bothered by the downpour.

"Geez, this wasn't in the damn weather forecast!" Elesa complained, wringing her hair out. "I know we saw the clouds earlier, but this is ridiculous!"

Emmet stood a little the left, grumbling to himself as he tried to drain his hat before he put it back on. "I hope this does not last too long."

"About that..." Nurse Joy grimaced, "We've recieved reports from a few hikers that arrived earlier that Thundurus and their brethren have been sighted, and they seem agitated."

While Emmet and Elesa groaned, Akari couldn't act surprised even if she wanted to. She had recognised those clouds before back in the car, so she had been expecting to run into them at some point. Akari was fairly certain she passed out at some point during one of Tornadus' storms; why they didn't finish her off was beyond anyone else, but she had a feeling they hadn't actually meant any harm to begin with. After all, she doubted anyone else from the Galaxy Team stationed in the Icelands would have been brave - or stupid - enough to approach in order to get her back to camp.

"I am more than happy to fight them if need be," Emmet declared, "I do not care for any further delay, so I will fight them!"

"Emmet, no, you are not fighting forces of nature."

"I am Emmet, and I am a force of nature."

"Emmet, no."

Elesa and Emmet continued their sibling-like squabble over whether or not fighting the embodiments of different weather phenomena was possible (let alone a good idea) while Akari gazed out of the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the Pokémon she had met so long ago. Well, to them it would have been, at least. To her, it had only been a couple of weeks since they last met. Would they remember her? If they did, would it be fondly? She hoped so.

...Actually, didn't she still have that odd mirror that Cogita gifted her? If memory served, it had something to do with the quartet and their different forms, though she never thought to use it on them and it was only ever brought out so she could see if anything was trying to sneak up behind her out in the wilds. Reaching into her bag, she shifted the contents around in search of the looking glass, finally pulling out an ornate-looking thing that almost dazzled her as she brought it out into the light.

Maybe they'd want this? Or would that just be another thing to argue over?

Akari was dragged out of her thoughts as a towel was chucked at her head. She dragged it off and frantically scanned the room looking for the assailant.

"Take that and head upstairs," Elesa ordered. "You got that old-fashioned outfit of yours, right? Go shower and then put that thing on for now; last thing you want is to catch a cold before we head for Sinnoh."

"What about you and Mister Emmet?" Akari tilted her head, both in mild concern and curiosity. "You don't want to get sick either, do you?"

Elesa just waved her off. "We're adults, sweetie! We can handle it until you're done, so go get warm."

"But-"

"Go, before you start shivering!"

Akari relented, grabbing her bag before running up the stairs after getting directions from the nurse about where their room was. Elesa watched her leave before turning her attention to Emmet.

"...Okay, sit down."

"What?"

"Sit down, we need to talk."

If we can't talk on the plane, we'll talk now while Akari's gone.

Emmet huffed and mumbled something about being able to talk while standing, but he complied and sat down on a nearby sofa, Elesa parking herself about a foot away from him.

"Now I think I can guess," she began, "but tell me what it was back at the bridge that upset you."

Emmet opened his mouth.

"And don't even try to deny it, Emmet."

Emmet closed his mouth. Instead, he turned his head to the floor, not wanting to make eye contact.

"You haven't been called the only Subway Boss until now, right?"

He shook his head.

"Is that what's got you shaken up more than a Patrat after an Earthquake?"

He nodded.

"Is that the only reason?"

He stayed still.

Elesa said nothing more, and simply waited.

...

Emmet shook his head.

"In that case, you might need to elaborate buddy," Elesa said, reclining back in her seat.

A few minutes passed as Elesa waited patiently, though it felt like an eternity to Emmet. What was he supposed to say? That he got upset because the Trainer thought Akari was a Subway Boss? That would have been ridiculous. It wasn't that he minded the assumption itself. No, it was the idea of Akari replacing Ingo as a Subway Boss that irked him. No one could replace his brother. Simply not possible. If Ingo wasn't there beside him in battle, then no one else could be.

...But how could he relay this in a way that didn't make it sound like he blamed Akari? It wasn't her fault that Elesa dressed her up in that stupid outdated fashion line (though he had to admit that it suited her well), and it certainly wasn't her fault that her skills were comparable to a Battle Facility Head's (okay well maybe that bit WAS her fault, but he was hardly going to be mad that she was good in battle by her own merits), so how was he going to put this?

"...It sounded like that Trainer thought Akari was replacing Ingo."

There was a hiss as Elesa inhaled through her teeth, cringing.

"Yeah, okay, that's kinda shit," she conceded.

"This is why it is verrrry important that we get Ingo back as quickly as possible. I do not want further incidents like this. I do not think I can handle any further incidents like this."

"Okay, yeah that's fair, but that does not mean we are going out and fighting literal forces of nature."

Emmet grumbled, but gave in. While still incredibly displeased with the current situation, he could at least appreciate the position he was in; he only had Eelektross and Violet to truly work with as he hadn't the chance to get to know the newest companions in their party, and that just wouldn't do against three Pokémon capable of manipulating the world around them. 

Admittedly, although he'd never go through with it, he would have been lying if he ever said he hadn't thought of asking Akari to help him battle them in order to get them to scram, but the idea immediately filled him with a sort of disgust that could only come from unwanted thoughts.

I am Emmet, and I am NOT asking a child to sort out my problems for me.

Twenty minutes after bolting up the stairs, Akari had showered and discarded her sodden outfit, replacing it with a dryer, more old-fashioned look. Tsunami grunted in approval at her Samurott-inspired garb as he lounged on a bed.

"Yeah, thought you might appreciate this more than what Elesa gave me," the girl chuckled, putting her soaked clothes away into a separate part of her bag as to not drench everything else in there.

The wind and rain continued to relentlessly assault the world outside, the drops hitting the window sounding similar to a particularly agitated Piplup's bubbles against Professor Laventon's laboratory walls. It made Akari smile. It was one of the few places in that Arceus-forsaken village that brought any sort of comfort to the girl; she could always be assured that Laventon had some fresh tea brewing, and that she'd be safe from Kamado's scrutiny. It also had an odd charm about it. Sure the room was messy, but it was an organised mess, just like the man himself. It was an honest room, you could say.

She found herself missing the lab. Before she left, Laventon had mentioned that he was going to attempt a new study into Pokémon 'breeding' as he called it, both to see if Pokémon raised with humans nearby would become less aggressive or fearful of them, and to see if watching Pokémon grow and learn from the very beginning would better people's understanding.

I wonder how that went. Kinda seemed like his sort of thing... Taking notes from a distance, that is. Is there anyone that ended up using that research? I hope so.

A bolt of lighting struck the clouds above, bringing her out of her train of thought. Akari turned her head to watch the sky and saw several other bright flashes, the occasional silhouette visible amongst the light.

Akari shot a look at the mirror she'd left laying on a bed, the fancy details and embellishments glinting at her. She wasn't entirely sure why Cogita gave it to her. Who was she to decide a Pokémon's form? Shouldn't the Pokémon decide that for themselves?

...That being said, maybe they'd want it back?

Rather than look outside, Akari looked at the window. Specifically, she looked at the lock before stepping forward to unlock it.

Tsunami frantically leapt off the bed and grabbing his Trainer's clothes in his maw, tugging her backwards into the room as the now-open window let the howling wind and rain in.

"Buddy, c'mon! I'll be quick! Don't worry, I remember what Lady Sneasler taught me!"

"Samro!"

"Please, I wanna try to give them the stupid mirror! Maybe it'll calm them down a bit!"

A sharp tug made Akari fall to the floor with a thud and a groan, the floorboards not being the most comfortable thing to land on. The teen huffed, but caved. Not because she knew Tsunami would either easily drag her back inside or snitch on her to Elesa, mind you; it was because her kimono was the only dry thing she had. Yes, that was it. She just didn't want to get wet, and she absolutely wasn't only giving up climbing out of the window out of fear of Elesa's wrath.

Dusting herself off, Akari rose to her feet and swiped the mirror from the bed and the flute from her bag, and took a casual step towards the open window.

"Ro!"

"Calm your moustache, Tsunami! I'm just gonna stand AT the window, okay? I won't climb out, I promise."

The Samurott looked at his Trainer skeptically, but didn't make any attempt to lunge forwards and instead kept a pace behind her, just to be on the safe side.

A few stray raindrops splattered against Akari's forehead as she brought the flute to her lips, the familiar, haunting tune she'd played many times before fighting against the bellowing thunder. With every note, the storm grew ever louder, responding to a call last heard long ago. They might not have been summoned like the Nobles with the song, but they still knew it well. As Akari lowered the Azure Flute, she could see three familiar figures in the distance, rapidly growing in size as they approached.

Wait... Three?

Thundurus, Landorus, and Tornadus. The first three of the quartet she met sped towards the Pokémon Center, the storm above still raging. After mere moments, they stopped a few feet short of where the girl was standing, faces as stern as ever as they quietly argued further, only seeming to cease any sort of attack while their old master was around.

I guess some things never change, Akari thought to herself fondly, before quickly scanning the skies for one last familiar face.

"...Where's Enamorus?"

The three Pokémon silently exchanged glances, whatever they were bickering over beforehand momentarily forgotten. Even the clouds seemed to stop rumbling for a moment, only letting their tears fall. Akari felt her heart break a little bit, and lowered her head. What else did she expect? It had been centuries for them. Of course something could have happened in that time.

Was there anything I could have done...?

"Sa..." Tsunami nudged Akari with his snout, the cold and wet sensation jolting Akari out of the beginning of a spiral.

"Oh, right right right..." Akari muttered before holding up the mirror. "I still had this when I came back to this time. Seeing as you guys are here, did you want it back?"

The lightning flashed anew as Thundurus and Tornadus began to argue and bicker once again, presumably over who got to take the mirror from the girl. Akari flinched at the sudden noise, but kept a firm grip on the fancy looking glass.

"H-Hey! I have a few conditions!" Akari yelled over the noise, somehow managing to be heard through all the commotion. The trio turned to her, awaiting her words.

"First of all, you all have to share it," she demanded. The two formerly warring Pokémon grumbled a bit, but eventually nodded as they were glared at by the third member of the group.

"Secondly, Landorus is the one that gets to keep hold of it."

That demand was met with roars of disagreement and disapproval, to which both Akari and Tsunami rolled their eyes in unison.

"Hey, knock it off! You both know that Landorus is the braincell out of you three!"

Thundurus and Tornadus grumbled, but didn't say much else, which Akari classed as a victory.

"Lastly," she continued, "I sorta need this storm gone. Now. I'm trying to get Uncle Ingo home, but our plane can't take off, so could you break it up please?"

That last request was met with more compliance than Akari expected. Breathing a sigh of relief, she held out the mirror.

"Meet those three requests, and it's all yours."

Landorus calmly reached out to gently take the mirror, bowing in thanks.

However, they were rudely slammed into by a green blur that snatched the mirror before anyone could object.

Thundurus screeched and shot off after Tornadus, the arguments and storms growing louder by the second as they battled in the clouds. Back from the Pokémon Center window, Akari, Tsunami, and Landorus watched in mild disappointment akin to a teacher watching their middle school class misbehave. Slowly, Akari turned to the remaining legendary Pokémon.

"If this storm doesn't stop within the next hour, I am taking back that mirror by force."

Landorus immediately left without a noise to hastily try to calm their brethren down.

Sighing, Akari closed the window, grabbed her bag, and began to head downstairs with Tsunami in tow.

I wonder if Mister Emmet would let me play with Kyle's Pokémon for a while?

-----

Barry's mother's body shook as she wept, profusely apologising between every breath.

"I'm sorry... I-I'm so sorry!"

"They had a Pokémon use sleep powder on you! You couldn't have even tried to stop this!" Johanna cried, taking the woman's hands into her own. "This wasn't your fault!"

Cynthia watched from afar as she stood with several police officers, her status as Champion meaning she could take a more proactive role in the investigations.

"What do we class this as? I mean, she opened the door, so we can't call this breaking and entering, can we?"

"No," an officer shook his head, "but we can likely call this trespassing and assault."

"I'm sorry, but how does this help?" Cynthia snapped. "You're debating what to call the crime instead of actually sorting it out. A woman has been attacked in her own home and newly-hatched Pokémon have been kidnapped, and you're arguing about pointless differences!"

The officers shuffled in place, awkwardly looking around the room.

"Well, there isn't much to go on, Champion Cynthia,' one offered. "Without any leads, all we can do note down what sort of crime it was and report back to HQ so they can put a notice out."

"You can't start to investigate the region? These are incredibly rare Hisiuan Pokémon, and they're now out there in some stranger's possession! Surely there's something you can-"

"Well, since they don't have Trainer IDs yet, they legally can't be classed as stolen..."

Cynthia's blood reached boiling point.

"What in Arceus' name are you saying?"

To his credit, the police officer only slightly flinched at her tone. "I-I'm saying that, from a legal standpoint, we cannot consider these Pokémon stolen or kidnapped. If the mother was h-here then yes, we could make an argument for it, but since she isn't... We c-can still charge the offender with assault and trespassing, but the Pokémon themselves can't be investigated l-legally."

The Champion felt her stomach drop to the floor. Exceedingly rare, formerly-extinct Hisuian Sneasels taken away, and the police refused to do anything. Did these fools have any idea what was at stake? She vaguely registered Barry's mother's grief-stricken sobs as she lamented the news that the kits weren't to be recovered by authorities, her apologies growing ever-more frantic. Cynthia turned on her heel and strode towards the woman.

"...I'm not going to ask you not to feel guilt over this," she stated as she knelt down to meet her eyes. "Arceus knows that's easier said than done, but had you been able to do anything, you would have fought tooth-and-nail to protect those hatchlings. I'm right, aren't I?"

Barry's mother quickly nodded, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Cynthia nodded back, before turning to Johanna. "I hate to ask this of you, but please, stay with her for now."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to do what the police SHOULD be doing," she declared, firing a withering gaze towards the officers still in the room before storming out of the house.

Once outside, Cynthia tossed a Poké Ball up into the air, releasing her Togekiss, who trilled with joy shortly before noticing his Trainer's expression.

"Ki?"

"We need to perform a sweep of Sinnoh and find someone with some odd-looking Sneasels," she stated, her voice leaving no room for debate.

"Tegi," the Pokémon nodded solemnly, and swiftly lowered himself to the ground so his Trainer could hop on.

Hop on she did, and the both of them soared into the air mere seconds later, eyes immediately scanning the immediate area for any trace of any sketchy individual. With no idea of what the mysterious stranger looked like, Cynthia resigned herself to a tough investigation.

But then again, when had her job ever been easy?

A different Togekiss flew above them in the distance, a sight Cynthia felt relief from. After all, it was said that they only showed themselves in times of peace, and that they brought blessings with them. What else could this be if not a sign that things were about to change for the better, and that this was simply the storm before the calm? That's what Cynthia chose to believe, anyhow. Eventually, the other Togekiss disappeared behind Mount Coronet, leaving Cynthia to continue a desperate search.

Back in Twinleaf, Johanna held the sleeping frame of her friend as she saw the police converse outside through a window. Dried tears Barry's mother hadn't wiped away stained her face as she slept, exhausted from the day's events.

As Johanna watched the police finally leave, she found that she couldn't cry. It was odd. She should be crying now too, shouldn't she? Then why did she simply find herself unable to cry, feeling numb to it all? It felt terrible. It all felt terrible, but what could she do about it?

So she sat and stared into the distance, listening to a clock on the wall tick, singing it's monotonous song as she willed the time away.

She just wanted everything to back to normal.

She just wanted her daughter back.

I just want... to...

...

She drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally claiming her as she properly rested for the first time in two days.

-----

After much convincing and Baby-Doll Eyes from both herself and Elesa, Emmet had finally (under the condition that they were to go back in their Poké Balls immediately upon the storm's end) relented and released Kyle's team into the Pokémon Center before both he and Elesa rushed upstairs to shower, leaving the teen downstairs to pamper and play with the Ferrothorn, Stunfisk, and Conkeldurr. The rain was still pouring down outside, and as she promised, Akari was keeping a sharp eye on the time; she'd taken them all down a peg or two before, and all three of them knew she could do it again.

As she got to know her knew companions properly, she learned all about their individual quirks and personalities. For one, it would seem that Ferrothorn absolutely adored having his shell polished while Stunfisk would try to bury herself amidst the dirt in the plant pots, much to Nurse Joy's dismay. Conkeldurr seemed to be the responsible one of the trio, almost acting brotherly towards the others.

Akari glanced up as the clock as she carefully shined the metal shell. Half an hour to go before she fought forces of nature, provided she had to. She went back to polishing, earning a satisfied grunt from the steel type. It was a little upsetting to see the layers of rust that had built up over time... Did Kyle not know that you had to polish steel types regularly? Or maybe he just didn't care. Unfortunately, Akari could only guess it was the latter.

Fortunately for Ferrothorn, Akari cared, and she loved working with her hands.

She once again found herself thankful for her tools, as her carving knife proved very useful in prying off stubborn pieces of rust. Thankfully, steel types didn't typically have a lot of nerve endings on the surface, so she was confident as she wielded the blade.

"Damn, this must've been making it hard for you to move," she commented as she removed a particularly large piece of debris away from one of Ferrothorn's joints. The large Pokémon hummed, as if to confirm.

At this point, Ferrothorn had a limb carefully wrapped around the girl, who in turn had taken the 'hand' on the end to clean it. Tsunami was not happy about this in the slightest, but kept his complaints to himself for once as he glared bitterly at the newcomer, keeping a close eye on them.

The thunder was beginning to die down outside. Akari figured Landorus must've begun to corral their brethren away so their squabbles wouldn't disrupt her plans any further. She chipped away at the last spot of rust before sighing, placing her knife back into her kit and into her bag.

"There we are," she breathed, fondly petting the Pokémon's head. "Does that feel better?"

The Ferrothorn sounded like gears grinding together, but looked happy regardless. Akari grinned herself as she began to sweep up the dark orange shards from around her feet, the vine-like appendage slowly moving itself away so the girl could move. Ferrothorn stepped away to rejoin his companions as Akari disposed of the rust, Tsunami choosing to closely trail behind his Trainer.

(Not because he was jealous. Absolutely not. He wasn't that petty. Definitely.)

Once the scraps had been cleared up, Akari took to lounging on one of the center's sofas, watching the three converse and goof off, Conkeldurr uprooting Stunfisk from a potted plant for what must have felt like the billionth time as the other two laughed.

She flashed another look at the clock. Fifteen minutes to go, and the thunder was drifting further away, but still audible.

They're cutting it rather close, aren't they?

Her ears pricked up as footsteps sounded down the stairs, Emmet and Elesa now clean, warm, and dry.

"Hey kid," Elesa greeted casually. "How are the new recruits doing?"

"Better! Especially now that Ferrothorn's rust is gone."

"I thought he was looking shinier. Verrrry impressive work, Miss Akari!" Emmet praised. Proper maintenance of steel types was integral to their health, after all! He remembers the first - and only - time he accidentally let too much rust accumulate on their shared Klinklang when they were only a Klink and he an amateur Trainer. Never again. He couldn't get the smell of old copper coins out of his clothes for weeks.

The lightning had ceased outside, and only the far-off echos of thunder remained as the rain began to ease up. Akari looked at the clock. Ten minutes left.

"What's up, sweetie?" Elesa asked, plopping herself next to Akari.

"Oh, nothing. Just waiting."

"Yeah, the rain is taking a while to clear up, huh?"

"It shouldn't take too much longer."

Elesa tilted her head. "How do you know?"

Akari just smiled, absentmindedly petting Tsunami's head as he rested it on her lap. The two adults shared a confused look as Emmet sat next to Elesa. The clock ticked on as Akari looked at it again.

Nine minutes to go, and the rain was beginning to ease even more, the lightning and thunder now gone. The plane could probably take off now, but she figured Emmet would say something as soon as it was confirmed. She could already see Nurse Joy bustling about in the background, answering calls and taking notes about various topics she couldn't quite catch.

Eight minutes, and she could tell Emmet was getting antsy. He could see as well as anyone that the weather was now more-or-less fit to fly in, and he wanted out. Honestly, Akari found his restraint impressive. Tsunami just found his eagerness amusing.

Seven minutes, and the announcement was finally made.

"Attention, everyone!" Nurse Joy bellowed from her desk. "Skyla's called me to say it looks safe enough for people to go out again! Please make sure you have all your belongings with you before leaving the building!"

Emmet had to hold himself back from bolting from the center to the airport as he fumbled with Kyle's Poké Balls to return the three new arrivals. Standing to attention, he threw put an arm in front of him before marching off.

"Our track is now clear! We mustn't delay any further!"

Akari followed suit, with Elesa trailing behind them, hurriedly texting someone while trying to keep up.

Elesa: Heyyyyy

Skyla: Elesa! Haven't heard from you in days! What's happening?

Elesa: Okay

Elesa: So

Elesa: How fast can we get you to fly us to Sinnoh?

Skyla: ...

Elesa: :)

Skyla: What authority are you running from now?

Elesa: OMA SKY, NO IT'S NOT LIKEBTHAT

Skyla: likebthat 

Elesa: SHUT UP I HAVE TONSTSTT RUNNING TO KEEP UPBWITH EMMET AND AKARI

Elesa: TONSTARG

Elesa: TOBSTART

Elesa: FUVK

Skyla: Okay wow you're struggling

Skyla: And did you say Emmet? You managed to drag him away from the Subway? And who the hell is Akari?

Elesa: Time-travelling child from Sinnoh.

Skyla: Okay you're fucking with me, there is no way you can suddenly type perfectly fine to tell me something that ridiculous

Elesa: We just stopped running because we're outside the gym and Emmet thinks you're already in on what's happening.

Skyla: what

Elesa: I may have said that I'd ask you sooner but totally forgot because. Events.

Elesa: Anyway so about that flight?

Skyla shoved her phone into a pocket seconds before the giant fans at the back of her gym sent her hurtling towards the entrance. She stuck the landing and immediately threw open the doors to the gym, eyes wide as she saw an expectant Emmet, whom she hadn't seen in months, a teenager dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and a very sheepish Elesa.

"...Uh, surprise?"

"ELESA, WHAT THE FUCK!?"

-----

A Togakiss soared high above all else, carrying very precious cargo. Said cargo was a blond man, and a newly acquired little of purple Sneasles, all chirping and mewling in excitement at being so high up.

It turned a corner and dipped into the mountains, circumnavigating the various rocks and peaks until finally arriving at a cave.

Deeper, deeper, and even deeper the man went with his new kits, scarcely a trail left behind other than the odd tuft of fur and claw mark made by the hatchlings. He paid them no mind. They looked like any other scratch in this place, and the wind would carry away the fur.

He'd perform a headcount later. He didn't have time to do so earlier, so he'd have to do that quickly when they arrived at his base. He'd know how many he had soon enough.

And he wouldn't realise one particularly curious little fellow sneaking off to do his own investigation.