Chapter Text
When he saw Ingo for the first time, the other man was an odd sight to behold. With the coat and cap that marked him as an outsider and piercing silver eyes that could send chills down a sane person’s neck, he wasn’t sure what to make of this man. One thing Melli did know for sure was that he was not a sane man by his own definition. As uncommon as it was, every time he would pass the other man in the forests of the highlands, he would defiantly stare right back at Ingo’s face.
“What do you want?” He’d ask in a huff, crossing his arms with his stance widening. His gaze never once moved from Ingo’s odd-colored eyes, but it didn’t appear to offend him. In fact, his face didn’t seem to be changing at all! The strange man would shake his head, mouth twitching, as a crinkle appeared in the corner of their eyes.
“I could ask you the same thing, though it appears our tracks have just crossed and nothing more,” Ingo would say in a voice that sounded restrained but kind. The kind voice didn't match his frowned face. The liar!
Melli’s lip curled in response to this, and he huffed, facing away from the man with his eyes closed. “That’s hard to believe! You’re just a weird old man incapable of,” an eye cracked open and rolled to glare at Ingo, “keeping his distance from the Great Melli!” He exclaimed confidently with another huff. If he had known any better at the time, he would see the smile on this otherwise stony-faced man, but he instead focused on their laugh, which sounded mocking in his ears.
He grew softly red-faced, and disdain bloomed in his chest. “What are you laughing at!?” Melli bit, now facing the man once again but stopped. Ingo covered his face with one hand as he chuckled quietly, almost like a titter with how choked back it was. “W- well,” he paused, feeling his anxiety bubble up, and before he could say any more, Ingo removed his hand from their face. A flat, neutral-lipped line with redness on his cheeks adorned the other man’s face… odd.
“My apologies, Melli. That was very rude of me, but I am neither old nor do I have any mal intentions with you. We occupy the same mountain, so you must understand that encounters will be common between us. I hope that we can continue to coexist in the future!” Ingo apologized good-naturedly. He held out his hand for Melli to shake, but all he could feel was repulsion by the act. How dare he try to touch the Great Melli! This man, after all, was not only an outsider but Pearl Clan’s outsider as well!
“Disgusting! How dare you-” Melli hissed, quickly took a 180, and turned to march back towards home, the task he had initially set out to do now the furthest thing from his mind. Had he continued to look at Ingo, the purple-blue-haired man would have seen two things. The soft frown on the other man’s face and the determined look in their eyes.
-
Melli didn’t see Ingo for quite some time after that. In fact, it was months until their next opportunity at an annual gathering for the Wardens. They would regularly gather biannually, once before winter and once sometime after. Typically they discussed the movement of alpha pokemon, abundance or lack of prey pokemon/forgables, and any safety issues with the walking paths. Established trails commonly used by humans tended to keep pokemon at bay they’ve found. The fewer pokemon they would interact with, the less loss of human life, so the trails must be maintained.
If both sides helped upkeep these passages, it had far more benefits than just letting either side fend for themselves. When necessary, the help of a Noble pokemon may be needed when clearing a path obstructed by debris. In one particular instance, a significant road crossing between the Fieldlands and the Highlands has been blocked by a giant mudslide caused by the changing weather and loose soil.
As much as Melli fought it, it was agreed upon that Melli’s Noble would need to be convinced to clear the area. As much as the pokemon’s Warden fought against it, he was voted into forcing his hand or face Adaman and explained why he wouldn't do it. He, of course, gave in but made his displeasure known as he rushed out.
~
Shakily, Melli releases a breath, trying desperately to calm his racing heart. He refuses to accept that his arms and legs feel weak and shaky from how much they fought him. Not once could he get an explanation out unless Gaeric raised his voice even louder than his. “The man child,” he comments breathily and crosses his arms. As he steps forward, his loyal Skuntank by his side, they both stiffen at the sudden crunch from behind them. Whipping around to face the noise, his eyes feel large in his skull from fear, but they quickly relax, and an annoyed huff escapes his lips upon seeing Ingo.
The man’s frame is outlined by the distant fire where the other Wardens continue to talk, and their face appears mildly surprised. A far cry from the typically frowny but otherwise blank expression Ingo usually wears. Ingo straightens, and Melli does so as well, regaining his composure and glaring at the other Warden though it feels less challenging than usual.
“What do you want?” Melli snaps, making the corners of Ingo’s eyes crinkle, and that frown shifts into a flat line. Is… Is he smiling?
Ingo shakes his head, and his mouth slowly cracks open then shuts. He looks at Melli a second longer making Melli’s ire grow from this hesitance. “I wanted to conduct a safety check. You appeared to be distressed during the meeting and-”
“OF COURSE, I WAS DISTRESSED!” Melli instantly bites as his short temper flares and snaps like a whip. “You should know how much of a pain and how dangerous it is to move my glorious Noble out of his hollow! Think about all of the trees that are in the way!” As he yells, he brings his hands down roughly in tightly wound fists at his sides. Distantly, he can hear his pokemon chittering at him like they were comforting him.
The other man's face shifts into the frown he's more used to seeing then he hears them sigh. Even before Ingo opens his mouth, Melli feels instantly patronized.
"If you would like assistance, I'd be happy to provide it," Ingo offers slowly as though he's shy to ask. That catches Melli off guard, some expecting more pressure from the other man to complete his assigned task as told, but there's always a catch.
"And what do you get out of it? Get your kicks from showing how I can't do anything on my own! That I always need help!" He snaps, glaring down at Ingo.
The man visibly pauses and looks down, his frown deepening. Melli's hackles immediately rise, preparing for the inevitable screaming match; this is something he knows how to deal with. But Ingo being a man of mystery, doesn't do that.
"Melli," Ingo starts sounding almost sad, "please, that was never my intention."
The man's hands shift, swaying softly at his sides but are soon pulled up to grip the neck of his coat, pulling it forward. The hands remain tightly gripped on the lips of that dumb old jacket. Melli isn't sure how to interpret these movements, but Ingo continues before he can make any comments.
"My intentions are nothing more than to help my fellow Warden through their grueling task. Possibly make the track easier to traverse for them if possible."
The more Ingo speaks, the more it looks like the man is burying himself inside his jacket.
Huffing softly in response, Melli looks down at his Skuntank for a moment, not entirely sure how to respond to Ingo. His dear pokemon stares right back but provides no answers on how to respond to this Outsider.
In a moment of indignance, he bites out, “well, you say that, but I’m having a hard time believing you.” Carefully watching Ingo’s reaction, the man continues to raise more questions than answers as they close their eyes. Ingo licks his lips, opens his eyes with a determined look, and then strikes his ridiculous pose. One hand pointing forward and the other to the side, wrist bent pointing down.
“Whether you choose to believe me or not, I will show you the route I want to take with you!” Ingo exclaims, his brow deepening with a determined look, his lips in that flat line again. Though he doesn’t understand the odd words the Faller says right now. Melli does get the sneaking feeling that this neutral look he keeps getting is, in fact, a smile.