Chapter Text
Banette: An abandoned plush doll became this Pokémon. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away.
Pain. Bitterness. A very natural response to them was to avoid the source of the pain, wasn’t it? But how could one go about it when the pain happened with a goodbye never spoken? Flinching when meeting new people hardly suited a man who had to be hospitable and help the passengers boarding the trains of Nimbasa City, Unova. It was rudeness, plain and simple; the same kind that would receive a real frown from the one who never got to say goodbye.
The man had donned dulled white colors as he passed by the streets with a smile that painfully stretched over his face. Staying in the dark as he retreated from yet another search attempt that yielded no results.
Wasn’t it unfair? The determination to find the one who never said goodbye burned and fueled the engine of this fast train, never making a stop in his tracks. However, it did not make a dent in this invisible obstacle blocking his way. Never did. Very unfair indeed.
He could feel his legs burning up with the muscles straining, and the broken-up one-car train came to a screeching halt. Once upon a time, he would take every safety measure to ensure his clothes would never be stained— now, Emmet did not care as he leaned on the wall of the alleyway he sought refuge in. Once unthinkable, now constant, was him wiping the mix of tears and snot to the sleeve of this plain white coat—he never got to finish the new set of uniform for himself, and now it was repurposed. He hated this. He hated how he could not afford the basics of the comfort of having a handkerchief. This was not suitable for a man with his responsibilities at all.
It made a sob escape him, tearing through his throat as he dug his hands into the concrete wall on his side, a fire burning upward his shoulders as his chest was filled with a blizzard.
A real metallic screech.
Emmet turned toward the noise, his hand reaching his belt where the Pokeballs were stationed. He only needed to gauge what type of enemy he would be facing. He would come up with a suitable combination.
The truth, the reason why his brother was taken away from him, was just up these tracks—he would not let anyone derail him.
Sadness. From the darkness emerged two pink eyes with a forced, mischievous expression. Emmet could only see the sadness behind its eyes.
Banette. The loneliest Pokemon. It was not native to Unova, yet, Emmet had met many on the battle train.
“Hi, new passenger!” Emmet offered a big smile despite the exhaustion tugging at his face. “I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. Is this your station?”
The doll took a few steps forward. The dark gray plush-like body had three small spikes that reminded him of a conductor’s hat, and a zipper as a mouth covered by the three-fingered hands as the doll covered its plastered-on smile.
Emmet tilted his head with a sad smile, exhaling the breath he had been holding. He knew that feeling. The smile when there should have been none. A face that betrayed its owner.
He felt his sadness reflected on the other. Wasn’t it all there was? A trainer and his pokemon as one beating, broken heart.
“Would you like to link with me to form a two-car train?” Emmet asked, though it was not his standard operating schedule to issue tickets to new passengers. He was already stuck with dozens of Joltiks from his breeding project for the perfect Galvantula, and even more stray Joltiks who followed him around.
He could not leave someone in need of assistance alone.
There was another step from Banette. Emmet reached for a free Pokeball he kept in his bag—
When he raised his gaze, the doll pokemon was gone.
His smile slowly died down as he looked at the empty spot before him. He raised his hand to clutch his chest.
Maybe being left behind was the only destination his track would always reach.
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Back to the normal tracks of life that did not let anyone switch out of them. It did not matter if someone wanted to wait for his family at the station before boarding the train. It did not matter. Life could not be derailed or stopped on its course.
Emmet had another day of work at the Gear Station, where the battle and non-battle trains alike were conducted by him and his staff. There used to be two Subway Bosses. Now only one.
The walk back home used to be his favorite part of the day. On the right side of his brother, Emmet would walk. They would tell each other their days and their battles, as the Multi-Line where they battled together as a team was only a part of their schedule— there would always be some interesting stories to share, some new tactics they would discuss.
When did it become a time when the exhaustion of the day would sink in without the ability to wind down? When?
The missing posters were still surrounding him. Nimbasa City loved his brother after all. Many offered to chime in with the expenses to cover the billboards. The league gave a few spots in crowded areas for free to show the poster and photograph of his brother. Emmet was not alone in his search for the truth.
Wherever he looked, he could see his brother, looking back at him. The clearest photograph had been the one Ingo had been the most nervous for. The first time they wore their uniforms as Subway Bosses and posed for the advertisement of their battle facility, the Battle Subway at the Gear Station. Emmet could almost hear his own laughter once the picture was shown to them, Ingo congratulating the photographer loudly, exclaiming “Bravo!”, while Emmet finally burst into laughter at how his usually confident twin looked almost embarrassed at the camera.
Now, it was the only image of his brother afforded to him.
His eyes filled with tears but he carried on.
But not before he picked up on someone across the street. A girl was looking back at him, wide-eyed, covering her mouth.
Emmet would continue walking, normally affording the passengers the shock displaced, thinking they had seen the missing person instead of the left-behind twin brother. The girl’s eyes were still fixated on him.
Frozen in his tracks, he waited for the girl to approach him. Yup, he looked like his twin. Yup, his twin was still missing. Awfully long time indeed. Four years. Last seen at the Gear Station. Authorities still saw merit in working on the case. Emmet did not need their help other than them keeping an eye out for his brother Ingo, who wore a dark gray coat and usually had a natural frown on his face.
He opened his mouth to give the same old script when the girl spoke the name.
“Uncle Ingo?”
Now, Emmet was used to hearing his brother’s name directed at him. He was used to holding back the tears at hearing the name of the person he missed more than life itself.
The name was never uttered by a stranger with such familiarity before.
“I am Emmet. Do you know him?” Emmet forced his hands in his pockets to rip at the seams and resist the urge to grab the other by the shoulders.
“Emmet… You look like him… Do you know him?” The timid voice reflected the question.
His smile spread as he nodded. “Ingo and I are twins. We’re both Subway Bosses—” He trailed off at her pained expression. “D-do you know where he is?” he asked softly, not wanting to scare the girl away.
“He is,” –the girl bit down on her lip as she drew a deep breath— “not coming back.”
Emmet offered a big smile. “I do not understand.”
“There was a space-time rift that took him back in time. I found a way to return to the present but… He said he had his duties and he would not abandon the people counting on him.”
Emmet tilted his head as he raised a finger. “Can you repeat that, please?”
The girl looked at him and it was confirmation enough. Emmet could feel himself trembling. On the edge of breaking down.
“He chose to stay in the past. I am sorry. He is not coming back.”
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Emmet did not know how he ended up in that dark alleyway again. He only wanted to hide from the eyes. Hide from the truth.
The truth that his brother had been alive and taken from him against his will.
The truth that his brother chose his new home over him.
That he was left behind without a second thought spared for him.
Ingo had been a one-car train for a few minutes at the very beginning of their journey, while Emmet had never had to endure such loneliness. He had been a two-car train from the start.
Now…
Now he was expected to believe his brother would leave him willingly.
That he had to accept and let go, and respect Ingo’s decision.
Ingo wouldn’t have left him. That was not how his brother was. That did not make sense.
If this was another nightmare, Emmet had suffered enough. It was time to wake up. It was time to wake up again.
Please…
His train of thought came to a halt with a familiar metallic screech.
Emmet turned to see that, indeed, it was the doll Pokemon from before. Banette.The loneliest Pokemon, left behind by the one who was supposed to love them.
The sadness Emmet felt was reflected in the Pokemon’s eyes.
Emmet slid down the concrete wall, his uniform ripping and letting a scratching sound. With a thump, Emmet sat on the ground. The dirt wettened the clothes but he could not care anymore.
He reached for the free Pokeball again. This time, Banette only looked at him, not moving from the spot.
Even if this was the longest nightmare Emmet would have, he would not let someone else go through the pain he had to endure. He would not let someone else feel abandoned. Alone.
This pain. This bitterness.
Emmet offered the Pokeball, extending it to Banette’s reach.
Banette gently tapped on the Pokeball, allowing it to turn its body into light and catch him.
The Pokeball moved and shook in his hand, before settling with a click.
Emmet summoned Banette immediately. Out of the darkness, the light shone and formed back the doll pokemon.
His arms wrapped around the pokemon, pulling it close.
The words could not come out of his mouth. Yet, they did not need to be, as he felt the arms wrapping around him as well.
This wasn’t fair. This could not be the truth.
Emmet wanted to wake up.