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It was the middle of the night when Emmet abruptly jerked awake.
For once, it wasn't because of a nightmare. He was no stranger to them- he'd been having them ever since Ingo disappeared. Those first few months were the worst, but they'd never really gone away- just tapered off somewhat. Sometimes they were downright awful, leaving him unable to sleep for the rest of the night, and sometimes they were just... deeply uncomfortable, in a way that was hard to explain. But Ingo was back now, and the nightmares seemed to have been chased away with his return.
Back. Ingo was back.
Emmet felt his mouth turn upwards at the mere thought. His brother was back now, and for a full week at that! Tonight was his first night home from the hospital, where he'd been kept under observation temporarily. But thankfully he had been granted a clean bill of health, and had been released so that he could finally come home after five long years away.
Yes, he'd come back with severe memory loss, but they could certainly work on that! Yes, he felt a bit like a stranger at times, but they could fix that too! Ingo was back, and that was all that mattered.
Speaking of which...
There was that sound again. It had jerked him awake, for a moment forgetting that he wasn't alone anymore. It sounded as if it was coming from the kitchen- perhaps Ingo was getting a late night glass of water? He was making an awful lot of noise for just that, however.
Yawning, Emmet swung his feet out of his bed. It wouldn't hurt to check. It was Ingo's first night back, after all- the doctors had warned him that there was a chance he might occasionally be disorientated upon waking, given the large difference between his current and previous surroundings. It sounded like something out of a tall tale- time travel!
But he certainly had no reason to doubt it! Amnesia or not, Ingo wouldn't lie to him.
"Ingo?" Emmet called out, heading towards the kitchen. The lights were off, but he knew these tracks well enough that it wasn't an issue. "Is every-"
He came to a dead stop. Two pairs of glowing eyes were staring straight back at him.
Instinctively he reached for his Pokeballs- only to remember he'd left them back in his room, not thinking he'd need them. Surely no one would be stupid enough to break into the apartment of some of Unova's strongest trainers, but no person had glowing eyes-
"...Emmet?"
Wait.
Emmet squinted, peering into the dark. One of the two pairs was...
"Ingo?"
"Yes?" Ingo replied. "Is something wrong?"
For the span of a second, all Emmet could do was gawk. Then he reached for the light switch, flipping it on. Now illuminated, the two intruders were revealed to be none other than his brother and his new Gliscor- along with one of the peculiar Sneasels his brother had brought back with him, clinging to the man's head as if it were a perch.
Emmet stared. Ingo stared right back.
Emmet turned off the lights again. Ingo's eyes lit back up again.
Emmet turned the lights back on. Ingo's eyes stopped glowing.
Rinse, repeat.
"Ingo," Emmet began slowly, the kitchen light currently switched to the off position, "-are you aware your eyes glow?"
"Did they not before?" Ingo asked, sounding uncertain. "They always did in Hisui, so I assumed-"
"They most certainly did not." Emmet said firmly. "I am Emmet. I would remember if your eyes glowed."
"It must have started in Hisui, then." Ingo mused, alarmingly indifferent to the fact that his eyes were currently glowing just as bright as his Gliscor's. "A side-effect, perhaps, though I don't quite recall Akari's eyes doing the same."
"You are taking this verrry well, brother." Emmet observed, switching the kitchen lights back on. Ingo's Gliscor chittered in amusement, no doubt thinking this was some kind of game.
"I've had the past five years to get used to it," Ingo observed, "-and it was hardly the most pressing concern."
Emmet found it hard pressed to argue with that- he still didn't know much about this Hisui place his brother had found himself in, other than that it was apparently ancient Sinnoh, but it sounded like it could be a rather dangerous place if the sheer size of the three extinct Pokemon his brother had brought back with him was any indication.
And he too, knew full well what one could get used to in the span of five years.
"I am Emmet," Emmet said, "-and that is fair. But it does not explain why the three of you are making so much noise this late."
"Oh," Ingo said, placing a coffeepot on the counter, "-I remembered what coffee was. Although figuring out how to make it took longer than I would like to admit."
"It is four in the morning." Emmet pointed out.
"Yes?" Ingo replied. "I admit, it is a bit later than I would usually wake, however..."
Emmet held up a hand, cutting his brother short. They'd always had an early schedule, but if his time in Hisui had turned his brother into an even earlier riser, he'd at least like to learn that fact at a more reasonable hour for himself.
That said, he doubted he was going to be getting back to sleep anytime soon.
"Just tell me you made enough for two." Emmet said.
"I believe so," Ingo said, "-though I cannot comment on the quality. I... do not think it is supposed to smell quite this burnt."
"It is not!" Emmet agreed. "But that is okay. You did not even know what it was yesterday!"
"I suppose not." Ingo mused, glancing around the kitchen in vague confusion. "Now where are-?"
"The mugs are in the cabinet to the farthest left." Emmet advised.
Ingo thanked him, busying himself with retrieving the mugs. It reminded him with a sharp pang of times before. If it weren't for the extinct Pokemon still clinging to his brother's head, Emmet could almost fool himself into believing that he'd never disappeared. He had, of course. But as rude an awakening as it had been, at least it brought with it promises that there was a new normal ahead of them.
Even if that new normal brought with it glowing eyes.
The edges of his lips further quirking upwards, Emmet made a mental note to invite Elesa over to spend the night soon. It would be verrry fun!