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Chapter Text

"Is this your Pokemon?"

Dawn blinked, her eyes darting around until they finally settled on the source of the young by loud voice that almost seemed to have come out of nowhere. Sitting in front of her Empoleon, staring up at it with rapt fascination, was a small child. He definitely hadn't been there when she'd checked a moment ago, and she certainly hadn't heard him sneak up on them. Judging from Empoleon's reaction, neither had it, the water/steel type looking just as surprised as she felt. The boy couldn't have been in older than five, with an unruly head of black hair and pale skin. He wore a black hoodie and had a deep frown set on his face, somewhat offset by the bright pink Chansey-print band-aid on his cheek.

His silver eyes were almost piercing.

"Oh!" Dawn smiled, even as her eyes darted about, looking for the kid's parents to no avail. "Um, yeah! This is my Empoleon."

The child cocked his head, staring up at her Empoleon. Empoleon, always a champ, bore it with a silent indulgence... and maybe just a bit of showboating, judging from the way it puffed out its chest to look tougher. She fought the urge to snort. Show off.

"It's a water and steel type," the kid said, looking up at her, "-right?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Dawn said. "You know your stuff, huh?"

"I like Pokemon," the kid said, "-I'm gonna be a trainer one day."

"Yeah?" Dawn asked, crouching so that she was more on the kid's level. "You thinking of taking on the Gym Challenge? I hear the Champion's pretty tough..."

(She swore Empoleon rolled its eyes. Hush. If he could show off, so could she.)

The boy's lips stayed downturned, but something in his eyes sparkled at the prospect as he furiously nodded his head. Dawn couldn't help but smile. It wasn't that long ago that she was that age- dreaming of her own Pokemon journey. She could have never imagined how it would have turned out, what with the Team Galactic stuff and everything- not to mention the fact that after that, she'd actually gone on to beat Cynthia. Cynthia!

Sometimes she still wasn't sure how she'd managed that one.

"I'm Dawn," she introduced herself, "-what's your name?"

Nobori blinked, mouthing her name. He looked... confused? The moment quickly passed however, the boy shaking off whatever odd feeling had swept over him.

"I'm-"

"Nobori!"

Dawn looked up, spotting what had to be the kid's mother, if the strong resemblance was anything to go by. She was wearing a large, wide-brimmed sunhat and a white lab coat over dark clothes, and looked more than a little out of breath. By her side was the largest Gourgeist she'd ever seen- not that she saw many here in Sinnoh. Every once in a blue moon they got challengers from other regions, though. Just the other week, she'd fought someone all the way from Unova!

"Mom!" The kid- Nobori, she guessed- sprung to his feet. "Look at the Empoleon!"

"Yes," his mother said once she'd caught her breath, "-it's a very nice Empoleon, darling. But please don't wander off like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack when I turned around and you were gone."

...wait. Don't tell her the kid had literally followed after her Empoleon. Oops. She wasn't on the hook for that, right? It wasn't like she'd noticed she was being followed!

"Oh," Nobori's frown actually seemed more like a frown this time, "-I'm sorry. I didn't do all my safety checks first."

"That's alright," his mother said, before finally sparing a quick glance in her direction- only to do a double take, apparently recognizing her, "-oh! You're-"

"I'm Dawn!" Dawn hastily cut the woman off before she could blurt out that she was Sinnoh's Champion. "Nice to meet you!"

She couldn't let herself be revealed after she'd bragged to Nobori about the Champion being strong! Way too embarrassing. Barry would never let her live it down if he heard about it.

"Dawn," the woman repeated, "-it's nice to meet you. I'm Alice. I hope Nobori didn't cause you any trouble. He can get a bit carried away when it comes to Pokemon."

Dawn just laughed. "It's fine. I was the same at his age."

She was pretty sure she'd never wandered off after one, but... well, her mom might be able to dispute that. Moms always remembered all the embarrassing stuff you did as a child better than you did. That was like, a special mom power or something.

"It wasn't just the Pokemon," Nobori insisted.

Dawn blinked, tilting her head. It wasn't?

"Oh?" Alice perked up at that, crouching down next to her son. "Was there something else?"

Nobori frowned, his brow furrowing like he was thinking about it... but finally, he shook his head. His mother just hummed, lightly ruffling his hair, an odd look briefly flickering through her eyes as she looked back up at her. It passed quickly, as her gaze instead fell on the other five pokeballs that she wore on her belt.

"Actually," she began, "-if it's not too much trouble, do you think you could let Nobori meet the rest of your Pokemon?"

Dawn blinked, glancing down at Nobori. There was that sparkle again. Still no smile, but maybe the kid wasn't big on smiling. That was fine. Some kids weren't.

"What do you think, buddy?" Dawn asked, glancing at Empoleon.

It made a noise of agreement, and Dawn couldn't help but smile. It wasn't like she was in much of a hurry. Besides, she was pretty sure one of her duties as Champion was to inspire the next generation of trainers... even if Cynthia was the one who was actually taking care of most of the official Champion duties, on account of her being fifteen and all.

"Guess that settles it then!" Dawn said, reaching for her pokeballs before pausing, glancing down at Nobori. "You got a favorite type of Pokemon?"

Probably. A kid so into Pokemon that he'd followed behind some random Empoleon definitely had a favorite type. Maybe she had one...

"Ghost types," Nobori said resolutely, "-I like ghost types."

Perfect! She had a Froslass the kid would probably adore.

Dawn's Rotom phone vibrated, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oops," she said after she pulled it out of her pocket and took a look at the time, "-I actually have to get going."

She hadn't realized it had gotten this late! She was supposed to meet Professor Rowan and Lucas in Sandgem to help them with some research after lunch. She'd thought she'd had more time, but she guessed they'd just blown through the entire morning talking about Pokemon.

Nobori had been taken with her Froslass, just like she thought he would be. He'd also been very interested in her Tangrowth, at one point tugging on his mom's sleeve and whispering something into her ear. It had been kind of cute, honestly.

"Really?" Nobori asked, almost sounding disappointed.

"Mm," Dawn nodded, "-I have to meet some friends."

Well, Professor Rowan was more like a mentor than a friend, but...

"We should probably head home too," Alice noted, "-your father is probably wondering where we've gone off to. We were supposed to be home an hour ago."

"It's okay, he probably just thinks you got possessed again." Nobori remarked.

Dawn blinked, but she didn't get a chance to ask the question she desperately wanted to because her phone buzzed again. Except instead of Lucas, this time it was from Barry... which meant if she didn't respond in like, the next minute, she'd get twenty other texts in a row from him. Geez. Letting him have a Rotom phone had been a mistake.

"That's too bad," she settled for saying instead, "-but maybe we'll cross paths again? I come through Jubilife City a lot. Do you live here?"

"No," Nobori shook his head, "-we live in Floaroma Town. We just come here for shopping."

Dawn's face slightly fell. She didn't visit Floaroma often. She never had much of a reason to. The flower meadows were pretty, but they didn't have a lot of Pokemon, and the town itself was always extremely peaceful. She was pretty sure Team Galactic taking over the Valley Windworks some years back was the most excitement that place had ever seen in ages.

"But it's okay," Nobori abruptly added, "-we'll see each other again."

Dawn blinked, glancing down at the boy. For a brief moment, he seemed... older, somehow. Then it passed, leaving her to wonder what that feeling had been.

"Well, if you say it with such certainty, I don't see any reason to doubt it!" Dawn beamed.

Then winced. Yep. That was Barry texting her again. She really had to respond.

Quickly saying her goodbyes to the pair, she hastily made her way towards Route 202, texting Barry as she walked. That hadn't been how she'd planned on spending her morning, but it had been fun. Nobori was a sweet kid, and she kind of hoped she really did get the chance to meet him again.

Who knows? He'd sounded pretty certain that they would, after all.

Hundreds of years in the past, a young girl named Akari met a man with silver eyes and deep frown.

"Pleased to properly meet you. I apologize for the abrupt how-do-you-do before," he said, tipping the brim of his black cap lower, "-I am the warden Ingo."

Chapter Text

"Is it true?"

Across from her, the silver-eyed man blinked. Akari shifted somewhat awkwardly in her seat- the Security Corps caravans were never exactly comfortable, but she also didn't usually have to share them with a stranger.

Well. Not quite a stranger. They had been introduced at least. The man was Ingo, a warden of the Pearl Clan, in charge of the Highlands Noble, Lady Sneasler. He was supposed to help her deal with the frenzy of the other Highlands Noble, Lord Electrode, though she wasn't totally clear on the details. She might have tuned Irida a bit out after she'd dropped the bombshell on her that Ingo was like her- displaced. Lost in Hisui without any memories and no knowledge of where they actually belonged.

She'd thought... well, she'd thought she was the only one.

Guess not.

"Apologies," the man tilted his head ever so slightly, "-you'll have to be a touch more specific."

"Oh," Akari shifted again, resisting the urge to bury herself in her scarf, "-um, is it true what Irida said? About you being like me? You know... a skyfaller?"

That was what people in Hisui had started calling her. She didn't mind it too much, actually. Skyfaller sounded pretty cool, even if she knew some of them said it with fear and apprehension. But those people were steadily becoming fewer as the result of her hard work, and she even had some people in the village she kind of regarded as friends now. It made things infinitely more bearable.

"Ah," understanding washed over Ingo's face, "-I do not know if I fell from the sky, per say, but it is true that I am not from Hisui, nor do I know where I was before this. Lady Irida tells me it is the same for you."

Akari nodded. "Yeah, except I definitely fell from the sky. The professor saw it and everything."

"That must have been a rather harrowing experience." Ingo's seemingly perpetual frown deepened. "It's quite remarkable that you are alright after such a thing."

"Maybe," Akari shrugged, "-I don't really remember it."

"Perhaps for the better," Ingo remarked, before lifting his head slightly, "-ah. We're almost to the Highlands."

Akari frowned, wondering how he could tell. But when she pushed back the thick curtain that shielded those inside the caravan from view, she realized he had to be right. This was her first time in this part of Hisui, but with Mount Coronet so close, where else could they be?

The rift was closer now too.

Maybe Cyllene was right not to let her come here until she'd earned her four star rank.

Shivering slightly, Akari closed the curtain. It didn't feel as if it had been that long since she'd had to unexpectedly quell Lord Arcanine's frenzy, and now she already had to deal with another one. She might not remember much about her personal life before Hisui- even her name was something the professor helped her think up- but she did remember Pokemon.

Electrode liked to explode.

That would not be fun.

"Are you alright?"

Akari jumped, not expecting the question. It wasn't as if no one in Hisui cared about her wellbeing, but... sometimes it felt as if they could stand to do it a little more.

"I'm fine," Akari lied, offering the warden a smile she didn't feel, "-it's just a little colder than I expected."

"Ah yes," Ingo nodded, "-it is always quite a bit colder in the Highlands, even during the warmer months. It is still quite the improvement from the Icelands, however!"

Akari winced. Yeah. She definitely wasn't looking forward to going to the Icelands. Just the name alone sounded miserable. She didn't understand how Irida could dress so lightly when she was supposed to be from a part of Hisui where there was always snow on the ground, no matter the time of year. Maybe she was part fire type...?

"Good thing I dressed warm, then!" Akari said.

Well, that part had mostly been due to Anthe. She'd heard that she was planning on traveling to the Highlands next, and insisted that she buy some warmer boots. She certainly didn't mind- they were already proving quite a bit sturdier than the straw sandals she'd had before. Captain Cyllene had provided her with another uniform, this one made out of thicker material, which already seemed to be doing its part in keeping out the chill.

She'd have to thank them both later, she idly thought.

"Yes, that was very wise of you," Ingo nodded, "-though our trek will keep you quite active, so I am certain you would have stayed warm regardless."

Akari grimaced a bit at that. She'd gotten used to all the walking that living in Hisui entailed... sort of. When she'd only had to deal with the Fieldlands, it hadn't been that bad, but she was starting to sorely miss... well, something. It felt like the paths where she came from were a lot more distinct than they were here. Here they were more like Pokemon trails, where they existed at all. Gaining Wyrdeer's approval had certainly made things easier!

But the mountains... ugh. She really hoped she could win the approval of this Lady Sneasler. She didn't want to climb. She was pretty sure she didn't even know how. Although given how much she actually knew about herself...

...yeah, okay. Probably not.

The cart jostled to a stop. Akari grumbled, wishing again these things could stop a little more smoothly. Ingo appeared unbothered... or at least, she thought he was. His expression had barely shifted from a frown since they'd met in Jubilife. She was starting to wonder if he could make other expressions.

She wasn't going to lie- it was a little unnerving. But Captain Cyllene was that way too, and she was actually really nice, so maybe the same was true for the warden?

"Ah, it seems we've arrived," Ingo rose to his feet, glancing briefly towards her, "-I expect you will want the chance to do a bit of survey work before we progress through Wayward Cave, so I will await you at the entrance."

Akari nodded, a little grateful for the offer. Was she just trying to delay the inevitable confrontation with Lord Electrode for as long as possible? Maybe. Was she also just trying to put off dealing with Warden Melli again?

Absolutely.

(She still couldn't believe he'd called her a noodle. Had he even looked in a mirror recently? He wasn't exactly beefy himself!)

"Excellent!" Ingo exclaimed. "I shall await your arrival at the next station!"

Wow, Akari blinked, watching as Ingo left the cart. She hadn't expected him to be so loud. At least she was completely awake now.

The entrance to Wayward Cave wasn't hard to find. There was pretty much only one path she could take, so she took her time documenting the few Pokemon that roamed the area. She was grateful she'd brought her own trusty Luxray to deal with the Luxio, the aggressive little buggers managing to spot her even when she thought she was being sneaky. She made a mental note to make some more stealth spray later.

Ingo tipped his hat in greeting, inquiring if she was ready to proceed. She wasn't really sure if she was... but well, she couldn't exactly keep him waiting forever. It wasn't his fault that Melli was such a pain in the ass.

Speaking of Melli, though...

Ugh. Maybe she have studied those Yanma a little longer.

At least he was gone as quickly as he came- but not before calling her a Galaxy Grunt, something she couldn't help but bristle at. She'd already stuck out her neck for these people three times before, and she was about to do it for a fourth time. Maybe Melli didn't think his Lord needed quelling, but she'd seen what had happened to the new Lord Arcanine after he'd been struck by that golden lightning- there was no way Lord Electrode was enjoying being frenzied.

Ingo, at least, seemed to agree.

"Lady Sneasler is quite distressed," he remarked, as they carefully made their way through the dark cave, "-she and Lord Electrode are on rather good terms. Seeing them this way has her in a bit of a frenzy of her own, you could say. She will be quite glad once they've been restored to their former state."

Akari hummed. It was easy to picture that. The new Lord Arcanine's friend had been equally as distressed.

"So how did you become a warden?" Akari asked. "I mean, I hear the clans aren't exactly welcoming of outsiders."

Not that the Galaxy Team was much better- though there were exceptions. Professor Laventon had always made her feel welcome, and she wouldn't hesitate to call Rei a friend. Captain Zisu felt a bit like a mentor, and so did Captain Cyllene. Commander Kamado...

...well, she probably just had to work a bit harder to win his trust, that's all.

"You are correct!" Ingo said. "Normally it would be out of the question for one such as myself to become a warden, even if I had been accepted into the clan. But Lady Sneasler was the one who chose, and no one could really go against that."

Akari hummed, opening her mouth to ask another question when Ingo abruptly stopped. There was an Alpha Crobat up ahead, its red eyes blazing in the dark. They'd have to take a different path, not wanting to risk a battle in such low visibility. She could feel her heart pound as they crept past, only quieting when she could no longer hear the beating of its wings.

"So," she chanced, once they had gotten a good distance away, "-how long have you been here?"

Ingo considered the question. "I believe I have been set on these tracks for about five years now, though it is hard to say exactly."

Five years. Akari swallowed. That was a long time.

Ingo glanced back at her, his expression inscrutable. "You're worried about what that means for you."

Akari bit her lip, but slowly nodded. "I don't exactly remember much, but I think my mom would be sad if I disappeared for that long."

Ingo hummed. "Yes, I believe I understand what you mean."

Akari perked up a bit at that, curious. "Do you have family?"

"I believe so, though it pains me to admit I cannot remember how the two of us were related." Ingo remarked. "I remember a man in white who looked like me, though he would always smile. We spoke of battling often, I believe."

"Like Pokemon battles?" Akari asked.

"Indeed," Ingo nodded, "-I hear from Lady Irida you are quite skilled at them."

Akari flushed at the praise, a little flattered to hear Irida had been speaking well of her. "I mean... I guess I am? But no one else here seems that interested in them, so I'm not sure if I'm actually really any good or if everyone else just sucks."

Ingo hummed again, but if something was on his mind, he chose not to express it. She didn't have a chance to ask however, as they'd already made it to the exit-

-where Melli was waiting for them.

Arceus help her.

Warden Melli was not good at battling.

Warden Ingo was.

Akari groaned, recalling her fainted Typhlosion. She'd been doing well at first- she'd managed to take out his Machoke and Tangela handily enough.

And then Ingo had sent his Gliscor out.

Ugh. Something about getting swept by a part ground type felt familiar to her, even if she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd ultimately defeated that one. Still, it was a sobering loss, her first since she'd arrived in Hisui.

"Bravo!"

Akari blinked, looking up at the Warden. His expression remained unreadable, but his tone was excited, and she swore there was a sparkle in his otherwise dull eyes. If she didn't know any better, she would say he was happy.

"You preformed excellently!" Ingo exclaimed. "I can see why Lady Irida spoke so highly of your battling ability!"

"I lost," Akari said bluntly, "-you literally took out my whole team with one Gliscor."

"Ah, but not due to a lack of effort on your part." Ingo remarked. "One's skill is not only measured by their victories."

Akari cracked a faint smile. She wanted to be upset, but Ingo sounded sincere enough with his praise that it was hard to. "Yeah, I guess. Maybe I'll do better next time?"

"I would be honored if you would battle me again." Ingo said. "But I suppose we should focus on the task at hand first. I will call for Lady Sneasler."

Akari nodded, not really looking forward to the task at hand either. But she guessed it had to get done, and nobody else around here seemed inclined to do it. She certainly wasn't expecting any help from Melli, who seemed intent on getting in her way instead. At least the other wardens had actively obstructed her- even if they hadn't necessarily been super helpful either.

It wasn't as if she could get too mad about it. She sort of understood that there was some complicated stuff at play, and it wasn't like she could even ask half of them. Warden Lian was even younger than she was, and Warden Calaba was ninety-nine years old. She was pretty sure Iscan wouldn't have lasted a minute with Lord Arcanine, judging from the way he'd jumped at the shadow of a Magby.

She still didn't understand why someone from the Galaxy Team couldn't help her though. Then again, she got the feeling that this wasn't the first time she'd dealt with something like this before- which was strange. Sure, she didn't remember much of anything about her past, but she felt like she would at least remember putting her life on the line before. Maybe it hadn't quite been that dramatic?

Eh. She'd worry about it later. It wasn't important right now.

She'd surely be going home after she completed her task, right? She could ask then, if she still didn't remember.

"Miss Akari? Are you alright?"

Akari blinked, abruptly realizing she'd zoned out. Oops.

"Yeah, sorry," she said, "-just thinking about something. And you don't have to call me miss. Just Akari is fine."

Ingo tipped his hat. "As you wish, Akari."

Akari smiled a little. She hadn't been sure about Ingo at first, but this highlands warden was starting to grow on her. If only he were Lord Electrode's warden instead of Melli, this would be a lot easier.

"Pardon me if I'm mistaken," Ingo began, "-but are you perhaps having apprehensions about quelling Lord Electrode?"

"Apprehensions," Akari echoed, "-I- yeah, that's one way to put it."

Ingo's expression remained unreadable, as the man gazed upwards- presumably in the direction of Lord Electrode's arena. "It is not an easy task that has been thrust upon you. I wish I could provide you with more assistance, but my position in the Pearl Clan is tentative enough as it is."

...yeah, she could kind of understand that. If her place with the Galaxy Team wasn't on the line, she might be more adamant that she not do this alone. As it was, she didn't want to risk being tossed out for protesting too much. She didn't doubt Kamado was still somewhat suspicious of her, and she'd really like to avoid doing anything to earn his ire.

"However, I do believe I can provide you with at least a little aid," Ingo finished.

Blinking, Akari looked up at the man, surprised. Aside from making the balms, nobody had ever actually tried to help her before.

"I noticed you do not have a ground type among your Pokemon," Ingo began, "-such a typing would be vital against Lord Electrode. Catching and training one for battle would be rather time-consuming at this point, but... would you care to enlist the aid of my Gliscor?"

"That," Akari began, before furiously nodding her head, "-that would actually be really helpful. But are you sure?"

"I am quite certain. It is the least I can do after your battle made me feel a spark that I've not since my unexpected arrival at this station." Ingo said, releasing the Pokemon in question. It chittered happily, much less fearsome now that she wasn't facing it in battle. "Gliscor is well trained. He will listen to your instructions."

Akari swallowed, for the briefest of moments almost considering rejecting the offer. It felt too generous, and what if the warden needed his partner while it was in her care? But she quickly shook the thought off. Ingo had been in Hisui longer than her- he knew the dangers the land held. He wouldn't have offered if he couldn't spare Gliscor.

And it would help.

It would help a lot, actually.

"Thank you," Akari said, "-really."

It was far from the last time Ingo came to her aid.

In direct contrast to his fellow highlands warden, Ingo never hesitated to help her. Sometimes it was merely directing her towards the best location to study a Pokemon, or sometimes it was more directly- safeguarding her from the dangerous Alphas that roamed the Highlands. He became a frequent face in her life, and not only just because she saw him around Jubilife Village more often now that he had a position at the training grounds.

(Battling against Ingo was like nothing else. Her victories were few and far between, but he celebrated them with her when they happened.)

When the sky turned red, and Kamado cast her out, Ingo- Uncle Ingo- was there for her.

She wasn't quite sure when he became like family to her. It just happened one day. Perhaps it was something that had been brewing for awhile, and she just hadn't noticed. It just slipped out- but to her delight, the only thing Ingo did was give her that faint smile she'd become so familiar with- the one that was more with his eyes than with his actual mouth. In the harsh land of Hisui, it was nice to have someone she could always count on. Someone she could trust.

Someone who would do anything for her.

Anything.

Akari clutched Gliscor's Pokeball like a talisman, as if it would ward away all the ills of the world... even though she knew it would not. The ills of the world were spread in front of her, unmoving and quiet. Too quiet. Volo had fled in defeat, leaving her alone on Spear Pillar.

Alone, save for her Uncle's Pokemon-

-and his corpse.

She'd tried. She'd tried to help. But it was beyond her ability, beyond even her Blissey's. Uncle Ingo was gone.

Uncle Ingo was gone, and it was her fault.

She swallowed, shoving tears from her eyes. She couldn't- she couldn't fall apart here. She needed- she needed to get somewhere else. Somewhere better than this. She couldn't leave Uncle up here. Taking in a long, shuddering breath, she released Uncle's Tangrowth, her hands fumbling with the latch for what felt like an eternity.

It warbled mournfully at the sight of its trainer.

"I'm sorry," Akari whispered, unsure who she was apologizing to, "-I'm so sorry."

They made their way slowly down the mountain, Tangrowth cradling their trainer like he was the most important thing in the world. Akari said nothing as they blazed a path through the Icelands, bypassing the familiar Galaxy Team camps. She only had one destination in mind, and she didn't want to be stopped until she got there. She didn't think she could handle it.

When the pink-purple of the Pearl Settlement's tents finally came into view, she could feel her shoulders sag with relief. Like a vivid splash of red in the snow, Irida blazed a trail to her, a call for aid dying in her throat as she realized it was far, far too late.

"I'm sorry," Akari mumbled, "-I'm so sorry."