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Chapter Text

Unova had not always been cold.

It used to have all four seasons: warm spring, hot summer, cool fall, and chilly winter. People and Pokémon alike would enjoy or at least expect the yearly routine, and plan indoor and outdoor activities accordingly. Spring was always a popular time: comfortable temperatures, outdoor festivities beginning again, new baby Pokémon to spot in the wild… They were joyful times, a celebration of life. Even natural disasters or teams of bad guys could not change that.

Then Ghetsis came along. His first plan, to rule Unova with the dragons of Truth and Ideals, fell through due to his idiotic 'son' and a rogue Trainer who stood in opposition. It was only a few years later, when Ghetsis found the husk that remained of the dragons, the Pokémon Kyurem, that his plan of domination came to fruition. Now the whole region was covered in a frozen wasteland, locked in eternity, until Ghetsis deemed otherwise. 

The powerful Trainers, gym leaders, and even Elite Four went up against the maniac but somehow, the power of a legendary Pokémon was too much for them all. Ghetsis declared them an example of what would happen to those who dared oppose him and none had attempted to overthrow him since.
The evacuation was only partially completed before Ghetsis' Neo Team Plasma captured all exit points and effectively held the entire region hostage. Everyone else lived in perpetual cold and fear of what their new overlord would decide next.

There was, however, a small glimmer of hope. The people who had not fully escaped the region or been captured by Neo Team Plasma had found refuge in an unlikely place: the region's Battle Subway. The system was quite extensive and acted as normal transit anyway so several entrances provided the perfect escape from the perpetual cold above. Hundreds, perhaps thousands even, of people and Pokémon alike (though there were few of the latter) had fled to the underground tunnels and begun to form a community. And this community was not without leadership: Emmet, one of the twin Subway Bosses, had led the charge for organizing all groups and supplies that came through, creating camps and smaller teams of other subway employees to keep people together and calm in the horrible disaster.

Only a few people knew why Emmet was working alone. Not long before Ghetsis attacked, the other Subway Boss, Ingo, had vanished without a trace. An official search had almost been organized, but bad guys don't wait for good people to be found, so the search never began. That left Emmet as the main individual in charge of the entire subway system, now repurposed into a massive refugee camp.

In one aspect, Emmet was glad for the task. It usually kept him too busy to mourn his brother (though he knew in his heart that Ingo was not dead) and forced him to remain focused on the present. These people needed him, here and now, there was no time to search for people who were not there. On the other hand, Emmet felt like he worked better with his twin beside him and often wished Ingo was at least home to help manage the new crisis. Then he scolded himself for thinking such because who knew if Ingo was even okay? How could Ingo be here helping if he himself needed help? Emmet missed his brother dearly, and though he had Ingo's team to help protect the civilians, he could tell they missed their Trainer, too.

Emmet was not truly alone at the top, though - he had a secret weapon. Amongst one of the earlier waves of refugees, a certain teenage boy had appeared, with quite the calm demeanor despite the situation. He was not a Pokémon Trainer, but worked with them so well, it was as if he could speak to them. He said his name was N, and though he never said where he came from and Emmet never asked, Emmet was close friends with the Nimbasa City Gym Leader, Elesa, who had helped save Unova from Ghetsis the first time. A peculiar detail she had shared afterwards was the presence of a young boy, Ghetsis' own son, who was supposed to help his father rule Unova but had had a change of heart near the end. Emmet never heard what he looked like or even his name, but this N bore an undeniable resemblance to Ghetsis, from his hair the same green and eyes just as piercing.

There was one major difference, however. N was incredibly kind. He was always the first to volunteer in distributing food and blankets, and often offered words of comfort to anyone struggling. Emmet had the feeling that, in any other situation, N would have gladly kept to himself, but something was driving him to go out of his way for this. When Emmet began suggesting small ideas to the subway employees on how to fight back against their icy dictator, N approached him almost immediately with an offer to help in any way he could. Emmet had no idea exactly how N had heard this, as it was strictly kept between employees and they all swore they'd never breathed a word to anyone else, but somehow this green-haired boy had found a way anyway. He seemed very determined to do everything in his power to stop Ghetsis, and Emmet realized that… he admired that. Most people were either too distressed to even think about fighting back or too angry to think up an organized effort that had a chance of working. But N's level-headedness, his unique connection with Pokémon… They could be a very useful asset indeed.

So when N proposed his unique skill set, Emmet put him on a small trial of sorts. N could, in his own words, "understand the hearts of Pokémon," so Emmet put that to the test. He assigned a handful of extra Joltiks to the boy and told him, "Find out all you can about the situation topside in three days' time." It was too risky to send human scouts, because they risked being captured or worse. But Pokémon, in the eyes of Ghetsis and Neo Team Plasma, were meant to be free from humans, so individual or grouped together, some 'wild' Joltik shouldn't raise any suspicions.

However, this was the first amount of power that Emmet was giving to N, and with that came trust. Trust to not betray the most powerful Trainer in the region outside of Ghetsis' control and the remaining survivors. Few Pokémon Trainers made it to the subway, and less had even a single Pokémon on them. If Neo Team Plasma were to magically find out where everyone was and launch an attack, they didn't stand a chance. So Emmet was trusting N not to let this happen and to instead make himself useful, like he promised. He didn't say this directly to N as he handed off his precious Joltik, but something in N's gaze told Emmet he understood. So he left N to his own devices and went back about coordinating supplies and generally being a leader.

Emmet saw even less of N during those three days and almost forgot about the assignment given, until N returned early on the fourth day with the exact number of Joltiks loaned to him perched atop his shoulders and hat. The look on N's face was troubled, however. "I sent them to scout for information, as you asked," the teenager began, "and they found several things. First, some areas above ground are even more dangerous than usual because the weather god Pokémon are outraged by the constant ice. They are tearing up entire sections of cities and forests in an attempt to reverse the cold. Neo Team Plasma is trying to capture them but the Pokémon have proven too quick. For now." N scowled as he spoke the last part. "However, Ghetsis is having the same scientist that designed his flying ship to spread Kyurem's ice now design something large and powerful enough to capture Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus. It may only be a matter of time before they are disposed of as well."

"How do you know what Ghetsis' scientist is doing?" Emmet couldn't help but ask.

N's expression lightened considerably. "I sent this little one-" the Joltik perched on his left shoulder jumped onto N's offered finger, "to follow any agents he found back to their base and follow Ghetsis around without being spotted. There were a few close calls, but no one suspected a simple Joltik to be a spy." The Joltik in question jumped and spun excitedly, looking very proud of itself. Emmet couldn't resist reaching out and giving it some congratulatory one-fingered head scratches.

"Where exactly are the legendaries attacking?" Emmet asked. N then listed off a few very specific areas on routes and near cities. Even small towns like Accumula were not spared. However, Emmet was impressed: he'd been keeping a mental note of where people and Pokémon had ventured out to for whatever they could scrounge up and tended to come back more battered and with less in certain areas, all of which were on the list of places N described.

Which meant he must have been telling the truth.

"Keep those Joltik with you for now," Emmet declared. "I may assign you a few more shortly, when my Galvantula's most recent batch hatches. I know you said you were not a Trainer, but I would like to see your prowess in battle."

N raised an eyebrow. "With… only Joltiks?"

Emmet's perpetual smile grew mischievous. "I never said it would be easy. Yes, I would like to battle you with only the Joltiks you have worked with thus far. It will prove how strong your bond is and how well you all trust each other."

N shook his head slightly but he wore a small smile. "I have always been able to understand Pokémon, and I once dedicated my life to helping them. I once denounced the barbaric rite of battling and hated humans for it. Now… now, I realize you cannot have one without the other. Pokémon and humans both need each other. Without them, they cannot realize their full potential." N raised his chin slightly, defiant. "I accept your challenge. And I will also continue to help the people here in any way I can." He turned to leave, Joltik crawling happily through his long, thick hair, when Emmet called out after him.

"And what do you think of it now?"

N stopped and turned back towards Emmet. "Of what?"

"Of battling."

N smiled broadly. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

For the first time in a long time, Emmet felt excited. Maybe he could do this without Ingo after all.

Chapter Text

N fought Emmet in a Pokémon battle, as he had promised, and despite the obvious handicap, he did quite well. He didn't win, of course, because Emmet liked winning more than anything, but N held out much longer than Emmet thought he would. He had figured out an interesting little swapping technique with the Joltik that kept Emmet's team on their toes. Yet N was never too predictable, either. All in all, it was an excellent battle that reminded Emmet why he and Ingo had started the Battle Subway to begin with. It seemed to raise morale amongst the refugees as well, seeing something as normal yet exhilarating as a Pokémon battle.

Simultaneously, something more important had happened. Emmet had gotten a much better feel for who N was as a person. And he could tell his gut instinct was right - N was an honest, eager, and kind person. He never pushed the Joltik too hard or scolded them, even giving words of praise during the battle. He treated them with nothing but kindness and support, which was exactly what Emmet wanted to see from someone training his own breeded Pokémon. N could be trusted to do more.

This was what led to an entire network of undercover Joltiks out on the surface. They could search for food, communicate with other wild Pokémon, and even track Neo Team Plasma's movements to the point where Emmet felt like he was there on their planning team. It was this exact network, however, that led to N rushing over to Emmet with grave news.

"What's the matter?" Emmet asked curiously as the teenager ran over.

"Bad news," he said, "Neo Team Plasma is planning to raid this subway entrance for survivors."

Emmet stiffened. "How do they know we're here?"

N shook his head. "We're unsure. An educated guess? They've scoured the region from top to bottom and they know few people escaped so they're starting to check underground. It was only a matter of time, we think." N often used 'we' to describe himself and Pokémon, but Emmet had gotten used to it a while ago.

Emmet's mind began racing with ideas. What could be done about the refugees? Him and the employees couldn't take a stand to defend themselves in the subway, the halls were too narrow for large-scale battles (never mind their lack of Pokémon), but maybe…

"We'll evacuate further into the tunnels!" Emmet declared, whirling in place and marching towards where the other employees were. N followed closely behind. "We haven't a moment to lose. With how many people there are here, we'll need everyone pitching in to ensure we don't leave a trace." The Subway Boss quickly pulled out a small whistle and blew into it three short times - the signal to all employees to gather for a meeting. "Be thinking of ways to coordinate this," Emmet advised N. "The sooner we decide on the best course of action, the better."

That was how the two unlikely allies found themselves half an hour later, helping people pack up their meager belongings and leading them deeper into the tunnels. Small children complained about needing to walk so much, but everyone older shushed them and was quiet with urgency. If Neo Team Plasma came while they were still relocating, the sound might give them away. It was a peculiar situation of frantic, yet almost deadly quiet besides the sounds of footsteps and shuffling clothing.

Emmet had practically built these tunnels with his brother, so he knew them like the back of his hand and was therefore easily able to lead everyone to a place far enough away to escape detection but not so far that they'd be walking all day. Emmet led the way while employees flanked from all sides, as well as some civilians who were trusted by the people, mostly older adults. Joltiks were fortunately plentiful enough to keep at least one per family or group of friends for light and energy, but N's crawled along the lower walls with the flanking people, acting as a quiet relay from front to back.

Emmet let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when they arrived at their desired designation without incident. Refugees began settling down again and N caught up with him. "No news from the Pokémon left to watch the tunnel entrance," he said. "Hopefully, we beat them to it."

Let's hope so, Emmet thought to himself. And that you didn't gain my trust earlier just to lead us into a trap now.

He was very pleasantly surprised to hear from a human scout that yes, Neo Team Plasma had indeed sent several scouts to investigate the tunnel everyone had just been in, only to find nothing. They left none the wiser of the subway survivors.

But Emmet knew this meant they were running out of time.

He called another meeting in the unpowered station office and explained the situation again. "We escaped this time, but these tunnels are not endless," he reminded everyone. "It's only a matter of time before they send enough people down to corner us. So, before that happens, we need to strike back." The employees glanced uneasily amongst each other, well aware of the power disadvantage they were at. N, however, was looking intensely right at Emmet, the spark of a fighting spirit in his eyes. "We need ideas. Obviously, we can't do this alone. We need help, so who do we contact? Who can we contact?"

"What about the international police?" one employee suggested. "The other regions have got to know by now that something's wrong here. They'd probably be the first to act."

Emmet nodded. "True, but we should contact them to ensure they don't walk into a trap and also coordinate their efforts with ours. Be thinking of ways to get in touch. Other ideas?"

"Other regions' Champions could help," another piped up. "Didn't Cynthia come visit here not too long ago?"

Emmet nodded slowly, remembering how he'd heard about that but unfortunately hadn't been able to meet the legendary Trainer. "She would be a great asset for a frontal assault, as well as any other potential Champions. Again, think of ways to alert her to the situation."

He glanced at N, who was now staring intently at the meeting table, looking deep in thought. When N noticed his questioning glance, the boy said, "I have a few people I can bring together. They know and trust me. They're not particularly strong Trainers but it would help bolster our numbers, which is the main thing we lack right now."

N was, once again, absolutely right, but Emmet didn't want to seem like he was playing favorites amongst the people in charge, so he just nodded again. It was quiet for another moment, some employees murmuring between themselves, so Emmet decided to move on.

"Now how can we get in contact with these people? Attaching notes to every Pokémon we send out would be pretty conspicuous and would not only raise suspicions among Neo Team Plasma, but raises the risk of being intercepted. Sending out people is an option, but they can't defend themselves as well as Pokémon, especially against the cold. We have very few flying Pokémon, so they'd mostly have to travel by land…" Emmet trailed off as he himself thought of the current problems and ways to solve them. The employees furrowed their collective brows in thought and the room was quiet for a few moments.

A couple people began to propose ideas but cut off when they realized they didn't fit through all the problems listed. Just as Emmet was starting to get frustrated, someone spoke up.

"What about Morse code?"

Emmet paused, blinking. "What about it?"

"What if we use Morse code to contact people outside? The average person isn't likely to know it."

"Well, therein lies the problem," someone else argued. "How do we know the people we're contacting even know Morse code?"

"It would be identifiable," the first person countered. "And they would probably at least have internet to look it up if they didn't know."

"We can't attach notes to the Pokémon, coded or not," Emmet reminded them.

"But that's the thing! We won't attach notes." They leaned forward, a glint in their eyes. "We'll teach the Pokémon themselves Morse code."

Understanding dawned on Emmet and he got a little excited at the possibilities. Morse code would be fairly recognizable even performed by a Pokémon, and it would ensure that only the people they wanted to receive the message would. Even if the messenger was captured, the message was safe.

"There is one problem," the person sheepishly admitted. "I… don't actually know Morse code." They glanced hopefully around the room but everyone stared back blankly. The hope started to fade from the room.

Emmet sighed dramatically. "Well, you're all very lucky I went through a phase in high school and taught myself Morse code, or else we'd be be back at square one." He grinned at everyone and they all perked up again, starting to smile back. Emmet clapped his hands together and said, "I will teach you all first so we can teach the Pokémon more quickly and get the messages out sooner. Attend to your duties for today and we will begin tomorrow."

Just out of curiosity (because Emmet was always curious how N responded to things) but also perhaps he was used to approving things with his twin, Emmet glanced at the teenager beside him to see his reaction. N was looking back at him, a small smile on his face as he slowly nodded once.

Meanwhile, in the middle of Unova's tundra wasteland, something very interesting was occurring.

For a while, it was as cold and empty as the rest of the region, but suddenly, a strange vortex of energy formed, swirling with blue and pink colors. It grew larger and larger until two human figures appeared within it, flanked by two much larger, floating beings. The vortex disappeared, leaving the figures.

One was an older man, slightly hunched over and wearing a tattered black version of Emmet's coat. He looked exactly like Emmet too, save for a small goatee on his chin. Next to him stood a young girl, about 15, with long black hair pulled into a ponytail under a bandana. Both wore old-fashioned clothes and shoes. The two floating figures, one navy blue and quadrupedal, the other white-pink and bipedal, could be none other than the Pokémon gods of time and space, Dialga and Palkia. The two humans gazed around for a moment, seeming confused.

"This can't be right," the girl said, scratching her head. "This just looks like the icelands. I know Palkia took us to the right place, though…"

The man adjusted his cap, also identical to Emmet's except black. "No… I recognize those buildings in the distance. Do you see them?" He pointed at tall rectangular shapes, gray amid the waves of white snow.

The girl squinted, shielding her eyes with one hand. "Oh! Those are skyscrapers!" she exclaimed.

The man nodded. "Indeed. Ones I remember well, now that I have seen them again. We are indeed in my home region, but…" His gaze grew dark. "Something has gone terribly wrong. This is not how it is supposed to be."

Dialga growled low in its throat, gaze directed into the distance, and Palkia shrieked, flexing its hands as if in anger. 

The girl's eyes were wide as she looked at them. "They're mad at something," she said. "I wonder if it's the work of another rogue legendary…"

The man, the missing Subway Boss Ingo, pulled his hat down determinedly. "Only one way to find out."

Chapter Text

The next day, after morning needs had been tended to, Emmet gathered everyone again and began the process of teaching them all Morse code. It went slower than he would've liked, always more impatient than his brother, but he simply reminded himself that this was step one in their plan for revenge, and they couldn't proceed to the next steps until it was done. So he and the employees persisted, some learning faster than others, and Emmet sent them off when he was confident they knew well enough to begin teaching their assigned Pokémon. N was especially quick, and even helped teach others without being asked. The teenager was able to explain things that confused the other employees in a different way from Emmet, like a teacher's aid. Emmet never said it out loud, but he was particularly pleased with N for once again going above and beyond his expected duties.

This was one reason why, when Emmet came across N teaching Joltik the code in a manner different from what had been decided, he approached out of curiosity.

The little yellow bug Pokémon was alternating between hopping in place and spinning in a tight circle, instead of tapping or humming like other Pokémon were being taught. At first, Emmet didn't even realize it was Morse code until something clicked in his head and he realized the hops were dit and the spins were dah, repeating over and over. Dah, dit. Dah dit. Dah dit. 'N'.

"This is not the way that was decided upon earlier," Emmet remarked when he was close enough, still observing.

N barely glanced at him, as if he had known the Subway Boss was there the whole time. "Joltik don't have enough control over their voices to hum, and are so much smaller than other Pokémon that tapping might not be noticed. This way, it's obvious they're doing something deliberate."

Emmet nodded, secretly delighted at N's ingenuity. "You are teaching them your name?"

N smirked at him. "More like my signature, so the people I contact will know it's me. I can send more specific messages, too, as the Joltik understand what I say." He was referring to how each Pokémon was only being taught the same message, since they obviously couldn't read and didn't know what the letters of the English language were. In reality, the employees were really teaching them to memorize a series of patterns, rather than understand what was being communicated: "send help, subway refugees. Meet with Emmet". But the Pokémon trusted them and understood how grave the situation was, so most went along with the plan quite willingly.

Emmet preened a little inside at how proud he was of his Joltik. So little, yet so smart! "Keep up the good work," he said to both N and the Joltik. "We may have a fighting chance yet."

In time, Pokémon learned the message and Emmet approved them to head out and find their desired recipients. N's Joltik went out on their own, but Emmet trusted N enough to do what needed to be done. This left the refugees somewhat short on something they already sorely lacked, but Emmet kept his and Ingo's teams on perimeter guard duty at all times, and N didn't send all his Joltik at once. Some, including others loaned to refugees, had evolved to Galvantulas and were better off underground continuing to help.

Once every Pokémon that was sent out with the message had left, days became yet another waiting game. Emmet caught himself staring expectantly at nearby entrances a little too often, hoping to see familiar figures or at least a Pokémon returning with good news. So it was quite the surprise when a few Joltik returned with a detective.

Emmet had been on early morning patrol, as he always did, when he spotted three or four of his little bugs crawling down the stairs to the outside frantically. They beelined straight to him once they spotted him and began climbing him, seeming agitated.

"Whoa, whoa!" Emmet exclaimed, trying to wrangle them out of his hair. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"So there are people down here!"

Emmet froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, speaking from the stairs. A lone figure was hurrying down, trying not to slip on the ice. Emmet's instincts went on high alert, thinking they may have finally been found, but the person was not wearing Neo Team Plasma gear, nor was any person or Pokémon with them. They were dressed in a trench coat, and even looked almost familiar…

"You're Emmet, then? The Subway Boss?" the brown-haired man asked as he landed on the last step. "These are your Joltiks?"

Emmet snapped himself back to attention and smiled broadly. "I am Emmet," he confirmed. "If you received our message, you must be important. Follow me. It's not safe to talk here."

"All right, but I have several questions!"

"I'm sure you do," Emmet muttered, half to himself, as he turned tail and marched back down into the tunnels. 

They soon arrived at the base camp, which the stranger stared at curiously but Emmet was quick to pull him into the makeshift meeting room.

“So,” Emmet said, once the door was mostly closed. “Who are you that our Pokémon deemed worthy enough to receive our emergency message?”

The man straightened, adjusting his coat’s lapels. “They call me Looker,” he said. “I’ve done investigative work in Unova before but this is a whole new kind of bad!”

Emmet’s smile was strained. “Tell me about it,” he muttered. “Looker, I know that name… international police, right?”

Looker nodded. “Exactly. I was with an assault task force infiltrating Ghetsis’ place of operations when things went south fast. I managed to disguise myself and escape capture to ensure somebody got the news out, but I was stopped by your little Joltik.” A few of said bugs were currently curled up inside Emmet’s coat, warming up from their frigid expedition. One peeked its head out curiously at the mention of its name but quickly retreated back inside when it found nothing interesting.

“They must have seen you with the international police,” Emmet mused, fixing his gloves idly. “Well, detective. Now that you understand how dire things are, are you willing to coordinate with us to make some real progress?”

“Absolutely,” Looker said, with a mock salute. “We were way in over our heads before, your message of coordinating attacks is a much better chance.”

“Can you get back in contact with the police from here?”

Looker thought for a moment, stroking his chin. “Not from the subway itself,” he said. “With power and other long forms of communication down, contact will be nearly impossible. But I know where the team that dropped us off in this region is positioned, and I should be able to make it on foot there.”

“It’s extremely dangerous to go on foot alone up there,” Emmet warned. “Do you at least have Pokémon with you?”

Looker grinned. “What kind of undercover cop do you take me for?” He flashed a handful of small, red and white balls. “I know how to get myself out of sticky situations.”

Emmet tried not to let his eye twitch show. He did not find Looker’s quip amusing, given how horrible the current situation was, but he let it slide. He certainly didn’t have the energy to argue with the other man over it. 

“Then that is how you can best help us,” Emmet said in lieu of insulting Looker. “Make your way safely back to your dropoff team and coordinate with us so that we may finally put an end to this.”

Looker nodded, eyes bright with determination, but then he paused, looking thoughtful. “How will I contact you again with subtlety?”

“Take a Joltik,” Emmet said, drawing one out from his coat. “They know how to get back here quickly and easily, and still have not raised Neo Plasma’s suspicions, as far as we can tell.” The little spider in his hand uncurled and blinked up at him sleepily. “But please take good care of it, I bred them myself.”

Looker at least had the decency to look impressed at the last statement as he let the Joltik crawl from Emmet’s offered hand to his. “Of course. And they know Morse code, so they can send messages to you.”

Emmet almost told Looker about N and his ability to hear Pokémon directly, but remembered that N probably didn’t want to be in the spotlight, what with the kinds of jobs he volunteered for, and instead said, “They have learned how to memorize and repeat Morse code patterns, so be sure they know the message well before sending them back.”

“Of course, I-”

Before Looker could finish his sentence, the door behind him opened and none other than a certain green-haired boy poked his head through. “Emmet, a new supply area has been found, do you-” N stopped as soon as he saw the police agent. His previously inquiring expression dropped into something coldly neutral. “Hello,” he said carefully.

Looker’s eyes grew wide. “So THIS is where you’ve been hiding,” he said lowly, looking a little too interested for Emmet’s liking. “Your father has been looking for you.”

N’s expression darkened further. “I am well aware,” he said stiffly. “I’d like to keep it that way.”

A somewhat mischievous smile started to form on Looker’s face before he steeled it into something more professional. “Of course, of course,” he said. “I’m on my way to coordinate with international police now.” He turned back to Emmet. “Thank you for your cooperation, I will return your Joltik with the necessary information shortly!” With that, the detective whirled around, his trenchcoat flaring dramatically, and carefully made his way past N to the stairs back up to the top.

N watched him leave with all the warmth of a zookeeper watching their least favorite animal to take care of, then turned back to Emmet. “So, operation contact is a success?” he asked, looking a little less murderous.

Emmet smiled. “It would seem so, yes,” he replied. “Step one, at least. But we shouldn’t slack! There’s still lots of work to do.”

Far aboveground, two travelers of interest were making their way across the tundra.

“I definitely do not recognize the large, flying ship,” the black-garbed man Ingo said.

“Dialga and Palkia definitely seemed to be interested in it,” the girl Akari said, having put the legendaries away in her pokeballs already. “I don’t trust them to keep us safe flying there, though, so sorry again about the walk.”

Ingo waved his hand dismissively. “Do not worry yourself over it, I do not mind in the slightest.” He looked up at the horizon again. “I do wonder if there is something else we could be doing, though.”

Akari scratched her head. “Yeah, you really gotta wonder where all the people are! Does it mean this has been happening for a while? Or maybe just recently? Ugh, I have so many questions!”

Ingo shook his head slightly in amused exasperation. It was all the girl could talk about.

At least until the pair noticed a small yellow spider Pokémon circling their legs frantically, obviously trying to get their attention. Akari stared curiously as Ingo stopped her, watching as the Joltik stood front and center and began hopping and jumping. “...What is it doing?” Akari asked, brow furrowed. “I’ve never seen a Pokémon do that before!”

“I don’t - wait…” Ingo started to say before a sense of familiarity struck him. He watched intently as the Pokémon that he knew continued its little dance. Something clicked and jumps became dit and twirls became dah . Dit dah dah dah. Dit dah dah. Dit dah. “B… W… A…” he murmured, almost without realizing it.

Akari looked at the warden in surprise. “It’s spelling things?” she asked.

“I… believe so,” Ingo said slowly. “I know those patterns, it’s a kind of… code. Jumping and twirling is not the conventional method of communicating it, but this Pokémon seems very clever.”

“Well, what is it saying?!” Akari cried, gripping Ingo’s coat sleeve with excitement.

Ingo narrowed his eyes in concentration, staring intently. The Joltik - he remembered now, it was a Joltik, wasn’t it? - finished its message and stood still, staring back with big, blue eyes. “I missed the first part,” he said slowly, “but it spoke of refugees. This must be a cry for help from people in danger.”

Akari eyes went huge. “In trouble?! We’ve gotta help them! But how will we do that?”

Ingo stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “It said ‘meet with Emmet’, which I believe…” He trailed off, gaze unfocusing. “I know him,” he said suddenly, with great conviction. “Saying that aloud, I realize I know him well. Is he… the man who looks like me…?”

Akari’s eyes, impossibly, grew even wider. “Really?!” she practically shrieked. “Then we’ve GOT to find him! He might know more about your past!!”

Ingo nodded absentmindedly as his gaze sharpened and he bent down to look at the Joltik more closely. “Take us to Emmet,” he said firmly, with what Akari could tell was barely contained urgency.

The Joltik jumped twice, looking very happy, before eagerly scuttering off in a seemingly random direction.

Maybe I will finally get some answers, Ingo thought as the two ran after it.